Married To Darkness-Chapter 371: The Sneaky Wail

The steady rhythm of hooves against damp earth filled the night as the carriage rolled forward, carrying them away from the castle and into the unknown.

Manni sat upfront, guiding the horses with a firm hand, his coat pulled up to shield him from the light drizzle that had begun to fall.

Inside the carriage, the four travelers—Salviana, Jean and the two vampires—settled into their seats as the rain tapped gently against the wooden roof.

Jean, ever the bundle of energy, leaned forward. "You know, it might not even be raining in the next city."

Lucius smirked, watching the droplets slide down the glass window. "That’s the beauty of traveling. One moment you’re drenched, the next, you’re basking in the moonlight."

Jean beamed. "I’d love that! That way, we can look around without getting soaked."

Salviana, however, was quiet. She sat beside Alaric, her fingertips idly tracing the fabric of her dress as if lost in thought.

Alaric noticed, his piercing gaze softening. Without a word, he reached for her hand, lifting it to his lips.

His lips were cool against her skin, yet the touch sent a warmth rushing through her. She sighed and melted into him, resting her head against his shoulder.

He didn’t say anything, just ran his thumb over her knuckles, as if grounding her.

Lucius pretended to gag. "Oh, please. If I wanted to be a third wheel, I’d have stayed back."

Jean nudged him. "Technically, we’re both third wheels. Or fourth wheels. Whatever. But you don’t hear me complaining."

Lucius rolled his eyes. "That’s because you love romance nonsense."

Jean grinned. "And you secretly do, too."

Lucius scowled. "Lies."

Jean shrugged. "Denial."

Alaric, amused by their exchange, pressed another kiss to Salviana’s head before turning his attention back to the darkened landscape outside.

The rain softened, becoming a mere drizzle, and the scent of wet earth filled the air. Somewhere ahead, another city waited for them.

A new place, a new night, a new adventure.

Smoke and Shadows

Morning had barely broken through the mist when Salviana finally drifted off into a deep sleep, her head tucked against Alaric’s chest. He held her close, his arms a protective cage around her as the carriage continued its journey.

They had been traveling for hours when the sharp scent of smoke began to fill the air. It wasn’t the pleasant, woodsy kind from a distant hearth—it was thick, acrid, and spreading too fast.

Manni, their elderly coachman, coughed harshly and instinctively pulled the horses to a stop.

Alaric’s eyes flickered open instantly, his body tensing. He carefully slipped out from beneath Salviana’s warmth, stepped out of the carriage, and took a deep inhale.

Not good.

The abrupt stop jolted Salviana awake. She frowned, rubbing her eyes.

She hated being woken up when she was comfortable. And even worse—her husband wasn’t beside her anymore.

Jean yawned and stretched, then blinked at the smoke swirling outside. "Uh... why are we stopping? This isn’t a break spot, is it?"

Alaric ignored her and turned to Manni. "Can you still breathe?"

The elderly coachman wheezed. "It’s getting thick... we shouldn’t be here too long."

Jean, now fully alert, frowned. "Where even is ’here’?"

Lucius crossed his arms. "I was about to ask the same thing. Salviana?"

Salviana, still blinking the sleep from her eyes, reached for their map. Only...

She froze.

Jean glanced at her expectantly. "Well?"

"...I think we forgot the map," Salviana admitted.

Jean gasped. "Forgot the map?! Salviana, are you hearing this?"

"I literally just said it," Salviana muttered. She yawned, still sluggish. "Let’s just go. I want to go back to sleep."

Alaric shot her a look. "Fiery, we have to check what’s happening first."

Salviana groaned but nodded.

Lucius narrowed his eyes toward the distant haze. "The smoke is unnatural. Either something is burning down, or someone is creating a distraction."

Then, a blur of movement.

Jean gasped as something—**or someone—**darted past them, too fast.

The giggle of a child echoed through the air.

Everyone froze.

Alaric’s grip on his sword tightened. "What was that?"

Lucius lowered his stance. "I don’t like this."

Manni, still coughing, squinted through the smoke. "That wasn’t normal speed."

Salviana was suddenly wide awake.

Jean grabbed onto her sleeve. "Should we... go after it?"

Another giggle—closer.

Alaric slowly turned toward the darkened forest edge.

And then, in the swirling smoke, they saw it.

A child.

Or something that looked like one.

Standing still, watching them.The early dusk was thick with fog, rolling in like a ghostly tide, swallowing the trees and narrowing their path.

Then the wailing started.

"Help! Help!"

The shrill cries cut through the damp air, twisting into their ears like an eerie melody.

Jean gripped the side of the carriage. "Did you hear that?"

Lucius, who had been half-lounging, instantly sat up, his sharp gaze piercing the darkness. "Of course, I did."

Alaric frowned, his senses already on edge. "It’s close."

Manni, holding the reins, shuddered. "I don’t like this. Not one bit."

The horses whinnied nervously, their hooves shuffling. The carriage creaked to a stop.

More cries filled the air. Desperate. Terrified.

Jean’s breath hitched. "We have to help them!"

Salviana nodded, already reaching for the carriage door. But before she could step out, Alaric’s hand shot out, grasping her wrist.

"Stay inside." His voice was low, commanding.

Salviana stared at him. "What? But—"

"Let us check first." Lucius was already moving, stepping down into the fog-laced road.

Alaric followed, and Jean, unable to sit still, leaped out as well.

"Where are you?" Jean called out.

The wailing grew louder. The sound of children sobbing.

"Help us!" A tiny voice came from beyond the trees.

Lucius took a step forward but then froze.

The air had changed.

The rain had stopped, but the fog thickened. The scent of something old, something unnatural, crept into his senses.

Alaric felt it too.

"Something’s wrong," he muttered.

Lucius scanned the area. "Where are they?"

The voices were everywhere, but they could see nothing.

Jean, eyes darting around, pointed to the left. "I think they’re over there!"

Lucius moved fast, disappearing into the fog. Jean and Alaric followed.

But no matter how far they went, there was nothing—just endless mist and the echo of fading cries.

Then suddenly—silence.

Too silent.

Jean’s heart pounded. "Where did they go?"

Lucius turned back, his jaw tight. "This isn’t real."

Jean’s blood ran cold. "What?"

Alaric exhaled sharply. "Illusion magic."

The fog started to lift.

The cries were gone.

Jean spun around. "That doesn’t make sense! We heard them! They sounded real!"

Salviana and Manni were still near the carriage. Manni was coughing violently, gripping his chest.

Lucius stepped toward him. "What’s wrong?"

Manni gasped for breath, eyes wide. "The smoke... it was choking me."

Alaric’s eyes narrowed. "There was no smoke."

Manni coughed again but looked up, confused. "But—"

Jean shivered. "Let’s go. I don’t want to stay here."

They climbed back into the carriage, a heavy silence settling over them.

Manni rubbed his throat, still shaken. "What... what was that?"

Salviana exhaled. "I don’t know."

Lucius leaned back, his expression dark. "Whatever it was... it wasn’t human."

Alaric said nothing, his gaze lingering on the dark road behind them.

The horses lurched forward, eager to leave.

The trees stayed silent.

But somewhere in the mist, something had watched them.

And now, it knew they were here.

The afternoon sun bore down on them like a relentless predator, its heat pressing against their backs.

The cool dampness of Wyfkeep was long behind them, replaced by dry winds and golden plains stretching far into the horizon.

Jean fanned herself dramatically. "I feel like I’m melting. Are we in a desert?"

Lucius, who was half lounging with his eyes closed, scoffed. "If this is a desert to you, you’d die in an actual one."

Manni, still gripping the reins, wiped sweat off his brow. "We’re too far to turn back now."

Alaric peered ahead. "No signs of an inn anywhere."

Salviana groaned softly. "We should’ve taken the map."

Jean gasped. "The map! We left the map?!"

Manni looked at her with a deadpan expression. "It’s in the castle, Jean. Unless you can summon it here with your mind, stop panicking."

Jean flopped backward. "We’re doomed."

Alaric sighed, scanning their surroundings. "We’ll have to camp here for the night."

They found a shaded grove between a few trees, and Alaric, along with Manni, got to work. With swift, practiced hands, they tied up blankets between tree trunks, securing makeshift tents. The ground was dry but soft enough to lay on with a few extra layers of fabric.

Jean slumped onto the blankets. "Not bad. This almost feels cozy."

Lucius, testing the sturdiness of a tent post, smirked. "You sound surprised. Did you think Alaric would let us sleep in the dirt?"

Jean grinned. "I don’t know. Maybe I thought we’d all huddle in the carriage like scared little mice."

Salviana chuckled. "You two fight too much."

Then Jean yawned. A big, loud, exaggerated yawn.

And that was when the realization hit.

They hadn’t eaten since morning.

She sat up suddenly. "Food! Where’s the food?"

Lucius raised a brow. "In the storage compartment, obviously."

Jean hopped off her blanket and practically dove into the carriage, throwing open the wooden storage doors.

Then—she went still.

Silence.

Salviana frowned. "Jean?"

Jean turned around slowly, her face pale. "Guys."

Alaric stiffened. "What?"

Jean took a deep breath and screamed.

"THERE’S NOTHING HERE!"

A beat of silence followed. Then chaos.

Lucius shot up. "You’re joking."

Jean dragged out the empty basket, shaking it violently. "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A JOKE?"

Manni’s jaw dropped. "What the hell? Where’s all the food?"

Alaric marched up to the carriage, eyes darkening. He yanked open the storage doors himself.

It was completely empty.

No bread. No dried meat. Not even a single apple.

Jean threw her hands in the air. "Are we cursed?! First, the map. Now the food. What’s next? The horses disappear?!"

Salviana pressed a hand to her forehead. "We had food this morning. How did this happen?"

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "We were in Wyfkeep. The maids packed the supplies. They wouldn’t forget something this important."

Manni crossed his arms. "Then where is it?"

Jean suddenly gasped. "Oh my god. Did we get robbed?!"

Alaric clenched his jaw, scanning the area. "If someone stole from us, we would’ve sensed them."

Salviana looked troubled. "What if it was back in the mist?"

A cold silence followed.

Lucius exhaled. "The wailing children..."

Jean shuddered. "We didn’t see anything, but... what if they took something from us?"

Alaric didn’t like this. It didn’t make sense.

But regardless of how it happened, they were stranded without food.

Lucius leaned against the carriage, smirking slightly. "Well, Alaric. You’re our leader. What now?"

Alaric ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

Alaric’s voice cut through the tense air like a blade.

"We hunt."

Jean blinked. "Hunt? As in—actual hunting? Like... killing things?"

Lucius rolled his eyes. "No, Jean. We’re going to politely ask the rabbits to jump into our arms."

Jean groaned. "Ugh. I hate this."

Salviana adjusted her dress, her fingers grazing the dagger at her hip. "It’s not like we have a choice." she said her eyes down.