Chapter 3: The Broken Circle
Tatsuo slowly opened his eyes.
His body ached. The air smelled of damp earth and moss. He looked around — he was inside a cave, surrounded by trees and the sound of rustling leaves.
In front of him stood three strangers.
Tatsuo sat up in confusion. "Where… where am I? Who are you people?"
A teenage boy stepped forward and offered a small smile.
"My name is Munaro. I found you unconscious in the middle of the forest last night and brought you here. What's your name?"
"Tatsuo," he replied softly. "Last night… two men grabbed me. I was so scared, I think I fainted. I don't remember anything after that."
Munaro nodded. "They were probably sent by the Sun God or the Moon Goddess. They take children."
"What do you mean?"
Before Munaro could answer, a girl walked in from behind. Her black cloak was worn but her eyes were sharp.
"My name is Avenya," she said gently. "And Munaro is right. The gods use children for their own gain — they sacrifice them to maintain their power."
Tatsuo's eyes widened. "What? But… how do you know all this?"
Avenya sat down beside him. Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"When I was little, I used to play with my best friend, Kairi. One day, she stopped coming. Her parents grew quiet. Distant. I thought maybe she moved to another village. But…"
She looked down, remembering.
"That night, I saw two men carrying a child in the dark. I hid and listened."
> "Just one more child," one of them said. "Then the ritual will be complete. The Sun and Moon will remain stable."
"That's when I realized… Kairi didn't leave. She was taken. Sacrificed."
Tatsuo's heart pounded.
"I told my parents the next morning," Avenya continued. "They didn't believe me. Said I was imagining things. I tried to catch the men the next time they came, but they changed their pattern. Maybe they already took the third child early. My parents punished me for lying… so I ran away."
"And that's when she found me," Munaro added. "We formed a plan. To uncover the gods' truth."
Tatsuo looked shocked. "I… I always thought demons took those children."
Munaro shook his head. "That's what they want people to believe. It's all a lie. The real monsters are worshipped."
Just then, a younger boy walked in holding a bucket full of fish.
"Hey, guys! Dinner's here!" he grinned. Then his eyes fell on Tatsuo. "Who's the new kid?"
"This is Tatsuo," Munaro said. "We found him last night."
"I'm Hiroshi," the boy said cheerfully. "Nice to meet you."
Tatsuo looked around. "But… how will you expose the gods?"
Munaro answered, "Every six months, when the children start disappearing, we try to catch the men who take them. But they've always avoided us… until now."
Tatsuo clenched his fists. "Then I'll help too."
"Wait," Avenya asked. "Don't you want to go home? Your family must be worried."
Tatsuo's eyes lowered. "You're right… my big brother Cairo… he must be so scared. I should go back."
Munaro smiled. "We'll take you home. Don't worry."
Tatsuo nodded. "Thank you… all of you."
---
Scene change.
Inside a grand mansion, Lysendra walked quietly down the hall. As she passed her father's chamber, she heard whispers.
She stopped.
It was Lord Tyran… praying.
> "Forgive me… for all the children I've sacrificed. I did it to keep the balance. I did it to protect the world. Please… forgive me…"
Lysendra's eyes widened. Her breath caught.
She stepped back by accident — a soft creak echoed.
Startled, she ran to her room, her heart pounding.
> "What… did I just hear? Was my father really… the one behind the sacrifices?"
She sat in silence, shaking.
---
Morning.
Cairo wandered through the streets of Velmora, eyes down, heart heavy.
His brother… still missing.
An old man approached him.
"Child… why do you carry such sorrow? What pain is eating you?"
Cairo said nothing.
The man sat beside him. "Did you lose someone too? Was it… the demon's doing?"
Cairo looked up in surprise. "Yes… how did you know?"
The old man sighed. "Because I've seen this pain before. So many times. I've lived long enough to understand one thing…"
> "The powerful don't care about your pain. They'll take lives to keep their own safe. And leave you behind, broken."
Cairo's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"
"Do you really believe this was the work of a demon?"
Silence fell.
"Find the truth, child. Before it buries you."
Cairo stood frozen. His thoughts racing.
> "If it's not demons… then who…?"
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End of Chapter 3: The Broken Circle
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