The wind blew in from afar, carrying the damp scent of earth, mingled with the smoke of burning wood and the faint decay of fallen leaves, producing an indescribable sense of oppression.
Ethan stepped onto the cobblestone streets, lightly crunching leaves beneath his feet. He looked around. The streets were neat and clean; most houses were simple wooden structures, with smoke curling slowly from the chimneys. If not for the cold medallion in his hand, he could almost believe he had wandered into a tranquil pastoral painting.
"So, this is Phantom Dream Town?" he whistled softly, a trace of sarcastic humor in his tone. "Looks more peaceful than my hometown. Are you sure this is a hellish dungeon and not some retirement resort?"
Silas snorted, his steps steady and unhurried, voice sharp as a blade: "Peace is only an illusion. Don't be fooled by appearances."
Ethan rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath: "Can't you occasionally say something comforting? Like, 'Don't worry, rookie, this mission is easy—we just have to eat dinner and it's done.'"
"If you want comfort, buy yourself a pillow and cry into it," Silas replied coldly, his words merciless, adding a chill to the air.
They walked slowly along the street. The townsfolk seemed normal: women carrying baskets to the market, children chasing each other playfully, some dozing in rocking chairs on porches. Yet Ethan felt a persistent unease, as if every smile were pulled by an invisible shadow, as if cracks hid in the picturesque scene, ready to split open at the slightest misstep.
Night gradually fell, and the moon silently rose into the sky, silver light spilling across the streets paved with ancient wood, casting long shadows. Ethan was about to look for an inn when an eerie sound reached him—not shouting, not footsteps, but a synchronous whisper, soft as wind through dead leaves, yet chilling enough to raise goosebumps.
"…Come… come…"
He whipped around.
The elderly, who had been dozing in rocking chairs, now slowly rose, eyes tightly shut, expressions empty, as if filled with some black liquid. The children stopped playing, dropping their toys, and moved in unison toward the same direction, each step deliberate.
It was not just one person.
The entire town—young and old alike—closed their eyes at the same time, moving in synchronized steps, as if controlled by an invisible hand. The air carried a faint, low-frequency vibration, like the town itself tugging at Ethan's heart.
"Damn…" Ethan's scalp tingled, heartbeat quickening involuntarily. "They're… sleepwalking?"
Silas remained still, eyes sharp as blades, watching the scene coldly. "Yes. Collective sleepwalking. This is the anomaly of Phantom Dream Town."
The crowd moved slowly, their footsteps precise, echoing across the empty streets like a cold drumbeat. Each footfall rang with metallic resonance, as if the town itself shivered.
Ethan swallowed, forcing a casual tone. "If this were in a cinema, box office would be over a hundred million. Horror directors would wake up laughing in their dreams."
"Shut up," Silas's voice cut across the night like a knife. "Follow them. Where they're going is the heart of the case."
Ethan froze for a moment, took a deep breath, and forced himself to follow. With every step, the crunch of stones was unusually loud in the still night. He could feel invisible pressure shooting up his spine, chilling his blood slightly.
At the end of the street, the sleepwalking crowd converged, flowing like a tide toward the ominous church at the town center. Moonlight cast the church's spire in grotesque shadows, stretching like grasping hands, ready to swallow any intruder.
Ethan's chest tightened. He muttered under his breath: "Of course. Behind every quiet town, there's always a terrifying church."
Silas glanced at him coldly, voice low and icy: "Welcome to the real assessment."
The wind blew again, carrying the damp scent of earth. The whispers grew nearer, as if emanating from the depths of the church, echoing in everyone's mind—simultaneously beckoning and warning.
Ethan clenched his teeth, realizing that tonight, he would face not just Phantom Dream Town, but the darkest secrets buried within the human heart.