The door to the shack opened with a creak as Reinhard stepped outside first, and sunlight hit his face with a warm light.

The others followed behind him, Marie stretching her arms overhead, Joseph rolling his shoulders.

Brunhilde moving with her usual composed grace, Janus emerging last with his clock already in hand.

Reinhard's eyes adjusted to the brightness, and details emerged.

The shack's walls had deep dents which warped the wood inward, some were at ground level, others higher up, as if things of varying heights had struck repeatedly.

The roof showed similar damage, but not as bad as the walls.

Janus walked around the structure slowly, his orange eyes tracking each mark before his frown deepened with every step. "This is odd..." He reached out to touch one particularly severe dent. "Usually, none of the Night Terrors try to break in unless they hear noise."

Joseph's green eyes narrowed. "They don't react to the light?"

Janus shook his head, his black hair with blue highlights swaying. "We don't know why, but there's a theory that they're probably blind. The entire town can be illuminated, and it wouldn't be a problem."

Reinhard moved closer to the wall, and his gloved hand gently caressed the surface. The wood was rough, splintered in places from repeated impacts. "But I'm guessing the faintest sound can attract their attention?"

Janus's expression turned grave. "Once they hear a sound, they rush toward it and keep attacking the place until it breaks. But they won't attack or go inside until they hear another sound."

Marie's light-gold eyes widened, and she asked. "Is it because the lack of sound makes them think nothing is there anymore?"

"Exactly." Janus turned to face them fully. "This is why when the Night Terrors come, there's a Three Strikes Rule if you're in a building." He held up fingers as he counted. "First strike is once they hear noise and break down the walls. The second strike is once they hear sound again and believe you're in there. And the third strike is them finding your location before taking you away."

Brunhilde nodded slowly, her violet-blue hair swaying with the motion. "So two chances to mess up... That's an important lifeline."

"One that took many deaths to figure out," Janus said quietly as he looked down.

Reinhard studied the dented walls again and compared them against what they'd experienced. "So if they don't mess with buildings until they hear noise, did they just not recognize this shack as one?"

Janus's brows furrowed as he stood still for several seconds. His expression was thoughtful before his eyes widened slightly. "I'm not sure... Unless-"

He moved quickly, walking around the shack with Reinhard, hearing him circling the structure, boots crunching on debris. Then, rapid footsteps as Janus came back into view, already running toward the destroyed well.

They followed to see Janus drop to his knees beside the crumbled stone rim, pushing away rubble urgently. Chunks of stone scattered, revealing the well's dark opening, and he leaned forward.

Reinhard watched as Janus looked down before his entire body trembled, and then his expression shifted to a grimace.

Reinhard frowned as he reached the well first and the others close behind.

They all looked down together before blinking in surprise.

Blood stained the interior walls thick, like dark streaks that ran down. The water below was visible despite the depth, illuminated by morning light.

They saw that the water was crimson with two bodies floating, it was a bear and a deer, both partially submerged. Their fur was stained with blood and water, while they seemed to be missing some parts of themselves.

Joseph whispered softly. "Were they attracted by the smell?"

Janus frowned deeply before nodding without looking away. "They hunt by noise, but high content of blood will make them come over in a passive state..." He paused as he swallowed. "It's just the first time I've ever seen it. We at Naraku Town always make sure to keep things mostly clean. It also helps that most of our meals aren't animals but vegetation and fruits."

Reinhard stepped back from the well before his eyes swept the surrounding area, noting details he'd missed.

There were holes in the tree trunks, some had cuts that went deep, while other trees were toppled and lay across the ground.

"Look!" Marie said while pointing toward a cluster of roots.

Everyone turned their gaze to see blood stained on them. It was bright against grey-brown wood, with most of its traveling deeper into the roots.

Janus nodded, his expression grim. "The Night Terrors will attack anything that makes a sound. I'm guessing a deer couldn't keep quiet, so it was hunted by them."

Brunhilde sighed softly before saying. "I sensed over thirty things rushing through the forest while the deer tried to escape."

Marie looked down, her hands clasping together. "That's unfortunate." Then her eyes shone as she clenched her fist and straightened her posture. "But we should eat the food we prepared yesterday and then quickly head to the town."

Everyone nodded in agreement before they moved away from the well, putting distance between themselves and that red water.

Bags were opened, sandwiches pulled from careful wrapping, and they ate standing, while scanning their surroundings. Then the fruit came next, which was apples and pears they'd gathered yesterday. The juice was sweet, washing away the dry taste of bread, and then water followed to flush everything down.

The meal took perhaps ten minutes before they were done eating, and they continued through the forest.

The path Janus followed moved between massive trees and over root-covered ground. An hour passed in steady walking, the sun climbing higher overhead. The forest remained dangerous but somehow less oppressive in daylight, but not actively hostile.

Janus's pace increased as his orange eyes darted ahead, reading landmarks invisible to the others. Then his face transformed as pure joy spread across his face. He spun around, nearly stumbling in his excitement. "We're here! Come on!"

Then Janus ran with his black-blue coat streaming behind him. Reinhard and the others followed, with the forest beginning to open up ahead, and trees spacing wider.

Then they saw a town appear.

They saw buildings rising between trees, constructed from timber and stones. The roofs were made of bark, while the windows had a cloth over them. All around the town was a wooden fence that was perhaps twelve feet high, with watchtowers visible at intervals.

They got closer with Janus grinning in excitement while Marie giggled and Joseph smiled.

As they were almost there, a tornado of water erupted directly in their path.

The water swirled upward from nothing, creating a barrier eight feet wide and twice as tall.

Droplets sprayed outward towards them while the surging wave echoed as it forced them to come to a halt.

Next, the ground cracked and broke with bone spears that rushed upward. They quickly formed a circle, surrounding the group completely.

Each spear was perhaps five feet tall, creating a cage of bone that trapped them within.

But no one tensed up or looked afraid as they glanced at Janus, who sighed and rubbed his head.

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