Chapter 2
The First Scouting Expedition
Narrator —
After the breach of Taro’s village, the King was furious.
Not because lives were lost —
but because that village had supplied the largest share of wheat to the royal treasury.
With food running low, he made a decision.
Commander Alex —
“Your Highness, the First Scouting Expedition is ready.
But I am concerned. The breached village is overrun with shadows.
We don’t even know how to defeat them.”
The King —
“Concerned? About pests?”
He leaned back, uninterested.
“If you wish, you may go with them. Either way, it benefits me.
More food. Fewer mouths to feed.”
He smiled.
“You remember when we sent a thousand soldiers to capture a shadow?
They all died.”
Alex stiffened.
“I’m glad they did,” the King continued calmly.
“Less starvation.”
Narrator —
From their deaths, the Kingdom learned something valuable.
Shadows could be killed —
by severing their limbs.
Their bodies would evaporate into nothingness.
But the King raised a finger.
The King —
“Do not tell the soldiers this.
I’m telling you because you’re going elsewhere.”
He leaned forward.
“One more thing — shadows hate sunlight.
In daylight, they cannot see. They cannot hear.”
Commander Alex —
“I’ll go alone! Please! I don’t want to die!”
His voice cracked.
“You know when a shadow kills a human… that human becomes a shadow too.
What if—”
The King (shouting) —
“I SAID YOU WILL GO.”
Silence fell.
“I don’t care if you live or die.
I only care that the shadow near my treasure is destroyed.”
A pause.
“You will not take soldiers.
I don’t want more shadows near what belongs to me.”
Commander Alex (quietly) —
“Yes… Your Highness.”
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The King —
“How many were saved from that village?”
Commander Alex —
“Only one. A child. His name is Taro.
He witnessed his family’s death.”
He hesitated.
“One more thing, Your Highness.
A soldier abandoned a girl to die.
He should be punished.”
Narrator —
The King summoned the soldier.
Alex expected punishment.
Instead, the King smiled.
The King —
“Well done.”
The soldier froze.
“You saved my treasure.
You will feast tonight.”
He turned away.
“Those villagers were useless.
They could provide nothing anymore.”
Narrator —
Alex said nothing.
He went to the village alone.
He killed the shadow.
But his wounds were too deep.
He never saw another sunrise.
Narrator —
Elsewhere…
Taro —
“I should buy some food.”
Seller —
“A piece of bread. Five gold coins.”
Taro —
“For stale bread?”
Seller —
“Your village fed us. Now it’s gone.”
Narrator —
Taro clenched his fists.
Taro (thoughts) —
“I’ll end this.
I’ll end everyone’s misery.”
“When the shadows disappear…
I’ll explore the world.”
“To do that… I must become a soldier.”
Narrator —
At the same time, another expedition fought in the ruins.
Commander Steve —
“Fight! Fight to your last breath!
If you win, you’ll see your families again!”
A soldier whispered—
Soldier —
“Sir… isn’t the King just trying to kill us to save resources?”
“Our army had ten thousand men.
A thousand already died.
He sent only five hundred here.”
Commander Steve —
“I know.”
He looked ahead.
“If I refused, he would call me a traitor and execute me.
Then you would still die.”
“So I chose to die with my soldiers.”
Narrator —
The expedition was a death sentence.
None of them survived to see the sun rise.
Next Saturday,
Army Trials.
