As Miguel and his entourage approached the village, their horses, sensing the tension in the air, slowed their pace until they came to a complete stop upon spotting a group of three soldiers guarding a small improvised post on the road. The soldiers, noticing their approach, quickly stood up, placing their hands on their swords. One of them stepped forward and, with a firm voice, asked, “Who goes there?”

  Miguel rode ahead of his group, allowing the soldiers to see him clearly. The leader of the soldier group recognized him immediately, his eyes widening in surprise. “It’s the king!” he exclaimed, turning to the others. “Calm down, it’s the king!” All three soldiers quickly bowed, showing their respect.

  As they straightened up again, one of the soldiers, still visibly nervous, stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I’m afraid we cannot allow you to proceed to the village.”

  Ricardo, always protective, stepped forward, his expression stern. “And why not?” he questioned with authority. “The king can go wherever he pleases.”

  The soldier, clearly embarrassed, raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Forgive me, I meant no offense.”

  Miguel, sensing the rising tension, raised a hand toward Ricardo, signaling him to calm down. “It’s alright, Ricardo,” he said calmly before turning to the soldier. “What’s happening here? Why can’t we enter the village?”

  The soldier, visibly uncomfortable, took a deep breath before responding. “Your Majesty, the village... is cursed.”

  Miguel frowned, confused. “Cursed?” he asked skeptically. “What do you mean by that?”

  The soldier hesitated, but finally explained: “Six days ago, one of the villagers was attacked by a beast from the forest. He survived, but the creature... seemed to have infected the man with the Mana disease.”

  The mention of this term made Miguel raise an eyebrow, intrigued. It was something he had never heard of before. But beside him, Ricardo, usually impassive, now had a look of horror on his face.

  “What is this Mana disease?” Miguel asked, his voice more serious as he observed the change in Ricardo’s expression.

  The soldiers exchanged nervous glances before one of them responded. “It’s a rare disease, Your Majesty, but deadly.”

  Miguel absorbed the information, trying to piece it together. “And you’re out here, guarding this road, why? Why aren’t you helping the people in the village?”

  The youngest soldier, with a grim look, replied: “We were helping, Your Majesty, but the village garrison commander... he was also infected. Before he succumbed, he ordered us to stay here, away from the village, to warn anyone approaching.”

  Miguel felt a chill run down his spine. He hesitated for a moment before asking the question he didn’t want to hear the answer to: “And how many have died in the village so far?”

  The soldier lowered his head, his voice a sad whisper. “When we left, Your Majesty, there were already at least forty dead…”

  Shock overtook Miguel. He looked around at the landscape, which seemed darker under the snow that continued to fall, making the surrounding silence even more oppressive. The cold wind swayed the branches of the trees around them, while the echo of the soldier’s words repeated in his mind.

  Forty dead.

  Miguel felt the weight of the situation on his shoulders. The uncertainty of what lay ahead left him speechless for a moment as his thoughts raced, searching for a solution to this new threat.

  ---

  Miguel stepped away from the soldiers, who were exchanging nervous murmurs among themselves, and joined Ricardo in a more secluded corner, where the snow was softly falling around them, creating a white blanket on the ground. The gray clouds in the sky and the cold wind cutting through the air made the scene even darker. The silence was interrupted only by the muffled sound of horse hooves and the rustling of nearby trees.

  Miguel, still disturbed by what he had heard, looked intently at Ricardo. He couldn’t ignore the look of horror he had seen on his friend’s face when the Mana disease was mentioned. It was something he had never seen in Ricardo before, a man usually impassive and fearless.

  “Ricardo,” Miguel began, his voice firm but laden with concern, “I saw your reaction when they mentioned this disease... the Mana disease. What do you know about it?”

  Ricardo hesitated for a moment, his eyes on the snow-covered ground. He didn’t want to alarm his king any further, but he knew he couldn’t hide the truth. “Your Majesty,” he began with a sigh, “this disease... is something terrible. It attacks those who have little or no mana in their bodies. Its victims lose vitality quickly, as if their very life force is being drained. Purple blisters appear on their skin, and in just two or three days, if they’re lucky, the disease consumes them completely... and they die.”

  Miguel was shocked, his hands involuntarily tightening on the leather gloves he wore. “A disease that only attacks those without mana...” he murmured, more to himself than to Ricardo. “This could kill millions if it spreads.”

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  The wind blew stronger, making the falling snow swirl around them. Miguel felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold. He looked at Ricardo, hoping for answers he feared hearing. “How does such a disease still exist?” he asked, his voice full of incredulity.

  Ricardo lifted his eyes to meet Miguel’s. “It’s rare, Your Majesty,” he explained gravely. “But there’s a legend… A legend that says that, millennia ago, almost all living beings were decimated by this disease. But then, some people began to develop a small amount of mana in their bodies. This small spark of energy allowed some to survive, and over time, the disease was eradicated. However, as generations passed, and people began to be born again without mana, the disease, though dormant, never completely disappeared.”

  Miguel absorbed Ricardo’s words, feeling the weight of centuries of history fall on his shoulders. The thought that such an ancient and devastating disease could resurface was terrifying. He turned to the village ahead, now shrouded in the cold mist and falling snow, trying to comprehend the magnitude of what he was facing.

  “If this disease spreads... there will be no time to evacuate or contain the outbreak,” Miguel said in a somber tone, almost to himself.

  Ricardo, realizing the gravity of the moment, nodded silently. The snow continued to fall around them, each flake seeming heavier than the last, as if winter itself was conspiring against them. The cursed and isolated village awaited Miguel’s next move, while the wind howled in the distance, carrying away the last words of hope that still hung in the air.

  ---

  Miguel felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders increase as he looked at the snow-covered village, now a potential threat to the entire kingdom. He took a deep breath, trying to push away the fear that was starting to creep into his mind. His eyes, usually calm, were now focused, filled with determination.

  He turned to Ricardo, who remained by his side, his face still marked with concern. “Ricardo, we need to act quickly. Gather all the soldiers,” he ordered, his voice firm but tinged with urgency.

  Ricardo nodded and, without a word, began to gather the men. The snow fell softly around them, almost as if winter was trying to erase the gravity of the situation. The biting wind carried the distant sound of creaking trees as the soldiers approached Miguel, forming a circle around him.

  Miguel waited until everyone was present, then began to speak. His voice cut through the cold, clear and decisive. “Men, I’m calling off our mission to search and collect minerals. The situation has drastically changed. Now, the focus is on finding a solution to contain this disease that’s ravaging the village.”

  The soldiers exchanged glances, murmurs of surprise and concern growing among them. The fear of the disease, something so incomprehensible and terrifying, was palpable in the cold air they breathed.

  Miguel raised his hand, silencing them. “This village will be placed under quarantine,” he continued, the tone of his voice leaving no room for questions. “From now on, only authorized people can enter and leave. We cannot allow this disease to spread to other villages, or worse, to the entire continent.”

  The soldiers nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation. They were ready to follow Miguel’s orders, even if it meant facing something unknown and frightening.

  Miguel turned to the soldier who had been on guard on the road, the same one who had told him about the disease. “In addition to ensuring the disease doesn’t spread, we need to find and eliminate those creatures that are infecting people. We must do everything we can to prevent this from spreading. Understood?”

  The soldier, with a serious expression, nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. We’ll do whatever is necessary.”

  Miguel noticed the seriousness on the faces of the men around him and felt a mix of pride and concern. They were willing to risk their lives to protect the kingdom. He knew he couldn’t fail them.

  “Now, I need one of you to take this letter back to the capital, to John,” Miguel said, pulling a piece of parchment from his bag and beginning to write quickly. He knew the message needed to reach Drakmoor as soon as possible. His thoughts were focused on warning John about the situation so that immediate measures could be taken.

  Once he finished, he sealed the letter and handed it to one of the soldiers. “Ride at full speed to Drakmoor. Don’t stop for anything. John needs to know what’s happening.”

  The soldier received the letter with a grave and determined expression. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he replied, before mounting his horse and galloping away, quickly disappearing into the snowstorm enveloping the road.

  Miguel remained silent for a moment, watching the horse and its rider vanish into the distance. The weight of the decision he had just made pressed on his chest. He didn’t know what lay ahead, but he knew he needed to protect his kingdom, his people.

  “Let’s go,” he finally said, turning to Ricardo and the other soldiers. “We have work to do.”