Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang

—Crackle.

"So-ryong, what’s going on?"

"So-ryong, what’s all this commotion? Did something appear?"

"W-what happened, young master?"

The sudden disturbance had woken everyone, and soon, the area around the well was as bright as midday.

Torches and lanterns carried by the villagers gathered in one place, their flames pushing back the darkness.

My eyes, unadjusted to the sudden flood of light, could only make out blurred figures through the glare.

Turning my face toward the deeper darkness of the well, I answered their questions.

"Something just disappeared into the well, carrying off a pig."

I hadn't seen it happen directly, but the short, sharp cry of a pig being slaughtered had been unmistakable.

That meant whatever it was had definitely dragged the animal into the well.

Next to me, Hwa-eun and Seol, along with the village chief who had rushed over with the others, all stared into the well and asked in unison.

"Into the well?"

"Into the well?"

"Th-the well?"

"Yes, take a look for yourselves."

The three of them looked confused, as if unable to comprehend my words.

The village chief, in particular, had an especially perplexed expression, likely because he used the well daily and was well-acquainted with its structure.

But when I held my lantern over the well again, illuminating the massive hole in one of its walls, his eyes widened in shock.

"W-when did that appear?!"

"A huge hole… So-ryong?"

A large piece of basalt was lying at an angle at the bottom, making it seem as though it had been used as a door—opened and closed when necessary.

But in its rush to escape, whatever had gone through had apparently failed to close it again.

"T-the well… T-this is a disaster…"

The chief stared into the well with a look of sheer despair before dropping to the ground.

He looked like a man who had just lost everything.

"What’s wrong, chief?"

Seol asked, and the chief, still slumped on the ground, answered in a hollow voice.

"Our village has only one well, and now that it's blocked… this is the end for us."