The Bell That Claims Names

A medieval village had one rule: when the bell rings at night, do not listen.

The old monastery above town was abandoned centuries ago after all its monks vanished without trace.

But every autumn, on the darkest night, its bronze bell still rings once from the empty tower.

When it does, villagers walk from their homes in a trance, climbing the cliff

path toward the sound. Edric, a blacksmith who never believed the

stories, heard it ring inside his skull. He found himself walking with dozens

of others through fog, their eyes blank and distant. He grabbed an iron

cross and forced himself to stop. The whispers turned furious. The bell rang one