Can anyone explain a plot hook?

So I'm a little confused about it. I have this campaign coming up soon. I'm preparing for it and I have some visions of what it could be. However, it dawned on me: Should I lead the players?

That might have been confusing but lemme explain. So the general hook I have is that they will be tasked with finding out about the rising darkness and fighting off the creatures that are appearing due to this great evil. However, I never thought after that what would happen. Now im wondering: Should I give the players like a quest or guide them or just let them on their own? The quest could be something like "Our intelligence had told us that a yada yada is found in a village north. Go there and begin from said location.".

I fear that giving them a quest like that may make them feel like they don't have agency? I might be overthinking. But also allowing them just to do their own thing might make them feel lost since there's not really any evidence or lead to go from.