I leaned back against the wall and looked at Alya and Kim.
"I'm going to sleep here for a while… is that okay?"
They exchanged glances.
"It's fine… but don't forget this is a haunted mansion."
Professor Eclipse let out a soft sigh.
"Don't worry. There's nothing left to fear here anymore. This mansion is already… clean."
I exhaled in relief and closed my eyes.
But just as sleep began to take me—
A sound interrupted it.
A phone ringing.
"...Mm? Whose phone is that?"
Kim searched through her bag until she found it.
"...It's Xia. What now?"
She answered and put it on speaker.
"Hey Xia, what's wrong?"
Her voice came through, tense.
"Minho is gone. He disappeared last night. We've been looking for him all morning, and we have no idea where he is."
Kim straightened immediately.
"Don't worry. I'm bringing Dark. We'll be there."
The call ended.
I let out a deep sigh.
"Well… looks like we're going to have to rescue him."
Kim nodded, then turned to Alya.
"Can you come with us?"
Alya shook her head gently.
"I can't. I have to work. But I'll drive you to their house."
I turned toward Professor Eclipse.
"Aren't you coming, Professor?"
She avoided my gaze, continuing to smoke.
"I'd like to help… but I need to keep investigating this place."
"I understand… see you tomorrow, then."
We left the mansion quickly and got into Alya's car.
The forest blurred past us as she drove fast along the winding road. Kim was texting Xia nonstop while I just stared out the window, lost in thought.
After about forty minutes, we arrived.
Alya dropped us off and drove away without another word.
We walked up to the house and knocked.
The door opened almost immediately.
Xia stood there.
"Hey. Thanks for coming to help us find that idiot."
Her tone was sharp, frustrated.
I stepped forward.
"When was the last time you saw him?"
She crossed her arms.
"Yesterday. He said he was going to the library around 5 PM… and he never came back."
Kim looked at me.
"The library. Then that's where we start."
I nodded.
"Yeah. There has to be something there."
We ran.
All five of us.
Won ho was unusually quiet.
Airi too.
Xia looked focused.
Kim… determined.
When we reached the library, Xia immediately approached the receptionist.
"Excuse me. We're looking for a friend—about our age, athletic build, short brown hair, brown eyes… around 1.70. He kind of looks like him."
She pointed at Won ho.
The woman thought for a moment.
"Yes… he was here yesterday. He found something in an old book. Looked… startled. He tore out a page, put it in his bag, and ran toward the park."
We didn't waste another second.
We sprinted to the park.
Once there, we split up.
I walked toward a tree near the entrance.
Something caught my eye.
A piece of blue fabric sticking out from a bush.
I crouched down.
It was a backpack.
Minho's.
I immediately called the others.
"Guys, come to the entrance. I found his bag."
"Got it. Don't open it yet."
"I'll wait."
They arrived quickly.
We sat on a nearby bench.
I opened the backpack.
Inside… there was something strange.
A map.
But not paper.
Bone.
An ancient bone map of the park.
And on it—
A marking.
Thar'nöth Tree.
"…This is old," I muttered. "But something feels wrong."
Kim grabbed it immediately.
"Let's destroy it."
She ignited it with her flames.
But—
Nothing happened.
The fire didn't burn it.
Instead… it reacted.
The flames surged violently—three meters high.
Then—
They twisted.
Forming a face.
A woman's face.
And then—
A scream.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"
A scream of pure agony.
It echoed through the entire forest.
Then—
The fire vanished.
Silence.
Xia, Airi, and Won ho stood frozen.
Shock.
Kim vomited and ran.
I grabbed the map and ran toward the marked tree.
"Minho!"
Nothing.
Then—
A voice.
Familiar.
Cold.
"This place devours the curious… dear Dark."
I turned.
Professor Eclipse stepped out from behind a tree.
She walked calmly toward me.
And took the map from my hands.
"This is something no one should see. It brings… terrible consequences."
She looked at me.
"And your friend… is where you should have been."
Then—
She disappeared into the shadows.
"…What does that mean?"
I clenched my fist.
Luckily…
I had already torn a piece from the map.
"…Tonight, I'll ask Alya to analyze this."
I looked around.
Then it hit me.
The memory.
Without hesitation—
I ran.
Straight toward the forbidden forest.
I didn't stop.
Not for pain.
Not for exhaustion.
Not for anything.
I just ran.
Until I reached—
A swamp.
"…This is going to be difficult."
I jumped in.
The water swallowed me.
Cold. Thick.
And there—
Minho.
Submerged.
Covered in some kind of viscous substance.
I grabbed him and pulled him out with everything I had.
We broke the surface.
I held him tightly.
"You idiot… we thought we lost you…"
I exhaled.
"…This isn't over."
Above us—
Crows.
Dozens of them.
Watching.
Waiting.
"I'll protect you. No matter what."
I lifted him onto my back.
And ran.
They attacked.
From the sky.
Claws tearing into my flesh.
Beaks ripping pieces from my skin.
Pain.
Everywhere.
Warm blood streamed down my face.
Each step felt heavier.
Each second—
Worse.
But I didn't stop.
I couldn't.
"…Qel'vethra!"
I screamed with everything I had.
The crows scattered.
I ran again—
Then slipped.
And fell.
Rolling down a hill with Minho.
Crashing into rocks.
Branches.
Everything.
Until—
We hit the ground.
The road.
I tried to stand—
And then—
A crow dove.
Its beak pierced my eye.
Pain exploded.
I screamed.
"AAAHHH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!!"
I couldn't see from that side anymore.
Blood poured down my face.
But still—
I stood.
I tore my sleeve and wrapped it around my head, stopping the bleeding as best as I could.
Then I lifted Minho again.
And ran.
Hospital.
Lights.
Voices.
I found Alya.
"Please… take care of him."
I handed him over.
Then I turned.
And walked away.
Leaving a trail of blood behind me.
Until—
I collapsed.
"…Mm… where am I…?"
Something soft beneath my head.
Warm.
Familiar.
"Shh… it's okay, my love. I'm here."
Alya.
Her hand covered my eyes.
The other rested on my chest.
Her healing magic flowed gently through me.
"No matter how many times you fall… I'll always be there to lift you."
Her voice was soft.
Steady.
"I'll be your water when you're thirsty… your light in the dark… your support when you fall into the void."
I slowly opened my eyes.
"…Thank you…"
I handed her the torn piece of the map.
"I managed to get this… can you analyze it?"
She examined it.
Then flinched slightly.
"…This is…"
She took out her phone and zoomed in.
Embedded within the bone—
Human runes.
"…This is disturbing."
She looked at me.
"We'll continue tomorrow. It's already 17 PM. You need to rest."
I sighed.
Still resting on her lap.
Safe.
For now.
And slowly—
I fell asleep.