Chapter 1.1
Suddenly there was a flash in the sky, followed by a loud rumble and then roaring thunder. Because of the lightning, the view in front of her lit up for a split second and then became dim again. After the powerful flash dissipated, the forest was engulfed in darkness and became dreary, as if it were under a curse.
On this pitch-dark night, the forest was blanketed in even darker darkness. Emma, gasping for air, made her way through the forest. As a strong gust of wind blew through the densely packed silhouetted trees, the forest responded with a grim chorus, as if to welcome the frightened intruder.
She had stopped dead in shock from the noise and became afraid. Then, her steps sped up again as the darkness seemed to drag her ankles. Her soaked dress shoes tore through the squishy mud as if she could outrun the darkness. Suddenly, a bright white light flashed in the black sky again and she heard a loud rumbling noise. It sounded like the thunder was shaking the heavens and the earth. Emma’s mind was in shambles as she felt like her eardrums would burst at any moment. But she couldn’t rest now. With her trembling hands extended forward, feeling for any obstructions, she continued on her way out of the forest. Not too long after, the rain started to pour down.
At its heart, the sky was unwelcoming, but that was to be expected as it had been gloomy since the afternoon, so it was bound to rain eventually. The cold rain fell endlessly on the ground, forming solid lines. It was a heavy downpour and Emma’s vision became hazy. I can’t see anything ahead!
With the rain almost piercing her skin, she stared in front of her at the shroud of darkness with a frowning face, as she tried to cover her face with her hands, to protect it from the icy rain.
She couldn’t even see one inch ahead of her. It was so dark that the forest seemed to have been cursed forever. A curse. For a second, smirking, she wondered if she was the one under a curse and not the forest. It was a luxury to smile in such a situation and Emma looked around, wiping the smile off her face.
There was no path. No matter how hard she looked, there was no path in this lifeless forest. She continued walking aimlessly, as she’d been doing the whole time, boldly heading into the darkness, one footstep following the other. But even though she kept moving forward, there was no end in sight. The more she walked, the more it seemed like the forest was expanding over the chain of mountains.
I knew it, this must be the Perrigans. Emma closed her eyes feeling hopeless as she tried to recall the map she’d looked at in her father’s study. Anxiety and exhaustion weighed heavily on her and her eyelids trembled.
She had prayed while running through the woods, that this wasn’t the Perrigans. That’s what she’d pleaded for, but the cold reality betrayed her hope, shattering it to pieces. If this is the Perrigans… Emma swallowed a dark sigh without realizing it. I heard there are monsters here. Everything around her was gloomy.
Apart from the pitch-black forest, despair deeper than darkness encroached on her mind. Emma struck a corner while trying to remember how long she’d been running around the forest. She had been lucky up until now. But from here, she couldn’t guarantee if things would remain that way. I just haven’t bumped into any monsters because this is the entrance to the mountain range.
As she headed deeper into the woods, she knew she could end up as someone or something’s dinner. She felt trapped and frustrated because there was nothing that she could do since the way out of the woods was blocked off.
While briefly lost in thought, standing under the pouring rain, she glimpsed a blurry light out the corner of her eye. Amid her turmoil, having now returned to reality, she glanced below. At the foot of the mountain, torches jolted up and down. I should go. Far away, and as fast as I can.
Fiercely determined, Emma quickly took a step forward, regaining her senses after she’d been caught off guard. The process of groping through the not only dark but wet and muggy forest was inexplicably rough. Countless thorn grasses and shrubs with spiky leaves scratched her tender skin. And the areas where the bushes were not as thick, were where long streams of water flowed. On top of that, the ground was slippery. The small stones and the muddy slopes were like a precursor for hardship ahead.
Since the people at the bottom, raising their torches, were coming after Emma, there was only one option left for her. She had no choice but to go back to the gravel-covered waterway. As it was a waterway, the slope wasn’t steep and the gravel was compact, so she would be less likely to slip.
As she climbed up the slope, her harsh breathing burned the back of her throat. How long have I been out here? She didn’t have a watch on her, but it seemed like an hour had passed, and the unfamiliar forest, with its fierce shadows, still scared the heck out of her. The black horror seemed to smirk from below as if it were about to swallow everything up and the only consolation was that the rain had thinned out.
With her entire body soaked, Emma, who was shivering in the cold, gasped for air and kept moving, determined to continue her journey to the top. She couldn’t tell what would be at the end of this rugged footpath, but for now, she had to get the hell out. There were people much scarier than monsters, chasing after her. She was out of breath, her ankles were shaking, and her spine ached from the cold, but she couldn’t stop. Removing the bushes and obstructions with her blistered hands, she climbed the ridge.