The forest had become silent.
Too silent.
Not even the wind dared to move.
Ryan stood frozen near the entrance of the tunnel, his heart pounding against his chest.
"...Rayyan."
A voice called out.
Far away.
Familiar.
"...Rayyan."
His vision slowly cleared.
Watari was standing in front of him.
"Bro, you okay?"
Ryan blinked.
Then looked around.
The dragon was gone.
The fog was gone.
Everything was normal.
Or at least... as normal as an abandoned tunnel could be.
---
"Huh...?"
Ryan touched his forehead.
His breathing was uneven.
Was it a dream?
An illusion?
The others looked confused.
---
"Why are you staring at us like that?" Asuka asked.
"You look like you saw a ghost."
Lilia immediately grabbed Ryan's arm.
"PLEASE DON'T SAY GHOST."
---
Ryan glanced toward the tunnel.
The image of those golden eyes still lingered inside his mind.
It felt real...
Too real.
---
"Guys."
Watari suddenly pointed ahead.
"Look."
---
A wooden coffin rested in the center of the tunnel.
Ancient.
Covered in strange carvings.
Half buried beneath dust.
---
Silence filled the group.
---
"Crap."
Lilia immediately stepped backward.
"It looks like we angered the ghost."
She turned around.
"Let's run."
---
Before she could leave—
Watari's eyes lit up.
---
"...Guys."
A grin slowly appeared on his face.
---
"We are gonna be rich."
---
"What?"
Ryan stared at him.
---
Watari pointed dramatically toward the coffin.
---
"That thing has to be ancient."
---
Asuka's eyes widened.
---
"HE'S SO RIGHT."
---
Suddenly she looked like a child who had just discovered buried treasure.
---
"If it's old enough, museums pay ridiculous amounts."
---
"A million?"
Watari asked.
---
"Maybe more."
---
Lilia instantly changed sides.
---
"AHEM."
---
She crossed her arms.
---
"As a responsible citizen..."
---
Everyone stared.
---
"...I support opening the coffin."
---
"You switched teams fast."
Ryan muttered.
---
"Money changes people."
Lilia replied honestly.
---
Sana remained quiet.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the coffin.
---
"I don't know..."
she said softly.
---
"It feels wrong."
---
Ryan immediately nodded.
---
"See? Sana agrees."
---
Watari pointed.
---
"Majority vote."
---
"THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS."
Ryan shouted.
---
Unfortunately...
Nobody listened.
---
A few moments later—
Watari and Asuka stood beside the coffin.
Ryan stood behind Watari holding his sleeve.
Not because he was scared.
Absolutely not.
---
"...Why are you grabbing my jacket?"
Watari asked.
---
"I'm not."
---
"You are."
---
"I'm emotionally supporting you."
---
"You're terrified."
---
Ryan let go immediately.
---
Lilia was already recording everything.
---
"This is either history..."
---
"...or evidence."
---
"Comforting."
Asuka replied.
---
Together—
Watari and Asuka pushed.
---
The coffin slowly creaked open.
---
A horrible sound echoed through the tunnel.
---
Creeeeeeak.
---
The air suddenly became cold.
Much colder.
---
Ryan felt goosebumps crawl across his skin.
---
"...Guys."
Sana spoke.
---
Something was wrong.
---
Very wrong.
---
White mist began pouring from inside the coffin.
---
At first it was only a little.
Then more.
And more.
And more.
---
Within seconds—
The tunnel disappeared beneath a sea of white.
---
"Watari?"
Ryan called.
---
No response.
---
"Asuka?"
---
Nothing.
---
"Lilia?"
---
Silence.
---
The mist swallowed everything.
---
Then...
Time stopped.
---
The drifting fog froze.
The dust froze.
The world froze.
---
Even sound itself disappeared.
---
Ryan stood alone.
---
"...What?"
---
A soft laugh echoed through the darkness.
---
A woman appeared.
---
Pale skin.
Long black hair.
A white wedding dress stained by age.
Bare feet touching the stone floor.
---
Her eyes locked onto him.
---
She smiled.
---
"My... my..."
---
Her voice sounded wrong.
Like several voices speaking at once.
---
"What a surprise."
---
Ryan couldn't move.
---
The woman slowly approached.
---
"You can see me."
---
His body trembled.
---
"W-What are you...?"
---
The woman ignored him.
---
Instead—
She looked toward the frozen figures.
---
Toward Watari.
---
Then suddenly—
The world shattered.
---
Ryan watched in horror as Watari's body collapsed.
Blood splattered across the tunnel floor.
---
"No..."
---
The woman laughed.
---
"Such fragile creatures."
---
Ryan stumbled backward.
---
"WATARI!"
---
He ran forward.
---
His best friend wasn't moving.
---
Blood.
Everywhere.
---
"No no no no..."
---
His hands trembled violently.
---
"This isn't real."
---
The woman crouched beside him.
---
"Then why are you crying?"
---
Ryan froze.
---
Tears had already reached his cheeks.
---
The woman smiled wider.
---
"Fear tastes wonderful."
---
She reached toward him.
---
Pain exploded through his body.
---
Ryan screamed.
---
The world spun.
---
Everything became red.
---
His vision blurred.
---
His breathing became impossible.
---
I'm going to die.
---
The thought echoed through his mind.
---
Mom.
Daud.
Sana.
Watari.
---
Everyone.
---
I never got to tell her...
---
For a brief moment—
Sana's smile appeared inside his memories.
---
Then darkness swallowed everything.
---
A deafening hiss echoed through the tunnel.
---
The woman suddenly froze.
---
For the first time—
Fear appeared on her face.
---
"...Impossible."
---
Something massive emerged behind her.
---
Golden eyes.
Ancient eyes.
---
A gigantic serpent.
---
Its body stretched endlessly through the darkness.
---
The creature opened its jaws.
---
And swallowed the woman whole.
---
Silence.
---
Ryan stared.
Unable to understand what he was seeing.
---
Then—
Footsteps.
---
A man appeared.
---
Long black hair.
Black cloak.
A silver skull insignia on his chest.
---
His crimson eyes observed the scene calmly.
---
"...What a mess."
---
The man looked toward Ryan.
---
Then frowned.
---
"Interesting."
---
Ryan struggled to speak.
---
"Who..."
---
The man ignored the question.
---
Instead he looked toward the place where the woman had vanished.
---
Then back toward Ryan.
---
"How can you see her?"
---
Ryan didn't know.
---
The man sighed.
---
"This just became troublesome."
---
He raised his hand.
---
Darkness consumed the world.
---
Everything disappeared.
---
The last thing Ryan heard was the man's voice.
---
"...So the key has finally awakened."
---
Then—
Nothing.
---
Ryan opened his eyes.
---
Bright lights.
Machines.
The smell of medicine.
---
A hospital room.
---
His head felt heavy.
---
"...Huh?"
---
Beside the bed—
Sana jumped to her feet.
---
"RYAN!"
---
Lilia immediately stood up.
---
"HE'S AWAKE!"
---
Asuka nearly dropped her chair.
---
The room instantly became chaotic.
---
"What happened?"
Ryan asked weakly.
---
The three girls exchanged worried looks.
---
Then Sana spoke.
---
"...We don't know."
---
Ryan frowned.
---
"What?"
---
"You were found unconscious near the tunnel."
---
Ryan's eyes widened.
---
"...And Watari?"
---
Silence.
---
Nobody answered immediately.
---
Then Asuka lowered her head.
---
"He's in the ICU."
---
Ryan felt his stomach drop.
---
The room suddenly became colder.
---
"He isn't dead."
Lilia quickly added.
---
"But..."
---
Nobody finished the sentence.
---
A knock interrupted them.
---
Two police officers entered alongside a doctor.
---
The doctor smiled gently.
---
"Good."
---
"You're awake."
---
One of the officers stepped forward.
---
"We need to ask a few questions."
---
Ryan stared.
---
"What happened to us?"
---
The officer looked confused.
---
"That's what we're hoping you can tell us."
---
"You kids were found beside a road."
---
"A man dropped you off and disappeared."
---
Ryan froze.
---
"A man...?"
---
The black-haired stranger.
---
The officer nodded.
---
"Do you remember who brought you there?"
---
Ryan opened his mouth.
---
Then stopped.
---
Everything suddenly felt blurry.
---
Like a dream fading after waking up.
---
The woman.
The serpent.
The man.
The tunnel.
---
All of it felt distant.
---
Yet one thing remained clear.
---
Those crimson eyes.
---
Far above the city—
A lone figure stood atop a hospital rooftop.
The wind moved his black cloak.
---
The same red eyes looked toward Ryan's room.
---
A faint smile appeared on his face.
---
"So..."
---
The man looked toward the moon.
---
"He truly possesses the key to the chamber."
---
"And now..."
---
"The real nightmare begins."
---
To Be Continued...