The moment the crimson-eyed boy disappeared...
Silence settled over the forest.
The leaves overhead continued swaying gently as the wind drifted through the towering trees, carrying away the last trace of his presence. For several long seconds, no one in the group moved. Their eyes remained fixed on the place where he had vanished, as if expecting him to step out from behind another tree at any moment.
Only after they were certain he was truly gone did the tension holding their bodies together finally break.
One after another...
Their knees gave out.
Thud.
The entire group collapsed onto the forest floor.
Heavy breaths echoed beneath the thick canopy as everyone struggled to calm their racing hearts. Sweat soaked their uniforms despite the cool breeze passing through the woods. It felt as though an invisible mountain that had been pressing against their shoulders had finally been lifted.
"W... What..."
