Chapter 28.2

Chapter 28.2

“I think it’s coming from that direction. You should wrap it up and come here. The path’s changing now, so let’s move quickly.”

“Got it. I’ll be right there.”

Ara brushed the dirt off her hands and stood up. As she straightened her legs, stiff from crouching for so long—

Thunk. Thud.

Her phone, which had been sticking out of her back pocket, slipped free and tumbled down the slope, rolling away.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going? I haven’t even paid you off yet.”

She quickly gathered the flowers she had carefully arranged and stood. Instead of heading toward Baekseol, her white sneakers followed the path her phone had taken, a few meters down into the grass.

“Hey! Where are you going?”

“My phone fell. I’ll grab it and come right back!”

Shouting to the impatient Baekseol, Ara pushed through the thick weeds a few times before spotting her phone.

It was lying next to a shallow, dark puddle.

The murky puddle looked like a tiny swamp, likely fed by moisture that had gathered from the valley below. The air around it smelled faintly of decay—maybe that was why Baekseol had noticed a rotten odor earlier.

“Well, at least it didn’t fall in the water.”

Muttering to herself, Ara bent down and reached out for her phone.

Then it happened.

Suddenly, something surged up from the puddle.

“Ah!”

Ara screamed and collapsed to the ground. As she stared in horror, her body froze solid.

It was a hand. Thin, blackened, brittle, and warped like a corpse’s hand.

Is this a dream? How could something like that come out of the water?

Before she could even process it, another hand shot out of the puddle. This one was as rotten and dark as the first, with decaying fingers that blurred at the edges, as if it might dissolve into smoke if disturbed.

But when it grabbed her ankle, Ara felt the undeniable pressure of its grip. It wasn’t an illusion—it was real, and it was strong.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Ara! What’s wrong?!”

Baekseol’s voice rang out as she rushed toward her.

But Ara couldn’t answer. Her body refused to move, even though she knew she had to run.

Baekseol, don’t come. There’s something here. I don’t know what it is, but it’s terrifying and dangerous…

She wanted to warn her, but no words escaped her lips. All that came was ragged, disjointed breaths, spiraling out of control.

In that moment, another blackened hand seized her wrist, the one holding the flowers. The force yanked her toward the ground like prey being dragged into the earth.

With her wrist and ankle now trapped by the monster, Ara was pulled down into the puddle. As she fell, an overwhelming sense of dread, more disgusting and oppressive than she had ever imagined, shot through her entire body from head to toe.

“Ara!”

Despite Baekseol’s voice growing nearer, it felt as distant as if it belonged to another world. Even the sound of her footsteps pounding the ground vanished into thin air.

Charr…

The leaves all around trembled in sync, a delicate rustling. The wind shifted suddenly, signaling that the paths of the maze had changed.

Ara hunched her shoulders, locking her lips tightly. Fear, now at its peak, paralyzed her. It felt as if someone had clamped their hand over her nose and mouth—breathing was impossible. The muddy water that grazed her cheek was freezing cold.

In front of her, the black form was slowly crawling out of the puddle. The chaotic, dark energy writhed, coalescing into a larger shape.

A ghost? A zombie? A demon? A monster?

Ara had no idea what it was. She couldn’t even guess. All she knew was one thing.

That thing was undoubtedly evil. That filthy, terrifying creature was going to kill her and devour her.

Sensing her grim fate, Ara trembled on her side, her body shaking uncontrollably. She thrashed in a futile attempt to shake off the black hands gripping her, but their hold on her arms and legs remained unyielding.

Save me.

If she could speak, Ara would have screamed those words. She would have begged anyone—God, Buddha, her grandmother, Baekseol, Seol-do, Cheong-seon, and Hong-seon, anyone.

Even that cruel, arrogant goblin who made her life difficult but never understood a thing… even he would do.

Please, save me. Somebody, please, save me…

Then it happened.

KWAANG!

A massive tremor erupted right behind her like the mountain itself had collapsed.