Zeyn should still be in the forest, considering he had just arrived. But the moment the Empress laid her hand on him, everything shifted.
Now, he found himself alone in a place that didn't seem to belong to this world.
It was eerie. No one was there. Just an endless silence—no sign of life.
A long, endless corridor stretched before him—its walls carved from dark stone, veined with faint gold lines that pulsed slowly, like a heartbeat.
Torches burned blue along both sides, casting shifting shadows across the serpent-headed pillars. The air was thick and warm, humming with quiet whispers he couldn't fully hear.
'Come to me...'
A female voice greeted him from inside. The large door finally opened on its own, revealing an extremely spacious room. Once again he looked at the snake empress. She was now combing her hair on the bed, her appearance far more relaxed than before.
The woman patted her bed as if signaling for Zeyn to approach. This, however, sent a chill of sweat down the young man's spine, making him slightly apprehensive and alert.
Without a word, her tail slowly curled around him—not to harm, but to pull him gently closer. Her cold fingers ran through his hair, sending a shiver down his spine.
'My dear brother… I've missed you,' she whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder.
'How's your little school life going?'
"College, to be precise. It's different from school, Sis Bella." Zeyn replied.
'Oh? College, then.' Her tone was playful but laced with something else.
'And? How's your college life?'
"Nothing interesting, really. It's still the same."
'Don't forget that you can't lie to your sister,' the empress said with a grin.
"..."
'You've been troubled by your father again, haven't you?' she purred.
His breath caught. "…That's not what I came here to talk about."
'Oh? Then what did you come here for, my little brother?'
Zeyn felt a surge of irritation rise. In fact, he didn't come to discuss his problem here. It was much more problematic that he just figured out that there were two people who had recently entered the forest.
"You sent me a message to the universe to meet me, sister. I should be the one asking."
The question was answered with a hug and a kiss on his forehead. Since earlier, the empress had been continuously indulging him with affection. She seemed quite happy since she met her brother.
Maybe we should call her by the name he mentioned earlier... Bella? A nickname he created because Zeyn was afraid to call her by her real name, which was actually taboo.
'Nothing, I just want to see my brother. It's natural for me to miss you, especially since we haven't met in a long time. Even though I'm not human, I still have feelings of missing you.'
"Didn't you just meet me a month ago?"
'Shh... don't equate time in your world with the astral realm. You know that, don't you?'
The response made Zeyn let out a bored sigh. Apparently, there was nothing so important to talk about. It was actually quite common for his sister to visit him, but it was rare for her to come into this room. It was an astral place that could not be reached even by the most powerful magicians, let alone anyone else.
'Sshh... There's actually no specific reason why I had to call you into my room,' Bella said with a wicked grin. She tightened her embrace and her gaze remained sharp as she looked at the young man.
"I don't mind if you wanted to see me," he replied.
'A normal person would be terrified at this point. Are you sure you're not intimidated by something like me?'
Bella's words suddenly made Zeyn sigh. "Maybe there's a slight discomfort. But because I know that you won't do anything dangerous, I still feel okay."
Hearing her brother's response, Bella smiled cynically and leaned closer to his ear.
'Are you sure? After all, you're human, unlike the rest of us. I could consume you and drain all your energy until you're gone.'
"That's enough!! If there's nothing important to discuss, I request that the two people be released!"
*Whoop!
A horrified gaze greeted his request. This time, it was Bella who glared at him with her forehead almost touching his. Her hissing voice echoed in the room. She examined her brother's face without blinking because she was serious.
'They entered my forest with their own desires, without informing you or my other servants. They disregarded the customs and manners taught by our ancestors and forced their way in. They did not have my permission! I must say, I am eager to play with them. It has been a long time since I tasted human blood.'
"Isn't that too cruel, sister!?"
'Is a lion considered cruel if a deer that it's targeting comes to it willingly? Is a spider considered cruel if a fly that lands on its web is caught?'
Zeyn was silenced by his own sister. He also couldn't just defend those people. As agreed upon with Mr. Hendri, the village chief, and even Bella as the queen of the unseen kingdom that resided in this forest, not everyone was allowed to enter the forest at will.
Moreover, the forest was not an ordinary forest because there was a magnificent hidden kingdom, and only certain people could see it.
'Do you want to know what happened to them now?'
She patted her brother's head gently. In Zeyn's mind, he saw a man running around in the forest. His face was full of cold sweat because he was afraid of something chasing him.
* *
We return once more to the forest.
As Zeyn had seen in the vision, the man we knew as Master Pirsa was still running—
Running as if the trees behind him might grow claws at any moment.
His breath was ragged. Cold sweat drenched his back. The terrain never changed. Trees, trees, and more trees.
No road. No sign of escape. It felt as though the forest had reshaped itself to trap him inside.
"Haah… haah… hah!"
He ducked behind a large tree, clutching his camera to his chest like a shield.
His heart pounded, his vision blurred. He dared not speak.
Then... A sudden sting shot through his hand.
"Aakkhh… Ah!"
A snake had leapt out of the underbrush and bitten him. Its scales were wet—almost too wet, as if it had just been born from something unnatural.
Before he could react, a towering figure stepped out from the mist.
It wasn't human.
The thing stood tall with pale, almost translucent skin that reflected no light.
Long white hair veiled its face, and thick, oozing blood trailed from the sockets where its eyes should have been.
Its lips stretched unnaturally wide into a grin—its fangs poking through with sickening clarity.
'Groaaarr~'
He froze. His throat closed.
"No… please… I-I'm sorry I entered this forest! Just let me go-"
The creature didn't answer. It simply tilted its head… then exhaled.
From its open mouth, a wave of invisible pressure burst out.
*Whung!
Pirsa was thrown back like a ragdoll, smashing into a tree with a sickening crack.
Before he could even scream, dozens of snakes slithered from the shadows—biting into him, tearing at his flesh, burrowing into his sleeves and collar.
"Aaaakkkhhhh—!!"
His scream echoed, then was swallowed by the fog.
And that was the punishment for daring to enter this forest. Of course they must be prepared to face forest supernatural creatures who don't want to be disturbed..
* *
"So, you wanted to tell me... it was fate that brought him here?" Zeyn, who witnessed the terrifying incident earlier through Bella's vision, tried to confirm.
'A touch of death, I couldn't stop my hungry folk. Especially when that person looked so delicious.'
"No... it's not their time to die yet," Zeyn responded to his sister's doubt with a soft, gentle shake of his head.
'Hmm? Do you want to defy fate?' Bella inquired.
"If it's not their time to die, then they won't die. Unless, of course, Sister Bella only wants to use them."
She chuckled softly as her intentions were revealed.
"I've been living with you all for a long time, sister. So I understand why you need human blood. Just say it if Sister Bella is looking for an opportunity while there are humans here. So don't bring up fate here!"
'Hahahaha. You're defending them? You're defending them more than your own sister?'
"Just let them go, please? I don't want any trouble."
The atmosphere fell silent. It was clear that Bella was not pleased with her sibling's request. Her eyes narrowed for a moment, before finally being closed by a heavy sigh. She was disappointed, but what could she do.
'Alright then. But you'll have to compensate for their lives,' she said coldly.
"Compensate?" Zeyn replied, puzzled.
* * * *