She shook her head—perhaps she was overthinking it.
When they got off the bus, they realized they had only just arrived at the foot of the mountain and hadn't even entered the forest yet. The trees at the base alone were enough to astonish them, let alone what lay further up.
"Why is this place so creepy? I should've just skipped this," Lin Yuan muttered, shrinking her shoulders timidly.
Su Jiner patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Too late now. We're already here."
"But the air is really fresh," Du Xiaonan said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
Jiner turned to look at Li Yiqian, only to find her standing silently, staring at the mountaintop, lost in thought.
"Alright, listen up for team assignments," the instructor called. "After a short break, we'll begin today's training."
"I hope we're in the same group," Lin Yuan whispered, sounding unusually timid since arriving.
"What's gotten into you today? How are you going to be a forensic examiner if you're this scared?"
Stung by the remark, Lin Yuan stomped her foot. "I'm not scared! I'm just… not used to this." Her voice trailed off weakly.
"Quiet, everyone," the lead teacher announced. "Today's training is a bit special, so be prepared. Follow instructions—no wandering off."
The students were divided into three groups of ten. Jiner's group included Lin Yuan, Du Xiaonan, Li Yiqian, Chu Feifan, Zuo Yi, Zhang Junsheng, Xu Mengguang, Xu Lingling, and Zhang Yang. Once everyone found their teammates, they prepared to head into the mountains—only to notice the instructors and teachers setting up tents in a clear area instead.
"Coach, aren't you coming with us?" a student shouted, drawing confused looks from the others.
"We're not guiding you. We'll wait here for your return. Remember, this is the only way out, so make sure you're back before dark."
The training task didn't sound difficult: find one of three flags hidden somewhere in the mountains and bring it back. But given the vastness of the terrain, it felt nearly impossible.
"What kind of task is this? How are we supposed to find a tiny flag in this huge mountain? The school is insane!" Du Xiaonan complained.
"They gave us a map," a male voice interjected. "The school's just trying to train us."
The group turned to look at him. He smiled. "I'm Chu Feifan. Let's introduce ourselves so we can watch out for each other."
Everyone agreed, and by the time they finished introductions, they had already left the main path and begun ascending the mountain.
Chu Feifan was strikingly handsome—pale skin that didn't look unhealthy, deep-set eyes that gleamed, lashes long enough to make girls envious, a tall nose, and thin lips. His face was unforgettable.
Perhaps because of his looks, the group naturally deferred to his suggestions.
Jiner gazed at the dense canopy overhead, unease creeping back into her chest. She scanned the surroundings—the other two groups were already out of sight. How had they disappeared so quickly? The thick foliage cast dim shadows, and the group moved cautiously, stepping over layers of fallen leaves. Chu Feifan led with the map, the red mark indicating the flag's location still far away.
"Chu Feifan, can I see the map?" a girl asked.
Jiner glanced at her—it must be Xu Lingling. Each team had five boys and five girls, and since Jiner knew the other four, this had to be her.
Xu Lingling had a delicate, almost fragile appearance—pale skin with faint dimples. Though not stunningly beautiful, her smile evoked an urge to protect her.
"Sure." Chu Feifan handed her the map, his gaze subtly flickering toward Jiner.
Jiner stepped behind Xu Lingling to look at the map before walking ahead. Lin Yuan caught up. "Don't you think Chu Feifan is really handsome?"
"He is. So?" Jiner replied absently, still scanning their surroundings.
"Do you like him?"
Jiner sighed. "We're here to find a flag, not swoon over boys. Focus."
Lin Yuan stuck out her tongue. "Fine, fine."
"Ah!"
A sudden scream pierced the quiet.
"What happened?" Chu Feifan rushed to Xu Lingling's side.
"I—I don't know. Something bit my leg," she whimpered, tears welling up.
Xu Lingling was wearing a skirt. Chu Feifan crouched to examine her leg. "It's just a scratch from a branch."
"All that fuss over a scratch?" Lin Yuan rolled her eyes and marched ahead.
"It's scary here! Of course I'd be frightened," Xu Lingling said, oblivious to the sarcasm.
"Disgusting," Du Xiaonan muttered.
Xu Lingling glared but leaned into Chu Feifan, shooting the others a triumphant look. He gently steadied her. "Let's keep moving. We don't want to be stuck here after dark."
Xu Lingling nodded, clinging to him as they walked.
"Hey, Jiner, why don't you ask Chu Feifan to take care of you? If you did, he'd ditch Xu Lingling in a second," Lin Yuan teased.
"I don't need anyone to take care of me."
Chu Feifan overheard, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face.
"You're always so stubborn."
"Does anyone smell something weird?" Zuo Yi suddenly asked.
The group sniffed the air but shook their heads—all except Jiner and Chu Feifan.
"Like something burning," Jiner said.
"It's coming from over there," Chu Feifan added.
"Let's check it out," Li Yiqian said, already walking ahead.
Jiner hesitated. "But that's not the direction we're supposed to go."
"Who cares? Let's treat it as an adventure," Chu Feifan said, his eyes lingering on Jiner.
"Yeah!"
With everyone agreeing, Jiner reluctantly followed.
The deeper they went, the thicker the rotting leaves underfoot, the stench mingling with the acrid burning smell. Soon, flames flickered ahead.
"It really is something burning! Jiner, your nose is sharp," Lin Yuan said excitedly.
"But what is it? It smells awful."
As they approached, they saw a woman kneeling by the fire, tossing something into the flames. Soft sobs reached their ears.
"She's crying," Du Xiaonan whispered to Lin Yuan.
Hearing footsteps, the woman looked up, her face twisting in fear. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Xu Lingling immediately hid behind Chu Feifan.
"We're medical students here for training," Jiner explained.
"Leave! This isn't a place for you," the woman snapped, her expression growing more frantic.
"Why?" Chu Feifan stepped forward.
"Just go! Unless you want to be cursed."
The word "cursed" sent a collective shiver through the group. Jiner frowned—why was a woman burning things in the middle of nowhere? She edged closer to the fire, then recoiled in horror.
The woman seemed to notice, hastily gathering her things and fleeing as if they carried the plague.
"Don't listen to her. Let's keep going," Chu Feifan said, misreading Jiner's unease as fear.
"Look—what was she burning?" Jiner crouched, poking the dying flames with a stick.
Chu Feifan joined her. "Looks like animal bones."
"Bones? No wonder it stank. But why burn them?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Maybe she was performing a ritual," Li Yiqian murmured.
Her words sent a fresh wave of fear through the group. The forest seemed darker now, the sun still hidden behind the thick canopy.
"Don't panic. Let's just find the flag and get out of here," Chu Feifan said firmly.
Just as they turned to leave, another scream erupted—this time from one of the boys. Xu Mengguang was staring past Jiner, his face pale.
"What now?" Zhang Junsheng snapped.
"I—I saw a figure dart past. It was so fast, like the wind," Xu Mengguang stammered, teeth chattering.
"Was it that woman again?" Du Xiaonan asked.
"No. She was wearing black. This was white."
"Let's go back! This place is terrifying!" Xu Lingling tugged at Chu Feifan's sleeve.
"Enough," Jiner said impatiently. "Let's just find the flag and leave." She couldn't stand it anymore—the oppressive air was suffocating.