After the earth-shattering gunshot that sent shockwaves through the entire forest, the white phantom figures vanished like smoke, and Mina snapped awake as if from a dream.
The fog had thinned somewhat, but what appeared before her eyes then left her utterly stunned.
It was a colossal monster with six snow-white, fur-covered legs and two massive tails swaying behind it. And its head—Right where Mina's bullet had lodged itself—
Was the head of a living woman?
Her face, however, was grotesquely twisted in agony. Black ichor seeped from the gaping hole in her forehead. Something so abhorrent that not even Mina's worst nightmares had ever conjured anything like it.
Yet for some reason—perhaps because of Mina's bullet—the creature suddenly froze in place, its body trembling faintly, as if suffering from some kind of shock.
Grinding her teeth, Mina didn't hesitate. She raised her gun and fired another shot straight into its forehead.
The monster let out a sky-rending scream and collapsed to the ground, motionless. Mina gasped for breath, her heart pounding wildly out of control.
"What the hell… just happened…?"
Suddenly, she heard a faint groan at her feet. Mina froze, then realized in shock that Dao—whom she had thought had vanished—had been lying right beside her all along.
Dao's face was contorted, as if she had just endured a splitting headache, and slowly, her eyes fluttered open.
"Mina—"
Mina rushed down immediately, supporting her friend.
"Dao! Dao?!"
Hearing Mina's voice, Dao regained a bit more awareness. She looked genuinely startled to see Mina.
"Mina…? Ah…"
Dao frowned, struggling to sit up.
"This is so strange, Mina. After I saw that blue flame, my head started hurting unbearably… I saw things… things—"
Mina shook her head quickly.
"It was all just hallucinations, Dao. I don't even know how to explain it. But right now, we can't stay in this forest. We have to get out of here as soon as possible."
Dao nodded weakly, rubbing her forehead as she tried to stand.
Then she noticed something enormous and white lying beside them.
A woman's face, pinned with two bullets through her head—her expression frozen in sheer terror.
Dao recoiled in horror.
"Oh my god! What the hell is that?!"
She nearly fell backward before clamping a hand over her mouth, staring more closely at the grotesque thing. A deep, crawling dread seized her.
"That… that thing… is it human?"
Mina looked toward the monster as well. She couldn't explain what it truly was either. Maybe those earlier hallucinations had come from it?
Anger welled up inside her, stronger than fear.
"Of course it's not human. That disgusting thing has to be Shana's doing. Who else could it be?"
Dao covered her mouth, looking nauseous.
"…So you're saying… Shana is connected to this thing? Then all the weird stuff you guys talked about… it was real…"
Mina sighed, sliding her gun back into the holster strapped across her chest.
"Either way, it's dead now. We don't have much time. We need to move."
Dao forced herself to steady her breathing and nodded, still visibly shaken. Then something hit her.
"Oh! We need to find Nayeon and Yu too!"
Mina almost forgot about them. Truthfully, she didn't care where they were—but without them, her plan would completely fall apart.
"…Right. We'll look for them."
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from where the monster lay. Something no one could have anticipated.
The grotesque creature pushed itself up with all six of its legs. Both Mina and Dao froze in pure terror, their blood draining from their faces.
You've got to be kidding me…It wasn't dead?
The monster turned toward them. Its human face stared at them calmly. The bullets embedded in its forehead slowly forced themselves out, clinking as they fell to the ground. The wounds sealed shut in an instant.
"What… what the hell is this…?" Dao clutched Mina tightly, her legs trembling.
Mina wanted to reach for her gun, but shock locked her body in place.
Then suddenly, the monster's mouth—or rather, the woman's mouth—split open violently, revealing rows of jagged, disgusting fangs. It unleashed a deafening roar.
The sound was like a warped violin screeching against itself, forcing Mina and Dao to cover their ears instinctively.
"Run—! Mina, we have to run!" Dao screamed.
The monster stopped roaring.
Mina hesitated for a single second—then instinctively pulled out her gun and fired two more shots into its body.
The creature shrieked again, but this time, it barely affected it. If anything, it only made it angrier.
"RUN!"
Dao screamed, yanking Mina by the arm. They bolted through the forest, fleeing for their lives.
The massive monster thundered after them, its footsteps shaking the ground as it effortlessly smashed through dozens of pine trees. Dao screamed, running and crying at the same time.
"HELP! SOMEONE! PLEASE HELP US!"
But in a desolate place like this, who could possibly save them?
And then—As the fog gradually lifted and their vision cleared, they saw it.
A beam of light.
Not blue.
Sunlight.
There—it was the exit.
Mina's face lit up as she forced her exhausted body to run faster.
Suddenly Dao tripped over a fallen tree and collapsed to the ground.
"Dao!"
Mina spun around in panic, helping her up—but the monster was already right behind them.
Its grotesque mouth gaped wide, ready to devour them whole.
"Damn it…"
Was this really how it was going to end?
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound tore through the air from above—so fast they barely noticed it.
High overhead, a brown falcon soared across the sky. It stopped midair, beating its wings powerfully. When it opened its beak, a pitch-black orb bloomed inside it, like a sealed jar of darkness.
A piercing screech followed.
Strangely, Mina and Dao couldn't hear it. But the monster suddenly writhed in agony, howling as if subjected to unbearable pain. Its screams now sounded eerily human—Like the voice of a woman suffering horribly.
"It hurts… it hurts… it hurts…"
Mina and Dao stared in stunned disbelief, unable to comprehend what was happening. Without hesitation, they ran straight toward the light.
"Hurry!"
The scenery ahead grew clearer with every step. Before them stood a massive wooden gate, blanketed in snow. There was no other path.
Mina slammed her body against the gate, trying to force it open.
"Damn it! Open up!"
She was too weak—or rather, the gate was locked from the inside.
"No—! Is this the end of the road?!"
Dao frantically searched for another way—
Then she noticed someone sitting atop a watch post above the gate.
A woman.
She wore a strangely revealing yukata, held a spear in her hand, and donned a fox mask. Dao nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Mina, look!" she whispered urgently.
Mina stopped pushing the gate, her shoulders aching, and followed Dao's gaze. There… was really someone here?
Human or not, it didn't matter.
Mina shouted desperately.
"Please! Open the gate for us! Please!"
The woman didn't move. She simply stared down at them.
Behind them, the monster recovered and charged forward at terrifying speed. With no other choice, Mina raised her gun, aiming at the masked woman.
"Open the gate now, or I'll shoot!"
The monster's horrific roar thundered closer. Was she really not going to do anything?
The fox-masked woman calmly turned her head, hooking a finger in a signal to someone unseen. And suddenly—The gate began to open. Mina and Dao ran inside with everything they had left.
The gate slammed shut behind them.
The monster halted, no longer attacking. Drool dripped from its mouth, its face the very definition of a nightmare. It lifted its gaze toward the fox-masked woman.
She turned to face it and bowed deeply, respectfully.
The monster's expression softened. Its face returned to that of an woman.
Blue flames encircled its body as it turned back toward the forest—As if none of this had ever happened.
---
As for Mina and Dao, the moment they rushed inside and the final gate slammed shut behind them, Dao let out a long breath and collapsed to the ground.
"Oh my god…" she panted, as if she had just outrun death itself.
Mina wasn't any better. What they had just gone through was nothing short of a nightmare, and the fact that they were still alive felt unreal. At least for now, they were safe.
…Safe?
"Mina…" Dao called softly.
Mina lifted her head and finally took in their surroundings.
They seemed to have stumbled into a village. Old-style houses stood tightly packed together, while massive columns of steam rose into the air from above, bathing the entire place in an oddly comforting warmth. It was nothing like the bitter cold outside. The smells of cooking food and heavy perfume filled the air, overwhelming their senses. Blue and red lanterns glowed everywhere, dazzling to the eye.
It felt as though they had stepped into a completely different world.
But what stood out most were the villagers. Every single one of them was a woman. They wore extremely revealing yukata, some so scant that they were practically naked. All of them wore identical fox masks, the same kind as the girl from earlier.
And judging by the way they stared, Mina and Dao had instantly become the center of attention. Whispers spread rapidly around them.
"Who are they? Humans?"
"They made it through the forest?"
"That's impossible! No human could survive that forest!"
"Someone call Haru!"
Dao rubbed her head and helped Mina to her feet. The two exchanged confused looks.
"What is going on here, Mina?" Dao asked anxiously. "These people…"
"It's okay, Dao. I can handle this,"
Mina said calmly, squeezing her hand in reassurance. With her other hand, she kept a firm grip on the gun at her side.
"Move aside!"
A sharp female voice rang out. The crowd parted, making way for two breathtakingly beautiful women. Neither of them wore a mask.
One had short hair tinged with silver. She smirked disdainfully as she approached Mina and Dao, circling them slowly with a scrutinizing gaze.
The other, with her hair tied back in a ponytail, was far calmer. She looked from Mina to Dao, a gentle smile on her lips.
"Who might you be?" she asked politely. "And what brings you here?"
The situation was painfully awkward. Mina and Dao exchanged another uneasy glance. Could these people be trusted?
Mina sighed, slid her gun back into its holster, and raised both hands. She deliberately softened her voice.
"We came from outside the forest. We mean no offense. We're just looking for someone."
Haru tilted her head, clearly surprised by Mina's boldness. She laughed lightly.
"You came here through the forest? That's hard to believe… But you're here now, aren't you? Still, the person you're looking for isn't here."
Mina frowned. A flicker of irritation crossed her face.
"I haven't even said who I'm looking for yet," she shot back suspiciously.
Haru's smile widened, laced with something unreadable.
"And as I said, the person you're looking for isn't here."
What did that mean? Why was she so certain?
Dao glanced at Mina nervously.
"Did we… come to the wrong place?"
It was possible, but judging by Haru's attitude, Mina didn't believe it for a second. More likely than not, they were exactly where they needed to be.
Mina decided to be more specific.
"I'm looking for a girl with short brown hair. She's tall and slim, with a small face. She has dimples when she smiles… and she has a mole on her chest. Her eyes are beautiful, amber-colored, and—"
Mina kept describing Duyen in detail, sending another wave of murmurs through the crowd.
"She's describing Lady Duyen…"
"What kind of relationship does she have with Lady Duyen?"
The moment Mina heard Duyen's name, her face lit up. Her heart began to race uncontrollably, and she couldn't stop the bright smile spreading across her face.
"Yes! Her name is Duyen! She's Vietnamese, and she's my lover! She's the one I'm looking for!"
The words had barely left Mina's mouth when the entire village fell into stunned silence. Even Hasuko and Haru froze, shock written plainly across their faces. Then, an instant later, the uproar exploded.
"What!?"
"She dares claim she's Lady Duyen's lover!?"
"Is she tired of living!?"
"How dare she lie on our land!"
They made no effort to hide their words, clearly intending for Mina to hear every single one. Jealousy flared hot in Mina's chest. She snapped back angrily.
"That's right! I am her girlfriend! What about it? Is there a problem?"
Hasuko burst into mocking laughter.
"Well said, for a mere human woman who doesn't know her place. Daring to spew such nonsense here. I'll punish you on behalf of Lady Shigonami!"
Before anyone could react, Hasuko grabbed Dao, wrenching her arm behind her back. Both Mina and Dao stared in shock.
Mina's eyes widened as she drew her gun and aimed it straight at Hasuko.
"Let her go. Now!"
Hasuko only laughed louder, pulling out a sharp tanto and pressing it against Dao's neck.
"You won't dare pull the trigger, human…"
"Mina…" Dao whimpered weakly as the blade threatened her throat.
Mina clenched her teeth, gripping the gun tightly.
That single moment set off the entire crowd. One by one, the women drew their swords and spears, all pointing toward Mina.
What had they done to deserve this?
Haru merely smiled, murmuring cryptically,
"Perhaps it's time to teach these uninvited guests their place…"