"I think we had cross this part of the forest for a while now." Suho turned, his expressions were blank.
"..."
"H-hey! What are you-" Hajun was cut off when he saw the same bird. It was not the problem that there might be more similar birds. It just the place they saw the bird was also the same.
Hajun felt a cold shiver ran down his spine. The creepy feeling they had been feeling from the start was coming at them.
The cold rain that kept pouring down on the forest, the dim light and now this. It was a bad idea. It was seriously a bad idea to come to this forest.
But, Hajun for the peace of his mind, he did not want to accept every single thing that was screaming that they were in danger.
They kept walking ignoring every strange thing. But, at some point it was hard to ignore when the forest started to felt closer and closer.
Not visually.
Not physically.
But the kind of closeness where the air presses against your skin, where every breath feels overheard.
"…Suho?" Hajun whispered.
"Hmm?" Even Suho was feeling nervous, voice shaking.
Hajun swallowed, rubbing his arms. "Suho… tell me I'm imagining this."
Suho didn't answer.
"…Suho?"
"I feel it too," Suho muttered, eyes scanning the trees. "We're being watched."
That was it.
The words were like arrow stabbed directly into the heart. Breath hitched as they tried to find out what exactly was happening in this forest.
That single sentence snapped whatever fragile calm Hajun had been clinging to.
"Hah—haha—okay—nope—nope, I don't like that," Hajun said quickly, forcing a laugh that cracked halfway. "This forest is creepy, yes, b-but..."
"I don't like this. I don't like this. "The bushes to their left rustled. "I don't like thi-"
Both of them screamed.
"AHHH—!"
They spun around, backs colliding, Hajun grabbing Suho's sleeve again.
They spun around, backs colliding, Hajun grabbing Suho's sleeve again.
"WHAT WAS THAT—"
"DON'T LET GO—"
Another rustle. From the right this time.
"WHY IS IT MOVING—"
"STOP SHAKING ME—YOU'RE MAKING IT WORSE—"
Something moved behind the trees.
Red.
Yellow.
Eyes.
Multiple pairs.
Glowing faintly between trunks, half-hidden by bark and shadow.
Hajun's voice dropped to a whisper. "…Suho."
"…Yeah."
"…Those are eyes, right?"
"…Unfortunately."
They stood frozen, hearts pounding so loud it felt like the forest could hear it.
Then—
RUSTLE.
Something burst out of the bush in front of them.
They screamed like their souls left their bodies.
"AAAAAA—!"
Only to freeze mid-scream.
It was small.
Brown.
Fluffy.
A rabbit.
It twitched its nose.
"…"
"…"
"…."
The rabbit stared at them.
They stared back.
Hajun slowly cleared his throat. "…We're idiots."
Suho pushed him away instantly. "DON'T TOUCH ME. YOU WERE SCREAMING LIKE YOU GOT STABBED."
"YOU SCREAMED FIRST!"
"YOU CLUNG TO ME!"
"BECAUSE YOU'RE BIGGER!"
"I AM NOT A SHIELD!"
They both coughed awkwardly, straightening their clothes like nothing happened.
"Ahem!" Hajun cleared his throat, embarrassed.
"Now, that was embarrassing."
The rabbit hopped once.
Hajun's eyes sparkled. "Oh my god… it's cute."
Suho groaned. "No. No. Absolutely not. Do not."
Hajun crouched. "Hey there, little guy…"
The rabbit twitched again.
"Aww," Hajun cooed. "You're not scary at all. Look at you—"
He reached out for rabbit.
The rabbit bolted back into the bush.
"HEY—!" Hajun shot up. "WAIT—!"
"Hajun—DON'T—!"
Too late. It was too late. Suho felt like an idiot whenever they were together.
Hajun ran straight after it and—
CRASH.
"OW—!"
Suho was done with Hajun's behavior. He was worried about wrong things last night. Being with Hajun proved to be more tiresome.
He jumped straight into the bush, branches tangling around his legs.
"I'M STUCK."
Suho pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear—one day—you will be the death of me."
He rushed over, grabbing Hajun's arms. "Stop moving! You're making it worse."
"IT'S BITING ME—!"
"THAT'S A BRANCH—!"
Suho yanked— and froze. He was stilled. His eyes dropped. It felt the forest itself did not want them to be here.
Right beside the bush.
A Viethra Thorn Blue Flower. Its petals were completely closed.
"…Hajun," Suho whispered.
"What—why did you stop—"
Suddenly, there was sudden shift in the air. A gust of air came running from the side, behind the trees.
"Hajun—GET DOWN—!"
Too late.
Something invisible struck them from behind.
BOOM.
They were thrown like ragdolls.
Suho felt his body being lifted by the air and slammed right into the tree.
CRACK.
His back hit the tree first.
Pain exploded through his ribs, white-hot and blinding. He hit the ground hard, coughing violently.
"—ghk—!"
Hajun rolled beside him, groaning.
"…Suho…?"
Suho tried to answer. Pain crushed his chest. He coughed again—metallic. Blood.
"…Don't—move," Suho wheezed.
Hajun scrambled to him despite his own shaking legs. "What happened?! I—I didn't see anything—!"
The ground trembled and rustling behind the bushes and trees. From everywhere.
Hajun turned— and froze. He turned pale.
One by one many rabbits stepped out. Not small.
Big.
Way too big rabbits.
Standing upright before jumping and their paws moving like throwing punches in the air. their punches would result in gust of air slamming down the trees.
Their teeth looked too sharp with saliva drooling from their mouths. Eyes glowing red and yellow.
"…No," Hajun whispered.
Suho's eyes widened slowly. "…Oh no."
"…Don't tell me," Hajun said, voice shaking. "Please don't tell me."
Suho swallowed. "…They're wild mana rabbits."
"…?"
"…They feed on human flesh."
Hajun made a sound between a sob and a scream. "WHY IS IT ALWAYS THE CUTE ONES—?!"
The rabbits lunged.
Hajun screamed, grabbed Suho—
—and lifted him.
"…?" Suho's eyes nearly popped out. "WHAT—"
Hajun threw Suho over his shoulder and ran.
"WHEN DID YOU GET THIS STRONG—?!"
"I DON'T KNOW—DON'T TALK—!"
Hajun sprinted, jumping roots, dodging trees like his body finally remembered how to survive.
Suho groaned, every movement tearing pain through his ribs.
"…You're—going—too—fast—"
"I'M SORRY—!"
Suho coughed blood again.
Then when realization finally hit him. His eyes turned blank.
"…Hey."
"What—?!"
"…Where's your dad?"
Hajun stopped. Instantly. "…What."
The forest ahead shifted. A massive shape moved and rose.
Blue-scaled skin.
Green stripes.
Yellow eyes.
Fangs dripping venom.
And antlers.
Large ones at that.
Like a reindeer's crown. Why antlers? Snakes were not supposed to have antlers.
The rabbits closed in behind them. They were completely surrounded.
Hajun laughed weakly. "…We're dead."
The snake hissed.
The rabbits charged.
Everything attacked at once.
"AAAAAA—!"