A few days earlier, all the twelfth graders had gathered for a meeting to discuss their farewell trip.
The result of the meeting was clear—everyone agreed to celebrate it by going camping on top of a mountain in their area.
The place was known as a local tourist spot, famous for its breathtaking view of both sunrise and sunset. During holidays or special occasions, people from nearby villages—and even from outside the region—would come there to camp and enjoy the scenery.
But behind its natural beauty, the mountain peak carried a chilling reputation.
To reach it, hikers had to pass through an ancient forest, where towering trees—hundreds of years old—stood in silence, watching.
Among the locals, there was a frightening legend: hidden deep within that forest lived a secret group of people who followed a forbidden sect—worshippers of something dark, something inhuman.
The stories spoke of rituals, sacrifices, and a strange, unsettling presence that never left the woods.
This belief was strengthened by the forest's eerie atmosphere, especially during dusk or at night, when the silence turned heavy and the air felt colder than it should.
At the base of the mountain, there was always a checkpoint where rangers reminded climbers of the rules. They warned every visitor:
Do not speak foul or disrespectful words.
Do not act indecently.
Do not mock the unseen.
Yet, even with repeated warnings, there were always reckless climbers who ignored them. And often, those were the ones who experienced strange disturbances—whispers in the trees, shadows moving where no one should be, or terrifying visions that followed them all the way to the peak.
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(To be continued…)