The afternoon breeze, which had previously gently caressed the red ribbon in Eunha Seorin's hair, now blew wildly in the eastern part of the dense forest, far from the main path.
Dry leaves fell, swirling in the air before finally being swept away by the river current flowing between the large boulders. The sound of trickling water mingled with the rustling of the wind, creating a quiet yet lively atmosphere.
The footsteps of six people could be heard from the distance—slow but steady, pushing through the underbrush and tree roots.
"How much longer do we have to walk?" Lisa complained, brushing aside a twig that nearly slapped her face.
"I don't know… it doesn't seem like we're there yet," Hana replied, panting, sweat dripping down her temples.
"Hey, Raven!" Kevin called out, letting out a heavy sigh.
"We've been walking for hours. Why don't we rest for a bit? The others are exhausted too."
Raven paused for a moment, glancing back.
He saw Kyle, who had rolled up his jacket and tied it around his waist, his body drenched in sweat. Hana and Lisa also looked tired, while Karin tried to stay strong even as her breathing grew labored.
Raven let out a short sigh. "Huh… all right. We'll stop for the night around here. But before that, let's find a decent spot to rest and… eat."
They walked for about two more minutes until they finally reached a small, clear-flowing stream. Not far from there, a small waterfall cascaded down a cliff, creating a fine mist that cooled the air.
"This place is nice," Hana said as she set down her backpack.
"We can get some water and rest for a bit."
"Finally!" Karin exclaimed happily.
"I thought my legs were going to fall off if we kept walking!"
"I'm so tired…" Lisa collapsed onto the ground.
"Seriously, if this keeps up, I'm going to die young," Kyle muttered as he lay down and stared at the sky.
Kevin sat on a large rock, breathing heavily. "Ugh… this… isn't my kind of life…"
But before they could fully enjoy their rest, Raven's firm voice broke the silence.
"What are you guys doing? This isn't the time to just sit around. Go find some food!"
Lisa let out a long sigh. "Oh my gosh, Raven. Can't you just look at how we're doing? We just want to rest for a bit."
Raven looked at each of them in turn, her expression blank. "If you don't want to starve tonight, you better get moving now."
Lisa rolled her eyes. "But don't we still have supplies in our bags? We can eat those first."
"I know," Raven replied softly but firmly.
"But that's just an emergency reserve. We still have a long journey ahead, and you all need to learn how to survive in the wild."
Karin let out a heavy sigh. "Are you serious, Raven? This is like military training."
Raven merely raised her thin eyebrows. "Better to be tired now than dead tomorrow."
As the tension began to rise, Hana, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up.
"Enough already…" she said softly, wiping the sweat from her temples. Her breathing hadn't fully stabilized yet.
"I'm tired too, but… Raven has a point."
Lisa turned her head, slightly annoyed. "Hana, even you?"
Hana gave a faint smile, though her exhaustion was clearly visible on her face.
"If we use up our supplies now, we won't have anything left later."
She paused for a moment, then continued in a softer tone,
"Since we arrived in this world, we haven't even had a steady food source. So… it's better to conserve our supplies just in case."
"And it's better to go through a little trouble now than face real trouble later, right..."
Kyle, still lying down, raised one hand lazily.
"I actually agree with Lisa…" he muttered.
"But unfortunately, Raven and Hana aren't wrong either."
He turned toward Raven with a half-resigned expression.
"So yeah… whether we like it or not, we still have to keep moving if we want to see tomorrow."
Kevin let out a long sigh. "Seriously… why did I end up joining this group…"
No one really argued anymore.
Raven, seeing this, immediately stepped forward a bit, her voice firm again.
"Hana, Karin, look for edible fruits or wild plants around here. Kyle, Lisa, gather dry wood for the fire. Kevin and I will go fishing in the river."
"Why do I have to go with you?" Kevin protested spontaneously.
Raven glanced at him briefly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of her lips.
"Because you look the cleanest among all of us."
He turned away without waiting for an answer.
"It's about time you learned to get a little dirty… Spoiled brat."
Kevin clicked his tongue softly. "Hey… don't call me that."
Kevin just snorted, but his face clearly showed regret. While the others began to scatter, Raven walked toward the river with calm steps, while Kevin followed behind with a resigned expression, clearly not yet ready for the reality that tonight, they would sleep under the open sky.
-----------------
The sunlight began to fade behind the giant trees. The last golden rays filtered through the gaps in the leaves before finally disappearing, leaving the forest shrouded in twilight. The air felt humid, carrying the scent of damp earth and leaves touched by the evening dew.
Kyle walked ahead, carrying a few dry twigs in his left hand. Behind him, Lisa struggled to keep her balance, clutching a small bundle of wood in her arms.
"This firewood is so heavy," Lisa complained, taking a deep breath.
"I just realized that living in a world like this is really tough. I miss electricity and the internet."
Kyle chuckled softly. "You think I don't?"
he replied without turning around. "I even miss streetlights. But now all we have are mosquitoes and the sound of crickets everywhere."
Lisa laughed softly too, though exhaustion was clearly etched on her face.
They stopped near a fallen tree trunk and began breaking off small branches into more manageable sizes.
"Hey, Kyle…" Lisa's voice softened, her tone becoming cautious. Her hand paused briefly over a branch.
Kyle glanced at her. "What?"
"Do you think… about Raven," Lisa continued softly.
"After what happened in that cave… do you still see her as the Raven she used to be?"
The question made the atmosphere between them feel heavy instantly. Kyle stared at the branch in his hand for a few seconds before answering.
"Raven, huh…" Kyle finally said, his voice soft but firm.
"No matter how we see her, she's still our friend. I don't care what other people think of her. To me, Raven is the only close friend I have… and that won't change. She saved us, and that's enough for me."
Lisa looked down, staring at the twigs in her hand. "You're right… She's always been like that. Even though she seems indifferent, she's always helped us…" her voice dropped, a note of regret in it.
Kyle glanced at her, his tone softening. "Lisa, you… are you okay? You don't need to keep dwelling on what happened in that cave."
Hearing that, Lisa's hand, which had been picking up twigs, suddenly stopped. Her fingers trembled slightly.
In an instant, her memories returned to that cave that night when the bandits attacked—the screams, the blood, and the faces of her friends falling one by one. Her breath caught as that terrifying vision resurfaced in her mind: how she'd nearly become a victim, had Raven not arrived just in time.
"I-I… I—" her voice broke, unable to continue.
"Lisa?" Kyle called out quickly, moving a little closer.
"You're okay, right?"
"Huh—" Lisa jolted, as if just returning to reality. Her gaze was slightly vacant before finally refocusing on Kyle.
Kyle exhaled softly, his voice low but firm.
"I'm just worried about you. So please… don't keep torturing yourself with those memories."
He looked straight at Lisa.
"What matters now is that we have to survive."
Lisa looked at him quickly. Her cheeks flushed faintly.
"You… are worried about me?"
"Yeah, of course," Kyle replied without hesitation.
"You're my friend. How could I just stand by while you're treated like that?"
"A friend, huh…" Lisa murmured softly, unsure if she was disappointed or embarrassed.
Kyle looked away for a moment, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck before speaking again. "Anyway, I'll do my best to protect you. I don't want you to go through something like that again."
Lisa quickly turned her head away, her face growing redder. "Uhmm… I know that. So just shut up, idiot."
"Why be quiet? It's just the two of us here," Kyle replied casually.
"Ah, forget it!" Lisa stood up quickly, a bit flustered.
"Come on, let's go look for wood over there. I don't think there are any small ones left here."
"Okay, okay," Kyle said, sounding confused but going along with it.
They walked a few steps away, gathering more twigs while quietly calming themselves down. The atmosphere between them felt awkward, filled only by the sound of dry leaves crunching underfoot.
A few minutes passed….
"I think… that's enough for tonight," Lisa muttered, wiping sweat from her temples.
Kyle looked toward the west, where the sun was almost gone. "I think so too, and we should head back soon before—"
But suddenly, from the bushes on their right, a heavy sound echoed—like a large branch snapping
"…did you hear that?" Lisa whispered
Kyle straightened up, his gaze scanning the thicket ahead. From the shadows of the trees, a large, dark-brown silhouette emerged slowly, step by step.
The sound of heavy breathing could be heard, then a massive figure with thick fur and gleaming eyes fully emerged from behind the bushes.
A huge bear, nearly twice the height of an adult human.
Lisa held her breath, her face turning pale. Kyle instinctively grabbed Lisa's hand, "Don't move…"
They both stood frozen. The bear sniffed the air, staring straight at them.
"Kyle…" Lisa whispered, almost inaudibly.
"I know… back up slowly."
They stepped slowly backward,
One step...
Two steps...
Crack...
A dry twig under Lisa's foot snapped.
In an instant, the bear's head snapped sharply. A deep, growling sound erupted from its throat.
"Run!" Kyle shouted, grabbing Lisa's hand tightly.
They immediately turned and ran with all their might, pushing through bushes and branches. Their breaths were ragged, their steps erratic.
"Oh my God, it's chasing us!!" Lisa screamed in panic.
"Keep running! Don't look back!"
The beast's roar echoed through the trees, shattering the evening forest's tranquility. Birds flew frantically from the branches, while leaves fell with every time the massive body crashed through the underbrush.
Kyle clenched his jaw. Their only hope was a single river. Where Raven and the others were.
If they didn't make it in time…
he didn't even dare to think about what would happen next.