"Yurim…!"
"Yurim!!!"
Nami and Siya's voices echoed through the woods, sharp with panic.
"Why can't we see her?" Siya cried. "Where could she have gone?"
All of them stood frozen, confusion twisting in their chests.
Strangely, there was now only one path in front of them. No branches. No turns.
It was as if the path Yurim had taken… never existed at all.
---
"YURIM!!"
"Who…?"
Yurim spun around, heart hammering. Her breath came out uneven as she searched the trees wildly.
There was no one.
The forest stood silent.
A chill ran down her spine.
"Don't be scared."
The voice came again—soft, humming and very calm.
Yurim turned slowly toward the massive tree standing alone. Her eyes widened.
I heard it from here…
This way…
Her mind screamed with fear.
I'm in trouble. I really got myself into trouble.
"…It's me," the voice said.
"The Tree."
The words vibrated through the air.
Yurim's legs refused to move, as if all the strength had been drained from them. She stood frozen, staring up at it.
"Unfortunate… or lucky?" the Tree murmured, a low laugh echoing through its bark.
"What should I call you Yurim?"
She couldn't speak. She could only stare.
"But you know," the Tree continued calmly, "I can fix your broken life."
Yurim's breath caught.
"I can take you to any world your heart desires," it said.
"But remember—"
"that world will be shaped by the state of your heart."
"M-mum…" Yurim whispered. "Mom…"
Her voice cracked as fear finally spilled over. She turned and tried to run—but the forest suddenly felt endless. Trees stretched in every direction, thick and suffocating.
"Do you want to experience a life you've never experienced before?" the Tree asked again.
"No…" Yurim shook her head, tears forming.
"Please… let me go."
"Siya! Nami!" she screamed desperately. "Where are you?!"
Then—
A low, unnatural growl
echoed through the woods.
Her blood ran cold.
"…Too late now," the Tree whispered.
The air split open.
A blinding light burst forward, swallowing everything—
In the next instant, Yurim found herself standing inside a classroom.
At first glance, it looked normal.
Students in uniform sat around, laughing, chatting, living ordinary lives. The familiar hum of school filled the air.
But something felt… wrong.
"Where am I?… This is not my classroom," Yurim whispered.
Uneasy, she began to walk through the corridors, hoping the feeling would fade. The hallways were quiet. Too quiet.
Then she stopped.
Near the locker room, her breath hitched.
A boy stood there.
He opened his mouth—
far wider than any human should—
and devoured a small animal-like creature, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
No screams.
No shock.
No reaction from anyone around.
Yurim's blood ran cold.
Her hands trembled as she stared, unable to believe what she had just witnessed.
And in that moment, she understood—
She was no longer in her world.