The sound of announcements echoed through the dense and noisy air. Spanish and English overlapped, blending with the creak of suitcases, hurried footsteps, and the mingled scent of coffee and perfume that lingered in the air.

Like a heart that never stops beating, Mexico City International Airport was always bustling with life. People passed by endlessly, every single minute.

From the arrival gate, a young man with messy black hair walked out carrying a large backpack and a small bag with a camera slung over his shoulder. Beside him, a pretty little girl twirled around like a bird freshly freed from its cage.

“So this is Mexico,” the girl murmured in awe. “I thought it would be dustier.”

The young man smiled faintly, lowering his sunglasses. “You’ve watched too many cowboy movies, Lia.”

“Yes, yes, I know. You don’t have to remind me, Brother. I’m mature enough not to judge a country from its movies.”

The young man stroked his chin. “Hm… during summer break… who was it again who packed a bag full of survival gear because she thought Indonesia was nothing but jungle without modern civilization?”

“Don’t remind me!” Lia’s cheeks puffed out like a squirrel storing food in its mouth.

The young man burst into laughter, and that was when his little sister started pounding his broad chest playfully with her small hands.

“Brother Ren, you’re annoying! Annoying! Annoying!”

“Alright, alright. Let’s go find an inn, Lia.”

Lia turned her face away, cheeks still puffed. “Then… lead the way, my dear brother.” She extended her hand like a princess.

“You’re still acting like a child, even though you’re already in high school.”

Despite saying so, Ren still took her hand as though a prince guiding a spoiled princess.

The little princess smiled at last, and they hurried toward the exit gate to find a taxi.

Not far from the airport’s exit, rows of souvenir vendors stood neatly, offering trinkets from their stalls. Their enthusiastic shouts blended with the music of mariachi that echoed along the street they walked through.

For outsiders like them, everything felt foreign yet beautiful.

Ren inhaled deeply, letting the variety of scents fill his chest that longed for adventure. As a vlogger who loved visiting ancient sites and foreign countries, he always admired the warmth of people from distant lands.

Without realizing it, he had already taken out his camera and started recording everything around him.

Meanwhile, Lia suddenly stopped in front of a small stall and stared at a line of colorful wooden masks. One of them had a skull face, with a carving of the sun’s eye on its forehead.

“This one’s cool. Look, Brother. They say this symbol belongs to the Aztec Rain God.”

Ren lifted his camera and recorded the mask briefly. “Tlaloc,” he answered without looking. “He is the rain god who demanded the sacrifice of human hearts in exchange for rain throughout the year for the Aztec people.”

“That’s such a creepy explanation,” Lia huffed, folding her arms. “You always make interesting things sound scary.”

“Because that’s how the mythology goes,” Ren chuckled softly. “That’s what makes it fascinating. Those fantastic, unexpected tales people once believed as symbols of their faith.”

“You really love mythology, don’t you,” Lia muttered, frowning.

Ren smiled and shrugged.

After passing through the crowded market, they finally reached the taxi stand. Dozens of cabs lined up neatly there.

They booked one, and after a short conversation, the driver took them to a modest inn in the San Juan Teotihuacán area. The place was very close to the ancient pyramid complex that Ren planned to explore for his new vlog.

The trip took about an hour, passing rows of brick houses and cactus fields stretching into the distance.

As the car drove along a narrow sandy road, Lia pressed her face against the window, admiring the murals on the walls.

Some depicted jaguar-masked gods, and one painting showed a woman in a white dress standing beside a red river.

She stared at it for a long time, not knowing why the painting made her want to look back.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ren asked, glancing at her.

Lia nodded, though her expression changed slightly. “Beautiful… but kind of sad.”

The driver chuckled softly. “That painting is La Llorona.”

“La Llorona?” Ren turned to the driver, eyes widening. “You mean the spirit woman who’s said to cry by the river?”

“Yes,” the driver replied enthusiastically, adjusting his mirror toward them. “They say the artist who painted it once met La Llorona herself, crying by the river. He was lucky she didn’t take him away.”

“A g-ghost?!” Lia moved closer, clutching Ren’s arm tightly, her face turning pale.

“It’s alright. That’s just superstition. Don’t worry, little girl,” said the driver kindly, seeing Lia’s frightened reflection in the rearview mirror.

His sister had always been a coward when it came to ghost stories. Realizing this, Ren gently patted her head to calm her down.

The sun was almost setting when they arrived at the inn.

The sky burned orange, and from afar, the great pyramid rose like the shadow of a god resting at the edge of dusk. The sight made Ren’s excitement grow stronger. He gripped the small bag containing his vlogging gear.

“Tomorrow morning, we’ll go there,” he murmured, smiling toward the distance.

“Yes, yes. Now let’s go in and rest. Aren’t you tired after the long trip?”

Ren nodded.

They went inside and booked a room. After getting the key, they hurried upstairs to the second floor. The room was spacious enough, with two beds and a private bathroom.

As soon as they entered, Lia threw herself onto the bed. “You know, Brother… sometimes I wonder if people in the past really believed that gods lived in pyramids.”

Ren paused, then looked at his silent camera that reflected his own face. “Believe it or not… maybe to them, the gods were real.”

“Oh, hey, don’t sleep yet, Lia.”

Lia tilted her head.

Ren glanced at the wall clock. The short hand pointed to six, and the long one to three.

He had heard that near their inn, there was a beach quite lively at night. He decided to invite his sister, who loved the sea, to visit it for a while.

Lia agreed eagerly. She changed into a light white dress matching her pale skin. A lace hat sat upon her head, and she was ready to go with her brother.

“You seem so energetic. I thought you were tired.”

“The word ‘beach’ revived me. Now let’s go, Brother.” Lia pulled his hand with enthusiasm, though he hadn’t changed his clothes yet.

“Let me change first.”

Lia nodded and waited patiently.

After putting on more casual clothes, Ren and Lia left the inn. With help from the locals and Google Maps, they finally reached the beach they were looking for.

As rumored, the beach was bright with the glow of lanterns like a sea of stars revealing the veil of night. Food stalls lined the shore, and people wandered across the fine sand that tickled their bare feet.

Lia asked her brother to take a video.

Ren smiled faintly and nodded. He knew his sister was an influencer with many followers. She loved sharing glimpses of her life on social media. Occasionally, he was the one helping her record and edit her videos.

“Camera... Action!”

“Oh, is it on already?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll edit it later.”

After posing briefly and greeting the camera, Lia walked to the stalls to buy and try various local snacks.

Elote (grilled corn) in her left hand. Nopales Asados (grilled cactus) in her right. She also bought a single portion of tacos with seafood filling. Before the still-recording camera, Lia smiled brightly as she reviewed the food.

When they finished recording, they sat together on the quiet part of the beach. Only the sound of waves and the night wind composed a natural symphony around them. The moon and stars hung silently, as if gazing back at the two of them.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It is. Nature always knows how to display its art to those who pause to see.”

As they admired the night painted by nature, the cold wind brushed against Lia’s thin skin, making her shiver.

Ren chuckled. “Seems like nature also knows when to tell a child it’s bedtime.”

“Ugh… I’m not a child. I’m fifteen.”

Ren shrugged. “Let’s go back. It’s late.”

Lia nodded.

After turning off the camera and ending the recording, they walked back to the inn. They chose to walk since it wasn’t too far, and it gave them a little more time to enjoy the night.

That night, once they returned, Lia fell asleep instantly. Ren, however, sat by the small table near the window, checking each video he had recorded since they landed.

Footage of the market, the masks, the murals, and even the beach all looked normal. But amid the clips, one thing stood out.

When the camera had captured the seashore, a faint sound of crying could be heard, hidden beneath the crashing waves.

“What does that mean?”

He replayed the clip, but the crying was gone. Even after trying several times, focusing hard, he couldn’t find the sound again.

Ren removed his earphones and sighed deeply.

He looked back at the camera’s screen. “What was that sound I just heard?”

While scrolling through the photos, his eyes widened. In the corner of one picture, the faint silhouette of a woman in a white dress appeared. Her long hair flowed down, and her gaze seemed to be fixed on them.

Ren froze, almost dropping the camera.

After calming himself, he picked it up again. But the woman’s silhouette had vanished. He could swear he saw her with his own eyes.

He sat still for a while, trying to make sense of it, before shaking his head slowly.

“Maybe I’m just tired... Yeah... I should sleep.”

The morning light greeted two souls who stood at the foot of history, gazing at the legacy of an ancient world that seemed to extend its hand toward them. Ren lifted his camera, letting a strand of gentle radiance reflect upon the lens. Lia stood beside him, observing their surroundings with eyes brimming with curiosity.

Before them, the ancient site of the Aztec pyramid stretched proudly. The air was still fresh, carrying the warm scent of earth mixed with centuries old dust stirred by the footsteps of visitors.

Foreign and local tourists moved across the stone courtyard in constant streams. Some were busy taking photos, others rested in the shade while observing, and the rest listened to local guides. Laughter, foreign languages, and camera clicks blended into a rhythm of life that echoed around the ancient structure.

Ren lowered his camera for a moment and looked at Lia. She wore a loose pink shirt and cargo pants with large pockets to keep her smartphone from falling. Her shoes were dusty despite being new.

Seeing her reminded him of his younger self when his late father had first taken him, innocent and wide eyed, to visit a historical site in Andalusia, Spain.

Watching his father’s excitement, Ren had fallen in love as well. Yet unlike his father, who loved history alone, Ren also fell in love with mythology and folklore. That passion led him to his studies and his dream of becoming an archaeologist.

His thoughts scattered when Lia nudged his arm. A bright smile bloomed on her face. “Hey, big brother. Stop staring blankly at nothing. Point your camera and capture everything.” Her fingers moved wildly, pointing at nearly every part of the pyramid.

Ren exhaled softly, the corner of his lips lifting. “Of course. Do not underestimate me. How many times do you think I have visited ancient sites?”

Lia rolled her eyes. “Yes yes. You go every semester break with your own savings. I am tired of hearing about it.”

Without responding, Ren raised his camera once more, skillfully showing his ability to capture images of the ancient stones that lined the path.

Within minutes, they reached the base of the massive pyramid with a square structure at its summit. Birds crossed swiftly above it, adding to its aura of ancient grandeur.

“Want to go to the top?”

“Huh, really? Last time we went to Indonesia there was a tower like temple we were not allowed to climb. What was it called... the temple... the temple...”

“Prambanan Temple.”

“Ah, yes, Prambanan Temple.” Lia placed her hands on her hips. “So, my slightly handsome brother, are you saying we can climb to the top here?”

Ren gave a crooked smile. This was simply how his sister joked. Besides, appearance had never mattered much to him.

He took a breath first. “Some ancient structures were built hundreds of years ago. Certain parts may already be fragile or damaged. They can collapse if they bear unexpected weight. That is one reason many ancient sites cannot be climbed. It protects both visitors and the preservation of the site.”

“You know, Lia, some other ancient Aztec pyramids also cannot be climbed because of the same reason. We happen to be allowed to climb this one because its foundation is still very strong according to experts.”

“I see...” Lia looked up, staring at the sunlit peak. “Even something this magnificent cannot resist time.”

“Irony, is it not? A structure once glorified as a symbol of greatness and prosperity. Yet in the end, time devours all.”

After reflecting for a moment, Ren stepped onto the first stair. He climbed a few steps, then turned back and held out his hand.

“What are you waiting for?”

Lia puffed her cheeks and quickly followed her brother.

The higher they climbed, the colder the wind brushed against their faces. Ren glanced at his watch. It was still eight in the morning. The warmth would not strike so quickly since the sun had only risen a short distance above the muddy ground.

On both sides of the stairs were ropes set up for visitors. Grass and moss grew between the gaps of the stones. Some of it was left intact to emphasize the antiquity of the site, though of course it would eventually be cleared when it grew too thick.

About fifteen minutes passed. The siblings finally reached the top. They were the only ones there, something unusual considering how crowded it was below.

“So quiet... where is everyone?”

“Is it not better for us?”

Unlike his confused sister, Ren stretched his arms wide, letting the cool breeze caress his fair skin. His camera hung from his neck, still turned on.

Meanwhile, Lia circled the square platform at the top. Her fingertip traced the dew mixed with dust from ancient ages. She arrived at a rectangular stone table in the corner.

She tilted her head with curiosity and brushed her hand across its entire surface.

Ren suddenly stood beside her. Lia was not startled. His presence was always faint. He often vanished or appeared without warning, impossible for anyone to track properly.

“Ah, you found it. That was probably where the Aztecs placed their offerings.”

“Offerings? Like the ones at Japanese shrines?” Lia tilted her head even further.

“A little different,” her brother cleared his throat. “You know, the Aztecs were famous for the uniqueness of their offerings.”

“What was unique about it? Probably some ancient dance around fire or a song or maybe a duel between youths. Is it not always like that with ancient tribes?”

Ren shook his head, like a teacher correcting a wrong answer. “You are wrong. The offerings they made to ask for rain or harvest were human hearts and heads.”

Lia shivered, goosebumps rising. “You are joking, right?”

“No. Even the table you are touching may have been used for human sacrifice and offerings.”

“Hiii!”

Lia jumped back nearly falling over. She quickly wiped her hands with a handkerchief, scrubbing as if trying to erase filth that clung to her skin.

“Disgusting. Why did you not tell me earlier?”

Ren burst into laughter until he held his stomach.

“Do not laugh. It is not funny.”

“Sorry, sorry. I wanted to see how you would react.”

Lia puffed her cheeks again and turned her head away.

Ren sighed. “The Aztecs were known for their sacrifices to the gods. When asking for rain, they offered the heart of the wisest among them or the one believed to have angered Tlaloc.”

“And when asking for or celebrating a great harvest, they held a kind of ball game using a dried human head as the ball.”

Although disgust clearly shadowed her face, Lia still listened seriously. She even dared to answer, “Then the losing side would be sacrificed, right?”

Ren shook his head. “The opposite. The leader of the winning side would be the one sacrificed to the gods.”

“What? Why?”

Lia’s jaw almost dropped to the floor. Ren only smiled at her natural reaction. “For the Aztecs, life was temporary. They believed that a head offered to the gods would bring true life.”

“Like a paradise?”

Ren shrugged.

Silence fell between them for a moment. Each drowned in their thoughts until Lia broke it.

“Strange... life is only once. Yet they sacrificed it for something uncertain. I feel a bit sorry for their ignorance.”

Ren sighed. “That is how it was. Knowledge was not as advanced as it is now. Many people believed in myths so deeply that they were trapped in suffering they did not fully understand.”

The wind blew strongly, the sunlight highlighting the sharp lines of Ren’s face. His voice grew deeper, as though the ancient site itself spoke through him.

“But do not forget one thing, Lia. Humans are fragile. We fear darkness, hunger, loss, and the things we cannot understand. That is why they needed something to hold on to. Even if it was a false myth that demanded lives. Not because they were foolish. But because without hope, humans fall apart.”

Lia fell silent. Her thin smile softened, touched by his words.

“I understand, brother.”

The sun climbed higher. They still had many sites to visit. Realizing this, Ren invited his sister to descend and prepare for the next destination.

“Before we leave, let us take a photo.”

“All right.”

He pulled a folding tripod from his small bag and set the camera on it. They stood posing in front of the offering table.

The camera turned on. The automatic countdown began. Yet just as the countdown reached three, something happened.

The ground shook violently. Even the sky seemed ready to collapse. The two staggered in sudden panic.

“Brother, what is happening?”

“Lia, hold my hand.”

Ren pulled her into his arms. A blue light seeped through the cracks of the stones beneath their feet. The glow grew brighter, blinding their eyes. Their vision faded.

The ground beneath them disappeared.

In an instant, only darkness remained.

Ren opened his eyes even though only moments ago the sun had still been shining brightly. Suddenly a shadow seemed to swallow the sunlight whole. He turned left and right but found nothing except absolute darkness surrounding him.

"What is happening? Why did the sky suddenly turn dark? Did we faint until nightfall?"

Silence lingered before his ears caught the faint sound of someone crying. Ren tried to follow the source of the voice, pushing through the bushes with whatever vision he had. Soon, his brown eyes caught the silhouette of a woman kneeling on the ground while weeping.

Ren formed a small smile. It must be Lia. That girl could cry simply because of nighttime darkness. If she fainted for an entire day then woke up to a sky that was suddenly dark and silent, it was only natural for someone like her to cry out of fear and confusion.

Ren was about to move forward, but before he could even lift a foot, his instincts screamed a warning. His body froze. Goosebumps rose. His nape tightened as if realizing something was terribly wrong.

How did they end up separated? Why did they faint for an entire day? How did they suddenly appear in a forest when they were standing on top of the pyramid earlier? Why had no one woken them up, and why was the place, which should have been crowded, now empty? What exactly had happened? These questions echoed loudly in his mind.

In the dark, he glanced at the woman. Her hair... it did not resemble his sister’s at all. Lia would never let her hair loose for any reason. Worse, that hair kept extending downward until it touched the ground.

That was certainly not Lia.

Instinct urged him to step back very slowly. He retreated on tiptoe so as not to make a sound.

He had only taken a few steps when the sound of weeping reached him again, sending another shiver of fear down his spine.

"Is it possible that the gho... I mean that woman is following me?" he whispered, trembling.

Ren inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. It was useless. He could not calm himself. For the first time in his life he could not think positively.

His body even stopped moving, uncertain whether he should run or hide. But if he did either, where could he hide and where could he run?

"Br... brother... hiks... hiks..."

His thoughts shattered when he heard the weak whimper of his sister, soft like a frightened kitten. Blood rushed to his head. His mind cleared instantly. He moved without hesitation toward the source of the cry.

Under the faint light, hidden among the bushes, he found his sister curled up. He tapped her shoulder gently but Lia, terrified, flinched sharply. Before she could scream, Ren covered her mouth with his hand.

"Do not shout. It is me..." he whispered. "There is someone or maybe something strange behind me. Do not draw its attention, okay?"

Lia nodded stiffly. Ren could feel her whole body trembling uncontrollably. In such a state, she would be vulnerable. That was why he let her breathe for a while, hoping her fear would lessen even a little.

After several long breaths, she finally stopped shaking.

"Where... where are we, brother?"

Before answering, Ren scanned their surroundings. "I do not know. This does not look like Earth. Too dark and... strange."

"Can you stand?"

Lia nodded and rose on her own feet. Ren stood as well, but just as they were about to leave, the girl pointed behind him with her mouth half open. Her legs trembled as if the ground shook beneath her.

Her wide eyes told him everything. He did not need to turn around to know what stood behind him. His fists clenched. Cold sweat trailed down his temples.

Calm down. Make an unexpected move then run.

He inhaled deeply. One leg bent. He lifted it high. Then...

"Hyah!"

A spinning sidekick struck the silhouette behind him, whatever it was, with full force until the creature was hurled backward.

Lia gaped as if her jaw would fall, but Ren reacted quickly, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into a desperate sprint.

Srek. Srek.

Ren crashed through the bushes with sharp precision. While running, his eyes darted everywhere, observing the long branching limbs of the trees whose pointed ends looked like grasping fingers.

Ren clicked his tongue.

He had visited many ancient sites. Some were famously haunted, but this was the first time he had been trapped in something truly supernatural.

Suddenly, laughter echoed behind them. It was followed by a terrifying roar that shook the air.

What is this place? Why are we here? How did we fall into this? The questions hammered his mind, but then something unexpected happened.

Srek.

"WTF!"

"T-the trees are moving on their own!"

Lia shrieked when she saw the branches in front of them twist toward them as if trying to grab them.

Just like in countless horror films, hideous human faces formed on the tree trunks, smiling grotesquely.

Lia fell backward in shock. Ren, though just as terrified, lifted her in his arms and ran with every ounce of strength he had. His adrenal glands pumped fiercely, forcing every muscle to act beyond its limits.

Oxygen surged through his blood, breaking past the fragile limits of his human body.

He could see everything almost as clearly as in daylight. The roots beneath his feet, the flashes of strange figures perched in the trees, even the sweeping branches reaching for them that he dodged with uncanny precision.

"B brother! A woman... a woman is flying behind us!" Lia cried and buried her face deeper in his chest.

Ren clicked his tongue softly. He did not need to turn around to know what followed. Yet he noticed something. The endless forest of twisted trees grew thinner. Squinting, he saw an open field ahead without any trees.

"An exit." A sharp grin curved across his usually calm and friendly face.

But when only a few steps remained before the open space, his instincts screamed again. He halted. A suffocating dark aura surged from the clearing.

He clenched his jaw and turned around, forgetting the flying woman chasing them. Now she stood directly before him.

"Woah!"

He stumbled backward and fell. When he looked up, her figure was clear. The woman was taller, almost twice his height. Her long black hair draped forward, covering her face all the way to her toes.

"Dammit..."

The woman extended her hand. Her long thin fingers nearly wrapped around Ren’s neck when a lullaby suddenly drifted through the air in a language he did not understand.

A beautiful melody, soft like a night breeze at the edge of a forest. The trees stopped moving. Their monstrous faces faded. The creature before him went limp and vanished as though it had never existed.

"What is happening? This song... where is it coming from?"

Ren patted Lia who was still buried against him. "Lia, it is all right now. You can open your eyes."

The girl opened her trembling eyes and inspected her surroundings before slowly pulling herself free from Ren’s embrace.

"Brother... what happened? Where did the woman go? And... who is singing?"

Ren shrugged. "I do not know, but that song saved us. The trees returned to normal and that woman disappeared."

"Hey, I think we should look for the one singing that lullaby. Maybe they know something about this insane place."

"Should we?"

"At least if we get trapped again, they can sing that lullaby and drive away those astral creatures."

After that, they followed the lingering melody. As long as the lullaby floated through the air, the forest felt calmer even though the sky stayed dark. It felt as if nothing would suddenly attack them.

The voice guided them to a clearing. A girl sat on a stone while humming the lullaby they had been searching for. A long plain white cloth wrapped her body, matching the pale tone of her skin. Her black hair flowed down her back, adorned with shimmering jade beads typical of the Aztec people.

The girl sensed their presence. She stopped singing and turned her head toward them.

Ren froze in awe at her delicate beauty. Her sky blue eyes met his dark gaze. A soft smile bloomed on her lips, warm like morning sunlight. Ren could not utter a single word as they stared at one another.

Yet in this mysterious forest, that awe lasted only a moment before a question rose in his heart.

Who is she?