— The Forest That Never Slept

The forest welcomed them...

With silence.

Not the peaceful silence of an ordinary night.

It was the kind of silence that made every heartbeat sound too loud.

Branches stretched above them like long, twisted fingers.

The moon barely managed to slip through the thick canopy.

Everything beyond a few steps was swallowed by darkness.

Evelyn walked first.

One hand held the lantern low.

The other never left the small knife hanging from her belt.

Behind her...

Ariel walked so close that their shoulders brushed every few steps.

The little rabbit rested safely inside the backpack.

"...Eli."

"Hm?"

"...Do you think wolves live here?"

Evelyn listened for a moment.

Only leaves.

Only wind.

"...Probably."

Ariel immediately grabbed the back of Evelyn's coat.

"...You could've lied."

A tiny smile escaped Evelyn before she could stop it.

"You asked."

"I know..."

Ariel muttered.

"...I regret asking."

For the first time that night...

Evelyn quietly laughed.

Just once.

The sound disappeared almost as quickly as it came.

It reminded both of them...

That laughing was still possible.

Even now.

Hours passed.

Or at least...

It felt that way.

Every tree looked identical.

Every path disappeared beneath dead leaves.

The deeper they walked...

The colder the air became.

Ariel suddenly stopped.

"Eli..."

"What is it?"

"...Did you hear that?"

Both of them froze.

The wind died.

For a brief second...

The forest became completely still.

Then—

Crack.

A twig snapped somewhere behind them.

Ariel gasped.

"E-Eli..."

Evelyn slowly raised the lantern.

The light trembled with her hand.

Nothing.

Only trees.

Only darkness.

"...Stay behind me."

Ariel nodded so quickly that her loose hair bounced.

Another sound.

This time...

From the left.

Rustling leaves.

A shadow darted between the bushes.

Ariel buried her face against Evelyn's shoulder.

"...Don't let it eat me..."

Evelyn swallowed.

Truthfully...

She wanted to do exactly the same.

Instead...

She took one careful step forward.

The bushes shook.

Something leaped out—

A rabbit.

Small.

Brown.

It paused.

Its tiny nose twitched twice.

Then it disappeared into the darkness.

Silence.

Ariel blinked.

"...Seriously?"

Evelyn let out a long breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"...Seriously."

A second later...

The two sisters looked at each other.

Then—

They laughed.

Not loudly.

Not for long.

Just enough to remind themselves...

They were still alive.

The laughter faded.

Their smiles faded with it.

Because the forest...

Never truly smiled back.

A cold breeze slipped between the trees.

Somewhere far away...

A long, unfamiliar cry echoed through the darkness.

It wasn't a wolf.

It wasn't a bird.

Neither of them knew what it was.

Neither of them wanted to find out.

Evelyn slowly reached for Ariel's hand.

"...We're not stopping."

Ariel nodded.

"...Not until morning."

Step after step...

The sisters disappeared deeper into the endless forest.

Behind them...

The last traces of civilization vanished.

Ahead...

Only shadows waited.

And somewhere...

Hidden beyond the darkness...

The forest watched its newest visitors.

End of Part Five

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This is just the beginning! Guess what happens to those two sisters?⁦(⁠ﾉﾟ⁠0ﾟ⁠)⁠ﾉ⁠~⁩

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