# Chapter 1
It was around ten o'clock at night.
A young woman hurried down the deserted road, rubbing her freezing hands together in a desperate attempt to keep warm. The bitter winter air bit into her skin, and every breath escaped her lips as a cloud of white mist.
The road stretched endlessly ahead, bordered on both sides by dense, pitch-black forests. Their towering trees stood like silent giants, swallowing every trace of light. The eerie whispers of the wind, the distant rustling of leaves, and the strange, unidentifiable sounds echoing from deep within the woods made the atmosphere even more terrifying.
Yet, despite the chilling silence and the fear lurking in every shadow, she continued walking, quickening her pace with each passing second.
She had barely walked a few more steps when the phone tucked inside the pocket of her long coat began to ring.
The sharp sound of the ringtone echoed through the deathly silent road, making the eerie surroundings feel even more unsettling.
Without wasting a second, Liora pulled out her phone and answered the call.
"Liora, where are you?" a worried voice exclaimed from the other end. "It's already so late, and you still haven't come back. Why aren't you answering Auntie's calls? She keeps calling me over and over again. Where are you?"
It was Mia.
Liora let out a soft sigh before replying in a calm, reassuring voice.
"Mia, don't worry. I'll be there in twenty minutes. I'll tell you everything once I get back. My phone's about to die, so I have to hang up now."
Before Mia could ask another question, Liora ended the call.
Slipping the phone back into her pocket, she quickened her pace. The freezing wind lashed against her face as she almost hurried down the deserted road, desperate to reach the hostel before anyone noticed her absence.
About twenty minutes later, she finally arrived behind the hostel.
As expected, the main gate had already been locked.
With practiced ease, she climbed over the back wall, carefully avoiding the security guard on his nightly patrol. Landing silently on the other side, she dusted herself off and tiptoed through the dimly lit corridor until she reached her room.
She knocked gently on the door.
Within seconds, the door swung open, and Mia immediately pulled her inside before quietly locking it again.
The moment Liora stepped into the room, Mia crossed her arms and fixed her with a suspicious stare.
"Tell me the truth, Liora..." she said, narrowing her eyes. "You came back through that forest again... didn't you?"
A playful grin spread across Liora's face.
"Yeah."
The answer was enough to make Mia grab her by the arms.
"Have you completely lost your mind?" Mia exclaimed. "How many times have I told you not to take that road at night? That forest is dangerous, Liora! You know exactly what people say about that place."
Liora laughed softly before slipping out of Mia's grip.
"Oh, come on."
She walked over to the window, casually pulled the curtains aside, and rested one elbow against the frame.
"So... you're talking about the famous red-eyed demon again?" she teased with a mischievous smile. "The one who's supposedly waiting in the forest to scare innocent people?"
She giggled.
"I've crossed that forest more times than I can count, Mia. If he really existed, don't you think we would've met by now?"
Just then...
Her smile faltered.
Far beyond the hostel grounds...
Between the endless rows of dark trees...
A pair of crimson eyes stared directly at her.
Liora blinked in surprise.
"...Huh?"
A cold breeze brushed against her face.
She blinked again.
The eyes...
Had disappeared.
For a moment, she simply stood there before letting out a tiny laugh and shaking her head.
"Seriously, Liora," she muttered to herself. "You've been hearing Mia's ghost stories way too much."
A smile returned to her face.
Turning away from the window, she looked back at Mia and shrugged.
"See? There's nothing out there. You're worrying over absolutely nothing."
Neither of the girls noticed...
That beyond the window...
The crimson eyes had returned.
Watching.
Silent.
Unmoving.
And in that very instant...
The entire forest fell deathly silent.
Not a single owl called into the night.
Not a single insect dared to make a sound.
Even the wind itself seemed to vanish.
It was as if the entire forest had fallen silent before a presence hidden within the darkness.