Gwen shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself.

Meanwhile, Raymond walked ahead, pretending to observe the surroundings, occasionally glancing left and right as if trying to find the correct path.

James’ gaze slowly shifted toward him. His eyes narrowed.

Then, without warning, he reached out, pulled Gwen gently behind him, and let out a quiet chuckle.

"How long are you planning to keep this act going?" he asked, his tone light...but laced with something far more dangerous. "You’ve already succeeded in trapping us. There’s no need to pretend anymore."

Raymond stopped. Slowly, he turned around, his expression tightening. "What are you talking about?"

James smiled faintly, though his eyes remained cold.

"From the moment you joined us, I noticed something," he continued calmly.

"Every time we reached a crossroads, you always chose the correct path...not just once or twice, but consistently. That’s not luck. That’s not instinct. It’s as if... you already know this entire forest."

A heavy silence followed. For a brief second, something flickered in Raymond’s eyes.

"You’re overthinking," he replied, his voice slightly strained.

James let out a soft laugh. "You can fool others with that innocent act," he said quietly, "but not me."

Raymond’s lips slowly curled into a strange, unnatural smile.

"Since you already know..." he murmured, his voice distorting, "there’s no point in hiding anymore."

The next second, his body began to twist. Bones cracked audibly.

His form distorted grotesquely, his limbs shrinking and contorting as dark smoke seeped from his skin.

Gwen gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she instinctively stepped in front of James, spreading her arms protectively.

"What... what is that?!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.

The creature that stood before them was no longer human.

It had no proper limbs...its arms and legs appeared severed, replaced by grotesque, curved stumps. Its entire body was pitch black, shifting like smoke, making it impossible to determine its true shape.

James’ expression hardened as recognition dawned.

"It’s a special type of ghost," he said quickly. "Something that escaped from a ghost portal. These creatures used to be animals...mutated ones. Even after death, they don’t take human form. They remain... beasts."

Gwen’s hands trembled slightly. "What do we do?"

In an instant, James grabbed her waist and pulled her close. "Run!"

They turned and sprinted through the forest. But no matter how far they ran... the environment did not change.

The same trees. The same ground.

After what felt like endless running, they were forced to stop, their breaths ragged.

James quickly rummaged through his equipment, his fingers trembling slightly as he searched. Soon, he pulled out a pair of gauntlets and slipped them on, the cold metal biting against his skin.

Gwen stepped forward, her expression resolute.

"I’ll distract it," she said firmly. "You find a way out."

Before he could stop her, she began running toward the shadow of the beast.

James’ heart skipped a beat.

"Are you insane?!" he shouted, rushing after her and grabbing her arm. "I have enough equipment to handle this...even if it’s just for a minute. Don’t throw your life away like that!"

He exhaled sharply, pulling out a talisman.

"This will break any ghost barrier around us," he muttered.

Without hesitation, he threw it forward.

The moment the talisman activated a distorted tearing sound echoed as the illusion surrounding them broke apart.

They had been trapped in a loop. And now... it was gone.

Behind them, the ghost let out an enraged screech, its form trembling violently as if unable to comprehend what had just happened.

But there was no time to dwell.

"Go!" James shouted. They ran.

Once they broke free from the loop, they tried desperately to find an exit from the ghost zone.

However, no matter how far they went, the environment only grew stranger, more twisted, as if the entire place had become a living maze.

Time passed. Their hope slowly faded.

Even after making multiple calls for rescue, no signal went through.

And just as despair began to creep into their hearts...

The ground beneath them suddenly gave way.

"Watch out!"

Before they could react, both of them fell into darkness.

Their bodies crashed against the rough ground below. Groaning, they slowly stood up... only to freeze.

All around them were bones.

Broken skeletons scattered across the cave floor, some half-buried, others shattered as if something had devoured them.

Gwen’s eyes widened in horror. "This... this is a trap..."

James’ heart sank. ’We fell straight into its lair...’

And as if to confirm their fears... footsteps echoed from the darkness.

A thick, black mist began to seep into the cave, accompanied by that same hoarse, terrifying voice.

"No matter how far you run..." it rasped, its tone dripping with malice, "you cannot escape me..."

The sound reverberated through the cave, leaving no doubt... they were no longer hunting the ghost... the ghost... was hunting them.

The next second, James reacted.

Without wasting a moment, he pulled out a strange object, something that resembled a small disco ball, its surface glinting faintly even in the dim light.

His hands moved quickly as he placed it on the ground and twisted it open.

In an instant, a translucent barrier expanded outward, sealing the cave entrance like an invisible wall.

The beast ghost lunged forward, its distorted form slamming against the barrier, but it could not pass through.

"You think this will stop me?" it rasped, its voice dripping with malice. "I will drag your souls out myself... and when I do, I will make sure neither of you ever reincarnates!"

James shivered violently. He grabbed Gwen’s arm tightly.

"Don’t look into its eyes," he warned urgently. "There’s something wrong with them... they’re too deep... too terrifying." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Outside, the beast continued to attack the barrier relentlessly

And then, a sharp crack echoed. A thin fracture appeared.

James’ eyes widened in shock.

Without hesitation, he began pulling out more defensive equipment, his movements growing frantic.

’We can’t just keep defending... this thing won’t stop...’