The Last Esper [BL]-Chapter 40: Forest

"I should have come in the morning to check on him," Caelan muttered guiltily.

The vehicle was slashed open, as if by giant claws. The glass, reduced to glittering shards, crunched under the soles of their feet with every step.

The food crates they had carried with such effort the day before lay shattered, their remains scattered across the road. A few dented cans and a few bottles of medicine were the only things salvageable from the undergrowth.

Rhys shook his head.

"The wolves did this."

"Plan B?" Jae asked heavily.

"Plan B," Caelan and Rhys answered in unison.

"And plan B is...?" Rong Ye asked with some fear, it didn’t sound exactly encouraging.

"Walking," Caelan, Rhys, and Jae replied.

Rong Ye could only shake his head.

There were no other options.

Everyone knew it.

They silently grabbed their backpacks. One by one, they headed into the trees, leaving the devastated vehicle behind.

Rong Ye walked with heavy steps, dragged by obligation rather than will. His shoulders were slumped and his brow furrowed, his backpack felt as heavy as if it were filled with stones.

Beside him, Jae trudged forward with a tired expression, a blanket still tied around his waist as if refusing to accept that the day had begun. He was breathing heavily, occasionally muttering curses that drifted through the leaves.

A few steps ahead, Caelan and Rhys were having a quiet discussion about which path to take.

A few steps behind, oblivious to the tension and fatigue, Eun-woo walked with his eyes wide open. His face lit up with wonder at every sight. A spiderweb glistening with dew between two branches, mushrooms sprouting at the base of a tree, or the fresh tracks of some animal.

He paused for a moment beside a bush covered in small purple flowers.

"What a beautiful place," he whispered.

Rong Ye rolled his eyes.

"Beautiful?" He snorted. "It’s damp, full of insects, mutant animals, and probably things with fangs watching us. But, of course, what a wonderful place."

Eun-woo smiled to himself, watching as an insect slowly slithered along the edge of a leaf.

They continued walking. The light barely penetrated the dense treetops. With each step, they heard the distant songs of birds, the rustling of leaves, and the sound of insects.

The path became steeper as they continued. The trail was covered in roots and mud. Branches scratched at their exposed skin, and wet stones made them slip from time to time.

Rong Ye began to fall behind.

At first, he only slowed his pace. But soon, every stride became an effort for him. A drop of sweat trickled down his temple, mixing with the mud spattering on his pants.

He stumbled once. Then again. Once, he slipped hard, falling to his knees in the mud. He cursed under his breath and scrambled to his feet, clumsily wiping the mud from his hands. He gritted his teeth and kept walking, but his breathing was already labored.

It was then that Eun-woo stopped and took a few steps back.

"Do you want me to help you with your backpack?" he asked softly.

Rong Ye glanced at him.

"No."

"I can take it for a while."

"I said no," Rong Ye repeated more forcefully, without stopping.

Eun-woo watched him for a few more seconds, then looked straight ahead. Without saying anything, he quickened his pace until he caught up with Rhys.

"Can we rest a little?" he asked pleadingly.

Rhys glanced at him.

"We can’t," he replied quietly. "We need to set up camp before dark, and this place isn’t safe."

Eun-woo looked down, but turned back, seeing Rong Ye in the distance, hunched over and stumbling as he struggled to stay on his feet. Then, with a subtle misstep, he let out a groan and stopped, bracing himself with a hand on the trunk of a nearby tree.

"Ugh...! My ankle... It hurts..."

Immediately, the three in front stopped. Caelan raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. Jae looked at him with an incredulous sigh, and Rhys pursed his lips, barely hiding a smile.

"Really?" Caelan murmured.

"Leave it," Jae said in an almost resigned tone. "He’s doing it for Rong Ye."

Rhys turned on his heels and walked over to Eun-woo.

"Okay. Let’s take a break," he announced loudly. "Let’s find a clearing nearby and check your ankle."

Caelan and Jae nodded without argument. Within minutes, they found a space under some tall trees, surrounded by ferns. The ground was damp, but flat and wide enough for everyone to sit.

Rong Ye didn’t say anything when he finally caught up with them and Rhys filled him in. His gaze scanned the group quickly, as if hesitating for a moment. Then he simply sank to the ground with a long sigh, legs stretched out, back arched, and closed his eyes.

He didn’t ask about Eun-woo’s ankle. Nor did he acknowledge the pause. But the relief on his face was more than evident.

Eun-woo sat nearby, watching him with a mixture of tenderness and concern, while the rest began checking their backpacks, filling their canteens, and stretching their sore muscles.

Rhys approached Eun-woo.

"Let me see your ankle," he said, squatting beside him.

Eun-woo shifted slightly, stretching his leg and lifting the hem of his pants a little. freёnovelkiss.com

Rhys gently placed a hand on his ankle. Eun-woo pretended to tense up.

"Ah... it hurts," he said, trying to sound convincing.

Rhys glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes? Then there’s only one solution," he murmured.

"Which one?" Eun-woo asked.

"We’ll have to cut it off."

Eun-woo instantly paled and opened his eyes with a start.

Rhys burst out laughing at his expression, tilting his head back. But the movement sent a sharp sting through his injured arm.

"Ugh...! Damn..." he muttered, putting a hand to the bandage.

Rong Ye, who had been watching them from his place on the ground, approached with a frown.

"You should be more careful," he said seriously. "You need to rest, too."

Rhys looked at him with a crooked smile, although more tired than mocking.

"I’m used to getting hurt."

Rong Ye opened his mouth to retort, and Eun-woo also seemed about to say something. But at that instant, a gust of wind violently tore through the clearing. Leaves spiraled up, swirling through the air, and a cloud of dust rose, blinding them for a moment.

Eun-woo tensed. His breathing became ragged. That feeling... he’d felt it before. Right before the Rift opened.

"Grab your things!" he shouted, abruptly standing up. "And run!"

Caelan raised his head, alert. Jae spun around, frowning.

"What? Why?" Rong Ye asked, getting up with difficulty.

"Something’s coming! Something bad!" Eun-woo exclaimed.

Rhys sat up.

"Is it a Rift?"

"I don’t know... but we can’t stay here."

"It’s impossible. Another Rift can’t open so soon," Caelan muttered as he picked up his backpack.

A thunderclap erupted in the distance. Within seconds, the rain began to fall, intense and sudden. The wind struck them again, pushing them back.

"Come on!" Rhys shouted. "Move it!"

They moved forward as best they could, covering their eyes, fighting the rain and mud. The branches shook violently above their heads.

"Wouldn’t it be better to stop and set up the camp tent?" Jae shouted, raising his voice over the din.

"I agree," Caelan added. "We can’t keep going like this. We’d better go back!"

"No!" Eun-woo turned to them. "Please keep moving! Something’s coming, and we can’t stay here!"

But before he could say more, Rong Ye stumbled. The mud dragged him toward a slope hidden in the vegetation. He screamed, and in a desperate attempt to stop him, Caelan lunged at him, managing to grab him by the wrist.

The weight of both of them dragged them down the hill.

"Rong Ye! Caelan!" Eun-woo shouted, running to the edge.

Jae and Rhys followed him. They peeked out, and without a second thought, they began to carefully climb down, using roots, wet rocks, and branches for support. The ground was loose and slippery, and the rain made everything difficult.

Finally, several meters below, they found them.

Caelan lay on his side, unconscious, his body bruised and covered in scrapes, as if he’d absorbed the impact with his own body. He was slumped against a large, moss-covered rock, shielding Rong Ye with his body, who was lying face up.

Rhys darted toward them and knelt, gently touching each of their necks.

"They’re still breathing," he announced.

Jae pressed his lips together.

"And now what?"

Before anyone could respond, a lightning bolt struck the path they had been walking down.

"Get down!" Eun-woo spun around, his eyes wide. "Quick!"

Rhys and Jae obeyed without question. They dragged Caelan and Rong Ye behind the enormous rock. The rain was pouring down heavily, but it didn’t matter.

Then a creature appeared.

It floated above the treetops, enveloped in a black mist that seemed to absorb the light. Its elongated, translucent body resembled a giant jellyfish suspended in the air, with no visible legs or wings, just an undulating mass that glided between the branches without touching them. Where its eyes should have been, two crimson orbs glowed. Its movements were slow.

The creature passed right over them, without noticing their presence. Its very proximity made their skin crawl. Then it slowly descended, gliding over the path they had left minutes before, as if following their trail. It stopped.

It touched the ground. Slowly.

And it began to search.

Rhys felt a chill run down his spine, unable to tear his eyes away from the creature. Jae’s eyes were wide, frozen with fear. Eun-woo was barely breathing, his heart was pounding so loud, he feared the creature might hear it.

They were trapped.

Frozen.

Unable to fight or run.

And they couldn’t leave Rong Ye and Caelan behind.

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