Walking through the amusement park, Viora couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Even if they managed to take down the spirit, it seemed inevitable that this place would close down soon. The park's reputation had been all but ruined. Hundreds of people were still strolling down the park's streets, but it was clear the place had the capacity for far more.
With her hands shoved in her pockets, she muttered to herself, "Well, where should I go now?"
It was still early in the morning, around 9:30 AM, and the entire class was scheduled to join the teacher for lunch at one of the park's tables at 11:00. That meant Viora still had some time to kill.
As she walked, she passed by numerous students and park visitors, all riding different attractions with cheerful expressions, completely absorbed in their fun. Ignoring them, Viora continued walking aimlessly, taking several turns without any particular destination in mind. Eventually, something caught her eye—a corn maze.
A staff worker, noticing her, called out in a confident voice,
"Oh, this corn maze caught your eye, huh? Going in alone, too? You're a courageous one! Well, if you manage to escape the maze in under 20 minutes, you'll get one of those special plushies!"
The plushie was a massive pink teddy bear, at least the size of a full-grown man. Its oversized form was hard to miss. Viora glanced at it for a moment before speaking in an annoyed tone,
"What do you think I am, a child? So silly... very silly of you." She muttered, still staring at the bear intensely as she stepped into the maze's entrance.
As she ventured deeper into the maze, she found herself surrounded by towering corn stalks, so tall that she could barely see which direction she was heading. Well, it's probably because I'm short, she thought to herself with a hint of annoyance.
As she continued walking, Viora noticed several roots sticking out of the ground. "Well, they could've at least cut those back. What if someone hurts themselves?" she muttered. She had chosen the maze, thinking it was the perfect place to cause trouble in an amusement park. However, she had completely forgotten that malevolent spirits didn't care whether they were seen or not—they could feast on souls in broad daylight without anyone noticing... except for certain individuals, of course.
As she walked, Viora briefly spotted a group of three classmates—three boys who, if ranked by their reputation for causing trouble, would definitely be in the top three. Viora was certain that she would soon follow them in that ranking.
As the group vanished from her sight, she suddenly heard the worst scream she had ever heard in her life. "Did I find it?" she murmured to herself, her curiosity piqued. She quickly rushed in the direction of the scream. When she arrived, she found that the group of three boys had turned into two. They both wore frightened expressions, covering their mouths in fear as they stood near a small hole in the mud, with roots sticking out of it.
Viora hurriedly asked, "What happened to the other one?"
Then something strange happened. The two boys' expressions gradually shifted from fear to confusion. A subtle hint of bewilderment crossed their faces, and soon, they were completely calm, as if they had suddenly become aware of her presence. One of the boys spoke, his voice now unnervingly calm:
"What do you mean by the other one? It was only me and Steven... we're a group of two."
Viora, still confused, turned to look at them, her voice sharp. "What do you mean 'what other one'? You guys were a group of three just a moment ago!"
The other boy exchanged a glance with his friend, then shrugged. "Don't worry, dude. Why should we explain ourselves to her? She clearly has something wrong with her. I mean, claiming she fights forces of evil and can see spirits? Yeah, right. But hey, maybe we did come with another one, and we just can't see him because he's a spirit."
The two of them burst out laughing, while Viora's face turned bright red from a mix of anger and embarrassment.
the other boy smirked and said in a sarcastic tone, "Ah! Run, the freak's getting mad!"
Both friends ran off, laughing, but Viora stuck out her hand and shouted, "Wait!"
By the time they reached the end of the maze's "hallway," Viora had chased after them. When she turned the corner, only one of the two boys remained. His face was twisted in terror, which slowly morphed into confusion, then calm. He finally noticed her and said, "What do you want? If you want us to walk together, that's a no, by the way."
Viora stared at him, her mind racing as she thought to herself:
"What the hell is going on? In a flash, the two of them disappeared... and both times, they didn't even acknowledge that he had disappeared. No, they didn't even acknowledge that they entered the maze together in the first place... I had to... wait... what am I even doing here? And why am I with him?"
As she gazed at the dug-up hole in the mud, with dark, decomposing roots sticking out of it.
"No way in hell would I ever want to walk through a corn maze of all places with you!" she said with a smirk. "You're silly for even believing in that!"
Before the boy could respond, multiple dark roots shot up from the ground, grabbing him and dragging him underground.
Before Viora could fully process what had just happened, dark roots shot out from the ground, wrapping around her limbs with inhuman strength. The force was enough to shatter her bones with ease as they dragged her underground.
"Arg!" The only sound that escaped her mouth as dirt filled her nose and mouth. She was dragged into an unknown place, her body tumbling violently until she crashed into an unfamiliar ground, disoriented and unsure of where she was.
Viora struggled to rise, her body protesting in pain. She was sure her bones were broken, though she couldn't pinpoint where. Despite the agony, she managed to push through and stagger to her feet, brushing off the pain.
"Where the hell am I?" she muttered, her eyes scanning the eerie surroundings. Dozens of dark, egg-shaped roots lined the area, writhing like something alive.
Before she could gather her thoughts, a root shot down from above, wrapping around her neck with such force that she thought it might snap.
A voice—low, calm, and dripping with malice—echoed in her ears.
"So, you're the little bug trying to hunt me down… It seems the shaman isn't with you. I was hoping to deal with you both at once, but from what I can see in your memories, you've left quite the impression on me."
Viora couldn't see where the voice was coming from, but it was unmistakably the voice of a woman—cold and deadly.
"You want to know what impression you left on me?"
The voice was laced with a cold, twisted amusement.
"That…"
The pause was deliberate, the words hanging in the air like a threat.
"You are…"
The voice lowered, now dripping with contempt.
"A very foolish girl."
From the depths of the abyss, malice and perversion radiated in her words, each syllable carrying the weight of something ancient and unforgiving.
chapter thirteen end