Chapter 39: The Whispering Forest
The trail led them into a dense forest, its canopy so thick that only faint beams of light pierced through. The air was heavy with an unnatural silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves.
"This place feels... alive," Min Jae said, her voice low.
"It's not alive," Aeri said, her violet eyes scanning the surroundings. "It's watching us."
As they ventured deeper, strange whispers began to fill the air. The voices were faint but persistent, speaking in a strange language none of them recognized.
"Stay close," Jin Soo said, gripping the tether tightly. Its faint glow was their only source of comfort in the oppressive darkness.
The whispers grew louder, and the forest seemed to shift around them. Trees moved subtly, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands.
"This is no ordinary forest," Hye Rin said, her voice strained. "It's infused with shadow magic."
Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind a tree. It was Jin Soo's mother—or at least, it looked like her.
"Jin Soo," the figure said, with her soft and familiar voice. "Why did you leave me?"
Jin Soo froze, his catches breath in his throat and said "You... You're not real,". his voice trembling.
The figure smiled sadly. "Aren't I? Don't you miss me?"
Before Jin Soo could respond, Eun Ha stepped forward, her blade cutting through the illusion. The figure dissolved into shadows, and the whispers grew angrier.
"Becareful, They're trying to manipulate us," Eun Ha said, her voice sharp. "Don't let them get inside your head."
The forest fought back, conjuring more illusions and obstacles, but the group pressed on, their resolve unshaken.
Finally, they emerged into a clearing where the shard of the Light Core floated, its light weak but steady. Jin Soo reached for it, and the forest let out a deafening roar.
As he grasped the shard, the shadows retreated, and the forest fell silent once more.
"We're stronger than their tricks," Jin Soo said, his voice firm.
But deep down, he couldn't shake the memory of his mother's voice.
To Be Continue....