"Don't want to die! WAAAAAAH!" In-su screeched as his feet tangled beneath him, his panic turning him into a flailing whirlwind of chaos. His body pitched forward, and he hit the ground with an unceremonious oof, the impact knocking the breath out of him. He skidded several feet across the rough terrain, creating a dramatic spray of dirt, pebbles, and his dignity.
Of course, this is how I go out, he thought bitterly as he lay sprawled out on the ground. Not in some heroic blaze of glory, not as the man who saved the day. Nope. Just the guy who trips over thin air and face-plants in front of an actual monster. What's next, a banana peel?
Groaning, he pushed himself up onto his elbows, spitting out a gritty mouthful of dirt. His head snapped up as he caught sight of the Wraith looming ever closer. Its skeletal form shimmered with an eerie translucence, the mist around it writhing like living shadows. The hollow glow of its eyes seemed to pierce through him, locking onto him with predatory precision.
Scrambling onto his hands and knees, In-su turned and began crawling backward in a blind panic, his hands slipping on loose rocks. "Nope, nope, nope! This is NOT my problem!" he yelled, his voice shaking as he scuttled away like a crab. He could feel the chill of the monster's presence growing stronger, seeping into his bones.
His heart pounded like a drumbeat in his ears. What did I do to deserve this? I'm just a guy who clicked a weird job ad! I didn't sign up to fight nightmare creatures! If anything, I should be doing something safe...like paperwork. Paperwork never tries to eat you.
With a loud thud, his back collided with a jagged boulder, stopping him cold. He gasped, twisting to glance over his shoulder, only to realize he'd cornered himself against the rock. "Oh, come on! A rock? Really?!" he groaned aloud, frantically turning back to face the Wraith.
The creature let out a low, guttural hiss, its long, claw-like fingers stretching unnaturally as it reached toward him.
"Huh...me?!" In-su's voice cracked as he gestured wildly to himself, as if trying to appeal to the monster's sense of reason. "What did I even do?! You don't even know me! Shouldn't we, I don't know, have a conversation first?! Maybe I'm a nice guy! Boo-hoo..."
He squeezed his eyes shut, pressing himself back against the boulder as if trying to meld into the stone itself. This is it. This is how they're going to find me—squished against a rock like a pathetic pancake. My last words were basically gibberish, and my obituary's going to say something like 'He tripped and died.' Fabulous.
The Wraith's claws drew closer, and the mist around it thickened, curling ominously toward him like creeping vines. In-su's body refused to move, his mind too paralyzed by terror to even scream.
Suddenly, a deep rumble shook the ground, causing the Wraith to pause. In-su cracked open one eye cautiously, squinting through the haze of fear and mist.
"Hold on, tiny dude!" a loud, confident voice called out.
Two figures burst into the scene, their movements swift and synchronized. One twin with short, cropped hair crouched low, their palms slamming against the ground. The other, slightly taller with a playful smirk, mirrored the motion.
The earth beneath them rippled as if alive, shifting and twisting unnaturally. Then, with an ear-splitting roar, a massive earthworm erupted from the ground. Its slimy, segmented body glistened in the dim light as it writhed and coiled around the Wraith, trapping it in its iron grip.
In-su's jaw dropped so far, he was sure it might hit the ground. "Is...is that a giant worm?" he whispered hoarsely, blinking rapidly as his brain struggled to process the sight before him. "Am I hallucinating? Did I hit my head? Or am I in some messed-up sci-fi movie?"
"Stay down, snack-sized!" one of the twins shouted over their shoulder at In-su, their voice laced with amusement.
The other twin grinned, clapping their hands together with glee. "Time to finish this!" they announced as they molded the soil into a massive scythe. The weapon shimmered faintly as they swung it with a flourish, the blade slicing cleanly through the Wraith's neck.
The creature's head tumbled to the ground with a sickening thud. For a brief, blissful moment, silence reigned.
"YES!" one twin cheered, high-fiving their sibling. "We are so good at this."
"Next time, take the legs first!" the other twin teased, laughing loudly.
In-su exhaled shakily, his body finally relaxing slightly. "Oh, thank goodness," he muttered, sagging against the rock. "I'm alive. I'm actually alive! That was so—"
The Wraith's severed head twitched. Then its mist-like form began to reassemble, its body pulling itself together with an audible crackling sound.
"Oh, COME ON!" one of the twins yelled, their grin vanishing.
The Wraith moved faster than expected, lunging at the twin who had swung the scythe. Its claws wrapped around her throat in an instant, lifting her off the ground as she gasped for air.
In-su froze, his mouth opening and closing uselessly. Do something! Anything! But what am I supposed to do? Throw rocks? I'm not exactly equipped for monster-slaying!
The twin caught in the Wraith's grip struggled, clawing at the monster's hand as her feet dangled inches above the ground. Her face turned pale, her lips moving in a desperate attempt to form words. "P-please...help..." she choked out, her voice barely audible over the sickening crackle of the Wraith's mist-filled body reforming itself.
The Wraith's hollow eyes gleamed with malicious intent, and it tilted its head as if savoring the moment. Its claws tightened around the twin's throat, the pressure making sickening creaks and pops as their airway constricted.
"Let her go, you freak!" the other twin screamed, their hands glowing with raw energy. They plunged their fingers into the soil again, summoning another massive earthworm to burst from the ground. It reared back, coiling like a snake, then lunged for the Wraith's midsection.
The Wraith snarled and swung its free arm, slicing through the worm in one swift motion. The creature let out a high-pitched screech as its segmented body crumpled to the ground, dissolving back into the dirt.
"No!" the twin shouted, stumbling backward, panic etched across their face.
In-su watched the scene unfold with his heart hammering in his chest. He pressed himself harder against the rock behind him, wishing he could disappear. Why am I just sitting here like a useless lump?! Do something, In-su! Wait, no! What can I even do? Throw a rock at it? Yeah, because that'll work. This isn't a video game where spamming attacks magically saves the day!
He reached for a nearby stone anyway, his hand trembling as he lifted it. "H-hey! Over here, you oversized vapor cloud!" he yelled, his voice cracking on the last word. He hurled the rock with all his might—and watched it bounce harmlessly off the Wraith's shoulder.
The creature didn't even flinch.
"Yeah, okay, that was dumb. My bad!" In-su shouted, ducking behind the rock again. Great, now it knows I'm here. Way to go, genius.
The twin in the Wraith's grasp let out another strangled cry, their struggles growing weaker. Their sibling shouted desperately, their glowing hands tearing through the dirt in a futile attempt to summon another creature.
"Hold on!" a sharp voice rang out.
Dae shot into the fray like a thunderbolt, her massive blood-forged sword glinting with a menacing red hue. With a powerful leap, she closed the distance between herself and the Wraith in seconds.
"Let. Her. Go!" she roared, bringing the sword down with all her strength.
The blade cleaved through the Wraith's back, emitting a sound like metal scraping against glass. SSSSHHHRRRRKKKK! Mist erupted from the wound, hissing and swirling violently as the creature staggered.
The twin dropped to the ground, gasping and clutching their throat as they scrambled away.
"Yes! She got it!" In-su cheered, standing halfway before freezing. The Wraith let out a guttural roar, twisting its body unnaturally to face Dae.
"Behind you!" the freed twin shouted hoarsely, but it was too late.
The Wraith's misty appendage lashed out like a whip, striking Dae square in the chest. She was sent hurtling backward, her body colliding with a tree with a bone-jarring CRACK!
"Dae!" the twins shouted in unison as she slumped to the ground, her sword slipping from her grip.
In-su's stomach churned as panic clawed at him. Oh no, oh no, oh no! This is it. We're screwed. I'm screwed! What do I do? He scrambled in the dirt, his hands frantically searching for another rock or stick or anything to throw.
The Wraith turned its hollow gaze on Hye-min, who stood a short distance away, completely unfazed by the chaos.
"Hye-min!" one of the twins cried. "It's coming for you!"
The Wraith lunged forward, moving faster than In-su's eyes could follow.
"No! Move! DO SOMETHING!" In-su screamed, flailing his arms wildly.
Hye-min yawned. He raised one hand lazily, stifling the yawn as though he were bored out of his mind.
The Wraith closed the gap in an instant, claws outstretched—
CRACK.
The sound was deafening, like the snapping of a thick branch under immense pressure.
In-su blinked, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. The Wraith froze mid-lunge, its entire body convulsing violently.
Hye-min twisted his wrist with deliberate precision. "Die," he muttered, his voice calm and cold.
The Wraith's limbs bent backward at unnatural angles with sickening crunches. Its body collapsed inward like a crumpled can before imploding in a massive burst of mist.
The silence that followed was deafening.
In-su stared at Hye-min, his jaw hanging open. "What the actual hell?! You could've done that the whole time?!"
'Dae's voice cut through the air like a whip as she shouted, "Everyone alright?!" Her words echoed in the tense silence that followed the battle. Her sharp eyes scanned the area, taking stock of her team. The twins were battered, leaning on each other for support but alive. Dylo stood nearby, panting heavily, her hand pressed to her side where her shirt was torn and stained with blood. Relief flickered briefly on Dae's face before her expression hardened again.
"The problem," Dae said, her voice carrying an edge of suspicion, "is why that Wraith was targeting the new guy." Her eyes narrowed as the pieces clicked into place.
Hye-min, standing a few paces away, raised his hands in mock surrender. "It wasn't me," he said with a calm, almost innocent tone, though his smirk betrayed him.
Dae's spear swung up, its sharp tip pointing directly at Hye-min. "You. It was you, wasn't it?" she demanded, her tone accusatory.
Hye-min shrugged nonchalantly, still holding his hands up. "I swear, I didn't do anything."
"You…" Dae began, taking a threatening step closer, but she was interrupted by Dylo, who suddenly glanced around.
"Where's the rookie?" Dylo asked, her voice sharp with concern.
Dae's blood ran cold. In-su was nowhere to be seen.
"Damn it," she muttered, already moving. Without hesitation, she broke into a run, heading for the dense forest. The others shouted after her, but she didn't stop.
In-su's legs pumped as fast as they could carry him, his heart thundering in his chest like a drum. His breaths came in shallow, frantic gasps as he dodged trees and leapt over roots.
I need to get out of here. I need to get out of here, he repeated in his mind like a mantra.
He didn't know where he was going, but his desperation pushed him forward. His path was wild and erratic, and just as he thought he was leaving the chaos behind, he skidded to a stop in front of a strange swirling portal.
"What the…?" In-su muttered, his eyes widening as a Wraith emerged from the portal.
This one was even worse than the last—a grotesque spider-like creature with no eyes, its body glistening as though covered in oil. Its jagged, needle-like teeth were too long to fit in its mouth, and it clicked them together in a way that sent shivers down In-su's spine.
"Nope. Nope, nope, nope!" In-su whispered, ducking into the nearest bush and pressing his hands over his mouth. He crouched there, trembling, trying to keep his breathing quiet.
He peeked out from the bush, hoping the monster hadn't noticed him. For a moment, he didn't hear the screeching sound, and a flicker of hope bloomed in his chest.
Maybe it's gone. Maybe it's—