[Afternoon – The Campsite]
After lunch, the atmosphere was relaxed. Students had split into small groups. But silence never lasts when parasites are around. I saw Kang (the bully) and his entourage roaming between the tents. They weren't satisfied with bothering me earlier; now they were stealing candy bags from first-years and kicking over fire pits that students had worked hard to light.
"What scum..." Jin whispered angrily, watching Kang push a student with thick glasses. "Why doesn't anyone stop them?"
I put my hand on Jin's shoulder. "The supervisors are close. If we intervene now, the trip will be ruined for everyone. Let them be... they'll fall into their own trap soon." I felt a slight pulse in my veins. A suppressed desire to go over there and break Kang's arm, just as I had imagined before. But I suppressed it. I'm here to enjoy myself, not to be a hero.
[Sunset – The Edge of the Mountain]
We left the campsite and climbed a bit toward an overlooking hill. The view was breathtaking. The sun was drowning in the horizon, dyeing the sky in shades of orange and violet, and the forests stretched beneath us like an endless green carpet.
We sat on the rocky edge. Me, Lina, Jin, and Sarah. The air was cold and refreshing. "Imagine if we had a house here," Lina said, closing her eyes and inhaling the air. "Far away from exams and homework."
Sarah laughed. "You're too romantic. I prefer the city... the Wi-Fi is faster there." We burst out laughing. Jin, trying to look "deep" in front of Sarah, stood up, placed his hand on his chest, and said with fake poetic flair: "Nature is the mirror of the soul... isn't that right, Sarah?" Sarah looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Jin, there's a mosquito on your nose." Jin slapped his face hard to kill the mosquito, and we laughed again.
They were golden moments. Moments that make you forget the world is cruel.
[Night – Forest Exploration]
Pitch darkness fell. "Come on!" Jin whispered excitedly, turning on his massive flashlight. "Let's explore the forest. They say there's an old abandoned shrine."
"Isn't that a bad idea?" Lina asked fearfully, clinging to my arm. "Don't be a coward!" Jin said, leading the group. "I'll protect you from ghosts!"
We entered the dense trees. The shadows of branches looked like long hands trying to grab us. Jin walked in front, pretending to be brave, but he turned for every little sound. Rustle... The sound of movement in the bushes.
"W-W-Who's there?" Jin screamed, pointing the flashlight at the sound. A small rabbit jumped out from the grass and ran away. "WAAAAHH!" Jin let out a scream unbecoming of a man and jumped back... straight into Sarah's arms.
Sarah caught him in surprise. An awkward silence prevailed, with Sarah holding Jin in her arms like a princess. "Ahem..." Sarah said with a sarcastic smile. "Did you protect us from the savage rabbit, my hero?"
Jin got down quickly, his face burning in the dark. "I-I was just testing your reflexes! Strategy!" Lina laughed until she almost fell, and I couldn't hold back either.
[End of the Path – The Abyss]
After minutes of walking and laughing, the path suddenly ended. We all stopped. In front of us... there was nothing. A deep abyss, a sharp rocky cliff dropping hundreds of meters. And at the bottom... was the sea. A dark, vast sea stretching to swallow the horizon. The sound of waves hitting the rocks below reached us like the growl of a sleeping beast.
"Wow..." Sarah whispered. "It's scary... and beautiful."
We stood on the edge cautiously. The wind here was strong, carrying the scent of salt and humidity. Everyone decided to return. "It's getting too cold, let's go back to camp," Jin said, shivering.
They turned to leave. But I... remained standing. I was staring at the black sea. Into that infinite darkness. Something in the movement of the waves was pulling me. "Ray? Are you coming?" Lina called out.
I didn't answer. Suddenly... the sound of the waves changed. It was no longer water hitting rock. It became the sound of breaking bones.
I blinked. The world changed. The black sea... turned a deep crimson red. A sea of sticky, boiling blood. The rocks below weren't rocks... they were hills of piled human corpses, their faces screaming in silence. The sky above me... tore open and turned the color of ash and fire.
And in the middle of this hell... standing on the surface of the bloody sea. There was a person standing. Very far away, but I saw him clearly. A figure entirely black, like a shadow, raising his hands to the sky as if embracing the destruction. And he was... smiling. A white, split grin on his dark face.
Terror paralyzed my limbs. The smell of blood filled my nose. Is this... the future? Is this what awaits us?
"Ray!"
A hand grabbed my shoulder and shook me hard. The blood vanished. The corpses vanished. The sea returned to black. The sky returned to clear. I turned around in panic. It was Jin holding me, looking at me with intense worry. "What's wrong with you, man? I called you three times! Why were you staring at the sea like you saw a ghost? You were about to fall!"
I looked at Jin. His living, worried face. I looked at Lina and Sarah waiting. I touched my face... it was cold as ice. "I..." I swallowed hard, trying to chase the image of the smiling black figure from my mind. "I'm fine... just... vertigo."
"Vertigo?" Jin laughed nervously, pulling me away from the edge. "You're weird today. Come on, dinner is waiting."
We walked back through the forest. Everyone was laughing and talking about the rabbit. And I walked silently in the back. I no longer heard their laughter. I only heard... the sound of waves that sounded like breaking bones. And a faint hissing voice in my head saying: (It is approaching).