The clock read three in the morning.
The atmosphere inside the second bus was much calmer. Almost all the students were asleep in their seats. Only the sound of the engine and the vibration of the wheels could be heard occasionally amid the silence.
In the front seat, William was leaning against the window with his eyes closed. His head was tilted slightly, and his breathing was steady.
The bus continued along the dark mountain road. The headlights swept across the asphalt and the trees on both sides of the road, which were occasionally shrouded in a thin mist.
Then…
The bus shook gently.
William shifted slightly in his sleep; the bus's speed gradually slowed, and a few students mumbled in their sleep as their bodies were jolted forward.
Then the sound of brakes could be heard.
Squeeeek...
The bus came to a stop.
William opened his eyes slightly, but hadn't had time to sit up when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the aisle.
"Excuse me, sir… Mr. William."
William blinked.
A bus driver was standing next to his seat. The man's face looked tense, even a little pale.
"What's going on?"
William rubbed his face, trying to shake off the last traces of sleepiness.
"I think… you should see this for yourself."
William frowned.
"Why?"
"I don't know either, sir."
The driver's voice trembled.
"But something strange has happened."
William stared at him for a few seconds before finally getting up.
"All right, let's go take a look."
He followed the driver to the front of the bus.
William was still wearing a dark blue casual jacket that was slightly rumpled from sleeping. His black hair was also disheveled, but his sturdy build and broad shoulders made him look like someone accustomed to taking charge when things started to fall apart.
The driver walked ahead, followed by William. As soon as he reached the bus door, the cold air stung his face. His gaze fell upon a sight that left him stunned: a vast expanse of grass stretching as far as the eye could see, shrouded in a thin yet dense white fog in some spots.
In the distance, the silhouette of the first bus was faintly visible, stopped not far from where they stood. A few people appeared to be getting off, standing stiffly as they looked in all directions.
William blinked, trying to convince himself that this wasn't just a trick of sleepiness. The paved road they'd traveled on just a few hours ago was nowhere to be seen. There were no road signs, no streetlights—just a sea of grass and fog that felt unnatural.
"This… isn't a highway," he thought to himself, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"How did we end up here?" he murmured softly.
The driver swallowed hard. "I don't understand either, sir. The road was just going straight ahead. Suddenly, thick fog blocked the road. I kept the wheel straight. But when the fog cleared, we were already here..."
"And the road?" William's voice sounded firmer.
"Nothing, sir." The driver shook his head slowly. "I already checked earlier. No asphalt, no road markings. Just dirt and grass."
William was silent for a moment. He took a deep breath before getting off the bus.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, the still-damp grass brushed against his shoes. A cold breeze blew gently across the dark meadow. Strangely, the place was completely silent. No chirping of crickets. No calls from night birds. Only the wind, blowing occasionally across the expanse of grass.
Before he could say anything, the other bus driver came over. The man's face looked much paler. Still breathing heavily, he recounted exactly the same story: the thick fog that had appeared out of nowhere, the straight road that seemed to go on forever, and this mysterious meadow. What was even more alarming was that both the GPS on the car's dashboard and their cell phones were completely dead. No signal. No clue as to where they were.
William immediately pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. The screen lit up as usual, but the network icon in the top corner displayed only a gray "X".
A few seconds later, a notification popped up.
"No network service."
William waited a moment, but still nothing changed. He tried holding his phone a little higher, as if doing so would bring the signal back.
Still nothing.
Without realizing it, he bit his lower lip.
For the first time since this trip began, a sense of foreboding began to creep little by little into his mind.
"Maybe it's just a dead zone…" he said softly, more to calm himself than to answer anyone else.
William returned to the bus. In a soft but firm voice, he woke up a young female counselor who was also serving as a chaperone on the second bus.
Her face was still half-asleep, but it quickly turned serious upon hearing William's brief explanation. The two then stepped outside to meet several senior counselors from the first bus who had been standing anxiously near the vehicle all along.
Before long, they gathered in a small circle on the cold grass, their voices low but filled with anxiety. Words were exchanged, one theory after another was put forward, but none of them made any sense.
Fog, a missing road, a blank map—all of which defied logic.
Meanwhile, several students who'd been woken by the commotion pulled back the window curtains. Upon realizing the unfamiliar scene outside, a small uproar began to break out.
But in the back seat, Raven was still fast asleep.
She was completely unaware of the commotion beginning to be heard outside the bus. The voices of the counselors, the students waking up, and even Kyle's conversation nearby slowly faded from her consciousness.
Because this time, Raven wasn't inside the bus.
The sky stretched out vast and cloudless. The sunlight felt warm on her skin, while a gentle breeze carried the faint scent of flowers.
All around her lay a vast field of flowers, interspersed with green grass swaying gently in the wind.
Beside her, a woman walked slowly.
Raven didn't know who she was.
Her face looked hazy, as if something were blocking his view, preventing him from seeing her clearly. Yet strangely, Raven didn't feel like a stranger when he looked at her.
It was as if they had known each other for a long time.
The woman said something he couldn't hear clearly.
Raven replied.
Then they laughed.
He didn't know what they were talking about, but for the first time, Raven felt a sense of calm that was hard to describe.
It was just the two of them.
The woman then took his hand.
Her fingers felt warm.
She pulled Raven along as they ran toward a large tree standing in the middle of a field of flowers. Her hair fluttered in the breeze, while her laughter sounded faint in Raven's ears.
They finally stopped under the tree. The two of them sat side by side, talking about something Raven couldn't remember.
Every now and then the woman laughed, and Raven just listened.
Time seemed to pass so slowly.
Before she knew it, Raven rested her head on the woman's lap. She didn't know when her eyes had closed. She only remembered the warmth that felt so real.
The woman's hand gently stroked his hair, and for the first time, he didn't feel the need to think about anything.
A simple smile spread across his face. A warmth filled his chest so suddenly that he didn't even realize he was smiling too.
But that happiness didn't last long.
The wind, which had been blowing gently, slowly turned cold.
Raven opened her eyes.
She lifted her face from the woman's lap.
The sky, which had been clear, began to fill with dark clouds. In a matter of seconds, the sunlight vanished and the entire place grew gloomy.
"What's…?"
Raven jumped to his feet.
Before he could finish his sentence, a strange scent hit his nose.
The sharp smell of iron and blood began to fill the air.
He looked around.
The meadow and the flowers that had once been so beautiful were gone.
The ground beneath his feet had turned red. Human bodies lay scattered everywhere, some covered in dirt, others still clad in battle gear.
There was no more laughter.
All that remained was the wind blowing past the lifeless bodies.
Raven stood frozen in place.
His heart was beating faster and faster.
"This…"
Something made him look down.
The woman…
She was now in Raven's arms.
Her body felt so light. The face that had once been filled with a smile was now deathly pale. A gaping wound was visible on her stomach, and blood continued to flow from it, soaking Raven's clothes and hands.
"No..."
Raven immediately dropped to his knees in a panic.
He held the woman tighter. One of his hands pressed against the wound, trying to stop the blood that kept flowing through the gaps between his fingers.
"No..."
"No."
"No..."
"Don't."
His hands were trembling.
"Please… don't close your eyes…"
The woman slowly opened her eyes.
Raven stared at her face. But he still couldn't see her clearly. Yet the feeling welling up in his chest was so intense it almost took his breath away.
"I can heal you."
Raven spoke haltingly.
"So… hang in there."
The woman didn't answer.
Her lips merely moved slowly.
Raven brought his face closer.
Her voice was too faint to hear.
He moved even closer.
"What do you want to say?"
His breath trembled.
"Don't speak anymore. Wait until I heal you."
The woman smiled.
The same smile as before.
Gentle and warm.
But this time, that smile felt like a knife stabbing deep into his chest. Raven felt something hot streaming down his cheek. He didn't even know when he had started crying.
The woman moved her lips again.
This time, her voice was audible.
Very soft, almost like a whisper.
"Ji… Jin…"
Raven's body tensed.
That name felt so familiar.
But before she could understand what it meant, the woman's voice was heard again.
"Please…"
Her breath grew weaker.
"…stay alive."
The woman's eyes slowly closed.
"Don't!"
Raven shook her body.
"Don't close your eyes!"
There was no response.
"Please… stay alive!"
His arms tightened around her body.
"Stay alive!"
"I beg you…"
But the woman didn't move anymore.
Her body slowly grew cold in Raven's embrace.
And at that very moment, the entire world around him began to crumble like shattering glass.
Raven woke up gasping for breath.
His body shot up from the seat. His chest rose and fell rapidly, while cold sweat drenched his forehead and the nape of his neck.
He stared blankly ahead.
For a few seconds, Raven didn't even know where he was.
The sound of the bus engine.
Dim lights along the aisle.
Seats filled with students still asleep. Everything slowly came back into view.
"Bro?"
Kyle's voice came from beside him.
"Are you okay?"
Raven didn't answer.
His hand slowly moved up to his face, sensing something wet on his cheek. He touched it with his fingertip.
Tears.
Raven fell silent.
He didn't even know when he'd started crying.
"That woman… who was she?"
Her face was still vague in her memory. She couldn't remember her name. She couldn't remember where she knew her from, but the feeling left behind after that dream felt so real. It was as if a part of her had just lost someone very precious.
"Why does it feel like I already know her...?"
"Uh, Raven..."
Kyle looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Are you crying?"
Kyle's voice was loud enough that several students around them began to turn their heads.
Raven opened her mouth to answer.
But suddenly…
THUD!
An excruciating pain pierced her head.
"Ah…"
Her body tensed.
Both hands immediately clutched at her hair.
The pain came so suddenly, like thousands of needles piercing her head from all directions. Her vision blurred, and the sounds around her turned into a growing buzz.
"Raven?!"
Kyle immediately grabbed her shoulder.
"Hey, what's wrong?!"
Raven tried to answer, but no sound came out. Her breathing was labored, and the pain grew more intense.
Kyle began to panic.
"Raven, listen to me. Take a breath… slowly."
But Raven couldn't follow his instructions, until finally she could no longer bear the pain
"AAAHHHHHHH!" His scream burst forth and echoed throughout the bus.
His scream burst forth and echoed throughout the bus.
Several students who had been asleep woke up instantly. Kyle jolted as Raven's body began thrashing in his seat.
"Raven!"
He immediately held onto both of his shoulders.
"Hey—what's really going on?!"
But Raven couldn't hear a thing. Her eyes were bloodshot, her breathing was erratic, and both hands were still clutching her head.
For a moment, she couldn't even tell the difference between a dream and reality.
"Uh, what's wrong with her?!"
"Someone call the advisor!"
"Hurry!"
Panic immediately spread throughout the bus. Some students stood up from their seats, while others simply backed away, their faces pale, not knowing what to do.
Hana, who was sitting in the seat in front of Raven, stood up as well. Her face went pale as she watched Raven continue to struggle.
"R-Raven..."
Her voice was almost drowned out by the commotion.
Next to her, Karin also stood up immediately. She paused for a moment, taking in Raven's condition, before turning to Lisa, who still looked panicked.
"Let's go!"
Karin grabbed Lisa's arm and urged her to hurry toward the bus door.