I remember the first time I was bullied. Hassan, a boy from my class, used to mock my expression. He’d say that my face was so forgettable, he’d blink and forget what I looked like. I understood what he meant; back then, my life was a mess. My parents had split, and every time I went home, my mom was either drunk or high on drugs. I had to make my own meals and take care of myself. Life was bleak, and it showed on my face—I just didn’t want to be seen, didn’t want to exist.

That expression, the lifeless look with half-closed eyes, stuck with me. Then came the incident where my mom accidentally shot me. That was the final straw. I thought about ending it all with that same gun, but I couldn’t go through with it. I wasn't sure if it was fear or some hidden courage that held me back.

“Hmm.” I muttered to myself, snapping out of my thoughts.

The rain outside had slowed, and the wind was finally dying down. This was my cue to head out—no more excuses. I had to find that strange flower, get back to the city, and secure a place to sleep. In the morning, the search for that lost dog would begin. It all seemed straightforward on paper, but I knew it would be much harder in reality.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and opened the door. This time, there was no wind to slam it back in my face.

“Hey, wait up,” the waitress called, hurrying over with something in her hands. “You almost forgot these, kid.”

I turned to see her holding my school uniform. “Oh, right. Thanks,” I said, taking it from her.

She gave me a curious look. "That uniform doesn't look like the ones from Redwood Academy. Looks like a knock-off."

"Yeah," I said, glancing at it. "Probably is."

"You should get yourself the real thing. The school would give you an official one," she suggested.

I hesitated for a moment, then asked, "How did these uniforms become the standard here? They look a bit different from regular clothes, no?”

She chuckled softly. "That's a story for another time, kid. You’ll learn all about the origins of those uniforms at Redwood Academy."

"Right," I muttered, feeling the weight of everything sinking in. “Thanks for everything, ma’am. The meal was great.”

“Take care of yourself out there,” she said with a warm smile. “Have a nice evening.”

“You too,” I replied, giving her a small nod before stepping back outside into the quiet night.

I began walking toward the edge of the forest, taking one last glance at it before stepping into the dense cover. As I ventured deeper, I turned on my phone's flashlight, the beam cutting through the darkness, and picked up my pace. The dirt path wound its way through the trees, strange animal noises coming from all directions. According to the map, I'd soon reach the road on the other side. Taking a shortcut through the forest itself crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed the idea—definitely not an option for me.

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Each step was accompanied by the crunch of fallen leaves beneath my feet, the faint light of the moon barely piercing through the canopy. My flashlight offered little reassurance, lighting up only a metre ahead. Fear gnawed at me, but I clenched my jaw and pressed on, determined to see this through.

“Come on, a bit longer.”

Finally, I broke through the other side of the trees, emerging onto the road.

"Phew," I muttered, wiping the sweat from my brow. "Okay… the hardest part is done."

I pulled the map from my back pocket, tracing my finger over it to figure out my next steps. Once I had my bearings, I set off again, knowing that if the map was accurate, I’d reach a pond in about eight or ten minutes.

"Slow and steady... slow and steady," I whispered to myself, trying to calm my nerves as I continued on my way.

A bird perched on a branch above me, its crimson eyes fixed on me as I moved forward, each step careful. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was lurking in the shadows, some creature that retreated just beyond the reach of my flashlight whenever the beam swept over it. Paranoia crept in, and after a couple of tense minutes, my phone gave a warning—it had been using the flashlight too long and suddenly shut it off. Those ten seconds it took me to unlock the screen and turn the light back on felt like an eternity.

Swallowing hard, I resumed walking, my pace quickening despite my best efforts to stay calm. I kept repeating to myself that I was alone, that no monster was stalking me in the darkness.

"Come on, Ax," I whispered under my breath. "Slow and steady..."

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I tried to focus on keeping my steps steady, but with every unfamiliar noise, I'd stop and glance back over my shoulder, reassuring myself I was still alone. At one point, I paused on the side of the road, sitting on a rock to catch my breath. I checked the map again, confirming I was heading in the right direction. The faint lights of a small village near the pond glowed in the distance, guiding me like a beacon.

I stood on a cliff's edge, where a wrong step would mean a steep fall into the churning sea below. Waves crashed against the rock face, sending up a spray that mingled with the light drizzle of rain. The forest loomed behind me, and the path I needed to take stretched out to my right.

"Okay... just a little more, Ax," I said, trying to steady my nerves.

Entering the forest once again, I pushed forward, navigating the trees that seemed to blur into one another in the dim light. My heart raced as I searched for the pond shown on the map, weaving through the underbrush until, finally, I spotted it. Relief washed over me when I saw the flowers glowing in the darkness, their bright pink petals shimmering with an otherworldly light.

The flower was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Its petals seemed to pulse softly, emitting a subtle glow that illuminated the area around it. Tiny sparks of light danced across its surface, almost like fireflies trapped within the petals. The stem was twisted with veins of iridescent blue, and from its center came a low, vibrating hum, like the kind of noise that lingers in your ears after listening to loud music. As I reached out my hand, the hum grew louder, resonating through the air.

"Finally," I breathed out. "Good..."

Just as I grasped the flower, a sudden jolt of pain shot through my hand. A sharp, blade-like structure hidden within the petals pierced my palm, drawing blood. I let out a scream, trying to pull my hand away, but the flower's grip was iron-tight. The pain was unbearable, searing through my senses, and then the flower let out a piercing shriek, almost like the cry of a woman in distress.

From the darkness, red eyes began to appear—dozens of them—closing in on me with slow movements. My vision started to blur from the blood loss, and I felt light-headed, my strength waning fast.

"Oh no," I whispered, eyes wide with fear as the creatures drew nearer. "No, no, no!"