Kairo stepped through the ancient stone door of the Dead Forest of Root-Veil. Behind him, the massive doors groan before slamming shut with a thunderous boom, cutting him off from the outside world.
Beyond the entrance, a dense blanket of white mist stretches across the forest, so thick that it hides everything except the dark silhouettes of towering trees. It feels as though he has walked into a silent sea of clouds.
But the moment the entrance door close, the illusion disappears.
The icy air is replaced by suffocating heat and humidity. The smell of rotting wood and damp earth fills his lungs as the true Dead Forest reveals itself. Giant, black-barked trees, the ground is soft and unstable, covered by layers of decaying leaves, black peat, and twisted roots, making every step uncertain.
As Kairo stepped deeper into the forest, his thoughts were already elsewhere. The moment he realized the entrance had scattered the participants, only one objective came to mind find Bobo. They had promised to find the map and make their way north together. He had barely taken another step when...
CRACK!
"...Huh?"
The ground beneath his feet shattered without warning.
His eyes widened.
"What?!"
Before he could jump back, the earth collapsed beneath him.
Kairo dropped straight into the darkness, he threw his arms out instinctively, desperately reaching for something—anything—but his fingers closed on nothing but loose soil... What looked like solid, dried clay shattered without warning, revealing a hidden mud sinkhole beneath the surface. Before he could even react, the earth collapsed completely, swallowing him into the darkness below.
...
His shoulder scraped against the rough tunnel wall.
"AGH!"
He tried to dig his hands into the mud, searching for anything to stop himself.
Nothing held.
The current was too strong.
It pulled him deeper into the darkness.
Then something lashed across his leg.
"...!"
A thick jungle vine hanging from the tunnel ceiling wrapped around his left calf.
For a split second, it caught him.
Then...
RIIIIIIP!
The vine snapped under his weight.
A sharp pain tore through his leg as its rough fibers sliced across his calf.
"Aah!"
His body slowed for only an instant before gravity took hold once more.
The tunnel suddenly opened.
Kairo was thrown into open air.
"...No!"
His heart lurched.
He saw a dark lake below.
Below him stretched a vast underground lake, its dark surface rushing toward him far too quickly.
"Nooo...!"
He twisted instinctively, trying to brace himself.
There wasn't enough time.
SPLASH!
The impact exploded through his entire body; every breath was driven from his lungs.
Before he could even recover, the powerful current caught him again.
His limp body drifted across the underground reservoir, carried helplessly through the dark water.
His vision blurred.
Then...
THUD!
The side of his head slammed against a half-submerged boulder.
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Pain flashed through his skull.
Everything went black.
Time passed....
The underground river flowed on without pause, its steady current winding through the hidden depths of the Dead Forest. Kairo's unconscious body rested against the stone where the water had left him. Blood from the gash on his left leg slowly washed away into the current.
Far above...
The forest carried on as though nothing had happened.
"...Ugh..."
A weak groan escaped his lips.
His fingers twitched.
Slowly, his eyelids opened.
The cavern ceiling swam in and out of focus as a dull ache throbbed through the back of his head, "...Where...?"
He pushed himself upright with a painful groan.
The movement sent a sharp sting through his left leg.
Looking down, he found his trousers torn open. A long gash ran across his left calf; dried blood caked around the wound.
He pushed himself upright.
"AAH...!"
He clenched his teeth, gripping his leg for a moment as the pain shot through him.
"...Damn it..."
His fist slammed into the damp ground.
"I haven't even started..."
He glared at the wound, breathing heavily.
"...and I'm already injured."
He steadied himself against the rock and looked around.
A vast underground lake stretched before him, the sound of rushing water echoed through the cavern, disappearing into another tunnel farther ahead.
Above him, a narrow shaft let in a faint beam of daylight, only then did the reality of his situation truly sink in; The Dead Forest...
...had swallowed him whole.
His eyes drifted from the shaft above to the current flowing deeper into the darkness.
Silence.
"..."
Understanding slowly replaced his confusion.
This wasn't just an accident.
The sinkhole...
The underground passage...
Even this reservoir... They all connected.
"Different tunnels… different currents…"
His eyes narrowed.
"If this happened to me…"
"…then the others were probably scattered too."
Kairo lowered his gaze to the flowing current.
"...So, this is the real beginning."
His thoughts immediately turned to Bobo. They had promised secure a map and then head north to reunite with the others.
Finding Bobo had become his very first challenge, but not like this.
Kairo glanced down at the cut on his leg. The wound throbbed with every heartbeat, and even standing still sent a dull ache through his calf, "...First things first."
He needed to stop the bleeding and make sure he could still walk. Searching for Bobo would mean nothing if he collapsed before getting anywhere.
Once he dealt with his injury... He would find Bobo.
There was only one path forward, and somewhere beyond that winding passage...
The Dead Forest was waiting.
Minutes later
Kairo tore a strip from the sleeve of his shirt.
He gritted his teeth as he wrapped the torn fabric tightly around the gash on his left calf.
"...Ngh..."
The pressure sent another wave of pain shooting through his leg, but he pulled the knot tighter until the bleeding finally began to slow, "That'll have to do."
Leaning against the damp cavern wall, he forced himself forward as he finds his way...
Behind the underground lake, a curtain of rushing water thundered from a narrow opening overhead. Hidden behind the waterfall was a cramped passage, barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through.
Kairo slipped into it.
Cold water drenched his clothes as he pushed between the slick stone walls. Every step sent a dull ache through his injured leg, but eventually the passage widened.
Daylight.
He emerged from behind the waterfall into the forest once again.
Towering trees stretched toward the sky, their tangled branches swallowing much of the sunlight. Thick ferns and dense undergrowth covered the uneven ground, while the constant chorus of insects echoed through the humid air.
Kairo drew a slow breath.
"...Back to the surface."
He limped forward, carefully parting the bushes ahead of him.
He hadn't gone far.
"Help...!"
A desperate scream pierced the forest.
Kairo froze.
"...Someone?"
Another cry followed.
"Please! Somebody help!"
His eyes narrowed.
A girl...?
Judging from the voice, she couldn't have been much older than he was.
Suppressing the pain in his leg, Kairo lowered himself into the undergrowth and moved cautiously toward the sound.; one careful step after another.
Branches brushed against his shoulders as he crept through the thick vegetation.
Then he stopped.
His eyes widened.
Beyond the bushes lay a muddy swamp.
A teenage girl had fallen near its edge, her legs still submerged in the murky water while the rest of her body strained against the muddy bank. She desperately pushed herself backward with both hands, trying to crawl away, but her legs remained in the dark water while she pushed herself away with trembling hands, her terrified eyes never left the swamp.
Whatever she was running from...
...was still coming.
Something approaching.
Ripples spread across the murky water.
Slowly...
A massive reptilian head emerged from beneath the surface; Its dark scales glistened with swamp water; rows of jagged teeth protruded from its enormous jaws.
Its yellow eyes never left the helpless girl.
Kairo felt his heartbeat quicken.
"...An alligator."
No...
It was far larger than any alligator he had ever seen.
The creature advanced with terrifying patience, barely disturbing the water as it closed the distance.