[B1] Chapter 3: The Bleeding Forest

When Cien opened his eyes again, he was standing in a whole different world.

He was in a forest.

Thick fog clung to the ground, and the air was heavy with a damp, earthy smell of rotten trees and vegetation.

The trees were ancient, their gnarled trunks rising toward a sky barely visible through tangled branches. 

Their bark was marred with jagged scars, and in some places, a dark sap oozed slowly from the wounds—like blood, as though the forest was bleeding. 

The forest seemed to stretch on endlessly, with no end in sight.

Where am I now?

Fionn, who had regained consciousness alongside him, glanced around. "Well, a bloody forest. The faeries really must have kidnapped us."

Lena shivered. "It's like all the scary stories," she whispered, clutching the teddy bear. 

And suddenly, a small, holographic screen appeared before each of them.

△▼△▼△▼△

[Entrance Test]

[Rank: Under-Novice [F-]

[Objective: Find the three Cores of the Bleeding Forest]

[Rewards: Escape from the Bleeding Forest]

△▼△▼△▼△

Fionn swiped a hand through the bluish screen. "What is this? Are we in some kind of game?"

Soojin looked thoughtful. "So we need to find the three Cores? What do you think those are?"

Cien shook his head. No point in guessing.

Steeling himself, he turned to the group. "C'mon, we should get moving. Maybe we can stumble upon something useful."

Reluctantly, the group trudged forward. The trees seemed to close in around them, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. Every so often, an anguished cry would screech through, leaving them shivering. 

Fionn touched the dark sap oozing from the trees. Lifting it to his nose, he sniffed it, only to gag in disgust.

He turned to them, wiping his hands on his pants. He wore a grim expression. "That actually smelled like blood."

Cien swallowed hard, glancing at the thick liquid trickling from the bark.

Is it actually blood?

Soojin's face tightened. "Let's keep moving."

They pushed deeper into the woods. 

However, the more they walked, the more disturbing the trees began to become. The bark began to slowly look more like actual human faces, looking back at them with horrified expressions.

The blood-like sap began to ooze out even more, collecting on the forest undergrowth in huge, thick puddles.

Then—

Crack.

The sound sliced through the silence.

Cien whirled around. The others had frozen too, scanning the trees for movement.

Fionn exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders. "I think we're all getting too paranoid—"

Rustle.

The leaves shook—but there was no wind. The branches trembled as if something unseen was brushing past them.

And then, a whisper came from the darkness.

"Why did you leave me…?"

Cien's eyes widened. What the—

More whispers joined them.

"You forgot me…"

"Left me to rot…"

"Waited for you…"

Fionn clenched his fists. "Who's there!"

And then, from the corner of Cien's vision, he spotted movement.

A shape detached itself from the trees. A hunched woodend figure, its bark-like limbs too long, its head drooped at an unnatural angle. 

Lena let out a horrified gasp. "What is that…"

The figure's mouth opened. It did not move its lips—but the words filled the air.

"Kill…kill you all…"

Soojin took a step back. "What the hell is that?"

Fionn, however, wasn't looking at the creature. He was staring at the tree beside it. 

His face had gone pale.

Cien followed his gaze. The dark sap now trickled down the bark, forming letters. No, not just letters—names.

One name stood out.

Fionn Merrick.

Fionn sucked in a breath, staggering back. "What the hell—?"

The creature lunged.

Cien barely had time to dodge before the creature was on them. Its fingers curled into sharp claws, as it sliced through the air.

Cien shoved Lena out of the way as the creature's arm whipped toward her, striking the ground where she had been standing. 

The force cracked the earth.

Fionn picked up a shard of rock, slashing at the creature. Although the stone made contact, it passed through the arm like mist.

The wound closed immediately.

The creature turned its head toward Fionn.

It laughed, a dry sound that sent shivers down Cien's spine.

"Kill…kill you all…," it whispered again.

Cien's heart pounded in his chest as he pulled Lena to her feet.

Fionn stood his ground, the shard of rock still gripped tightly in his hand. 

"It doesn't even feel pain!" he shouted. "What the hell is this thing?"

Soojin grunted as she helped Cien lift up a shaking Lena. "C'mon, we need to run!"

"We can't fight it!" Cien shouted, grabbing Fionn's arm. "We need to get away!"

But Fionn's face was locked in a scowl. "I'm not running from this thing!"

Cien cursed under his breath. What kind of stupid, stubborn fool—

"We don't have time for this! We need to find the Cores and get out!"

Fionn jerked his arm free. "Fine, but I'm at least going to get one hit—"

Soojin stepped in front of them. "Fionn, listen to him!"

Fionn shouted a curse at Cien in Irish, before turning and sprinting away. "Go bhfaighir bás gan an sagart!"

The creature screeched, closing the distance between them with terrifying speed.

Cien didn't wait for another moment. He grabbed Lena's hand, pulling her along as they all ran into the clusters of trees.

"Where are we even going?" Lena panted, her hand slick with sweat as they ran. She had lost her teddy bear somewhere along the way.

"We need to find the Cores," Cien replied, glancing around. He turned to Fionn. "What did you say back there?"

Fionn grinned. "That I hope you die without a priest!"

Cien rolled his eyes. Of all people, why him? Why did I have to end up with him?

Finally, after what felt like hours of running, they stopped, catching their breaths. Fionn wiped his forehead of sweat. "Do you think we got away?"

Soojin gasped for air, fanning her face. "I—I think so…"

Ahead, a faint glimmer through the dense fog had caught Lena's attention. "Look!" she whispered urgently, tugging at Cien's sleeve. 

Ahead of them, in the yawning mouth of a huge cave, was the faint glimmer of something.

Is that a Core?

Cien's heart pounded with expectation as he ducked into the opening. Indeed, in the middle of the dark cavern, there was a metal pedestal inscribed with curling patterns. 

On top of it, was an orb that pulsed brightly, lighting up its surroundings.

A Core.

Lena's eyes widened, and she clutched Cien's arm. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

Fionn let out a dry chuckle. "Sure, sure. Just don't mind the bloody monsters chasing us."

Soojin approached carefully. "Do you think it's safe to take it?"

Cien shrugged. "Well, guess we're going to find out."

Reaching out, he touched the shiny surface.

Just as Cien's fingertips grazed the orb's shimmering surface, the cavern shuddered violently. 

Without warning, a massive section of the stone wall cracked and crumbled away, sending fine dust flying everywhere. 

From the fissure emerged a colossal stone head.

It was perfectly chiseled, with streaks of the same weird bloody sap running down from his eyes, like tears. Its eyes glowed bright crimson, with uncanny human-like sentience.

"Children," it boomed, "you dare disturb the sacred heart of this realm? To claim the Core and continue your quest, you must first answer my riddles."

Fionn barked a laugh. "What do you think you are? The Sphinx?"

Cien exchanged wary glances with Soojin. Lena's grip on his arm tightened.

Now a talking statue? How weird is this whole thing gonna get?

The stone head continued. "I dance upon the edge of twilight, a moment eternal. I am the keeper of secrets, the herald of change—slipping away before your grasp. What am I?"

Cien's mind raced. What? He didn't even understand half of the vocabulary just used.

Lena spoke up. "The present."

For a second, the statue remained impassive, and then it gave a nod.

It had been accepted.

Fionn whistled. "Nice one."

The rumbling voice continued.

"I am born of light and sorrow, molded by the passage of unyielding years. I comfort and curse in equal measure, for in my silence lie echoes of a thousand lives. What am I?"

Cien cursed loudly—a Russian curse his late grandmother had taught him. 

"Хуй!"

At least make it more simple!

Luna spoke up again. "Memory."

The stone face flickered with approval.

Another nod.

Fionn whistled again. "Dang. Are you good at riddles?"

Lena nodded timidly. "I—I used to do them a lot when I was bored…"

The stone head delivered the final riddle. "I am the quiet muse of the night, the unseen architect of hope. Without me, the realm of imagination would crumble to dust; with me, every possibility is born anew. What am I?"

Silence followed.

Finally, after a couple of minutes, Lena slowly stepped up once more.

"Dreams."

For a moment, there was only a sharp tension.

Then, slowly, the ancient features of the stone guardian relaxed into what might have been a semblance of satisfaction.

"Correct."