MYTHICAL FOREST

PART 2: THE ATTACK

Taehyung changed into his pajamas, preparing himself for bed. After turning off the lights, he slid under the covers, and sleep soon claimed him.

---

At midnight, Taehyung awoke to the sound of rustling outside his open window. His heart raced as he sat up, straining to hear the noise again.

Curiosity overcame fear, and Taehyung quietly approached the window, peering into the darkness. His breath caught when he noticed a figure standing near their house, watching something intently.

Without thinking, Taehyung left his room, descending the stairs as quietly as possible. He slipped out the door, stepping into the cool night air. Moving cautiously, he hid behind a large trash can, his eyes locked on the figure.

Suddenly, the figure turned toward him, and Taehyung’s eyes widened in shock. Panicking, he turned to run but tripped over a protruding rock, pain shooting through his ankle as he fell to the ground.

The figure approached slowly. Taehyung, trembling with fear, could only plead, "Please, don’t hurt me."

To his surprise, the figure smiled and extended a hand to help him up. "Don't worry, I won’t hurt you," the figure said, his voice gentle.

Taehyung hesitated. "R-really?" he stammered.

"Yes, of course. You silly human," the figure replied, still smiling.

Taehyung grasped the offered hand and stood up, brushing the dirt from his clothes. "Thank you," he said softly, relief washing over him.

"What are you doing here? And... what’s your name?" Taehyung asked, his curiosity piqued.

"My name is Jimin," the figure replied. "I come here every time it's close to a full moon. I like to watch it."

"Why here? And why the full moon?" Taehyung asked, his curiosity deepening.

Jimin seemed slightly uncomfortable as he answered, "I can see it better from here than where I live. And... it only happens once a month."

Taehyung nodded, though questions still lingered in his mind—questions about where Jimin lived and why he was so fascinated by the full moon. But before he could ask more, Jimin suddenly said goodbye and dashed into the forest, leaving Taehyung standing there, bewildered.

Taehyung returned to the house, his mind swirling with thoughts of Jimin and the strange encounter. Lying back in bed, he replayed the conversation in his head until sleep finally overtook him again.

---

The next morning, Taehyung awoke, got out of bed, and went through his morning routine. After dressing, he went downstairs for breakfast. His parents were out—his mother shopping and his father at work—leaving him alone in the house.

As he ate, Taehyung couldn't shake the memory of last night. Why had Jimin run into the forest? What was he doing there?

Determined to find out, Taehyung decided to revisit the spot where they had spoken. He ventured outside and approached the edge of the forest near their house.

Before he could take a step into the forest, his mother’s voice called out, "Tae, sweetie, what are you doing out there? You might get lost."

Startled, Taehyung quickly retreated from the forest's edge. "Sorry, Mom. I was just... looking at something," he said, reentering the house with her.

---

That night, as Taehyung prepared for bed, he remembered that it was the night of the full moon. He opened his window, scanning the area outside to see if Jimin would return. He waited, but as time passed and Jimin didn’t appear, Taehyung eventually gave up and went to sleep.

---

At midnight, a scream pierced the silence, jolting Taehyung awake. He rushed to the window, trying to locate the source of the scream, but the darkness revealed nothing.

Moments later, another scream echoed through the night, this time coming from a neighbor’s house. Alarmed, Taehyung dashed out of his room, only to find his parents already heading downstairs to investigate.

As they stepped outside, the air filled with the sound of wolves howling. From the shadows of the forest, the wolves emerged, their eyes gleaming with hunger as they charged into the neighborhood.

Panic-stricken, Taehyung's family retreated into the house, bolting the doors and windows. "Taehyung, go to your room! Close all the windows, lock the door, and hide under your bed!" his mother ordered, her voice laced with fear.

"But what about you, Mom?" Taehyung asked, his voice trembling.

"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Now hurry and hide!" she urged, and Taehyung obeyed, sprinting to his room and hiding under the bed.

Outside, the growls of the wolves and the screams of the villagers filled the night as the beasts tore through the neighborhood. Taehyung, curled up under his bed, shook with fear, unsure of what would happen to him and his parents.

Suddenly, the sound of police sirens and gunshots filled the air, a glimmer of hope sparking within Taehyung. Maybe they would be saved.

But then, a loud crash came from downstairs, followed by the desperate screams of his parents. Taehyung’s heart shattered as he listened to their cries, powerless to help them.

Tears streamed down his face as silence fell over the house. Moments later, the door to his room creaked open. Taehyung's body went rigid as a wolf entered, sniffing the air, searching.

The wolf found him.

With a low growl, it dragged Taehyung out from under the bed, its claws digging into his skin. He struggled, hitting the wolf with his fists, but it was futile. The wolf's grip tightened around his throat, and darkness began to close in.

Just as Taehyung was about to lose consciousness, a gunshot rang out. The wolf released him with a pained snarl and collapsed.

A police officer rushed into the room, pulling Taehyung to safety. "You're safe now," the officer assured him, guiding him out of the house and into the waiting ambulance.

As Taehyung was taken away, backup arrived to deal with the remaining wolves, but the damage had already been done.

---