MYTHICAL FOREST

PART 5: THE FOREST

After Taehyung's last words, he turned and walked toward the forest. Mark watched from the window, his heart heavy with worry. He stayed there, staring into the darkness, until Taehyung disappeared from view. Then, with a deep sigh, he turned away.

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The night was eerily quiet, and the darkness seemed thicker than usual for a full moon. Not a single wolf had appeared, which was unsettling. As the forest thickened and the path darkened, Taehyung pulled out his flashlight, the beam of light cutting through the shadows.

The deeper he ventured, the more oppressive the silence became, heightening his sense of unease. Every rustle in the underbrush made his heart race, and when he shone his flashlight towards the source of one such sound, it revealed nothing more than a startled animal.

Taehyung pushed on, winding his way through the dense forest. It took him nearly an hour before he finally stumbled upon a small clearing where the cave from his dreams was located. Steeling himself, he stepped inside.

The moment Taehyung entered the cave, he realized too late that the ground was slick. His foot slipped, and with a gasp, he slid deeper into the cave, unable to stop his descent. The cave seemed to go on forever, and just when he thought he would never stop sliding, his body collided with a rock, and everything went black.

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When Taehyung slowly regained consciousness, his head throbbed with pain from where it had struck the rock. He forced himself to sit up, trying to shake off the disorientation. Panic set in as he looked around-nothing was familiar. All he remembered was entering the cave and then losing consciousness.

He scrambled to find the entrance, but it was nowhere to be seen. His belongings were gone too, except for the flashlight still clutched in his hand. Exhausted and hurting, he nearly gave up. He slumped against a large rock, glancing up at the sky-and that's when he noticed something was terribly wrong.

There were two moons in the sky, much brighter than the one he knew from home. A cold shiver ran down his spine. Where was he?

After resting for a while, Taehyung knew he couldn't stay in that spot. He forced himself to his feet and began walking through the unfamiliar terrain, the reality of his situation weighing heavily on him.

With no map, no phone, and no tools, navigating the unknown woods was nearly impossible. As he trudged along, he passed by dilapidated and abandoned houses-evidence that a community had once thrived here before vanishing without a trace.

The sight of scattered corpses sent chills down his spine, prompting him to quickly leave the area. He continued walking, passing small lakes and broken trees, hoping they were signs of a civilization where he could seek help.

Eventually, exhaustion overtook him, and he knew he needed to find a secluded spot to rest. Fortunately, he stumbled upon a hidden nook where he could sleep for a few hours.

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When morning came, the sounds of rustling and footsteps outside his hiding place jolted Taehyung awake. He listened intently, every muscle tensed, but the sounds faded away. His stomach growled with hunger, reminding him that he needed to find food.

Cautiously, Taehyung ventured out in search of something edible. He had no idea he had wandered into the territory of the wolves.

As he moved through the woods, he came across an orchard of unfamiliar fruit. He approached it cautiously, scanning the area to ensure it wasn't guarded. Despite knowing the risks of eating unknown fruits, hunger got the better of him.

He picked a piece of fruit, inhaling its sweet scent before taking a tentative bite. Almost immediately, he felt a strange sensation in his body, but nothing outwardly harmful occurred. Relieved, Taehyung gathered a dozen more fruits, eating some and saving the rest for later.

Unaware of the danger he was in, Taehyung continued walking, oblivious to the fact that he was deep within the wolves' territory. A sense of foreboding settled over him, a feeling he'd never experienced before.

Suddenly, the wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes locked on him. Fear gripped Taehyung as he realized he was being hunted. He bolted, running as fast as he could, but the wolves were faster, closing in on him with every step.

The chase was relentless, and Taehyung's body, already weakened, began to fail him. He glanced back, desperate to gauge the distance between him and the wolves, but his attention faltered, and he didn't notice the steep cliff ahead.

By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. His foot slipped off the edge, sending him tumbling down. He hit branches on the way down before crashing to the ground below, his body shattered by the impact.

Lying there, barely alive, Taehyung's mind was a haze of pain. Broken bones, a possible head injury-he was certain this was the end. But fate had other plans. This was not the end for Taehyung. It was only the beginning of his journey...

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