What is this place?

CH-5 "A-ARE THOSE UNDEAD?"

As they were too tired to continue, they decided to settle down in the 'blue lake' (Byeol named it Blue Lake as it glowed blue and seemed a bit magical)

"Let's go and find some fruits," said Byeol

"What!? I'm already tired as it is, let's just sleep with an empty stomach"

"No way! Come let's go, or you stay, I'm going"

" Ugh! Fine! I'll come along with you in this creepy and scary forest." Yun angrily shouted.

Their conversation ended there. They remembered the place pretty well as it was glowing blue. They went into the dark, cold, and creepy forest in search of food.

"Oh! look! It's a berry! let's take some of these while going back" Exclaimed Byeol in excitement.

"Are you sure that it's safe to eat? what if we die after eating it?"

"Don't be a scaredy cat! We may already be dead right now. we're maybe in heaven...or hell. who knows?"

"Are you kidding me!?" Said Yun, completely creeped out. "I never should have let this girl join me in my journey." He thought to himself.

On their way, they found some more fruits and berries.

"Shouldn't we also grab some branches and leaves to make a place to stay in?" asked Yun

"Yep, we definitely should! I'll take the fruits and berries you take the branches and leaves"

They also started to gather some branches.

Soon they reached the lake again.

"Are you sure we should eat this?" asked Yun

"I don't know about you but I'm going to eat these. Feel free to sleep in with an empty stomach, but remember, this may even be the last meal you have in your life"

"I don't think we can call this a meal but, for the sake of my stomach I'll eat it. If something happens to me you're responsible for it."

He was skeptical about eating the berries and fruits.

But to their luck, nothing happened to them and they were completely fine. After eating to their heart's content, and resting for a bit, they started to set up a place to stay.

"How are you so good at setting this up?" Asked Yun as he wasn't able to set up one as good as Byeol's.

"I used to go camping and trekking with my family quite often, so I'm used to it"

They both went to sleep after setting up a place to stay.

After an hour or so...

"Hey, are you sleeping?" asked Yun

"Nope, it's not comfortable at all"

"Can we talk for a bit? I'm bored, and it wouldn't hurt to get to know each other"

"Sure, let's talk for some time I'm not sleepy either"

"Well, what do you think about all this?"

"I do like camping and going to the woods and this place is awesome too, but I miss my parents. They would be freaking out that I've gone missing for this long. Now, enough about my story. What about you? What about your family?" Asked Byeol worried.

"I miss my parents, my sister, and also my pet dog. But I don't think they would miss me. My sister is probably very happy that I’m gone" He smiled.

"Oh, don't be like that, I'm sure they miss you too. And don't be an eccedentesiast" Byeol said with a worried face.

“An ecce- what?”

“An eccedentesiast is a person who hides their pain behind a smile”

"Oh, but anyway I do wish I was a better person to them. My parents and sister were preparing for my birthday, and they thou-"

"Wait, Wait, Wait! What do you mean by your birthday!?"

"My birthday is on 23rd December. and let's stop talking about all of this and go to sleep it's getting too emotional for my liking "

"Agreed"

Both of them slept like a baby through the whole night.

~22.12.2023~

The two woke up to loud groaning noises.

"Yun, please make the voice go away" Mumbled byeol half sleeping

"Haa...What is this disgusting smell? Byeol save me." Said Yun

Well at this point they both started calling each other by their nicknames but let's get to the story now.

Both of them woke up.

" This place smells like blood and rotten animals again," Yun said annoyed. He was struggling to breathe as the place Stank!

"I know, this is very annoying and what is this noise?"

"I don't know-Hey! Look, I'm able to see a person's silhouette. Let's go talk to them" Yun said excitedly to find another person in this forest.

"I don't think that it's a good idea. Don't go there"

"Its okay noth-"

A person's hand suddenly grabbed Yun's hand.

The person had blue patches on their body and blood was dripping from the person's eyes and mouth. Yun was terrified at the sight of it and feared for life.

"RUN!" Shouted Byeol.

They started to run towards a light and on their way they saw many of these creatures. They tried to avoid as many as possible and when they couldn't avoid it they attacked it with anything they could find such as a stick or a rock.

Soon they somehow reached the 'Tree of Life' with minor injuries.

"*GASP* A-ARE THOSE UNDEAD!?"

Glossary

Eccedentesiast - A person who hides their pain behind a smile.

To be continued...