|THE CURSED FOREST|

59

The darkness around Minosan intensifies with every passing second, as if defying any kind of hope. Despite all efforts, the foreboding atmosphere persists, casting an ominous shadow over the land.

Hyunjin stood ominously before the Choi house, his malicious grin casting a shadow over the tranquil surroundings. It felt as though he was a messenger of darkness, sent from the depths of hell itself. In truth, he was no less than a devil himself.

With a sinister smirk, he withdrew Hyunjin's phone from his pocket and dialled Hana's number.

"Hello?" Hana answered, her voice sounded distant, her body stiff, and her eyes vacant, as though she were under some kind of trance.

"It's time, Hana dear." Hyunjin purred into the phone, his voice dripping with malice.

Hana nodded mechanically, her movements lacking any semblance of emotion. She turned around facing the rest of the doctors gathered nearby. They stood in a similar state as hers, their expressions blank.

"It's time." Hana announced to the group, her voice monotone. In eerie unison, the other doctors nodded in agreement, their movements synchronised as if they were all part of some sinister ritual.

Amidst it all, Hyunjin's twisted grin remained, a chilling reminder of the darkness that lurked within.

•••

In the brightly lit trauma centre, Sohee, dressed in surgical gear, prepares to operate on Soobin, who's laid out on the table with a dagger embedded in his back. Jaehyun, her first assistant, stands by her side, while Mina, their nurse, assists.

"Are you ready Sohee?" Yongbok asked after checking on the machines of Soobin's vitals.

"... overcome your fear and perform a surgery one day. Today it is a normal stitching, tomorrow you can stitch as my assistant and who knows one day I'll assist you in surgery." Scoups said gently to Sohee, "I know you can do it Sohee."

Tears welled in Sohee's eyes as she gazed upon her brother lying before her, his life hanging in the balance but her mentor Scoup's words guiding her through the overwhelming emotions threatening to consume her. With a steadying breath, she mustered the strength to speak.

"Emergency thoracotomy," Sohee's voice trembled slightly as she began to address. "Patient's name... Choi Soobin." Her words caught in her throat but she swallowed hard, before continuing. "We'll begin the middle lobe tractotomy of the lung."

Before she could ask, Jaehyun had already given her the scalpel, blinking at her in an assuring way.

Outside Beomgyu kept on biting his nails, flapping his feet anxiously. Wanting to grab his hair and scratch his eyes out on the verge of tearing up. He looked inside the operation theatre at Sohee and Jaehyun performing the surgery on Soobin, his lips quivering as his eyes fell on motionless Soobin.

"If I kill him one day, don't tell the police." Sohee muttered to Beomgyu with her folded hands in a serious manner.

"Of course I won't, I'll be assisting you." Sohee and Beomgyu exchanged a glance before grudgingly giving hifi to each other.

Beomgyu chuckled with tears rolling down his cheeks as he put his palm over the glass window, "You bastard. You will die by me and Sohee, not that Jungsoo."

Soon his eyes followed Mina coming out of the room, he rushed to her, almost flinchingher.

"How's he?" Beomgyu desperately asked,

"The dagger is out without any excessive bleeding." Mina said, "Dr. Sohee has stitched the ruptures in lung but it turns out his thoracic spine is damaged so we urgently need you there. Please be ready." Beomgyu nodded quickly as went to wear his surgical fit, as Mina left inside.