The classroom door clicked shut behind the teacher, and silence settled over the room like dust after a storm. Aira remained behind, alone—again—left to clean up after her classmates. Their careless messes were nothing compared to the weight of their cruelty, but still, she bent down quietly, collecting crumpled papers and wiping the muddy footprints they’d tracked inside. Her hands shook faintly, though she tried her best to hide it even from herself.

  She had grown used to it—being the one they pushed around, the one they mocked, the one who never fought back. But some wounds didn’t dull with time; they only hid under the skin.

  Outside, laughter echoed in the hallway. Mary and Kail were already discussing how hilarious it was that they once again shoved all the work onto her.

  “I swear, that girl exists only to make our lives easier,” Mary chuckled loudly.

  “Yeah,” Cane snorted, “and she still acts grateful about it.”

  They both burst into laughter as they walked toward the school's backyard—the group’s self-appointed “meeting point.” As they gathered there, Adi arrived last, glancing over his shoulder cautiously.

  “You’re late,” Mary remarked.

  Adi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pulled the group close and whispered, “Is anyone else here?”

  After checking the empty area twice, he finally lowered his voice even further.

  “There’s… something I need to tell you.”

  Everyone leaned in.

  “A dark forest exists near my hometown.”

  The words left his mouth with hesitation, but their weight struck the group instantly.

  Mary blinked. “A dark forest? Seriously?”

  “It’s true,” Adi insisted. “My uncle… he patrols there sometimes.”

  The air shifted. Even the wind seemed to pause.

  For years, students had whispered about the legendary Black Forest, a place inked only in myth—where vile creatures guarded the shadows and demons roamed beneath dying trees. It was a story passed around like contraband among curious children, never confirmed, never denied.

  Camille’s eyes widened with barely contained excitement. She had always been obsessed with myths, and the Dark Forest was her crown jewel.

  “Do you have any idea what you’re saying?” she gasped. “No one has ever discovered the Black Forest! If it’s real—if it’s really that forest—we could be the first to see it!”

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  Mary rolled her eyes. “Oh please. It's probably just a normal forest. If it was the Black Forest, don’t you think someone would’ve found demons by now?”

  Cane smirked, crossing his arms. “Yeah, Aadi. You sure your uncle isn’t just patrolling a garden?”

  Adi faltered at that. “I… haven’t seen it myself. I’m just telling you what I heard.”

  “Exactly,” Mary said. “You’ve never seen it. So maybe it’s just a folk tale told to kids to stop them from wandering too far.”

  Adi didn’t argue. He couldn’t. Doubt flickered in his eyes.

  But Camille wasn’t ready to let it go.

  “Then prove it,” she said suddenly. “If it’s a normal forest, then we’ll know. If it’s the Black Forest, then—” she grinned “—we’ll be the ones to discover it.”

  Her words sparked something dangerous in Mary’s mind.

  “Hey, Adi,” Mary said sweetly, “can I visit your hometown this weekend?”

  Adi stiffened instantly. “What? Why?”

  “If it’s just a forest,” Mary continued, “then surely your uncle wouldn’t mind giving us a tour of the patrolling area, right?”

  Camille nodded eagerly. “We could say it’s for a project. ‘We want to learn more by seeing it personally!’ It’s perfect!”

  Aadi’s face went pale, but before he could protest, Mary’s smile turned sly.

  “And,” she added, “we’ll take Aira with us.”

  The group turned at once. A cruel, shared spark ignited behind their eyes.

  Camille started laughing. “We leave her in the forest. If she comes back by morning, it’s normal. If not… then it’s the mythical Black Forest.”

  Everyone nodded—not with hesitation but with a predatory thrill. The plan had been born.

  Aira had just finished cleaning the classroom when she gathered her books and opened the dorm room door. The hallway was unusually silent. Too silent.

  Her heart dropped.

  Mary, Cane, Camille, and Aadi stood waiting for her. Their shadows stretched long across the dim corridor, merging into something monstrous. Their smiles were too wide, too deliberate.

  Aira froze where she stood.

  Mary stepped toward her, dragging the toe of her shoe across the floor. “Done cleaning?” she asked mockingly.

  Aira nodded slowly, clutching her books closer.

  Cane’s grin widened—not warm, not kind, but predatory. They walked toward her in a tight formation, like hunters circling prey.

  Adi pushed Aira against the wall, blocking her from escaping.

  Mary reached for the bucket—the same bucket Aira had used to mop the classroom floor moments ago. Dirty water sloshed inside, murky and cold.

  “Mary… please,” Aira whispered shakily. “This… this is my only dress. I have not those many left. It’s the last thing they—”

  Mary didn’t wait for her to finish. She grabbed the bucket with one hand, and with the other she lifted the rim toward Aira’s neck.

  “Listen carefully,” Mary said, her voice low and sharp. “This weekend, we’re going to Adi’s hometown to explore that forest.”

  She leaned closer, eyes gleaming with cruel intent.

  “And you are coming with us.”

  Aira swallowed hard. Her knees trembled.

  “But—why me?”

  “Because,” Mary whispered, “we need someone to test whether the forest is normal… or cursed.”

  Cane chuckled. Camille’s smile stretched unnervingly. Aadi looked away, guilt flickering in his eyes but not enough to stop him.

  Aira’s throat tightened. Fear crawled across her skin like ice. She had spent years enduring their bullying—but this… this felt different. Like a line had been crossed, one she wasn’t sure she would return from.

  Still pinned to the wall, she forced herself to speak.

  “Please… don’t make me go.”

  Mary tilted the bucket, letting a thin stream of dirty water drip onto Aira’s dress.

  “Oh no,” she replied sweetly, “we’re not making you go.”

  She tipped the bucket further, the water inches from spilling entirely.

  “We’re telling you.”