#project-gaiaea

Within a vast dry land covered in smog, stood a mysterious cloaked individual staring at the distance. Despite his face hidden by the ominous shadow, his sharp ticking gaze shot out a figurative light that pierced through the scope of a shivering sniper—a poor soldier who launched himself off the ground and ran for his dear life.

"Death!" The sniper called him. "Death is near!"

With flailing hands he scurried off to the hills. "Death! Death!" He cried. "I don't want to die!"

"What a big fat lie." The cloaked man frowned. He then slid his right hind leg to his back, and stretched his left hand to his right. With a boom and a swoosh, he flew a kilometer at the speed of sound.

The sniper froze in his tracks. Cold breath crawled up his neck. A deep otherworldly voice then whispered, "You signed a contract, correct?"

"No, no, no!" The sniper pleaded. "I had no other choice!" Tears rolled down his wounded cheeks.

"What?" The cloaked man scoffed. "You blame it on fate once again?" He then shook his head. "I pity your lack of wisdom."

Suddenly, he faced the sniper, whose pants appeared soiled. As thick smoke, he floated around him like an apparition. With deep disappointment in his voice, he lectured the sniper. "I gave you plenty of time," he said, "time to ponder about your life."

"To visualize the choices and the consequences Demoirai has laid out for you," he added. "It was all clear and obvious.

"But you WASTED EVERY SECOND OF IT." He growled.

"Your lover, Nichol. You left him alone to fight for the very people who hurt him."

A countdown echoes in the now frozen landscape.

Tock. Silence, darkness, and thick air surrounded the soldier.

It was difficult to breathe, to speak.

Heartbeat, and the thundering roars of the cloaked man were all that remained.

"He trusted you. Did you know that?"

"I can see the regret in your pathetic face."

"But it's too late to turn back now."

"Your deadline has arrived."

Tick. The sniper dropped to the ground. His face slammed on to the cracked clay.

A bullet hit his heart, blood dripped from his dusty chest.

There on the hill he died alone, none to claim his body. But one to mourn was the man he called death, who felt nothing but melancholy.

Soon, the cloaked man disappeared, leaving not a trace.

Though he'll come back without delay.

As many timelines will pass his way.

This was a tale of a man named K█uin.

To believe it or not, is a choice you'll determine.

The world devours, desires excluded. Memories Included.

They grow, they live, they suffer, and die. Rebirth.

They determine if their existence was a big fat lie. Unsure.

The world is their playground, but the ground is quicksand. Danger.

Everyone will soon sink to the bottom and drown. Soul remains.

Those who float will hold the crown. Suffering imminent,

But is that truly worth it? No.

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis),S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

In the darkness, Alex frantically waved his flashlight in the forest. He called out Claire's name, then shouted, "Merlin! Where are you?" Other voices followed, which belonged to the group of cops that assisted him in this mini search.

Cold sweat dripped on his forehead. It had been hours since they went looking for her. Unfortunately, they could not find anything. Traces, signs, nothing. They had to take a break, which caused him to become more worried. 

Claire alone in the woods, shivering and going mad like earlier that morning. He could not bear to imagine it. "This was a mistake," he thought. "I'm so sorry, Merlin." She must be crying herself to sleep right now, if she could sleep.

This scenario felt similar to that moment in his life when dear Jade, a lovely woman who did not say a word, suddenly left his life and disappeared without a trace. That memory stabbed his heart. He perceived himself as such an unlucky human being. He could do nothing but make sure Claire had no work to do when she returned. That's how it was, coping with a distraction. Despite that, he will never feel fulfilled.

So was Claire. A pit grew not in her heart, but in her mind. Confusion and fear dwelled in it like miasma. This often occurred whenever there was a moment when all your expectations were thrown out the window, replaced with uncertainty. This was certainly one of them.

In the darkness---a place that Alex has now left alone for the time being---Claire froze as she kept an eye on the ghost with glowing blue eyes. Slowly, her blurry vision revealed brown hair swaying around and between its eyes. She suddenly became prudent. "You!" She shouted with a trembling voice. "Hm…"

With her narrowed gaze, the darkness brightened a bit. She appraised its obscure body parts. From a huge unruly hair, big snout, sharp claws akin to a feline cat, to their overall body---covered with what appeared to be a viridian poncho. This unusual get-up struck a chord in her baffled mind. "Huh?"

Claire immediately crouched and looked around the ground, like a scaredy cat ready to fight. She glared at the ghost. With an oppressive voice, she asked, "Where's my camera?"

The ghost tilted its head. It then spoke with a warm voice, which was somewhat surprising. It said, "What camera?"

Claire shivered as the voice crawled into her poor ears. 

"You mean this?" The ghost pulled out a dusty camera and showed it to her. 

Claire nodded, "Yes! That's mine! Why-" She coughed. "why did you take it?" 

"Miii…" The ghost made a squeaky noise. "Sorry, I just had to make sure you weren't taking terrible pictures of me." The ghost glared at her. 

Claire sighed, frustrated, "Why didn't you just ask me then?" 

The ghost growled like a feral cat. It then stared at her, menacingly. "It's dangerous for me." 

Claire raised a thick eyebrow. "Why are you here anyway?"

The ghost scoffed. "Why are YOU here?"

"Eh-" Claire winced. "I'm here to get--- to retrieve the camera which you took!"

"That much is obvious. Why are you and your group here?"

"Huh?"

"It's dangerous to film in a place like this, plus you'll find nothing but scraps and explorers."

"That's not true! I found some weird symbols-" She shouted. "Anyways, can you give me back my camera already? You're young- well you sound young and you're already stealing stuff."

As Claire was about to grab the camera, the ghost backed away. Claire's face landed on the dirt. By this time, her eyes were able to fully adjust to the eerie darkness. Her hands helped her to sit back up, and in front of her was her camera, dangling from a massively long hairy tail. Her eyes widened and her heart sank into Mariana's trench. Memories flooded into her brain, memories of a picture on the internet.

"Spo..?" Claire shook her head. "No, impossible."

"Wha-?" Hummed the ghost.

"Nothing," she said, "I said you're not a spook, are you?"

"…" The ghost tilted its head on the other side. "Depends on what you mean by that."

"Okie…"

"So, you mentioned earlier that you found some symbols?"

Claire gritted her uneven teeth. "Yeah."

"What did it look like? if you don't mind telling me."

"Give me back my camera first and then I'll tell you."

"…" Its tail floated towards Claire. "Fair enough."

Claire quickly and carefully yanked the camera and embraced it around her frail arms. She looked around the forest, nothing but trees stood in the vicinity. There was truly no point in running, but it seemed like she was safe, for now. She thought, "Ah, why not? Someone is probably worried about me but it's not like I could return any time soon."

"Where am I anyways?" She added.

She then sighed and wore the strap of the camera around her neck. "It looked like an unfinished W, I think."

"A W, hm?" The ghost made another random noise. Claire was unsure if it was a growl or a purr. "Where did you find it?"

"I think it was on one of the houses near the ridge…"

"The ridge?" Replied the ghost. "Okay, thanks!"

"No prob-" Claire's eyes widened as the ghost pounced on the ground and ran to the shadows like a bear. "Wait!" Claire shouted.

"Don't leave me here!" She cried. A lot of questions popped up in her head. What were they looking for? What were they? Who was that person? It had a tail??? Was that a cosplay or not?

"Hey!" Claire, despite being clumsy---especially in the dark, ran after the ghost, again. "Maybe I can help you look for… whatever you're looking for?!"

"I don't think he can hear me." She bit the inside of her cheek. "C'mon!"

"How can you help me?" Said the ghost, who popped up behind her.

Claire suddenly jumped and tripped on a pile of cans. "Hoy!"

The ghost was now looming over her, she could not believe her eyes, nor all her senses. "This is so ridiculous," she thought.

"Do you know where the sanctuary is?" It interrogated her.

Claire tilted her head away, unable to bear the eerie aura that the ghost emitted. "I don't know where that is, but I can help you find it?"

"In exchange, can you help me get out this town?" She added.

The ghost growled, its long humongous tail slithered like a snake in the cold air. It thought for a second, what was it thinking?

"Okay," it answered. "Are you sure you want to help me?"

"…Yeah."

"Deep within the forest, there laid a trail where one could pass through unseen---and soon reach a ridge that leads to an abandoned town where the past was left to rot. There, one would find symbols etched onto the remnants of an era that flourished not long ago---they will be your guiding light that leads to a place where you and I belong. Venture to it if you must, but remember… time is not your friend."

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis),S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

A year ago, Claire scrolled through the internet using her laptop, reading some articles. She laid on her swivel chair looking up at the ceiling. Her feet climbed up on the seat, moving it an inch. Accidentally, she bumped into a pile of her old notebooks. "Oops." She grimaced.

Another conspiracy theory went viral. The group of text that flashed on her computer's screen were talking about the news of people going missing after growing some weird bumps on their body. Many people debated what the actual story and its purpose would be. Some said it was a hoax, others said it was a trafficking method or a hate crime, and others said… that those were some sort of non-humans that finally shapeshifted or grew wings.

People laughed at the individuals who publicly believed the last theory. Claire was one of them, she rolled her eyes and with a smirk she scoffed, "Ah, here we go again." When deep inside, her heart fluttered at the thought of its possibility. At the same time, it ached. Were those words drenched in deceit? She wouldn't dare to know. If fate would allow it, she would let an encounter fall in front her.

Well… Fate wouldn't have allowed it. But despite all odds, her hidden wish came true. It's like someone was watching her, pulling the strings, although she would not believe that. A fact like that would be too funny. As gold had a higher value than her existence, that's what she believes.

She was now in the forest, lost and alone. All because she chose to chase something that ran away from her. She glanced up at the sky, the warm hue slowly disintegrating---being replaced with a cold embrace. Gritty grunts were all that she could speak; her mind fought against the fatigue; pitiful she was, so weak. Stuck in an unfamiliar terrain, far away from her homes, like in her dream.

Her right hand covered her wounded face. It stung, the red scratches powdered with dirt. However, Claire was confused. Her frail fingers crawled all over her face---something bulged on her cheeks, forehead, and neck. Then her hands, her face scrunched. It was wrapped in white fabric. Bandages covered her entire body, no wonder she thought she couldn't move. In her imagination, she was merely a hopeless ghost trapped in her unwanted vessel. Unfortunately for her, she was still alive.

"Well…great." She sighed. Whispering under her labored breath, she scoffed, "I am so lucky! Now, where the hell am I?"

Endless clumps of trees stood in front of her view. Grass, rocks, leaves, and old tattered fabrics surrounded her. None could tell her where she was. She grabbed the skin of her chest. With a pale face, she did nothing else but continued breathing and stared at the land being devoured by darkness. "It's better if I don't move here, right?" She whispered, "I should've watched those survival videos until the end, damn it."

An eerie freezing breeze teased her skin. Crickets and the ferocious howls of the wind grew louder by each tick of a clock that she doesn't have. Her breathing, audibly unstable. Her free hand dug into her oak coat's pocket. She pulled out a phone and sighed in relief as it turned on, with no obvious cracks or dead pixels. She shook it sideways, again and again. With a worried laugh, her throat croaked. She continued to shake it, to the point that the phone's screen was the only light shining in her dark world. Her eyes began to sting with tears, which was her only source of warmth aside from her dwindling body heat. She whimpered. "Alex!" She screamed, "please, Alex."

Such ugly moans of despair echoed from her dry bleeding lips, "I can't do this again, please." The warm tears finally streamed down her cheeks. The ache from her heart, and the subtle maddening voices in her head eventually numbed her injuries. She drew her knees close to her chest, wrapping her shivering arms around them. Her frail fingers clutched the fabric of her long dirty wrinkled sleeves. Then, with a slow, trembling exhale, she hid her head from the unknown. "Not again… please." Her breath became visible in the small crevice that she made, along with the tears that glowed because of the lonely phone screen she loosely held---presenting a wallpaper of her, Jade, and Alex, making funny faces. It would've been calming to look at, if the battery wasn't so low and the signal wasn't inexistent.

Claire's nails dug into her sleeves, clutching tight on her skin each time the breeze whispered into her ear. Her head sunk deeper into her own flesh, with arms squeezing its sides, blocking out the horrific sounds. But that wasn't enough to block out all of the noise.

"There's no point in hiding," said a familiar voice. That voice with a light southern drawl.

"Shut up!" She shouted. "Just disappear, please!"

"I'm going to find you and make you pay, no matter what," it continued.

"NO!" Claire growled, accidentally biting her tongue. "Di-FUCK OFF!"

"Just be done with it already," she added, "end me for all I care, just stop this pointless shit. PLEASE."

She continued to cry. Her shameless wailing blended with the sound of crunching leaves. Claire's head perked up, eyes wide open---tears and snot overflowing. "Who's there?"

In the darkness, irregular sharp paws stole down a slope. Claire turned her head to every corner, flashing the faint light of her screen at the shadows. A deep hiss crawled from the air to her spine, climbing into her exposed ears. "Oh no…" Claire grimaced as she began to drag her body closer to the tree behind her. A sharp texture grazed the palm of her left hand. She could care less. Right now she has a new problem to deal with other than her own incomprehensible fear.

Can she survive whatever lurks in these woods? If there ever is one.

The wind howled once again, Claire's heels rose up from the ground, lips sealed shut. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to breathe in a calm and quiet manner. She barely stood up from her vulnerable position to crouch.

There was something growling, like a cat ready to fight. Claire remained steady, glaring at what she assumed to be the source of the sound. Her palms were sweaty, her phone was about to slip out of her hand. At that very moment, her sensitivity skyrocketed to her limits. Every pulse, every muscle, every drop of tear and sweat, and her loud beating heart. Her chest could explode at any minute. Painful it was, to feel each process that your body performs to function.

She gulped. Her legs grew impatient, she wanted to run so bad, but where would she go? The noise won't stop. Is it a creature out on a hunt perhaps? "If so, devour me quick please," she whispered to herself. She was smirking as she said that, imagining Alex lightly smacking her head.

Alone she stood in the middle of who knows where in the woods, waiting for either death or salvation. Expecting the former, she prepared herself for the pain that she instinctively cannot endure. The noise grew louder, and louder, until… it stopped.

Claire closed her eyes as a twig cracked behind her. Warmth radiated from her right. She gulped once again, slowly turning her upper body towards the sound of doom.

Nothing pounced on her, huh. Only the sound of the breeze and crickets remained. Carefully, she opened her right eye. There was only darkness. However, she raised a brow. "Huh?" She hummed. This darkness had a shape that contrasted from the environment's color. It's like that moment when you're in your bedroom and see that shadow that looks like a person, but is actually a pile of clothes. Well, Claire pointed her faint screen at said shadow. It was a decaying bush.

Somehow, a bit of fear flew off from Claire. Relieved, she placed down her phone. The screen was still pointing in that direction on its way down on the grass floor. As the light scanned the bush, Claire's eyes widened and glanced at two sharp glowing blue eyes staring at her with curiosity and patience.

She suddenly froze. "Hah."

"A ghost. Hm." She thought.

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis),S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

I had a dream. I was stuck in the woods once again. It's been a long time since I saw that old house, I could never escape from it. Such a horrible experience, walking through a path, only to end up seeing that building that filled my heart with absolute dread again, again, again, and again. I wonder, why do I keep having this dream?

After my countless attempts, I gave up and decided to take explore the house. It was so vivid, it's painful. Static became the main sensation of my vessel. Now, I couldn't leave the house, my surroundings became smaller. The wake up method did not work. I did not know what to do.

I went in further, darkness consumed my presence. I couldn't see anything but these tiny glowing red strings. It flowed like calm waves, like moths enamored by light. I tried to follow one of the strings, wrapping my fingers around it lightly. However, as I tried to do it, it flew away.

And then I woke up. I thought I would wake up in my bed or at the inn, sweating and gasping for air. Instead, I awoke in the middle of the forest, covered in dirt and bleeding scratches. The sun was setting. I wondered, "Damgo ini?"

Was this another dream?

DISCLAIMER: This chapter: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis), S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

A million drums were pounded by a powerful heavy thought. The cold morning air could not dry the nervous tears of a pale skinned woman short in breath. "Oh no," Claire whispered. In her room, every pillow got flipped, mattresses were undressed, luggage wide open, and the dusty insides of cabinets and drawers were exposed to spiders and tiny insects. "Where the heck is it?" She whimpered.

She ran to the bathroom, opening every container that could fit two of her hands wide open. "Ah!" She groaned. "Ah, haha!"

Walking back and forth in her room, she recalled the moment she woke up to open her bag that contained her personal recording equipment. It contained everything from a mic to a microchip reader. However… "Frick, frick—DAMN IT!" She shouted. "OF ALL THE THINGS I COULD'VE LOST," she despaired as her aching hands pulled her frizzy black hair, "MY CAMERA, WHY?!"

"Stupid!" She kicked the mattress. "Why am I so dumb?" Tears began to drip from her swollen eyes. She sighed and crouched. Her head glared at the fuzzy floor. "Ahaaaaaaaaay. Ughhhh."

"I wanna die," said she with a creepy grin as she cried in hopelessness. "I'm so so…"

Suddenly the door swung open. "Merlin?! What happened?" Asked Alex, whose eyes were open wide.

Claire wanted to face Alex. Yet, she turned to her right, pushing out her left hand—revealing her reddish palm. "Yeah, yeah, it's okay. I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Alex raised a brow.

Standing up, Claire revealed her back. Alex could hear her rubbing her nose while sniffling loudly. "Sorry, I seem to have caught a cold." Then she hiccupped. "Travel fever, haha." and then silence. She sneakily turned her head to her shoulder to take a peek at Alex, which revealed her poor face, swollen eyes, and dripping snot.

Alex frowned. He marched towards her, making Claire panic. She immediately hid her face and quickly wiped her face using her pajamas. In her head, echoed a scene where he mocked her for crying over a small thing, and another where he remained sympathetic but detached. While in reality, Alex looked around the room and fixed the bed. "What were you looking for? If you don't mind," he inquired.

Claire pursed her lips as her eyes glanced at the occupied Alex. "My camera," she answered. Her sticky fingers held and scratched the moist fabric of her shirt. "I can't find it anywhere."

"I see," said Alex. "I'll help you look for it." Then he glanced at Claire. "Do you know any other places where you could have left it?"

Claire's heart pounded. "I think in the forest we went to yesterday."

"Then I'll contact the guide," he replied, pulling out his fancy phone from his deep pocket.

Anxious, Claire bit her lips and marched towards Alex. "Thanks, but I don't want our budget for the project to be wasted on my misfortune, Alex." She sighed. Her right hand held the hair from her scalp like a snake on the loose. "Maybe I just misplaced it somewhere."

"But that camera is important for you." He raised a brow. "Isn't it important for Jade as well?"

She couldn't bear to look at his concerned eyes. "It is," she sighed again, "but who knows? Later I might just find it in my backpack!" She grinned, her lips crooked.

He rolled his eyes and sighed as well. "If you say so." He then yawned. He stretched his arms and began to pick up the pillows that fell on the floor. "Well, let's clean this place up so we can finish this film. Hopefully you'll find it later. If not, let me know. I'll lend you a hand."

Still grinning, Claire turned her head away from Alex. "Sureee," she replied with an unconvincing tone.

Time then passed. After cleaning the room and fixing themselves up, they ventured back into the woods. Claire opened the car's door on her right and stepped out of the van. The fresh air greeted the anxious Claire, who was comforted by its embrace. However, the comfort quickly went away when the voice of the familiar explorer crawled into her ears. She held her neck, that had nothing hanging on it.

"Heya!" Greeted the explorer, whose wide smile never faltered. "Back again to solve the mystery of the Thetis Lake Monster?" They chuckled.

Alex smirked as he got his camera off the back of the van. "Still don't know what that is."

Claire walked to Alex. "It's that hoax in the 70's about a creature that was actually inspired by some movie because some teen boys wanted to feel special."

Alex's eyes widened. Amused, he said, "You know about it, Merlin?"

"I did some research…" She answered, with her eyes stuck to the ground. "before going… here."

"I see…" Alex frowned. Claire acted like a ghost that was about to cease to exist as everyone grew to forget her. Paler than usual, more pale than Alex's marble skin. He crossed his fingers as they walked and followed the guide into a new spot.

Alex walked behind the explorer. He whispered to her, "Hey, hey, guide?" He then scrunched his face. "Actually, I'm sorry, but I seem to have forgotten to ask your name."

"It's Lor-" said the explorer, who instantly waved out her hand and stopped Alex's footsteps. "Stop!" She shouted.

Alex looked down to his feet. "What is it?" He asked.

"There's a rusty nail, I think." The explorer then smiled. "Good thing you did not step on it, did ya? Haha!" She sighed and placed her hand in front of Alex. "Call me Lorraine."

Alex shook her hand slowly as he stared at her in bewilderment. He pursed his lips and then replied, "Nice to meet you again, Lorraine."

"Same to you, Alex. So what was it you wanted to ask?"

"Uhm… well." He let go of Lorraine's hand and scratched his bald nape. "I was wondering if you happened to see a camera that was left behind?"

Lorraine tilted her head, still smiling. "Hm, camera?" She shook her head, "I do not think so."

"Really? Not anywhere in this abandoned town?" He frowned again.

"Sadly no, I may be a guide, but I'm not the guardian of this forest." She shrugged. "If it was indeed left behind here—in these woods, it would be picked up by some stranger and sent to the nearest mounted police." She then tilted her head on the other side. "Or worse…"

"Or worse?" Alex grimaced.

"It might've been stolen by the lake monster that now haunts this place."

He rolled his eyes. "Look, Lorraine. As much as I am fascinated by your tales… an important property was stolen. No one's going to believe that some fictional monster or ghost stole people's belongings!" He sighed. "Thanks for the tip about the police, but I'd rather not waste my time on some tales that are ruining my plan."

Lorraine scoffed. "Isn't this a documentary about this mythical creature?"

He scratched his nape again. "Yes." He then sighed. "But we're not here to prove the existence of some hoax like that Thetis Monster." He glared at her. "We're only here to present the truth."

"A boring truth, I may say," replied Lorraine.

Alex raised a brow, "What's wrong about the truth that may actually make people feel safe? Do you prefer having people worry about some creature running amok just because it's entertaining?" His glare deepened, trying to dig into Lorraine's condescending smile. "Sadly for you, Lorraine, we're not making a thriller story here."

Silence then filled their surroundings after Alex's fierce response. Lorraine remained smiling, while Alex combed his hair as if he was petting a cat. Only the sound of singing birds remained, flowing with the wind, calming the weak fire that erupted. Lorraine slowly closed her eyes, revealing six strips of unusually long pink eyelashes. Time began to walk, not run. The leaves floated down, and the grass took longer to wave to the other side. The clouds remained unmoved. The world then zoomed into a person that was nearly ignored by the narrative. Claire's attention stuck into something else. Like she was holding a red string as a leash tied around a creature's neck. This creature was holding something important.

The camera… clicked.

Alex flicked his head towards the sound. Claire took off without letting anyone know. Her feet stomped on the ground, breaking rotting leaves and fragile twigs. The air divided in the middle, providing a path for her to run. She passed by the trees and ignored the scream shouting, "Merlin!" She could not take her eyes off the running creature.

The creature had spiky hair, as if it was made of brown grass. It ran quickly, like a cat on the loose. It jingled with every pounce. Claire wondered what she was doing, and if this chase was worth it. The amount of flags and signs were getting less, nothing but trees beyond. She glanced at the ground as she leaped from the big crumbling roots, grass covered a path that ceased to exist. She sighed and quickened her pace. She shouted on top of her lungs, "Give me back my camera! GAGO KA!!!"

After damaging her vocal chords, "DIPUTA! IBALIK AKON CAMERA KAY BALION TA KA!" She tripped.

DISCLAIMER: This story has parts that has: Existentialism (Lots of existential crisis),S*icidal Ideation, Swearing (In multiple languages), and Gorey/Gory descriptions.

The serene forest took their breath away. The luscious vibrant green leaves, the brittle webbed tree trunks, and its mesmerizing swirling roots growing in and out of the ground. "And…click!" said Claire as her camera flashed and absorbed the scene. The trees were not the only staple of this hidden spot, there were more to be discovered. Claire and Alex walked in the woods, following the guidance of an explorer whose expertise are places abandoned by society. This explorer was quirky, wearing dark clothing that made her colorful style stand out. This style of hers included pink hair, cartoonish irises, and a very wide smile that reached her mangled ears. They all ventured around the woods, enjoying and taking in the beautiful view.

Alex marched behind the explorer as he observed his surroundings. They were on a trail leading to a ghost town, and as the title suggested, it was awfully quiet and barren. Nature reigned in this abandoned sanctuary---and some human tourists camped on the hillside to enjoy this peaceful and eerie atmosphere they could not experience in their urban homes. History, a tourist spot, what's new?

Alex asked the explorer, "Say, have you ever heard of the news of things going missing?"

"Sorry?" The explorer hummed. "You mean people going missing after growing some weird tumor on their body?"

Alex shook his head. "No? No, I meant people's things, here in this place." Then he raised his well-groomed eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" He added.

"Oh, it's just some conspiracy theory I saw that's going viral, my bad." Replied the explorer. "And people's things have indeed been going missing. We don't know who's the culprit, unfortunately."

"Some people say that they saw a creature with silvery scaled skin, sharp claws, and spikes on its head," the explorer added.

"Really?" Asked the bewildered Alex.

"Yep, although I'm pretty sure it's a hoax. You know, like that Thetis Lake Monster."

"No, I don't know about that."

"Eh? You should read about it." Said the explorer. "You'll see how much supernatural lore there is about our world. It shapes it, you know. Without it, we wouldn't exist."

"Okay…" replied Alex.

Soon they reached an abandoned house with its walls painted with illustrations made of spray paint. The explorer chuckled and ran towards the mural, then she began to present each detail to Alex. A blue portrait of a man covered the entire wall, Alex was in awe of how it looked, on the other hand, Claire was surprised and nearly lost her balance.

Her eyes widened. "Phew, I thought it was a giant insect," she thought. She stood behind the two, admiring the scenery. Holding the camera firm in her calloused hands, she held her head up. Birds flew over the tall trees, flying through the bright sky. The air danced around her, carrying the sweet melody of the birds, the rustling of the leaves, and the faint echoes of human chatter. She inhaled the cold fresh air deep into her weak lungs. Her eyelids slowly covered her vision. Her ears listened to the song of nature once again. The soft chirping of the crickets and birds, leaves crunching with each step---which must be Alex and the explorer, and a sudden screech. Claire immediately turned around and glared at the source of the sound, which was behind them. There laid nothing but grass and trees. Her eyes widened again, and a stake pounced on her heart, metaphorically.

She leaned on her right, staring at the vague path between the trees. Again, there was nothing but the soil of the Earth. She sighed and turned around to be with Alex and the explorer, however, she stood still. "Where… are they?" She said,

"Alex?" She called out. No one answered. Her face grimaced. Frantic, she looked around the forest without trying to leave the abandoned house. There was no sign of them. Claire could barely look for footprints at the ground covered in grass with her nearsighted eyes. She sighed and her attention then dwelled within her mind. She began to remember her dream where she was also stuck in the same predicament, only that in the dream, she walked down the clear path and attempted to leave the house. The path led her to return to the house, over and over. She could never escape. It was also the same in real life, when she got lost in the forest with her dear friend Jade, escaping from that madman. It was a sad realization for her, she could never survive alone, could she?

"Merlin?" Said a concerned voice.

Claire looked up and saw Alex towering her. His face was painted with worry. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Dying," she nonchalantly replied. "Where were you?!"

"We were down that path. I thought you were following us!"

Claire scoffed as she slowly stood up and stepped away from the wall. "Sorry, I thought I saw something over there."

Alex held her hand. "What did you see?"

"Nothing, it was probably just some animal or something."

"Okay…" Alex pursed his lips, and his eyes were still filled with worry. However, inside, he was relieved.  "I saw a hiker over there we can interview," he added, "shall we?"

Claire nodded after patting the dust off of her coat. "Yeah, let's go." 

And off they went forward on the trail, leaving behind the first abandoned house they saw behind them. Soon, they arrived at a camping site of some random hikers. Their small tents circled on an empty patch, surrounding a small pile of logs with ashes.

"Hello there!" One of the hikers greeted them. They walked closer to Claire, making her appear like a child. Claire was amazed and pissed off at the same time about their significant difference in height. An alien was how she felt being surrounded by humongous western people.

"Good morning dear Sirs!" Alex greeted back. "Me and my colleague here are wondering if you and your group here are willing to answer a few questions?"

The hiker hummed in thought. He looked at his fellow hikers who then said, "Sure!"

They all sat around the pile of logs, except for the explorer who leaned on a tree, still smiling wide. The hiker hunched, with his clasped hands hovering over a gap between his hairy legs. "We're a frequent hiker here and we've always kept our utilities in check," he whispered. "However, this past month, whenever night fell and we rested in our tents, our belongings would disappear. We could hear growling and the zipper of our bags opening. Then when we checked our belongings in the morning, only our food and clothing went missing." He sighed. "We thought it was just some critters, until one night I saw what it was with my own two eyes."

"What was it?" Asked Claire, whose face appeared smug and skeptical.

The hiker chuckled. "I know you don't believe me, and I won't force you to. I only hope you won't experience an encounter with it." He sighed again and frowned. "That night, we had an idea to use our bags as pillows instead, so we slept on it. I was about to fall asleep when suddenly, I saw a ghost who went inside our tent."

Claire raised her thick eyebrow. "Mhm…" she hummed with a doubtful tone.

The hiker continued, "I thought it was a ghost, until I saw its claws sinking into my leg. It got into our tent, going after our bags. I saw its sharp blue eyes glowing out of its gigantic spiky fur. It stared at me, as if it knew it was caught. Then it ran away." Suddenly, the hiker tilts his hairy leg towards Claire and Alex to show deep red marks. "This was where it dug its claws."

Claire's face scrunched. "Those look like bite marks," she quietly muttered under her breath.

"Woah, it really happened?" Alex gasped. "It's fortunate that you're alive!"

The hiker retracted his feet. He replied, "Yeah, who knew what could've happened to me that night?"

"Yeah, who knows?" Claire frowned, which the courteous Alex noticed. It was a subtle hint of annoyance, hidden underneath her tired---but focused and somewhat polite face. She casually hugged her waist and leaned towards the hiker as she nodded after every sentence. Alex raised an eyebrow while he continued to watch Claire and listen to the eerie tale of the hiker at the same time. Soon, after a few minutes, the interview ended. Claire sat up from the chair and slightly bowed as she thanked the hikers for their time. Alex did the same as well, minus the bow. Then they returned, with the assistance of the explorer. Claire let out a deep sigh when they reached the van. The explorer then parted ways with them, waving farewell with that same wide smile. Before fully departing, Claire witnessed the explorer whisper "Amor…" which made her scrunch her face like it would help her see some faraway subtitles that don't exist. After that, the explorer faded like the wind.

Claire and Alex were alone, preparing to go back to their inn. However, the sun was in the middle of the sky and their stomachs were rumbling. "Wanna eat?" Said Alex, who was inside the van, offering Claire her own lunch box through the open car door. 

Claire, with an absent consciousness, reluctantly accepted the food. "Thanks," she whispered.

Alex then sat down on the doorway of his vehicle and ushered Claire to sit next to him. Without hesitation, he opened his lunch box and began to eat his food---which consisted of well-balanced ingredients. Claire soon followed suit and opened hers. A bomb of warm savory scents and flavors exploded on her famished being. Rice and a fluffy omelet with a mixture of sweet tomatoes---and only that, a simple but perfect meal for her. With her shiny spoon, she did not dig in just yet, but she checked the crevices of the dish for a certain transparent bluish crescent, onions. She trusted Alex and she was grateful for what he made, however habits are not very easy to ignore. After checking, Claire sighed and smiled. Her spoon punctured the egg, grabbed a tiny part of it along with a scoop of rice. She munched and munched, devouring her lunch. Meanwhile, Alex, who paused eating, glanced at Claire with a curious and serious glare.

He asked, "Are you okay, Merlin?"

Claire replied, "Myeah, mmm." She was still munching. "Why'd you ask?"

"It's just…" Alex groaned. "You don't appear to be comfortable with what we're doing right now."

She scoffed. "I think I'm okay with eating your cooking, Al."

"I-" He pursed his lips. "I'm serious, Merlin. I'm starting to think this was a bad idea."

Chuckling, she waved her hand and gave Alex a bewildered look. "Tell me. This job was assigned to us, correct?"

"Yes," he replied helpfully.

"So then it's our responsibility." Claire smirked. "I'm fine, Alex."

Alex frowned. "Are you sure? I don't want you to sacrifice your well-being for the sake of money."

Claire rolled her eyes as she stood up, holding the lunch box with her hands. "I am fine, I swear." She then let out a long sigh. "Plus, who doesn't sacrifice themselves for the sake of money? Even if that isn't what I am after…" Suddenly, she shrugged and climbed into the van. "The only time I'll truly be fine is when I pass and no one will find…" She mumbled under her breath.

Alex's ears perked up, he glared at Claire. "What was that, Merlin?"

Her eyes widened. "Nothing!" Then with a chuckle she tells Alex to hurry up, "Get in the car seat, Al. We still have a lot of work to do!" She wailed.

Alex scratched and combed his hair with his neat fingers. "Alright, alright." He said. "I just have to double check if we left some things behind." He looked at the trunk and inspected their belongings, everything appeared to be there, at least. Then at the car seat, he sat down and asked Claire, "What about you? Have anything missing?"

"Me?" Asked Claire, who had to pull out an earphone from her ear that's being blasted with loud mind-breaking music. "Well, I think everything's checked. I still feel like I'm missing something, so that probably means I'm not missing anything. I already double checked when you did."

"Okay." Alex smiled. "So we’re good to go?"