“Oh my gosh, who’s this cutie?”

Sadie beamed at the boy clinging to Harlen’s sleeve, no older than twelve.

“My little brother, Haskiel,” Harlen replied, his voice dipping as his gaze fell to the ground. “We live alone. I asked the neighbors to watch him for the day, but no one could, so… I had to bring him.”

Sadie crouched a little, offering Haskiel a warm smile. “Aw, no problem. It’s an adventure—he can join in the fun.”

Harlen nodded once. “Yeah… so, are we waiting on someone else?”

“Tasunee,” Sadie answered.

“Tasunee? You said she wasn’t coming.”

“She changed her mind,” Sadie replied

"I never understand her—one moment she calls this trip ridiculous, the next she’s all in.”

Harlen said with a faint shrug.

Sadie tilted her head, half amused. “Yeah, she’s hard to read.”

.

.

.

When Tasunee finally arrived, the group set off. The hills circling the city were laced with narrow footpaths carved by locals over generations. They followed them up toward the summit, where a long-forgotten forest awaited, rumored to hide the mythical flower.

The climb left everyone breathless. At the top, the forest spread before them, vast and suffocatingly dense. A cold wind rushed through the towering trees, carrying the damp scent of moss and decay.

“Damn,” Akari muttered, staring into the sea of green. “This is going to take forever.”

“I knew it was big,” Sadie admitted, “but this is massive.”

Beside Harlen, Haskiel shrank closer to his brother and whispered, “This place… it reminds me of back then. I’m scared.”

Harlen stiffened. “Haskiel—don’t. That’s in the past. We’ll be fine.”

The boy nodded silently, gripping Harlen’s arm tighter.

Sadie pulled out her phone. “Wow, no network.”

Tasunee arched an eyebrow. “You were actually expecting signal out here?”

“Well, it’s not that far from the city, is it?”

“It is,” Tasunee said flatly.

Sadie blinked at the endless stretch of trees. They were farther from the city than she realized.

“Whatever,”

she muttered, slipping the phone back into her pocket as they stepped beneath the canopy.

.

.

.

The deeper they went, the more the forest seemed to close in. Trees twisted into each other, their branches clawing at the dim shafts of light that managed to pierce the canopy. What little sunlight reached the ground was a muted green, and the air was heavy with the strange scent of rain and roses.

“Is the flower a rose?” Sadie asked, sniffing the air. “Because I can definitely smell roses.”

“According to my grandma, it’s a columbine,” Harlen said.

“What color?” Tasunee asked.

“No clue. Maybe purple, maybe blue.”

They walked in uneasy silence, following no real path. Tasunee, Harlen, and Haskiel led the way while Sadie lingered behind, snapping photos. Akari kept pace with her, unwilling to leave her alone.

After a while, Tasunee slowed, a frown creasing her face. “You know what? It feels like we’re just wandering in circles—” She glanced back and froze.

The trail behind her was empty.

“Sadie? Akari?” Her voice echoed through the trees.

Harlen spun around, scanning the path. “Sadie! Akari!” He shouted, but no answer came.

Tasunee’s blood ran cold. Her breath hitched as a single thought clawed at her mind: I’m alone. In the middle of nowhere. With two men I barely know.

“You okay?” Harlen asked, his voice distant, unreadable.

“Let’s… let’s find them,” Tasunee managed, forcing her legs to move. She led the way back down the trail, her pulse thundering in her ears. Harlen and Haskiel followed in silence.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, Sadie and Akari were still walking.

Ahead of them, Tasunee, Harlen, and Haskiel drifted between the trees, their shapes hazy in the shifting green light.

Sadie frowned, slowing her pace. “They’re walking so fast… don’t you think?”

Akari glanced up at the distant figures. “Yeah,” he said quietly, “but they’re right there. We’ll catch up.”

The three silhouettes didn’t turn. Their footsteps made no sound, but the forest still whispered with the rustle of leaves—always just a few steps ahead.

Sadie lifted her camera, hesitated, then lowered it again. “Weird… I could’ve sworn the path was different a second ago.”

Akari didn’t answer.