They stepped out of the tent for a moment. Ruth’s mind felt wrung dry from everything that had happened earlier, and still, she had no answers.
She even remembered hearing a voice the moment they entered the forest—
“You finally arrived, sister.”

She squeezed her eyes shut as a dull ache throbbed at her temples. The excitement she’d felt that morning had completely vanished, replaced by a heavy anxiety about what the next three days would bring.

All she wanted now was to go home and sleep. But she was already here. Like it or not, there was no turning back.

Their tent was set near the teachers’ area, while the boys’ campsite lay far down the other side of the trail. They had passed the same forest road where two siblings were found murdered not long ago—far from their hometown. The news had exploded everywhere because of how brutal the crime was. She remembered the reports clearly…
riddled with bullets.

“Ruth!”
She turned. Thalia was marching toward her, annoyance clear on her face.

“I’ve been calling you. Are you okay?” she asked, brows knitted.

Thalia wasn’t boastful, but she could be strict when she cared about someone.
“Sorry, my mind’s still all over the place,” Ruth replied with a weak smile.

Thalia just sighed. “Teacher said we should rest first.”

They headed back to the tent, where the girls who would be with them for the next three days were settling in. Mats were rolled out, blankets folded, bags tucked into corners. Thalia’s sleeping spot was right beside Ruth’s.

“There’s gonna be a bonfire tonight,” Ericka said while smoothing out her blanket.

“Oh? I wanna go ghost hunting later!” Kim chirped, eyes sparkling. “They say there are so many wandering souls here. And girls have disappeared in this forest—plural, ha.”

Christine rolled her eyes. “You’ll just scare yourself. We don’t know this place. And this forest isn’t something to joke about.”

Ericka nodded, scrolling through her phone. “Better follow the teachers. They know what they’re doing.”

Ruth and Thalia stayed quiet. Thalia’s attention was glued to her phone.

“Hey… di ba naglo-low signal dito?” Ruth asked.

“Surprisingly, no,” Thalia said. “Super stable.”

“Maybe may tower nearby,” Ericka added.

Ruth just nodded and yawned.
“I’ll sleep for now. Wake me when the activity starts, Ta.”

“Okay,” Thalia said softly.

Ruth knocked out instantly. She was beyond exhausted.

Sweetie, wake up.

Something tapped her cheek.

She didn’t want to be disturbed. Faint laughter echoed around her—probably her tentmates, she thought.

Sweetie… wake up.

The voice came again, gentle, coaxing.

A warm palm stroked her cheek. Startled, Ruth opened her eyes.

Strangers were gathered around her.

A woman leaned in, smiling warmly.
“Sweetie,” she said again.

Ruth froze.

It was the same voice she’d heard when they entered the forest.

The woman’s smile was tender, almost familiar in a way Ruth couldn’t explain. She tried to recognize her face, but her mind came up blank.

The woman pulled her into a tight embrace.
“You’re here too, Sweetie,” she whispered.

A cold ripple crept down Ruth’s spine. She pulled away—
Only to find the woman’s appearance shifting.

Her skin bruised. Her uniform bloodied.
And she was wearing the same school uniform as Ruth.

“We’ve waited so long for you,” the woman murmured, her smile dipping into sorrow.
“Chesca… Sweetie… you’ll remember us.”

Chesca?

Ruth’s stomach dropped.
Is she talking to me?
That’s not my name.

“You will save us… in this world.”

The woman began to fade like mist dissolving into the air.

Ruth jolted upright, drenched in sweat. Her cheeks tingled. Her forehead felt cold.

“Are you okay?” one of the girls asked, concern replacing her earlier chatter.

Ruth nodded faintly. Her throat was dry. Her thoughts refused to settle.

She lay back down, staring at the fabric of the tent above her.

Sleep didn’t return.
Only questions—
more of them, multiplying in the dark.