The clock showed three in the morning.
The second bus carrying the group of students felt quiet. Most of the passengers were fast asleep, only the roar of the bus engine filling the silence. The smell of air conditioning mixed with the scent of sleepiness. In the front seat, William, a young lecturer and advisor, slept leaning against the window, his head slightly tilted.
The bus continued to drive through the dark mountain roads, its headlights reflecting the shadows of trees on the right and left sides of the road. A thin layer of fog began to descend, obscuring the view.
Without warning, the bus shook slightly. Its speed slowed down gradually until it finally stopped with a soft screech of brakes.
Ciiittt...
William's body jerked slightly, but he did not wake up immediately. Several seats behind him shook, and someone muttered in their sleep. Then, silence.
The bus driver looked down at the front, his face tense. He was silent for a few seconds before standing up from his seat and walking hurriedly towards William's seat.
"Excuse me, sir... Excuse me..."
The hurried voice shook him awake. William opened his eyes slowly, half annoyed, half confused. A middle-aged man in a driver's uniform stood in the narrow aisle of the bus, his face tense.
"What's wrong, Mr. Driver?" William asked hoarsely.
"You have to see this. I... I don't understand anymore," replied the driver in a trembling voice.
William took a deep breath, trying to calm his still half-conscious mind. He rose from his seat, his posture straight with broad shoulders covered by a dark blue casual jacket. His face showed maturity despite his young age, with slightly messy black hair that gave him a relaxed look. He looked different from most students' image of a 'lecturer'.
"Okay, I'll come with you,"
He glanced at the row of seats for a moment, making sure no one had woken up because of the noise. The young faces were still fast asleep, unaware that something strange was waiting outside.
The driver walked first, followed by William. As soon as he reached the bus door, the cold air hit his face. His gaze fell on a scene that stunned him, a vast expanse of grass stretching as far as the eye could see, covered in a thin but thick white fog in some spots.
In the distance, the silhouette of the first bus was faintly visible, stopped not far from their position. Several people were seen getting off, standing stiffly while looking in all directions.
William blinked, trying to convince himself that this was not just the effect of sleepiness. The paved road they had traveled on a few hours ago was nowhere to be seen. There were no road signs, no city lights, only a sea of grass and fog that felt unnatural.
This... is not a highway, he thought, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"How did we get here?" he muttered softly.
The driver swallowed hard. "I don't understand either, sir. The road was straight. Suddenly, thick fog covered the road. I kept the steering wheel straight. But when the fog cleared, we were already here..."
"And the road?" William's voice sounded more assertive.
"Nothing, sir. I checked earlier... no asphalt. No markings. Just dirt and grass."
William took a deep breath, trying to calm down. He stepped down from the bus door. Wet grass touched his leather shoes. Not even the sound of crickets could be heard—only the cold wind that felt strange.
Soon, the first bus driver approached, his face pale. His story was the same about the fog, the straight road, and suddenly the grassland. Even worse, his cell phone had no signal, the GPS was dead, and the map was blank.
William quickly took out his cell phone. The screen only displayed a gray map icon with no direction, no clues. Only emptiness. He bit his lower lip, feeling the tension begin to press on his chest.
"Maybe this is just a blank spot..." he said softly, more to calm himself than to answer anyone else.
William returned to the bus. In a soft but firm voice, he woke up a young female guide who was also participating as a counselor on the second bus. Her face was still half asleep, but it immediately turned serious when she heard William's brief explanation. The two of them then got out and met several senior guides from the first bus who had been standing anxiously near the vehicle.
Soon, they gathered in a small circle on the cold grass, their voices low but full of anxiety. Words were exchanged, guess after guess was made, but none of them made sense.
Fog, a missing road, a blank map where everything defied logic.
Meanwhile, several students who had been awakened by their voices opened the window curtains. Upon realizing the unfamiliar scene outside, a small commotion began to break out.
Inside the bus, Raven was still asleep, as if the world outside held no meaning. However, his sleep this time was far from peaceful. A strange dream consumed him, a dream different from the usual ones.
In his dream, he saw a woman. It seemed as if they were spending time together, laughing, sharing a warmth he had never felt before.
The woman's face was blurred, but Raven could feel her happiness. That smile... that laughter... felt so real, as if she were really there in front of him.
The sky, which had been clear, suddenly darkened. The wind carried the smell of iron and death. The peaceful scene collapsed, turning into a field of slaughter. Bodies were scattered, blood flowing like an endless red river.
In the midst of that sea of death, Raven knelt. In his arms was the woman from his dream. Her body was weak, her skin pale, and a gaping wound in her stomach. Warm blood soaked the ground, seeping into Raven's trembling fingers.
"Don't speak... please, don't speak anymore..." His voice was hoarse, almost breaking. But the woman's lips kept moving, forming words he couldn't hear.
Then, just before her eyes closed, the woman smiled a gentle smile that pierced Raven's heart like a dagger.
A sentence came out in a hoarse voice, full of blood, but it sounded clear like a whisper in his ear.
"Jin... dear... please... stay alive..."
Raven jolted awake, his breath ragged, cold sweat soaking his body. His chest rose and fell uncontrollably, as if he had just returned from hell.
"Bro, are you okay?" Kyle's panicked voice sounded beside him.
Raven stared blankly, then felt something warm flowing from the corner of his eye. Tears. He didn't even know why he was crying. That woman... who was she? Why was her face unclear, but felt so close?
"Eh... Raven, are you crying?" Kyle looked at him in surprise, his voice loud enough to attract the attention of others.
But before Raven could answer, a sharp, piercing pain shot through her head, like thousands of needles stabbing her at once. Her vision blurred, her breathing became ragged.
"AAAHHHHHHH!!!" She screamed, her voice echoing throughout the bus.
She grabbed her hair with both hands, her body writhing wildly in her seat, her breath catching in her throat.
"Raven! Bro, calm down! Hey!" Kyle tried to hold him back, but Raven struggled, his eyes red and wild like someone in pain beyond human limits.
"Hana, call the counselor!" someone shouted from the back.
Hana stood stiffly, her face pale. Her hand reached out hesitantly, wanting to help but her body trembled. "R-Raven..." she called softly, almost inaudibly.
Karin and Lisa immediately ran out of the bus after seeing the situation, shouting for the counselors, while the other students could only stare with pale faces, confusion mixed with fear. Raven continued to scream, trapped in pain that no one understood.