A tree, Forest, and a beginning.

It was a bright, slightly cloudy morning. A gentle breeze drifted through the air, carrying with it a crisp coolness, while sunlight bathed the rolling, grass-covered terrain. Even to the untrained eye, it was the kind of morning that felt like a sign an invitation to embrace the day. Especially for mountain climbers seeking to satisfy their hunger for new heights, this was the perfect omen.

Terumoto Maeda would never dream of letting it pass.

With a red backpack loaded with all the necessary gear and a gray jacket zipped tight around him, he was ready to challenge yet another Japanese peak.

His steps were steady, each footfall confident and assured. Occasionally, his gaze dropped to the trail ahead he had begun to ascend a particularly steep stretch. His goal was to reach a few of the mountain’s higher ridges before noon. But soon, his pace slowed as he noticed a flat stone nearby. Taking the chance to rest, he sat and pulled a water bottle from a side pouch. The cool water trickled down his throat, refreshing him almost instantly.

Then—

“Hey, Yasuke! Hurry up! That summit’s not gonna wait forever!” Maeda called out teasingly to his friend trailing behind.

“Cut me some slack! My legs are dying here!” Yasuke shouted back, massaging his calves.

Although Maeda often climbed solo, today he was accompanied by two of his university friends Yasuke and Araki. Both were newcomers to the climbing world, and it showed.

“I seriously don’t get how you're walking up this steep trail like it’s nothing, and still smiling like you just won the lottery. Are you part yeti or something?” Araki called out.

“Maybe?” Maeda grinned.

“But honestly, what keeps me going is how every climb reminds me of those fantasy movies I love.”

“If the air wasn’t this cold, I’d be hiking wearing a clothes like the main characters from the “ The Ring Bearer” films.” he added with a laugh.

“You and your fantasy obsession really need to be studied, you know that?” Araki retorted.

Maeda laughed heartily, until he saw it.

A tree stood near the edge of the cliffside path. Unlike the other trees around, this one felt... different. There was something off about it. Something in the way it stood, as if it didn’t quite belong.

“Sir, if your friend’s in pain, I’d recommend giving him a heat patch. If you have one, I can help apply it,” offered the porter walking with them.

“No need, I’ll bring it to him myself,” Maeda replied, rising from the stone and fishing out a patch from his jacket pocket.

But then—

“Ah…”

Maeda’s body wavered, though he felt no fatigue. His body was in good condition—he was sure of it.

But the unsteadiness didn’t come from within.

It came from outside.

Suddenly, Maeda’s upper body pitched forward, as if something had yanked him off balance. He staggered toward the edge. His feet scrambled to find solid footing, but his loaded backpack worked against him, dragging him down.

Instinctively, he reached out toward his friends but they were too far to grab him in time. The porter, standing in a better position, could have reached him, unfortunately his position doesn’t make it possible

Time slowed for Maeda. He caught a flash of Yasuke’s face twisted in horror, saw Araki lurch to his feet, the porter’s expression frozen in shock.

And just before his sight dipped beyond the edge, his eyes locked onto that strange tree once more.

There glowing from cracks in its bark was a light. A soft, golden-yellow hue came from within, almost as if the tree was breathing light beneath its wooden skin.

Even in the face of wonder, fate remained unmoved.

THUD!

Maeda’s body slammed into the slope below, rolling violently down the incline. Fortunately, his overstuffed pack cushioned some of the impact, keeping him from tumbling completely out of control.

But gravity had claimed him.

He tried to grab at anything—leaves, twigs, grass, the earth itself. Nothing held. He kept sliding, bouncing off rocks and uneven earth. Pain rippled through him with every hit.

Then, a sharp jolt.

His body struck a large stone, launching him sideways into the air. His vision blurred. Darkness crept in.

And just before it took him, his eyes caught one last sight.

That glowing tree.

                                                                                           -

“HUH!?”

A sharp pain pierced through Maeda’s head, making him awake. Instinctively, his upper body shot upright.

“Ugh…”

The sudden motion, combined with the throbbing in his head, sent his vision spinning. He instinctively reached out, searching for something to lean on, hoping to steady himself and quiet the dizziness.

“Phew…”

As the spinning slowly faded, Maeda began to take in his surroundings, trying to grasp where he was—and how far he might have fallen.

“Where… is this?”

He found himself lying in a shallow depression at the base of a massive tree. The hollow was deep enough that shadows clung to its edges. He ran his hand over the ground around him—soft with lush green grass, scattered with moss-covered stones. It was dark, but not oppressively so. His eyes were drawn to a opening above, where sunlight poured through a gap in the canopy, illuminating the space where he had landed.

With his head finally feeling clear, Maeda began patting himself down, checking for wounds or anything unusual.

“…Okay, that’s weird.”

Despite the fall, there wasn’t a single bruise or cut. No sharp pain, no broken bones. Even his head though aching seemed intact. Still, something felt off. He scratched at the spot where the strange sensation pulsed and noticed a stain on his fingernail.

At first, he thought it was just dirt. But when he looked closer—

Dried blood.

Startled, Maeda ran his fingers over his scalp again, more carefully this time. But no matter how many times he checked, he found no wound. Not even a scratch. If the blood wasn’t his… then who was it? Could someone have tried to help him? Or worse could some animal have dragged him here?

A chill ran down his spine.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Maeda decided to climb out of the hollow. His gaze returned to the opening where the sunlight spilled through. Tossing his backpack up first, he grabbed hold of a thick root dangling from the edge and began to climb, using the other gnarled roots for support. Fortunately, the opening was wide enough for him to squeeze through without trouble.

Once he pulled himself up and back onto solid ground, he stood slowly, expecting to see familiar terrain—perhaps the cliffside, or his friends calling his name.

But instead—

A different land.

Different trees.

Even the scent of the air was different.

Nothing around him resembled the steep slope or rocky mountain path he remembered. He was surrounded by a dense, vibrant forest. Towering trees stretched as far as the eye could see, birds chirped overhead, and shafts of golden sunlight broke through the leafy canopy. It would have been a picturesque vacation spot—if not for the unsettling truth:

Maeda had no idea where he was.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out his smartphone. Just as he feared—no signal. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his neck.

“This is seriously bad…” he muttered, scratching his head.

“Thank god I still have my gear…”

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and pulled a compass from the pocket of his jacket. He flipped it open and began aligning himself with the rising sun, marking east. Maybe—just maybe—if he followed that direction, he’d find someone… anyone.

“I hope my luck still with me right now.”

With that, Maeda took his first steps into the unknown, the forest swallowing the sound of his footsteps as he disappeared between the trees.

-

Maeda stepped onto a green forest path, his footsteps quiet against the soft ground. Tall, sturdy trees stood firmly on either side of him like guardians of the woods. As he walked, he didn’t see a single man-made trail—nor a river, nor any sign of civilization. The path itself was undeniably beautiful, almost calming in its untouched charm. But the fact that he hadn’t encountered a single human make him feels uneasy, no matter how often birdsong filled the air along his journey.

He continued heading east, using the sun’s position as a guide, but still found no one. He shouted for his friends. He called out for help. No response ever came. Eventually, he resigned himself to the bitter fact: he had fallen into some unknown, far-off place. Lost in thought, Maeda suddenly heard the rustle of bushes nearby. He stopped in his tracks and looked around for the source—and sure enough, the underbrush was moving.

At first, hope surged in his chest. Maybe someone was there. But just as he prepared to approach, the memory of the dried blood flashed in his mind.

It could be an animal. A predator.

Maeda took a cautious step back and hid behind another bush, lowering himself while placing a hand over his mouth to silence his breath. His eyes scanned the area, focusing on the shaking bush ahead.

From his position, he couldn’t reach the knife in his backpack without making noise, so instead, he reached toward a nearby fallen branch that looked sturdy enough to be used as a weapon. Slowly, carefully, he pulled it toward himself.

To his surprise, the branch was long—about half the length of his body. Relief washed over him. Maybe luck was still on his side.

"I need to get out of here."

With that thought, Maeda made up his mind to escape the area. Holding the branch tightly, he stood up and dashed in the opposite direction—pushing through leaves, vines, and low-hanging branches that slapped against his face and clothes.In his mind, he could almost feel the creature chasing after him, tearing through the brush just as fast. He ran, and ran. Until His eyes dropped to the ground ahead.

“Crap!”

He had been running too fast to notice the terrain shift. His foot hit a slope—and he tumbled once more.His body rolled down, but this time, the slope was not as steep as before. Eventually, he came to a stop with a painful impact against the earth.

Pain surged across his body—but fear still burned hotter.

Ignoring the aching in his limbs, Maeda forced himself back onto his feet and kept running, still clutching the branch as he run deeper into the forest.

-

“Haah… haaah… haaah…”

Maeda rested both hands on his knees, leaning against a tree, an empty plastic water bottle lying by his left foot. Running blindly had drained his strength. He had no idea how long he had been running, but judging by how weak his legs felt, it must have been quite a while.

A thought came into into his mind—maybe whatever was hiding beyond the grass wasn’t a wild beast after all, but some other kind of animal. Or perhaps it was nothing but his own mind playing tricks on him.

As much as he hated to admit it, fear had dragged him into this situation. What was done was done, and there was no going back. Now that the aching in his body had begun to fade, he straightened up and started walking east from where he stood.

He kept heading east, hoping that somewhere along the way, he would run into another human being. With the sky now painted in shades of orange, the idea of spending the night alone in the middle of the forest was anything but amusing.

“Tlonge… levkan ad… ad kev…”

Maeda froze.

His steps halted, and he held his breath.

Somewhere in the darkening forest, a voice reached his ears. Was he really hearing someone… or was his imagination at it again?

But this time, he was certain—it was a human voice.

Without hesitation, Maeda dashed toward the direction of the sound, climbing up a steep slope that forced him to use both hands and hunch forward to make progress. The higher he climbed, the more voices he heard—more than one person now. A spark of hope flickered inside him—could this be a rescue team?

At last, he reached the top, only to find a thick wall of bushes blocking his view. The voices were now crystal clear, speaking in a language he did not recognize. Maeda pushed aside some of the branches, trying to get a glimpse of what lay ahead.

“I BEG YOU! Let him go!”

“He’s done nothing to you!”

“Silence!!!”

What Maeda saw was not a rescue team, but a hostage situation.

Beyond the bushes stretched a dirt path lined with three broken-down horse-drawn wagons. Several bodies lay scattered among them. Three men stood in the middle of it all, dressed in rough animal hides. The one in the center held an elderly man as a hostage, while the other two pointed their daggers toward a group of five people standing before them.

“We’ll let him go if you drop your weapons!” shouted the man holding the old man, panic etched across his face.

“Not gonna happen, friend. How about you let the poor old man go, and we let you walk away?” replied one of the armed men surrounding the trio.

“DON’T MESS WITH US!” shout the hostage-taker. “I’ll drive this dagger into his throat—I’m not bluffing!” The blade’s tip hovered dangerously close to the old man’s neck.

“I BEG YOU, PLEASE DON’T!”

From one of the broken wagons, a young boy suddenly emerged, screaming in desperation.

………

“…What in the world… is going on here?” Maeda thought from behind the bushes.