"Ouch! I think a snake bit my ass!"
A tall boy yelped, clutching his rear in panic. He had spiky, messy black hair and sharp red eyes that flared wide in alarm. With a sculpted build and a jawline that could cut steel, he looked like a model student—aside from the way he was hopping in place and whining.
"Bruh... darling, I'm not in the mood for jokes right now."
The voice came from a girl shorter than him, her black hair falling to her neck. A thin red thread was braided into her bangs, right above her left temple, catching the soft glow of their phone lights. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with annoyance. She wore the same high school uniform as him.
The two of them—Enix and Nki—were walking through a dense, dark jungle with only their phone flashlights to guide them. Nki led the way, her pace steady. Enix trudged behind her, still rubbing his backside.
"I'm not joking, Nki! I think something bit my butt... huhuhu," he whined with a pout.
Nki let out a groan and spun around, her eyes narrowed in frustration.
"Turn around. Let me see," she ordered, phone in hand.
Enix hesitated, slowly turning around while muttering, "If it was a poisonous snake... then you should suck the poison out of my ass."
Without a word, Nki shined her light at his backside—and immediately spotted the culprit. A single ant, still clinging defiantly.
"Oh, it's just an ant," she muttered.
With a sigh, she raised her leg and wham! kicked him square in the butt.
"OW! What was that for?!" Enix cried as he tumbled forward, eating dirt.
She stared at him with a look of pure exhaustion. "I'm so tired of you. And why the hell are we even doing this dumb thing?"
Picking himself up, Enix brushed leaves off his uniform and shrugged. "I don't know. It was the class's idea to do a test of courage while we were camping."
Nki turned and resumed walking, her voice dripping with annoyance. "What a pain... And why was I even paired with someone like you?"
Enix clutched his chest dramatically. "Huh?! Why are you saying that?! Aren't you happy to be with your boyfriend? I'm here to protect you, after all!"
She shot him a glance, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm being protected by someone who thinks he's going to die from an ant bite on the butt."
"Bruh..." Enix gasped in mock pain.
They walked side by side through the forest, silence settling in between sarcastic banter. Eventually, they stopped in front of a massive tree. Two paths split off from there—one to the right, and the other to the left. A worn, weathered sign was nailed to the tree, but the dirt and moss made it unreadable.
"Uhhh... where are we supposed to go now?" Nki asked, staring at the paths.
"They said to meet at the shrine on the top of the hill... but which way leads to the shrine?" she added, glancing around.
Enix gave her a confident smirk. "It's the right."
Nki raised a brow. "How are you so sure?"
"Because right is always right!" he declared proudly, giving her a thumbs-up.
She stared at him, deadpan. "I think I should dig your grave here, darling."
"Don't worry, just believe me! It's right!"
Nki sighed. "Alright, alright. But if we get lost... remember, I'll eat you."
Enix stared at her in horror. "Cannibalism...?"
"What did you say?" she asked sharply.
"Oh, nothing! Let's go!" he replied quickly.
As they stepped forward, Nki wrapped her arms gently around Enix's waist.
"Just in case... so you won't get lost," she said, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.
Enix grinned. "Yes! Don't worry!"
---
One hour and thirty-four minutes later...
"Yikes. Guess we're lost," Enix said, his voice innocent and breezy.
Nki's eye twitched. She reached up, grabbed a handful of his hair, and yanked his head down roughly.
"You little bastard dumb ass hole shit bag dog water!" she shouted, her fury exploding.
Enix made a pitiful face, tears practically forming in his eyes. "I'm sorry! I thought we were going the right way..."
"Yeah, yeah! Because of your thoughts, we're lost now!" she yelled back.
She pulled out her phone and checked it. "Damn it... no signal here either."
"Don't worry! I'm still here, so no need to get scared," Enix said with confident optimism.
She clenched her fist, ready to sock him, and Enix braced himself.
But before her punch could land, a thunderous bolt of lightning tore across the sky.
KRA-KOOM!
"KYAAAH!!" Nki screamed, jumping into Enix's arms and clutching him tightly.
Enix looked up. "Looks like it's gonna rain. We should find shelter."
Nki nodded, still shaken. "Y-Yeah... let's go."
Holding each other's hands, they ventured deeper into the forest in search of cover. Their phone lights barely pierced the darkness, but they pressed on.
Eventually, they came across a clearing—and what stood before them made their jaws drop.
A massive, ancient mansion towered in the middle of the forest. Its walls were detailed with carvings of strange symbols and ancient artwork. The entire structure looked abandoned, its aura heavy and ominous.
"What is this... I've never heard of a mansion in the forest before," Nki whispered, her voice trembling.
Suddenly, her phone light blinked—and died.
"H-Huh?! What? It still had 37% charge! How did it die?!" she cried in panic.
Enix stared at the dark screen. "This feels like a horror movie..."
Then, raindrops began to fall. Soft at first—then harder.
"We have no choice. We should take shelter in that place," Enix said.
Nki gave him a look of disbelief. "Huh?! Are you for real?! That place looks cursed!"
"Yeah, I know, but it just looks abandoned. The owners probably left long ago."
Nki shut her eyes and sighed. "As you wish, my lord. If you want to die this soon, then I shall join your coffin, too."
They walked toward the mansion.
"What do you mean? It's not like demons will attack us or anything," Enix said, trying to sound lighthearted.
"Yeah, since the biggest demon is right here—walking with me," Nki muttered.
Enix gave her a deadpan stare as they reached the entrance.
"Let's stay here until the rain stops," he suggested.
"Yeah," Nki agreed.
Just then, the mansion's massive door creaked open on its own.
They looked behind them nervously—then cautiously peeked inside.
The room was surprisingly clean. Warm light filled the space, reflecting off furniture, paintings, and luxurious items. It looked... new.
"Huh? This place looks brand new," Enix said.
"Yeah... Looks like someone still lives here," Nki added.
The rain outside intensified. A gust of wind howled through the trees.
They hurried inside and shut the door.
"Let's ask the owner if we can stay until the rain ends," Enix said.
Nki looked around, awe in her voice. "This place is beautiful."
"Yeah, but... I wonder who would live this deep in a forest," she added.
Enix smiled and glanced at her. "Maybe they just want a peaceful life... like I want with you... after we get married."
Nki's face turned red. "D-Darling! Why are you saying such embarrassing things in a place like this?!"
But as she looked at Enix—her eyes widened. Her body froze.
"Huh? What happened?" Enix asked.
Nki's hand trembled as she pointed behind him.
Enix turned around—nothing was there. He tilted his head in confusion.
Then he noticed a mirror on a nearby shelf.
"What, did she see her face in the mirror or someth—"
His voice stopped.
His jaw dropped.
The mirror reflected the room... but not them.
They stood rooted in horror.
Suddenly, a loud crash!—a glass fell behind them.
Nki shrieked and clutched Enix's hand. They spun around. A broken glass lay on the floor, shards scattered.
Confused and trembling, they turned back to the mirror.
And this time—they were in the reflection.
But they weren't alone.
Between them stood a woman. Her long black hair dragged across the floor. Her skin was deathly pale, eyes bulging unnaturally wide. She wore a blood-soaked white shirt. Her fingernails were long—razor sharp.
Their breath caught.
The woman's head twisted with a sickening crack—turning all the way around.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
She screamed.
And the mirror shattered into a thousand pieces.