Chapter 1

Suji was staring at the swamp. The dark water, like a bottomless pit, was covered with bright green, delicate leaves resembling duckweed. Drops of water, making soft plopping sounds, fell from branches above that drooped as if broken. Slowly, Suji lifted her gaze. A caterpillar, as thick as her forearm, was twisting its body toward her. For some reason, she couldn’t look away.

When their eyes met—those deep pupils that seemed to hold the weight of centuries—her mind went blank. The shimmering folds of its body, glowing with silver and blue hues, looked otherworldly, as though it didn’t belong to reality.

Entranced, Suji continued to stare at the caterpillar until the sound of clear water snapped her out of it. Lowering her gaze again, she saw a damp liquid dripping from holes in the caterpillar’s body, falling onto the swamp’s surface. Each drop caused the water to ripple and churn grotesquely. It was water one couldn’t drink—water that didn’t even evoke the thought of drinking. Yet, there were creatures surviving in it. Yellow, wriggling larvae, like mosquito pupae, gathered in the ripples, squirming. Unable to watch any longer, Suji took a step back.

Thunk.

Perhaps because of the awkward fall, Suji’s lower back and even her ankle throbbed with pain. Pale-faced, she carefully checked the sore spots. Her ankle was tolerable, but her lower back seemed to have taken a direct hit against a tree root, the pain sharper than she’d expected. Frowning, she grabbed onto a nearby tree and awkwardly stood up. By then, the caterpillar was gone from her sight.

What’s going on?

Before curiosity could take hold, fear gripped her. The branch where the caterpillar had been resting began to move.

Whoosh!

The branch—or whatever it was, if it could even be called that—was alive. It moved and grabbed Suji’s wrist. She was so shocked she couldn’t even scream. Now she noticed—the caterpillar that had been watching her earlier was half-submerged in the swamp. Its body was crushed, likely by the tightening grip of the living branch, causing all the liquid in its body to spill out. A strangely sweet scent filled the air as the lifeless caterpillar hung limp, motionless.

The shock jolted Suji back to her senses.

Suji clawed desperately at the branch tightening around her. She tore at it with her nails and even bit into it, but the branch wouldn’t budge. Slowly, it dragged her closer to the swamp.

In despair, Suji suddenly remembered the lighter in her pocket—an old one her uncle had given her, saying it had belonged to her father. She rummaged through her pocket. As soon as her fingers brushed against the cold metal, she flipped the lid open and struck a spark.

The branch flinched, as if startled by the flame. When the fire flared up, it recoiled, releasing her wrist before vanishing to the other side of the swamp in an instant.

“Haah, haah…”

Suji gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The swamp’s edge was right in front of her. If she had fallen in, she knew she wouldn’t have survived. The mysterious caterpillar was now sinking into the swamp, its body slowly disappearing beneath the surface. Yellow larvae, squirming and wriggling, began swarming over its body.

‘Are they feeding on the corpse?’

The thought sent a shiver through her. Suji stood and backed away, her steps heavy. When she looked down, she saw her white sneakers caked with mud, remnants of her frantic struggle. She raised the toes of her shoes to scrape the soles clean, her forehead damp with sweat.

“Where…”

Where am I? Suji muttered, her gaze dropping to the ground. Her eyes were wide with confusion, like a lost animal stranded in an unfamiliar place. Everywhere she looked, the forest was thick and unrecognizable. It had been thirty minutes—or so she thought—since she woke up in this strange place.

Leaving her phone behind at her uncle’s house had been a grave mistake. Was she simply too caught up in nostalgia, visiting a place tied to her childhood?

‘But I just wanted to be alone,’ she thought, almost defensively.

Her reasons felt like excuses now. Coming to this area after passing the local civil service exam wasn’t merely about visiting her uncle. She had returned to face a haunting memory from her childhood—the disappearance of a boy at the swamp she had often walked past.

‘I never imagined something like this would happen.’

Biting her lip, Suji raised her head. The forest was dense and unfamiliar, nothing like the place she remembered. Could such a tropical jungle, where sunlight barely penetrated the canopy, even exist here? She couldn’t find a single tree she recognized. The pines, cherry blossoms, and willows she knew were nowhere to be seen. Instead, her surroundings were filled with oaks, firs, cedars, and thorny trees she didn’t know. And then there was that monstrous tree—the one that had attacked her.

‘Am I dreaming?’

She moved slowly, the ache in her lower back grounding her. If this were a dream, it would make sense. None of this was real. Everything she saw was a figment of her imagination. The real Suji was probably asleep on her uncle’s wooden floor, napping without ever having gone to the swamp…

‘…Or maybe I just dozed off for a moment.’

“…Ugh.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, sudden sound.

The pain was too real for Suji to dismiss it as a mere dream. The sharp ache yanked her back to reality. She abandoned any optimistic thoughts and carefully scanned her surroundings. Soon, she spotted a shallow, reedy waterside.

What could be beyond that? Suji lifted herself onto her toes to get a better look. There didn’t seem to be any high vantage points nearby—only dense trees as far as she could see. Not feeling confident enough to climb one, she resolved to head toward a slightly elevated area that looked like a small ridge to the left of the reeds.

I think I can make it across.

Suji cautiously stepped into the reed-filled area. A soft splash echoed as her feet disturbed the water, sending ripples outward. Everything seemed calm—until a fish with sharp teeth suddenly lunged at her.

Whoosh!

Suji managed to dodge, but its fin grazed her cheek, leaving a stinging cut. Before she could process the pain, another fish leapt at her, jaws wide open, its white teeth clearly visible. With a short gasp, Suji rolled to the side, causing the birds in the reeds to take off in a noisy flurry.

“!”

These weren’t herons or egrets like she was used to. They were bizarre birds with bat-like wings, glowing red eyes, and two heads. The sight startled Suji so much that she fell back. The fish were still leaping toward her, but the two-headed birds swooped down, snatching them away with their talons.

One fish, then another, then another. Soon, countless birds descended, skewering the fish with their claws. Suji hesitated, her movements faltering. She felt as though if she stayed, she might become the next target of these strange, two-headed creatures.

“Ow.”

She didn’t know how long she had been walking, but Suji winced as a thorn scraped against her leg. Looking down, she realized she was now surrounded by unfamiliar vines. Some clung to her clothes with claw-like hooks, while others had sharp thorns that pricked her skin. She tried to avoid them as best she could, but it wasn’t easy. Eventually, she climbed onto a large tree root, only to find herself unable to move further.

‘I need to signal for help,’ she thought.

But how? The only thing in her possession was the old metal lighter her uncle had given her—a memento of her father that he couldn’t bear to throw away. He had pressed it into Suji’s hand before she left, saying it had once belonged to her late father.

‘I hated it when Dad smoked,’ she thought bitterly.

But now, she clung to it as though it were her lifeline. Suji let out a small, wry smile at the irony. Looking up, she could see the faint glow of the sun filtering through the thick canopy like a distant hope. It was clearly daytime, not long after she had left her uncle’s house.

But what if night falls?

A chill ran down her spine. Suji instinctively knew that this strange, unknown place would become far more dangerous after dark. She had to find a way out before then. Resolutely, she began gathering dry branches and leaves.

If I start a fire, the smoke will rise. Someone will see it and come looking. Maybe Uncle will notice I haven’t returned and send people to find me. I’ll be rescued soon.

‘Someone might even remember the swamp,’ she thought, her mind drifting.

That enormous swamp where a ten-year-old boy had disappeared years ago. People had pumped out water for days and sent search teams down, but they never found his body. The police had fenced off the area and barred access for a while, but as time passed, hope faded. Those who had once stood at the dike, waiting for the boy’s return, eventually gave up. They even forgot there had been a girl waiting for him.

‘If this draws attention, they might investigate the swamp again,’ Suji thought, brushing her cheek where it still stung from the fish’s fin. The irritation was itchy, and she scratched it lightly before turning her focus back to the small pile of gathered sticks and leaves. She struck the lighter, and with a whoosh, a small flame caught, spreading rapidly with a soft crackling sound.

The fire consumed the dry materials, creating a satisfying noise that strangely reminded her of the sound of food cooking. Hungry as she was, the crackle felt almost tantalizing. Suji stared into the flames, watching the branches and leaves blacken and crumble. The sight was both beautiful and desolate. She wasn’t sure how long she had been staring when the rising smoke began to sting her nose, making her cough. She quickly moved behind a tree to avoid the smoke as it billowed upward, disappearing through the canopy.

‘Someone must see it,’ she thought desperately.

She hurriedly gathered more branches and leaves to keep the fire alive. Even when the thorns pricked her fingers, she refused to stop. Her determination grew as she piled enough material to keep the fire burning for several minutes. Yet, she began to feel an odd itchiness all over her body. Thoughtlessly scratching at her arms, she suddenly froze, sensing the chilling stillness of the air.