Chapter 1.1

Suddenly there was a flash in the sky, followed by a loud rumble and then roaring thunder. Because of the lightning, the view in front of her lit up for a split second and then became dim again. After the powerful flash dissipated, the forest was engulfed in darkness and became dreary, as if it were under a curse.

On this pitch-dark night, the forest was blanketed in even darker darkness. Emma, gasping for air, made her way through the forest. As a strong gust of wind blew through the densely packed silhouetted trees, the forest responded with a grim chorus, as if to welcome the frightened intruder.

She had stopped dead in shock from the noise and became afraid. Then, her steps sped up again as the darkness seemed to drag her ankles. Her soaked dress shoes tore through the squishy mud as if she could outrun the darkness. Suddenly, a bright white light flashed in the black sky again and she heard a loud rumbling noise. It sounded like the thunder was shaking the heavens and the earth. Emma’s mind was in shambles as she felt like her eardrums would burst at any moment. But she couldn’t rest now. With her trembling hands extended forward, feeling for any obstructions, she continued on her way out of the forest. Not too long after, the rain started to pour down.

At its heart, the sky was unwelcoming, but that was to be expected as it had been gloomy since the afternoon, so it was bound to rain eventually. The cold rain fell endlessly on the ground, forming solid lines. It was a heavy downpour and Emma’s vision became hazy. I can’t see anything ahead! 

With the rain almost piercing her skin, she stared in front of her at the shroud of darkness with a frowning face, as she tried to cover her face with her hands, to protect it from the icy rain. 

She couldn’t even see one inch ahead of her. It was so dark that the forest seemed to have been cursed forever. A curse. For a second, smirking, she wondered if she was the one under a curse and not the forest. It was a luxury to smile in such a situation and Emma looked around, wiping the smile off her face.

There was no path. No matter how hard she looked, there was no path in this lifeless forest. She continued walking aimlessly, as she’d been doing the whole time, boldly heading into the darkness, one footstep following the other. But even though she kept moving forward, there was no end in sight. The more she walked, the more it seemed like the forest was expanding over the chain of mountains.

I knew it, this must be the Perrigans. Emma closed her eyes feeling hopeless as she tried to recall the map she’d looked at in her father’s study. Anxiety and exhaustion weighed heavily on her and her eyelids trembled. 

She had prayed while running through the woods, that this wasn’t the Perrigans. That’s what she’d pleaded for, but the cold reality betrayed her hope, shattering it to pieces. If this is the Perrigans… Emma swallowed a dark sigh without realizing it. I heard there are monsters here. Everything around her was gloomy.

Apart from the pitch-black forest, despair deeper than darkness encroached on her mind. Emma struck a corner while trying to remember how long she’d been running around the forest. She had been lucky up until now. But from here, she couldn’t guarantee if things would remain that way. I just haven’t bumped into any monsters because this is the entrance to the mountain range.

As she headed deeper into the woods, she knew she could end up as someone or something’s dinner. She felt trapped and frustrated because there was nothing that she could do since the way out of the woods was blocked off.

While briefly lost in thought, standing under the pouring rain, she glimpsed a blurry light out the corner of her eye. Amid her turmoil, having now returned to reality, she glanced below. At the foot of the mountain, torches jolted up and down. I should go. Far away, and as fast as I can.

Fiercely determined, Emma quickly took a step forward, regaining her senses after she’d been caught off guard. The process of groping through the not only dark but wet and muggy forest was inexplicably rough. Countless thorn grasses and shrubs with spiky leaves scratched her tender skin. And the areas where the bushes were not as thick, were where long streams of water flowed. On top of that, the ground was slippery. The small stones and the muddy slopes were like a precursor for hardship ahead.

Since the people at the bottom, raising their torches, were coming after Emma, there was only one option left for her. She had no choice but to go back to the gravel-covered waterway. As it was a waterway, the slope wasn’t steep and the gravel was compact, so she would be less likely to slip.

As she climbed up the slope, her harsh breathing burned the back of her throat. How long have I been out here? She didn’t have a watch on her, but it seemed like an hour had passed, and the unfamiliar forest, with its fierce shadows, still scared the heck out of her. The black horror seemed to smirk from below as if it were about to swallow everything up and the only consolation was that the rain had thinned out. 

With her entire body soaked, Emma, who was shivering in the cold, gasped for air and kept moving, determined to continue her journey to the top. She couldn’t tell what would be at the end of this rugged footpath, but for now, she had to get the hell out. There were people much scarier than monsters, chasing after her. She was out of breath, her ankles were shaking, and her spine ached from the cold, but she couldn’t stop. Removing the bushes and obstructions with her blistered hands, she climbed the ridge. 

Chapter 1.2

“Emma!” Someone yelled angrily. “Where are you, Emma!?”

She could hear her name being called in the distance. Emma caught her breath and picked up the pace. Her pursuers were catching up to her by the minute, but Emma had now slowed down from exhaustion. Two people spearheaded the manhunt for her, but she had already known that. And they weren’t the only ones after her. Earlier, before jumping out of the carriage and running away, she had seen other carriages behind her; there had been at least three or four long-haul carriages. 

The heavy footsteps and groans of the ones who followed behind her seemed to be getting nearer, and the metal clanking of their swords echoed through the otherwise silent forest. I have to get out of here! Every minute, every second was precious.

A grim, subtle voice, sounding like a ghost’s whisper, flowed through the darkness to Emma’s ears. “Emma, come to your auntie,” her aunt called out. “This path is dangerous at night! Come back home with us! Aren’t you scared? Of all places!”

The sound of her name being screamed out loud, drifted through the valley, echoing in layers. As familiar voices repeatedly spoke, her head became dizzy and her stomach started grumbling. But she had no time for distractions now. She had to run far, far away. Because they were the main instigators of all this.

As the yelling voices drew closer, Emma, holding her breath, picked up a thick piece of wood that she’d kicked with her foot, and threw it as hard as she could. The tumbling branch hit a rock and cracked loudly before splintering over a bush. She thought there was a pause in the shouting, but then she heard a cry from a different direction.

“Emma?” Someone called out, in a tender, benevolent voice, which would be soothing to an innocent child. “Emma, let’s go back together!” It was Aunt Dora’s voice. No, former aunt to be exact.

“I guess you misunderstood something. Let’s go inside now! If it rains tonight, you will be walking around with a cold. You know your body is weak. Emma!”

Hearing the abominable voice, Emma bit her lip painfully to awaken her growing sense of needing to keep a distance from them. She is not my nanny. She is just a traitor now.

Emma had lost her mother at a young age. Since her father had been busy running an apothecary, she had relied on Dora as a mother, from the time she’d started babbling. Though somewhat old, Dora, more beautiful than anyone else, was a distant relative of Emma’s mother. And Emma, yearning for motherly love, used to imagine what her mother would be like, through Dora, who resembled her mother’s portrait hanging in the corridor. 

Lying in Dora’s cozy arms, she had missed the touch, smell, and feel of her mother. When something happy or sad happened, she was comforted after burying herself in Dora’s arms, and she laughed or cried, wrapped in her soft flesh as she snuggled against her warm body. Aunt Dora had been like a real mother in Emma’s mind. That was only until half a day ago.

Emma did not doubt that she would spend the rest of her life with Dora. How can this all be a bogus lie? Even worse, Otto the butler is involved too! Emma fiercely tilted her head, as if to deny this reality, and soldiered on.

It was like an awful nightmare, she didn’t even want to think about it, but the lasting reality continued to play on, repeating in her mind.

The funeral of her father who had collapsed due to a sudden health issue was a month ago. Like a fortune teller, her father, who’d been running a pharmacy, had neglected to take care of his health. After falling once and suffering greatly, her father had looked sad as if he had had his tragic fate foretold.

He had started to gather his things bit by bit, and Emma had decided to leave Summerville and had settled in Polarville, where her uncle stayed.

Desmond, Emma’s father, had asked Phillip to look after his daughter and he’d happily agreed and had told her father not to worry about anything. Her father had then told her to rely on her uncle for everything until she got married and had also said that the Herman’s were going to settle down there.

Following her father’s stubbornness, Summerville’s largest apothecary, “Herman’s”, had been sold to a rival company. The money from the sale had been subsequently deposited into Polarville’s safe, for safekeeping, which was to be used as Emma’s living expenses and dowry in the future.

After the funeral, her uncle had left, first saying that there had been an urgent problem in Polarville and that she should take her time. Emma had settled her sorrow and scheduled her move as soon as the sale process of the mansion was completed.

She wondered now if all of this was happening because she had suddenly become an heiress who’d inherited a huge fortune. Even before she had left her hometown, she had thought that the atmosphere around her was strangely unstable, and something had happened in the carriage.

‘I’ll ask you nicely. Come forward with the certificate of deposit and safe key.’ Her aunt’s face had transformed into that of a thief.

‘Aunt Dora?’ Emma, who’d fallen asleep while on the rugged carriage trip, had been stunned to see her aunt threatening her with a scary look on her face, and pointing a dagger at her.

The windows which had glittered under the sunlight suddenly turned dark, and mountains appeared with not another human insight.

‘Au, auntie!’ She’d stammered in fright.

‘Who is your aunt? Well, I won’t hurt you if you listen to me for old times’ sake.’ Dora had said coldly. When Emma, who’d teared up like a child at the continuing threat, cried and begged for help, Dora briefly let her guard down, thinking it was all over.‘Otto, come this way. Now that I see the brat, I’ve finally thought of a good idea.’

As soon as she called Otto, who was sitting in the carriage seat, trying to intimidate Emma with dirty words and actions that were hard to explain, Emma, who was looking for a chance to escape, opened the door and ran away while Dora’s guard was down.

Chapter 2.1

She had been chased by them for over an hour now. Numerically speaking, they had the upper hand, but this was an unfamiliar forest for everyone. Fortunately, Emma had always taken all kinds of healthy herbs since she was young, thanks to her father who’d been a master pharmacist, well-informed in herbal medicine.

She had been drinking tea made of luphenyl frequently, which was classified as a health booster. Luphenyl tea, a special, rare product of the neighboring country of Dukram, was famous for its mysterious effects and expensive price tag. Emma’s father had not been one to be cheap when it came to his daughter’s health. He had splurged generously for her. Thanks to this, Emma had grown up drinking luphenyl tea like water, and because of that, she had good stamina and a strong body. Therefore, luckily, she was able to keep ahead of her enemies and continued the rugged climb.

Suddenly, a thorn from a brier tree that was sticking out on the mountain trail, tore loudly through Emma’s robe. Her heart rattled because she thought an unseen hand had reached out and grabbed her and she quickly removed the robe. Thank goodness it had just been an unlucky situation. Emma rolled the robe around a large rock that she’d picked up nearby and sent it rolling down a slope in the opposite direction.

“Over there!” Someone shouted.

“Earlier she wasn’t in that direction.” Another voice said. Judging by their behavior, the chasers were confused as to where to go.

“Sh!t! That ratty little b!tch!”

Emma gritted her teeth as she ignored the strange voices piercing her ears. She had to get as far away from them as possible! With all of the strength she’d gotten from the herbal teas, she climbed the mountain diligently. But it was a shame that her efforts continued to fail her in this situation, which seemed to be spiraling downward. The rain was falling harder again and Emma’s vision was hindered as if she were surrounded by fog in a pitch-black cave. Even the footpath had become more slippery and more dangerous.

At the edge of the path, in a hurry to escape, a wolf’s howling was heard from somewhere, followed by the threatening roar of predators. Emma, who had stiffened her shoulders in fear, stopped for a moment. The monsters in the Perrigans are sub-species of wolves. Monsters were extremely rare within the Kingdom of Berken, except in the Perrigans, which was a vast and remote mountain range known to have a fairy somewhere deep in its valleys. Beyond that, it was a rugged patch of land where no one lived, but it was also known that the ruins of an ancient city that existed a long time ago, remained here. But it was said to be a sealed relic, not just an ordinary ruin, and some said it was a cursed area. Legend had it that a fairy was the guardian of the mysterious ruins.

According to the folktale, cruel elves who despised humans constantly created monsters and raised wild beasts. It was well known that werewolves were the dominant monsters of the Perrigans. They were three to four times larger than a wolf and a head taller than an adult man. They were crazy about moonlight; mad wolves that attacked people and tore them apart. So the long howling of the wolves in the distance was a type of warning. A sharp warning to Emma, to not step into this restricted area.

She’d suffered from chilling fear at night, after hearing the legend told by her tutor when she was a child, and she became white with fear.

The howling of wolves continued in the valley, just as the uninvited guests continued to hunt for Emma.

“Emma, keep this up and you’ll catch pneumonia!” Her aunt yelled. “Aren’t you afraid of that? Stop running and come to us. We won’t ask you anything,” she lied. “It was just a shock from the bad dream you had. Just come back to us.”

Perhaps it was fear felt from the howling that caused the voices that followed, to sound urgent and persistent. But Emma didn’t seem to be shaken by them because she’d already come to know their dark intentions a long time ago.

With her two hands pressed against her ears, Emma blindly ran forward. I’d rather face a monster. She tried to calm her insides that were blanketed with fear. It’s better to be prey to wild animals than to be humiliated and murdered.

While the soaked hem of her dress dragged across the ground, it clung to her ankles and between her legs, but she put her weight on her toes and didn’t stop. Then, when the dark forest rustled, she stopped breathing and clenched her fists in case an animal or monster attacked. The more time went by, the tenser she became and her mouth had gone dry.

Unexpectedly, the steep ridge showed its limit. Emma kept an eye on the darkness ahead. I have to go up to get over this hill. There was no other choice. She had to keep digging into the depths of the mountain range as long as her stamina allowed her to.

She wanted to continue up the slope, but suddenly her foot slipped and she screamed reflexively. Emma hurriedly covered her mouth with one hand, but the damage was already done; the scream wasn’t fully blocked. Suddenly, her body began to fall towards the ground uncontrollably. For a split second, she was airborne, and then, with a loud clunk, her body slammed into the ground.

As soon as she hit the ground, she slid on wet fallen leaves, bounced off the ground, and rolled down the slope. Thankfully, the fall was short and she landed in a shallow pool that was full of fluffy fallen leaves and leaf mold. Emma, landing in the soggy pit, was silently relieved that she hadn’t hit a tree or any rocks on the way down.

Whew. Her whole body was in agonizing pain, but she didn’t have time to moan because the scream from just a short while ago, might have given away her location. Any more delay and she’d be caught by her pursuers. She hoisted herself up and limped forward. I have to get out of here! But where do I go?