Arrival

The bus rattled over the uneven mountain road, its old frame groaning with every turn. Yoon Ji-won pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the window and watched as the city disappeared behind her. The buildings and neon lights were replaced by thick trees, their branches twisting together like dark fingers. The deeper the bus went into the countryside, the quieter it became, until even the sound of traffic had vanished. Only the occasional cry of a crow broke the silence.

Ji-won pulled her jacket tighter around herself. She had never been this far from Seoul, and the isolation pressed against her chest like a weight. She glanced at the few other passengers scattered across the bus—students like her, clutching bags stuffed with uniforms and books. Some whispered nervously, others stared at their phones, trying to find a signal.

The driver’s voice cracked through the silence. “Next stop, Wolha Boarding School.”

A ripple of unease passed through the bus. Even the students who had been chatting went quiet. Ji-won frowned. Why did that name sound so heavy, like it carried a secret?

When the bus finally came to a halt, Ji-won stepped off and breathed in the sharp scent of pine. The school loomed ahead—a massive structure of gray stone, its pointed rooftops silhouetted against the fading sun. The building was old, older than anything she’d ever seen in Seoul, with ivy crawling up its walls and windows that reflected no light. Behind it stretched the forest, dark and endless.

Her best friend Han Soo-min hurried to her side, dragging a heavy suitcase. “Creepy, right?” she whispered, her eyes wide.

Ji-won gave a small laugh, though her stomach twisted. “It’s just… old. That’s all.”

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that the windows were watching her.

Inside, the main hall smelled faintly of dust and something metallic—like old blood. A stern-looking teacher handed out room assignments while warning them about curfews and study schedules. Ji-won barely listened, too distracted by the strange silence that hung in the air. It wasn’t the normal quiet of a school between classes. This silence felt… expectant.

Her room was on the third floor, at the end of a narrow hallway lined with portraits of former headmasters. The painted eyes seemed to follow her as she walked. When she reached the door marked 3-12, she hesitated before pushing it open.

The dorm room was small but neat, with two beds, two desks, and a single window that looked out toward the forest. A cold draft slipped through the cracks, brushing against her skin. She shivered.

“Guess we’re roommates,” Soo-min said cheerfully, tossing her bag onto one of the beds. She flopped down dramatically, sending a puff of dust into the air. “This is going to be fun. Just like a sleepover—except, you know, with exams and scary teachers.”

Ji-won smiled faintly and sat on the other bed. “Yeah. Fun.”

But that night, as the students gathered in the cafeteria for dinner, the whispers began.

“Have you heard about the Eyes?” a boy asked at the next table, his voice low but urgent.

Ji-won froze with her spoon halfway to her mouth.

A girl leaned in, her hair hiding half her face. “Don’t talk about it. They say if you talk about it, it notices you.”

Soo-min frowned. ““Noticeyou?”

The boy’s voice dropped even lower. “The glowing eyes in the forest. If you see them, you disappear within a week. No one ever finds your body.”

The girl shushed him, glancing around nervously. “Stop! What if the teachers hear?”

Ji-won forced a laugh, though her throat felt tight. “Just rumors. Every school has them.”

But the way the boy’s face had drained color told her he didn’t think it was just a rumor.

That night, Ji-won lay awake in her narrow bed. The dorm was silent except for Soo-min’s soft breathing. The forest outside was a wall of darkness, the trees swaying in the wind. Ji-won told herself she was being silly, that the rumors were nothing more than ghost stories meant to scare new students.

And yet—she couldn’t shake the memory of those painted portraits in the hallway, their eyes fixed on her.

She turned over, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Ji-won’s eyes snapped open.

The sound came from the window.

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she slowly sat up. The curtains stirred as if touched by invisible fingers. The tapping came again—soft, deliberate. She glanced at Soo-min, but her friend was still asleep.

Ji-won swallowed hard and forced herself to move. Step by step, she crossed the cold floor and pulled the curtains aside.

At first, she saw only her own reflection in the glass. Pale face, wide eyes, trembling lips.

Then, just beyond the faint outline of the trees, something shifted.

Two glowing eyes stared back at her from the darkness.

They weren’t human.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she stumbled backward, nearly tripping over her own feet. She blinked, desperate for the vision to vanish.

But when she looked again, the eyes were gone.

Only the black forest remained.

Ji-won pressed a trembling hand to her chest. Maybe it was just her imagination. Maybe she was overtired from the trip.

But deep inside, she knew.

The rumors weren’t just rumors.

The Eyes were real.

And they had seen her.

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