"Sigh…"
Alina exhaled heavily, her fingers frozen on the touchpad of her second-hand laptop. The screen flickered slightly like it was just as tired as she was.
One by one, her job applications showed the same cold reply:
"Thank you for applying. Unfortunately..."
Unfortunately.
Her whole life lately had been filled with that word.
She slumped in her chair, closing her eyes for a moment, trying to gather strength. But just as she was about to shut the laptop, a soft ding echoed from her inbox.
New mail.
She blinked.
Frowned.
And clicked.
[ Subject: Interview Confirmation – Little Fang Kindergarten
"Dear Miss Alina Hart, we are pleased to inform you…" ]
Her eyes widened.
"Wait… what?" she whispered, reading the message again.
She had been accepted for an interview.
Not just any job but one that offered free meals, free housing, and an unusually high salary.
Her heart skipped.
It was that flyer. That strange-looking flyer she saw fluttering near the bus stop a few days ago. Desperate and exhausted, she had scanned the code out of pure hopelessness and filled in her details..even though the form looked like a prank. It was too beautiful, too magical.
But now… it was real.
A wide smile stretched across her face, the first in days.
"Oh my god… I got something!"
She clicked through the email quickly, scrolling to the bottom where the address was listed.
But her smile faded a little.
"Middle of… Blackleaf Forest?"
She frowned, leaning closer.
That forest was the largest, most mysterious area near Lake City. Alina had heard rumors of strange lights, old myths about forgotten ruins, and even a hidden town deep within the trees. But she had never taken it seriously. She never had time for stories.
Still… with no job, no savings, and rent overdue… this offer felt like a miracle.
"A live-in job… with little kids… and free food?" she whispered.
"How bad could it be?"
She closed the laptop gently, her heart still thumping with cautious hope.
Maybe this was finally her chance.
A new beginning.
A place that wanted her.
Even if it was hidden in the middle of a strange forest.
`♡´-
The next morning, Alina packed a small bag with everything she had...some clothes, her teaching certificates, and her favorite sweater with the sleeves stretched from nervous tugging.
She stepped out into the chilly morning breeze and looked at the old, dented car parked under the cracked apartment shade.
It was her father's car...over 15 years old, coughing with age, but still running. Just like her.
Her fingers lingered on the rusty door before she climbed in.
"You're still with me, Dad," she whispered quietly, gripping the steering wheel.
He had passed away when she was just ten. Her mother had raised her alone ever since, working long hours at a local sewing unit, stitching clothes until her fingers were raw.
And now… she was sick.
Lying in a hospital bed, fighting the early stages of cancer.
Most of Alina's earnings from café and other jobs had gone to paying medical bills, leaving her barely surviving.
But today… if this job worked out, maybe everything would finally be okay.
`♡´-
She started the engine. It groaned, then purred.
With a deep breath, she began her drive toward Blackleaf Forest.
The city roads gradually thinned out. The honking disappeared. The shops vanished. Soon, only tall, wild trees lined both sides of the winding road like silent watchers.
The deeper she went, the quieter everything became.
The clock on her dashboard blinked: 9:02 AM.
And yet… everything around her looked like evening.
The sky above was barely visible through the towering canopy of ancient trees.
Sunlight tried to peek through but the forest was too dense, too old.
It felt like the kind of place that didn't follow the rules of time.
A soft mist began to roll in. Her headlights cut through it gently as the road narrowed into a single path of cobblestones.
No signs. No people. No sounds. Just the crunch of tires and her own heartbeat.
Despite everything, Alina didn't turn back.
However, as the road twisted deeper into the silent road of Blackleaf Forest, a cold wave crept into Alina's chest.
The trees felt too still.
The silence too unnatural.
And the light...if there was any left was now completely swallowed by the thick canopy overhead.
"Is this… some kind of prank?" she whispered, her voice barely louder than her heartbeat.
Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. Her knuckles turned pale.
A thin layer of sweat began forming on her forehead, even though the air around her was cool and damp. The air felt thick like she was driving through someone's breath instead of mist.
She didn't have panic attacks.
Not usually.
But this... this wasn't just nerves.
It was the unknown, breathing down her neck.
The kind of fear that came from being alone in a place too quiet to be normal.
The kind of fear that made you question reality itself.
Her heart thudded against her ribs. Her fingers trembled slightly. Her thoughts spun out of control.
"What if this isn't real?
What if someone's watching me?
What if I disappear and no one ever finds out?"
The more she thought, the more her stomach twisted.
She reached forward to turn on the car's radio...just to hear something, anything But it crackled with static.
She swallowed hard.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "Don't overthink, Alina. You need this job. You can't break down now."
She took a deep breath. Then another.
Her mother's face flashed in her mind. The hospital bed. The IV drip. That smile that said "Don't worry" even when she was in pain.
"You're doing this for her."
So she kept driving.
Even though fear clawed at her ribs.
Even though the road ahead disappeared into the mist like it was never meant to be found.