They stepped out of the tent for a while. Ruth's mind was exhausted from everything that had happened earlier, and it felt like she still didn't have any answers. She even remembered hearing a voice greeting them as they first entered the forest.
"You finally arrived, sister." That was what she had heard.
She closed her eyes, her head now aching. The excitement she'd felt earlier this morning had completely vanished—replaced by anxiety and uncertainty about what the next three days would bring.
All she wanted was to go home and rest. But she was already here. She looked around. Their tent was close to the teachers' area, while the boys' campsite was quite far away.
They had passed the very road where the two siblings were found murdered not long ago—far from their city. The media had covered it heavily due to the horrifying nature of the crime. She recalled how the news described it—how the victims were riddled with bullets.
"Ruth!" someone called out.
She turned to see Thalia, clearly annoyed.
"I've been calling you for a while. Are you okay?" Thalia asked, frowning.
Thalia wasn't the boastful type, but she was a kind friend.
"Sorry, my mind's still all over the place," Ruth said with a weak smile.
Thalia just nodded. "The teacher said we should take a short rest," she replied.
They returned to the tent where their companions for the next three days were settling in. Each girl had her own sleeping mat, which they were now arranging. Thalia's spot was next to Ruth's.
"They said there's going to be a bonfire tonight," Ericka commented, folding her blanket.
"Oh? I want to go ghost hunting later!" said Kim, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "They say there are a lot of wandering souls in this area. I've heard stories—many girls have gone missing here."
Christine shook her head. "You'll just get yourself in trouble thinking like that. We don't even know this place that well. And this forest is no joke."
Ericka nodded while scrolling through her phone. "It's better to follow the teachers' instructions. They're for our safety anyway."
Ruth and Thalia didn't join the conversation. Ruth noticed Thalia busy with her phone.
"Hey, does your signal ever drop here?" Ruth asked, settling beside her.
"Not really," Thalia replied. "That's what's strange—it's stable."
"Maybe it's because of the cell towers nearby," Ericka chimed in.
Ruth simply nodded, then yawned.
"I'm going to sleep for now. Wake me when there's an activity, Ta," she muttered, lying down.
"Okay," Thalia responded softly.
Ruth drifted off immediately. She was exhausted.
Sweetie, wake up.
Someone gently tapped her cheek.
Ruth didn't want to be disturbed. She just wanted to rest. Faint laughter echoed in her mind—she figured it was just her tentmates chatting.
Sweetie, wake up.
The voice returned, softly shaking her.
She felt a warm palm caressing her cheek. Startled, she opened her eyes and rubbed them.
Strange faces surrounded her.
A woman smiled warmly at her. "Sweetie," the woman called again.
It was the same voice Ruth had heard when they first arrived. The woman's smile was tender and oddly familiar. Ruth studied her face, trying to place her.
The woman pulled her into a tight hug. "You're here too, Sweetie," she whispered.
Thalia felt a chill crawl up her spine. She pulled away from the embrace, unsettled. But when she looked again, the woman had changed—bloodied, bruised, and in a uniform just like hers.
"We've waited so long for you," the woman said with a sad smile.
"Chesca… Sweetie… you'll remember us."
Chesca? Ruth's mind spun. Is she talking to me? But… that's not my name.
"You will save us… in this world."
The woman began to fade away. Ruth sat up suddenly, drenched in sweat. Her cheeks and forehead tingled.
"Are you okay?" one of her tentmates asked, looking at her with concern.
Ruth nodded. She was parched and disoriented. Her thoughts were spinning faster now. She lay back down, but sleep didn't come. Her questions only multiplied.