After the shocking event of Natalia's death, the group stands in despair. Liza, Sophie, Kenn, Zoe, The Gift, Hansel, Jill, and Dante are now without Natalia.
They went deeper into the forest.
Zoe: "…hahh…"
Hansel: "Are you okay?"
Zoe: "No… I don't know… but… do you think we'll survive this forest?"
Hansel: "…ugh…"
Zoe: "…two of us already dead… since we entered this forest… we don't even know… how big it is… or if there are more monsters when we go deeper."
Sophie: "…hahh…"
Liza: "Hmmm."
It was almost night.
Sophie: "…hhh…"
Zoe: "…it's slowly getting dark."
Sophie: "Mhm…"
Liza: "…it'll get dangerous, right?"
Dante: "…What do you mean?"
The Gift: "…the problem is… we can't just sleep on the ground… what if Sirus or Crimson come… maybe we'll get lucky… and find a house."
Dante: "…or a cave…"
Sophie: "We should stick close… none of us is allowed to split off… got it…"
Kenn: "We're tired too… but we can't lie down… and definitely not in this forest…"
Sophie: "But those monsters are even more active at night… so be careful…"
They kept going.
Sophie: "Sirus, and Crimson…"
Kenn: "…hahhh… Wendigos…"
Sophie: "…honestly… what kind of forest is this…"
Zoe: "…hmmm… hey, look…"
Sophie: "Hmm?"
Kenn: "What is it, Zoe?"
Zoe moved closer to the bushes.
Zoe: "There's a river…"
Sophie: "…hmm?"
Kenn: "A river."
The Gift: "Awesome find, kid… great… water… we really need water."
Dante: "Let's go quickly before something happens…"
They hurried to the water.
Zoe: "Hehe… finally. I didn't think we'd miss the river this much."
She stepped into the river and washed her face.
The Gift: "Hehe… nature really is cool…"
Sophie: "Mhm."
Kenn: "…mhm…"
Sophie also went into the river, and so did Liza. They washed their shoulders and faces.
Sophie: "Brr… it's cold too…"
Liza: "…yeah…"
Zoe: "Hehe…"
Jill came as well.
Jill: "…mmm."
Sophie: "Hehe… you're cute… did the cold water scare you?"
Jill: "…hey… that's not funny…"
Zoe: "Hehe…"
Sophie: "Hehe…"
Liza: "It's okay… come on in…"
The Gift: "Hmhph…"
Kenn: "…hmmmm?…"
Kenn noticed something in the water… something moved.
The Gift: "…hmm."
Kenn: "…(quiet!)…"
The Gift: "Something wrong…?"
He looked toward the river… and saw it… something… fins…
The Gift: "…ugh…"
They were big—about 2 meters.
The Gift: "Quick—away from the river."
Sophie: "Hmm?"
Liza: "Why?"
Zoe: "…is something wrong?"
Kenn: "Sophie… Liza… Zoe… Jill—quick!"
Sophie looked around.
Sophie: "…ugh…"
She noticed the water suddenly drawing from one direction.
Sophie: "…what's this?"
Zoe: "Don't worry… it's just a current…"
The Gift: "Just get away…"
Liza: "…huh!… there!"
Liza saw it… something heading toward them…
Liza: "Ugh."
Sophie: "…A Crimson?"
Zoe: "…shit!"
They got out of the river fast—or at least tried to.
Sophie: "Ghhh…"
Liza: "Hahhh…"
Dante: "Damn…"
Dante grabbed the pistol and started shooting at it.
The Gift: "No—idiot… you'll draw the Crimsons and the Sirus!"
Dante: "Shut up!"
He fired.
The Gift: "Ghh."
The lake monster surfaced; it was huge—about 8 meters long.
Sophie: "…ugh."
Liza: "Huh!"
Kenn rushed to the river, grabbed Liza's and Sophie's hands, and pulled them out.
Kenn: "Got you."
Sophie: "Ghhh."
Liza: "Ghhh."
Dante: "Hhh…"
Sophie: "Zoe!"
Liza: "Jill!"
It leaped up.
Zoe: "Ugh!"
Jill: "Huh!"
The Gift: "No!"
Kenn: "…damn!"
It took Zoe.
Jill: "Zoe!"
Dante: "Ugh…"
Sophie: "Hahhh…"
Kenn: "…what do we do…"
Sophie: "I don't know…"
It surfaced again.
Zoe: "Help!"
Sophie: "Ugh… ghh…"
Dante: "…I'm shooting!"
(Bang!)
He shot right at the eye; the monster let go of Zoe.
Sophie: "Zoe!"
Zoe swam quickly to her; Sophie grabbed her and hauled her back… fast… but something was still missing.
Sophie: "Ghh…"
Kenn: "Hey… it's coming back."
The Gift: "Damn it!"
He turned around and found a rod sticking out of Zoe's pack.
The Gift: "That—give it here."
Kenn: "Here."
The Gift took it, aimed, and snapped the rod so the end was sharp.
The Gift: "…ghhh!"
He threw it; it hit the monster, but only lightly.
Sophie: "Ghh…"
Zoe: "Hahhh…"
Sophie: "…ghhh… Kenn!… check Natalia's bag… there was something in it… I think it could help."
Kenn: "Okay."
He searched.
Kenn: "That's…"
The Gift: "…is that a… grenade… ah… I see."
The Gift grabbed it, pulled the pin… waited a moment so it would explode right as it hit the monster.
The Gift: "Now!"
He threw it—right then it exploded. The monster wasn't badly hurt, but it was startled and backed off… just enough for Sophie and Zoe to make it back.
Sophie: "Ugh… gahhh…"
Zoe: "Hahhh… oww…"
Sophie: "Huh… oh no… she's hurt…"
The Gift: "Liza, quick… take care of her leg… but only once we're far from here…"
He carried Zoe; when they turned, they saw the monster moving toward them.
Kenn: "What's it doing…"
Zoe: "…hhh…"
The Gift: "Crap… you can't be serious… quick—run!"
They ran… the monster leaped… and crashed to the ground, missing them at the very last moment as they gasped for air.
Sophie: "Oh my god… hahh…"
Kenn: "…uh… guys."
Zoe: "Ghh…"
Liza: "Huh?"
Sophie: "Ugh…"
The Gift: "What is it…"
Dante: "Hmm?"
They turned around… Crimsons…
Crimson: "Hrrrrrr…"
Sophie: "Oh come on… this has to be a nightmare…"
She stood up.
Sophie: "Hahh…"
The Gift: "Probably because of the noise from the shots…"
Dante: "So it's my fault?… otherwise Zoe would be dead."
The Gift: "No… that was the right call… but now we have to… do something."
They drew closer.
Sophie: "Hmm…"
Kenn: "…Okay… let's move quickly before they notice us."
They hurried.
Zoe: "Ow…"
The Gift: "Her leg is injured… luckily she still has all her limbs. Dante saved you with that shot, and Sophie saved you by swimming to you."
Zoe: "Hahhh…"
Dante: "What is this forest…"
The Gift: "No idea… the world really seems totally screwed… feels like one catastrophe after another…"
Sophie: "Hahhh…"
Jill: "Hmm."
Jill lifted a chain.
Jill: "…Natalia's grenade… saved us…"
Sophie: "…she saved us… in death… and we couldn't save her… even though we were there…"
The Gift: "There are people who don't deserve to die… Natalia was one of them… her father, on the other hand, belongs to those… who do. Killing your own daughter with the excuse you don't want to die alone… is an absolutely bizarre excuse…"
Kenn: "Mhm…"
Dante: "Hmmm?"
(Hrrrr!)
Dante: "Down—quick."
He whispered; they ducked down. Crimsons.
Dante: "Crimsons…"
Zoe: "…hahh…"
Kenn: "Damn it…"
Zoe: "…ghh…"
Sophie: "Dante… Zoe is in a lot of pain… we need to treat her quickly."
Dante: "…I know—I'm thinking… damn…"
Hansel: "I… I think I have an idea…"
The Gift: "Hmm?"
Sophie: "Which is?"
Hansel: "We should just sneak. Crimsons apparently don't have good eyesight… which means… we can sneak. They can smell well… but because of the water, we don't smell as strong right now…"
Sophie: "How did you notice that?"
Hansel: "That Crimson earlier stood at an angle where he should have been able to see us… but didn't. That means…"
The Gift: "…they can't see that well… at least not in the light…"
Hansel: "Exactly… they seem more like… night creatures…"
The Gift: "Good observation, Hansel. So we just have to stay low… and, if needed, only whisper."
They sneaked…
The Gift: "Hang in there, okay."
Zoe: "Yeah… sorry."
The Gift: "…it's fine…"
They moved on and on, but suddenly a Crimson stood right above them…
Zoe: "Hhh…"
Jill: "Ghhh…"
Liza: "Ghh…"
Sophie: "…oh…"
It stood right beside them, its mouth over them; the fluid from its mouth was purple… it dripped onto the ground and onto The Gift's hand.
The Gift: "Hmm?"
The monster then moved away.
The Gift: "Now."
They moved on.
The Gift: "Hmm…"
Until they were safe again.
The Gift: "Okay… good… now."
Zoe: "…hah…"
Sophie: "Okay."
They hurried.
Dante: "That was damn close…"
Sophie: "It's really true—they can't see that well…"
Dante: "They're still huge, though…"
The Gift: "Now let's quickly find a place where we can treat Zoe…"
They kept moving when suddenly they heard a sound.
The Gift: "Hmm?"
He stepped forward—and fell into a deep hole.
Sophie: "The Gift—Zoe…"
The Gift: "Whoaaa!"
Dante: "What do we do now."
Sophie: "What do you think—after him!"
She jumped in.
Dante: "What… damn… come on…"
They jumped one after another.
Liza: "…arghhh!"
Sophie: "Woo-hoo… hahahaha…"
Jill: "This is… not fu—u—unny!"
(Crash!)
Jill: "…ugh… my poor butt."
Sophie: "Ugh… would be nice if you didn't park your butt on my stomach, Jill."
Jill: "Oh—sorry."
She stood up.
Liza: "…ow… my head."
Sophie: "…good thing it's not too bad."
Hansel: "Aaaaaarghh!"
Sophie: "Hmm!"
Hansel was last and flew right toward Sophie.
Sophie: "…oh great!"
(Crash!)
Sophie: "…ghhh…"
Hansel: "Oh… sorry… Sophie."
Sophie: "…how about you get off me first and then apologize… or did you like being that close to me and almost kissing me."
Hansel: "…I don't want to lie, but I do like it."
Sophie: "…haha… now get up… before I use my teeth to rip out your tongue."
Hansel: "Okay…"
He stood and helped her up.
Sophie: "Ugh… my bones."
Liza: "…where are we."
The Gift: "Good question…"
Jill: "The ass-end of the world."
Sophie: "Hey… language… you're still underage—naughty Little Red Riding Hood; the fairy-tale one was nicer."
Jill: "That's because I'm not Little Red Riding Hood."
Sophie: "…well… you've got the same scarf and you're cute and naive like her."
Jill: "Hey…"
Sophie: "Oh… I mean… childlike like her."
Jill: "Doesn't make it much better."
Kenn: "Can we please switch back to serious mode now."
Zoe: "Mhm."
Sophie: "Okay… okay."
Jill: "…but where are we…"
The Gift: "…hmm… looks to me… like it was a deep pit."
Sophie: "No shit, Sherlock… I thought it was a staircase…"
The Gift: "…well… there apparently was a staircase… look at this rubble."
Sophie: "True… you're right…"
Kenn: "But why…"
Liza: "Look here… there are bones, too."
Sophie: "Oh… Kenn."
Kenn: "She didn't mean me."
Sophie: "Oh…"
Kenn: "(sweats)… you're really pervy."
Sophie: "…but there really is something down there near you…"
Kenn: "Huh?"
He pulled it out… it was… an insect.
Kenn: "Aaghh…"
Sophie: "Aaaaaaarghhh… get it away… I hate insects!"
She hid behind Liza.
Sophie: "…gross…"
Kenn: "…ugh…"
Jill: "…she's… afraid of… insects?"
Dante: "(sweats)… like a… kid…"
Sophie: "Hey… I'm only 19…"
Jill: "And I'm 16… and I'm not scared…"
Sophie: "Ahh… just leave me alone… look how it moves…"
Zoe: "…hmmm…"
Kenn: "Doesn't matter—it's gone now… look!"
He put it down.
Sophie: "…hhmmm."
She stayed crouched behind Liza.
Sophie: "Hmmm."
Liza: "Why behind me…"
Zoe: "Also, your hands are in an uncomfortable spot."
Sophie: "Liza doesn't mind…"
Liza: "…actually I do… your hands are cold… and I'm only wearing an undershirt…"
Sophie: "Hmmm."
The spider is gone.
Sophie: "Hmm."
Kenn: "By the way, spiders aren't insects. Arachnida."
Zoe: "Mhm."
Jill: "See…"
Sophie: "I don't care…"
Dante: "Okay… can we focus on the important stuff now."
Zoe: "…my pain is somehow not as bad anymore."
Sophie: "…that's probably because you're getting used to it—still, we need to treat you…"
The Gift: "I'll do it…"
He laid her down and took care of it.
Zoe: "Ow… ghhh…"
The Gift: "…you're really lucky… your leg and foot are injured but not dangerously."
He bandaged her.
The Gift: "But you won't be able to walk normally for a while…"
Zoe: "Damn…"
Sophie: "Hmm…"
Kenn: "Weird place."
Sophie: "Mhm…"
Liza: "…a cave? Or… what is this?"
Jill: "Maybe a secret passage…"
They looked around—whatever this place is, it's definitely not a normal cave.