Kala slowly removed the red cloth covering his eyes. A faint light pierced his retinas, making him gasp when he realized he was lying in the middle of a strange forest—dark and silent.
His head throbbed violently. Faint memories forced their way in, making him clutch his skull.
"That figure..."
Yes, he remembered. That twin of his. The figure who appeared out of nowhere, even though he had never felt like he had a twin. Kala could still feel the chill of that figure's cold stare, and that eerie voice calling his name.
After that, his body suddenly froze—unable to move. The figure stepped forward slowly, stopped right in front of him, then flashed a terrifying smile before covering Kala's eyes with the red cloth.
Kala swallowed hard, goosebumps rising all over his skin.
"Damn it… I ended up in another dimension."
He forced himself to stand. Staying still was clearly not an option. No help would come. The only way was to find an exit.
With careful steps, he pushed aside branches and leaves blocking his view. The forest was thick, dark, as if it devoured all light.
But suddenly—
"Kala!"
The voice was faint, almost swallowed by silence, yet clearly audible. Kala spun around instantly, scanning the darkness.
"Kyung? Is that you?" he called anxiously.
Only silence.
"Kyungmin, where are you?" he shouted again, desperation creeping into his voice.
"Sakala, where are you going?"
Kala froze. That voice… yes, that was Kyungmin's.
"I'm here, Kyung! Where are you?!" he yelled, running, plunging deeper into the endless dark.
"You hear me, right? Kala!"
"I hear you, Kyungmin!" Kala's breath quickened, his chest tightening.
But the forest seemed to mock him. He ran in every direction, but all he saw were towering black trees, shifting shadows, and a thin mist growing thicker. No sign of life, no tracks.
"You hear me, right? Kala!"
"I'm here, Kyung! I don't know how… but I hear you!" his voice cracked, almost turning into a scream.
Kala kept running—deeper, more frantic. But every step took him further into the gloom.
Until finally—
"Hello, Sakala."
A small voice behind him made him turn instantly.
There. That figure.
His double stood calmly, wearing a faint smile. In his hand, a gleaming pistol pointed directly at Kala's head.
"Do whatever you want here…" he said cheerfully, though laced with threat.
Kala glared. "Why are you keeping me here?"
The figure chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Your choice… I tell you the reason… or your life."
Before Kala could think further, the figure's finger tightened on the trigger.
Instinct took over. Kala bolted with all his strength, rushing through the darkness without looking back. His breath came in harsh bursts, his body nearly giving out, but he couldn't stop.
Until, amidst the fog and trees, he saw it—a worn-down building standing in the middle of the forest, old and abandoned.
Without hesitation, Kala ran inside. The only place that could offer shelter… though he wasn't sure what awaited him within.
~~~~~~
Gantha took a cold drink from the vending machine, thin condensation clinging to the can as he stared at his phone. The chatroom with Kala was open—the messages he sent since morning were still marked as delivered, unread. Kala hadn't come to school today, and even by dismissal time, he hadn't said a word.
Where was he?
Though Gantha's face remained expressionless as usual, hidden worry gnawed at him. Was Kala sick? Or… had something worse happened?
"Agan," Melvin's voice broke his thoughts. The boy approached with steady steps.
"You're still here?"
"Why?" Gantha asked back.
"Asta told us to meet at the basecamp before going home. You were on your phone; I thought you saw the message," Melvin explained.
Gantha quickly checked his phone again. Sure enough, Hasta's notification was there. Without another word, he walked off, Melvin following behind.
Soon they arrived at the basecamp. Dion, Hasta, and Yoan were already there, snacking on food from the canteen. The mood seemed normal, but a thin layer of tension hung in the air.
"What are we talking about?" Melvin asked, dropping onto a seat.
"Yesterday's incident with Yoga," Hasta replied firmly. "But we should wait for him to get here."
They waited several minutes until Yoga arrived, slightly out of breath, but he sat down immediately.
"Everyone's here, huh," he said casually, though his expression was serious.
Hasta pulled out his iPad and played a recording. "Yo, I managed to get the CCTV from your dad's store—the one that went missing."
Everyone leaned in. At first, the footage seemed normal: an employee being threatened by someone—just like Yoga described yesterday. But then the outside camera showed something that silenced them all. A gust of wind blew back the hood of the culprit's hoodie. Lavender hair spilled out, messy, the figure turning slightly to show a partial profile. Not fully clear, but familiar enough.
Dion swallowed hard. "Judging from the build… t-there's no way."
"The hair… the posture… It looks a lot like Kala," Melvin said quietly. "But I don't think it's really him. He has no reason to do something like that."
Yoga quickly added, "Yeah, that's not Kala. He already has that compass watch. Why would he force my dad's employee to look for another one?"
Yoan let out a small chuckle, trying to mask the unease creeping up his spine. "He could've just asked us. Why go through all that trouble?"
But Gantha, unlike the others, stared at the screen without blinking. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold.
"That really is Kala. But… Kala from another dimension."
Silence.
Melvin frowned. "What… do you mean?"
Gantha sighed. "Lately, Kala's been stalked by someone who looks exactly like him. That figure even damaged his house door. Luckily the kid didn't get hurt."
Dion furrowed his brows. "So… it really is Kala? Or not?"
Gantha gave him a blank look. "What do you think? Our friend from another world?"
Dion scratched his cheek awkwardly, tension thickening.
"But Kala didn't come to school today," Hasta said.
"He hasn't read my messages either," Yoan added.
Worry began spreading among them. Dion finally spoke up. "I'm not comfortable with this. What if we go to his house now? Before it gets dark."
"I agree," Melvin said immediately.
Without further argument, they got up. Their steps were hurried, unified—fear pushing them forward.
The evening's quiet turned oppressive. Their destination was clear: Kala's house.
~~~~~~~
"Damn it!"
Kala collapsed against the cold wall, his breath ragged as if something unseen had been chasing him. His body trembled—not only from exhaustion but from the fear crushing him.
His thoughts swirled chaotically. Nightmarish possibilities tore through his mind. And he knew… the only way to survive here was to stay calm.
But calm felt impossible.
Frustration surged. His hand lashed out, hitting his own head. Again and again.
"Damn it, I… I can't focus!"
He slid down until his head thumped against the wall. Eyes shut tight, trying to shut out the suffocating dread around him.
"Jihan… Kyungmin…" he whispered.
The names slipped out like a fragile prayer. He knew it was impossible—no one could hear him in this cursed place. But a part of him still hoped… that somehow, someone would reach out and save him.
Kala inhaled deeply, steadying his heartbeat. After a moment, he pushed himself up again. He stared at the massive building in front of him—an old warehouse, dark and spacious, with piles of uneven boxes casting distorted shadows on the walls.
He walked slowly, each step heavy. His eyes caught something: a few rickety chairs and stones arranged neatly, as if used for burning something.
Kala stopped. A bad feeling crept up his spine. He stepped closer, then his eyes widened.
Something was lying behind the chairs—hidden beneath them. His hand shook as he picked it up.
"A sweater… this…"
He remembered—the blue sweater in his hands was the one he planned to give Jihan for her birthday, but ended up giving to Hasta after accidentally spilling his drink on Hasta's blazer.
Kala stepped back, breath faltering. His grip tightened around the fabric as his eyes darted around anxiously.
"Is… he here too?"