In a secluded village, there existed a Black Forest—a place that appeared only on nights of the full moon.
Its trees were shrouded in darkness, swallowing all light. Those who entered never returned alive; by morning, their lifeless bodies would be discovered.
No one dared to approach.
But Detective Toma was different.
Six months ago, his fiancée, Rena, had vanished without a trace. Her last known whereabouts—near the forest’s edge.
Toma had searched countless times, yet not a single clue remained.
—Was she alive? Or had she perished?
Seeking the truth, he ventured alone into the Black Forest on the night of the full moon.
Shadows in the Depths
A biting chill crept across his skin.
The forest was eerily silent. No rustling leaves, no sound of birds.
—Rustle… rustle…
Something stirred in the distance.
“Who’s there?”
Toma raised his guard, peering between the trees.
There, standing in the darkness—was Rena.
No, not quite.
A woman who looked exactly like her.
“Rena… is that you?”
She smiled softly.
“Have you forgotten me too?”
Toma’s breath hitched.
Her voice, her expression, every movement—everything was just as he remembered.
“But… Rena disappeared. How are you here?”
The woman turned and began walking deeper into the forest. As if leading him somewhere.
“Come with me.”
His instincts screamed at him to stop. That he shouldn’t follow.
But there was something in her voice—something irresistible.
The Truth of the Forest
Following her, Toma arrived at an ancient stone monument.
“What is this place…?”
“The place where we sleep.”
A graveyard.
He finally understood.
This was where the lost ones—those who had vanished into the forest—were buried.
“Rena… are you really her?”
A sorrowful smile touched her lips.
“I was Rena, once.”
A heavy weight pressed against his chest.
“…Then, you’re dead?”
“Yes. But I’ve been waiting for you.”
Her cold fingers brushed against his cheek.
“Come. Let’s sleep together.”
Toma’s vision blurred.
His consciousness was slipping.
Would he, too, surrender to the eternal slumber?
To be with Rena—forever.
The Morning After
At dawn, the villagers found a body at the forest’s entrance.
Detective Toma.
A faint, peaceful smile lingered on his face.
—Those who wandered into the Black Forest on a full moon’s night were always found lifeless by morning.
And so, the legend of the forest claimed yet another soul.
