SYN: Nayeon is an adventurer who stumbles upon her best and worst adventure yet.

Im Nayeon majored in environmental biology in university and graduated with honors. It wasn’t long before National Geographic employed her as a content producer. She was also an avid photographer, which was a bonus for the company. Nayeon was in the jungles of the Amazon to research about a rare species of bird that people knew little about. Armed with her insect repellent, camera and a huge traveller’s backpack, she trekked into the forest with her partner, Jihyo, after getting off the little boat that transported them there.

They decided to set up camp in an opened area before setting up their cameras and motion sensitive cameras. After a whole day of not being able to spot the, after all rare, bird, Nayeon and Jihyo decided to stop for the night. The next morning, Nayeon suggested going deeper into the jungle, which Jihyo was against because they might get lost. But being the stubborn girl she was, Nayeon put her on deaf ears and advanced herself. Jihyo huffed and took her knife, marking arrows on the threes while chasing after the girl.

Jihyo snapped her head around, and scanned her surroundings but no Nayeon. She had lost sight of the girl. She started to call out to her in vain but the only sounds that replied her were that of crickets and common birds. Suddenly, the rumbling of an incoming storm could be heard. Jihyo pushed further into the forest in a last attempt to find the girl but soon, the nearing storm drover her out and into the confines of her tent.

Nayeon was forced to take shelter in a cave as the rain started pouring down on her. She patted herself, getting the water off her skin and tried drying herself at the same time. She regretted not listening to Jihyo because now she was stranded for the time being. Nayeon switched her headlight on and looked around the cave before taking her camera out and photographing the carvings on the wall. As she looked around, more was revealed to her. She was in some short of shrine. Nayeon lifted her camera up to her eye and took a few pictures before she noticed something reflective as the flash hits it.

The adventurer kept her camera away and slowly advanced towards the object. She picked it up and dusted the soil and grains of rock off the thing to see that it was actually a Jade ring. Nayeon held it up towards the light to examine it but her concentration was cut short when she suddenly felt a presence behind her. She snapped her head around to see no one but when she turned around, she screamed as she stumbled backwards and trashed on the ground to push herself away from the thing.

The thing, with short hair, red orange glowing eyes and a slim figure, was walking towards her. Nayeon felt helpless as her back met with the wall. Now, the thing was face to face with her while she trembled in fear. The squinted her eyes open to see the thing looking at her, tilting her head left and right and scrutinizing her before those orange eyes landed on the Jade ring she had in her hands.

Nayeon looked at it and then raised the ring up. As expected, the thing’s eyes followed it as though as it was precious to her.

NY: This is precious to you isn’t it?

The thing didn’t respond.

“Back off!" Nayeon said as she held the ring in front of her as though she was using a cross to repel a sprit. The girl flinched a little at the sudden movement but only took a little step back. It only took a few more times of Nayeon shouting before the girl understood what the adventurer meant.

Nayeon then got herself up and walked towards the shrine, with her eyes still staring at the girl at the other corner of the room. Nayeon managed to take a better look at her and saw that her arms and legs were covered in glowing ruins. Being a person who studied about these, she managed to recognize it as the early 1200s writing but she doesn’t understand it. Nayeon knew better; she knew she shouldn’t take the ancient ring and so she left to back on the alter before moving out towards the opening of the cave. Nayeon immediately bolted after that. She didn’t care about the rain or the lightning or the slippery ground because all she cared about was getting back to the comforts of the company of her friend.

Jihyo was huddling in her warm blanket until some one dove into the tent, taking her by surprise.

JH: What the hell Nayeon! Where the hell did you go?!

NY: Y-You won’t believe what I saw! I-I!

JH: Calm down woman…

NY: It was the shrine! The shrine the guide told us about! I saw her!

JH: Wait what? You saw the ‘Amber’?

Nayeon nodded her head, causing Jihyo’s eyes to widen.

JH: You didn’t bring her back did you?

NY: N-No… I don’t think so… I didn’t see anyone... or anything…

JH: We better go to church when we get back.

The next day, Jihyo and Nayeon got lucky; unusually lucky. They woke up to a horrible croaking sound, which to them was music to their ears. Jihyo shook Nayeon up and immediately grabbed her camera to snap a few shots of the rare species. When both of them got back and submitted their reports, they earned themselves a prize and a chance to publicize the books.

Nayeon decided to take a few months hiatus in travelling to relax. Since the day she met the amber, she had not been able to sleep well because something about her still haunted Nayeon. She tossed and the bed before turning on to her side, hugging her bolster. Her eyes fluttered open to see the clock; 4am; but they snapped shut when she thought she saw orange eyes staring at her from the outside.

Nayeon was slightly trembling as the image of that day played in her mind. After mastering her courage, she opened her eyes to see the amber, gone. Nayeon sat up and wiped the sweat off her forehead as she walked towards the kitchen to get herself a cup of water. She huffed a sigh and leaned against the counter.

“Aish… I must be going crazy…” Nayeon cursed as she walked back into the room. But when she reached the door, she felt the room turn cold. The goosebumps on her skin were erect and she shakily reached to push the door open. And when she did, she was faced with her; the amber. Nayeon stood rooted on to the ground; her staring at the amber and the amber staring at her. Nayeon immediately ran into the kitchen and took a knife, waving it at the demon who was teleporting every where.

“What do you want from me?!” Nayeon yelled after losing her knife and being pinned in between the wall and the amber. Her head twitched as she stared into the latter’s eyes. Nayeon peeked back and was surprised to see that her bight orange eyes have become normal eyes but with an orange iris. The amber then reached out to take her hand but Nayeon flinched and retaliated. However, the amber was stronger and managed to pull her hand up and slip on something on Nayeon’s finger.

NY: This…

“... My… bride…” The amber said as she raised her hand to caress Nayeon’s cheek.

“WHAT?!” Nayeon exclaimed as she pushed the latter away and ran into her room to lock the door but when Nayeon turned around, the amber was already inside. Nayeon shook in fear as she backed towards her bed and hugged her bolster tightly. The amber approached her while she yelled at her to go away with tears started to form in her eyes. Seeing this, the amber immediately sensed the girl’s aura and backed away. By the time Nayeon opened her eyes, she saw that the amber was gone but the ring was still on her hand; it wasn’t a dream.

Nayeon met up with Jihyo the next day. Jihyo was waiting for the latter to come to the café when she saw the zombie apocalypse happen right in front of her eyes.

JH: You look horrible.

NY: I couldn’t get enough sleep last night…

JH: What happened?

Nayeon looked left and right before leaning nearer to Jihyo.

NY: She came to find me… look.

Nayeon head her hand up discreetly and showed her the ring.

JH: It’s a jade ring… so?

Nayeon then pulled her laptop and showed her the file of that particular jaded ring. As the younger girl read the article, dropped open.

JH: You have to take the rin