Joohyun doesn’t understand what’s going on anymore. With a childhood filled with clear rules to follow and a purpose, everything was simple. Now, she’s lost in a labyrinth and a bloodthirsty creature follows her and threatens her existence.

Ordinary bullets are coming after them, specifically after Joohyun. The hailstorm falls with an increasing speed and hits the princess above the left eye, ruining her arched eyebrows. It’s like she’s a magnet of calamity, and she doesn’t know.

They stop in front of the warning sign. Joohyun goes in first, bending down to pass below. Seungwan kicks the sign. It falls, granting her access. There’s something very different about the way they think and do things, but the survival instinct is almost the same.

They rush amongst the vegetation, similar to a forest. A big plant hits Seungwan in the face and Joohyun can’t even seem to find it funny.

There’s a silent agreement to hold hands while getting inside since they don’t want to be thrown at different places. The swamp is dense and fetid, and it feels cold against their skin. Nothing happens for a couple of seconds ‘till they hear rustling in the entrance to the swamp. The swamp seems to pull them into it at a slow rate due to its viscosity. Joohyun looks almost relaxed, but Seungwan starts to panic. She tries to swim to the surface, but it doesn’t work. The pull is too strong and she feels suffocated.

“What’s wrong?” Joohyun asks as low as possible, hoping that only Seungwan will be able to hear her. Multiple flashlights light up the swamp, in search of them.

The swamp doesn’t give Seungwan time to answer before sending them away.

###

When they get out, Joohyun stands up first, looking at her ruined clothes. Seungwan is on the grass, paralyzed. Water sweeps across her forehead and her clothes are damped and smelly. She breathes with difficulty.

Joohyun doesn’t feel comfortable asking the girl about her problems, so she gives Seungwan time to recover while she scans the place. The princess has never been below five meters of altitude and feeling solid terrain under her shoes is a weird sensation she’s not sure she likes.

The place isn’t like anything she has seen before. Houses are stacked together like french fries, one on top of the other. It looks like they are going to crumble under so much weight. Hand-made wooden lids cover holes on the floor.

The sun is up, and it shines at her through the hailstorm that is clearing now. It makes her wonder how much time has passed between getting into the swamp and jumping to that place. She looks up and watches the high trees oscillating in a soft, controlled way due to the wind.

Seungwan stands beside her with a calm expression that seems fake.

The princess doesn’t have to ask, because Seungwan knows what’s on her mind.

“This is Forvalley,” The thief informs. “Be careful where you step on, it’s full of shortcuts.”

“Shortcuts to where?”

“The Ruins.”

“Are we safe here?” It’s all Joohyun needs to know.

“No, but we look like we stepped out of the sanitary landfill, I don’t think anyone will recognize you.”

Silence takes place and the conversation is over as soon as it starts. It’s weird for Seungwan, but it’s worse for Joohyun. She doesn’t remember the last time she talked to someone because she liked the person, or the last time she ran that fast, or the last time someone cared for her as much. She’s not deluded, she knows Seungwan is just using her for something she can’t quite understand yet. It’s probably for survival or money, or both. It doesn’t matter why it is and Joohyun wants to keep lying to herself thinking she finally has a friend, a genuine friend, even if that isn’t the case.

Children play in the mud, kicking a ball in the middle of two sticks. One of them is standing with his arms open trying to block the ball. Joohyun dodges the boy, pushing Seungwan in the process. She mutters a ‘sorry’ so low that Seungwan thinks she imagined it.

Joohyun lets herself be dragged amongst the piled-up houses. She’s not sure where Seungwan is taking her but she doesn’t question it either. There’s no other option, and not trusting the thief after everything she’s done would be very ungrateful of her.

People look at them, but briefly. The majority of them just turn around or cover their nose and mouth due to the smell. They walk one behind the other through a rocky trail. Joohyun’s eyebrow is bleeding, but she doesn’t notice it until the blood enters her eye. She swipes her hand under her eyebrow. Her other injuries are probably infected by now. Seungwan has some cuts too, but nothing important.

Due to the storm, people are still inside their houses, so the trail is just for them.

“I need to go back home,” Seungwan announces.

Joohyun has the sensation that it’s the end for them.

“Is it far from here?” She asks.

“Yes, and no. I can get there from here, but it’s quite a long way,” Seungwan explains. “I just need you to know that the odds of you dying triplicate if we go down there.”

The princess is not sure if Seungwan tells her that because she wants to warn her or because she doesn’t want