Chapter 44: Nebu
Eun-woo followed the creature as the rain kept falling around him. At first, he stayed close to the riverbank, but soon, the path moved away from the water, and the trees grew denser. The terrain sloped upward, with moss-covered rocks and twisted roots that threatened to trip him up with every step.
The deeper he went, the thicker the fog became. It clouded his vision until he could barely see the silhouette of the creature a few steps ahead. Several times he nearly lost his balance, but he kept going, his eyes fixed on the dark shape floating in front of him.
Finally, the ground leveled out again. Eun-woo took a deep breath. The fog grew even denser around him. He could no longer see anything, not even the trees. He could only see the faint glow of the fog enveloping the creature.
Then, he heard it.
A high-pitched metallic sound.
Eun-woo stopped dead in his tracks, holding his breath. He narrowed his eyes, and slowly, the shadow of something large and motionless took shape in the fog.
He came closer.
And when he was close enough, he opened his eyes in amazement.
Rusty swings, their chains creaking slightly in the breeze. A seesaw, its paint peeling and its wood splintered. A slide, crooked, dented, and colorless.
Playground equipment.
Eun-woo didn’t know why, but a pang of nostalgia pierced his chest. That deep sadness enveloped him suddenly.