In the surrounding shadows of the green nature and flowing waterfalls, the daylight offered a vast array of enterprises. From the casual hiker to the daily jogger, it was a testament to South Korea’s rolling and breathtaking landscape. Even when the moon rose to its highest point and the density of the fog in the spring made it challenging to see, the pathways and points of interest remained teeming with people. At 2,080 feet, this was a place where only peace and tranquility could live.
This particular evening, however, was different. The orb of the night had begun a new, no glow would light the way this night. The elevation had succumbed to the absolute darkness that surrounded its every cliff and ridge. For most, this was a warning. A sign that the quiet and beautiful ambience had vanished, enough to keep most souls’ miles away from the area. But not all.
Along one of its higher pathways, two headlamps bobbed up and down at a steady pace. Music leaked into the night air, echoing through the two sets of earbuds worn by the two runners. After making it to a landing along the stairs, the headlamps went still, bending over in fatigue. They were in their early twenties, college students, and frequent visitors to the terrain. Not paying any mind to the somber sky, the two had decided to take a break from study.
“You good?” The boy breathlessly panted.
“Yeah, you?” The girl smirked back.
“Think so, it’s a good night for this.” The two stood straight up, catching their breath. As were various nights in the spring, the encircling air was hazy, but the thought hadn’t even crossed their minds.
“You mind if I go ahead?” The girl gestured towards the path ahead.
“No no, you’re totally fine.” The boy smiled back and motioned.
“See you there!” She called back, playfully waving as she jogged up the stairs. After taking a few moments to take a drink of water and readjust his headlamp, the young man put his earbuds back in and began running up the stairs. It had only been around five minutes when the air became thicker and heavier with fog, though he hadn’t taken notice as of yet. But when the wind began whistling louder than his music, he immediately stopped and took his earbud out, reaching up and pressing his finger to his ear in discomfort.
“Min?” A familiar voice suddenly echoed in his ear as if someone was singing his name. He turned from right to left trying to track the whereabouts of where the call had come from.
“Sarah?”
“Min Min?” Her voice went through his left ear to his right, the musical way he had been called the first time had now become seductive, luring him to look towards the silhouetted trees off the trail.
“Ooh, I gotcha…” Playfully, he briefly stuck his pinky in his mouth and then ran it across his brow, putting his thumbs in each side of his tank top, stretching it forward and then letting it slap backwards to his chest. Puffing his chest out, he walked into the foggy forest.
“I had no idea you were so….” His confidence and bravado disappeared almost immediately when he realized what was in front of him was indeed not his companion but something out of the stuff of nightmares and legends. Two red eyes with white pupils stared back at him, animal-like with absolute hatred and hunger.
“What the he-” Before he could move a muscle, he had been taken off his feet and as quickly as he had opened his mouth to scream, silence filled the air as even the wind had ceased to absolute dead air. The only human presence on the mountain had been utterly stolen from the night. And whatever had taken that presence was anything but human.
KPop Demon Hunters: The Blood Moon
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