AS I SAID IT'S A DISASTER

Friday mornings were always peaceful in our city.

The sun had barely risen, yet the streets were already beginning to come alive.

A gentle breeze moved across the lake, carrying the faint scent of flowers. Cherry blossoms bloomed along the distant shore, their delicate petals falling one by one and landing softly on the water. Some floated across the lake, carried by the current, while others disappeared beneath the surface.

The reflection of the blossoms made the lake look almost magical.

People walked along the paths beside the water, talking quietly with their friends and families. Some stopped to admire the scenery. Others simply enjoyed the cool morning air.

Yellow leaves scattered across the paths as the first signs of winter began to appear.

The houses surrounding the lake looked beautiful beneath the morning light. Children laughed as they walked toward school. Shopkeepers opened their doors. Families greeted one another.

Everything felt peaceful.

Everything felt safe.

Our city was considered one of the safest cities in the kingdom. People came from distant places just to see its beauty.

It was a city known for friendship, prosperity, and peace.

But there had been a time when none of that existed.

A time when the city had almost been destroyed.

A time when monsters appeared.

I was five years old when it happened.

I don't remember everything clearly. Most of what I know came from the stories my teachers told us in class and the memories my parents shared with me.

Hundreds of people had died that day.

Buildings had been destroyed. Families had been separated. People had run through the streets searching for somewhere safe.

But somehow, my parents survived.

And so did I.

The monsters were eventually stopped by the knights of our kingdom.

They were warriors who had sworn to protect us, even if it meant risking their own lives.

For most people, it was the first time they had ever encountered beasts like those.

Before that day, the greatest dangers we knew were ordinary humans—criminals and convicts from our own nation.

Nothing could have prepared us for creatures that came from somewhere beyond our understanding.

Years later, our teachers still told us about that terrible day.

That Friday morning, I sat in my classroom listening to one of those stories.

The teacher stood at the front of the room, explaining what had happened years ago.

I looked toward the window.

Outside, the sunlight touched the trees, and the world looked completely peaceful.

I hope it stays that way, I thought.

I lowered my eyes.

I hope those monsters never come back.

Our school had been established partly because of what happened.

It wasn't a military academy, and nobody was forced to become a warrior.

Instead, students were taught how to protect themselves, understand danger, and remain calm when faced with difficult situations.

Those who wanted to practice did so because they chose to.

Fear had changed our society.

Everyone remembered what happened.

Everyone wanted to be prepared.

My name is Samuel of the Superior Lord.

I lived in the academy.

At least, that was where I spent most of my days.

After class ended, I walked through the school grounds and found my old friend, Mike.

We had known each other since we were children.

Our parents had been friends long before we were born, so Mike and I had grown up together.

"Samuel!"

I turned around.

Mike was standing behind me, waving.

I smiled.

We talked for a while before deciding to head home.

On our way, we passed through a nearby valley.

It was one of my favorite places.

Cherry trees grew along the valley, their branches stretching toward the sky. A new cinema had recently been built nearby, and the area had become a popular place for people to visit.

For a moment, everything seemed perfect.

Eventually, Mike and I went our separate ways.

"See you tomorrow," he said.

"Yeah. See you."

I continued home alone.

When I arrived, my mother greeted me warmly.

She talked about ordinary things—our neighbors, people she had seen during the day, and the difficulties some families were experiencing.

I listened while eating my dinner.

Afterward, I returned to my room.

I studied for a while.

The hours passed.

Ten o'clock came.

Then eleven.

Eventually, the entire house became quiet.

It was somewhere around midnight when I heard it.

A sound.

I stopped studying.

At first, I thought it was the wind.

Then I heard it again.

A voice.

It was coming from outside my window.

I slowly turned toward it.

My heart began beating faster.

Through the glass, I saw something in the forest.

A yellow light.

It was shining between the trees.

It wasn't like the light from a normal lantern.

It looked strangely pure.

Almost unnatural.

I stared at it.

"What is that?"

I wanted to investigate.

But then I remembered the rules.

At night, we were never supposed to wander outside alone.

If we encountered something dangerous, we might not be allowed to simply walk away.

I looked away from the window.

Then the voice came again.

This time, it sounded closer.

Much closer.

I froze.

It wasn't calling my name.

It was whispering.

"Go home..."

I covered my ears.

The whisper continued.

"Go home..."

My breathing became heavier.

"Go..."

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I didn't understand what was happening.

My older sister was nearby, but she seemed strangely unaware of what I was hearing.

Then my mother appeared at my open bedroom door.

She looked at me.

"Why are you covering your ears?"

I immediately lowered my hands.

"Nothing."

She studied my face.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I repeated.

She looked toward the window.

Then back at me.

After a moment, she left.

I waited until her footsteps disappeared.

Then I looked outside again.

The yellow light was still there.

But now...

It was brighter.

Much brighter.

It illuminated the forest like a second moon.

I couldn't ignore it anymore.

I knew I shouldn't go.

Every part of me was telling me to stay inside.

But the voice kept calling.

The light kept shining.

And somehow, I felt as though something was waiting for me.

I quietly opened the window.

I took a lantern.

Then I climbed outside.

I made sure not to make a sound.

The night air immediately touched my face.

I walked toward the forest.

One step.

Then another.

The deeper I went, the louder the voice became.

The trees seemed to close around me.

The light was getting stronger.

And then I saw it.

A cave.

A massive opening hidden among the trees.

I stood at its entrance.

The voice was coming from inside.

I should have turned around.

I should have gone home.

But the whisper had become almost impossible to resist.

So I stepped inside.

The moment I entered...

Light filled the cave.

I raised my arm to protect my eyes.

For a few seconds, I couldn't see anything.

Then my eyes adjusted.

And I stopped breathing.

The cave wasn't dark.

It was beautiful.

The walls glowed with an unnatural light, illuminating every corner as if it were daytime.

But that wasn't what shocked me.

Something else was happening.

I could see the village.

Not through an opening.

Not through a window.

The village was somehow being displayed inside the cave.

I could see houses.

I could see streets.

I could see people sleeping in their rooms.

I could see others talking.

I could hear their voices.

Every conversation.

Every movement.

Every person.

It was as though the cave had become a window into the entire village.

I slowly stepped forward.

My eyes widened.

"What... is this?"

I couldn't understand what I was seeing.

Then I noticed something.

Something that made my blood run cold.

The cave wasn't simply showing me the village.

It was showing me something that was happening right now.

I stared at the strange images before me.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

And then I realized...

I had never discovered this place by accident.

The voice had brought me here.

I took another step forward.

Whatever was inside this cave...

It had been waiting for me.

To be continued...