Chapter 134: The Little House in the Dark
Having calmed down, Squirrel began recounting the events that had unfolded within the Black Forest to Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood.
“She entered a few hours ago. At first, I didn’t even notice—she didn’t cry or make a fuss, completely unlike the other children who stumble in,” Squirrel sighed, perched on Yu Sheng’s shoulder. “This might be her first time ‘truly’ stepping into the Black Forest, but I’d wager she’s been tormented by nightmares about it for quite a while now…”
“Which way did she go?” Little Red Riding Hood cut in, unimpressed by Squirrel’s rambling. “Take us there.”
“That way,” Squirrel raised a paw to point, only to hesitate. “But I don’t think it’ll do any good. That path goes too deep. There are no trails, no lights from any Little House. There’s no shelter in that darkness—you’ll only end up devoured by the Wolf…”
Little Red Riding Hood didn’t care for the warning. She was already striding forward. “We’ll judge that for ourselves.”
“Hey, hey, wait—” Squirrel leapt up in a fluster, then abruptly lowered its voice, hopping from Yu Sheng to Little Red Riding Hood. “You do know your current state, don’t you?”
Little Red Riding Hood paused and glanced back. “I do.”
Yu Sheng followed her into the depths of the Black Forest, while Squirrel continued to chatter, now perched on Little Red Riding Hood’s shoulder, visibly anxious and agitated. “This is reckless! Walking straight into a place without even the glimmer of a Little House’s light—you’ll run into Wolf packs for sure! Even the Big Bad Wolf will come sniffing in no time!
“At least stop at a trail or rest at a Little House for a few minutes—recover your condition, especially you, Little Red Riding Hood… you need to stabilize…
“And you, adult human! Aren’t you her friend? Say something to stop her…
“This is just cruelty to a poor Squirrel! Nobody ever listens to me! Why is the world so harsh to Squirrels—especially one as adorable as me?!”
Squirrel shrieked dramatically, arms flailing. But before the tantrum could reach full crescendo, Little Red Riding Hood reached up and seized the noisy rodent in her hand. “You’re loud. Keep it up and I’ll throw you into the thorn bushes.”
Instantly silenced, Squirrel muttered after a pause, “You mustn’t go down the path of self-destruction.”
“I’m not self-destructing,” Little Red Riding Hood replied softly but firmly. “Honestly—I’m calmer now than I’ve been during any recent Dream Entry.”
Squirrel stared at her, perplexed, then glanced toward Yu Sheng as if trying to ask something, but no coherent words came.
Yu Sheng, on his part, had been quiet the entire time, simply walking beside Little Red Riding Hood with sharp attention. He was sensing—trying to grasp the rustle of leaves, any latent connection by blood, the movement of the Wolf Pack, and the lurking presence of the Big Bad Wolf.
From the depths of the Forest, the distant howls of Wolves echoed, rising and falling, omnipresent.
Whatever dusk-light had remained in the sky had vanished without notice. The Forest fell under the shroud of night—though it wasn’t pitch black. A more oppressive, spectral dimness crept through the trees, laced with cold and watching eyes.
“The Wolves have noticed us, the Wolves have noticed us…” Squirrel began muttering frantically, somehow producing a brittle pine needle like a weapon. “We’re doomed. In this dark, lightless place, we’ll be eaten! This is a nightmare!”
Yu Sheng narrowed his eyes. Amid the howls, he attuned himself to a subtle… “flow.”
A gaze swept the area. For an instant, he could feel it watching him—could see himself reflected in it.
Yet the owner of the gaze remained hidden. The Big Bad Wolf lingered somewhere within the Forest, biding its time.
Yu Sheng held his focus on the unseen watcher—and then noticed Little Red Riding Hood beside him had begun to slow.
She was trembling.
“Are you okay?” he asked immediately.
“I’m fine,” her voice calm, her expression unchanged. “Just being cautious. We’re deep in the Forest now.”
Yu Sheng stared at her composed demeanor.
So did the gaze from the depths.
A sweet, primal fear—rooted deep in childhood, nurtured by dreams, now fed by memory—spread through the Forest.
Without a word, Yu Sheng stepped forward and took Little Red Riding Hood’s hand.
Startled, she asked, “What are you…”
“Don’t be afraid.”
Her expression grew flustered. “…I’m not afraid.”
“Pretending won’t work. That Wolf can see your fear directly,” Yu Sheng said quietly, eyes meeting hers. “It’s watching you.”
Little Red Riding Hood’s eyes widened slightly, confusion flickering across her face before she couldn’t help but ask, “How did you know?”
The fear that had been emanating from her faded slightly. The Evil Wolf, crouched nearby in the gloom, remained tense and watchful.
Yu Sheng blinked, fully aware that the Evil Wolf’s gaze hadn’t shifted away—but neither had his.
“That Wolf caught my blood,” he said to Little Red Riding Hood, with his usual honesty in such matters. “You don’t need to be afraid now. Sooner or later, it will be my prey.”
Little Red Riding Hood didn’t respond, only staring blankly at Yu Sheng.
She was uncertain, hesitant. She couldn’t fully understand or believe his words—but the fear continued to ebb away from her.
That was enough.
Yu Sheng released her hand.
He knew it wasn’t fair to blame Little Red Riding Hood for her “fear”—because it had long transcended reason. In the Black Forest, for her, fear wasn’t merely an emotional response anymore.
As a seasoned Spirit Realm Detective, she might calmly venture into the Otherworld, confront grotesque and bizarre Entities, even face life and death without flinching. But the terror of the Evil Wolf had taken root in her psyche years ago. It had grown with her since childhood, like a poison clinging to her bones—and now, the Evil Wolf, as large as a house, stood as its mirrored manifestation.
No wonder the Cursed Children of the Fairy Tale could never escape its curse.
Squirrel stood perched on her shoulder, its beady black eyes darting between the two of them, lost in some private thought. Then it abruptly broke the silence. “She’s ventured into the Deep Forest before… most Little Red Riding Hoods have, at least once or twice… in the beginning. That’s where the earliest fear usually comes from.”
“Spare us the extras,” Little Red Riding Hood muttered gloomily.
“Because of the ‘temptations’ beyond the path?” Yu Sheng asked, curiosity piqued.
Little Red Riding Hood kept her head lowered and continued walking in silence.
“What else?” Squirrel sighed in an oddly human manner. “Wildflowers and mushrooms along the road—and glittering things. Always so enticing. But in the end? Fangs and claws of the Evil Wolf…”
Little Red Riding Hood shot Squirrel a murderous glare. “I swear I’ll toss you into the underbrush.”
“…I was tempted too. Nothing to be ashamed of,” Yu Sheng said thoughtfully. “See, last time I came in, I almost gave in myself. If Squirrel hadn’t reminded me, I might’ve walked right into the darkness.”
Little Red Riding Hood looked at him with surprise.
“…You? You were lured off-path too?” she asked, hesitantly. “Something could tempt you?”
Her tone was filled with disbelief—the same disbelief she’d shown when she first learned Yu Sheng ate human food.
Yu Sheng had the strong feeling that the red-cloaked girl was imagining something impolite, but he had no proof.
“It’s normal. Everyone gets tempted,” he said with a wave of his hand, nonchalant. Then he asked casually, “What about you? What lured you into the Deep Forest, back then?”
He had no hidden motive, merely hoping to distract her and perhaps learn more about her past. It might help him find a way to sever the Black Forest’s influence over her.
But Little Red Riding Hood pressed her lips together and remained silent.
Even Squirrel, who rarely obeyed warnings and chattered incessantly, fell quiet.
“Alright,” Yu Sheng exhaled, letting it go. “No need to say it if you don’t want to. Let’s…”
He stopped mid-sentence.
Little Red Riding Hood froze too.
In the depths of the Dense Forest ahead, a vague outline emerged into view.
It wasn’t the “lost” child.
It was a Little House.
“Don’t get close!” Squirrel squeaked, visibly shaken, tail trembling. “Something’s wrong. Squirrel senses something’s off…”
“It looks just like the one I saw last time,” Yu Sheng muttered, squinting. “Same shape and all.”
“Same shape, but not the same house!” Squirrel blurted, voice quick and tense, gripping pine needles in its paws. “Look! No lights! There are no lights in this Little House! In the darkness of the Forest, without being swallowed by it? Strange. Very strange… A House with extinguished lights should’ve crumbled and vanished… Grandmother inside? No! No, Grandmother’s House always has a light on…”
Listening to Squirrel’s flurry of anxious whispers, Yu Sheng and Little Red Riding Hood exchanged glances.
Then, together, they carefully stepped toward the silent, unlit Little House standing alone in the Black Forest.