Everywhere the eye could see in the forest, there were different shades of green.
Dark green treetops, emerald foliage where shrubs and vines intertwined, and bright green moss covering the rocks and cliffs.
The wind passed through the leaves with a soft rustle. Every so often, a few clear birdcalls rang out, making the forest seem even quieter.
In the depths of this primeval forest, an ancient stone house stood out of place.
A pitch-black crow flew through the trees and finally landed on a wooden stand in front of the house.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
A dry, ghastly cry came from its beak.
Before long, the stone house's front door opened.
A "person" wrapped from head to toe in bandages stepped out.
Silently, he came to the wooden stand and picked up the envelope the crow had brought.
He also set down a few small chunks of meat that were still bleeding beside the crow.
Then he turned, closed the door, and went back inside.
"Thud!"
The door shut.
The enormous entrance hall was piled high with all kinds of junk.
The strange man deftly made his way through the clutter and eventually came to the door leading to the cellar.
"Heh, heh, heh!"
Instead of heading down into the cellar, he made a wheezing sound at the entrance to the passage.
"Come down."
At the command, the strange man stiffly walked down the stairs toward the cellar.
The stairway was pitch-black. Only at the end of the passage, in the cellar, did a faint blue candlelight appear.
Though it was light, its eerie blue hue offered no warmth or comfort. Instead, it carried an indescribable, bone-chilling eeriness, as if they had entered an ice cellar.
Compared to the cluttered hall, the cellar was much tidier.
A large bed stood