A brightly colored caterpillar wriggled its plump body as it raced along a slender dead branch, soon reaching the tip. Not far behind it, a dozen crimson ants marched in neat formation, advancing step by measured step toward the caterpillar.
Their march almost seemed to ring with firm footfalls and perfectly synchronized chants.
With no path ahead and pursuers behind, the caterpillar raised its upper body and turned its tiny head desperately from side to side. But beyond the faint moaning of the wind, it received no other signals.
Click, click, click.
As the ants drew ever closer, the caterpillar finally abandoned any hope of escape. It tucked in its head, curled its entire body into a ball, then loosened its grip and tumbled straight off the slender branch onto the ground. It left the string of red ants behind, peering downward and waving their antennae wildly.
"Sigh."
Ilena watched it all and let out a deep sigh. Her loose hair covered half her face, obscuring her features and expression. Beside her feet sat the bamboo basket she had used earlier to gather mushrooms and wild greens.
"What are you sighing for? You're hardly the sentimental type." A voice rang out abruptly from the shadows deep in the woods, and a figure drifted into view before Ilena.
The black cat hiding nearby held his breath and peered intently at the newcomer.
It was Colma, the vice president of the Student Union, the owner of Genie's Hut, and the senior who had hired Zheng Qing and the others as laborers during winter break. Recognizing her, the black cat immediately relaxed, and much of his inexplicable unease faded. He also finally realized where the familiar scent he had noticed earlier came from.
Rather than answer Colma's question, Ilena asked quietly, "What was