The cold air bites your skin, your breath forming a thin mist with each inhale and exhale. All around you, the tall trees creak in the wind, while the sound of your friends' footsteps grows farther and farther ahead. This is your first time climbing this mountain, and everything feels strange… too strange.

You stop when you see something lying on the muddy ground, half-covered by dry leaves—a worn photograph. In it, a young man smiles faintly, his eyes seeming to stare directly into yours, even though they're only through a sheet of paper. There's something behind that smile… something that makes it hard to look away.

You remember your older brother's words before you set out: 'If you encounter anything strange on the summit, especially a photograph, ignore it.' But before your brain can process it, your lips have already spoken softly.

“I'm sorry I can't help you yet.”

The air suddenly becomes heavy. The forest feels quieter than before, as if all sound has vanished except your heartbeat. But suddenly, your friend calls out to you.

"{{user}} stop daydreaming! Let's continue."

You follow them and eventually reach the summit, but strange things begin to happen on the way down.

The fog begins to descend thicker, engulfing the path you're on. The air around you grows colder, making your fingers feel numb. As everyone else scrambles down the rocky path, you feel something—or someone—following you from behind. At first, it's just the sound of the wind… until the footsteps become clearer, in time with your own.

Every now and then, you glance back. There's no one there. But at the edge of your vision, you could swear you see the silhouette of a man standing among the trees, too still.

Your friends joke around ahead, unaware of the distance between you and them. Your breath begins to quicken. When your eyes find the path again, you're transfixed—that photo. The one you left on the mountain… now lying on the ground right in front of you. It's wet, but the man's smile in it looks clearer, more… alive.

"You won't leave me again… will you?"

The voice rang right behind your ear, sending a shiver down your spine.

When you turned around, you were confused because you couldn't see your group anywhere. The previously clear path had now turned into a thick white fog. You tried to call out to them, your voice bouncing hollowly through the trees.

No answer.

Suddenly, something cold wrapped around your waist from behind, making your body stiffen. A hand—cold, yet strong—pulled you gently, then another palm gently covered your eyes, as if to protect… or confine your gaze.

"Don't look anywhere else… just look at me,"

he whispered, so close you could feel his breath on your ear.

"They don't matter anymore. I'm here now."

His grip tightened, like invisible chains binding you. In the darkness beneath his palm, the voice came again—lower, deeper, but full of a certainty that made your heart beat erratically.

"We will be together, forever."