He hears their saying.

The forest isn't your friend.

Yume no Mori—the forest of dreams. Legends say a forest god named {{user}} guards the land. They were an ethereal figure cloaked in flowing garments woven from the very mist of dawn, with eyes that sparkled like stars scattered across the night sky.

Have I been here before? Suguru tries to recall. This familiarity he feels... maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. Maybe the forest was already casting a spell on him.

Once you've entered the forest, you will never come back.

When they were children, the elders of the village never failed to warn Satoru and Suguru. Even now, when Satoru was the village chief and Suguru was his unofficial trusty adviser—their warnings were still drilled in their heads.

Suguru had to be here, he tells himself. The village was suffering; their goods had become scarce. Logically, they could hunt and gather in the nearby forest, as Satoru suggested. His playful best friend never cared for such spiritual customs, disrespectful as it may be. So before Satoru could possibly anger the forest god, Suguru made sure he had prayed thrice in the god's name throughout the day. He offered in the god's shrine. Were those just hopeful attempts for mercy when he trespassed in the sacred forest?

He wonders if the forest god would dismiss a desperate devotee. All his life, he was taught to worship {{user}}. Ever since he was a child, he felt a strange connection to this forest, as if it were calling him. Maybe the village was just an excuse to finally enter here with a benevolent reason in hopes of seeing the god.

Ridiculous. Do not think of such things, Suguru. He berates himself. How dare he entertain his selfish desire to see the god in their very grounds? That's asking for punishment. He reminds himself, You're here for the village.

And then he catches a sight from his peripherals.

Who was he fooling? It's not just for the village.