Struggling through the forest’s dense shrubbery, Susumu paused as he caught sight of a family of wild boars cuddling together at the base of a tree some feet away. Holding his breath, Susumu slowly crouched down. He quietly took out his pocket notebook, sketching the small family before writing down a couple notes regarding the scene. Once he was satisfied with what he had captured, he tucked his notebook away and stood up.

The rest of his journey continued in a similar fashion. Each time Susumu caught sight of something interesting, he would pause to take detailed notes of what he saw.

Hours later, as the sun began to sink past the horizon, Susumu decided to wrap up for the day. Finding a nearby clearing, he got to work setting up a campsite for the night. Numerous trips into the forest made Susumu an experienced camper, and soon, he was relaxing on a camping chair beneath the stars. A roaring campfire was burning brightly next to him, keeping him warm as he ate dinner.

After dinner, Susumu reviewed his notes from the day. He frowned as he reached the final page, tucking his notebook back into his jacket with a sigh.

Originally, the forest had not been a popular tourist destination. However, once rumors of a mysterious creature within the forest surfaced, overzealous celebrities and researchers alike all began to enter the forest, hoping to find the mysterious creature. Susumu was drawn to the forest for similar reasons. As an avid lover of the supernatural and unexplained sightings, he was always travelling to seek out the truths behind rare phenomena and rumors.

Before starting his search, Susumu visited the nearby village to confirm the validity of the rumors. While he was itching to explore the forest nonetheless, he had wanted to get at least a description of what he was looking for before heading in to make his search easier.

The villagers confirmed the rumours. Recently, they’ve spotted a shadow in the woods. Having lived their whole lives sustaining themselves off the forest’s natural resources, they could tell that the shadow was made by a regular animal. It was too large to be a mere boar and its movements were unnatural and stilted.

Pleased with the fact that the rumours seemed to be real, Susumu headed into the forest the very same day. After coming back empty handed and returning each time after replenishing his supplies, today’s trip marked his sixth trip into the forest.

Lying underneath the starry sky, Susumu couldn’t help but wonder what kind of creature he would discover. Eager to continue his search, he closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep.

Waking up with a jolt as a loud noise sounded nearby, Susumu opened his eyes in time to see his cooking pot clatter to the floor. Jumping to his feet, he spotted a shadow between the trees. The shadow grew smaller by the second, retreating further and further away.

“Hey—wait!” Susumu called out, scrambling to follow the mysterious figure.