Welcome to Our New Home
Alen's Forest. Dropping down to the forest floor, Allen was just as short as I had expected. At the sudden appearance of a stranger, Shine immediately stepped in front of me, blocking his path.
"Hmm. So it's you guys? I've heard a lot about you from Jin."
As Allen landed and began walking toward us, the branch that had carried him started retreating back to its original place. I stood there with my mouth agape at the fairytale-like sight. The entire forest seemed to revolve around Allen. As if responding to his every gesture, the direction of the wind blowing around us shifted.
"Allen? You don't mean the Allen, do you?" Amy asked, a look of surprise on her face as if she recognized the name.
"Am I really that famous?"
"No one who saw the news could ever forget the incident where the entirety of District 5 was swallowed by trees."
Amy's words jogged a faint memory. When was it again? I recalled scrolling through the internet late one evening while having a beer, coming across an article like that. An entire city swallowed by massive plants—that was the gist of it, if I remembered correctly. I had assumed it was the work of some mad scientist, but it seemed Allen's ability was the true culprit behind the scenes.
"Um... did you make this forest with your ability, Mr. Allen?" I asked, peeking my head out from behind Amy's leg.
At my question, Allen clasped his hands behind his back and leaned forward slightly. "That's right. They're my friends."
"Friends?"
"They're all alive, you see."
As if in response to his words, the entire forest began to sway. Shhhhhhh— The rustling of the leaves swept through the air.
"It looks like they all like you," Allen said, smiling as he looked around. His smile resembled the forest itself. He possessed an otherworldly aura, like a spirit straight out of a movie.
"Follow me, everyone. I'll show you to your new home."
"Home?"
With that, Allen turned and began to walk. Goodness. As I watched him closely, I realized he wasn't even wearing shoes. Don't his feet hurt?
"Jeff." Shine stepped in front of me again, clearly displeased by how intently I was staring at him.
"Oh, Shine, look at him. He's barefoot. Don't you think his feet must hurt?"
"Jeff."
"Okay, okay. I get it."
She didn't even want me mentioning his name. Respecting her wishes, I shut my mouth and held out my hand. Shine took my hand and pulled me back a step.
"Jin, just to be absolutely sure... our new headquarters isn't made out of a giant tree, is it?"
Jin burst into a hearty laugh at Amy's question. "Ahahaha!" His booming laughter echoed deep into the forest. "Close! You're actually very warm," Jin said, wiping away a tear of amusement.
Amy sighed, looking thoroughly unenthusiastic. "Well, is everything intact at least?"
"For the most part, yes."
I kept my eyes on Allen's back. The surrounding area was so densely packed with towering trees and massive plants that there wasn't even a proper path in sight. Where on earth was he leading us?
My question was answered soon enough. After walking for a while, Allen reached his hand out toward the thick foliage. To my astonishment, the forest began to shift. As if parting to make a path, the plants that reached toward the sky bent to the side, clearing an easy passage for him.
"Here, this way." Allen turned and gestured for us to follow.
Seeing this, Jin eagerly jogged ahead and stepped onto the newly formed forest path. Amy and Victor exchanged glances and nodded. As Amy began to walk forward, the rest of us fell in line behind her.
The moment we stepped onto the path, the wide-open entrance snapped shut behind us. If anyone else were to stumble upon this spot, they would never even dream a path existed here.
"Whoa..."
As I stared at the massive plants in awe, Allen fell into step beside us and smiled. "They'll always open the door for you guys."
Allen's golden eyes glimmered faintly. At that, Shine immediately blocked my front again.
"You're Shine, right?" Allen asked, but Shine didn't answer. "And you're Jeff."
Allen's golden gaze shifted past Shine to land on me. I gave a small nod.
"You're Rain, and you two are Amy and Victor." Allen's gaze swept over everyone. "Welcome to my home, everyone."
Allen's soft chuckle filled the forest. As if in harmony with his laughter, the forest seemed to laugh along. The whispering wind, the rustling leaves... to my ears, it sounded exactly like the forest was giggling.
Following the path Allen had cleared, we eventually arrived in front of an unimaginably colossal tree. The tree pierced straight through the clouds, its canopy lost in the heavens.
"Whaaaa..." Rain stared up with her mouth wide open, craning her neck as far back as it would go. Still unable to see the top, her spine began to arch backward. Further and further back she went... until she finally fell flat on her back.
"It's huge!" Rain shrieked from the ground.
Even without her shouting, everyone present was well aware of just how monstrously large the tree was.
"Don't tell me that's...?"
"Yep!" Jin nodded and walked toward the tree. Allen followed close behind him.
From afar, it was a tree. Up close, it was still just a tree. Did they build something inside the tree for people to live in? Thinking of the treehouses that occasionally popped up in fairy tales, cartoons, or movies, I figured my guess was probably right.
But my imagination was cut short when something rose from the ground in front of the tree.
"An elevator?"
What rose before the tree was a massive elevator. It was something our old base definitely didn't have. Amy crossed her arms at the sight.
"See? I told you, Amy. It's a bit different from what you expected," Jin said with a grin.
"So you're saying it's underground?"
"Exactly."
Amy tapped her foot against the ground a few times, and Jin nodded in confirmation. We immediately stepped onto the contraption that served as the elevator. There was only a single button inside. I quickly reached out and pressed it.
"Ah."
The action had slipped out before I could think. Startled by my own impulsiveness, I quickly glanced around, but thankfully, no one seemed to mind. Once the button was pressed, the elevator began to move. The doors slid shut, and we began descending at a rapid pace.
"How far down is it?"
"A bit deeper than you'd think."
After descending for what felt like ages, the elevator finally came to a halt with a cheerful chime. Ding! The doors slid open to reveal a wide hallway that looked absolutely no different from our old base.
"It's exactly the same?"
"Yep. Exactly the same."
"You mean it's the exact same building?"
"Yeah. We just moved the building itself."
"Is that even possible?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
Leaving Jin and Amy's bickering behind, I eagerly stepped out into the familiar hallway. This comforting, familiar sensation... this was definitely the place I knew.
"Think about it, Amy. Even I couldn't secure a building the size of our original headquarters in just a few days."
"Well, yes, that makes sense, but how did you transport the entire building here? And how did you bury it underground?" Amy asked, dumbfounded.
Jin looked thrilled, practically bursting to explain. Sensing his excitement, Amy cut him off before he could start. "Ah. Let me guess. It was the help of those 'friends' of yours?"
"Uh... yeah. Exactly." Jin's shoulders slumped. He looked genuinely disappointed to have been robbed of his chance to brag.
"Then... then is my room still there too?" Rain asked, looking up at Jin with trembling eyes. She usually seemed so carefree, but she must have been secretly worrying about her room this whole time.
I nodded, thinking of Rain's room. It was a space packed to the brim with things that perfectly reflected her unique tastes. If I had lost a room like that, I would have been absolutely devastated too.
"Of course. It's perfectly intact," Jin answered with a smile.
The moment he spoke, Rain leaped into the air with a shout. "I-I'll be right back!" She bolted down the hallway toward her room at breakneck speed.
"Alright, everyone go unpack. Then come up to my office. We have a lot to discuss," Jin said, stepping back into the elevator. Allen went with him, flashing me one last smile before he left. Allen waved, his smile as refreshing as a cool breeze.
Shine immediately stepped in front of me like a cat with its fur standing on end. Once Jin and Allen disappeared, Victor also headed off toward his own quarters.
"We're back."
I nodded at Amy's quiet remark. To be honest, I had thought we would never be able to return. I was just glad Baeksi wouldn't have to be lonely in our room anymore. I gently grabbed the leg of the Big Baeksi Amy was carrying. Its plush, soft texture tickled my fingertips.
Amy, Shine, and I walked down the familiar corridor. But the bustling crowds that used to fill this place were nowhere to be seen. The empty halls felt strangely desolate. Our rhythmic footsteps echoed down the long corridor and bounced back to us. We walked in silence all the way back to our room—the place where Amy, Shine, and I lived together.
Click— The doorknob turned with a soft sound. The interior was exactly as we had left it. I immediately dashed inside and threw my arms around Baeksi. The wizard hat Lucy had given him was still sitting perfectly on his head.
"I'm home!"
The words slipped out of my mouth so naturally, even though I had never uttered them before in my life. Amy stepped into the room and gently set Big Baeksi down right next to Baeksi. Seeing them side by side really put their size difference into perspective. Big Baeksi was easily five times larger than the original. Which meant the secret compartment in its back was also five times bigger. I licked my lips, eyeing the small basket containing Amy's coffee.
Shine and I unzipped our bags and dumped their contents onto the floor. Out tumbled the snacks and chocolates Ferman had packed for us, along with several odd items whose purposes I couldn't even begin to guess.
"You two need to clean this up properly, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Okay."
Shine and I answered Amy and began sorting through our things. We stacked our picture diaries and sketchbooks together, put the chocolates in the fridge, and stuffed Ferman's bizarre gadgets into Baeksi's secret compartment.
"Where are you putting that?" I asked, pointing to the book on Imperial Studies in Shine's hand.
After a moment of thought, Shine slid the book into the back of our newly gifted Big Baeksi. Even with the thick volume inside, Big Baeksi's back still had plenty of room. It looked spacious enough for me to crawl inside.
Shine still seemed to have a few more things left to unpack. Watching her, I noticed Amy heading toward the bathroom, so I quietly slipped away and followed her. Just before the door could click shut, I slipped inside.
"Jeff? Do you need to use the restroom?" Amy asked, looking at me in confusion.
I shook my head. "No."
"Then why are you here?"
"To watch you, Amy."
Amy tilted her head, looking completely baffled by my words.
"Go ahead and sit down, Amy." I took her hand and guided her toward the toilet. Utterly dazed, Amy let herself be led and sat down on the toilet seat.
"Um, Jeff?"
"Yes?"
I stood there, waiting for her. Just like Shine always did with me.
"What are you doing?"
"Watching."
"Watching?" Amy asked, still thoroughly lost. She didn't seem to grasp what I was trying to do.
I let out a small sigh and began to explain. "Amy, family members are supposed to go to the bathroom together."
I watched her reaction closely as I spoke. Amy just stared at me, her mouth hanging open in sheer disbelief.
Twitch— Her left eyebrow began to quiver violently. It was at that exact moment.
Patter-patter-patter— The sound of Shine's frantic footsteps approached, and the tightly shut bathroom door burst open. Shine's eyes locked onto me. She froze for a second upon seeing Amy, a look of pure shock crossing her face, before she grabbed my arm and yanked me backward.
"Oh. Did you want to watch too, Shine?"
But Shine didn't answer. With a look of sheer panic, she dragged me out of the bathroom as fast as she could.
"Wait. Shine?" Amy's voice echoed from behind us. At the sound, Shine's entire body began to tremble violently.