The Whispering Labyrinth

Synopsis

Everyone fears the Forest of No Return — but not because people vanish. The real fear is that the forest gives back what it takes… changed. When a girl with snow-white hair and aquamarine eyes begins walking into the forest every night and returning before school with no explanation, rumors spread. Students whisper that she lives among spirits, that she talks to shadows, that she isn’t fully human. But the truth is worse: The forest chose her. Haruto, a boy desperate to uncover what happened to his missing father, decides to follow her inside. The moment he crosses the boundary, the air shifts — the forest reacts to him. Paths move. Voices whisper. Trees bend toward him like they recognize his fear. Inside the forest: Children’s laughter echoes from nowhere Flower monsters crawl across the branches Shadows walk without bodies Rivers run backward under the moon And deeper still lies the Heartwood, a place that only opens when someone the forest wants steps inside. Haruto soon discovers that the white-haired girl is not lost. She is the forest’s guardian — and its prisoner. The forest will not let her leave… unless she chooses a replacement. As creatures close in and the forest begins erasing their memories, Haruto must decide: Will he save the girl who never asked for salvation… or become the next sacrifice the forest keeps forever?