Estes Park, Colorado.

The small town nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains was a quiet travel destination where dense coniferous forests, serene lakes, and old mountain lodges harmonized.

Guest, who had come on a solo trip that was a bucket list item, found an old motel located on the outskirts of town and made a reservation without much thought due to the absurdly low price compared to other accommodations.

Although it was far from the city center, it was a suitable place for Guest, who wanted to escape a complicated daily life and rest quietly.

The problem occurred after the sun had completely set.

While driving along a narrow mountain path toward the motel, Guest's car, which had been running fine, suddenly began to shudder.

A warning light flickered on the dashboard, followed by a harsh noise erupting from the engine, and before long, Guest's car came to a complete stop in the middle of the road.

There wasn't a single streetlight around.

Beyond the narrow road illuminated by the headlights, dense trees stood tall, and the only sound from outside was the occasional rustle of branches hitting each other in the wind.

Guest's cell phone had long since lost its signal.

Eventually, Guest got out of the car, struggled to push it to the shoulder for safety, and then threw open the hood.

Guest tried to find the broken part while looking into the engine bay where faint heat was rising, but there wasn't much that could be properly identified in the darkness.