After the phantom vanished into the mist, Yandi stood motionless under the dripping canopy, mind racing. His heart pounded as fragments of their conversation replayed in his head: "You're the first to treat this place with respect…" The words echoed through his soul, weaving themselves into buried memories of childhood. He suddenly recalled his mother's gentle voice, telling him of the gift he'd been born with a rare ability to commune with astral beings. As a boy, he'd spent restless nights consoling restless spirits, soothing their woes with whispered lullabies. But in the years since, he'd tried to forget that calling, burying it beneath skepticism and timidity. Now, confronted by that ghost's praise, he realized his mother had been right all along.
The memory of Felix's terrified screams jolted him back to the present. Yandi's eyes snapped open. He clutched the damp snack wrappers in his pocket as if they, too, might vanish. I must check on Felix. He turned, shoulders straightening. "I need to get back to the hut." he murmured, voice firm. "He might be in danger." Without another thought, he plunged into the dark woods, guided only by the faint glow of his own determination.
Meanwhile, beneath the great tree where Agung and the others huddled, Angga addressed his circle of followers with a steely calm. Rain whispered through the leaves overhead as he paced, booted feet sinking into the damp earth. "I want to ask you all something." he said, voice low but carrying. Each word was deliberate, measured. "This is to test your loyalty." He stopped and fixed them with a hard gaze. "Do you intend to remain here, with me, or will you betray me as some have and never find your way out of this forest?"
A hush fell over the group. The wind seemed to pause, leaves hanging in mid-rustle. Eyes darted from one face to another. Fear of Angga's wrath of the curse he promised for any who disobeyed sealed their lips. No one dared speak of defecting. Finally, one by one, they nodded in unison.
Angga allowed a thin smile to flicker across his face. "Excellent." he purred. "Your faith in me honors you." He raised his right hand to his chest, palm flat. "As proof of your trust, will you help me find Felix once the rain stops?"
A murmur of surprise rippled through the circle. Felix had defied Angga's invitation earlier, turning his back on their makeshift camp. Many had assumed Felix was a traitor. Yet here Angga was, asking for his friend's rescue.
Krisna, cheeks flushed with indignation, could not contain her outrage. "Why would we search for someone who clearly rejected you?" she demanded, voice sharp.
Angga's expression hardened. He took a deliberate step forward, planting his feet apart like a general. "Because Felix did not act of his own will." he replied, tone authoritative. "He is under a spell."
Murmurs of disbelief swelled. Nano raised an eyebrow. "A spell? Who would cast such a thing?"
Angga's gaze darkened, and he leaned in conspiratorially. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper. "Only one person here has the motive and the means to manipulate our minds…" He let the sentence hang, then pointed at Yandi's deserted spot beneath the tree.
The group fell silent. Agung, ever faithful, nodded vigorously. "Our leader's words carry weight." he said. "We must believe him."
Angga's smile returned, colder and more calculating than before. "Agung, loyal as ever." he said, patting his comrade's shoulder. "Your devotion honors me." Then, turning back to the others, he added, "We'll gather our torches and set out once the sky clears. Stay alert."
As they dispersed to rest beneath the dripping branches, Angga's eyes glittered in the half-light. A plan had taken root in his mind a plan to punish Yandi for the slight he'd suffered days ago, before even entering this cursed forest. With these loyal followers at his side, Angga knew he could enact his vengeance once Felix was found and brought back under his so-called protection.
Yandi's tread was sure as he retraced his steps, even though the world around him felt eerily altered. He emerged into a narrow corridor of trees and paused. This isn't the way to the hut. He spun around and plunged onward, only to find himself staring at the same crooked root system he'd passed moments before. A cold knot of dread formed in his stomach. Am I… walking in circles? He glanced back, searching for any landmark bent saplings, fungus-coated stones, but everything looked identical under the rain-slicked gloom.
He knelt to snap a small twig from a low branch and jammed it into the ground. "That should mark it." he breathed. Then he waded back through the underbrush, following what he hoped was a new path. But after a minute, he returned to the twig, its sharp tip still jutting from the mud. Disbelief washed over him. "This can't be happening." he whispered. "Why won't this forest let me leave?" Each time he tried a different direction, he returned to the same spot, the same tangle of roots and dripping vines.
Memories of Angga's secretive glances flitted across his mind. Angga knows more about this place than he admits. But what sort of magic bound the forest in such loops? Frustration and fear warred inside him. He pounded his fist against a mossy trunk. "There has to be a way out!" The echo of his own voice seemed to mock him, bouncing back in hollow tones.
Then, as if summoned by his desperation, a thought illuminated his mind: My spiritual vision. He'd forgotten that ability in his panic. If he could only unlock the sight his mother had taught him to use… He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and reached into the astral realm within. A shiver raced down his spine as his senses expanded, and when he reopened his eyes, the forest had transformed.
Faint, shimmering outlines of spirits drifted between the trunks. Wisps of silver light traced the contours of hidden pathways And to his left, near a gnarled banyan tree, stood a colossal figure tall as the ancient oaks themselves, its eyes blazing red in the pale rainlight. Its skin, dark as wet ebony, was covered in thick, downy fur that rippled as the creature moved its massive shoulders. It stared at Yandi with an intensity that froze his blood.
This is why I can't leave, Yandi realized. Something is controlling the very land. The creature radiated power an aura of command so strong that the earth seemed to tremble beneath its weight. Yandi felt both awe and terror. His heart hammered, but he forced himself to remain calm. If he let fear guide him, he'd never escape.
The spirit-beast lowered its head, as though acknowledging his presence. Then, with a sound like thunder rolling through a canyon, it swept its arm in a smooth arc, sending a gust of wind through the clearing. Leaves and droplets of rain whipped past Yandi's face. Back off, the movement seemed to say.
Yandi stepped backward, careful not to break eye contact. I mean no harm. He bowed his head in respect, recalling his mother's lessons: Show gratitude, speak softly, and the spirits will honor you. He whispered, "Great guardian of this forest, I seek only to save my friend." His voice trembled but did not waver.
For a long moment, the creature studied him in silence. Then, ever so slightly, it inclined its head a gesture of grudging approval. The wind died, the shimmering spirits calmed, and the labyrinth of trees before him shifted. Pathways that had been blocked slid aside like doors opening. The looping trails straightened out into a clear, muddy track leading toward the distant glow of the hut's lantern.
Yandi's chest swelled with relief and wonder. He bowed deeply once more. "Thank you." he murmured. "Thank you…" As he turned to follow the newly revealed trail, something tugged at his conscience. If Angga can bend people's minds, and this creature can warp the forest, then what hope do my friends have? He fingered the snack wrappers in his pocket small tokens of his journey, but also proof that he had the spirits' favor.
Stepping onto the path, Yandi glanced back. The guardian had already retreated into the gloom, its towering form blending with the trees once more. Only a faint glow of red eyes lingered before it vanished completely. Yandi drew in a steadying breath and splayed his hand against the wet bark of a guiding tree. "I won't fail you, Felix." he vowed. "I'll get you out of this forest and then we'll end Angga's tyranny for good."
Raindrops drummed on leaves overhead as Yandi raced toward the hut, his mind brimming with resolve and dread. He didn't yet know how he would confront Angga and his followers, nor did he know if Felix was still alive. But he carried with him the spirits' blessing and a plan for retribution of his own.
Tonight, Yandi understood, the true test was only beginning.