Dewi swallowed with a dry gulp, her fingers tightening into a small, resolute fist.
Rasya and Wina exchanged a brief, knowing glance.
The gravity of their predicament settling like a shadow far deeper than they had first imagined.
"Very well, sir. I shall report this forthwith," Dewi declared at last, the firmness in her voice belying the turmoil beneath.
Her eyes then sought out Rasya's, steady and urgent, "Rasya, do see if you can reach Rosa and Melati. They must be made aware of this matter without delay."
Rasya wasted no time. Her fingers deftly produced her phone from her pocket without a word spoken.
Dewi's gaze shifted to Wina, her voice steady but edged with urgency, "Wina, I need you to document everything, every inch of this place. Photographs. We must gather proof for the police."
Wina met her eyes and nodded resolutely, lifting the camera with careful precision.
She moved deliberately, capturing the unsettling scene from multiple perspectives, each frame a silent testament to the chaos that had unfolded.
Meanwhile, Dewi drew in a slow, deliberate breath, the weight of the moment pressing down upon her.
Her hands trembled ever so slightly as she gripped her phone, her thumb hovering for a heartbeat before dialing the number of the local constabulary.
The quiet hum of the line filled the tense silence, as if the very act of reaching out was a fragile lifeline cast into the uncertain night.
*****
Meanwhile, in the quiet sanctuary of his home, Felzein had only just stirred from his sleep.
Rosa and Melati, already risen with the dawn, had taken it upon themselves to prepare a breakfast fit for a king.
As Felzein approached the table, his eyes widened in astonishment at the feast laid out before him, an array of fragrant, steaming dishes that seemed almost too good to be true.
"Goodness..." Felzein breathed, marveling at the spread.
"How does it look, Felzein?" Rosa asked, her voice warm with pride. "The two of us made it ourselves."
"Come, let's eat," Melati beckoned with a gentle smile.
Without a second thought, Felzein washed his hands and settled at the table, eagerly digging into the meal that awaited him.
"Do join us," he urged between mouthfuls, "It's utterly delightful!" His praise was genuine, shining in his eyes.
Rosa and Melati exchanged pleased glances and began to partake of the food alongside him.
But scarcely had they taken a few bites when Melati's phone broke the morning's calm with a sudden ring.
"Who could be calling at this hour?" Melati mused aloud, glancing down at the screen.
"Answer it! It might be urgent!," Rosa advised, her tone edged with concern.
"It's Rasya," Melati said, surprise flickering across her face. "Quite unusual for her to ring this early."
"Well then, pick up," Rosa urged once more, her eyes fixed on Melati.
Melati gave a quiet nod before answering the call, her thumb pressing the screen with casual familiarity.
"Salamu aleykom… What's the matter? It's not like you to ring so early," she said, her tone light and genial.
"Aleykom assalam… Something's happened at the pharmacy," came Rasya's voice, tight, urgent, and trembling on the edge of panic. "If you can, come here. Now."
Melati straightened in her seat, "What sort of something?"
"Just come. Please. I need to ring Ocha too," Rasya replied hastily, already sounding distracted.
"She's here. Ocha's with me, remember? I told you she's staying for a while," Melati interjected, confusion mounting.
Across the table, Rosa's ears pricked at the mention of her name, "What is it?" she asked, leaning closer.
"Oh! Right, yes, if you're both there, that's even better. Please, just get here, the both of you. As fast as you can," Rasya insisted, her voice strained, before the line abruptly went dead.
Melati blinked at the phone, then slowly lowered it, "Something's happened… at the pharmacy. Rasya sounded… off."
"She said what, exactly?" Rosa pressed, concern flickering across her features.
"She didn't say much," Melati replied. "Only that we need to get there immediately."
Across the table, Felzein, who had been quietly observing the exchange, set down her spoon and looked between the two.
"Whatever it is, it sounded serious," she said, gently but firmly. "You'd better go."
Rosa and Melati shared a brief, knowing look, a flicker of unspoken urgency passing between them.
Without needing to exchange a word, they nodded and began to quicken their pace, hastily finishing the last of their breakfast.
Just then, Melati's phone, resting innocuously on the table, buzzed to life.
A soft hum and a glowing screen signalled the arrival of a new message, a video. The sender, Rasya.
Melati's brow furrowed slightly. She picked it up, thumb hovering for a breath before tapping the screen.
Her expression was casual, almost curious. But the moment the video played, all ease drained from her face.
It happened in an instant. Her jaw slackened. Her eyes widened. The warmth in her features evaporated, leaving behind only shock.
Then came the silence, a cold, brittle silence.
Without a word, she placed the phone down with trembling fingers and stumbled to her feet.
Her chair scraped harshly against the floor as she staggered towards the nearby sink, one hand clutched to her stomach.
A beat later...
"Huuurkkk!!!"
The retching noise tore through the quiet like a wound opening.
Melati leaned over the basin, emptying the contents of her stomach with violent spasms, her body betraying her in protest to whatever she had just witnessed.
Felzein and Rosa were on their feet in an instant, both frozen with alarm.
"Melati!" Rosa cried, rushing to her side, eyes wide with concern.
Felzein stood behind her, tense and bewildered, "What the hell was in that message?" he asked under his breath, as if afraid of the answer.
Rosa reached for the phone on the table, heart pounding now, not from curiosity, but from dread.
"Mel… what is it?!" Rosa gasped, panic seizing her voice as she watched Melati convulse over the sink.
But Melati offered no answer, only a trembling hand, lifting weakly to gesture toward the phone lying face-up on the table.
Rosa's eyes flicked to the device, its screen still aglow. Something about it drew her in with a sense of creeping dread.
She reached for it with hesitant fingers, lifting it slowly as if the weight of what she was about to witness could already be felt.
Then, in a breath, she saw it.
Whatever it was, whatever horror the image conveyed, it struck her like a cold slap across the soul.
The blood drained from her cheeks. Her limbs turned heavy. And her stomach gave a slow, protesting churn.
Clutching the phone to her chest, she staggered toward the sink, where Melati was still doubled over.
And then...
"Hhuuurgghhkk!"
The sound tore through the quiet morning like a curse.
Rosa heaved, bent beside her friend, the bitter tang of bile rising as her body rejected the remnants of the morning's meal.
Her fingers gripped the edge of the basin as though to anchor herself to the waking world.
For a long moment, neither woman could speak, only the ragged sounds of retching and the cold silence of a message that should never have been sent.