"Mrs. Yuyun, if what you're saying is true… then this school is haunted. What are we supposed to do to bring the victims back?"
The woman asked anxiously, clearly worried.
"My husband is currently working out of town on another island. I already told him what happened. He's on his way home now—he had to cancel his work because he's worried about Fatheema."
Mrs. Yuyun lowered her head.
"Ma'am… I'm sorry for what happened. I'll ask for help from my younger brother, who serves in the National Army, and I'll also contact a Powerful spiritualist to confront that supernatural being."
"Mrs. Yuyun, I believe you. When are you planning to perform the prayer ritual?"
"Tonight, just before sunset. If you want to help, you're welcome to come. Any students or parents who want to join can come too," Mrs. Yuyun answered softly.
In truth, she felt uncertain and afraid that more victims might appear if she involved others. But she had no choice—parents had the right to know and struggle for their children themselves.
Besides, she hoped someone might come up with a better idea.
"Mrs. Yuyun, why not do the ritual now while it's still morning?" Mrs. Kartini asked while holding Mrs. Yuyun's hand.
Mrs. Yuyun shook her head.
"The boundary between the human world and the spirit world becomes easier to open at night—especially around sunset. During the day, it's extremely difficult, and we still don't know how."
"Even though we know the gate to their nest is somewhere behind the school, we can't access it."
"I don't fully understand it either… those beings seem able to appear whenever they want."
"Alright, Mrs. Yuyun. I'll try to come tonight for the prayer ritual," Mrs. Kartini replied with a nod.
She understood a little better.
"Mrs. Yuyun, thank you. Oh—and may I use the restroom?"
"Of course. Go straight from here, then turn left at the first corner. Use the teachers' restroom in front—don't use the restroom behind the school," Mrs. Yuyun explained.
"Why not, Mrs. Yuyun? What's wrong with the restroom behind the school?" Mrs. Kartini asked curiously.
"Hmmm… because we'll perform the ritual there later. It's better to avoid it for now."
Mrs. Yuyun was worried something might happen. Deep down, she actually wanted the entire back area of the school closed off to prevent anything dangerous.
"Alright then, thank you," Mrs. Kartini replied and walked in the direction she had been shown.
She walked straight ahead and turned left at the first corner, following the directions while looking around for the restroom.
She continued down the school corridor, but there was still no restroom in sight.
Only other rooms—storage rooms perhaps, or maybe the library.
"Huh? Where's the teachers' restroom? Up ahead is already the end of the hallway… it's a dead end."
"What did Mrs. Yuyun mean?"
After searching for a while, she noticed a female student leaning against one of the corridor pillars.
The girl held a book and seemed deeply focused on reading.
"Excuse me, sweetheart. Could you help me? I'm looking for the restroom," Mrs. Kartini asked gently.
The girl stopped reading.
Then she turned toward Mrs. Kartini and smiled.
Silently, she pointed toward the end of the corridor.
Mrs. Kartini looked where she pointed.
Sure enough—there seemed to be another small turn to the left at the very end.
"Oh… right. How did I not notice that? Alright then, thank you, dear."
Mrs. Kartini walked faster now because she urgently needed to use the restroom.
At the end of the hallway she found a narrow path that had been partially hidden by decorative plants.
She followed the small path lined with waist-high cherry-like shrubs on both sides.
At the end stood a building with several restroom stalls.
"Oh, here it is—the restroom."
"There are quite a lot of stalls… for both men and women."
"If I remember correctly, Mrs. Yuyun said this was the teachers' restroom. Why does it look more like a public restroom?"
"Ah… whatever. Same difference."
She entered one of the wooden-door stalls.
While inside, her thoughts wandered.
"This school's layout is strangely confusing."
"I walked straight, then turned left…"
"So why does it feel like I'm going in circles?"
"Good thing I met that girl…"
"That beautiful girl with shoulder-length wavy hair…"
"She reminds me of my daughter, Fatheema."
"What happened to you, sweetheart?"
"Could what Mrs. Yuyun said really be true?"
"It's so hard to believe."
"I hope you're alright…"
"Your father is so worried."
"What if you were kidnapped…"
"What if…"
"…what if you were killed?"
"Oh God… please don't let anything terrible happen."
Mrs. Kartini kept drifting deeper into her thoughts.
Then—
A sound came from the stall beside hers.
A girl crying.
Whimpering in pain.
Calling weakly.
"Mom… Mom… please… it hurts…"
The voice sounded faint and distant—
like it was coming from the bottom of a deep abyss.
Mrs. Kartini froze.
The voice sounded so familiar.
Suddenly—
her eyes widened.
"That voice…"
"That voice…"
She immediately stepped out of her stall and moved toward the one beside her.
Without thinking—
she opened the stall door.
And—
the sight before her stole the breath from her lungs.
Her heart seemed to stop beating.
Every hair on her body stood upright.
A cold sensation crawled down the back of her neck.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Inside the restroom stall—
there was no restroom.
Instead, there was a dark stone chamber.
Like a cave.
Against the stone wall hung the body of a girl with shoulder-length wavy hair wearing a long-sleeved white T-shirt.
Her body had been tied to a wooden beam.
She hung limp—
covered in blood.
Her head drooped forward.
Fresh blood flowed from her mouth, nose, and both eyes.
"My daughter…! Fatheema…"
Mrs. Kartini cried out.
Her body went weak.
Cold.
Her mind went blank—
and she collapsed unconscious.
***
Later that afternoon, at the school—
several soldiers entered the grounds.
Around ten troops led by a sergeant approached a woman standing in front of the teachers' office.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Yuyun. My name is Sergeant Prayogi."
"I was assigned by Lieutenant Colonel Suprapto to provide security for you."
"I brought one squad from the battalion."
"He said he was worried about your condition. He hasn't had time to visit personally, so he asked me to send his regards."
"Thank you, Sergeant."
"My younger brother rarely comes home these days, but he's always thoughtful and dependable."
Mrs. Yuyun had a younger brother who served in the Indonesian National Armed Forces at a fairly high rank.
Since her husband passed away, she had raised her daughter alone.
Her daughter was now attending college on another island. As a result, she lived alone and focused her attention on teaching at the vocational high school.
It was no wonder she cared so deeply about her students—
she treated them like her own children.
After this incident—
She was devastated.
Her soul felt shaken.
And she felt she had to fight with everything she had to bring her students back.
"Hmm, Mrs. Yuyun…"
"What exactly is happening here?"
"I still don't understand the actual situation."
Sergeant Prayogi asked.
He found his assignment unusual—
being ordered to guard a vocational school.
***