Up and down the slopes, Bella and her friends trekked repeatedly. Time marched on, and the clock kept spinning. Their energy was rapidly depleting.
To make matters worse, Rio had been deliriously mumbling about someone for a while now. He didn't mention a name; he simply pointed toward the tops of the trees.
"Stop for a second! I'm hungry, Bel!" Pram shouted, resting both hands on his knees. Panting heavily, he stared at Bella, who was carrying the logistics.
"Alright, let's eat first!" Bella said as she took off her backpack.
However, Tyas stopped her, staring at Bella with a serious expression. Bella could only look back at Tyas with confusion.
"What is it?" Bella asked her.
"You said we only have until three o'clock!" Tyas answered, reminding her of the mystical incident they had experienced at the summit.
"Aren't you hungry, Tyas?" Bella asked.
Bella noticed that Tyas's face was pale with terror. Even the hand Tyas had placed on Bella's shoulder was now gripping it tightly.
"No, Bel! It's better if we go down now!" Tyas answered firmly.
Seeing this, Bella turned back to look at her three other friends.
"Tyas, it's fine if we stop here for a bit! It's only for half an hour, why do you have to make a fuss?" Yono asked Tyas.
Tyas could only look down upon hearing that. Her argument wasn't supported by her friends. Bella watched Tyas bow her head and let out a long sigh.
"We'll stop for just half an hour! After that, we'll continue," Bella told Tyas.
There was nothing more Tyas could say.
She could only follow what her friends wanted. To her, it was also impossible to head down alone. Whatever happened, the five of them had to stay together.
In the end, they stopped. Giant trees flanked them. Beneath the canopy, they began to cook. The hiker's staple was their go-to: instant noodles.
When the food was ready, they ate ravenously. They were starving, but only Rio remained silent, staring up at the trees. Rio didn't touch his food at all.
"His gaze is getting even more vacant, Mas!" Bella whispered, nudging Yono, who sat beside her.
"This kind of thing is truly beyond our logic and ability, Bella! So, like it or not, Rio has to get off this mountain!" Yono explained.
"Then finish your food quickly! Let's get down!" Bella told Yono firmly.
Yono nodded. The air was getting colder. Fortunately, the weather was still clear.
The sky above showed no signs of clouds. Lawu was beautiful with all its curves and contours, yet it held a deep mystery that was enough to make one's skin crawl.
Their packs were back on their shoulders. Their watches showed twelve noon.
The journey down usually took less time than the ascent. Once all their belongings were packed, they began to walk again.
Tyas was in the middle of the group with Bella. For a while now, she had been rubbing the back of her neck. Feeling that something was wrong, Bella asked her.
"What's wrong? Does something hurt?" Bella asked anxiously.
Hearing the conversation, Mas Yono turned and stopped. They watched Tyas, who was still rubbing the back of her neck.
"It's burning, Bel!" Tyas answered.
Sensing something strange, Bella brushed aside Tyas's loose hair. She was horrified to see a red mark resembling a hand, as if someone had been gripping Tyas's neck.
"Oh no!" Bella gasped.
Suddenly, the other friends closed in to see what Bella saw. They stood stunned, unable to believe their eyes.
"What is it, Mas?" Tyas asked, starting to panic.
When Pram was about to explain what was happening to her, Bella signaled him to stay silent.
Because they were still on the mountain, speaking about such things out loud was unwise. Mystical experiences on a mountain should only be discussed once they were far away from it.
"What is it, Bel?" Tyas asked again.
Bella just smiled. She gently patted the shoulder of Tyas, who still had her back turned while trying to figure out what was happening.
"It's nothing! Just a bite from a fire ant!" Bella replied, trying to calm her down.
In the midst of her attempt to soothe Tyas, Rio's scream made them all whip their heads around.
"Have mercy... Have mercy... Have mercy, Grandfather, mercy!!!" he screamed hysterically while staring straight ahead.
His eyes were wide with terror as he repeated the same plea over and over.
Bella and Mas Yono locked eyes for a moment.
Then, together, they looked ahead. About ten paces from where they stood, an old man stood.
The old man was dressed in traditional Javanese attire with a conical hat, standing right in front of them. He carried a sickle tucked at his side.
"What are you doing, young man, young lady? Are you lost?" the old man asked them.
Both Bella and her friends remained silent. However, Rio continued to scream incoherently while staring fearfully at the old man.
"Yes, Grandfather, we happen to be heading down now!" Pram answered politely while bowing.
"Leave that boy behind! That boy must take responsibility!" the old man said to them.
From a distance, Bella tried to observe the old man using her inner sight.
She focused intently.
Slowly, the old man's form changed in her vision. He was the same person they had encountered at the summit.
"Grandfather, we apologize if we have disturbed your peace! We are sorry if our friend made a mistake here! If it is possible, please let us go down according to the time limit you gave us!" Bella said, gathering the courage to speak.
The old man let out a booming laugh. It was loud and filled the entire area. The sound was so piercing that Bella and her friends had to cover their ears.
The old man then glared at them. His eyes turned blood-red. The sickle that had been at his waist began to hover toward him.
His human-like teeth slowly transformed into long fangs.
His human fingers grew long with sharp claws.
Black fur covered his body. The sky, which had been clear, instantly turned pitch black as if a moonless night had suddenly fallen. The forest grew dark, and they were struck with sudden blindness.
Oh God! Bella prayed in her heart. She felt a deep sense of dread seeing the figure grow tall and massive.
"I told you to go down, didn't I? Get out!" the giant figure growled in rage.
Tyas sobbed, paralyzed by fear at the sight before her. Pram was the same, holding onto Rio, who was still screaming.
Mas Yono stood frozen, unable to move. Realizing her friends were consumed by terror, Bella slapped Yono's arm repeatedly.
"Mas... Mas... Let's run!" Bella shouted at him.
After being nudged repeatedly by Bella, Yono snapped out of it. The five of them immediately turned and fled from the massive, terrifying figure.