That morning, the school seemed busier than usual. The students’ footsteps blended with laughter coming from every corner of the courtyard. But to Bisma, the day felt a little different. Ever since what happened a few days ago, his mind had been filled with questions.
Bisma walked toward class with his three friends, Raka, Dito, and Farel. The four of them were almost always together wherever they went.
“Bis, you’ve been quiet this whole time. You’re usually the one who talks the most,” Raka said, patting Bisma on the shoulder.
Bisma gave him a small smile. “I’m just thinking about something.”
Dito immediately moved closer. “Don’t tell me you’re still thinking about what happened yesterday?”
Bisma looked ahead. “Yeah. I feel like there’s still something unfinished.”
Farel, walking with his bag in hand, furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? Didn’t everything get resolved?”
Bisma slowly shook his head. “Not necessarily. Sometimes something that looks finished isn’t really over.”
His three friends exchanged glances. They knew Bisma wasn’t the kind of person who scared easily. If Bisma felt that something was strange, then something must have caught his attention.
When they reached the classroom, the teacher hadn’t arrived yet. The other students were busy chatting, but Bisma and his friends chose to sit in the corner of the room.
“I had a strange dream last night,” Bisma suddenly said.
“What kind of dream?” Dito asked curiously.
“I saw the same place where we found that object. But this time, there was someone standing there.”
“Who?” Raka asked immediately.
Bisma was silent for a moment. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see the person’s face clearly.”
Farel tried to laugh and lighten the mood. “Maybe it was just a regular dream, Bis.”
“Maybe,” Bisma replied. “But it felt too real.”
The bell rang. All the students returned to their seats. Class began as usual, but Bisma’s mind remained troubled.
When break time arrived, the four of them went behind the school. Students rarely came there because there was an old building that was no longer in use.
“I want to show you something,” Bisma said.
Raka looked around. “Are you sure this place is safe?”
Bisma nodded. “I found something yesterday afternoon.”
They followed Bisma behind the old building. There, they found a small box covered in dust.
“What’s that?” Farel asked.
“I don’t know yet. I wasn’t brave enough to open it by myself.”
Dito wiped the top of the box with his hand. “Why does it look so old?”
Bisma slowly picked up the box. When he opened it, there was a small book inside with a badly damaged cover.
Raka took a deep breath. “Why do I feel like this isn’t a good idea?”
Bisma opened the first page. The writing inside looked old, but it was still readable.
“There’s someone’s name here,” Bisma said.
“Who?” the three of them asked at the same time.
Bisma read the writing in a quiet voice.
“Arman.”
They all fell silent.
“Who’s Arman?” Farel asked.
Bisma turned to the next page. There were several notes about their school and an old incident that hardly anyone knew about.
“Looks like this book holds a story from the past,” Bisma said.
Raka studied the contents of the book seriously. “We have to be careful. We can’t let ourselves get dragged into an even bigger problem.”
“But if we stop now, we’ll never know the truth,” Bisma replied.
Dito nodded. “I agree with Bisma. We’ve already come this far.”
Farel sighed. “You two are impossible to talk out of anything.”
They laughed softly. Even though they were afraid, they stayed together.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them.
“Who’s that?” Raka whispered.
They all fell silent at once.
The footsteps drew closer. Bisma slowly slipped the book into his bag.
Someone appeared from behind the old wall.
It turned out to be a student from another class.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
Bisma felt a little relieved. “We’re just checking out the place.”
The student looked toward Bisma’s bag. “You found that book?”
Bisma was startled. “You know about this book?”
The student didn’t answer right away. His face looked serious.
“I know a little about it.”
Raka stepped forward. “What do you mean?”
The student looked around before speaking.
“That book has been searched for by a lot of people.”
“Why?” Bisma asked.
The student stared at the four of them.
“Because that book contains a secret about the incident that made someone disappear years ago.”
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Bisma gripped his bag tightly.
“What does this book have to do with us?”
The student took a breath.
“That’s what you don’t know yet.”
After saying that, the student left them behind.
The four friends could only stand there in silence.
Dito broke the silence. “Looks like our problem isn’t over yet.”
Bisma looked toward the old building in front of them.
“Actually, everything is just beginning.”
The four of them walked back toward class. But this time, they realized that their journey was no longer just about finding answers.
A great secret was waiting to be uncovered.