I was still standing there when the old man said those words.
*"Don't walk at the back."*
I didn't understand right away.
Not because the sentence was difficult.
Because it was too simple.
He didn't explain anything.
He didn't say why.
He didn't point to anyone.
He didn't say what would happen if we kept doing that.
He just said it like someone telling us it was going to rain tonight.
I studied his face.
He looked around sixty. His hair was almost completely white, though a few black strands remained near his temples. The skin on his face looked rough, like someone who had lived too long in a place with cold air and harsh sunlight. He wore an old dark-brown jacket, black pants, and hiking sandals that looked like they had been worn for years.
There was nothing remarkable about his appearance.
If I'd run into him at the food stall earlier, I probably wouldn't even have remembered his face.
But now I couldn't stop looking at him.
Especially his eyes.
He didn't look like someone joking around.
Nor did he look like someone deliberately trying to scare new hikers.
He looked like someone who had said the same sentence many times.
And maybe had seen what happened when people didn't listen.
"Why, sir?"
Eka asked again.
Her voice was quieter.
The old man didn't answer.
Instead, he shifted his gaze toward the mountain.
I followed his line of sight.
From where we stood, the mountain was barely visible.
The night was too dark.
All we could see were black trees and a little light from the buildings around basecamp.
But the man stared in that direction as if he could see something we couldn't.
Bon came from behind carrying several sheets of paper.
"What's going on?"
The old man turned toward Bon.
"Nothing."
Bon nodded.
Then he looked at Eka.
"Eka?"
Eka seemed to realize only then that we were watching her.
"What?"
"What were you talking about?"
Eka shook her head.
"Nothing."
I looked at the old man again.
He had gone back to staring at the mountain.
As if our conversation was over.
I wanted to ask more.
But for some reason, something about his manner made me hold back.
It wasn't fear.
More like... discomfort.
As if forcing the question would only make things worse.
In the end, I chose to stay quiet.
We all went back to our own gear.
But those words stayed in my head.
**Don't walk at the back.**
Basecamp was fairly crowded that night.
Not as crowded as a bus terminal or a tourist attraction, obviously.
But much busier than I'd imagined.
Several hiking groups were sitting on the terrace floor.
Some people were busy checking their backpacks.
Others were stuffing food into plastic bags.
Some had just come down and looked like they wanted to go straight home.
A few other hikers sat around laughing.
Sandals dragged across the ground.
Zippers opened and closed.
Water bottles clinked.
People called out to their friends.
All those sounds made me feel a little safer.
The mountain, which had felt like a foreign place until then, suddenly seemed more human.
I liked crowds like this.
At least I knew there were other people around.
If something happened, there would still be someone we could ask for help.
I took my bag out of the trunk.
The shoulder straps felt cold against my hands.
"Put it here for now."
Bon pointed to an area near one of the buildings.
We piled up our gear.
Darma dropped his backpack just like that.
Thud.
"Damn."
Fathur immediately turned around.
"Careful."
"Why?"
"You could damage something."
"The only thing in there is clothes."
"Power bank?"
"In the small bag."
"Headlamp?"
"On my head."
Darma turned on the headlamp already strapped to his forehead.
The white light landed straight on Fathur's face.
Fathur shut his eyes.
"Turn it off."
Darma laughed.
"Oh, right."
He aimed the light at the ground.
I smiled too.
Adit had already taken out his camera.
As soon as Darma saw it, he stood right in front of him.
"Dit."
"What?"
"Take my picture."
Adit lifted the camera.
"Why?"
"For the record."
"We haven't even started."
"Exactly."
Darma stood up straight.
He gave two thumbs-up.
"Document me before we become legends."
Alin, who was opening her bag, immediately looked over.
"Don't say things like that."
Darma laughed.
"Why not?"
"Don't."
"Scared?"
Alin shook her head.
"No. Just don't."
Darma shrugged.
"Okay."
Adit took the picture.
Click.
Darma immediately moved closer.
"Let me see."
Adit turned the screen around.
We looked too.
Darma stood in the middle of the frame with an exaggeratedly heroic expression.
Several other hikers stood behind him.
Basecamp lights.
And the mountain, barely visible.
"Nice."
Darma nodded, satisfied.
"If I disappear later, put this up."
I laughed.
"You've been talking about disappearing all night."
"It's called preparation."
"Preparation for what?"
"Becoming famous."
Adit laughed.
I shook my head.
For some reason, Darma's jokes felt louder than usual that night.
Maybe because we really were somewhere different now.
In the city, words like *disappear*, *ghost*, or *become a legend* sounded funny.
On a mountain, once night had truly fallen, those same words sounded a little heavier.
I didn't say that to anyone.
Bon was still handling the registration.
I saw him standing at a small table near the main building.
An attendant was writing something down.
Bon handed over our group information.
Names.
Number of people.
Contact number.
Destination.
I walked over.
"Done?"
"Almost."
The attendant checked the paper.
"A group of nine?"
Bon nodded.
"Yes."
I watched the paper.
Our names were listed one by one.
Bon.
Darma.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Doy.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Joy.
I didn't know why seeing those nine names on a single sheet of paper made me feel a little strange.
Maybe because before this, the number nine had existed only in the group chat.
Now the number felt more real.
Written down.
Checked.
Recorded.
Nine people.
The attendant handed one of the papers back.
"Heading out tonight?"
"Yes."
"What time?"
"Once we're ready."
The attendant nodded.
Then he looked toward our group.
"Don't go too late if conditions aren't good."
Bon answered,
"Yes, sir."
I looked around.
Several other people were registering too.
A small group had just come down.
They looked exhausted.
Their shoes were dirty.
Their pants were covered in dirt.
One of them was massaging his calf.
I studied their faces.
None of them looked panicked.
None of them looked like they'd just experienced anything strange.
Everything was normal.
I felt relieved.
Maybe that was what I needed.
To see other people who had just finished their hike and could still sit around joking.
Night hiking might not be as comfortable as I'd imagined.
But that didn't mean it was dangerous.
If the trail was clear and we stayed together, there shouldn't be any problems.
I looked back at my friends.
Darma was rearranging his gear.
Fathur was checking the water bottles.
Ozan sat looking at his phone.
Adit was taking pictures.
Doy stood a little apart.
Alin was helping Eka.
Nine people.
Complete.
I took a breath.
Everything was fine.
I went over to Eka.
She was crouching beside her bag.
"Hey."
She turned.
"Yeah?"
"Are you still thinking about that guy?"
Eka was silent.
I knew the answer immediately.
"The old man?"
She gave a small nod.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"What did he say to you before I got there?"
Eka put a water bottle in her bag.
"Not much."
"Does he know you?"
"No."
"Then why did he tell you not to walk at the back?"
Eka closed the zipper.
"I don't know either."
I sat down beside her.
"Are you scared?"
Eka looked at me.
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
I watched her face.
She didn't look like someone who was afraid.
But something was different.
Like someone trying very hard not to look scared.
I asked again.
"Have you been to Lawu before?"
Eka shook her head.
"No."
"Then why have you been acting like you know this place?"
She gave me a small smile.
"I've only heard stories."
"What stories?"
Eka didn't answer right away.
Alin, who was standing nearby, heard the conversation.
"Later."
I turned to her.
"Why?"
Alin shook her head.
"It might not be important."
I looked at both of them.
There was something they weren't telling me.
I could feel it.
But I didn't want to push.
We hadn't even started hiking.
There was no point making everyone even more tense.
In the end, I stood up.
"Okay."
Eka nodded.
"Joy."
"Hm?"
She looked at me.
"If I ask not to be left alone later, don't leave me."
I gave a small laugh.
"Of course I won't."
"I'm serious."
My smile faded.
"I know."
Eka nodded.
"All right."
She went back to dealing with her bag.
I walked away.
Her words stayed in my head.
**If I ask not to be left alone later, don't leave me.**
I didn't know why she'd said that.
But I chalked it up to nerves.
Everyone had their own way of dealing with a hike.
Some people joked a lot.
Some asked a lot of questions.
Some stayed quiet.
Eka was probably one of the last.
We then checked our equipment.
Bon stood in the middle.
"Okay. Before we go up, let's check everything one by one."
Darma raised his hand.
"Yes, sir."
Bon ignored him.
"Headlamps."
One by one, we raised our heads.
Nine white lights came on.
Bon looked around.
"Everyone's working?"
"They're on," Fathur said.
"Backups?"
I pulled a small headlamp from my bag.
"Got one."
Fathur nodded.
"Good."
"Water?"
We held up our bottles.
Bon counted quickly.
"Enough."
"Food?"
Darma raised a plastic bag.
"Got some."
Bon stared at him.
"That's yours?"
"Yeah."
"What about the group's?"
Darma went silent.
Then he pulled out a package of bread.
"This."
Bon sighed.
"Don't eat it all."
Darma laughed.
"Yes, sir."
"Rain jackets?"
We checked our bags.
There they were.
"Medicine?"
Fathur held up a small pouch.
"Got it."
"First-aid kit?"
"Got it."
"Power banks?"
"Got them."
"Knife?"
Darma immediately raised his hand.
"Got one."
Bon looked at him.
"What's the knife for?"
"Opening food."
"Fine."
I watched as we checked each item.
Nothing was missing.
Everything was ready.
I checked my headlamp one more time.
The battery was full.
I had a backup.
My phone was fully charged too.
So was my power bank.
I felt calmer.
If something went wrong, at least we were prepared.
That's what I'd always believed.
Problems could happen at any time.
The important thing was to prepare.
I didn't believe in premonitions.
I didn't believe in omens.
I didn't believe in stories that couldn't be proven.
If something scared me, I wanted to know its source.
I wanted to see it.
Hear it.
Touch it.
Analyze it.
Not guess.
Maybe that's why I didn't make too much of the old man.
He could have simply been giving us ordinary advice.
Experienced hikers often did that.
Maybe he'd seen someone get lost.
Maybe someone had fallen after walking at the back.
Maybe there really was a dangerous section farther along the trail.
There was no need to look for another explanation.
I considered the matter settled.
At least for the time being.
A little after nine, the mood at basecamp began to change.
Some of the hikers who had been making noise started heading out.
One group stood up.
They hoisted their backpacks.
Tightened the straps.
Checked on one another.
Then they headed toward the trail.
The lights from their headlamps slowly moved away.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then they disappeared behind the trees.
I watched until the last light vanished.
Darma stood beside me.
"You nervous?"
I shook my head.
"No."
"Liar."
"Why?"
"You've been staring at the trail this whole time."
"Because we're about to go up."
Darma smiled.
"What if I said I was nervous too?"
I turned to him.
"Seriously?"
"No."
I laughed.
"Asshole."
He laughed too.
Then he said,
"But seriously."
"What?"
"If something happens later, don't leave me behind."
I stared at him.
"Why are you saying that too?"
"Because I'm the best-looking one."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"If I die, you'll lose your entertainment."
I laughed.
Darma always managed to lighten the mood.
I patted his shoulder.
"Relax."
He nodded.
"Relax."
We stood there for a while without speaking.
The night wind passed by.
Cold.
I slipped my hands into my jacket pockets.
Somewhere in the distance, people laughed.
Then came the sound of a motorcycle.
Then silence again.
I looked at the trail.
There was a small sign near the entrance.
The trail's name.
Directions.
A few markers.
Everything was clearly visible.
I started to feel ready.
Then I saw the old man again.
He was still sitting in the same place.
Near the entrance.
Alone.
I didn't see a large backpack near him.
No friends.
No obvious hiking gear.
He was just sitting there holding a glass.
I didn't know whether he was a hiker or someone who lived nearby.
I wanted to ask.
But then he suddenly turned his head.
Our eyes met.
I reflexively gave him a small nod.
He didn't return it.
He just stared.
Then his eyes shifted behind me.
I turned too.
There was no one there.
Bon was talking to Fathur.
Ozan was sitting down.
Darma was standing.
Adit was taking pictures.
Doy was checking his bag.
Eka and Alin were talking.
Everything was normal.
I looked back at the old man.
He was still looking in the same direction.
Behind me.
I asked,
"Sir?"
He didn't answer.
"Sir."
Only then did he look at me.
"What?"
"Were you talking to Eka earlier?"
He nodded.
"Yes."
"Why?"
He was silent.
Then he asked,
"You're Joy?"
I fell silent immediately.
I'd never introduced myself.
I stared at him for a few seconds.
"Yes."
The man nodded slowly.
"Good."
I frowned.
"What's good about it?"
He didn't answer.
I began to feel uncomfortable.
"Do you know me?"
He gave a faint smile.
"No."
"Then how do you know my name?"
He looked toward my friends.
Then back at me.
"Your friend."
I turned around.
Who?
Bon?
Darma?
Eka?
None of them seemed to be paying attention to us.
I looked back at the old man.
"Which one?"
He only shrugged.
I was about to ask again.
But he had already turned his face away.
As if the conversation was over.
I stood there for a few seconds.
Then I went back to the group.
I didn't say anything.
For some reason, I felt that if I told them about the conversation, everyone would start asking questions.
And I didn't know the answers myself.
Bon finally called us over.
"Okay. Before we leave, let's take a picture."
Adit immediately got ready.
Darma stood in the middle.
"Make it a good one."
"You always ask for a good one."
"Because of my face."
Adit laughed.
We gathered together.
Nine people.
Bon in front.
Darma beside him.
Ozan and Fathur.
Doy.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Me.
Adit set up the camera.
"Ten-second timer."
He placed the camera on a flat rock.
Then ran back toward us.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
"Nobody close your eyes."
Darma immediately shut his eyes.
"Damn it."
Click.
The first picture was a failure.
We laughed.
Adit checked the result.
"Darma closed his eyes."
"Reflex."
"Again."
We took a second picture.
This time everyone looked at the camera.
Darma raised his hand.
Alin smiled.
Eka gave a small smile.
I stood beside Doy.
Bon looked serious.
Click.
The second picture.
Adit ran back over.
"Nice."
We moved closer.
We looked at the result.
Nine people.
Everyone clearly visible.
The basecamp lights behind us.
The dark sky.
Nothing strange.
Darma pointed at the screen.
"Now that's a hiker picture."
I laughed.
Adit saved the picture.
I didn't know that a few hours later, I'd look at that same picture again.
Not because I wanted to reminisce.
But because I wanted to make sure of something.
Something that hadn't even crossed my mind yet.
After the picture, we started getting our bags ready to leave for real.
We put things we wouldn't need during the hike at the bottom.
Snacks were moved into smaller bags.
We got our jackets ready.
We put on our headlamps.
I slipped my phone into my jacket pocket.
Before closing my bag, I checked it again.
Water.
Got it.
Power bank.
Got it.
Small first-aid kit.
Got it.
Food.
Got it.
Rain jacket.
Got it.
I closed the zipper.
Done.
Darma stood up.
"Heavy."
"You just picked it up."
"Yeah, and it's heavy."
Bon laughed.
"If it's heavy, don't bring it."
Darma immediately hugged his bag.
"This is my kid."
Ozan called out,
"What kid?"
"My favorite kid."
"What's inside?"
"Hope."
We laughed.
I looked at Eka.
She wasn't laughing.
She was looking at the old man.
He was still there.
This time he wasn't looking at Eka.
He was looking at all of us.
I went over.
"Hey."
Eka turned.
"Yeah?"
"Do you want to say something?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
I followed her gaze.
"Him?"
Eka nodded.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Have you seen him before?"
"No."
I sighed.
"Then don't worry about him."
Eka gave me a faint smile.
"Joy."
"Hm?"
"If he says something to you again, don't answer."
I fell silent.
"Why?"
Eka shook her head.
"Just don't."
I stared at her.
"Do you know something?"
She didn't answer.
"Eka."
"No."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
Then she smiled.
"It's fine."
I wanted to press her with another question.
But Alin called out.
"Eka."
Eka turned.
"Yeah?"
"We're ready."
Eka nodded.
She walked over to Alin.
I remained standing there.
There was one thing about that conversation that didn't make sense.
If Eka really didn't know anything...
why did she keep warning me?
I tried to ignore it.
I had no proof of anything.
And without proof, it was all just assumption.
I went back to Bon.
"Ready?"
Bon nodded.
"Ready."
"Registration?"
"Done."
"Everything?"
"Everything."
I looked at his face.
"You sure?"
Bon laughed.
"Why?"
"Nothing."
"You look suspicious."
"I was just asking."
Bon patted my shoulder.
"Relax."
I nodded.
"Relax."
Then he looked at everyone.
"Okay. Before we head up, let's make sure of one thing."
Everyone moved closer.
"Nobody walks alone."
Darma raised his hand.
"What if I have to pee?"
"Say so."
"What if I have to puke?"
"Say so."
"What if I want to break up with someone?"
Ozan laughed.
Bon stared at Darma.
"Are you looking for trouble?"
Darma shook his head.
"No."
Bon sighed.
"Just don't split up."
We nodded.
Then Bon looked at Doy.
"You're at the back."
Doy nodded.
"Okay."
"Watch the rear."
"Yeah."
I immediately remembered the old man's words.
**Don't walk at the back.**
I looked at Doy.
Then at Eka.
She was looking at Doy.
Their eyes met.
Doy gave a small nod.
Eka returned it.
I watched them.
Something was passing between them.
I didn't know what.
But it clearly wasn't a coincidence.
I wanted to ask.
But Bon was already saying,
"Joy, you're in the middle."
I nodded.
"Got it."
We began forming a line.
Bon at the front.
Then Ozan.
Fathur.
Eka.
Alin.
Me.
Adit.
Darma.
Doy.
Nine people.
I counted silently.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Complete.
I smiled faintly.
No one was missing.
Before we started walking, I glanced back.
The old man was still sitting there.
This time he was looking at me.
Not Eka.
Not Bon.
Me.
His stare made me stop for a moment.
I didn't know why.
I wanted to see whether he would say something.
He didn't.
He just stared.
Then his eyes dropped to my feet.
Rose to my bag.
Then returned to my face.
I gave him a small nod.
For some reason.
Maybe just to be polite.
The man didn't return it.
I turned around.
Started walking.
Three steps.
Four.
Five.
Then I heard his voice.
"Joy."
I stopped.
My whole body seemed to tense automatically.
I turned halfway around.
But the voice didn't come again.
I looked back.
The old man was still sitting there.
He was already several yards away.
I waited.
He didn't speak.
I almost thought I must have misheard.
Then Darma nudged my shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
"Keep walking."
I nodded.
We continued.
I didn't know whether the old man had really called my name.
Or whether I'd simply misheard.
Maybe it was someone else's voice.
Maybe a voice from a radio.
Maybe another hiker.
There were plenty of possibilities.
I chose one.
The simplest one.
I had simply misheard.
We walked several yards from the basecamp area.
Things grew darker.
The building lights were behind us.
We could still hear people.
But the sounds grew more distant.
I turned around one more time.
Basecamp was still visible.
The old man was still sitting there.
But now he wasn't looking at us anymore.
He was looking at the mountain.
I turned my attention forward.
The path was waiting ahead.
Bon walked at the front.
His pace was steady.
Doy was at the back.
As planned.
I was in the middle.
Everything was in order.
I took a breath.
Cold air entered my nose.
I exhaled slowly.
Here we go.
The hike had truly begun.
I already knew the night would be long.
I already knew the trail would be dark.
I already knew our bodies would grow tired.
But I still believed everything could be explained.
There were nine of us.
We had prepared.
We'd been told not to split up.
We had two cars.
We had phones.
We had headlamps.
We had experience.
There was no reason to be afraid.
At least not yet.
A few minutes into the walk, Darma started talking.
"Joy."
"What?"
"Did you hear something?"
I turned.
"What?"
"Like there was a sound."
I stopped for a moment.
Then listened.
Wind.
Leaves.
Footsteps.
My friends' voices.
Nothing else.
"No."
Darma nodded.
"Maybe I misheard."
I smiled.
"There you go."
Darma started walking again.
I watched Doy behind us.
He walked calmly.
He didn't say much.
But several times I saw him turn to the side.
Not behind him.
To the side.
As if checking on something.
I wanted to ask.
But we'd only been walking for a little while.
There was no need to make things weird.
I looked ahead again.
Bon raised his hand.
"Slow down."
We reduced our pace.
The trail began to slope upward.
Tree roots emerged from the ground.
Several rocks were slick.
I focused on my feet.
Step.
Breath.
Step.
Breath.
Everything felt normal.
After about fifteen minutes, we stopped briefly.
Not to rest.
Bon was just making sure the line was intact.
"Everyone here?"
I looked at them one by one.
Bon.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Eka.
Alin.
Me.
Adit.
Darma.
Doy.
Nine.
"Everyone's here."
Bon nodded.
"Don't get too far apart."
We started walking again.
This time I paid more attention to the sound of our footsteps.
Nine people.
Nine pairs of feet.
I didn't know why my thoughts kept returning to that number.
Nine.
Maybe because the number had been mentioned too many times from the beginning.
The group chat.
The picture.
Registration.
The old man.
Now the line.
Nine.
I tried to laugh at myself.
"Joy."
I heard Darma's voice.
I turned.
"What?"
Darma didn't say anything.
He only looked at me.
Then shook his head.
"Nothing."
I frowned.
"What?"
"I thought you called me."
I gave a small laugh.
"I didn't."
Darma stared at me for a few seconds.
Then started walking again.
I followed.
But after that, I became more sensitive to every sound.
Every snapping twig.
Every rustling leaf.
Every sound from behind.
I listened.
Not because I was afraid.
I just wanted to make sure.
There was nothing there.
No one else.
No unfamiliar voice.
Just us.
Nine people.
We stopped again after a while.
Bon checked the time.
"It's still early."
Darma groaned.
"Don't say that."
"Why not?"
"When you say it's still early, that means we still have a long way to go."
Bon laughed.
Fathur drank some water.
Ozan wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Adit took a few pictures.
Eka sat beside Alin.
I stood there.
Looking at the trail.
Basecamp was completely out of sight by now.
The last light had disappeared behind the trees.
Now our headlamps were our only source of light.
Nine white circles.
Touching the ground.
Sweeping across tree trunks.
Moving with our heads.
I looked at them one by one.
Nine.
I thought about the old man again.
**Don't walk at the back.**
I looked at Doy.
He was staring into the forest.
"You okay?"
Doy turned.
"Why?"
"You've been looking behind us a lot."
He smiled.
"Because I'm at the back."
I smiled too.
"Makes sense."
Doy looked at the trail again.
Then he said,
"Joy."
"Hm?"
"If you hear a voice later..."
I immediately remembered our conversation at the food stall.
I looked at him.
"What voice?"
Doy was silent for a moment.
"Anyone's voice."
I nodded.
"Why?"
"Don't answer right away."
I gave a small laugh.
"You're being awfully serious."
"I am."
"Are you scared?"
Doy looked at me.
"No."
His answer sounded exactly like Eka's.
No.
But the way he said it only made me less convinced.
We continued on.
The night grew deeper.
The air grew colder.
The sounds from outside basecamp had completely disappeared.
There were no more vehicles.
No more voices.
All that remained was the forest.
And us.
Nine people.
I walked with one hand on my bag's strap.
Darma was a few steps behind me.
Doy was at the very back.
I could hear their footsteps.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
I smiled faintly.
Complete.
I didn't know why I was counting.
Maybe I wanted to make sure.
Maybe after what the old man had said, the number nine felt important.
I turned around.
Doy was looking at me.
He immediately said,
"Don't keep looking back."
I laughed.
"Why not?"
"Focus on what's ahead."
I nodded.
"Okay."
We started walking again.
A few minutes later, I began to hear another sound.
Very faint.
Almost inaudible.
Like footsteps coming from far away.
I stopped.
Darma bumped into my shoulder.
"What happened?"
I raised a hand.
"Quiet."
Everyone stopped.
We listened.
Nothing.
I frowned.
Maybe it was only the wind.
Maybe leaves.
Maybe the sound of our own footsteps echoing.
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
Bon asked,
"What is it?"
I answered,
"Nothing."
He stared at me for a few seconds.
Then nodded.
We started walking again.
I didn't say anything else.
Because I wasn't even sure what I'd heard.
And if I told them, Darma might start joking about it.
I didn't want that.
A few steps later, I heard the sound again.
This time it was clearer.
Footsteps.
Behind us.
I didn't turn around.
I remembered Doy's warning.
I just kept walking.
The footsteps sounded again.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then stopped.
I swallowed.
I tried to find an explanation.
Maybe it was Doy.
Maybe Darma.
Maybe one of them had stopped.
I wanted to ask.
But no one spoke.
I heard breathing.
Our footsteps.
Leaves.
Wind.
Then...
a quiet voice.
"Joy..."
My body went rigid.
I recognized that voice.
Even before my brain could process it.
I knew who was calling me.
The voice came from behind.
Very close.
And for the first time that night, all the logic I'd always relied on felt like something incredibly fragile.
I didn't turn around.
Not yet.
Because one of Doy's warnings rang clearly in my head again.
**If you hear a voice calling from behind, don't turn around right away.**
I stood still.
Nine people stopped.
No one spoke.
Then the voice came again.
Quieter.
Closer.
"Joy..."
And the voice was my mother's.