Before setting out, we went to speak with the basecamp attendant.
Bon took care of the last few things.
I stood beside him, watching what was happening around us. After what had happened with the old hiker earlier, the atmosphere at basecamp felt a little different to me. Even though, in reality, nothing had changed.
The lights were still on.
The food stalls were still open.
Some hikers were still sitting around eating.
Some were laughing.
Some were busy stuffing things into their packs.
Some had just arrived and were handling registration.
Everything was normal.
And precisely because everything was normal, I felt a little stupid for thinking about what the old man had said.
*Don't walk at the very back.*
It was a simple sentence.
But the way he'd said it made it feel like something more than just advice.
I glanced toward the spot where the old man had been sitting.
Empty.
The wooden bench was still there.
The glass he'd been holding was gone.
I looked around.
He was nowhere to be seen.
"Who are you looking for?"
I turned around.
Darma stood behind me, carrying two bottles of water.
"That guy from earlier."
"Which one?"
"The one talking to Eka."
"Oh."
Darma looked toward the bench too.
"He probably left."
I nodded.
"Maybe."
Darma handed me one of the bottles.
"Here."
"Thanks."
We walked back to Bon.
The basecamp attendant was checking the information in front of the desk.
He looked to be around forty. His face looked tired, but his eyes were sharp. In front of him sat a large, slightly worn ledger, several registration forms, and a pen tied at the end with a small string.
Bon handed him something.
"Here you go, sir."
The attendant took it.
He looked at the paper.
Then he looked toward us.
"Setting out tonight?"
"Yes."
"Group of nine?"
"Yes."
The attendant paused.
His gaze moved from one person to the next.
Bon.
Darma.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Doy.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Me.
I didn't know why I counted along with him.
Nine.
The attendant nodded.
"Don't split up."
Bon smiled.
"Yes, sir."
"If anyone gets tired, rest."
"Yes."
"If anyone gets sick, don't push them."
"Yes."
"If anyone wants to descend the mountain ahead of the others, don't leave them behind."
Bon nodded.
"Got it."
The attendant looked back down at the ledger.
Apparently, we were done.
I was about to step away when he raised his head.
"What if you hear someone calling for help?"
Bon fell silent.
The attendant continued.
"Don't go looking right away."
I looked at Darma.
He was looking at the attendant too.
The relaxed expression on his face slowly changed.
The attendant looked at us one by one.
"If it's really a person, there will usually be other sounds."
He raised one finger.
"There'll be light."
A second finger.
"There'll be signs."
A third finger.
"If none of those things are there..."
He looked at us.
"Don't look for them."
I furrowed my brow.
"What if there aren't any?"
The attendant looked at me.
"Then don't look for them."
His voice was flat.
There was no smile.
No joking expression.
I didn't know how to respond.
As usual, Ozan tried to lighten the mood.
"Sir, does that happen often?"
The attendant looked at him.
"Sometimes."
"Hikers getting lost?"
"Sometimes."
"And then?"
The attendant sighed.
"Sometimes it's not a hiker."
Ozan gave a small laugh.
I didn't.
Neither did Darma.
The attendant picked up his pen.
"Bottom line, don't answer a voice from behind you."
I immediately looked at Doy.
He stood a few steps away from us.
He didn't look surprised.
He didn't look confused.
As if he'd heard that sentence before.
Or maybe he already knew.
I stared at him for several seconds.
Doy finally realized I was looking at him.
He met my gaze.
He said nothing.
I looked away.
The attendant went back to his work as if the conversation had never happened.
We moved away from the administration desk.
Darma went straight over to Doy.
"You."
Doy turned.
"What?"
"You already knew?"
"Knew what?"
"Don't pretend."
Doy put his hands in his jacket pockets.
"I'm not pretending."
"The attendant just said exactly what you said at the food stall."
Doy was silent.
Darma waited.
I stood beside them.
Ozan came over too.
"The part about voices from behind?"
Darma nodded.
"Yeah."
Ozan gave a small laugh.
"Maybe it's just common advice."
Darma pointed at him.
"See? That's what I was thinking too."
Doy sighed.
"So?"
"But why aren't you surprised?"
Doy didn't answer.
I asked too.
"Have you heard a story about this before?"
Doy looked at us.
"There are plenty of stories in the mountains."
"This one?"
"Yeah."
"Here?"
Doy was quiet for a moment.
"I don't know."
I didn't like that answer.
"What do you mean, you don't know?"
Doy looked toward the trail.
"Sometimes people just keep repeating the same story."
Ozan snorted.
"So, an inherited hoax."
Doy didn't laugh.
"If that makes you feel better, then think of it that way."
Ozan opened his mouth.
But then he decided not to say anything.
Darma was quiet too.
I watched Doy.
There was something he was hiding.
I didn't know what.
And for the first time, I wondered if I'd been judging him wrong all this time.
Doy wasn't someone who scared easily.
Even when we talked about supernatural stuff at the food stall, he seemed calm.
Too calm.
I wanted to ask more.
But Bon was already calling us.
"Ready?"
We turned.
Bon stood near our gear.
"We're leaving soon."
Darma answered,
"Ready, boss."
Bon sighed.
"I'm not your boss."
"Captain."
"Not that either."
"Leader."
"Shut up."
Darma laughed.
The mood lightened a little.
A little.
We started getting our headlamps ready.
One by one.
Bon turned his on.
White light immediately swept across the floor.
Darma followed.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Adit.
Alin.
Eka.
Doy.
Me.
Nine small lights.
I stood there for a moment, looking at all of them.
It was strange.
We looked like a small group about to do something that was actually very simple.
Climb a mountain.
Walk for a few hours.
Rest.
Keep going.
Until we reached our destination.
Nothing special.
No reason to be afraid.
I checked my headlamp one more time.
The battery was full.
I pressed the button a few times.
Bright.
Dim.
Bright.
Okay.
I slipped my phone into my jacket pocket.
There was still a signal.
The battery was at ninety-eight percent.
I opened the camera for a moment.
I didn't know why.
Maybe it was just habit.
I took a picture of the group.
Bon was checking the map.
Darma was joking with Fathur.
Ozan was tying his shoelaces.
Adit was adjusting his camera.
Alin was helping Eka fix the position of his pack.
Doy stood a little ways off, looking at the trail.
I took the picture.
Click.
Nine people.
I looked at the result.
Everyone was in it.
I zoomed in.
Our faces looked ordinary.
Bon.
Darma.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Doy.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Me.
Nine.
I smiled faintly.
For some reason, that number felt important.
Maybe because we'd been talking about it from the beginning.
Nine people.
One mountain.
One night.
I turned off the screen.
"Joy."
I turned around.
Eka stood beside me.
"What?"
"Did you just take a picture?"
"Yeah."
"Do I look bad?"
I laughed.
"You haven't even seen it."
"That's why I'm asking."
I showed him the screen.
Eka looked at the picture.
He didn't smile right away.
His eyes moved from one face to the next.
I watched him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"What's with you?"
Eka shook his head.
"I'm tired."
"We haven't even started walking."
"Exactly."
I laughed.
Eka smiled too.
But only for a moment.
His eyes moved back toward the trail.
I followed his gaze.
Darkness.
The trees stood close together.
The trail entrance looked like a black tunnel lit only by a few small lights.
"Eka."
"Hm?"
"What were you talking about with that man earlier?"
Eka fell silent.
"The guy on the bench."
"Oh."
"What did he say?"
Eka shrugged.
"Not much."
"He said not to walk at the very back."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
I looked at him.
"Are you scared?"
Eka smiled.
"No."
"Then why do you look scared?"
"You're the one overthinking."
I gave a small laugh.
"I thought I was the rational one."
"Exactly."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"When rational people start getting scared, they're usually the hardest to cure."
I laughed.
Eka walked away from me.
I watched his back.
There was something else I wanted to ask.
But I decided against it.
Not yet.
Bon gathered us together.
"Okay."
We all moved closer.
Bon opened the map.
The headlamp beams from several people fell across its surface.
"The first part of the trail is easy."
He pointed to a line.
"We go up from here."
His finger moved.
"Then we pass the first checkpoint."
Darma raised his hand.
"Does the first checkpoint have a bathroom?"
Bon stared at him.
"Why?"
"Preparation."
"You already went."
"That doesn't guarantee anything."
Fathur laughed.
Bon shook his head.
"If you need to go, say so."
Darma cut in,
"What if I need to fart?"
"Shut up."
We laughed.
I did too.
The mood lightened again.
Bon continued.
"Don't rush. Control your breathing. Don't get ahead of everyone else. Nobody walks alone."
He looked at Doy.
Then at Darma.
"Especially you two."
Darma raised his hand.
"Why me?"
"Because you like to walk while talking."
"So I don't get sleepy."
"Talk to the person in front of you."
"What if the person in front doesn't want to talk?"
"Then be quiet."
Darma snorted.
Bon then looked at all of us.
"If there's a problem, say something."
No one answered.
"Don't feel bad about speaking up."
We nodded.
Bon closed the map.
"One more thing."
He paused.
I waited.
"If you hear a voice from behind you, don't stop right away."
Darma didn't laugh this time.
Bon continued,
"If someone really is calling you, make sure they're actually part of the group first."
I looked at Doy.
Doy looked at me too.
Bon might not have known how much heavier that sentence felt after the attendant's warning.
"Don't turn around carelessly," Bon said.
"If one of our members is falling behind, we'll all stop together."
Everyone nodded.
"Okay?"
"Okay."
Bon put the map away.
"Let's go."
We took our positions.
Bon at the very front.
Doy behind him.
Fathur in the middle.
Eka and Alin close together.
I wasn't far from Adit.
Darma and Ozan behind them.
Everything was according to plan.
Doy stood toward the back.
I noticed him for a moment.
"Aren't you scared?"
He turned.
"Scared of what?"
"That warning."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Thinking about it just makes me tired."
I gave a small laugh.
"You're really relaxed."
Doy shrugged.
"The important thing is not to be stupid."
"What do you mean?"
"If you hear a voice, don't chase it."
I nodded.
Made sense.
I liked that answer.
Simple.
It didn't need anything strange added to it.
Before we really set out, I looked back at basecamp.
The lights were still bright.
Some hikers were still sitting around.
Some were eating.
Some were laughing.
Some had just come in from outside.
I looked at the attendant's desk.
The man was still there.
He was writing something.
For a moment, I thought about going over to him.
I didn't know why.
Maybe I wanted to make sure about the warning he'd given us.
I took one step.
Then stopped.
The attendant raised his head.
Our eyes met.
He didn't call out.
He didn't smile.
He only looked at me.
I finally gave him a small nod.
He returned it.
I went back to the group.
I didn't know why, but before we started walking, I briefly felt as if I'd just been given permission to enter.
Not official permission.
More like...
*If you've already made up your minds, then so be it.*
I shook my head.
I was thinking too much.
We started walking.
The first step felt ordinary.
The ground under our shoes was still fairly firm.
A few small rocks.
Tree roots.
Dry leaves.
Our headlamp beams danced across the ground whenever our heads moved.
I drew a breath.
The cold night air entered my nose.
Behind us, the sounds of basecamp could still be heard.
Faintly.
Someone laughing.
A motorcycle.
Something falling.
Human sounds.
I felt a little relieved.
We hadn't really entered the forest yet.
Bon walked at a relaxed pace.
Not too fast.
Not too slow.
Doy was a few steps behind him.
Darma started talking.
"Bon."
"Hm?"
"What if we get lost later..."
"We're not getting lost."
"What if."
"We're not."
"Just hypothetically."
Bon sighed.
"If we get lost, I'll make you walk at the very front."
Darma laughed.
"Why me?"
"Because you talk the most."
Ozan joined in.
"He's right."
Darma pointed at Ozan.
"Don't act all high and mighty."
"Why?"
"You talk a lot too."
"I'm more useful."
"How so?"
"I have a power bank."
Darma fell silent.
"Valid."
We laughed.
I smiled too.
A few steps later, I looked back.
Basecamp was still visible.
Its lights were small.
But still clear.
Nine people.
All accounted for.
I took a breath.
Everything was fine.
We kept walking.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
The trail began to slope upward.
Darma was still talking.
Fathur complained now and then.
Ozan told him several times not to walk so fast.
Alin reminded Eka to drink some water.
Adit took pictures.
Our voices filled the trail.
I started to think that maybe my earlier concerns really had been excessive.
Nothing was happening.
No strange voices.
Nothing emerging from behind the trees.
No missing hikers.
Nothing at all.
Just an ordinary night hike.
I smiled to myself.
Maybe the attendant just dealt with panicked hikers too often.
Maybe the old man had only wanted to remind Eka not to fall behind.
Everything could be explained.
I liked that explanation.
I chose to believe it.
About fifteen minutes later, Bon stopped.
We all stopped too.
"What is it?"
Bon raised his hand.
"Catch your breath."
Darma immediately sat down on a rock.
"Thank you."
Bon stared at him.
"It's only been fifteen minutes."
Darma rubbed his chest.
"Exactly."
Fathur laughed.
I sat down too.
I drank some water.
The cold water felt refreshing.
Around us, the sounds of insects grew clearer.
Crickets.
Leaves rubbing together.
A light breeze.
I looked up.
Tall trees covered the sky.
Only a small portion of it was visible.
Black.
I lowered my gaze again.
Doy remained standing.
He didn't sit down.
I looked at him.
"You're not tired?"
"Not yet."
"Why are you standing?"
"Usually, once I sit down, it's hard to get back up."
I laughed.
Doy gave a faint smile.
Then he looked behind us.
I automatically looked too.
The trail we'd just come through looked dark.
There was no one there.
"What is it?" I asked.
Doy shook his head.
"Nothing."
"Then why are you looking back?"
"Making sure."
"Making sure of what?"
He didn't answer.
I stared down the trail.
There was nothing there.
In the end, I assumed he was just keeping watch.
Bon signaled us.
"Let's go."
We stood up.
Our packs went back on our shoulders.
We pointed our headlamps ahead.
We started moving again.
Basecamp grew farther away.
Eventually, its lights disappeared.
I didn't realize exactly when.
Suddenly, when I looked back, all I could see was darkness.
No more lights.
No motorcycle sounds.
No voices.
We had truly entered the forest.
I sighed.
The atmosphere changed.
Not drastically.
But enough to feel.
Our voices were still there.
But quieter.
I didn't know whether it was because we were starting to get tired or because the forest was swallowing our voices.
I heard my own footsteps.
The rustle of my jacket.
My breathing.
Everything sounded clearer.
I checked the time.
9:47 p.m.
It hadn't even been an hour.
There was still a long way to go.
I put my phone away.
Darma suddenly walked beside me.
"Joy."
"Hm?"
"Are you still sure this is a good idea?"
I laughed.
"You were the most excited one earlier."
"Before we went in."
"And now?"
"Now I'm evaluating my decision."
I laughed.
Darma laughed too.
Then he said,
"Seriously."
"What?"
"Don't you feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"The atmosphere."
I turned to him.
"It's normal."
"Normal?"
"Yeah."
Darma nodded slowly.
"Maybe it's just me."
"What is?"
"I don't know."
He kept walking.
I didn't press him.
A few steps later, Darma looked at me.
"If I start saying weird things later..."
"Why?"
"Don't believe me."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Maybe I'll be exhausted."
I laughed.
"Okay."
Darma smiled.
But after that, he was mostly quiet.
We kept walking.
The ground grew damper.
Our shoes stepped on wet leaves several times.
The smell of earth grew stronger.
Every now and then, a branch brushed against my jacket.
I had to duck beneath low branches.
Bon was still in front.
Doy directly behind him.
I could see their headlamp beams.
Two white points moving up and down.
Seeing them made me feel calm.
As long as those lights were there, everything felt under control.
About half an hour after setting out, Bon stopped again.
This time, he didn't tell us to rest.
He only looked at the map.
We gathered around him.
"What's up?"
"A small fork."
I looked ahead.
The trail did split in two.
One path went left.
The other continued straight.
It wasn't very clear because it was covered with leaves.
Bon opened the map.
"The left one."
Darma looked.
"You sure?"
Bon nodded.
"Yeah."
Doy came closer.
He looked at the trail.
"The left one."
Bon looked at him.
"You know?"
"You can tell from the marker."
I looked more closely.
There was a small smear of paint on a tree trunk.
Almost invisible.
A trail marker.
"He's right," I said.
Bon nodded.
"Left."
We turned.
One by one.
I walked last, after Alin.
Doy was still ahead of me.
Everyone kept moving.
I glanced at the straight path for a moment.
Dark.
There was nothing there.
I quickly turned forward again.
A few minutes later, we found where the trail joined back up.
I saw a marker on a tree.
White paint.
Faded.
But still visible.
Bon stopped.
"Here it is."
We nodded.
Darma said,
"So if we'd gone straight earlier?"
"It would've connected."
"Then why did we go around?"
Bon looked at him.
"Because it isn't the main trail."
Darma nodded.
"Then why did we go around?"
"Because you asked."
Darma laughed.
I did too.
Everything felt ordinary.
Very ordinary.
Then I noticed Eka.
He was walking more slowly.
Alin was beside him.
I moved closer.
"Eka."
"Hm?"
"Tired?"
"A little."
"Drink some water."
Eka took out his bottle.
He drank.
I watched his face.
"Still thinking about that man?"
He stopped.
"Who?"
"The one at basecamp."
Eka looked at me.
Then shook his head.
"No."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
I nodded.
"Okay."
I was about to leave.
"Joy."
He called me back.
I turned.
"What?"
He looked hesitant.
Then he said,
"If I say I want to stop later..."
I waited.
"Don't stop right away."
I frowned.
"Why?"
"Just don't."
I gave a small laugh.
"What's wrong with you?"
Eka didn't answer.
He simply started walking again.
I followed him for a few steps.
"Eka."
"Hm?"
"If anything happens, tell me."
He turned.
"I will."
We walked on.
I didn't know why that brief conversation felt heavier than it should have.
We stopped again.
This time, Bon told everyone to check their positions.
"All here?"
We looked around one by one.
Bon.
Darma.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Doy.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Me.
Nine.
Bon nodded.
"Don't spread out."
I looked at Doy.
He stood at the very back.
Then I realized something.
The old man had told Eka not to walk at the very back.
Now Doy was the one at the very back.
I smiled faintly.
Maybe it really was just a coincidence.
But I walked over to Doy.
"Want to switch?"
Doy looked at me.
"Switch what?"
"Positions."
"Why?"
"You're at the back."
"So?"
"He said not to."
Doy was quiet for a moment.
Then he gave a faint smile.
"You believe him?"
"No."
"Then?"
"Just in case."
Doy gave a small laugh.
"Good."
He then walked a little faster.
I followed him.
"What's good about it?"
"You're starting to learn."
"Learn what?"
"Sometimes not everything has to be explained."
I didn't answer.
That sentence bothered me.
Because I hated things that couldn't be explained.
We continued our hike.
The longer we walked, the less we talked.
Everyone was starting to get tired.
Darma still made comments now and then.
But he wasn't nearly as active as before.
Fathur was mostly silent.
Ozan had started focusing on his steps.
Adit stopped taking pictures.
Alin helped Eka.
Bon walked steadily.
Doy stayed in the back.
I walked in the middle.
I was starting to get used to the rhythm.
Step.
Breathe in.
Step.
Breathe out.
Step.
Dirt.
Roots.
Rocks.
Leaves.
Everything repeated.
Until I started to feel sleepy.
I shook my head.
Don't.
Focus.
The night was still young.
Suddenly, we heard a bird.
I looked up.
One short call.
Then silence.
Darma said,
"What was that?"
Ozan answered,
"A bird."
"At this hour?"
"Birds don't wear watches."
Darma gave a small laugh.
"You know, you've got a point."
We kept walking.
I heard the sound again.
This time, from behind us.
I stopped.
It wasn't a human voice.
Nor was it anything strange.
Just a bird.
I almost turned around.
Then I remembered the attendant's warning.
*Don't answer a voice from behind you.*
I smiled faintly.
Ridiculous.
I was even starting to be afraid of a bird's call.
I kept walking.
A few minutes later, Doy walked beside me.
"Joy."
"Hm?"
"Don't look back too often."
I turned toward him.
"I just heard a sound."
"What sound?"
"A bird."
Doy nodded.
"Then leave it at that."
I looked at him.
"You keep looking back too."
"I'm the one at the back."
"So?"
"I have to make sure."
I nodded.
Made sense.
Then Doy said,
"If you hear someone calling later..."
I looked straight at him.
He continued,
"Don't answer."
"I know."
"Don't turn around."
"I know."
"Don't look for where it came from."
"I know."
Doy stopped.
I looked at him.
"Why do you keep repeating yourself?"
He looked ahead.
"Because people usually remember advice only until the first time they panic."
I was silent.
He started walking again.
I followed him.
I didn't know why those words made me uncomfortable.
Usually, I would've considered them excessive.
But tonight, everyone was taking things too seriously.
The attendant.
The old man.
Doy.
Even Eka.
They were all giving different warnings that pointed to the same thing.
Don't split up.
Don't walk at the very back.
Don't look for the voice.
Don't answer it.
I started wondering whether something had really happened on this trail before.
Something that made the people around the mountain develop a habit of talking that way.
I wanted to ask Bon.
But I was afraid he'd think I was panicking.
So I stayed quiet.
We continued walking.
It was a little after ten.
I checked my phone.
There was still one bar of signal.
The battery was at ninety-three percent.
I opened the hiking group chat.
There were no messages.
I typed something.
> **Joy:** We're on the trail.
I stopped before sending it.
What for?
One bar of signal.
The text might not go through.
I deleted it.
Then put my phone away.
I looked ahead.
Bon was still walking.
Doy was still behind us.
Everyone was still there.
Nine.
I counted again.
I didn't know why.
Nine.
We stopped for a longer rest.
Bon told everyone to sit down.
I lowered my pack.
My shoulders were sore.
I stretched my neck.
Darma immediately dropped himself onto the ground.
"Now this is living."
Fathur laughed.
"How far have you even walked?"
"Don't insult my struggle."
Ozan opened some food.
"Bread?"
Darma immediately reached for it.
"Where?"
"Get it yourself."
Darma took one.
We ate in silence.
Simple food tasted good in the cold air.
Bread.
Crackers.
Chocolate.
Water.
Nothing special.
But I enjoyed all of it.
I looked around.
Darkness.
Our headlamps made small circles of light.
Outside those circles, the forest was invisible.
Just black.
I felt like something was watching us.
I quickly erased the thought.
It was only because of the darkness.
Nothing more.
The basecamp attendant suddenly came to mind.
*If it's really a person, there will usually be other sounds. There'll be light. There'll be signs.*
I stared into the forest.
There were no human sounds.
No other lights.
No signs.
I smiled faintly.
It was just safety advice.
Yeah.
It had to be.
Bon checked the time.
"We'll start walking again in five minutes."
Darma complained.
"Why five?"
"So you can catch your breath."
"What if my breath doesn't come back?"
"Then go home."
Darma laughed.
I looked at Eka.
He didn't laugh along.
He was staring toward the forest.
"Eka."
He turned.
"What?"
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
"Then why are you looking over there?"
Eka shook his head.
"I just..."
He stopped.
"Just what?"
Eka looked at me.
"It looked like there was a light."
I immediately looked in the direction he pointed.
Darkness.
There was nothing there.
"Where?"
Eka pointed again.
"Over there."
I watched for several seconds.
Nothing.
Maybe it was one of our headlamps reflecting off a leaf.
I said,
"There's nothing there."
Eka was silent.
Alin touched his shoulder.
"Maybe it was just a reflection."
Eka nodded.
"Yeah."
I nodded too.
Simple.
End of story.
We stood up.
Our packs went back on our shoulders.
Bon led the way.
We walked on.
This time, I deliberately stayed closer to Eka.
Not because I was afraid.
I just wanted to make sure he was okay.
Doy remained in the back.
I looked at him now and then.
He walked calmly.
Nothing was strange.
The trail grew darker.
I began to get used to it.
My eyes adjusted.
The sounds of the forest became background noise.
Crickets.
Leaves.
Wind.
Footsteps.
Breathing.
Everything blended together.
We weren't talking much anymore.
I could hear everyone's footsteps.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Nine pairs of feet.
I didn't know why I counted again.
Maybe because that number had appeared too many times already.
I smiled to myself.
Nine.
Complete.
A few minutes later, Bon stopped.
I almost bumped into him.
"What is it?"
Bon didn't answer.
He raised his hand.
Everyone fell silent.
I held my breath.
What?
Was there something there?
I looked around.
There was nothing.
Then Bon said,
"Listen."
We all went quiet.
I listened.
Crickets.
Wind.
Leaves.
Then...
something seemed to fall far inside the forest.
*Crash.*
We turned toward the sound.
Bon raised his hand.
"Don't go anywhere."
Darma whispered,
"What was that?"
Bon didn't answer.
We waited.
There was no other sound.
I looked at Doy.
He seemed calm.
Several seconds passed.
Bon finally said,
"Probably a branch."
I nodded.
Made sense.
A large branch could fall at any time.
There was no reason to panic.
We continued walking.
I started thinking about something simple.
Maybe everything that had happened tonight felt strange because we'd talked about strange things too much before setting out.
Darma had told stories.
Doy had given warnings.
The attendant had repeated them.
The old man had scared Eka.
Our brains were already full of stories.
So ordinary sounds seemed like something else.
I believed that.
I had to believe that.
Because otherwise...
I didn't know what to believe.
We passed through a fairly narrow section of trail.
One by one.
Bon.
Doy.
Fathur.
Ozan.
Darma.
Adit.
Me.
Eka.
Alin.
There were no problems.
I helped Alin over a large root.
"Careful."
"I am."
Eka was behind her.
I waited for a moment.
Then we moved on.
I looked back.
Doy was there.
Still there.
I turned forward again.
We stopped near a large tree.
Bon looked at the map.
"Still a long way to go."
Darma sighed.
"The words I hate most."
Bon laughed.
"We just started."
"Exactly."
We all smiled.
For a moment, everything felt normal again.
I sat on a rock.
I looked at my friends.
Darma.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Adit.
Alin.
Eka.
Doy.
Bon.
Nine.
I felt a sudden, powerful affection for them.
Nothing dramatic.
Just a simple feeling.
They were my friends.
People I knew.
People who, three weeks ago, had still been joking about ghosts in the group chat.
And now we were actually sitting in the middle of a forest at night.
I smiled.
Darma noticed me.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're smiling to yourself."
"I was thinking about the group chat."
"Which group chat?"
"LAWU — 9."
Darma laughed.
"Great name, right?"
"It's good."
"So when we make it to the top..."
He stopped.
"What?"
"A picture of all nine of us."
I nodded.
"Yeah."
Darma smiled.
"Nobody better go missing."
I stared at him.
He laughed.
"Joke."
I didn't laugh.
For some reason, the sentence wasn't funny.
Darma eventually stopped smiling.
"What?"
"Don't say stuff like that."
He raised both hands.
"Got it."
Bon finally told us to stand.
"Let's keep moving."
I stood up.
My pack went back on my shoulders.
We started walking again.
This time, more slowly.
The forest grew denser.
Our headlamp beams seemed to sink into it.
I was beginning to understand why people said nighttime in the mountains was different.
Not because of anything supernatural.
But because the world felt smaller.
We could see only a few yards ahead.
We could hear only the sounds around us.
Everything else was gone.
Darkness took it all.
I walked behind Adit.
He turned around now and then.
"Joy."
"Hm?"
"You still carrying a power bank?"
"Yeah."
"If my camera dies..."
"Yeah?"
"Save me."
I laughed.
"Your camera is your life priority?"
"Yep."
"That's awful."
"Documentation is important."
"What if something happens to us?"
"Then it needs to be documented even more."
I looked at him.
"Don't say things like that."
He laughed.
"Why is everyone so sensitive?"
I didn't answer.
Adit started walking again.
A little while later, I realized something.
The sound of our footsteps was growing clearer.
I could hear nine pairs of feet.
No more.
No less.
I smiled.
At least that was normal.
I counted in my head.
Bon.
Doy.
Fathur.
Ozan.
Darma.
Adit.
Me.
Eka.
Alin.
Nine.
Complete.
We continued walking.
A branch snapped behind us.
*Crack.*
I reflexively stopped.
Doy stopped too.
Bon turned around.
"What is it?"
I shook my head.
"A branch."
Doy looked behind us.
Then turned forward again.
"Keep walking."
I nodded.
We continued.
A few steps later, it happened again.
*Crack.*
I turned my head slightly.
Doy immediately said,
"Don't."
I faced forward again.
I didn't know why I listened to him.
Maybe it was his voice.
Maybe because he'd been right so far.
Maybe because I was starting to trust him.
We continued walking.
I began to feel that something had changed.
Not the sounds.
Not the air.
Not the trail.
But the feeling.
As if we were no longer walking along the same trail we'd been on five minutes ago.
I didn't know how to explain it.
I looked at Bon.
He walked as usual.
So did Doy.
Darma.
Ozan.
Fathur.
Adit.
Eka.
Alin.
Everything was normal.
I took a breath.
Maybe I was just tired.
It was a little before eleven.
We'd been walking for nearly two hours.
Bon counted us again.
"Everyone here?"
We looked at one another.
Nine.
Bon pointed to each person.
"Bon."
"Here."
"Doy."
"Here."
"Fathur."
"Present."
"Ozan."
"Here."
"Darma."
"Still alive."
Bon snorted.
"Adit."
"Here."
"Eka."
"Hm."
"Alin."
"Here."
"Joy."
I raised my hand.
"Here."
Bon nodded.
"Nine."
I smiled.
Nine.
Complete.
Then Bon said,
"Let's keep going."
We walked again.
I was in the middle.
Doy was in the back.
Just like before.
I didn't know that a few minutes later, everything would start to feel different.
Not because something suddenly appeared.
Not because there was a sound.
Not because there was a shadow.
Precisely because there was nothing.
The forest suddenly became too quiet.
I realized it when our footsteps became the only sound.
The crickets were gone.
The wind had stopped.
The leaves weren't moving.
There were no birds.
No insects.
Only footsteps.
I swallowed.
Bon may have noticed it too.
He slowed down.
We all did.
I looked at Doy.
He was staring ahead.
Not behind us.
Not to the side.
Ahead.
I wanted to ask if he felt it too.
But I didn't.
Because from behind us...
there came a small sound.
Like someone stepping on a dry leaf.
*Crunch.*
I stopped.
Doy stopped.
Everyone stopped.
No one spoke.
I waited.
Nothing.
Bon finally said,
"Keep walking."
We started walking again.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Then it came again.
*Crunch.*
This time, it was closer.
I turned my head slightly.
Doy immediately grabbed my shoulder.
"Don't."
I looked at him.
He shook his head.
"Don't look behind you."
I nodded.
We walked on.
I didn't know what was behind us.
And maybe it really was better that way.
Because for the first time that night, I realized the attendant's warning wasn't just a story.
Not one of Darma's jokes.
Not something Doy had made up.
Not a superstition we could laugh off.
There was something about this place that made everyone choose their words carefully.
I didn't know what.
I didn't know why.
But I was beginning to understand one thing.
Sometimes fear doesn't come from seeing something.
Sometimes fear comes from knowing there's something behind you...
and not daring to make sure.
I kept walking.
I didn't turn around.
I didn't ask.
I didn't answer.
I just walked.
And behind me...
those footsteps kept following.
**One step.**
**Two steps.**
**Three steps.**
Always keeping the same distance.
Not getting closer.
Not moving farther away.
As if something was walking alongside us.
Waiting for one of the nine people to make one small mistake.
**Turn around.**
**To be continued.**