Chapter 001: The Beginning of the Story
PROLOGUE
I have returned...
I really have returned. This is real. This isn't a dream.
Father...
Mom...
Gavin...
Andra...
Raffa...
You are right here before me, with me.
God, I have missed them so much all this time. I had even thought of all sorts of ways I could meet them again...
But...
Where are they?! I... I can't feel their presence...
No!
I truly can't feel them at all...
That feeling is still there... The mate bond... it's still there!
That means I still have a connection to them...
MY SOULMATES...
They are real. My return is real, too!
At some time, in some place.
Amid the quiet, cool green mountains, a small family seemed to be enjoying their holiday by the edge of a shallow river whose clear water sparkled beneath the sunlight.
The breeze carried the scent of damp earth and pine needles, while the gentle murmur of flowing water became a soothing background melody.
Their four children ran barefoot through the cold water, while their parents busied themselves with simple preparations filled with warmth.
"Mom, give it to me!" Andra called as he approached his mother, who was taking ingredients out of a cooler box. His voice carried the enthusiasm typical of a responsible firstborn.
"Let me clean it."
His mother smiled, her warm eyes resting on her eldest son before handing him a package of fresh fish. Andra immediately walked to the riverbank, crouched down, and carefully began cleaning the fish.
"Look, there are so many giant river prawns!" Dira squealed happily. The youngest sibling ran around while pointing toward the far side of a large rock in the river.
"So many?" Raffa turned from where his father was setting up the tent. The boy's eyes instantly lit up. "I'm coming too!"
His father, who was installing one of the tent poles, paused for a moment and glanced at his son with a hint of annoyance, though there was far more affection than irritation.
For the past few months, they had been buried beneath piles of office paperwork. Today was the day they had finally managed to carve out for themselves to breathe a little easier.
"Raffa..." his father called.
"Help me first!"
"Oh, come on, Ayah. There's only a little left, right...? I want to look for prawns. They'd make a nice extra snack..." Raffa whined while holding one of the tent ropes.
Ayah let out a sigh before chuckling softly. A father's romantic plans always lost to his children's excitement.
"Okay, I'll let you off this time..."
"Thanks, Ayah!"
Raffa immediately hopped in place before running after Dira, who had already begun searching for prawns among the river rocks.
Meanwhile, near a pile of firewood, Gavin picked up several branches and bamboo stalks.
"Mom, I don't think we have enough firewood. I'll go get some more," he said while weighing a few light sticks in his hands.
His mother, who was busy cooking over the firewood while softly humming to herself, immediately stopped when she heard him.
"Don't go too far, Gavin!"
"No, Mom. Just over there," Gavin replied while pointing toward a cluster of young bamboo. "There are bamboo stalks there. They burn more easily, even when they're wet."
"Okay, but be careful!"
"Got it, Mom!"
Gavin jogged toward the area he had pointed out, his steps steady and confident.
The family interacted cheerfully.
Their jokes and laughter blended with the sounds of nature.
Everything seemed peaceful and warm, like a perfect little world.
Until a sound shattered it all.
A scream.
A tearing cry that made time itself seem to stop.
"ARGH... KAKAK!"
The voice rang out, filled with panic, echoing sharply between the rocky cliffs.
Everyone turned at once.
Anindira.
Her small body was being tossed about on the water's surface.
Her tiny hands flailed desperately, searching for something to hold onto, yet clawing only at emptiness.
Her mouth opened in a scream, but the cry was interrupted again and again by water pouring into it.
"AKH... BLR... URRPP..."
The sounds of her choking and resurfacing were painful to hear, like someone being strangled by the water itself.
"What are you doing, Dir?" her mother asked with an amused grin, completely unsuspecting. Her hands continued stirring the food in the pot as the aroma of spices drifted into the cool mountain air.
Anindira appeared to be shrieking, her body half-lifted and dragged by the water, her mouth gasping desperately. But from a distance, her movements looked like... playing around.
"She's fooling around, Mom..." Raffa replied from the middle of the river. His voice sounded relaxed as he continued searching for prawns with a small laugh. He did not even fully turn around, only giving her a brief glance and assuming it was merely another prank from his tomboy little sister who loved teasing her older brothers.
"Always causing trouble!" Andra called out while shaking his head. His hands remained busy scraping fish scales. He added his comment without truly looking at his youngest sister's condition.
Not one of them realized that Anindira's body was not playing around—
something invisible was pulling her with tremendous force.
Her small hands continued reaching out, her fingernails scraping against the water's surface, desperately searching for a grip that did not exist.
The river was shallow...
Very shallow.
Its current was calm and gentle—barely even rippling.
There was no reason to panic.
No reason to be suspicious.
They knew Anindira could not swim, but to them this river was nothing more than a safe pool for splashing around.
Their tomboy youngest child, who was never afraid of anything...
Surely she couldn't be in danger.
"DIRA!!!"
The voice split through the air.
Gavin.
Anindira's twin brother.
Gavin's eyes widened, as though something inside him—something only twins possessed—had stabbed straight into his heart.
That connection...
That alarm...
Only he could feel it.
"Help Dira! She's in trouble!" Gavin screamed at the top of his lungs.
There was no laughter.
No joking.
His voice cracked with fear.
He ran, splashing through the water, sending droplets flying everywhere. His body shot forward like an arrow. His breathing became ragged, his face pale.
His family froze for a fraction of a second—stunned by the panic in the voice of the boy who was usually so calm.
Then, as if reason itself had only just caught up, they all jolted into motion.
Mom dropped the wooden spoon she had been using.
Ayah threw aside the tent hammer still in his hand.
Andra dropped the fish he was cleaning.
Raffa abandoned the prawn he had been chasing.
All of them rushed forward at once, following Gavin, who ran as though death itself were chasing him.
The water that had seemed so peaceful moments ago now sounded terrifying.
And Anindira's screams—the ones they had mistaken for a joke—
suddenly sounded real.
Real and horrifying.
The sunlight that had blazed overhead all afternoon was beginning to fade.
The sky slowly changed color—from bright blue to a dull orange, as though nature itself were mourning.
Beyond the mountain ridges, the sun descended little by little, replaced by the pale white glow of a full moon beginning to rise.
Yet that beautiful night felt like a mockery.
The screams, hurried footsteps, and churning water had now been replaced by the commotion of emergency personnel.
Police.
Search and rescue teams.
Local residents.
Everyone had been mobilized.
Inflatable boats filled the shallow river. Tracking dogs barked anxiously, while searchlights danced among the rocks.
But what could they do?
The river was shallow.
Far too shallow to swallow a person.
Yet Anindira had vanished.
Vanished just like that.
As though something had pulled her into the air.
As though she had been plucked from the world itself.
Anindira's family could only stand at the riverbank, their bodies stiff, their clothes still damp with water and sweat.
They had witnessed everything.
They had been there.
They had watched the youngest child reaching out, screaming, drowning—without reason, without anything visible.
And even so...
It was hard to believe.
"How is this possible..." Mom's voice caught repeatedly, as though she were trying to reassure herself. But her voice sounded empty.
Ayah stood motionless, staring blankly at the water's surface, which now looked so harmless—as though it had never swallowed his daughter just a few hours earlier.
Gavin sat on the ground, trembling, both hands covering his face.
Raffa paced back and forth, breathing heavily, unable to stop staring at the same river.
Andra shouted his sister's name again and again until his voice turned hoarse, until the locals had to pull him back to stop him from diving into the water once more.
Right before all their eyes...
their only daughter—
the girl who had been laughing just moments earlier, calling out to them, complaining that she wanted more prawns—
simply disappeared.
Without a trace.
Without warning.
Without explanation.
Leaving behind hundreds of questions stabbing into their hearts.
Questions they might never receive answers to.
No one knew how long that would remain true.
Translation Notice
This novel was originally written in Indonesian.
I am not a native or professional writer in English (or any other translated language). To make this story accessible to international readers, I use AI-assisted translation throughout the translation process.
However, every translation is carefully reviewed and refined by me. I strive to preserve the original meaning, emotions, characters, cultural identity, and narrative style while ensuring the language reads as naturally as possible.
If you come across any awkward wording or translation issues, I sincerely appreciate your understanding and welcome constructive feedback. My goal is to continually improve the reading experience without compromising the soul of the original story.
Thank you for reading and supporting my work.
— BIUL