They walked toward the registration area at the Sadewa Trail base camp. According to the information they had gathered beforehand, Mount Srinjani had three hiking routes: Nakula, Sadewa, and Bima.
After registering and completing the necessary hiking requirements, they began preparing themselves for the long journey ahead.
Amid the bustle of hikers coming and going, Keenan once again explained some information about the mountain.
Mount Srinjani was known as a volcano in the stories circulated among the local community. According to local accounts, the mountain had erupted in 1997 and had shown little significant activity since then.
However, it was not the history of its eruptions that made the mountain so intriguing to hikers.
There were other stories, ones that people more often discussed in hushed voices.
Stories about trails that sometimes seemed to change.
About voices coming from behind the trees even when no one was there.
And about hikers who claimed to have seen something following them throughout their journey, only for it to disappear whenever they tried to confirm its presence.
Of course, not everyone believed these tales.
Some dismissed them as the result of exhaustion, lack of sleep, or suggestion after hearing frightening stories.
However, to some hikers, Mount Srinjani harbored something that could not be explained by logic alone.
Laras sat in a simple shelter not far from the registration counter. She gazed at the mountain standing majestically before her, trying to calm her thoughts.
Why is that?
When I saw the mountain from a distance earlier, it looked so beautiful. But now, why does it feel so frightening?
She raised her head, watching the sky as it gradually grew overcast.
Could it be because the weather is suddenly changing?
Laras let out a long breath.
Forget it. Stop thinking about strange things. We're here to hike, not to scare ourselves.
She tried to shake off the uneasiness that had been troubling her.
However, the longer she stared toward the forest, the harder it became to ignore the feeling that something was watching her from afar.
Laras quickly looked away.
She didn't want her mind to be consumed by fear before their hike had even begun.
"Everyone, come gather around for a moment!"
Keenan's voice broke through the bustle.
The seven of them gathered in a circle near the base camp. Several other hikers were warming up, checking their equipment, or praying before beginning their journeys.
Keenan glanced at his watch.
"Okay, it's 1:35 p.m. now. We're a little behind our original schedule, but we can't waste too much time. We need to start hiking soon."
He looked at each of his friends in turn.
"For everyone's safety and to ensure the journey goes smoothly, let's pray together first. May everything go well, may no one get hurt, and may we all return safely. Let's pray."
They bowed their heads.
Amid the wind, which was beginning to blow more strongly, the seven of them prayed solemnly, asking for protection throughout the journey ahead.
None of them noticed the pair of black eyes watching them from deep within the trees surrounding the base camp.
A pair of eyes that never blinked.
A pair of eyes that seemed to have been waiting for their arrival for a very long time.
Suddenly, the sound of wings flapping echoed from the forest.
However, when one of the hikers turned around, there was nothing there except leaves swaying in the wind.
After finishing their prayers, they began walking toward their first destination: Post 1.
The journey was expected to take approximately forty-five minutes.
At first, the hiking trail was relatively easy. The path was clearly visible, and the terrain was fairly gentle. The vegetation along the trail was also not yet particularly dense, as they had not fully entered the forest.
Several hikers walked ahead of them, while others followed behind, occasionally stopping to catch their breath.
The atmosphere was still filled with casual conversations and laughter.
"If the trail stays like this, I think we're going to be fine," Hasan remarked, adjusting the straps of his backpack.
"Don't get too excited. We've only just started," Rengga replied.
"Yeah, at least don't start scaring people right away."
"Who's scaring anyone? I'm just reminding you."
Their exchange made Tissa giggle.
However, their laughter gradually faded as the trail passed a row of simple buildings on both sides of the path.
They had reached Post 1.
The buildings were small local food stalls that provided meals, drinks, and shelter for hikers. Several people were sitting in front of the stalls, while the owners were busy serving customers.
Tissa looked around curiously.
"By the way, I've always wondered what it would be like to live in a place like this."
She gazed at the wooden buildings standing among the trees.
"It's nice because you get to breathe fresh air every day and live close to nature. But at night, the atmosphere must be completely different."
"Hey! Don't say things like that," Rengga warned.
Tissa turned toward him.
"Why not?"
"These people run their businesses here to earn a living and support their families. Do you think they've never considered the risks of living in a place like this? Of course they have. They're probably used to dealing with all kinds of situations."
Tissa raised both hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay. I was just curious."
Rengga was about to continue speaking when his attention was suddenly drawn to something moving on a branch overhead.
A black bird was perched there.
There was something unusual about it. Its feathers were pitch-black, and its eyes looked sharp despite the considerable distance.
Rengga narrowed his eyes.
Hadn't he seen that bird before they left the base camp?
He tried to recall.
Yes.
The same bird had appeared near the entrance to the hiking trail. Then, he had seen it again when they began climbing the first section of the path.
And now, the creature had appeared near them once more.
As though it were following their every step.
"What's wrong, Engga?" Keenan asked when he noticed Rengga staring at something.
Rengga pointed toward the branch.
"That bird. Is that the one you were talking about earlier?"
Keenan followed the direction of his finger.
The moment he saw the black bird, his expression changed.
"Ah, yes. That's the Miranda Bird."
His friends immediately turned to look.
"Seriously? So that's the bird people say guards the mountain?" Tissa asked.
Keenan nodded.
"This bird is often spotted along the hiking trails. According to local legends, the Miranda Bird is believed to guide hikers along their way."
He set his backpack down at one of the stalls at Post 1 before continuing his explanation.
"Its distinguishing features are its black feathers and its extremely sharp gaze. If you see it, don't deliberately approach it or stare into its eyes for too long. Remember what I told you earlier."
Hasan tilted his head upward, looking at the branch where the bird was perched.
"An ordinary bird, yet it comes with its own set of rules. That's pretty strange."
"Just because you think it's strange doesn't mean you should ignore it," Keenan replied.
Hasan chuckled.
"Yes, boss."
The bird remained motionless.
Its head slowly turned, following the movements of the group gathered in front of the stall.
For a moment, its gaze seemed to settle directly on Laras.
Laras happened to look up at that exact moment and immediately froze.
Something about that gaze made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
It wasn't simply because the bird's eyes were sharp.
It was because its gaze felt far too conscious.
As though the bird recognized her.
Laras quickly turned away.
She remembered Keenan's warning.
Don't stare into its eyes for too long.
She tried to convince herself that it was all in her imagination. Perhaps she had been too influenced by the stories they had heard before setting off.
However, when she glanced back toward the branch, the bird was gone.
There had been no sound of flapping wings.
No shadow could be seen flying away.
The bird had simply vanished.
Laras swallowed hard.
"What's wrong?" Alya asked, standing beside her.
"Nothing," Laras replied quickly.
She didn't want to make her friends panic over something she couldn't even explain.
After resting for a few minutes, they took out their drinking water and snacks. Post 1 was fairly crowded. Some hikers were chatting, while others took the opportunity to rest their legs before continuing their journey.
Hasan, who had been craving a cigarette for a while, finally stood up.
"I'm going to buy some cigarettes. You guys stay here."
He walked toward the nearest stall.
However, after taking only a few steps, his attention was drawn to a long-haired man talking to the stall owner.
Hasan slowed down.
He studied the man for several seconds, trying to make sure he wasn't mistaken.
Then, his face suddenly brightened.
"Hey, Rico?"
The man turned around.
Hasan burst into a broad grin, as though he had just stumbled upon an old friend in the most unexpected place imaginable.
"It's really you, isn't it? Rico, the guy who went hiking with me on Mount Ageung!"
Rico looked surprised. He studied Hasan from head to toe before breaking into a wide smile.
"Hasan? Oh, my God, it really is you!"
The two immediately shook hands.
"How have you been, Co? Damn, it's been two years, hasn't it? That hiking trip we took back then was really something. I never expected we'd run into each other here!"
"I'm good, I'm good. How about you?"
"Couldn't be better. Still hiking, as you can see."
Hasan laughed as he lit the cigarette he had just bought.
Then, he glanced at Rico's long hair, which fell past his shoulders.
"By the way, your hair hasn't changed at all. It's so long, hahaha! Don't tell me you're planning to follow in my footsteps and become a feminine guy, too?"
Rico immediately burst out laughing at the joke.
"Wow, I thought you'd forgotten about me by now. Turns out you still remember! Your hair is still long, too. And look at you, you're still into mountain climbing."
He then glanced toward Hasan's friends, who were resting at one of the stalls.
"By the way, who did you come here with? And where's that fair-skinned friend of yours?"
Hasan followed Rico's gaze.
"Oh, you mean Keenan?"
"Yeah, him. I find that guy so strange. He goes mountain climbing all the time, but his skin stays so fair. Hahaha!"
Hasan immediately burst into loud laughter.
"As for Keenan, I think he's half human, half white paint. That's why his skin never changes color, Co!"
Rico laughed along with him, slapping Hasan on the shoulder.
"Damn, you really have a foul mouth!"
"What? It's the truth!"
Hasan then pointed toward Keenan, who was talking to a woman near another stall.
"There he is, talking to a girl over there. Go on, say hi! But be careful you don't end up making friends with all his girls instead, hehehe!"
Rico shook his head with an amused smile.
"You're unbelievable!"
They laughed again, enjoying their unexpected reunion.
However, in the middle of their conversation, Rico suddenly stopped laughing.
His gaze shifted toward the forest behind the stalls.
The smile that had been on his face slowly disappeared.
Hasan noticed the change in his expression.
"What's wrong, Co?"
Rico didn't answer immediately. He continued staring at a gap between the trees, as though trying to confirm something he had just seen.
Several seconds later, he turned back toward Hasan.
"San, did you see a black bird around here earlier?"
Hasan frowned.
"A black bird? There are tons of birds around here. Why?"
"Not just any bird."
Rico lowered his voice.
"A bird with really sharp eyes. One that seems to have been watching everyone around here."
Hasan fell silent for a moment.
Then, he remembered Keenan's explanation about the Miranda Bird.
"Oh, the Miranda Bird? Yeah, we saw it earlier. Why do you ask?"
Rico didn't answer right away.
He glanced toward the forest once more before finally leaning closer to Hasan.
"If you see that bird again later, never follow it."
Hasan furrowed his brow.
"Why?"
Rico stared straight into his eyes.
"Because two years ago, when I hiked this mountain, someone followed that bird."
He paused briefly.
"And to this day, that person has never been found."