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Eyes in the Darkness
After a tiring journey, they finally reached Post 2.
They rested for approximately ten minutes to catch their breath and regain their strength before continuing toward Post 3.
But time was running out.
The sun, which had previously cast an orange glow across the western horizon, was now slowly sinking behind the mountains. The sky grew darker, while the cold air began seeping through their clothes.
The journey to Post 3 was expected to take around another hour.
Without wasting any more time, they resumed their climb.
The trail was not much different from the previous one. More steep slopes covered in enormous rocks stood in their way, forcing them to use extra strength to get through.
But this time, the atmosphere in the forest felt far more unsettling.
The towering trees looked like giant shadows. Occasionally, dry branches scraped against one another in the wind, producing cracking sounds that echoed clearly through the silence.
There were no vehicle engines.
No crowds.
Only the crunch of their boots, their increasingly labored breathing, and the rustling of leaves.
The silence felt unnatural.
As though every living thing in the forest were holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
It was no secret that Mount Srinjani was known for the many supernatural stories circulating among locals and hikers. There were countless tales of apparitions, strange voices, and taboos that people believed should never be violated while exploring the mountain.
Some considered them nothing more than myths.
Others chose to believe.
But that night, they began to understand that some things could not always be explained by common sense.
In the middle of the journey, Alya suddenly slowed down.
Her body felt increasingly weak. Her head throbbed, and her vision occasionally blurred.
Finally, she could no longer continue and sat beneath a large tree beside the trail.
She held a flashlight in one hand, while the headlamp strapped to her forehead illuminated the ground in front of her.
"Ugh, why do I feel so weak?" she complained. "Can I rest here for a moment? I'm suddenly feeling dizzy."
Tissa, who was nearby, immediately approached her.
"That's what happens when you don't eat enough. You shouldn't diet so much. It's not good for your health."
She opened her backpack, took out a sandwich, and handed it to Alya.
"Here. Eat this first."
Alya accepted the sandwich with a tired expression.
"Come on, eat your sandwich," Riki added, stopping beside them. "You must be hungry because you barely ate anything before we left. Just finish it. Don't worry, we'll wait for you."
Alya nodded weakly and began eating.
The other members of the group stopped as well, giving her time to rest.
During their break, several other hikers could be seen making their way along the same trail. Their flashlight beams moved between the trees, occasionally illuminating their exhausted faces as they tried to reach Post 3 before the night grew any darker.
They greeted one another as they passed.
One of the more experienced hikers even called out some words of encouragement to Keenan's group.
"Come on, guys! Post 3 is just ahead. Don't rest for too long, or your legs will feel even heavier when you start walking again!"
"Yes, sir! Thank you. We'll catch up with you in a moment!" Rengga replied.
The hikers continued onward until their flashlight beams disappeared behind the trees.
The forest fell silent again.
Too silent.
Rico, who had been standing a little distance away from the others, suddenly lifted his head.
He heard something.
A faint sound coming from far away.
At first, it sounded like a low growl trapped deep in a throat. But a few seconds later, the sound transformed into a long, powerful roar that shattered the silence of the night.
RAAAWWRRR!
The sound was deafening.
The roar of a tiger.
Rico froze.
Hasan, who was standing beside him, immediately turned around. Meanwhile, Keenan and the other members of the group exchanged glances, trying to make sure they had heard correctly.
But there was no denying it.
Every single one of them had heard the sound clearly.
The roar had come from somewhere deep within the dark forest.
"That was a tiger, wasn't it?" Tissa whispered.
No one answered immediately.
Keenan slowly stood up and brushed the dust off his trousers.
"It seems we've started disturbing them," he said seriously. "We should keep moving."
Riki immediately turned toward him, looking incredulous.
"What? We've only been sitting here for five minutes! Poor Alya hasn't even finished her sandwich yet."
"Rik, this isn't the time to argue," Keenan replied.
But before the argument could continue, Rico suddenly squeezed his eyes shut.
"Oh, my God…!"
His shout startled everyone.
Hasan hurried over to him.
"What is it? What's wrong, Co?"
Rico did not answer immediately. His face had gone pale, and both his hands were clenched tightly at his sides.
He took a deep breath, as though trying to control the fear that had suddenly taken hold of him.
"He…"
His voice trembled.
"The one who's been watching us since Post 2."
Hasan frowned.
"What about him?"
Rico slowly opened his eyes. His gaze immediately fixed on Alya, who was still sitting beneath the tree with the remains of her sandwich in her hand.
"It's standing behind Alya now."
The atmosphere froze.
"What?" Laras whispered.
Rico swallowed hard. He wanted to explain everything, but the sight he had just witnessed was still vividly etched into his mind.
The figure stood directly behind Alya.
Its body towered far above the height of an ordinary human. Its skin looked dark and pale at the same time, as though its body had been rotting underground for years.
Matted hair hung down, concealing part of its face.
But the most terrifying thing about it was its eyes.
Glowing red.
Its gaze was fixed directly on Alya.
From its open mouth, a long tongue extended past its chin, moving slowly as though it were savoring the scent of something it desperately desired.
The figure tilted its head.
Its lips stretched into a smile that looked nothing like a human smile.
Then, a hoarse voice emerged from its mouth.
"I want her."
Rico felt every hair on his body stand on end.
The figure never took its eyes off Alya.
"May I have her?"
Rico nearly lost his balance.
He tried to look away, but the harder he tried to ignore the figure, the more clearly he could sense its presence.
It was as though the creature was deliberately revealing itself only to Rico.
As though it wanted to make absolutely certain that Rico knew who it had chosen to hunt.
"What do you mean, Co?" Riki asked in a strained voice.
Rico immediately stepped closer and whispered what he had just heard to Riki.
Riki's face instantly turned pale.
He glanced toward Alya, then stared at the empty space behind her.
As far as he could see, there was no one there.
Only dark trees and shadows cast by the flashlight beams.
But Rico's expression convinced him that his friend was not joking.
Without wasting another second, Riki stood up.
"We have to leave. Now!"
His voice was firm, but fear was unmistakable beneath every word.
"Alya, get up! We're continuing the climb!"
Alya looked up at him in confusion.
"Why? I haven't finished eating."
"Forget it. Just bring the sandwich with you! If you have to, eat while we're walking. We need to get out of here!"
Laras immediately helped Alya to her feet. Tissa packed away the supplies she had taken out, while Rengga and Keenan prepared to lead the group.
Hasan grabbed Rico by the arm.
"What exactly did you see?"
Rico did not answer.
His gaze remained fixed on the figure standing behind Alya.
The creature did not move.
It did not chase them.
Nor did it attempt to touch Alya.
It simply stood there, its red eyes fixed on the girl.
Then, slowly, its head turned toward Rico.
The smile on its face grew wider.
As though it knew Rico could see it.
As though it was enjoying the fear that had taken hold of him.
Rico quickly turned away and followed Hasan, leaving the spot behind.
They resumed their climb at a much faster pace. No one complained about the steep slopes, their exhaustion, or how short their rest had been.
Now, their only goal was to reach Post 3 as quickly as possible.
They had to get away from that place.
Away from the figure that had been watching them since Post 2.
And most importantly, they had to make sure Alya stayed with them.
However, as they hurried along the trail, Rico realized something that made his chest tighten.
The figure had never spoken Alya's name.
The creature had not even needed to touch her to make it clear who it wanted.
So how could it be so certain that she was the one it was looking for?
Rico glanced back over his shoulder.
Between the dark trees, a pair of red eyes appeared once again.
Silent.
Watching.
Following.
And for the first time in his life, Rico wished his sixth sense would disappear that very night.
Because if the creature truly wanted Alya, the journey to Post 3 might no longer be just a mountain climb.
It might become a race against something they were never supposed to encounter.
Something that might have been hunting Alya long before they ever set foot on Mount Srinjani.