BOOM!
Mr. Broto was thrown backward, his body tumbling across the ground. For several moments, he lay motionless. Although there were no visible wounds or blood on his body, his physical strength had reached its limit, and his inner energy was completely exhausted.
The mysterious monster lunged toward Mr. Broto. Standing over him, it raised its massive spiked mace before swinging it down with tremendous force toward his head. The spiked mace was only inches away from crushing his skull when—
CLANG!
Mr. Ahmada's machete intercepted the blow.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, Mr. Ahmada braced the weapon with both hands, desperately trying to push the mace away.
The monster immediately shot out its free hand and seized Mr. Ahmada's arm in an iron grip, pinning him in place and leaving him no chance to escape. Its mouth opened wide.
Dark energy gathered inside, condensing into a black sphere that was ready to be fired.
The moment Fatheema saw what was happening, she appeared behind the monster in the blink of an eye. In her hand was a small dagger no longer than a handspan—
the Semar's Pointing Dagger (badik telunjuk semar), a gift from Oldman Duratara, also known as Sage Bagaspati. Without hesitation, she drove the blade into the monster's back.
The creature lurched forward. Its head jerked upward, causing the black energy sphere it had been about to fire to shoot harmlessly into the sky. Its grip on Mr. Ahmada instantly loosened. The small dagger had pierced its hide, leaving behind a deep stab wound.
Dark green blood flowed from the injury. The monster growled and roared in agony before swinging its massive mace furiously at Fatheema.
But she had already leaped away, narrowly avoiding the attack. "It worked! So this little Semar's Pointing Dagger really can pierce this monster's body. Thank you, Oldman Sage..." Fatheema smiled with relief. The seemingly insignificant dagger Oldman Duratara had given her turned out to possess extraordinary power, "I'll keep targeting its vital areas. Hopefully that'll be enough to bring this monster down."
She sprinted in a wide arc around the monster's left side. Her right hand gripped a rattan arnis baton, while her left held the enchanted dagger. A few steps from the creature, she suddenly leaped toward its right side and struck with the baton.
The rattan baton slammed into the monster's chest with a dull thud. She delivered two quick blows before springing several yards backward. The monster paid almost no attention to the baton strikes.
Yet two fresh cuts suddenly appeared across its chest, dark green blood slowly flowing from them. The creature bared its razor-sharp fangs. Its crimson eyes blazed with fury. Its rage had reached its peak.
Standing nearly thirty feet away, Fatheema realized her feint had worked perfectly.
The baton strikes had merely been a distraction. The real attack had come from the enchanted dagger. Although the Semar's Pointing Dagger was only a handspan long, its effective cutting range extended nearly three feet.
During the attack, Fatheema had never actually touched the monster with the blade. She had simply swept it beneath the baton, deceiving the creature while the dagger's supernatural edge sliced through its body from a distance. Enraged by the unexpected wounds, the monster let out a furious roar.
A violent wave of energy burst outward in every direction. The crown upon its head radiated a brilliant crimson beam that shot high into the sky. High above, enormous circular patterns materialized, filled with strange symbols resembling ever-changing letters.
Then—
The vertical crimson beam rapidly expanded outward. Within seconds, it engulfed the entire battlefield.
Fatheema...
Mr. Broto...
Mr. Ahmada...
And everyone else in the clearing became enveloped within the ever-expanding crimson light.
Its radius continued growing until it covered the entire Alas Purwo Forest. The symbols overhead continued shifting and rearranging themselves. Distortions appeared throughout the air. Sparks of energy erupted everywhere. Space and time themselves became unstable.
Fatheema stared in shock. A deep sense of dread settled inside her, "Dad... I have to get you out of here!" Ignoring the monster entirely, she sprinted toward her father. From the corner of her eye, she saw a tall, thin man struggling to carry Mr. Broto away from the battlefield. She immediately dashed toward them.
Then—
The crimson light suddenly collapsed inward.
In the blink of an eye, it vanished. A tingling sensation spread throughout Fatheema's entire body, as though countless tiny currents of electricity were racing beneath her skin.
The Medusa Gorgon symbol on her right arm glowed brightly.
And then—
Everything returned to normal.
Or so it seemed. What truly robbed her of all strength...
Was the silence. She was standing there... Alone.
Mr. Broto...
The village chief...
The police officers...
The search team...
Even her father...
Every single one of them had disappeared.
"What...?! What happened?! Dad... No! That's impossible! Where did everyone go?!"Her legs trembled. All strength drained from her body.
The disappearance of her father struck her harder than anything else.
She felt as though she had failed everyone—
especially him.
Her knees gave way. She collapsed onto the ground, supporting herself with trembling hands. "No!" The cry escaped her before she even realized it. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face, "Dad...And everyone else... They're all gone..."
For a long time, she remained there, kneeling helplessly as grief overwhelmed her. Her shoulder-length black hair swayed gently in the evening breeze. Golden rays of the setting sun filtered through the forest canopy, casting warm light across the clearing. For what felt like an eternity, she remained silent, unable to decide what to do next.
Then—
A voice echoed inside her mind. "Hey, little girl. I just saved you from that dimensional transfer light. You should be happy... and at least thank me. My spiritual power has been drained. I'll have to sleep for a long time again. Hmph... how boring. Now get out of here! If you really mean it, find a way to save your father and your friends. Don't just stand there staring into space!"
Fatheema's eyes widened, "That's right...I still have to save Dad... and everyone else. They're not dead. That crimson light transported everyone into another dimension. It must be the monster's world. Ihave to hurry."
She sprang to her feet and raced back toward her home as fast as she could.
Just as she feared—
Everyone within the boundaries of Alas Purwo Forest had vanished. Even her friends at the temporary Scout campsite were gone.
All of them.
The scene unfolded like something from a cinematic masterpiece. Fatheema sprinted through the forest, occasionally leaping effortlessly over boulders and tree branches.
The golden light of the setting sun streamed through the trees behind her.
From a distance, she resembled a faint streak of pale blue light racing through the forest.
It was both breathtaking... and hauntingly beautiful.
After running for some time, she drew closer to home. A heavy sadness settled over her heart. She had no idea how she was going to explain everything to her mother.
Her mother...
Her younger siblings...
They would undoubtedly be devastated.
What weighed on her the most was the crushing feeling of failure. She had been unable to save her father. Unable to stop the monster from taking him away.
In the distance, she spotted a woman standing outside the front gate. The woman wore a loose green dress and a black hijab.
Beside her stood a little girl of about eight years old.
Behind them, a twelve-year-old boy crouched on the ground, quietly playing with a toy car.
***