As they busied themselves with their own matters, something strange happened to the tree trunk they had been leaning against.
Suddenly, from within the tree, a faint voice echoed soft and broken, almost like a dying whisper.
"H-hel...p... M-my...bo...dy...hurts..."
It sounded like a groan. A cry of someone in deep pain. At first, it was barely audible like the wind playing tricks but slowly, it grew clearer and more desperate.
Angga, Nano, Meri, Felix, Agung, and Krishna, who were right next to the massive tree, froze in place. Their eyes darted to one another, uncertainty and unease reflecting in their faces.
"Did you guys hear that?" Nano was the first to speak, his voice low and cautious. "Sounded like someone asking for help."
"Yeah… It was like a voice someone suffering." Felix added, narrowing his eyes at the tree with suspicion.
"Let's get out of here! I can't take this anymore. This place is seriously creeping me out." Agung said, visibly trembling. Everyone knew he was the most fearful among them.
"Seriously? You're a guy, and you're scared like that?" Meri mocked, giving Agung a disgusted glance. "Pathetic."
The eerie whisper repeated itself, sending another shiver through the group. But Angga, lost in a storm of anger over something else specifically, Yandi's betrayal didn't seem to notice or care. His clenched fists and tight jaw spoke of his inner turmoil.
Krishna cautiously approached him, trying to get his attention.
"Angga... Leader... there's something—"
"Don't bother me right now!" Angga snapped, not even turning his head. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"
"Uh… yeah… sorry." Krishna replied, stepping back, realizing it wasn't the right time to talk to him.
But the mysterious voice didn't stop. In fact, it became even more distinct as if someone was trapped inside the tree, desperately trying to reach out.
The others could no longer ignore it.
"We have to check it out." said Nano.
They spread out, inspecting the area around the tree. Each of them searched for any clue a hole, a crack, anything that could explain the voice. But there was nothing.
"I checked around. There's nothing." Krishna reported, shaking his head.
"Same here. I even touched the trunk. It's just a regular tree." Felix said, frustrated and confused.
"Maybe it was an animal. Once it heard us, it ran away." Nano suggested, trying to calm the group.
"That… actually makes sense. So there's no need to be scared." Meri replied, nodding.
Krishna turned to Agung. "What about you? What do you think?"
"I've felt uneasy since we got here. I don't know what it is, but... I don't want to stay here any longer." Agung admitted, his eyes darting around nervously.
"Oh, please." Meri scoffed. "That's just another excuse from a coward. This is my second time camping in the woods. Sounds like that? Totally normal."
"You're not much better than Yandi, running off alone in the forest like a coward." she added bitterly.
Krishna raised his hand. "Enough! This isn't the time to argue."
He turned to Felix. "What do you think?"
Felix fell silent. Something felt off. Deep inside, he knew there was something wrong with the place. But he didn't want to cause panic or worse, be called weak.
"If that was an animal." he thought, "why haven't we seen a single one since we entered the forest?"
Eventually, he said aloud, "Nano's explanation isn't bad. It might've been just that."
Meri jumped in. "See? Told you. Don't listen to scaredy-cats."
With everyone having said their piece, Krishna concluded, "Alright, let's just assume it was a forest animal. Nothing to worry about."
They returned to their original spot to wait for the rain to stop. The atmosphere, however, had changed. An invisible tension lingered like a fog no one wanted to acknowledge.
Suddenly, Angga, who had been quiet and brooding, walked up to them.
"Where have you all been?" he asked with a sharp, irritated tone.
"Why are you asking now?" Felix shot back coldly. "You didn't even care when we were actually checking the noise."
"What's that supposed to mean, Felix? Don't forget I'm your boyfriend, remember?"
"And what if I speak to you like this?" Felix's voice was icy.
"As the leader of this group, it's natural for me to be worried." Angga replied arrogantly, folding his arms.
"Then maybe I shouldn't be in this group anymore." Felix snapped, her eyes flashing.
"Hmph. A girl like you wouldn't last a minute alone in this forest. You'll come crawling back."
"I'll prove I can survive without you!" Felix shouted, her voice cracking with anger.
Angga smirked. "Pity. You should've stayed by my side. But with that stubborn head of yours... you might just end up dead in the woods."
Felix's heart pounded with rage and hurt. Without another word, she turned and stormed off, leaving the group behind.
The forest around her seemed to grow darker with each step. The rain had turned to a drizzle, but the dampness clung to her skin and her clothes like cold fingers. Every crack of a branch or rustle of leaves made her flinch. But she kept walking fueled by pride, heartbreak, and the need to prove herself.
Back at the tree, silence hung over the remaining group.
"Should we go after her?" Krishna finally asked.
"She'll be fine." Angga said dismissively. "Let her cool off."
"But it's dangerous out there." said Nano. "What if she gets lost?"
Meri rolled her eyes. "She chose to leave. Let her deal with it."
Krishna looked at Agung, who hadn't said a word. Agung's face was pale.
"I… I think we should go after her." he muttered.
"Oh, now you grow a spine?" Meri laughed bitterly.
But Krishna agreed. "Whether she's mad or not, it's not safe for anyone to be alone out here."
Before they could make a move, a sudden gust of wind blew through the clearing chilling and unnatural. The tree that had earlier whispered to them groaned again, and for a moment, it almost sounded like it laughed.
A hollow, broken, inhuman laugh.
They froze.
"What the hell was that?" whispered Nano.
The bark of the tree seemed to ripple, like skin moving over muscle. Something was inside.
Felix, meanwhile, had reached a small slope covered with moss and roots. She paused, breathing heavily. "Calm down." she told herself. "You're not afraid. You're not like Agung."
But as she turned to look back hoping to see the glow of the campfire or even hear a voice there was nothing.
Only darkness.
And then she heard it.
The same voice as before.
"Feli...x... It...hurts... Help... me..."
She spun around. No one was there.
The tree next to her had a deep scar down its trunk almost like a mouth. From within, something wet and glistening seemed to pulse.
Her blood ran cold.
This wasn't just a whisper. It was calling her name.