As Janu was about to press forward, exploring the eerie silence of the surrounding forest, something caught his eye—a flickering red-amber glow amidst the scattered remains of the Tall Pocong's ashen remains.
He frowned. "What's that?"
Jantaka followed his gaze, eyes narrowing. "Wouldn't hurt to check. But proceed with caution."
Janu stepped carefully toward the glowing object, his heart pounding. As he got closer, the shape became clearer. His brows furrowed. "Is that... linen? But why the hell is it glowing like that?" He exhaled sharply and muttered to himself, "You know what? Stupid to expect logic in this nightmare."
Jantaka let out a short chuckle. "That linen belonged to the Pocong you defeated. But I'll admit, I'm surprised. I thought its remnants would vanish entirely, yet here it is. Looks like the world still has a few surprises for me after all this time."
Janu snorted. "Good to know, old ghost."
Still, he hesitated. His fingers hovered over the strange, glowing linen, uncertainty creeping in. "What should we do with it? Just leave it here, or... take it? Feels like one of those games I used to play. You beat the monster, and voilà, you get an item drop."
"If that's your logic, then obviously, you take it," Jantaka said, voice tinged with amusement. "What's the hesitation?"
"I dunno, man. I just have a bad feeling. What if touching it triggers something weird? What if it screws us over later?"
Jantaka hummed in thought before answering, this time with a more serious tone. "Good instinct. But I strongly advise you to bring it. My hunch says it'll be important—probably sooner than you'd like."
Janu exhaled through his nose. "Well, whatever happens, let it be a future-us problem."
"Yeah, great. As always, dragging me into trouble with you."
Ignoring the jab, Janu turned his focus to their next move. "Alright, since we've dealt with this mess... how do we get back to the real world? Any ideas?"
Jantaka rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm... First, let's get out of this riverbank. Back to the forest. Then I'll check your surroundings."
"You can do that?" Janu raised an eyebrow. "What, are you like my personal spectral radar now?"
Jantaka smirked. "I suppose you could call it that. Now move."
Together, they left the river and retraced their steps back into the forest. The towering trees stretched toward the sky, their gnarled branches illuminated by the eerie mix of dawn-red and moonlight. The silence was thick, pressing on their senses like a heavy shroud.
Jantaka scanned the surroundings before speaking. "Alright. You were chased in that direction earlier. Let's try heading the opposite way. Something tells me we'll find answers along the way."
Janu exhaled sharply. "That's about as much of a guess as I have. Alrighty then, let's try it."
As they walked, the rustling of unseen creatures echoed through the underbrush, each sound sharp and unnatural, like the forest was holding its breath, and the occasional gust of wind sent dry leaves skittering across the forest floor. The tension still sat heavy in Janu's chest, and in an effort to distract himself, he spoke up.
"Hey, Jantaka."
"Yeah?"
"You said you served my ancestors, right? How did that even start?"
Jantaka chuckled. "Straight to the point. I like it. For now, I'll give you just a bit. The rest will come as we venture deeper into this madness."
Janu scoffed. "Cheapskate ghost."
"Think of it as self-preservation. Some things are better digested in pieces." Jantaka let out a slow breath before beginning his tale. "Anyway, back when I was just a wandering spirit, I drifted from place to place. No attachments, no reason to stay anywhere too long. I watched you humans from the moment you first walked on two feet—growing, building, fighting, thriving... It was..." His voice took on a nostalgic edge. "Fascinating."
Janu frowned. "Goddammit not that far you ancient relic!."
Jantaka burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! My bad. Let me fast-forward a bit. At one point, I found myself wandering into your ancestors' land. Something about them caught my interest. They were different from the people I had seen before. So I stuck around, observing."
Janu narrowed his eyes. "Where were you before that? Got a name for the place?"
Jantaka was silent for a moment before answering. "I never bothered to learn its name. Back then, I wasn't particularly interested in human affairs. But I do remember one thing—"
He paused, his tone shifting slightly.
"The people there wore animal skins as clothing. And their rituals were… very different from what I saw with your ancestors. Even the place where they live was also very different from your ancestors too. A dry land so vast and deserts as far as eyes can see. Scorching sun. Nothing like the endless green of your ancestors' home, with its vibrant trees and fruit of every color."
Janu blinked, stunned by the answer. His voice rose in disbelief.
"What?! Are you saying you really have been around since the beginning? And that place—was it the Middle East?!"
Jantaka is filled with curiosity. "Middle East, huh? So that's what you humans call it. Interesting. Yeah, for your kind, I suppose it is ancient."
"Dude, you've really been on the world tour, huh?. Sounds like you've seen more history than my textbooks ever will!"
Jantaka smirked, but his tone turned wary. "Calm down, kid. You'll draw attention. Spirits and other beings here aren't deaf."
Then, after a pause, he continued the story
"Anyway, when I first stumbled into your ancestors' lands, I found myself wandering the jungle. One night, I saw a flickering red light in the distance—fire. I approached. There were humans gathered around it. Your ancestors. I watched them... at first just to pass the time. But something about them intrigued me."
"Observing? Is it that interesting?" Janu raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes, just observing," Jantaka replied with a hint of nostalgia. "Sometimes in my spirit form, sometimes in my animal form. And yes, to me at least, it was an interesting way to pass time."
"Wait... wait… another form? You can shapeshift? And don't tell me—you were doing that even back then just to watch us?"
Jantaka let out a laugh, clearly amused by the realization dawning on Janu.
"Hahahahaha, you really are their descendant. Quick to understand, I'll give you that. Yeah, I could shift forms back then. But now… even simple tasks like manifesting myself into your world require me to recover my full power."
Janu's expression softened, concern replacing surprise. "Did something happen to you?"
Jantaka hesitated. There was a pause, the kind that said the past held weight too heavy to unpack just yet.
"…More on that later," Jantaka said quietly. "Let's stay on topic."
Janu gave a slight nod, though a flicker of disappointment crossed his face. Still, he respected the spirit's boundaries.
"Alright. If you don't want to say, that's fine. Sorry if I pushed."
"Hah! Apologizing to a spirit. You never cease to amuse me." Jantaka chuckled.
He continued, voice lowering. "Now, as I was saying—While watching them in animal form, they began to sense me. Some even tried to communicate."
"Honestly, I get that," Janu muttered. "I wouldn't want someone—or something—watching me 24/7 either."
"Exactly. That's why I finally revealed myself. And eventually they gave me a name—Parakang, in their tongue. Because of my shape shifting ability. Then they began asking for protection."
"So you weren't interested at first?"
"Not at all. I kept my distance. But they were… persistent. Eventually, I gave in. That's when your ancestor entered the picture."
Janu tilted his head. "So basically… my ancestors kept bugging you to hang out until you gave up?"
"That is… one way to put it." There was a smirk in Jantaka's voice.
"And basically, you were the creepy cat watching from the corner at every family gathering, refusing snacks unless someone begged you?".
Jantaka burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! A cat, you say?"
"What? What's so funny?"
"Nothing…. for now, I suppose that comparison works. But it wasn't just idle curiosity. They asked why I was always there. Who I was. What I wanted."
"So what made you agree to help them? Did they offer something? A deal? A contract?"
"At first, I said no," Jantaka said, voice growing thoughtful. "But then… one of them made a peculiar offer. He said I could reside within him. He'd offer me a vessel—and in return, I'd never be bored again."
"A deal?"
"Yes"
Janu blinked, stunned and taken aback. "That's either incredibly brave… or unbelievably desperate. That guy—he was my ancestor?"
He slowed his steps. "He offered… his soul?"
" More like he'd let me anchor myself in his body. Not as a possession, he wasn't giving himself up. It was more like… a pact. A bond, forged in mutual trust."
Janu furrowed his brow. "Wait, wait—like you're doing with me now?"
Jantaka's gaze flicked toward him, unreadable. "Similar. But yours is more… accidental. Unrefined. Back then, the ritual was intentional. He invited me. Gave me his name, his breath, a bit of blood, and a promise. In return, I offered protection. Wisdom. And strength, when he needed it."
Janu blinked, stunned. "Dude, that sounds like something out of an ancient shamanic tale. Blood pacts and spirit bonding?"
"That's because it was," Jantaka said, voice hushed, reverent. "Your ancestor was no ordinary man. He had seen spirits before. Heard their whispers. But unlike others, he didn't fear us. He listened. And I… I had been wandering too long. Curious, lonely, maybe even a bit sentimental. So I accepted."
Janu scratched the back of his head. "So... that's when the Parakang name stuck?"
"Yes. And over time, I became more than a guardian. I became a part of the bloodline. Sometimes passive, sometimes active. Passed on through the generations—not by flesh, but through oaths and rituals performed by your ancestors."
As if Janu could sense that his glance turned towards him and Janu could also feel it something like pride—or perhaps regret at the same time. "And now… it's your turn."
Janu was quiet for a moment, absorbing everything. The wind rustled through the trees again, stirring the leaves like the pages of a forgotten book.
"Man," he finally muttered. "And here I thought I was just some unlucky guy who got cursed in the middle of a hike."
Jantaka snorted. "You still might be. But perhaps… fate has its fingers in this too."
They walked in silence after that, the forest slowly shifting around them as the path ahead grew darker, the air heavier.
Jantaka gave a smirk. "Well, now I welcome you for the addition to the family legacy, kid."
The thought twisted in his chest, like a thread pulled too tight.
"I never even knew his name," he murmured. "And now you're saying… I'm continuing the legacy? That is a bit too sudden for me."
"That legacy is part of many things for now and what's to come boy," Jantaka replied cryptically.
Then, with a dry laugh, he added, "Oh, they were desperate, alright. There was a war—a conflict with nearby humans. A time of blades and betrayal. Classic human behaviour at each other's throat. Your ancestors needed an edge."
"So you granted them power?"
"Something like that. But that's a tale for another time," Jantaka said, suddenly more alert.
"Let's focus. We're not out of danger yet."
"Alright, alright."
Janu kept walking, brushing tall grass aside as he moved forward. Soon, they arrived at a familiar clearing—a line of eerie, overgrown grasses that felt unsettling.
Janu stopped and looked around. "Ugh… this goddamn grass again. What now, Jantaka? Should we walk through it? Do you sense anything?"
Jantaka's tone was calm but alert. "Nothing right now. And if this is our only path, then yes, we press onward."
They moved through the grass, cautious but steady. Eventually, they reached the place where the old cemetery had once been—the very spot where they'd been chased by the pocong.
Janu narrowed his eyes. "Hey, Jantaka… isn't this where the cemetery used to be?"
Jantaka glanced around, then nodded slowly. "Now that you mention it… yes. This is where it should be."
"But it's just an empty field now," Janu said. "Is it because we freed the souls here?"
"Most likely," Jantaka replied. "What do you want to do now? Before we move on, we should check the field. Maybe there's something useful. I'll scan the area while you look around."
"Whatever gets us out of here faster."
They walked the field slowly, searching for anything unusual. After a while, Janu shrugged.
"Well, we've circled this place twice now. I don't see anything."
"Yeah, me neither," Jantaka admitted. "I suggest we head back—through the grass and into the forest again. Back there, I could sense something. Faint, but persistent."
"Alright then."
They retraced their steps, they slipped through the tall, whispering grasses once more, the air thickening as the forest's shadows welcomed them back. The temperature seemed to drop, and a faint, sour scent hung in the breeze — like wet leaves and something older, rotting beneath and they returned again to the forest's edge.
"Okay, now that we're here," Janu said, catching his breath, "should we keep walking? Man… this is exhausting."
"I know it is," Jantaka said, a touch of sympathy in his voice. "But we can't rest. Not here. Not while we're still in danger."
"Fine, fine. Let's keep going. You keep scanning, and I'll try retracing our trail from when we were being chased earlier."
"Good. I'll stay alert too."
They pressed on. But as they walked deeper into the forest, something felt off to Janu.
"…Hey, Jantaka," he said slowly. "Is it just me, or are we seeing the same trees over and over again?"
Jantaka paused. "Now that you mention it… yes. My instincts say the same."
"Alright, so we're both getting that vibe. I'll start marking the trees. Let's test this."
"Great idea. I'll keep watch."
Janu began scratching a mark into each tree they passed. One after another, he continued marking and walking… until he stopped dead in his tracks.
"…No way."
There it was. The very first mark.
"Fuck… You see this, Jantaka?"
"…Yeah," Jantaka replied grimly. "We're trapped."
The forest loomed around them—silent, suffocating, and far from finished with them.