Chapter 1
The only thing Reina felt when she opened her eyes was emptiness and confusion. In front of her, she saw a strange world colored in black and red.“Where am I?” she asked.
Step by step she moved forward, but everything just led her deeper into emptiness. Then suddenly, a voice made her freeze.
“You’re awake, Reina?”
Startled, Reina looked around and realized hundreds of eyes were staring at her. Some of those eyes had bloody hands and sharp claws trying to grab her and pull her into their mouths.
Instinct kicked in, and Reina ran away from those figures. But no matter where she ran, they kept chasing her.
She screamed as one hand slammed her into the air and their mouths swallowed her whole, only to spit her out again, then other sharp-toothed mouths tasted her.
The horror felt endless. Even when Reina wanted to pass out, her mind stayed fully alert.
“Is this hell?” Reina asked. She cried and begged anyone who could hear her for help, but it seemed no one wanted to save her.
To them, Reina was just a toy to satisfy their dark desires.
When Reina felt she was about to lose it, a faint voice whispered,
“Reina? Are you listening to me?”
It felt like a cold glass of water poured into her burning body.
“Help me,” Reina said again.
Then the voice turned into a light pulling Reina back to the real world.
“You’re safe now, Reina,” the voice said.
Then Reina fell asleep.
March 23, 2025
Far away from the city’s noise, there’s a pretty big house that’s been standing since before Indonesia’s independence. Some parts have been renovated, but others remain untouched even as time passed — especially a temple-like structure that looks majestic with its dark vibe.
There’s nothing special about the place, except that visitors would notice piles of yellow rice and side dishes awkwardly placed in one corner.
The house belongs to Basik, a 19-year-old guy who treats the house like it’s part of himself. No one really knows where his parents are or if he has any siblings or relatives like most people do.
During the day, Basik is a law student at campus, known for being diligent and active in student forums. People just see him as a lucky, handsome guy who’s smart and well-informed.
But at night, outside his school life, Basik is known as a respected expert in the occult.
He lives these two worlds without feeling burdened, like he’s accepted his fate. To him, it’s not strange at all.
Like now, it’s midnight. Basik carries a green pendant wrapped in velvet cloth. He lines it up with other items he’ll use for his ritual.
The place he’s heading to is the one mentioned earlier. Instead of a god statue to worship, there’s an altar in the middle for Basik to meditate.
He places the black velvet cloth with the pendant on the altar. Incense is lit to attract the entity inside the necklace — like food to keep it comfortable inside. Then he starts chanting mantras in Javanese that flow naturally from his lips without memorizing them.
“Who’s there?” a faint voice sounds. Basik knows it’s not from a physical body but an astral voice only certain people can hear.
“Reina, you’re safe,” Basik says, smiling without realizing it. For Basik, smiling is rare.
“Who are you? What happened to me?” the astral voice sounds confused.
Basik strokes the pendant, and a green light glows, revealing a woman’s figure with brown hair and eyes as bright as the pendant. She blinks weakly at Basik, like blinking is all she can do.
“My name’s Basik,” he says. “Don’t worry about who you are. What you need to know is your name is Reina, and you’re safe.”
Reina stays silent for a moment. “So you’re the one who saved me from those creatures?”
Basik smiles again. For Reina, the nightmare felt like it just happened seconds ago, but in reality, she was saved after eight full moons had passed. Her soul had been trapped in limbo for years.
It’s a long story to explain Reina’s history, but what matters is she’s now in the right hands.
“Reina, will you make a deal with me?” Basik asks straightforwardly. “You’ll stay alive and I’ll protect you, but you have to serve me.”
Reina stays quiet. Even though she’s lost a lot of memories, her instinct tells her to be careful with this negotiation.
“Why should I listen to you?” Reina asks. “I don’t even know who you are.”
“Because you don’t have a choice, Reina,” Basik says bluntly. “If you want to disappear, you can refuse. I won’t protect you anymore. I’ll let you drift in limbo and be hunted by dark creatures.”
Reina feels threatened. “But is making a pact with you really the right choice?”
“You won’t know unless you try.”
Silence follows. Basik knows he doesn’t have much time to wait for her answer, so he cuts his hand with a small dagger. Blood drips onto Reina’s pendant. The foreign soul inside feels a flood of energy, like it could turn the world upside down just from that drop of blood.
“How does it feel?” Basik teases.
“It’s amazing. I’ve never felt like this before.”
Then the old clock in another part of the house strikes loudly. Midnight is well past. It’s time for Basik to finish the ritual.
Reina’s pendant moves to his neck.
“Let’s test you, Reina,” Basik whispers mysteriously.
“What do you mean?” Reina asks, but Basik doesn’t answer. Instead, he opens the back gate of the house, leading to a dark forest filled with invisible creatures.
