Vasukih Forest  

The eastern edge of Grimoir City was a place where there were few signs of human life. The rest was just grass and trees that grew taller over time. The jungle was located near the Dewi Ijo village area.

"Shouldn't we be here? I feel uneasy," someone asked while still nervously observing their surroundings.

"Isn't this our agreement to come here? Besides, this place is supposed to be creepy, as I read in the newspaper. Vasukih Forest..."

The sun had just made its full appearance. However, there were two people walking in the middle of the forest, carrying vlogging kits.

One was a big man wearing glasses and a shirt, and the other was wearing a thick jacket due to the cold. They are using a small handycam to capture the surroundings.

"We need to get away from this place immediately. There was a no-entry sign earlier."

"That's exactly why we should go in!"

In this dark forest, there was a slight rustling of leaves. even though there was no wind and only silence.

The cold air around him made the hairs on his neck stand up. He couldn't keep looking at the recording because he felt that he had to see the surroundings. He was afraid something bad would happen. In fact, something is watching, and they have no idea what it was.

After a while, he continued to observe the video footage. From a distance, he saw a pair of eyes staring intently through the leaves without blinking. The cameraman initially thought it was just a pair of flowers.

But a flower couldn't stare at him, could it!?

"Eh? What!?", the man in the thick jacket exclaimed and tried to pull the other guy. "We have to run. This place is really unnerving."

"Hey, what's going on? Let me go!"

He showed his recording while pointing towards the object he saw earlier. His hands were still trembling, and his breathing was still erratic.

"Where!? There's nothing there!"

"What? But...but there was... an eye!"

The two men continued to observe the video recording, and suddenly their focus was shattered because they heard footsteps approaching from behind.

*Crack!

Their gaze swept around to ensure the source of the sound. Suddenly, the figure we knew as Mr. Hendri was already in front of them with a slightly angry expression.

"Who are you?!" the big guy shouted.

"That's my question. Who are you? How did you find this forest, and what do you need here?" Hendri replied

"They call me Master Pirsa, a horror content creator. I came here to look for scary content."

Their explanation made Mr. Hendri a little surprised since there was no prior notice. The reason he came here immediately was because he felt that someone had entered the forest.

"Content? Why don't you get permission first from the village head? Don't you read the signs that this forest cannot be entered without permission?"

"Hah?! Since when do we need permission to enter the forest? Does the village head own this forest? Besides, who are you suddenly asking?"

The person called Master Pirsa answered all the questions arrogantly. Mr. Hendri was worried about what would happen next.

"I am the caretaker here. It is my duty to preserve and protect the forest. That's why I have the right to ask you. We can discuss the issue of your arrival permit. For now, we have to leave this forest before it's too late."

"Leave? No! We have come this far. I am not afraid of the inhabitants of this forest! If there are ghosts, then come! We are not afraid."

*Whooos~

The dark clouds became darker, and thunder rumbled here and there. The surrounding mist was so thick that the remaining visibility was only a few meters, limiting sight and giving a sign that something was happening. The cold wind suddenly descended from above, passing them quickly.

"She is here..." Mr. Hendri realized this and immediately bowed respectfully toward the source of the wind.

"What is this guy doing?! He's been suspicious since earlier!" the man in a jacket exclaimed in panic due to the sudden weather change.

"Let's go up. Even if it rains, it won't be too bad since this forest is dense," said Master Pirsa.

"No, don't!" Mr. Hendri exclaimed in a panic.

A group of horse-drawn carriages was heard from above, heading in their direction. The sound of hooves pounding the ground was shaking.

Hoofbeats stopped.

Silence descended. Too silent.

Then… Laughter. A soft, feminine chuckle—neither young nor old. It slithered through the mist like a song half-remembered in nightmares.

Her voice came before her form.

"Something is coming! I can feel it. Hey, quickly prepare your camera to record!!" said Master Pirsa.

The man in the jacket who brought the equipment immediately prepared his belongings while he could still see. Although he was panicking to the point where he was out of breath, he tried to remain calm.

But that calmness didn't last long. He tried to stay close to his colleague while looking for a nearby tree to lean on. Unfortunately, instead of finding a tree, He just realized that he was leaning on a corpse that looked fresh.

"Wha!! Huaphh...."

Before the man could scream hysterically, a snake came out of his own mouth and silenced him. He still tried to make a sound, but the snake kept coming out and getting longer.

The tip of the snake's head even turned to look at his face while showing its fangs. Seeing what was happening made him feel sick, especially since he felt the remaining body of the snake still inside his throat, moving erratically, trying to come out of his body.

'Looks like we have an uninvited guest.'

A long, sinuous shadow moving between trees. A glimmer of gold among emerald scales. A crown glinting like a dying sun.

The Empress didn't walk into view—she materialized from it, as if the forest itself had shaped her form.

Her face was so beautiful that it could enchant anyone who saw her. A half-snake woman in green traditional Javanese dress. Her ponytail looked sweet with a long horse tail style. The bottom of her legs was a white snake body with shiny scales.

"Your majesty." Mr. Hendri immediately knelt facing this woman.

'Did you forget to warn people to come here?' she asked.

"Forgive me, Your majesty. I didn't know about their arrival."

'And did you not call them here?'

"Sadly... no."

The man in the jacket still seems to be holding back his nausea. His blurry eyes saw a woman. A snake empress. However, he did not have time to flee again. His confusion and fear disappeared because this was the first time he saw a very beautiful woman who made him speechless. He didn't even realize that this woman was coiling her body around him.

'Now what should I do with you? Should I eat you guys alive?' asked the empress.

"You... Please, have mercy on us..."

Before this person could scream, his neck was already strangled by the tip of this woman's tail. His eyes were made to stare at her until he dared not do anything more.

'Two foolish humans came to my kingdom uninvited. Free food. At least I can suck your blood before my brother comes.'

"No need," someone from afar interrupted them as they approached.

The empress was also surprised to hear the voice that was no longer unfamiliar to her. The grip on the man in a jacket was released because she was already focused on the arrival of the source of the voice earlier.

"I'm here. Release them!" said Zeyn firmly while walking casually towards her.

'Hmm? You...'

Without hesitation, the woman approached him. They stared at each other while still shortening the distance between them, and suddenly both she and Zeyn disappeared in a bright, blinding light.

*Whoop~

Their presence vanished instantly, along with the thick mist around the area. Everyone there could now see the forest normally. The previously piercing cold air was now gone. It was as if they had disappeared, without caring about the surrounding conditions.

The man in the jacket observed all the strangeness that had happened with his own eyes. Feelings of fear and panic merged, making it difficult to define with words because it was so illogical.

"C'mon. Let me help you get out of here." Mr. Hendri said softly, giving his hand.

"Ughhk. Wait... Uahhk. Where is Master Pirsa?"

"I don't know. But considering his arrogant nature earlier, I can't do much."

"W'wha- why?"

Hendri sighed heavily. "Let's just pray that he's safe. No one knows... where this forest took him."

His words lingered in the air, heavier than the mist that had just cleared.

* * * *