Chapter 5: Fallen Petals

Chapter 5: Fallen Petals

Night and Nick reported the missing person to the police, providing them with the necessary documents. However, after conducting an investigation, the police couldn't find any leads or clues. Furthermore, the trail indicated by the locals' language was incomprehensible to anyone, leaving it unsolved.

Due to their disappearance, they had to relocate, causing the language to vanish and fade away over time, in accordance with the island's history. The police accepted the case and continued to investigate, keeping Night and Nick informed.

Night and Nick understood that this industry was not concerned with missing persons like before. On this island, no one cared about the dead or the disappeared anymore. That's why Night and Nick had to search on their own, and it seemed that Rose had no connection to this, as she had disappeared before Phak went missing.

Rose had checked out earlier.

Phak's solo actions had led to his disappearance, leaving Nick frustrated. That was the problem. He left something for us to follow.

Two years before that...

Phak used to work in an office with the responsibility of assigning government employees to night shift duty. Due to the proximity of the office to his home, Phak had become quite familiar with the place. During night shifts, he would share the duty with 2-3 colleagues. The office was often dusty, and Phak had a slight allergy to dust, causing itching, but he tolerated it.

Before bringing his own bedding to work, he would bring snacks, rice, milk, and water. Of course, what followed was the presence of the office mice. Phak would sleep in his own office, which was located on the far left side of the building. The office was quite large and bordered the forest near the village.

Phak would start his shift at 4:30 PM, just after finishing regular work hours and before it got too dark. During the early hours of his shift, Phak would be alone, while one of his colleagues went home to finish some errands, and then they would switch. During this time, besides keeping the office lights on, there wasn't much to do except trying to peer into the office surroundings.

Around 18:00-19:00 was the time for the patrol duty. Sometimes, the lights in the office might go out, and during the night, it could get quite quiet and eerie. The darkness in the parking lot behind the office could be particularly unsettling during this time. Fallen leaves from the tall trees littered the area, creating a crunchy sound when something passed over them. Moreover, the entrance to the office had very little vehicular traffic, as it was located outside the village, and there weren't many large vehicles passing by.

Phak would sleep inside, while his colleagues on duty usually slept in the central room. As time passed, abnormalities began to occur. Phak began to check the lights in the office and found that all the bulbs behind the parking lot, near the large tree, were completely out. Without hesitation, Phak rushed to check them. While checking, he heard the sound of rustling leaves.

"Crack, crack."

The sound came from a distance, not too close to Phak. He turned to the front and saw only darkness. Phak's heart raced, but he didn't think much of it. He continued to check the parking lot. Then, the sound grew louder, continuous, and the next bulb flickered. The feeling was inexplicable, and it felt like someone was walking towards him in the darkness in front of him. Even though Phak was not particularly afraid of ghosts, his instincts kicked in, and he decided to step back. He didn't know what might be coming in the dark shadows, and with no source of light, he let it be that day and returned to his office to continue his duty.

"Crack, crack."

Phak jolted awake multiple times and decided to patrol the office area again, but there was nothing there.

"f....ck."

Phak's heart skipped a beat. The sound was familiar, like the rustling of leaves outside. He couldn't think much of it and almost couldn't sleep that night. Phak woke up tired the next day, ready to work.

The abnormalities became more pronounced. The bedroom in the office worsened Phak's itching, possibly due to dust, and he started hearing even stranger sounds. This time, they were louder and closer. Additionally, there were noises of doors opening, but when Phak looked, no one had entered.

"Alright, that's enough!!!!"

Phak forced himself to sleep despite the fear. He turned on the lights and had a drink to help him doze off. The alcohol made him sleep for a long while before he woke up to go to the bathroom around 2 in the morning. The sound of the wind passing through the bathroom made Phak glance at the parking lot, though unintentionally. He quickly turned back to where he was to avoid dwelling on it, and he went back to sleep for another round.

"Crack, crack."

The loud sound was close to where Phak was lying, and it seemed like someone was whispering in his ear, making a sound like skin being rubbed. Phak began to sense it, but the whispering sound didn't seem to come from him.

Phak tried to forget about it, focusing on his right side. As he lay on the floor, he attempted to pinpoint the source of the sound. What he saw, however, sent shivers down his spine. The reflection in the office window was of a man walking back and forth.

Phak quickly looked away from the window in shock before forcing himself to glance back one more time. What he saw made his heart skip a beat once again. He saw a pair of white, pale legs walking beneath the table, but there was no upper body attached, only the legs moving. They circled the office but never came to the side where Phak was lying, maintaining a distance of about 1 meter. In desperation, Phak prayed for it not to come any closer.

"Just like this, I'm afraid of dying and don't know what to do next..."

"Phak woke up and found that he had been dreaming the same dream many times, to the point where it was almost impossible to separate dreams from reality because different feelings were buried deep in his mind, itching and haunting him like something hidden under the table that he couldn't quite explain."

"The sound of the mobile phone ringing.

'This is Dr. Pichayana,' she said.

'We've been informed that you, Mr. Phak, have filled out a questionnaire and are at risk of suicide. How have you been feeling lately? Can you tell the doctor about it?'

"Sure, I'd like to hear it. Can you tell me?"

"You can tell me."

"Okay, during this period, I've had various problems. I lost my father and am currently deciding to break up with my girlfriend. I feel bad about my job because they're pressuring me to leave. Additionally, the stock market has been down lately, which is frustrating. Big changes have made me struggle and exhausted."

"Want to commit suicide?"

"I don't want to... I just feel like, um, if I died, it would be okay. I don't really want to commit suicide; I just think that dying would be better, so I wouldn't have to feel like this."

"Whatever it is, your symptoms are a concern. I suggest talking to someone you trust. Find a friend or a family member you can share your feelings with. Celebrate your own achievements, no matter how small they may be. You might also look for activities that bring you happiness. If things don't improve, consider seeking help from a doctor at the hospital."

"If I have free time,I'll consider going."

"Take care of yourself."

"Thank you, doctor."

.....

The room is pitch-black, with no light at all.

"Frozen, shivering," Puck thought, unable to see but aware that he had been transformed.

"Where am I?"

"Oh, my head hurts so much," he groaned.

Before the heavy rain began, it gradually made it impossible to use the mobile phone, and the rain pouring from the storm flooded the island, trapping Nick and Nate there, unable to go anywhere.

"The real destiny."

"What should we do, bro?"

"Try opening the map, Night."

"Even if we open it, we can't really make sense of it, bro."

  "Wait!!!! But it seems like there's something, like a path leading somewhere."

"Before they could go to the police station, but it seemed like the heavy rain had caused the ground to give way, cutting off the road."

"Fuckdamn" Nick sighed.

"Where are you going, kid?" asked a local fisherman that Puck knew, with his fishing boat.

"We're heading to the police station" 

"Come on, get on quickly."

Night and Nick exchanged glances and agreed to board the boat.

"At a certain location,"

"How did he get in here? Only a few people know about this place," an unidentified man said.

"He's an intriguing person, sir, but we still don't know his origins or his destination."

"Alright, keep a watchful eye all around. Don't let anyone disrupt things. If there's a problem, take care of it."

"Yes, sir."

"Thud!"

A muffled sound echoed before the anonymous man slowly opened the door. As he entered, the light revealed the face of the man. He bore a resemblance to the French photographer, Joseph Norfolk

"Hello, Mr. Puck. You may or may not know me, but it doesn't matter. No need to be surprised," Joseph said..

"I'm Joe, or Joseph Norfolk, the one whose picture you found in that room," he confirmed.

"This is quite a crazy story, isn't it?"

"I've been watching you for a long time, since the very beginning. You have a strange and rebellious personality, and you're incredibly smart. Who are you?"

"The observant one, aren't you? What do you make of all this?"

"Wow, it all makes sense now. It led you to me every time, eventually leading you to be here."

"Hey, why don't you look around and see if there's anything unusual on this island?"

"You're the one who's strange," Phak replied.

"So, did you figure out what's strange today?" laughs

"Oh, one more thing, don't think anyone's coming to rescue us. No one can find you here... no one."

"However you end up here, there's no way out for you. Except death, that's the only way out of here."

"What do you want to know about this place... you'll find out. Fate will decide for you whether to stay or die. See you around,"

before Joseph slowly turned and faced Phak.

"Thud."

"Before Phak collapsed..."

"water splashing"

the splashed water awakened Phak. What he saw in front of him was a room with mirrors and men in black suits wearing masks depicting various terrifying and wild animals, symbolizing cruelty and lawlessness. Their souls were fierce. They surrounded Phak, and one of the masks was a lion's face, a symbol of power, and it had been pulled out to reveal the face of Joseph.

"You must be wondering what we're up to, right? I'll show you just a glimpse. Look at these women," Joseph said.

"Bring them in," Joseph commanded.

"They are... young women who tried to escape from this prison and did not obey our rules," Joseph explained.

"Look at their condition; they are almost unrecognizable. And this is just a small preview," Joseph signaled with his hand.

Before they were led into the fields of withered red flowers, separated from the mirrored room, it didn't take long for them to provide something to the two women. Gradually, they started to look more like normal people again, as if their emaciated bodies were returning to normal.

"The blossoming flowers, beautiful and ready to flourish, you are the seeds willing to sacrifice themselves to nurture the growth of others, to sustain the privileged life of our flowers," Joseph intoned, performing gestures reminiscent of an introduction to a ritual.

"Now, just a single drop of blood can purify and lead towards rebirth, cleanse the sins of demons, destroy one life to replenish many others, and many more lives to fill the entire world," Joseph proclaimed, looking around at his followers.

Joseph pricked his own finger, letting a drop of blood enter the mirrored room. Soon after, both women exhibited strange behaviors, staring at each other as if unable to control their emotions, much like wild animals. Before the weapons were thrown into the room, both of them grabbed the weapons.

"Shit!" The first sound of screams was the sound of chopping each other for no reason at all. blood splashing out It almost made the image in the mirror almost blurry. berserk killing The most Phak had ever seen in his life. The sound of screaming and shrieking is reminiscent of horror stories. Before that, the woman's hand rubbed her hand on the glass that was covered in blood and she shouted out a request.

"Help, please!" "Stop it!" she cried out before she finally took her last breath. It didn't take long for Joseph to signal for preparation.

With just a blink of an eye, the remnants of blood were drawn into the ground, and the withered flowers came back to life from the blood of the young woman that flowed into the soil. They cleaned up the young woman and Joseph signaled again.

In an instant, the flowers displayed a miraculous bloom, and they gathered some of its belongings. Phak, still in shock, took a moment before regaining consciousness.

"Why... why are you doing this? Who are you?" Her tense, trembling voice and the tears in her eyes showed her fear and apprehension.

"We are the Red Sun, a symbol of fear and death," Joseph repeated.

"We have existed for many centuries, operating as a secretive organization that gradually undermines nations, cultures, and controls resources. Our ultimate objective is the capital cities of nations," Joseph reiterated.

"We achieve this by extracting side effects from the seeds we cultivate to alter history, making it tainted and bitter. We provoke political conflicts, military invasions, or insurgencies by various nations, all using the triggering substances we possess," Joseph elaborated.

"You should be dead by now..." Phak muttered, glaring at Joseph with intense hatred.

"Indeed, I may have a long life ahead, but the ownership of this land and its resources, as well as the mission we carry out, must continue to exist. What we do will be passed on to our future generations for our ultimate goal," Joseph explained.

"Stirring unrest to make them kill innocent people and wiping out entire ethnic groups, is that it?" Phak asked, seeking confirmation.

"Smart as ever," Joseph said with a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't be too disappointed. We just instigate them; they make their own choices. Everything comes with a price, Phak," Joseph replied.

"We see this opportunity, and we can make it happen. We want you to join us!" Joseph exclaimed.

"You see it now, don't you? How messed up this world is, and who the kind of people that need to be eradicated are," Joseph added.

"I offer you a choice, one you can't escape. Either you join us or you die, much like your comrades, to glorify the blood spilled on this soil. Will you choose or not? You must participate in this ceremony. Good luck," Joseph stated.

.....

....

  "Drop,"

a drop of water fell on Phak's face, bringing him back to consciousness. Before Phak could wipe his face to clear the water, he realized,

"This is blood! It dripped from the wall of the room, insane!"

"Chain pull"!

"Fuck!!!, it won't come out."

"Drop, Drop!!!"

continuous drops of water fell on Phak's face."

  "Damn it"

"A soft voice, you young man, prick up your ears a bit."

"If you make a fuss like that again, I'll make you quiet down myself," said while watching Par's face before he walked out continuously to keep watch.

"The pulling won't help at all," came the voice of a woman from the other room, making Phak feel familiar.

"Who are you? I remember your voice. Are you the one who rowed the boat earlier?"

"Somebody remembers me too, huh? Well, there are some good stories in here as well, right? The crazy guy who swam in the middle of the sea, right?"

"I'm Phak... and you?"

"I'm Lilly. How did you end up here?"

"I was exploring this island and looking for shelter, and I couldn't believe I'd find you here. They killed one of my friends and forced me to participate in that crazy ritual."

"That bastard led me here."

"They did something to you, didn't they? It's blood they want."

"Yes, you know about their twisted rituals, don't you?"

"I can hardly believe I've come across something like this. Many people here tried to escape, but they've all lost hope. Those who thought they could escape and got caught had to face the punishment of death. I only hoped that someone would come to help, but no one has yet. It's too overwhelming here, and to make it worse, you got caught. You've been through a lot."

"I'll help you get out of here. We need to find a way out," Phak said determinedly.

"Thank you, Phak," her voice carried a tone of hope.

"So.." Lily couldn't finish her sentence.

"Hey, crazy old man!"

"Tap, tap," a loud tapping sound followed.

"What are you doing, Phak? You're going to die soon."

"Trust me, please."

"Damn it."

"It's loud. Come help me keep it quiet, Uncle Hey!!!!"

"Hmm... are you brave enough to try with me? Let's do it."

"Thud! Crash!"

"Clunk! Clank!"

"Damn It.." a scream echoed.

"Argh!" someone's agonized cry, and not long after, Lilly couldn't hear the voices of Phak and their captor anymore...

"Phak!" Lilly called out with hope...

"Here I am!

Hello there! Shh, keep it quiet," Phak's face emerged.

"You crazy person!"

Lilly, as she stepped out of the prison room, accidentally tripped over the captor's legs before seeing the captor bound with the chains they had managed to secure.

"So, what do we do now?" she asked, her face filled with surprise.

"Instinct"

"And what's the plan right now?"

"We get out of here. I have a way out, but we need to destroy that dangerous thing first."

"I brought your stuff with me. It suits you so well. Sorry I had to use it to pick the lock myself," Phak repeated, offering her the items.

Phak grabbed Lilly's hand and motioned for her to follow him.

As Phak explored the area, he found a corridor that appeared to be like any other, but the walls were covered in blood, and the room was filled with the strong smell of it. There were also red writings on the walls, written in blood.

"The specter shall emerge to liberate us from this hellish realm, and he is the demon who will come to release us. They have plundered everything from him and defiled it with their blood, just as they have done to us."

"I've been in this room for a long time. They almost never enter this room because it's a dead-end!" Lilly exclaimed about Phak's journey through the passage.

"No... it's the way out!!!" Phak responded confidently.

"We can't go out through the front door. They have it guarded and it can only be opened from the outside."

"It seems like there's something behind this message."

"Okay, it won't be long before Phak takes out a knife to do something."

"Soon, the door creaked open."

"Do you trust me, Lilly?" Phak asked.

"Ok..."  As soon as they stepped through the door, it closed behind them abruptly.

"Whoa!" Lilly gasped.

"These smells, they're still lingering," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Let's go, there must be another way out," Phak said.

"Crack, crack"

using the flashlight he had taken from the captor.

The light from Phak's flashlight revealed the dark corridor, and they followed the hidden path marked with blood. It led them to a chamber made entirely of blood.

As they walked further, the nauseating smell of blood became more overpowering, and the walls seemed to ooze with it. The more they ventured in, the less they could find an obvious way out.

"Be cautious," Phak warned. "I think there's something strange here."

"Hold my hand..."

The man who turned to face them was not Phak but the corpse of a man, wearing a sinister smile.

"Scream!" Lilly screamed in terror.

"Lilly, get back!" Phak's real self exclaimed before he could come to her aid, but they were both startled and took a step forward, falling into a large pit, landing in a pool of blood, with no apparent way out...

Startled, they stepped forward without realizing it, and soon they were both falling into a large pit, landing in a pool of blood, with no apparent way out...