DETERMINATION AND RECKLESSNESS

Fed up with the police's disbelief, Karin and Arzan decided to retrieve the cursed book themselves. They were determined to prove that Mr. Ali was indeed the culprit.

This determination led Arzan to take a bold risk. He sneaked into the teachers' lounge during class hours. The room was empty, and the door was unlocked. Entering as casually as possible, Arzan headed straight to Mr. Ali's desk. Rumor had it that Mr. Ali was sick today and wouldn't be coming to school. This was the perfect chance to grab the book—assuming it hadn't been taken home.

Arzan had discussed his plan with Karin, and she had only urged him to be careful and avoid getting caught by other teachers. For Arzan, that was no big deal.

He began searching the surface of the desk, hoping to spot the book. The chances were more than 70% that Mr. Ali had taken it home. He was known for keeping the book close, even when using the restroom.

Finding nothing on the desk, Arzan turned his attention to the drawers. He tried to open them, but they were locked. He paused, thinking about how to deal with the locked drawer. Should he break it? After all, the school's CCTV system was just for show. The higher-ups deemed real surveillance unnecessary due to the costs involved.

Finding no tools to help him pry the drawer open, Arzan decided to force it. He began pulling at the drawer with all his might, again and again. Gradually, the drawer loosened.

Gathering his strength for one last pull, Arzan yanked the drawer free from its hinges. It broke open with a loud crack.

The poor-quality desk, another sign of the miserly priorities of the school's wealthy backers, turned out to be a blessing for Arzan. With the drawer open, his path was clear.

He rifled through the contents and found the black book. Triumph surged through him. Now all he had to do was restore the scene to avoid suspicion.

He tidied the books scattered on the desk, making sure everything looked normal. Then, clutching the black book tightly, Arzan left the lounge with nothing weighing on him anymore.

Mission completed.

***

Karin and Arzan met at a café after school. With Arzan bringing the book, today they planned to uncover who else was listed in the cursed ledger. Naturally, their own names, Karin and Arzan, were there—something they already expected.

"One person, one page," Karin noted, observing the layout of the book. "What a waste of paper."

She flipped through the pages until she stumbled upon the name Heri, their friend who had passed away. His name was crossed out, marked with an ominous X beside it. A sudden wave of sadness swept over her.

Then Karin saw her own name: Karin Agustin. Written in full, surrounded by heart emojis. Her heart pounded in her chest. Could someone like this have feelings for her? The thought made her stomach turn. In her mind, she quickly recited every prayer she could remember, hoping to ward off someone like Mr. Ali from her life forever.

"So, the rumors are true, huh? I thought it was just an act," Arzan remarked from beside her, surprised to see only Karin's name written in full, accompanied by decorative emojis. The other names were listed only by their first names and class details. Though he had seen the book before, the number of heart emojis had significantly increased since then.

Taking the book from Karin, who was frozen in shock, Arzan began flipping through it. He searched for his name, only to feel his stomach drop when he found it: Arzan—surrounded by crude, hateful words.

"Wow, he really hates you," Karin commented, snapping out of her stupor. It was the first thing she said after regaining her composure.

"Let him." Arzan glared at the page, irritated. His name was almost buried under a sea of curses. Speechless, he scratched his head out of frustration, even though it wasn't itchy.

"But our names are written here three times ..." Karin pointed to the scrawled handwriting with a weary finger, her eyes dull and heavy with anxiety. "Probably because we helped Rafi," she added softly, almost as if speaking to herself.

"Yeah," Arzan nodded, his face serious. "And besides us, one name stands out more, Chika." He pointed to a name encircled in bold red ink.

Karin frowned. "But why is Chika's name circled?"

Arzan took a deep breath, piecing together his thoughts. "If you look at the sequence, our names were added later. I mean, check this," he said, pointing to another section of the book. "Three days ago was Rafi's attack, and two days before that, the school was closed. So, our names must've been written sometime after the incident in the restroom."

Karin tilted her head, her thoughts sluggish as she processed the information. She nodded slowly, though confusion still lingered in her eyes. "So? What are you saying?"

"That means," Arzan continued, tapping a pen against the book, "our names are fairly new. But for Chika, her name has probably been here long before ours. It's unlikely her name was added just three days ago since school was closed two days prior."

Karin swallowed hard, her gaze shifting back to Chika's name encircled in red. "So, this red circle ... is like a warning?"

Arzan nodded slowly, his expression grim. "Seems like it. If our names were added after Rafi's incident, then the red circle might indicate who's next. And if that's true ..."

"Chika ..." Karin whispered hoarsely, her voice barely audible.

The room seemed to freeze. The faint bustle from outside the café became mere background noise, while for Karin and Arzan, the world felt eerily still. Karin bit her lower lip, her mind racing with horrifying possibilities she couldn't ignore.

Arzan didn't hesitate. He grabbed his phone, his fingers swiftly searching for Chika's number in his contacts. He hit the call button, holding his breath as the tone rang.

The first ring, the second ...

"Come on, pick up," he muttered anxiously, glancing at Karin, who sat tensely across from him.

Finally, a familiar voice answered. "Hello?" Chika's voice was slightly confused but unmistakable.

Arzan wasted no time. "Chika, listen to me carefully. Are you home right now?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm home. Why?" Chika's voice rose slightly, puzzled by Arzan's urgency.

"Good. Listen, don't leave the house. No matter what happens, stay inside. Understand?!" Arzan's tone was sharp but laced with concern.

Karin's wide eyes were fixed on him, her fists clenched under the table.

"What are you talking about, Arzan? You're not making any sense—"

"Chika, there's no time to explain," Arzan cut her off. "Just trust me. If you go out now, you could be in danger. I'm not joking."

Chika's voice softened as if trying to process his words. "Danger? What are you hiding from me, Arzan?"

Arzan exhaled deeply, attempting to steady his voice. "I promise I'll explain everything later. But for now, please—do this for me. Stay inside. Don't take a single step outside."

A moment of silence passed before Chika replied, her voice barely audible. "Okay ... I understand. I won't go out. But you owe me an explanation."

Arzan nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Good. And don't open the door for anyone unless you're absolutely sure they're safe. I'll call you again soon."

Without waiting for a response, Arzan ended the call, placing his phone on the table. His breathing was heavy, as though he'd just completed an exhausting task.

"Do you think she'll be safe if she stays home?" Karin asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"She has to be," Arzan muttered, his eyes returning to the open black book on the table. Chika's name, encircled in red, seemed to mock them silently, reminding them that time was running out.

"Let's go." Arzan stood abruptly, heading to the counter to pay.

Karin hesitated but followed, determined to ensure there were no more victims. Every prayer she knew echoed in her mind, hoping for divine protection in the dangerous steps ahead.