The Festival & TheCave

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The first thing Sange felt when she woke up was pain.

Every muscle in her body screamed in protest as she turned over, groaning. Yesterday's adventure had been fun, but now she was paying the price. The warm, comfortable weight of her blanket was calling her back to sleep—until it was violently ripped away.

"Rise and shine, lazybones!"

Sange cracked an eye open to see Hiraya, already dressed, practically bouncing with energy.

"Why are you awake?" Sange grumbled.

"Because life is an adventure, and I refuse to waste it sleeping!" Hiraya declared. "Also, there's a festival today, and I am not missing it."

Sange groaned, burying her face in her pillow. "You and your festivals."

"Oh, don't act like you're not excited," Hiraya teased. "Your own country is celebrating, and you're going to stay in bed? Shame on you."

Sange peeked out again. "Give me one good reason to get up."

Hiraya grinned. "Food."

"…Give me five minutes."

A Festival Full of Mishaps

By the time they arrived, the festival was already in full swing. Stalls lined the streets, the air thick with the scent of roasted meat, butter tea, and fresh dumplings. People in colorful ghos and kiras walked around, chatting and laughing as music played in the background.

Hiraya was practically vibrating with excitement. "Oh my God. Look at all the FOOD."

Sange chuckled. "Try not to faint from happiness."

The first stop was a butter tea stall, where Hiraya, still in her "must-try-everything" mood, grabbed a steaming cup and took a big sip.

She froze.

Sange smirked. "What's wrong?"

Hiraya slowly swallowed. "This is… interesting."

Sange raised an eyebrow. "That's what you say when you hate something but don't want to be rude."

"Nooo…" Hiraya took another cautious sip, then smiled weakly. "It's just… buttery? And salty? I was expecting sweet."

Sange laughed. "Welcome to Bhutan."

They continued exploring, trying different foods and enjoying the festival performances. Everything was going fine—until Hiraya made a terrible mistake.

She spotted a group of masked performers lining up near a shrine, their movements slow and graceful.

"Ooooh, is this a dance performance?" Hiraya asked, eyes sparkling.

Sange frowned. "I think it's a—"

But before she could stop her, Hiraya had already joined the line, mimicking their movements.

Sange's soul left her body.

One of the monks in charge blinked in confusion. The other performers hesitated, clearly unsure how to react to a random foreign girl joining their sacred blessing ritual.

Sange slapped a hand over her face. "This is worse than the time you thought a wedding was a free buffet."

One of the older monks finally stepped forward, smiling kindly. "Miss, this is not a performance. This is a blessing ritual."

Hiraya froze.

A moment of absolute silence.

Then—"OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY." She bolted out of the line, grabbing Sange's arm. "We're leaving."

Sange was laughing so hard she could barely walk. "You just tried to bless yourself."

"Shut up."

To recover from her embarrassment, Hiraya grabbed a random snack from a stall and immediately regretted it.

She chewed, paused, then gagged. "What did I just eat?"

Sange leaned over. "That's fermented cheese."

Hiraya's eyes widened in betrayal. "My tongue is under attack."

Sange doubled over, laughing so hard tears formed in her eyes. "You are so dramatic."

"I am NOT dramatic," Hiraya huffed. "I just wasn't prepared for a surprise attack from fermented dairy."

Despite the chaos, the festival left them in high spirits. But the night wasn't over yet.

The Cave of Fate

As they wandered near the festival's outskirts, an old woman sitting by a tea stall caught their attention. She had a wise, knowing expression as she looked at them.

"You girls seem like seekers of adventure," she said, sipping her tea.

Hiraya perked up. "You could say that. What kind of adventure?"

The old woman pointed toward the distant mountains. "There is a cave beyond those hills. They say if you enter with a question in your heart, you might find an answer… or a warning."

Sange raised an eyebrow. "People actually believe that?"

The woman simply smiled. "You never know."

Hiraya grabbed Sange's arm. "We're going."

Sange sighed. "Of course we are."

The hike to the cave was longer than expected, the path winding and eerie in the fading light. By the time they reached the entrance, the air was cold and still, the inside of the cave shrouded in darkness.

"This is creepy," Hiraya whispered. "I love it."

Sange rolled her eyes, but something about the cave sent a chill down her spine.

They stepped inside.

The deeper they went, the quieter it became. Their footsteps echoed strangely, and the light from their phones flickered against the damp walls.

Then—

A whisper.

Sange froze. "Did you hear that?"

Hiraya nodded, eyes wide. "Y-yeah… maybe just the wind?"

Sange wasn't sure. The air felt charged, like something unseen was watching.

Then she saw it.

A flicker of a shadowy figure, deep within the cave.

Her breath hitched. A strange déjà vu washed over her, like she had been here before.

Then—

A gust of cold air rushed past them.

Both girls screamed and bolted out of the cave.

Outside, panting, they stared at each other.

Hiraya gasped. "We… are never doing that again."

Sange swallowed hard, her heart still racing. Because deep down, she knew…

That wasn't just the wind.

Festival Lights & Unanswered Questions

Back at the festival, they sat watching the lanterns float into the sky. The warmth of the fire clashed with the chill still lingering in Sange's bones.

Hiraya nudged her. "Okay, real talk—what happened in there?"

Sange hesitated. "I don't know."

"Do you think it was a spirit?"

Sange looked at the glowing lanterns, her mind flashing back to that flickering shadow.

She should laugh it off. She should say it was nothing. But…

"I think," she said slowly, "it was something I was meant to see."

Hiraya blinked. "Yeah, no. I refuse to believe we walked into an actual prophecy cave."

Sange chuckled, but the uneasy feeling didn't fade.

That night, as Sange lay in bed, her phone buzzed.

Mom Calling.

She frowned. It was late—why was Dechen calling now?

She answered.

"Sange… are you okay?"

Sange blinked. "Uh… yeah? Why?"

"I just… had a feeling."

A chill ran down Sange's spine.

"Mom, I'm fi

ne," she said, forcing a chuckle.

Dechen exhaled.

"Alright. Just… be careful, okay?"

Sange hesitated.

"I will."

But deep down, she knew—her mother was right to be worried.

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