Chapter 4: The Path of Crumbs

Felix finally left the group and walked alone through the forest, even though the sky still poured heavy rain. The relentless downpour blurred his vision, but his decision was clear.

Surprised by Felix's choice, Angga gave a faint smile. Despite the situation, he watched as the woman he had been dating for nearly half a year disappeared into the pitch-black forest, alone.

"Hmm… so that's your decision. I can't stop you," Angga murmured as he let her go, that strange smile never leaving his face.

"Now then, is there anyone else who wants to leave and die a meaningless death in the middle of this dark forest?" he asked, turning to the others with a sharp glare.

The tone of his voice was laced with subtle threat, and it shook the courage of the group. None dared to respond, their fear anchoring their tongues. Angga interpreted their silence as loyalty.

"Alright! Since no one said anything, I'll assume all of you are staying with this group."

Meanwhile, deep in the rain-soaked forest, Felix was staggering through the mud and trees, her body trembling with exhaustion. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness overcame her, and she collapsed into the wet ground.

In her semi-conscious state, she felt herself being lifted. Someone was carrying her. Then, everything faded to black.

When she finally awoke, Felix found herself inside an old, wooden hut. The room was dimly lit, with the musty scent of damp wood in the air. She tried to stand, but her body betrayed her, still too weak.

"Ugh… Where am I? I have to get out of here!"

As she pushed herself off the crude wooden bed, she slipped and fell to the floor.

"Ouch…!"

Just then, the door creaked open, and someone rushed in.

"What are you doing?!"

"You're not in any condition to move. You need to rest!" said a man's voice with clear concern.

As he helped her back onto the bed, Felix squinted at his face. Her eyes widened.

"Wait… Yandi? Is that you?!"

"Hmm… you're just now realizing it's me?" Yandi smiled gently.

"Were you the one who found me when I passed out?"

"Yeah. I happened to come across you unconscious on my way back toward your group."

Felix looked down, her voice quiet. "Why were you going back?"

"I… I realized I was wrong about what happened earlier. I wanted to apologize to Angga."

Yandi admitted that he had overreacted earlier, which had triggered Angga's rage. He explained the fear he had felt the shadowy black figure he'd seen beside the large tree they were resting under. Maybe it was real, or maybe it was just his imagination. But his fear had caused chaos.

Felix frowned. "I think going back is a mistake. It could put you in danger."

"Why? Isn't Angga your boyfriend?" Yandi asked, puzzled by her concern.

Felix began explaining everything that had happened after Yandi left. How Angga's personality had changed. How he'd become volatile, selfish, and hypersensitive to even the smallest issues.

"The Angga I knew was kind and dependable. He would never get angry over something so small..." she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Yandi sat in silence, deeply troubled by what he heard. He wanted to say something, but since it concerned her relationship, he chose to remain quiet and think of a solution.

"I think we need to get out of this forest. We should stop continuing this insane expedition," Yandi said seriously.

Felix wiped her tears and nodded. "Alright… I agree."

But Yandi suddenly frowned. "The problem is… I don't know which way to go. I don't have any map or clue about this place."

Felix's eyes widened. "The only person with a map of the forest… is Angga."

Yandi gritted his teeth, frustrated. "Is there no other way?"

He paused, then something clicked in his memory.

"Wait… I just remembered something from when we first entered the forest."

Felix tilted her head. "What is it?"

"I saw Agung remember him? He had a big bag of snacks when we came in. He kept eating them and tossing the wrappers every few meters. I thought he was just being messy, but now… maybe it can help us trace the way back."

Felix stared at him, dumbfounded. "That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard. Are you actually serious?"

Yandi smirked. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"So you're saying we follow a trail of junk food wrappers…?"

"Exactly. If the rain hasn't washed them all away, they might lead us out."

Felix sighed, rubbing her temples. "There's no way that'll work. The rain and wind probably scattered them all."

"You're right… but I still want to check the last place I saw one. Once the rain lets up, I'll head out to see if the trail is still there."

"I want to come too." Felix said suddenly.

"No, you should stay here. You're not strong enough to walk, let alone hike through a stormy forest."

Yandi was genuinely worried. Taking her out in her current state would be reckless.

"Don't worry. I'll come back soon after I check. Just rest."

Reluctantly, Felix nodded. "Okay… but be careful."

Yandi believed the hut was safe enough to leave her in. After all, he had searched every corner of it before, and nothing seemed dangerous. Plus, she had been here alone for a while before regaining consciousness.

With that thought, Yandi stepped outside into the drizzle, determined to find the first clue.

The rain had subsided to a light mist by the time Yandi reached the area he remembered. He scoured the forest floor, brushing aside leaves and checking around the roots of trees.

After several minutes of searching, he finally saw something a crumpled snack wrapper wedged between a root and a rock, slightly soaked but still visible.

"This might actually work." he whispered to himself.

Encouraged, he kept moving forward, searching for more wrappers. The next one took longer to find, but it was there. Then another, slightly torn but recognizable. It seemed that despite the rain, some of the wrappers had managed to stay put, trapped in crevices or clinging to tree bark.

After finding the fourth one, he marked the spot mentally and decided to head back to the hut before it got dark. He had to move quickly.

Back at the hut, Felix sat upright on the bed, listening intently to the sounds outside. Every creak of wood or rustle of leaves made her heart race.

She heard the door open and exhaled in relief when she saw Yandi.

"You're back!"

"Yeah," he smiled, showing her the damp wrapper. "They're still there. At least a few of them are."

"So… we might really be able to get out of here?"

"It's not a perfect plan, but it's all we've got. If the rest of the trail hasn't been erased, we can follow it back to the entrance."

Felix took a deep breath. "Then let's do it. As soon as I can walk properly again… we'll leave this place."

Yandi nodded. "We'll rest tonight. Tomorrow, we begin at first light."

Unbeknownst to them, deep in the shadows of the forest, something was watching something that had been there since the beginning. The same dark presence Yandi once thought was a figment of his imagination… had started to move again.