The forests of Kalimantan looked slightly eerie. The morning sunlight could only slip through narrow gaps between the trees. Birds chirped in the distance. Strange sounds echoed once or twice. But none of that discouraged Alexandra—a rising photographer—to explore the forest, searching for hidden beauty and capturing every moment with the large camera hanging from her neck.
Alyx—Alexandra's nickname—was fully prepared for the morning. She had even asked someone to inject her with a dengue vaccine. She also carried a combat knife, just in case a wild animal decided to attack.
This was Alyx's second time venturing into the dense Kalimantan forest. A year ago, she had come here as well—but things hadn't gone smoothly. Mosquitoes had brought illness into her body, forcing her to leave before completing her assignment. She had promised herself she would return. And today, she did.
It had been a long, exhausting journey—London to Jakarta to Kalimantan—and she hadn't rested at all. But exhaustion didn't matter. To her, this was something she truly enjoyed.
In the middle of adjusting her lighting, Alyx turned around, making sure one of her team members was still following behind. A smile formed on her face—unlike Gading, a gentle-looking man with a large backpack on his shoulders. Alyx had intentionally brought only him along. Even though he complained a lot, she preferred scouting locations with him rather than the rest of the team.
Every now and then, Gading's screams echoed through the forest whenever he encountered strange little creatures. He always asked Alyx to get rid of them for him. Meanwhile, Alyx seemed to enjoy every second of being there. Gading sighed again, feeling like the unluckiest person alive for having to accompany her through such a vast forest. He couldn't understand why his boss insisted on scouting locations herself while the rest of the team and the model waited at the camp.
"What are you doing?" Alyx's firm voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Gading quickly caught up as she walked further ahead.
"They said you wanna be a photographer, huh? Ehm… what do you think about this?"
Before Gading could even answer, Alyx had already moved on to something else. He swallowed hard. Nothing had changed about her since last year. He snapped back to attention when she spoke again in English—sometimes with a different accent mixed in. Gading tried to understand every word, just in case she needed something. He had realized that Alyx often talked to herself.
"Gading."
"Yes. I… I…"
"I understand the language," Alyx smiled, noticing his effort to speak English.
"Yeah, I know. What's next?" Gading looked at her back as she admired the view ahead. It seemed like they were about to start a photoshoot at the waterfall.
"Should I go back to camp now?"
"Go," she replied in English, already imagining the results she would capture later.
The waterfall in front of Alyx roared as it flowed. The morning light made the splashes shimmer like pearls. Bright green trees surrounded it, clearly thriving under the sunlight. Ideas quickly filled her mind—how she would direct the model, how each pose would look through her lens. As the director of the team, guiding the model was her responsibility.
Suddenly, Alyx stopped taking pictures.
She turned back toward where she came from, wondering if her team member would make it safely to camp—or how she could contact Gading when her smartphone wasn't working, sitting uselessly inside her maroon backpack. That bag never left her side. Whatever was inside, it must have been important.
She decided to review the photos she had just taken, scrolling through them quickly.
Then she stopped.
A sound pulled her attention away from the camera.
Dry twigs snapping under footsteps.
"You're alrea—" she paused, confused. Maybe she was mistaken. But the sound of approaching footsteps was clear. Or maybe it was just an animal.
Moments later, silence.
Alyx gripped the knife in her pocket, her expression tense, mixed with confusion. Then suddenly, the footsteps ran—away. She released her grip when she heard a familiar voice.
"Sorry we took so long. She just finished bathing and putting on a bunch of makeup."
One of the team members pointed at Masha, a Russian model hired for a magazine shoot.
Alyx smiled. "Remove your makeup."
"What?" Masha clenched her teeth, lowering her voice. "Fine," she said, giving in after seeing Alyx's serious expression.
"Even if it's not heavy, it still interferes with my camera."
Alyx quickly recalled the theme for the Russian magazine. The team immediately prepared the equipment, including a changing space for the model.
"Come on. Hurry up. Before that beautiful sun is right above your heads."
They rushed into position as Alyx directed them, pointing here and there. The first session began, with Masha wearing a white dress that wrapped elegantly around her figure.
"Okay," Alyx ended the first session and quickly moved on to the next, and the next.
While waiting for the final outfit change, Alyx occasionally captured candid shots of the surroundings.
Masha returned, ready, standing in front of Alyx and asking for her opinion. Alyx simply smiled and kept shooting.
Then suddenly.
Masha collapsed.
Alyx froze as Masha's body stiffened. The others rushed forward, trying to wake her.
"What happened?"
"What's wrong with her?"
"Give her space," Alyx said firmly.
"Call a doctor!"
"A doctor? There's no doctor here! Weren't you supposed to prepare medical supplies? Alyx asked you, didn't she?"
"I thought it wasn't important," the man replied regretfully.
"Enough. Don't blame each other. Does she faint like this often? We need to take her back to camp."
"But her breathing—it's getting heavier. I'm afraid—"
"Move!"
Alyx knelt beside Masha and checked her pulse.
Then she realized.
Poison had already spread through Masha's body.
"One of you, go to camp and call a doctor. Now."
"I'll go," Gading volunteered. "They usually pass through the nearby village. They can come quickly."
Alyx nodded.
She turned Masha's body and brushed the hair away from her neck.
A small needle was embedded at the back of her neck.
"Her breathing is weakening… paralysis effect… a type of curare," she thought.
She exhaled sharply and opened her backpack, pulling out a small box.
"What is she going to do?" someone whispered.
"Is she going to cut her neck open?"
Alyx turned sharply toward them.
"If you can't stay quiet, then leave—or pack up the equipment. The shoot is over."
That night, they sat around a campfire, waiting for the pickup vehicle that would take them back to the city.
"A doctor?" someone asked.
"That's what I heard," Fred said, becoming the center of attention. "She's only been in photography for about two years, and as you can see… her name has already skyrocketed."
"What kind of doctor?"
"A surgeon, I think. Maybe still a resident."
"How old is she? She looks young."
"She finished everything quickly. Skipped grades, accelerated programs… she's a genius."
"Then why did she become a photographer?"
"Yeah, surgeons make good money, don't they?"
Fred cleared his throat. "Ask her yourself."
They turned as Alyx approached.
"Why?" she asked, confused by their stares.
Fred quickly invited her to sit.
"Is it true you're a doctor?" someone finally asked.
"Yeah, you could say that," Alyx replied calmly. "I only worked in the medical field for a few months."
"Then why did you quit?"
"…Because I'm looking for someone."
No one asked further questions as Fred started playing his guitar.
The next afternoon in Jakarta, the heat was unbearable outside, but Alyx and her team were inside an air-conditioned room, finishing their work.
"I'm leaving," Alyx said.
"Back to London?" Fred asked.
She nodded. "There's nowhere else to go. That's home. If I didn't work alone, I'd bring you all with me."
"I'll take you to the airport," Fred offered.
"No. I have somewhere to go first."
Later that day, Alyx arrived at a large Taekwondo training center. She stood in front of the sign for a moment before pushing the heavy door open.
Inside, children and teenagers were warming up.
"Sabeum," Alyx bowed.
The instructor smiled warmly and approached her.
"Come in," he said.
Alyx followed him into a traditional house.
"Dad!" the instructor called out. "She just got back from Hawaii."
Alyx smiled.
Moments later, a tall, well-built man stepped out, wearing a bright floral shirt and a necklace—probably something he brought back from Hawaii.
"You're hurting my ears," he said, not noticing Alyx at first.
Alyx smiled at him.
He smiled back casually, about to turn away—then suddenly froze.
His eyes widened.
"Papa…"
"My child… my child…" he repeated, rushing toward her and pulling her into a tight embrace.
"It's been so long."
"I missed you, Pa."
*