Behind the sloping cliff rocks, Handoko still led the way as their guide. Handoko used his spear to help himself climb the high slope. Followed by the two of them, Joko now stepped faster to catch up with Agniran, who was slightly further below.
Joko's strong grip made it easier for him to climb the steep, rugged rocks of the slope, drawing him closer to Handoko, who was accelerating his climb.
When it was quiet—with only the sweltering heat of the sun beginning to warm up as if tapping on the rocky crust—a sudden startled cry rang out.
"Whoa... ah, you scared me, Jok!" Joko grabbed Handoko's leg, gripping it tightly, almost pulling him downward.
"Whoa... Jok! Stop messing around! Damn it, this place is haunted!" shouted Handoko, struggling, while Joko refused to let go of his leg.
"Don't go so fast!"
"Wait for Agniran!" Joko said, pulling Handoko's leg downward repeatedly.
"Damn you, Jok! I could fall!" Handoko shouted, starting to worry.
"I'm right below you, Le... How could you fall? I'll definitely catch you!" Joko grinned playfully.
"Alright, hurry up..." Agniran caught up. He leisurely climbed the cliff rocks until he overtook Handoko.
"Ag... this Joko is out of his mind..." Handoko jerked his legs, trying to shake off Joko's grip.
After that, Joko climbed with all his strength faster to the side away from Handoko to avoid retaliation. "Yee... I'm ahead!"
"Fool..." Handoko replied, continuing his climb.
They continued up the hill until they reached flatter ground. Now many rocks were buried under dried soil. Reaching that point, Agniran immediately pulled himself up and grabbed Joko's hand to help him up, followed shortly by Handoko. They arrived at the top of the hill.
In the blistering heat of midday, the journey continued without rest until they spotted terrain descending the hill in the distance. Now they walked through a forest of tall trees. Many large boulders buried in the ground were still visible around them. Dense, hard-stemmed bushes with withered leaves grew thick along the edges of the small rock cliffs, rocky slopes, and the crevices of giant boulders covered in thick vines full of roots. Countless dry leaves had fallen and scattered, cluttering the steep forest floor.
The hot, blinding sunlight broke through the gaps between tree trunks, shining directly onto a cave formed by a crack in rock slabs, almost concealed by dense climbing foliage.
"Hey... there's a cave, Jok," Handoko said, walking behind Agniran while looking at the cave not far from his view. Joko, walking beside him, paid no attention.
"Hey...!" Handoko pushed the distracted Joko, startling him. "There's a cave!"
"Yeah... there's a cave, so what?" Joko answered, continuing to walk.
"Let's check inside," Handoko asked.
"No... there are ghosts in there," Joko said, passing Handoko and walking not far behind Agniran.
"Stop bringing up ghosts! This place is haunted!" Handoko explained, tapping his spear against Joko's legs.
"You... call it haunted, yet you want to go inside?" Joko stopped. He caught the scent of a decaying carcass.
"Ag... wait, I smell a carcass." Joko grew suspicious. He lowered his thick eyebrows, scanning the surrounding forest area.
Handoko held his spear tighter. Agniran stopped in his tracks, then turned around to face the two behind him.
Agniran tried inhaling the forest air. "I don't smell it, Jok?"
"Yeah... I smell it." Handoko ran toward the cave. As he got closer, the smell became stronger.
Handoko slowly squeezed into the low opening of the cave, stooping low, followed by the others.
Inside the cave, the space was slightly wider. The walls were dry and rough, while part of the cave floor was soft, covered in soil. It was so dark inside, and the stench of the carcass was far more distinct.
Snap! Agniran lit a small torch (oncor) he had brought from the Padepokan and stepped forward.
"This is the smell of a carcass..." Joko stepped slowly, hand gripping the hilt of his machete.
Agniran drew his sword from its sheath, and they ventured deeper inside. The stench grew sharper.
Agniran gasped as he noticed a fissure on the cave floor ahead of him.
Handoko, who was at the very back, peeked over. He realized the fissure was faintly shadowed by the glow of Agniran's torchlight. "Ag..."
Agniran turned around, signaling Handoko to stay quiet.
"What is that?" Joko whispered to Handoko beside him, who only responded with a shake of his head.
Agniran dropped into a crouch, remaining alert, then handed his small torch to Joko behind him, who was also readying himself.
His left hand reached out to touch the gaping crack on the cave floor—looking terrifying, like the groaning jaws of an earth monster. He brought his fingers to his nose.
"Ash..." Agniran muttered softly.
Handoko moved forward a few inches toward them. Still on guard, he looked closer with the aid of the faint torchlight. Handoko realized that a circular pattern was etched into the fissure.
Joko squatted beside Agniran. "Is the smell of the carcass coming from here?" Joko asked softly, his eyes fixed on the cracked ground.
"Ag... I think this is something forbidden..." Handoko said, tightening his grip on his spear.
"Yeah... and this happened not long ago," Agniran explained, remaining focused on the cracked circular pattern on the cave floor.
"So the smell doesn't come from this?" Joko turned to Agniran from his crouching position, to which Agniran shook his head. "Should we go deeper inside?" Joko added, seeking direction.
"Let me go first," Agniran replied, standing up and stepping cautiously, followed by Joko.
Venturing deeper, Agniran and Joko smelled the carcass stench growing increasingly pungent. In the dim, orange light of the torch, they saw something black on the dead-end floor of the cave. As they drew closer, the object appeared wrapped in cloth, its edges weighed down by a ring of rocks.
Handoko, still behind them, seemed hesitant to follow. However, Agniran lifted several rocks holding down the cloth and pulled it open.
Agniran and Joko instantly covered their noses at the overwhelming stench. The torch was brought closer to inspect what object had clearly been concealed by human hands.
"What is this...?" Agniran nudged the object with the tip of his sword, leaning in to examine it closely.
"Ugh... the smell..." Joko said.
"It's meat..." Agniran muttered.
Joko casually brushed the object aside with his left hand. Some parts were decaying, while others were still fresh. "It's all meat..." He felt that it was a pile of cut meat wrapped in cloth. "But what is this... like entrails...?"
Swoosh... swish...! Someone emerged from behind the cave rocks, running toward the cave mouth at high speed. Handoko took a stance, raising his spear vertically. With all his strength, he repelled the person, sending them crashing to the ground.
"Hey... a thief, hey...!" Joko shouted, turning around to sprint, followed by Agniran.
Handoko raised his spear again, striking the fallen person several times with all his strength—until the stranger tripped Handoko's leg, causing him to fall as well.
Nimbly, the stranger drew a knife and thrust it toward Handoko, but Handoko parried it with his spear.
Realizing Agniran and Joko were approaching at full speed, the person tried to flee. However, Handoko hurled his spear with all his force.
Thwack! "Argh...!" the person screamed in pain.
The spear struck the back of his thigh. Acting quickly, he managed to pull it out and threw the spear back at Handoko. Handoko ducked to dodge it, then resumed his pursuit swiftly.
The person managed to break out of the cave while Handoko relentlessly chased behind him.
"He still has the knife in his hand..." Handoko muttered, sprinting hard after the man, who was losing speed.
"I can catch him!" Handoko raised his other spear. With precise aim, he threw it, hitting the man's other thigh.
"Arghhhhh...!" A scream echoed throughout the forest.
The man collapsed, the back of his other thigh pierced by Handoko's spear. Joko quickly caught up and leaped forward. Executing his Stone Strike technique, his body hardened as he slammed into the man, leaving him helpless.
"Argh... Mercy... Please... mercy..."
Joko swiftly confiscated his knife, after which Agniran arrived.
"Forgive me, please... I was framed..." The man was older than them, around 45 years old, wearing ordinary clothes.
"What do you mean framed?" Agniran asked, staring down at the man lying surrounded by Joko and Handoko.
"I really didn't know that ritual would end up like this..." the man said, looking at Agniran. He looked as if he wanted to cry, but no tears came out.
"So you were the one who did it?" Agniran stepped closer, staring at him again. "Why did you do it? That is clearly forbidden!"
"I swear, I was framed! Someone told me a way I could have a child."
This statement unexpectedly touched the three of them.
"Is what you're saying true?" Agniran pressed.
"Yes, Young Master... I have an illness that won't heal, and I deeply desire an heir..." the man explained.
"Who is this person who framed you?" Handoko dropped into a squat, looking at the man. The man's legs were stretched out with several bloodstains under his thighs, while both hands supported his back.
"He claimed to be a shaman living east of Wijonayem," he answered.
"You're from Wijonayem?" Agniran asked.
"Yes, Young Master..." he answered.
"Don't call us Young Master." Agniran stood up, his gaze sweeping far into the forest. "We must take you to the village hall," he added.
"Please don't, Young Master... I beg you..." The man's hand touched Handoko's leg beside him. "Let me die slowly..."
"What should we do, Ag...?" Handoko asked, looking up at Agniran standing next to him.
Agniran faced a dilemma—whether to hand him over to the authorities, or let him go and let the deadly curse of the Circle of Darkness execute him.
"What kind of meat was that...?" Agniran asked, looking down at the man.
"The requirement was six hundred throats," he answered, bowing his head. "I collected throats from all kinds of animals... and haven't fulfilled the number yet..."
"Alright, we will take you home. We can carry you," Agniran said hurriedly.
"I don't think you should, Young Master... Just let death take me..." The man tried to weep, hunching helplessly.
"Come on, Jok... lift him up," Agniran asked, starting to grab his arm, followed by Joko, who helped raise the body of the man who kept rebelling and refusing to be carried.
"Come on... Sir! We have to deliver you to your family!" Agniran urged, assisted by the two.
The four of them walked through the forest. Slowly, they carried the man down the hill.
About a quarter of the way through the journey, the man asked not to be carried anymore. He wanted to walk on his own, even though he had to endure the pain in his thighs.
Upon reaching the edge of the slope, the man quickly snatched his knife, which was tucked into Joko's belt. Unknowingly, the three had let their guard down.
"Don't come near me!" The man ran limping away from them, approaching a cliff.
"Hey, Sir... Don't do it!" Joko shouted, pointing his right hand at him as a signal to stay still.
"It's useless..." The man placed the knife against his neck. He slit his own throat as his body went limp, plunging into the ravine.
The three of them watched in shock at the man's action. At the edge of the cliff, they witnessed his body fall motionless onto the rocks below.
"That guy was crazy..." Handoko muttered, watching the tragic sight below.
They realized that perhaps it was indeed a curse for anyone who had meddled with the Circle of Darkness.
"Ugh... terrifying..." added Joko, who also stood transfixed, seeing the man lying dead below.
Agniran remained silent. His gaze was still fixed on the body lying there.
"Come on, Ag..." Handoko pulled Agniran's arm away from the cliff, followed by Joko.
It was late afternoon, but the sky still retained its blue hue. They walked down the hill, now at a faster pace.
"We need to find a river..." Joko shouted, moving swiftly at the very back of the line.
"Blame yourself, Jok! Who told you to dig through that carcass..." replied Handoko, busy running behind Agniran. Agniran himself stepped nimbly down the slope.
Rumble... rumble... rumble... Thud... thud...! "Whoa... an earthquake!" Handoko shouted in panic, though he didn't stop moving.
The three remained alert to the sudden tremors, yet kept stepping down the mountain terrain. Joko spread his arms slightly to maintain balance as he ran, as did Agniran. Meanwhile, Handoko was assisted by his spear.
"Why is there an earthquake? Could it be the effect of that Circle of Darkness earlier?!" Handoko shouted in the middle of the forest.
"What now, Ag...? The shaking is getting stronger!" Joko shouted, waiting for the command to stop.