That afternoon, the students of Class 3.B from the Software Engineering department gathered in front of their classroom. They were preparing to attend their computer extracurricular session.
Around thirty students were present in the program.
One of them was Nurul.
Nurul was a fairly prominent student in her class. She stood about a hundred and seventy cm tall, with a proportional build—neither fat nor thin. Her straight black hair reached her shoulders, her skin was clear with a yellowish tone, and her sweet face reflected a distinct Malay heritage. When she smiled, dimples appeared on both sides of her cheeks.
Nurul was known as an active and agile student. It could be said that she was one of the model students at her school. In addition to computer studies, she was also active in Scouts and the flag-raising troop.
Because of that, she was often selected as a member of the flag ceremony team. Of course, her ideal posture made her a top choice for the role.
At the moment, Nurul was chatting with several of her friends.
"How did you end up going into a trance during the flag ceremony yesterday, Rul?" asked Sri, one of her friends.
"You've been in the flag team for a long time. What actually happened?"
Nurul shook her head slowly.
"I don't really remember," she replied.
"My mind just went blank… completely empty."
"When I came to, I was already in the infirmary. But after that, I felt something strange… like fear and anxiety. Even now, I still feel uneasy."
Nurul let out a sigh.
"I don't know why. It feels strange. Even at home, I feel uncomfortable… I've been having nightmares."
"I feel like I forgot something, like I had amnesia at that moment."
Sri looked thoughtful for a moment, touching her forehead.
"They said you were possessed, right? That's what Ms. Yuyun said?"
Nurul nodded.
"Yeah. They said I screamed hysterically and babbled incoherently. Ms. Yuyun gave me blessed water to bring me back."
"And it worked."
Sri nodded slowly.
"People usually get possessed when a spirit takes over their consciousness," she said seriously, leaning closer to Nurul.
"That usually happens when someone's mind is empty."
Sri looked straight at her.
"You shouldn't daydream too much."
"You need to pray more, read scripture, and keep your mind healthy and focused."
"If your mind isn't empty, spirits won't be able to disturb you easily, Rul."
Nurul smiled at her friend's words.
"Alright. I'll try to follow your advice."
But then her expression turned serious again.
"But it still feels strange."
"I don't think I was daydreaming or anything at that time. It just happened suddenly."
"I think I saw someone, but… I'm not really sure."
A few moments later, a female teacher Mrs. Fauziah walked down the hallway.
She clapped her hands twice loudly to get their attention.
"Alright, everyone! Let's go inside. Time to start the lesson!"
The students of Class 3.B immediately entered the computer lab.
The room was quite spacious. Inside, there were around thirty computers neatly arranged on desks, each lined up in order.
At the front, there was a teacher's desk equipped with a computer and a projector. A large whiteboard was mounted on the front wall.
Each student had their own computer, so no one had to take turns during practice.
About fifteen minutes into the lesson—
Suddenly, Nurul stood up from her seat.
She walked to the front of the class and gestured for permission to leave.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Fauziah. May I go to the restroom?"
The teacher simply nodded.
Nurul left the classroom and walked down the corridor toward the restroom.
The school area was quite large. The distance between buildings was about ten meters, with small gardens in between. Some areas were connected by long corridors.
After walking for a while, Nurul reached the back area of the school. There was a row of first-grade classrooms there. The last building stood near the school canteen.
At the end of the building was a narrow path leading to the restroom. On both sides of the small walkway were gardens filled with waist-high cherry bushes.
At the end of the path stood the restroom building.
Its roof was made of brown tiles, and its walls were white with brown wooden doors.
Above each door was a wooden ventilation panel for air circulation.
The building was located at the far corner of the school. Behind it stood a tall wall separating the school from the outside environment.
The restroom was divided into two sections—
The left side for females, and the right side for males.
In the middle was a small room used as a storage area for cleaning and gardening tools.
Around the area were small flower gardens. On the right side of the building stood a row of pine trees stretching along the school wall, each spaced about ten steps apart.
Some areas were covered in thick, soft-looking grass.
It was actually quite a pleasant place to hang out or play.
At that moment, however, the place felt eerily quiet. No one else was around.
Nurul quickened her pace.
As soon as she reached the women's restroom, she went straight into the first stall.
A few minutes passed.
Nurul sat inside the stall, lost in thought.
The atmosphere was extremely silent.
Suddenly—
Rustle…
A strange sound came from another stall.
Then came a scratching noise, like fingernails dragging across a wall.
Grrrk… grrrk…
And then—
A soft, faint sound of a woman crying.
Nurul froze, startled.
A mix of curiosity and anxiety crept over her.
She quickly stepped out of her stall.
"Who's there?"
She looked toward the source of the sound.
The crying was coming from another stall.
Gathering her courage, Nurul walked slowly toward it.
Her steps were hesitant.
"The third stall…" she whispered.
Finally, she stood in front of the door.
"Hello?"
"Is someone in there?"
"Are you okay?"
The crying continued.
Nurul grew more curious.
Slowly, she pushed the stall door open.
Creeeak…
Inside, she saw a female student wearing a white-and-gray uniform, with a short-sleeved shirt and a skirt that reached her calves. Her wavy hair fell to her shoulders.
The girl stood there with her head lowered, her face hidden.
"Who are you?" Nurul asked.
"What happened to you? Are you okay?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed.
The light vanished.
In an instant, the place turned as dark as night.
Just seconds ago, the sun had been shining brightly—
Now it was as if it had been switched off like a lamp.
Nurul was shocked.
She felt confused, unable to understand what was happening.
The girl slowly lifted her face.
She looked like an Asian teenage girl, her skin pale and beautiful. Her eyes were clear and mesmerizing.
She stared at Nurul coldly.
Her eyes gradually turned red, glowing intensely.
She slowly raised her right hand.
"Black… Vortex!"
Nurul's eyes widened in shock.
"Y-you…?!"
The girl's hand began to tremble.
From her palm, thick black smoke emerged, swirling like a vortex.
The vortex grew larger.
Nurul panicked.
Her body felt like it was being pulled toward the dark spiral.
She tried to scream—
But no sound came out.
An overwhelming fear consumed her.
Nurul turned and tried to run.
Her hands reached forward desperately.
But it was useless.
The black vortex pulled her in.
Her vision slowly faded to darkness.
And finally—
Her consciousness disappeared.
***