We all finally took shelter under that strange, massive tree. Not long after, heavy rain started to pour, and the tree truly helped keep us dry.
"It's better if we take cover under the branches of this huge tree, right?"
Angga, the team leader, gave a firm order that everyone should follow his instructions without question.
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone agreed with Angga's decision. Everyone, except one Yandi. He had been quiet from the beginning, not saying a single word.
The group stood in a circle around the large tree, sheltered by its thick, wide leaves, which were surprisingly enough to block the heavy rain.
Yandi, who had been feeling uneasy, finally spoke.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this giant tree…?"
"Yandi, what are you doing out there?"
"Come here! You'll catch a cold standing in the rain like that!"
Oddly enough, Yandi refused to follow Angga's instruction. Instead, he made up his mind to find another place to take shelter somewhere he felt might be safer.
"Hey…! Where do you think you're going?!"
Angga shouted at Yandi, furious that someone dared to disobey him.
"If you won't follow orders, you'll rot in this forest and no one will come looking for you!"
Angga's voice echoed sharply as he tried to stop Yandi, who was now walking farther and farther away.
Click… click… The faint sound of Yandi's footsteps splashing through puddles could be heard fading into the distance.
"I don't care anymore… Let him do whatever he wants." Angga muttered bitterly under his breath.
The group was now divided into two: Angga and his five companions Felix, Nano, Meri, Agung, and Krisna remained under the massive tree, while Yandi headed off alone, following his instincts.
"Heh… ha-ha…"
Yandi's light laughter was barely audible through the pounding rain as he dashed through the woods.
After a while, he spotted an old cabin not too far from where he was standing.
"Ha-ha…! A cabin!"
"I should check if it's safe before going in…"
"I really hope there's nothing dangerous inside…"
Carefully, Yandi approached the wooden door, which looked ancient and rusted with age.
Creeaakk… The creaking door echoed as he slowly opened it.
He stepped inside, cautious, his heart pounding. The cabin was small, old, and eerily silent.
After thoroughly checking every corner and finding nothing suspicious, he sighed in relief and decided to rest. He hung up his soaked clothes, hoping they'd dry before the rain stopped.
"Thank goodness… there's nothing dangerous here."
"I even checked the back. It's all clear…"
But his thoughts soon returned to his friends, who were still huddled under the big tree.
"How are they doing now?"
"Are they okay?"
"I don't know… ever since I stood near that tree, something felt off…"
"That tree… it has some kind of strange aura. It's like… something is living inside it."
A dark shadow he had glimpsed near the tree earlier flashed across his memory.
"Was it just my imagination…?"
"I can't stop thinking about them. Once the rain clears, I'm going back to check on them."
"And if I'm not mistaken… didn't the leader yell at me? He even sounded like he was cursing me…"
Yandi stood up, leaning against the damp, moldy wall of the cabin, trying to collect his thoughts.
***
(Meanwhile, back at the tree where Angga and the others were still taking shelter…)
Angga was still fuming over Yandi's defiance.
"All this time… through all our camping trips and expeditions… no one has ever dared disobey me…"
"Damn it… that guy needs to be taught a lesson."
Angga clenched his fists. He had always been respected, admired even, for his decisiveness and leadership. Now, one person had dared to question his authority.
"Stupid Yandi… I'll prove to him that I made the right decision!"
Felix, who was one of Angga's closest companions, began to feel uneasy about his leader's recent decisions.
"I don't know why… but every choice Angga makes lately just feels… wrong…"
Still, he couldn't say it aloud. Everyone else still believed in Angga. They had placed their trust in him from the beginning of the trip.
"I can't do this alone… I need Yandi's help to make the others see the truth…"
Meanwhile, Angga was deep in thought, possibly planning how to punish Yandi once they met again.
Meri, Nano, Agung, and Krisna were trying their best to warm themselves up by rubbing their hands together and pressing them to their faces.
Shhh-shhh the sound of their hands rubbing in the cold echoed softly beneath the tree canopy.
"Hahh… at least this helps a little," Krisna said with a bitter smile.
"How long do we have to stay here…? I'm starting to get really scared staying in this place…"
Agung's voice trembled. He had shown signs of fear even before this trip began.
Angga, already on edge, snapped at Agung's whining.
"Would you prefer to be drenched out there instead of being here?!"
Agung, startled and frightened, couldn't even respond.
"If any of you don't want to stay here, feel free to leave!"
"But if anything happens to you out there, don't you dare blame me! It's your own decision!"
Angga's sharp words silenced everyone. A heavy tension filled the air.
No one said a word.
Because deep down, they all knew one thing: if they left Angga, they would be lost in the darkness of the night.
Angga was the only one who held the map that showed every location within this dense forest. If they parted ways with him, they might never find their way back again.