Irwan immediately stood in front of Nadia, even though he was trembling. The woman walked closer to Irwan and Nadia, who were standing there scared, a smile on her face.
"Wh-who are you?" Irwan asked, his voice shaking.
"Oh, sorry. My name is Linawati Ningsih, just call me Lina. Who are you guys? How did you end up here?" Lina asked nicely.
"W-we followed that Japanese soldier," Irwan stammered, pointing to the tent where the soldier was sleeping.
"Oh, I see. Are you villagers?" Lina asked kindly.
"Y-yes, we are. W-why, actually?" Irwan asked.
"No reason," Lina replied. But even though she said it was nothing, Lina watched Irwan and Nadia carefully. Her eyes seemed to scan their bodies from head to toe, then back up again. After that, Lina walked over to the tent and sat down casually in front of it. Irwan and Nadia just stood there, frozen and not moving, because they were so scared. Suddenly, Lina looked at them.
"You're safe here, no need to be scared," Lina said in a friendly voice.
"B-but, you're one of them, aren't you?" Irwan countered.
"Hmm... that's right." Lina raised both her hands, then took off her head.
"Aaaaaaaah!" Irwan and Nadia immediately screamed in terror, especially when Lina's head floated right in front of their faces and her long tongue stretched out. But Lina didn't do anything; her head just floated back to her body and reattached. It seemed like Lina was just showing Irwan and Nadia the truth. Thud. Irwan and Nadia fell to the ground because their legs felt weak and their heads felt huge.
"Hmm, your bodies... they're damaged," Lina mumbled, still looking at Irwan and Nadia.
"H-how do you know?" Irwan asked.
"I can see inside you. It seems you're humans who were brought here by the Salvation Forum," Lina replied.
"T-that's right. Who are you really? What's actually happening in the village? How do we get out of here?" Irwan pressed.
"Wow... you have a lot of questions. Alright, I'll answer them one by one."
Lina told them her story. Apparently, she was a professor who went hiking and disappeared with Rahman. When they first arrived, they were immediately captured by supernatural beings called kuyang. After that, the kuyang used them as food and turned them into immortal beings that could never die. But the kuyang knew Lina was a professor, so they changed her into one of their kind because they wanted to use her knowledge.
Rahman helped Lina escape the kuyang's city and brought her to the village, making her hide in the cave where they were now. After Lina finished, Irwan and Nadia looked even more suspicious, scared, and disbelieving that Lina still had a human identity.
"You must be suspicious of me, right? Don't worry, I won't eat you. I just need blood once a month," Lina murmured gently.
"Y-you're right. Nadia and I don't trust you," Irwan stammered.
"That's okay, I understand. I can't change how I am now without my own will," Lina replied kindly, with a sad smile.
"Then why is that Japanese soldier here?" Nadia forced herself to ask.
"Oh, him? Even though I don't understand his language, he understands what I need and gives me his blood and flesh so I can eat," Lina answered.
"I-I see. So he's your prey," Nadia said.
"Hmm, not really. He gives me his blood and flesh so he can die. I know this because he looks grateful when I'm drinking his blood. For him, the deal with me is very beneficial; we both fulfill each other's needs," Lina responded.
"Th-this is truly terrifying. So, do you know where Rahman is?" Irwan asked.
"Rahman? He's sneaking into the Tiger Tunnel, disguised as one of the medical officers who brought a husband, wife, and their baby," Lina replied casually and friendly.
"Huh... R-really?" Irwan asked, surprised.
"That's right. He wants to save the couple before they're turned into something like me and forced to eat their own baby," Lina replied.
Irwan and Nadia immediately got goosebumps. Now they understood the fate of the couple who had greeted them yesterday and invited them to queue for food, after hearing Lina's explanation.
"W-what is Rahman's real goal?" Irwan asked, growing more suspicious of Rahman.
"He's looking for a cure to turn me back to normal," Lina replied.
"Huh... Is that true?" Irwan asked.
Lina nodded, and sadness seemed to cross her face. Irwan and Nadia looked at each other, then Irwan asked Lina again,
"Why would they change that couple? Aren't they supposed to be their food?" Irwan asked.
"Didn't you hear the announcement they made? If a villager successfully gives birth, they'll be allowed to meet their family. In reality, that's not what happens. They'll be turned into kuyang and put to work by them. But they'll accept it happily because in their minds, they're going back home to the human world, even though their bodies have been changed," Lina explained.
"W-what? Is that true?" Nadia asked.
"It's true. The kuyang population is getting smaller; they need a lot of workers. That's why that contest was held. Besides getting premium food, which is newborn babies, they also reproduce and grow in number," Lina answered.
Gulp. Irwan and Nadia swallowed their saliva, both getting more chills than before.
"D-do you know how to get out of here?" Irwan asked.
"Hmm, have you met Rahman yet?" Lina asked back.
"Not yet," Irwan answered briefly.
"Rahman knows the way out of here. He's still here because he wants to help me turn back into a human again," Lina said.
"Huh?" Irwan and Nadia gasped in surprise at Lina's words. Without realizing it, they held hands because after hearing Brian and Riana's story, they knew that Rahman hadn't told Brian and Riana everything.
"Nadia and I haven't met Rahman yet, but two of our friends have. They said Rahman doesn't know the way out and is still looking for an heirloom to open a gate that's somewhere unknown," Irwan said.
Irwan told Lina what Brian and Riana had told him and Nadia. After Irwan finished, Lina immediately fell silent with a serious expression.
"Hmm, I see. Your friends have met Rahman?" Lina asked to confirm.
Irwan and Nadia nodded. Then Lina stood up and walked towards the statue. Crsssss. A burning sound and smoke appeared when she took the bracelet from the statue's hand. Then she walked back to her original spot and sat down, placing her bracelet on the ground. Irwan and Nadia could see that Lina's hand was scorched but was already healing.
"This is the heirloom Rahman told your friends about," Lina said, pointing to the bracelet now lying on the floor.
"Can this heirloom be used to get out of here?" Nadia asked.
"Of course. To get out of here, you just need to bring this heirloom to the gate, and you'll be able to leave," Lina answered.
"So Rahman lied to our friends," Irwan mumbled.
"No, like I said, he won't leave as long as I'm like this," Lina said, pulling off her head again.
Irwan and Nadia gasped again, immediately hugging each other out of reflex. Lina put her head back on.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Lina said.
"N-no problem," Irwan and Nadia said together.
Lina smiled again, then she picked up her bracelet, and her hand started to burn again. She put the bracelet back on the statue's hand and sat back down in her original spot.
"You two should go. It's getting late," Lina said kindly.
"A-alright, we'll get going," Irwan replied, standing up and helping Nadia stand.
Without saying much else, they both immediately turned and slowly walked to the cave entrance. Once outside, they continued walking through the forest.
"Do you trust her, Wan?" Nadia asked.
"I don't know. I'm even more confused now. If Rahman's goal is really to help Lina, why did he lie to Brian and Riana? What does he want from Brian and Riana?" Irwan wondered.
"Yeah, you're right. He should have asked Brian and Riana for help, shouldn't he?" Nadia agreed.
"That's the strange thing. It seems like we need to tell Brian and Riana that we can't trust Rahman 100%," Irwan replied.
"I agree. Should we go to their house again now?" Nadia asked.
"Yes, we have to tell them," Irwan answered.