One night had passed, leading into the late hours of another day.
Pharan still sat upright on the meditation seat, facing a large candle that was close to burning out, with Khem watching from not far away to ensure the candle didn't extinguish too soon.
Sweat beaded down from Pharan's forehead in a steady stream, soaking his entire body, as the effort to locate Luang Pu Kasem was proving to be incredibly difficult.
Pharan's concentration was heavily disturbed by numerous spirits in the forest who seemed intent on preventing him from finding Luang Pu Kasem, as if they were trying to buy time for Madam-Ramphueng, who had followed his two disciples.
The sounds of screams, laughter, and curses filled his ears, and through his spiritual vision, he saw hordes of forest spirits emerging from the ground from all directions, crawling towards this meditation area but unable to breach the golden barrier of sacred script, only able to moan with hunger.
Eight spiritual senses were extended far and wide without relent, racing against the scant time remaining. His blood boiled with the intensity of his effort, and the pain from a still-healing curse worsened with each passing moment.
Khem sat behind, hands clasped in prayer, tears falling as he felt the agony Pharan was enduring. He closed his eyes, imploring the sacred entities for mercy and compassion, to help them overcome this ordeal and end these dreadful events once and for all.
The next moment, a strong gust of wind blew through the gaps in the wooden house, hitting their bodies, and the candle flame suddenly went out as Pharan opened his eyes.
He found him.
After navigating through the eternal past, Jett awoke to find himself being given CPR by a man in rescue gear, trying to revive him after he had stopped breathing for nearly two minutes, near the site of the incident.
Jett coughed out a large amount of water, taking deep breaths and coughing several times.
"He's awake over here! How are you, Phii?" That was the question from the man in front of Jett. The surrounding voices were chaotic with panic.
Jett nodded once before turning to look beside him, finding that Chan was still unconscious and being given CPR.
Jett's eyes widened, fear rushing into his heart in that moment. Despite his fatigued body, he was suddenly spurred into action, crawling off the makeshift bed to stop beside Chan.
"Chan! Can you hear me? Don't die on me, wake up quickly!" Jett shouted in panic, shaking the other man's arm, hoping for him to wake up and scold him as he always did when woken up. He didn't care who tried to comfort or stop him.
However, there was no response; Chan remained still.
Jett pressed his forehead against Chan's arm, tears flowing unexpectedly, pleading.
"You saw it too, didn't you? Our past."
"..."
"Please, wake up and stay with me, don't leave me like this."
Time passed, and despair seemed to creep in. Jett didn't want to look up and face the harsh reality, so he could only cry, but then, someone gently stroked his still damp hair.
"Jett...why are you crying?" Chan asked hoarsely. Jett quickly lifted his head to lock eyes with him, then burst into happy tears.
"Ugh, sob, Chan."
Chan raised his hand to wipe away Jett's tears, then softly responded,
"In this life, let's start anew, shall we?"
Jett, overwhelmed with mixed emotions, didn't think about the future, only filled with fear of losing him, but he nodded several times in agreement.
The sun was about to rise. Time was of the essence, so both Jett and Chan declined a hospital check-up, determined to continue their journey immediately, disregarding their car which was still submerged in the river, waiting to be recovered.
But before they could ask the rescue team or the police for a ride, a stern-looking man approached them directly.
"Kids, I'm the truck driver who caused the accident by swerving into your lane. Could I have a quick word? Are you in a rush to go somewhere?"
Jett and Chan, wrapped in large towels, immediately exchanged glances, then turned back to nod at the man who had approached them.
Yes, they were in a hurry, and they knew well that the accident wasn't just a coincidence, but it seemed like what this man wanted to say was important. So, they were willing to listen.
"Sure, go ahead, Uncle. What happened earlier?" Jett responded.
"My name is Boonrit, but you can just call me Uncle Boon. I need to sincerely apologize for what happened; I'm glad you both made it out like this." Uncle Boon spoke with a mix of stress and relief, also giving a wai, which prompted Jett and Chan to return the gesture.
"It's okay, Uncle. We know you didn't do it on purpose." Jett replied, causing Uncle Boon to exhale deeply.
"You might not believe this, but just before the bridge, I saw a woman in ancient Thai attire, like those from the servant class long ago, standing in the middle of the road and pointing at me. Suddenly, I couldn't control the steering wheel, and that's why my truck veered into yours." Both Jett and Chan inhaled sharply, thinking it was surely the work of Madam-Ramphueng's spirit.
"Actually, we should apologize to you because that spirit was following us."
Uncle Boon went silent as if he forgot to breathe, then quickly nodded.
"She's a very powerful spirit; even though I've encountered many and am somewhat used to it, I still felt fear. It's been a long time since I've felt like this."
Jett and Chan nodded in acknowledgment. Uncle Boon, looking at the two young men, sensed something about them - they were practitioners of the arcane arts just like him. Moreover, the scent of magic that clung to them reminded him of someone he had known long ago.
Feeling a sense of compassion and pity, he removed the amulet necklace he was wearing and handed it to Jett.
"I don't know what kind of trouble or what you're facing, but since we've met, consider it fate. Take this necklace; it might help a little, because what you have with you right now isn't enough."
Jett and Chan swallowed hard, looking down at the ordinary-looking amulet necklace that now felt warm with its mystical power, evoking a
sense of deep gratitude.
"Is it really okay for us to have this?"
"Of course, I don't have any children, and I've been thinking about giving it to someone. Just take it." Jett nodded, clasped his hands together, and raised the amulet above his head, saying 'Sadhu' just like Chan.
"Thank you, Uncle. If we make it through this, I'll find you and repay you later." Uncle Boon nodded with a smile, gently patting Jett and Chan on the shoulder.
"I'll just accept your thanks. As for finding me, if fate allows it, we'll meet again someday. You guys hurry along, I'll handle things here." Jett and Chan bowed in gratitude to Uncle Boon once more, spoke briefly to the police about not holding Uncle Boon responsible and asked them to take them to a certain place, which was the temple where Khem's father, or Pinto, was the abbot.
Fortunately, the temple was only about ten kilometers from the accident site. Soon, the police car drove Jett and Chan there, and by now, the position of the sun indicated it was about eight in the morning.
The two jumped off the back of the truck together, thanked the police for bringing them, and then hurriedly entered the temple grounds. Seeing a monk sweeping leaves under a large Bodhi tree, we rushed over, clasped our hands in prayer, and greeted him.
"Paying respects, Abbot." The abbot stopped sweeping and turned towards us immediately.
"Blessings upon you, laymen. What brings you here? You seem quite agitated." The abbot asked.
"We are looking for Abbot Pinto. Do you know if he's here?" Jett replied, and the abbot nodded.
"The monk you're looking for is me."
Jett and Chan almost jumped to hug each other. After explaining the events to the abbot, they could see clear concern in his eyes.
In his role as a monk, Pinto had renounced worldly attachments, so he couldn't directly intervene to help his son, Khem, much, except to pray for his safety every day.
Luckily, Khem had met good friends like these two young men.
"We are looking for something that seems to be a family heirloom of Khem's family, something very old, like jewelry." Chan said with a calm
face, his voice showing confidence in the matter, even though no one knew exactly what this item was or if it was indeed jewelry as Chan had said.
Jett wanted to ask how he knew, but he kept silent and just nodded, thinking he'd inquire about the reasons later. What he knew for sure was that Chan wouldn't speak with certainty unless he was confident in his thoughts.
The monk paused to consider Chan's words before responding,
"Actually, there's something that Khem's mother received from her sister, an old wooden box. Please wait at the temple pavilion; I will fetch that item for you."
Phra Pinto returned to his kuti, opened the wooden cabinet, and took out a dark-colored wooden box that had been stored deep inside, wiped off the dust, and carried it over to Jett and Chan at the temple pavilion.
Once he placed it before them, he said,
"This is the only heirloom that Khem's aunt left for him. I intended to give it to Khem after he finished his studies. Once, she told me that it was passed down through the family to a daughter or niece, whomever it was decided to be given to, but there's a rule that it must never be sold or destroyed."
Jett and Chan glanced at each other before Jett asked,
"Can we open it, Luang Por?" Phra Pinto thought for a moment before answering,
"I've never opened it myself, but I believe there should be no harm. Go ahead and open it." With permission, Jett immediately lifted the lid of the wooden box to find it filled with various small pieces of jewelry, all looking very old, including rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
Chan pondered for a while before his hand reached in and picked up something for all to see.
"This is it."
What he picked up looked like an infant's ankle bracelet made from snake skin, adorned with tiny bells that jingled when shaken.
"Are you sure?" Jett asked with a furrowed brow, to which Chan nodded.
He couldn't explain why; it was all guided by intuition. To put it simply, his
'sense' told him so.
"If that's the case, could Luang Por help us destroy it?" Phra Pinto took it in his hand, but after holding it for only a moment, he returned it and shook his head.
"This item has an owner; I can't destroy it. You must return it to its rightful owner."
At the end of the sentence, Jett froze halfway. He intended to say something, but Chan held his wrist to stop him. Seeing this, the abbot continued,
"Don't be afraid. If you've never been involved with it, it can't harm you, except perhaps delay you. So far, aside from the male descendants who have died due to this curse, no innocent person has ever been harmed by it to the point of death."
"..."
"So, wait a bit longer before you set out, and everything will be fine."
At thirty minutes past midnight, a helicopter appeared in the sky above the residence of the master and Khem, its rotor blades creating a loud, thunderous noise and a strong wind. It slowly descended to land on a wide space surrounded by candles that flickered but miraculously did not go out.
This helicopter had been arranged by Khachen, following a call from Pharan about twenty minutes earlier.
A man in a forestry department uniform stepped out of the helicopter to invite the two people waiting to board the passenger seats. After ensuring safety, he slowly took the helicopter back into the sky.
"Which way should I go?" The officer asked, receiving an answer from Pharan:
"East, keep flying straight. Please maintain your focus, and don't mind anything unusual you might see." The officer nodded.
"Yes."
No sooner had he finished speaking, the officer's eyes widened as the landscape ahead showed shadowy figures, tall and stretching to the sky, dozens of them, approaching. His ears picked up sounds like ship horns blaring, a noise he had never encountered before, followed by chanting from those seated behind him.
"What would happen if we fly into them?" The officer asked. He believed in spirits because he had spent half his life in the forest, but he had never been harmed by such entities before. However, what he was seeing now felt different from his previous encounters.
"You'd be in trouble." came the short reply.
The officer swallowed hard and steered the helicopter away from the figures. Several times, he had to dodge massive hands reaching out,
swerving left and right until he began to feel dizzy, with cold sweat beading and dripping from his forehead to his chin.
That's why Khachen needed the most experienced and composed helicopter pilot among all the officers, knowing they might encounter such thrilling events, and the high compensation made the risk worth taking.
Otherwise, he surely wouldn't have agreed to come.
Apart from the hordes of hungry ghosts that appeared, the black waves of forest spirits also chased after them. They merged together like a giant wave, climbing over one another in an attempt to drag the helicopter down.
Some manifested as dark, swirling clouds, darting around to distract, but they couldn't cause any real harm, especially with Pharan standing by the open door, constantly chanting protective incantations, forming a barrier of glass-like energy that shielded them.
The helicopter flew at high speed, racing against time, while the pilot had to be vigilant in all directions, holding his breath several times from the stress and pressure. He had never imagined encountering such bizarre and life-threatening phenomena before. Even encountering a tiger in the forest wouldn't have frightened him as much as this did.
And then, the journey came to an end when the tall figure behind said,
"We're here." Hearing this, the officer quickly wiped the sweat from his eyes. There was a cliff behind where they could land, so he immediately maneuvered the helicopter to touch down.
Branches from the surrounding trees swayed in the wind as the helicopter landed. Before disembarking, Pharan handed a black Buddha amulet to the officer, who quickly clasped his hands in a wai and accepted it with both hands.
"Keep this with you; it will keep you safe. Thank you for the ride."
After saying this, Pharan woke Khem, who had fallen asleep. He had wanted to wake him earlier when he sensed Khem's soul being drawn away, but the need to defend against the forest spirits had kept him focused.
Fortunately, Khem hadn't gone far, and it didn't take long for him to wake up after Pharan called out.
Khem jolted awake with a fearful expression, as his consciousness had returned to that Thai house again.
"Master, I..." Pharan nodded to indicate he already knew, while gently patting Khem's head to comfort him.
"You'll be fine, come on."
At around five in the evening, after the helicopter had left, Pharan took Khem's hand and walked into the forest. He carried his black toolbox in the other hand, using the moonlight and the glow of fireflies that appeared around them, neither too close nor too far. Within ten minutes of walking deeper into the woods, they found the person they were looking for.
Luang Pu Kesem was meditating under a kapok tree, his posture serene and filled with spiritual power, surrounded by fireflies that provided light.
Pharan tapped Khem's back gently as a signal to follow, then they stopped at a respectful distance and bowed three times in reverence.
Luang Pu Kesem slowly opened his eyes, which were slightly clouded with cataracts from old age, yet they shone with compassion for all beings seeking help.
Especially for the two young men before him.
"I was waiting." Luang Pu Kesem said meaningfully, indicating that he knew Pharan would come, which is why he was waiting not far from where the helicopter had landed.
"Paying respects, Luang Pu." Pharan said, and Luang Pu Kesem nodded slightly.
"Blessings upon you, layman." Pharan was silent for a moment before continuing with what he was seeking.
"Luang Pu, do you still have Grandpa Sek's magic knife?"
"The magic knife of Sek, forged with dark sorcery techniques, though it holds great power, a white magic practitioner like you touching it might mean there's no turning back. Sek was afraid of this, which is why he left it with me."
Pharan knew this well. Grandpa Sek and Luang Pu Kesem were close friends, both having studied black magic in their past. However, Luang Pu Kesem chose the path of purity by becoming a monk, whereas Grandpa Sek continued on his own dark path.
Until his final, torturous moments, he realized he had chosen the wrong path all along.
Khem, listening intently, turned to look at the master's profile upon hearing this.
Did this mean that this object could taint someone as pure as the master?
Khem reached out his hand to grab the master's sleeve, his eyes moistening with tears, showing his reluctance. He shook his head, and a single tear fell, rolling down his cheek.
"Master, please, don't go to such lengths."
"..." Khem inhaled shakily before lowering his head to speak.
"My karma, I should atone for it myself."
"..."
"Please, don't suffer because of me."
If Pharan helping Khem meant enduring future suffering, Khem knew he could never accept that.
"What do you want then, do you still want this?"
Khem hoped Master would listen and refuse, but instead, Pharan knelt down on the ground, staying still without looking up, and spoke to Luang Pu,
"Please help me one more time."
Khem's tears fell again, unable to deny how much he still wanted to live to see more of this world.
He wanted to spend his life following Pharan and his friends, to repay the kindness of Luang Por who had guided him, to wake up and make merit for his mother, Grandma-Si, and for Thong and Ekk who had sacrificed themselves for Khem's safety.
Khem did not want to die...not before seeing everyone live happily.
Khem sobbed until he was shaking, then stepped back and slowly knelt beside Pharan. This kindness, even if the heavens and earth were to crumble, could never be fully repaid.
Luang Pu Kasem was truly a man who had renounced worldly desires, dedicating himself to spiritual practice and accumulating merit for a long time, understanding the truths of life profoundly, thus seeing things that ordinary people could not, though he could not share these visions.
"Raise your head. I believe everything will turn out well. Come, take this."
Luang Pu Kasem spoke while pulling out a dagger wrapped tightly with red-lettered sacred cloth from a bag by his side and handed it over.
Khem clenched his teeth tightly, watching as Pharan moved forward on his knees to accept and hold the dagger.
"Those creatures are close to breaking through the glass wall. Go do what you must with the magic knife; if used with a strong and pure heart, it won't turn back to harm you." Pharan listened intently to the sounds of the spirits outside Luang Pu Kesem's protective dome before turning to meet Khem's gaze, who seemed to be weighing something in his mind.
Until he heard Luang Pu say:
"Leave Khem here. For this karmic debt, I will handle it myself."
This was far beyond what both Pharan and Khem expected, but since the abbot had spoken thus, there must be a reason, so they bowed in gratitude without questioning further.
Khem looked up at the master once more, his eyes still hot with emotion, but before he could say anything, the master's hand gently patted his head, and in a gentle voice, he said,
"Wait here, I'll be back." Tears flowed from Khem, understanding the true meaning behind those words, he nodded once more, firmly.
"Okay, I'll wait."