My back stung, not only from the cold raindrops soaking my jacket, but from the feeling of a gaze stabbing me from behind. The "blood oath" at Andaru's grave had made my footsteps heavy, a messy mix of guilt thrown at me by Aisyah and the vow of revenge I had to keep. I walked with limp legs, leaving the cemetery gate, trying to digest the terrifying fact of the inverted spiral tattoo on Uncle Jaya's collar. The man I'd thought was my only remaining family.
The dark, empty asphalt road suddenly felt like a racetrack. I hurried my pace on purpose, glancing back quickly now and then, but there was no one. I pushed away paranoid thoughts, trying to convince myself I was just exhausted. Still, my instincts screamed loudly — something was wrong, there were eyes watching me. I had to get home quickly.
When I turned the key in the front door my hand shook badly. The cold air inside the house felt suffocating, like the breath of death still clinging since they took Andaru. I had barely closed the door when my phone in my pocket vibrated, sending a strange shiver through my body. An unknown number — I didn't want to pick up.
The call came again, more urgent. Damn it, don't tell me this is Uncle Jaya panicking because I saw his tattoo. Holding my breath, I slid the green icon. "Who is this?" I said loudly; my voice rasped and carried the leftover anger.
Silence. Only heavy breathing, repeated, like someone holding back from speaking. The breath sounded so close, as if the person stood right beside me. Suddenly the wound on my palm throbbed painfully.
"I asked — who is this, bastard!" I snapped louder, trying to funnel the fear creeping into me. I gripped the phone with trembling hands; my heart raced, the cold gripping me tighter.
Then, abruptly, the call cut off. My phone immediately showed a new message notification from the same number. My heart dropped into my stomach as I read it.
Message from Unknown Number: Andaru died as a warning. You're next. If you stay stubborn, you'll end up on an operating table, just like your brother.
Blood across my whole body seemed to freeze at once, as if every nerve had stopped working. A warning? They didn't just kill and harvest his organs, they also sent a threat! Those damned bastards! My head buzzed; the ember of revenge I'd had suddenly erupted into flame.
I threw my phone onto the sofa and ran out of the house as fast as I could. My brain focused on only one thing: the figure I'd felt watching me. I had to find that man now. I opened the door so fast the hinge almost broke, then ran into the dark street.
The road in front of my house was empty and quiet, lit only by flickering streetlights. I ran to the end of the alley, looking right and left with eyes burning with anger and panic. Only parked cars — no man in black glasses, no masked figure, no one.
"Damn it! You cowards only dare threaten over the phone!" I shouted in frustration; my voice cracked in the terrifying silence of the night. I punched the utility pole beside me; the pain along my knuckles didn't compare to the ache in my heart. They already knew I would move.
Suddenly a small flash across the street caught my attention. I looked quickly in that direction but only saw a house window whose light had just gone out. Maybe it was just a reflection, but why did it feel so weird? I felt watched from behind that window.
I stood there for almost two minutes, gasping, my body damp with cold sweat. I truly didn't see anyone. They were gone, leaving traces that shattered me mentally. This threat really crushed me.
Fear mixed with rage. They knew I was weak, they knew I had no connections, and they used that to destroy me. I went back inside; the front door was still open. I closed it slowly, then locked every lock. Danger lurked in every corner.
When I turned, my eyes fell on something stuck to the front door — something that hadn't been there a few minutes ago. A white envelope, slipped between the door and the frame.
It was stiff and thick. My heart started pounding harder than before.
I stepped closer with slow feet, like a magnet drawing me to that cursed thing. My right hand — the injured one — reached for the envelope cautiously, like handling a bomb ready to go off. The paper smelled odd, slightly metallic, like fresh blood.
Holding my breath, I tore the top of the envelope slowly, careful not to damage the contents. There was only one glossy-photo print inside. I pulled it out and looked.
My vision blurred; my body went weak; I almost collapsed to the floor. The photo showed me asleep in my room, my face clear, and the thing that shocked me most: I was hugging a framed photo of Andaru. The background was unmistakable — my room, with an old band poster on the wall.
They'd already gotten in. They'd already been inside this house.
My body collapsed onto the wooden floor; the envelope slipped from my hand. My phone on the sofa vibrated again — the same number. I picked it up with trembling hands.
Message from Unknown Number: Look at you, so fragile. You look beautiful when you sleep, Gamali. We're always around you, like the air you breathe. Don't mess with our business. Or you will die like the rotten fly we crush.
"Filthy bastards! You're truly monstrous, cursed devils!" I yelled at the phone even though I knew they couldn't hear me. They'd been toying with me, breaking me mentally and emotionally, proving I wasn't safe in my own home. I couldn't hold back the fear and anger; tears fell. I felt so foolish and so weak.
The clock on the wall read eight p.m. Uncle Jaya. The tattoo. The threats. The photo. All within an hour of the funeral. It felt so planned and horrific. I should call the police, but who would believe me? They didn't even consider Andaru's death a planned murder; they said it was just a robbery accident.
Another message came, this time from a different number. My heart pounded uncontrollably.
Message from Another Number: Police? They're all asleep. You're alone, Gamali. But you're never alone to us. You must choose. You stay quiet, and you live. Or you fight, and we will hunt you. We saw the tattoo on your uncle's neck, we know you're suspicious. Don't think you can play spy. You're just a little rat scurrying under a giant's feet.
This hurt deeply. They knew I'd seen Uncle Jaya's tattoo and used it to intimidate me. They weren't only threatening; they were manipulating my suspicion of Uncle Jaya. A cruel psychological game. Is Uncle Jaya involved? Or is he merely a pawn who's also being threatened?
I stood there, tears and sweat mixing on my face, scanning the room with a sharp look. There were spies in this house, or at least, the person who photographed me was someone very close. They could come and go as they pleased.
I had to stay calm. I could not show fear. They were testing my mind, wanting me to give up. But the blood oath on my palm burned hot. I would not give up, never.
"You think I'll back down because of these cheap threats? You're wrong, bastards! I will find whoever's behind all this, even if I have to dig up Uncle Jaya's grave," I whispered, my voice low and resolute.
I had to start. Right now. My phone, which had become the source of threats, was now my investigative tool. Who could I tell? Who could I trust? Suddenly Aisyah's face sprang into my mind, her eyes full of anger and pain. She was the only one who was shattered too. But she blamed me. Could I trust her?
I walked to my room, locked the door, and looked out the window. I glanced down at the floor where the sleeping photo had fallen. The tears on my face dried, replaced by an empty expression full of hatred.
There was no time to cry. No time to feel guilty. Now there was only time for revenge. I gripped the photo, crumpling it in my left hand until the paper was crushed and sharp.
I looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red, my face taut. I had to wipe these tears away. I had to become someone else — cold, ruthless, and merciless.
I grabbed my laptop, turned it on, and began searching for the inverted spiral symbol, Uncle Jaya, and the organ syndicate. I knew this was dangerous, but I had no choice. I'd been pulled into this game. I had become the target.
Suddenly, someone pounded on my door very hard. The sound shattered the night's silence and startled me. "Gamali! Are you in there? Open up! We need to talk, this is important!" Uncle Jaya's voice sounded urgent and panicked from outside.
I turned off the laptop, hid the crushed photo under my pillow. I froze, staring at the door with suspicion. He knew I'd seen his tattoo, and now he'd come the same night as the threats.
Was this a trap? Had he come to finish me?
The pounding grew louder, as if he wanted to break it down. "Gamali! This is life and death! Open up!"
I had to face him. No way out. I took a deep breath, grabbed a small folding knife from my drawer, and hid it behind my back. I walked slowly to the door, my hand trembling as I grasped the knob.
I turned the key and pulled the door open.
Uncle Jaya stood at the threshold, his face ashen, his eyes red and swollen like he'd just been crying. He looked terrified, not like the menacing figure I'd pictured. "Gamali, we're in big danger. They know we're going to start digging," he whispered, gripping my arm tightly. "They killed Andaru, and now they're after you. We have to get out of here before it's too late!"
He pulled at me roughly, but I resisted. I stared into his eyes, searching for lies. His eyes looked sincere, but the tattoo on his collar still haunted me.
"Run where, Uncle? Why are you only telling me now?" I asked coldly, trying to control my emotions. I couldn't trust him, not after everything.
"There's no time to explain! We have to go. They'll be here any minute. They know you suspect me, they know everything!" Uncle Jaya pulled harder, his voice frantic.
"You think I'm stupid, Uncle? You think I'll believe you so easily?" I snapped, my voice rising. "Why didn't you tell me about the inverted spiral tattoo on your neck? The same tattoo that's on Andaru! Why did you hide it, Uncle?!"
Uncle Jaya fell silent, his face filled with terror. He released his grip and I saw tears in his eyes. "You saw it? Damn it! I told you, it's not what you think! The tattoo… it's a punishment. I'm involved, but not the way you imagine. They forced me, Gamali!"
He took a step back, his face full of regret. "Please, believe me. I don't want you dead. I'm your uncle. We have to go, they're watching us!"
At that moment, the sound of a vehicle stopping abruptly right in front of the house came through — loud and terrifying, like a big truck slamming its brakes.
Uncle Jaya went pale. He turned and ran to the window and looked out. "Oh my God! They're here! Quick, Gamali! We jump out the back window!"
I stood frozen. This wasn't a drill. They were really here. But I couldn't run. I wouldn't run.
"I won't run, Uncle. I will fight them. You can run if you want. But I'm staying, and I will find the truth," I said in a very low, determined voice. I'd been toyed with for too long.
Uncle Jaya looked at me, his eyes filled with deep fear. He looked like a man running from death. "You're crazy, Gamali! They'll kill you! They'll finish you here!"
Suddenly the sound of glass shattering came from the living room. My heart leaped — this was no longer a threat, this was an attack.
"Damn!" Uncle Jaya shouted, then he turned and ran toward the back door. "I can't die here! Forgive me, Gamali!"
He left me. My own uncle had abandoned me, running for his life. But as he fled, his hand brushed something on the table. A small object fell to the carpet. I looked — it was a car keychain with a logo of an inverted spiral, exactly like the tattoo on his neck.
Uncle Jaya had betrayed me. He was involved with the syndicate, and he'd just left me in a house now being raided by killers.
I clenched my right hand; the folding knife felt cold in my palm. Rage burned painfully.
At the same time, my bedroom door was shoved violently from outside; the handle nearly tore off.
I turned to the door which now shook violently. There was no time to run.
The door burst open with a loud crash.
A big man in a black balaclava stood in the doorway, holding a large metal bar. His eyes glared at me with a blank, threatening stare. Behind him were two others dressed the same.
"Well, here's the little rat," the man said in a heavy, mocking voice. "You should've gone with your uncle, loser. But you chose to die here."
I didn't step back. "You bastards! I swear, I will avenge my brother's death! I'm not afraid of you!"
The man laughed — a chilling sound. "Revenge? Who do you think you are? You're just yesterday's kid pretending to be tough. Fine, if you want to die, we'll grant your wish."
He raised the metal bar high, ready to strike. I knew I couldn't lose.
I drew a breath and screamed, unleashing all the anger and pain inside me.
Suddenly the lights in the whole house went out. Total darkness.
Gunshots sounded from outside — not from inside the house, but from the front yard.
The man with the bar froze, surprised.
"What the hell?! Who's shooting?!" he shouted in panic.
I took my chance. Quick as lightning I charged at him and plunged the folding knife in my right hand — not to the stomach but into his right leg. He screamed in pain and the bar clattered to the floor.
I knew this wasn't over. They'd come back.
In the darkness another shot rang out, closer and louder. The front door creaked and then slammed shut.
The lights flicked back on. The big man was gone from the doorway. Only a smear of fresh blood on the wooden floor and the metal bar left behind. They'd fled, run off because of the attack outside.
I stood amid the chaos, breathing hard, the folding knife dripping blood. Who had fired the shots? Who had saved me?
I went to the window and looked out. Only darkness and a chilling silence.
My phone vibrated again, this time from a number I truly didn't recognize.
Message from Another Number (This one with a Unique Code): Look at you, so reckless. You owe me one life, Gamali. I will monitor your moves. Don't forget me. Meet me tomorrow night at the old bridge. Don't bring Uncle Jaya. If you dare betray me, I'll shoot you in the head without mercy. Bring Andaru's inverted spiral pendant. I want that item.
The inverted spiral pendant. I remembered Andaru had such a pendant, but I'd never seen it since he died.
I stared out the window; the night's darkness felt terrifying. I had two enemies now: the killer syndicate, and this mysterious savior. They'd shot at each other, and now my savior demanded the pendant tied to the syndicate.
I had to find that pendant now.
I ran to Andaru's drawer and rifled through its contents. I had to find that cursed thing.
Suddenly my hand hit something cold, hidden among his deepest layers of clothing.
A silver pendant, shaped like an inverted spiral. On its back were engraved initials: A.D. +
N.S.
I stared at the initials. A.D. — Andaru, my brother. But N.S.? Who was N.S.?
My heart pounded wildly. I had to meet that mysterious person.
This was the only way.