Alya had never been to Ardan's house before.
It was a small wooden home at the edge of the village, surrounded by bamboo trees and silence.
When she arrived that afternoon, Ardan greeted her with a tired smile.
"Sorry for the mess," he said. "I wasn't expecting anyone."
"It's fine," Alya replied softly. "I just… wanted to see you."
He nodded, stepping aside to let her in. The house smelled faintly of dust and old books.
Everything looked ordinary until Alya noticed a door at the end of the hallway, slightly open.
"What's in there?" she asked.
Ardan froze. "That's… my darkroom. Where I develop my photos."
Without waiting for permission, curiosity pulled Alya closer.
When she pushed the door, her breath caught in her throat.
The walls were covered with photographs hundreds of them.
Faces of people she didn't know. Men, women, children. All smiling.
But what made her shiver was the same symbol drawn in red ink on each photo a small circle with two wings.
"Ardan… who are they?"
He didn't answer immediately. His voice, when it came, was barely a whisper.
"They're… people who used to live here. People who disappeared."
Alya turned to him, shocked. "Disappeared?"
He nodded slowly. "And every time one vanishes, a new photo appears on my camera taken by no one."
A chill ran down Alya's spine. The air in the room felt heavy, almost alive.
But instead of fear, she felt something else a strange pull toward Ardan, like she wanted to protect him from his own ghosts.
"Then let's find out why," she said firmly. "Together."
For the first time, Ardan smiled a real smile.
"Okay… together."
Outside, the rain began to fall, washing over the quiet village of Rarang as if the sky itself was listening to their promise.
Next Episode Preview:
Alya and Ardan start searching for clues about the missing people and find something buried beneath the old rice fields.