Chapter 18: The Gate of Lingkar Pinus
Rendy's motorcycle crawled forward, the wheels crunching over gravel and old, uneven asphalt. The fog was getting thicker, swallowing up the night inch by inch. A strange coldness clung to the air—not the kind from weather, but the kind that seeped from another world. Ahead, a tall, weathered bamboo archway stood like a silent sentinel, marking the entrance to Lingkar Pinus Village.
Just as Ardian was adjusting his grip on the seat—
Screeech!
Rendy slammed the brakes. Ardian jolted forward, nearly headbutting his friend's back.
"Dude! What the hell, Ren?!" Ardian barked, clinging to Rendy's jacket.
"Shut up and look."
Rendy's voice was tight, barely above a whisper. He pointed ahead.
Ardian squinted through the fog—and then his stomach dropped.
Two massive black figures stood in front of the bamboo gate. Their forms flickered and twitched, like living smoke. Blood-red eyes glowed in their skull-like faces. Their mouths were full of jagged, uneven teeth.
They didn't move. They didn't need to.
"LEAVE NOW… OR DIE."
"THIS ISN'T YOUR AFFAIR, MORTALS."
Their voices echoed unnaturally, like a dozen mouths speaking at once.
Ardian narrowed his eyes. "Ah. Gatekeepers."
Before he could step off the bike, a sudden burst of cackling laughter sliced through the tension.
"Heeheeheeheehee~!"
A red blur streaked past them, faster than lightning.
Slaaash!
"ARRRGGHHHH!"
The black spirits screamed as they were hurled aside, their smoky forms scattering like shredded paper in a storm. A figure hovered above them—floating elegantly, yet menacingly.
A woman in a blood-red gown, with black hair cascading like a curtain of shadow. Her grin was wicked, her eyes burning with glee.
"Kinarsih?!" Ardian blurted. "The hell are you doing here? Where's Mr. Poci and Ucil?"
"They're with Putriani," Kinarsih said, spinning lazily in the air. "Keeping her company. But when I felt these little punks guarding the entrance like they own the place, I just had to pop in."
One of the battered spirits dragged itself upright, glaring at her.
"YOU ROTTEN WHORE! LEAVE OR DIE!"
The other chimed in, its voice bubbling with hate.
"THIS ISN'T YOUR FIGHT, YOU WASHED-UP STREET TRASH!"
Rendy and Ardian exchanged glances.
"Oh no…" they said together.
Kinarsih's smile vanished.
Her lips curled into a snarl, her features twisting like melting wax. Her fangs extended. Her hair writhed like furious serpents.
Rendy leaned back. "She's gonna go full banshee."
Ardian nodded. "Back up. Slowly."
Kinarsih's voice came out low, cold, and deadly.
"Say that again, sweethearts. I didn't quite catch it."
The spirits, in all their infinite wisdom, obliged.
"OLD BITCH!"
"STINKING BLOOD HARPY!"
Kinarsih blinked. "Adorable."
BOOM!
She vanished in a blur of red and reappeared mid-air, kicking one spirit so hard it exploded into mist. The other tried to flee—too late. Her hair lashed out like tentacles, wrapping around its neck and yanking it into the trees.
"STEP ON IT, REN!" Ardian shouted.
Rendy didn't need to be told twice. The motorcycle roared to life as they zipped past the battlefield.
But then—
A broken, gasping voice called from the side of the road.
"Bro! Wait! Help me out, man! She's gonna tear my spleen out! I'm done! I swear! Please forgive me!"
One of the spirits, barely intact, limped alongside the bike. Its arms dangled, legs half-melted, eyes pleading.
"Please, I'll be good! I'll convert! I'll join a monastery!"
"Nope!" Rendy snapped, speeding up.
"That's what you get for talking trash," Ardian added.
But the spirit wouldn't give up. It kept up the chase, groaning and sputtering—
Until a crimson blur intercepted it.
Kinarsih dropped down in front of it, her grin wider than ever.
"Where you going, honey?" she purred.
"C-coffee? I just wanted coffee," the spirit whimpered. "My mouth's dry…"
Her hair wrapped around him like barbed wire.
"Your mouth is your doom, darling."
And with a flick—
KRRAAAAKK!
The spirit screamed, a sound so shrill it made Rendy physically wince.
"Yikes," Rendy muttered. "You think she overdid it?"
Ardian deadpanned, "That was restraint. You should've seen her in the past. That damn woman was terrifying back then."
Fog thickened again. The air felt even heavier now.
Suddenly—
SWOOOSH!
Dozens of ghostly forms shot out from the trees, surrounding them.
Pale faces. Twisted limbs. Empty eyes.
A horde of spirits had arrived.
"SON OF A—"
SMACK!
"Ow!" Rendy yelped as Ardian smacked the back of his head.
"No swearing, idiot. You'll attract more of them."
"Hehe… reflex," Rendy muttered.
The spirits hovered, circling them. But none dared strike.
"Keep driving. I'll handle them if they get brave," Ardian murmured.
"Copy that, boss."
The outlines of houses began to emerge from the fog—old but sturdy. Each glowed faintly with protective sigils.
"The old man was right," Ardian said. "This village is haunted as hell but people taken the time to bless in their own home. Protection's legit. Holy recites I'd assume..."
Rendy stopped the bike in front of a large house with carved wood panels and a stone courtyard.
"The village chief's home," he confirmed.
But just before they could dismount—
WRAAAAAHH!
A new wave of spirits descended, blocking the path like a living wall.
"More?" Rendy muttered.
Then—
"YAAAAHHHOOO!"
Three figures dropped from the sky like meteors.
"WHAT A CROWD!" Ucil yelled, tumbling through the air and landing on his feet with a butt scratch.
"You guys didn't call us? This is peak moshpit party vibes!" Mr. Poci grinned, try cracking his knuckles, even though he's being tied.
Kinarsih floated above them all, her face lit with anticipation.
"One… two… three. Just the right number for some punching bag."
Ardian crossed his arms.
"Alright. You guys wanted to tag along? Be my guest. Go wild."
"Finally," Rendy sighed. "Let the pros handle crowd control."
The three spirits turned to face the ghostly horde.
And then—
"IT'S TIME FOR THE BOOM!"
Kinarsih, Om Poci, and Ucil launched into the mass of ghosts like wrecking balls.
Hair whips. Bone punches. Blinding kicks.
Spirits screamed. Energy exploded. One poor ghost got slammed into a well and came back up wearing a bucket on its head.
Ucil shouted, "WOOO! I'M THE SPIRIT MOSH KING, BABYYY!"
Om Poci accidentally suplexed a tree. Kinarsih chased two spirits into the clouds and came back with smoke on her dress.
The chaos was glorious.
And in the middle of that madness, the path to the chief's house opened wide.
Rendy turned to Ardian. "Shall we?"
Ardian nodded. "Let's work."
They stepped through the threshold, into the unknown, as the battle of the damned raged on behind them.
And for just a moment, the gate to hell… felt like home.