The Three Chosen
126. Prohibited Forest

Faiq stopped exactly two meters in front of Inar because he knew that Inar still stored the reddish powder that he had sprinkled. Faiq's gaze began to soften when he looked at Inar and it made Erik worried that Faiq would be affected by Inar's black magic.

Apparently Inar also felt if Faiq's gaze that was originally violent seemed to soften. Inar's heart cheered happily thinking that the man before him would melt away in an instant like any other man. Inar smiled and began to let his guard down, when Faiq used it by coding Hanako to take away what was in Inar's hand.

Hanako sped quickly and managed to grab the rest of the powder from Inar's hand to make Inar surprised and staggered to the side. After successfully seizing it, Hanako put the powder into a bottle of ruqyah water brought from the inn and mixed it in such a way.

“ What do you do, give me the powder.!” inar said angrily as he tried to chase after Hanako who ran away from the terrace.

But Inar's move stopped because it was blocked by Niken's grandmother. Inar gets angry and pushes Niken's nek in full force until Niken's nek staggers back. Luckily, Iyaz and Izar directly support the body of Niken's grandmother so they do not have to fall to the floor.

Inar screamed hysterically when he realized his powder was missing. Moreover, from a distance Hanako brandished a bottle whose contents had turned red deliberately as if she was mocking Inar. Impatiently Inar advanced towards Hanako who was seen going up on stage.

“ Grandma lost this alluring powder yes. Then, come after me. Take this if you can Nek...” Hanako said with a smile.

“ Stop there, don't try to move or you'll make me angry...,” Threatens Inar with smoldering eyes because he does not like when Hanako calls him grandma which means reminding Inar that his age is not the same as his physical appearance of youth.

“ Ups, I'm afraid..,” Hanako said.

Inar advances and attacks Hanako. There was a fight between Inar and Hanako. While Nek Niken looks anxious when he sees Inar attacking Hanako savagely.

“ Gapapa Nek, Cici is great. He used to fight. Now it's better Grandma sit here and help us recite yes..,” said Iyaz while sitting Nek Niken on the chair.

“ Yes...,” sahut nek Niken with raucous voice.

After sitting Niken's grandmother, Iyaz joined Faiq, Erik and Izar to recite. In front of there Hanako began to feel dizzy especially when Inar opened her waist bond which turned out to be a red scarf which was the talisman of her pride. Hanako retreated to catch her breath as she felt a sudden tightness as the red scarf fluttered in any direction.

“ Cici started to get dizzy Well..,” said Izar who immediately pushed forward when he saw his cousin was holding his head.

“ Izar don't..!” faiq, Erik and Iyaz said together but it was too late.

Izar blocked the flick of the shawl that would attack Hanako with his back while his hands hugged Hanako. Even the surprised Hanako could do nothing when she saw Izar grimacing with the pain that hit her back. Inar was equally surprised because Izar was injured due to the flick of his red scarf earlier.

“ Izar...,” call Hanako down.

“ Run Ci...!” sahut Izar while pushing Hanako's body away from the stage.

Hanako was forced to jump and then move away because she herself could not face Inar's anger. After making sure Hanako survived, Izar turned his body to face Inar. It was then clear that Izar's back was injured and was bleeding a lot.

“ So what do you want Grandma..?” Izar asked as he slowly advanced.

“ Follow Me, live with me.” says Inar steady.

“ Fine...,” sahut Quick Izar.

“ Now We're going from here. We will live together quietly without any troublemakers who can only make us suffer.”, Inar said as he extended his hand.

Izar smiled and grabbed Inar's hand. Then the two stood in the middle of the stage facing each other and

smilingly. A moment later Inar and Izar's bodies just disappeared, causing everyone to panic.

“ Izar..!” call Hanako and Iyaz.

Faiq rushed to the chase by jumping onto the stage followed by Erik and Iyaz and then began to pay attention to the details of the floor motif on the stage where Izar and Inar disappeared earlier. Moments later Niken came on stage with Hanako.

“ This motive..., the typical motif of my village. I know where Inar took Izar...” said Nek Niken.

“ Where's Nek..?” tanya Iyaz was impatient.

“ To the forbidden forest on the edge of the village..,” suhut nek Niken hesitate.

“ We're there now. Come on Nek, please show me the way..,” pinta Faiq.

“ Well...,” sahut nek Niken steady.

\=====

“ But all is well right..?” ask Shera.

“ Thank God We are fine Ma...,” Hanako said.

“ Thank goodness. Please tell the twins not to be rash about making a decision, Ci. Tell them to ask their father's opinion first before acting.” Shera said.

“ Yes Ma. Now Mama same Oma just calm down, just help prayer so that this problem quickly finished..,” Hanako pinta at the end of her sentence to make Shera stare at her phone confused.

“ Kok, ask for prayer. I suspect something big has happened there Ma...”, Shera said anxiously.

“ Don't suudzon Nak. We should continue to read the Qur’an and dzikirnya yuk..,” sahut Farah calms Shera even though her heart is no less restless than her beautiful daughter-in-law.

“ Yes Ma...,” said Shera while putting his phone on the nightstand and then back to teach.

Meanwhile, Faiq's entourage arrived in the hometown of Nek Niken on the day before the Maghrib. The village road looks empty and almost nobody is there.

“ The forbidden forest is there Nak, on top of that hill.” Nek Niken said as he pointed to a hill that looks towering in the distance.

“ Pretty Far Grandma. But we'll stay there later. Now we pray Maghrib first yes Nek..,” sahut Faiq.

drove his car towards a small musholla by the roadside.

There were only three people praying there, probably because of its location away from the settlement. It seems that the musholla was only used during Dzuhur and Ashar prayers by farmers who happened to work their fields at the foot of the hill.

Faiq and the group descended and began to separate. Hanako and Nek Niken pray in the right part of the musholla. After praying together, they prepared to go to the hill.

“ Sorry, Where are you going. How much panic...?” ask one of the people named Soprano.

“ We want to go to the hill Sir, followed by My Son who was taken there..,” said Faiq.

“ Astarghfirullah. To the forbidden forest Sir...?” ask another resident named Mukhlis.

“ Yes, why is it Sir..?” ask Faiq don't understand.

“ You can't go there alone. Wait a minute I call the citizens first to help yes Sir..” said another citizen named Tamim.

“ Don't Sir, I don't want to trouble..,” prevent Faiq.

“ Is not about troublesome Sir. But We are worried about the safety of the Father and the entourage, especially You also bring women there. The forest is very dangerous sir. No one has been there for a long time since the dried up body of a man was found on a stone altar in the middle of the forest decades ago.” said Tamim.

“ Well, thanks for the help yes Sir..,” said Faiq finally.

“ Both Sir. You guys wait here. We prepare the tools first...,” said Tamim while coding two friends to immediately call residents.

In an instant the residents gathered with tools all made of bamboo, in the form of torches, bamboo tubes filled with water, as well as bamboo kentongan. Faiq did not have time to ask and chose to follow the steps of Soprano who led the search. Iyaz, Hanako and Nek Niken were at the very back of Erik's command.

The journey to the hill is a little dramatic because it turns out that residents also have to damage the guardrail

they made it so they could get into the forbidden forest.

“ This fence is deliberately made so that no one can enter there. Also so that wild animals do not come down to the village. But there are also people who are desperate to get into the forest and never come back until now.” said Nek Niken explained to make Hanako and Iyaz understand.

When the guardrail was successfully opened, as if it was open also a mystical veil that enveloped the place. Eve

cold and musty immediately welcomed residents to make the fur crouching. Residents also look at each other and nod as if reminding each other to stay focused and take care of each other.

“ Laa ilaha ilallah..., Laa ilaha ilallah..., Laa ilaha ilallah....,” Faiq and Erik said simultaneously.

The people followed the words read by Faiq and Erik. Miraculously, the cold that was coming out slowly

fading. Together with Faiq and Erik residents also steadily stepped into the forbidden forest to pick up Izar.

Seriate