Phantom

I

The pressure of her feet softened, Aida slowly let the man go.

"Leave your clothes and ring behind. Leave Koto Tigo, go far away with your son. Build your own ship or steal some more. I was stupid."

Joko looked at the ring in his hand.

"But this is the only thing that reminds me of my wife," he put his hand on the ring, not daring to let go.

"For the safety of your son, will you do it?"

"S-" he closed his eyes, knowing that there was no other way. He took off his ring and handed the bloody shirt to the girl. He stood up and looked down at Aida. "Thank you, whoever you are behind that mask."

Aida didn't look at him, she just looked at the ground and thought about the choices she gave. Is this true, Joko killed a family? But Aida knew the punishment for committing such a crime. Aida's two faces couldn't make a straight decision. She saw Joko running away in the forest.

Unbeknownst to Aida, Jurko had been watching the whole thing. He just stood there silently, Aida knew that the investigator was angry with her choice. Jurko put his arm around the girl and took her back to the countryside.

"You have chosen him to run, there is nothing I can do to stop him. It is your choice, what happens now and in the future will have consequences. And we don't know yet what will happen."

"I understand his heart, the pain and guilt. I see his eyes, master Jurko. He's not a killer, he's a father."

"I'm not contradicting what you're saying, Aida. I can read Joko's eyes, but not his heart. And you seem to know."

"Fear, sir. Fear. Fear of losing someone important in his life. Sometimes things like that drive us to do things that make us monsters. And he is a monster on the outside and a parent on the inside. Such things cannot be or best not to be described. He has suffered, and I don't want to burden his son with it. I am not strong enough to do such a thing."

"We're monsters, Aida. Humans, demens, demons. All the same, that's who we are. And we have to choose the best option out of all the worst choices."

"You're right, master. You're right..."

The two of them walked back to Koto Tigo. They arrived right in the morning, with people already out and trading in the market.

Jurko and Aida entered Tuo Gadang's residence. The old grandmother was on her cushion waiting for the arrival of the two visitors. She smiled broadly waiting for the good news to be given to her.

Aida lowered her ring in front of Tuo, the woman saw the ring. He nodded before giving the ring to Djuanda.

"Where's the body?"

"Six feet under the earth. We can't offer up his body because of his... gruesome death."

"Very well..." Tuo called out to a servant. "I now know who you are, master inquisitor. I've met some of your soldiers in the abandoned western harbor. Now, let's talk about your gift, since I know you are clearly a professional."

"All the construction manpower that Tuo has. We need them to build our fort."

"Yes... yes. We will send it. But those people need a guide to direct the voyage."

"That's easy, Tuo. I'll point to the west."

Tuo smirked.

"That's funny. Tuo likes the way you talk, sir. And as per the agreement, I have ordered our manpower we can give to help rebuild your fort."

"How much can Tuo give?"

"Two hundred."

"Three"

"Two and a half," Jurko and Tuo bargained.

Aida and Jurko glanced at each other. They were both happy to hear that.

"Agreed," Jurko and Tuo shook hands.

After the agreement with Tuo, Jurko and Aida walked back to their ship.

When they reached the port, two Tigo Koto ships were ready to sail, waiting for workers who had not yet arrived. When Aida boarded the ship, Jurko boarded a ship of construction workers that was different from the ship that Aida and Tullius were on. He chatted with the captain of the ship, by giving some directions to the sails. The woman watched him from the side of the ship. When Jurko finished speaking, he got off the boat and stood on the shore. He waved for Tullius' attention.

"Tullius!" he shouted.

The two of them spoke a southern language, something Aida didn't understand at all. Aida who didn't understand the southern language the two of them spoke made herself wonder. She saw Jurko go walking alone, Aida who had nothing to do just went to her room and slept waiting for Jurko and the other workers to board their respective ships. Where did Jurko go she doesn't know, maybe he picking up the workers?

Entering the captain's room, Aida immediately opened two buttons of her coat, and lay down with her mask still on her face. She closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep. He had not slept all day, and this was a great pleasure for Aida.

II

Aida's closed her eyes made her body lighten up, as she is flying in the air. When the feeling came, Aida immediately panicked and opened her eyes. Suddenly she felt she fell from a height. Aida immediately stood up from her sleep, panicking and sweating.

She was fast asleep and her body suddenly woke up, weak and didn't want to get up from the bed. But the masked woman forced her body to be awake, she beat the mattress and kicked the boat deck to pump herself up.

She stood up when he heard dozens of pounding feet running across the deck. Wanting to know what had happened made Aida walk to the front door, she removed her mask and peered into the glass door.

The entire crew is on the edge of the ship, watching something or someone under the ship. Aida who was curious immediately put on her mask and buttoned her shirt. She went out and saw what was going on there. She followed along with the leaning crew of the ship, slipping into the crowd of soldiers.

There Jurko walked alone with his face, hair, and whole body splattered with blood. She walked slowly and looked down. People looked at him strangely, the same as Aida. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her heart. Whatever it was, Aida thought that her feelings had something to do with blood.

Jurko boarded the ship, he was given way by the crew. Tullius tried to talk to him, but Jurko didn't answer. He faced Aida who was much shorter than him. Jurko big arms reached into Aida's hand and revealed a ring.

"I found it on the beach. Joko has one, and his son too."

Aida who saw the ring was crushed.

"He's determined to steal again, this time the demon-hunter's ship. I accidentally found... the remains of Joko and his son."

"His son too?"

Jorko nodded.

"I-," Jurko wiped the blood dripping from his nose. "I killed all those people who called themselves 'demon hunters'," Jurko spoke in disdain. " They didn't know they were demons themselves. And I was just an investigator there, killing demons."

Aida saw the ring in her hand, Jurko couldn't see Aida whose nose was itching behind the mask. But he could describe how Aida felt now.

"Whatever happens can't be changed, Ada. Now we have to face the future. Don't change the past, reach for the future. Learn from all this, you are not a child anymore. You are not naive, you are strong. You are a soldier."

Aida gripped the ring tightly.

"I am a phantom, fear in human form."

Jurko understood Aida's anger, he had cut the girl's iron bars who kept the anger inside. He left it there, pondering her anger.

"Just like you, Nazeir," the old inquisitor mumbled.

The investigator immediately set sail. Two other worker ships sailed along with the Spearhead ship to Bull Island.