Title: RWA BHINEDA ─ Beneath My Skin, She Lives
Story by Nor Liyana Safitri
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This story is purely a product of the author's imagination. Any similarities in character names, settings, or tragic fates are entirely coincidental! Thank you for reading wisely.
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***
On one of the highest points of the building, a creature stood staggering. Its body resembled that of a human, yet its form was far from normal.
The demon's skin was peeling in various places, hanging like rotten flesh that was nearly detached from the bone. Its face was covered in cracks resembling dry earth, while thick yellow fluid continuously dripped from the gaps of its open wounds.
The demon let out a low growl, sending an aura of terror into the night air. However, just as its voice echoed, a crescent-shaped arc of wind suddenly shot through the darkness.
Sensing danger, the demon was startled and immediately threw itself to the side. The wind attack passed only a few inches from its head before crashing into the building's barrier wall behind it, shattering it into pieces.
Across the rooftop, a girl in a black cloak clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Ah, I missed."
Her fingers tightened around the scarf wrapped from her arms to her wrists beneath her cloak. The fabric looked ordinary, but whenever the night wind blew, its ends moved on their own as if they were alive.
The girl raised her hand again, preparing another attack. "Stay still for a second, okay? I'll definitely hit you this time."
However, before her attack could launch again, a firm voice interrupted from behind. "Candrani!"
Candrani immediately stopped her movement with irritation.
On the other side of the rooftop, another girl wearing a similar cloak stood in a lowered stance, ready to charge at any moment. Although most of her face was hidden beneath her hood, her sharp gaze remained locked onto the demon's movements. "You're too close," the girl continued coldly without taking her eyes off the target.
Candrani let out a long sigh, her shoulders drooping. "Yeah, yeah. You're so fussy."
Kalantaka paid no attention to her friend's grumbling. She flicked her fingers through the air in a random motion before suddenly stopping. Her hand clenched tightly, as though gripping something invisible.
The demon frowned in confusion. A moment later, the sound of a faint slice could be heard. Its cheek was cut, leaving behind a line of yellow blood that slowly trickled from the thin wound.
The creature froze instantly. It did not understand what had just happened. Nothing had touched it, no weapon had flown toward it, and there had been no sign of an attack. There was only an ordinary breeze.
Slowly, the clouds covering the sky shifted, allowing silvery moonlight to illuminate the rooftop. That was when something horrifying became visible.
A glimmer so thin that it resembled strands of glass. There were no longer dozens of them, but hundreds. Those deadly threads had already surrounded the demon's body from every direction, trapping it inside an invisible web.
The demon's eyes widened in panic. In another corner, Candrani smiled in satisfaction. "There we go. Take that."
Kalantaka raised both hands high before slamming her palms together with a firm motion.
At that very instant, all of the shimmering threads tightened and moved simultaneously.
A horrifying scream immediately shattered the silence of the night as the demon's body was filled with massive cuts. Yellow blood sprayed in every direction. Without mercy, the threads continued to constrict, tearing through flesh, bones, and muscles within seconds.
The demon's body was destroyed, sliced into dozens of pieces that scattered across the concrete rooftop.
Plak. Plak. Plak.
Silence returned, leaving behind only the gruesome remains. Candrani immediately jumped in excitement while clapping her hands. "Yes! We did it!"
However, before her fifth clap landed, Kalantaka suddenly raised a hand. "Wait."
Candrani instantly froze. "Huh? What's wrong?"
Kalantaka did not answer. Her eyes narrowed sharply toward the pile of flesh before them. "That was too easy."
Before Candrani could tilt her head in confusion, the chunks of flesh on the rooftop suddenly began to move. The scattered yellow blood started crawling in the opposite direction, gathering and merging together as though it possessed a life of its own.
A severed hand moved closer, followed by a pair of crawling legs. Even the detached head began sliding back toward its neck.
Candrani immediately made a disgusted face. "Ugh... that's disgusting!"
"Its regeneration rate is high, just as I expected," Kalantaka said as she resumed her battle stance.
The demon's body continued to reassemble rapidly. Just a little more. Right as its head was about to lock back into place, Kalantaka shouted loudly, "NOW!"
A shadow shot forward from behind them, causing the black cloak to billow violently in the wind. A gleaming sword suddenly appeared in the figure's grasp.
With a single large step, the young man was already in front of the demon. In one precise swing, the blade pierced straight through the creature's head.
The demon's eyes widened completely before its entire body froze. Then, it slowly crumbled into reddish fragments of light that vanished into the night wind.
Silence once again settled over the rooftop. The young man withdrew his weapon, which transformed into particles of light before disappearing from his palm.
Wiraatmaja stood firmly in the center, flanked by Kalantaka on his left and Candrani on his right. The three demon hunters stood proudly beneath the moonlight. Their black cloaks, adorned with silver ancient batik vine patterns, reflected a faint and elegant glow.
The night breeze caused their cloaks to flutter, creating an atmosphere that was majestic, heroic, and undeniably cool.
However, the cool moment did not last long.
"OH MY GOD, IT'S SO HOT!" Candrani suddenly threw back her hood, destroying the entire aesthetic of their pose in an instant.
She frantically fanned the neck of her cloak. "Seriously, who designed such a thick cloak?! It's like we're being sent to the South Pole or something!"
Kalantaka could only close her eyes in embarrassment, while Wiraatmaja chose to stare straight ahead, pretending not to hear anything.
"I'm sweating like crazy, I swear," Candrani complained again while continuing to fan herself. "If I end up fainting later, please write this on my tombstone: the hero fell in battle due to overheating."
Her two companions remained silent. Feeling ignored, Candrani turned toward them irritably. "Why are you two just standing there? Say something! Seriously, I feel like I'm talking to a pair of utility poles."
Kalantaka took a long breath to suppress her irritation, while Wiraatmaja rubbed his throbbing temple. But at that very moment, a deep and authoritative voice came from behind them.
"Candrani."
Instantly, all three froze. They knew that voice very well.
Slowly, the three of them turned around. There stood a figure in a black cloak whose body was far taller and sturdier.
His cloak was decorated with luxurious ancient motifs of silver-gold. His aura was calm yet filled with pressure, as though his mere presence was enough to make the atmosphere around them several times heavier.
The three young demon hunters' eyes widened completely. Without any command, they simultaneously dropped to one knee in respect.
"Elder," they said in unison.
The figure nodded slightly, looking at them kindly. "There's no need to be so formal."
Thinking the situation was safe, Candrani immediately started lifting her head. "Understood, Elder."
"That is still formal," the Elder calmly interrupted.
"...Sorry, Elder," Candrani squeaked once more. Kalantaka, exasperated, immediately elbowed the girl's arm hard, while Wiraatmaja simply lowered his head even further to avoid trouble.
The Elder let out a soft sigh at the behavior of his juniors before his gaze suddenly turned extremely serious. "I have come with new orders from headquarters."
The atmosphere on the rooftop instantly changed. Candrani stopped joking around, Kalantaka's expression became alert, and Wiraatmaja slowly raised his head to listen.
The Elder looked at each of them in turn with a deep gaze. "The three of you must depart at dawn. This mission is outside our regular surveillance territory because reports have just come in regarding unusual demonic activity there."
The night wind blew once again, gently stirring the edges of their cloaks.
"This mission... will be the greatest test you have ever faced."
********
The morning sun pierced through the gaps of the curtains, reflecting softly on the floor of the simple bedroom. Sia stepped out with a towel draped over her shoulder. Her hair was still messy, her face half-asleep.
She walked toward the back of the house, the sound of a pan clashing with a spatula clearly heard. From behind the kitchen door, the smell of sautéed onions and eggs spread.
Sia paused for a moment at the doorway, her eyes falling on the figure of her mother who was busy cooking.
"..."
There was no greeting. She only glanced briefly before turning back toward the bathroom.
Yana, the mother, paused in her movement. The spatula in her hand hovered in the air. She turned slightly, noticing the shadow of her child who had just shut the bathroom door. The corner of her lips lifted faintly, then she returned to her busy cooking.
After getting ready, Sia came out of her room again. Her hair was now neat, her new uniform still stiff, not yet familiar to wear. She walked to the kitchen, the dining table already neatly set. There was rice, fried eggs, vegetables, and a lunch wrapped in wax paper.
But something caught her attention. A small folded paper, placed on the table, right beside her lunch.
Sia picked it up, opening it lazily.
Her mother's handwriting was clearly written:
"Sorry, Sia. I have to leave earlier today, I can't take you to your new school. You know the way, right?
I put your fare money on top of your lunch. Good luck."
Sia let out a short sigh. Her eyes glanced at the lunch. Sure enough, a folded bill was neatly placed on top of it.
"...Knowing the way on my own, huh." she muttered quietly, almost like a grumble.
Her hand crumpled the paper, then threw it into the trash bin at the corner of the kitchen without expression.
She sat down, pulling the chair with a slight screech, then began spooning her food alone. The sound of the spoon against the plate echoed clearly in the silent room.
After finishing her meal, Sia placed her spoon on the plate, then stood without a word. She grabbed her bag hanging on the chair, looked at the kitchen for a moment. Quiet, only the lingering smell of breakfast slowly fading.
"Heading out," she murmured softly, though no one heard.
She stepped outside, the morning air feeling damp after last night's rain. The road was still wet, and small puddles sparkled under the sunlight. Sia walked toward the bus stop, the sound of her shoes making small splashy noises among the puddles.
The bus stop wasn't crowded. Only one person was there. A man sitting at the edge of the bench, holding a black umbrella as if it were a cane.
The hood of his hoodie covered part of his face, his head lowered. A black backpack hung on one of his shoulders.
Sia glanced at him briefly before turning her face away. She sat on the other end of the bench, keeping a wide enough distance.
The sound of passing vehicles echoed, accompanied by the breeze that still carried the scent of rain.
Then,
SPLASH!
Water from the road suddenly splattered high when a car sped past. Sia reflexively shut her eyes and raised her hand, ready to be splashed by cold water.
But… nothing happened.
She opened her eyes slowly. In front of her, a black umbrella stood open, blocking the water that would've soaked her.
Sia turned.
And the man's face was already very close. So close that she could see his clear blue eyes.
A gentle smile curved on his lips. Not an ordinary friendly smile. More like a smile that hid something.
"The water didn't get to you," he said softly, his voice warm but with a faint undertone that made Sia hold her breath.
He stared straight into her eyes, tilting his head slightly.
"This morning is beautiful, right? But it would be more beautiful if you didn't zone out alone like that, darling."
Sia froze. That word, "darling" slipped out so lightly, as if they'd known each other for a long time.
She immediately straightened her posture and moved slightly away, her gaze shifting toward the road.
"I… don't know you."
The man chuckled softly, closing the umbrella with one smooth motion. "Not yet. But we can fix that, can't we?"
Sia stayed silent, but her heart beat a bit faster for no clear reason.
The bus approached, its heavy engine noise filling the air. She stood quickly, boarding without looking back. But as the bus began moving, she glanced out the window.
The man was still sitting at the bus stop, staring at the bus that drove away. The smile on his face hadn't faded. Calm, almost too calm.
The bus rolled farther, leaving the bus stop shrinking from sight.
Next?