บท 6: 6. Are You an Astral Conjurer?

A teenage boy who was acting as the local guide furrowed his brow thoughtfully. "Maybe it's because the creatures move very fast. Plus, they live deep in the jungle, making them avoid human presence altogether," the boy, named Bima, offered as a guess.

Kairav seemed unsatisfied with the answer but nodded anyway, his hand absently adjusting the deep red-jeweled pendant around his neck.

"Can't you make yourself a little more useful?!"

The sarcastic remark immediately caught the attention of the four people who had been chatting. They all turned their heads at once.

Kairav smirked, a dimple forming on his right cheek as he noticed the irritation on the face of his friend, Baron, who was busy preparing food with the rest of the expedition team near their tents. "What's the matter, Baron? Need a hand?" Kairav teased, his voice dripping with mockery.

Baron, looking away from the slightly charred corn roasting over the campfire, snapped back sarcastically, "I need more slaves!" His frustration was clear as he adjusted his glasses.

Kairav and Gavin burst into laughter, thoroughly enjoying Baron's exasperation. "You've been on dozens of expeditions, and you still can't roast corn properly? Do you want to eat coal?" Kairav jeered.

From across the campfire, Baron appeared ready to fire back with a stream of insults, but Uncle Dimas cut in, "Alright, enough bickering. Let Uncle and Bima take over the cooking, alright?"

Kairav and Gavin exchanged satisfied grins, nodding in agreement as Uncle Dimas and Bima got up to help.

But then Kairav suddenly jumped up, dusting off his white hoodie. He fumbled for a headlamp and quickly strapped it to his head.

Gavin raised an eyebrow, confused by Kairav's sudden movement. "What's up? You heading out there too?"

Kairav shook his head hurriedly. "No, nature's calling!"

"Damn you!" Gavin shouted in mock outrage, chucking a small rock in Kairav's direction as he sprinted off into the forest, clutching his stomach.

***

"Kairav! Are you actually pooping or dead?! What's taking you so long?!"

Gavin's shout echoed through the trees, disturbing the quiet of the forest. Kairav, who had just finished his personal business, groaned in annoyance. "Tsk! Why is he so damn noisy?" he muttered, still busy covering the soil below.

His grumbling was abruptly cut short. His lips froze mid-complaint as an unusual sound reached his ears.

Realizing he was deep in the wilderness, Kairav's instincts kicked in. Wild animals could be lurking anywhere. He slowly stood up, searching for the source of the sound.

Standing at 5'9", Kairav moved cautiously, his hazel eyes narrowing as they focused on a nearby shrub that was gently swaying, creating a soft rustling noise.

He dimmed his headlamp, creeping towards the bush. As he drew closer, he caught sight of something unusual—a four to five foot tall primate with thick, dark hair covering its entire body.

The creature was crouching, its long, muscular arms digging at the ground, likely in search of food. But then it noticed the faint light from Kairav's headlamp.

The creature's head snapped up, and its glowing yellow eyes locked with Kairav's. His heart raced as he whispered to himself, "Uhang Pandak!"

The primate recoiled immediately, reacting as though threatened. It darted off with incredible speed, using its oddly upturned legs to propel itself through the dense undergrowth.

Without hesitation, Kairav bolted after it. "I saw it!!! I saw it!!!" he shouted, hoping his voice would carry back to his friends at camp.

But the creature was fast—far too fast. The further Kairav ran into the forest, the harder it became to keep up. Before long, it had completely vanished from sight.

Out of breath and frustrated, Kairav skidded to a stop. He tried to catch his breath. He scanned the surrounding trees, muttering to himself, "Damn it! That thing runs like a primate, but it moves like a racehorse!"

As he stood there, cursing his luck, something caught the corner of his eye—a flash of bright white light. It was coming from behind him, near a 7-foot granite boulder he had passed earlier.

He spun around, and that's when the shouting began.

"Whoaaa!!!"

In his panic, Kairav lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. When he looked up, his eyes went wide with shock. Standing before him was a 6'5" stranger, who looked equally startled to see him.

"Fuck you! How did you get out from under that rock?! Are you a ghost?!" Kairav's heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the burly stranger who had just emerged from inside the boulder, shrouded moments ago in bright white light.

Casildo's initial shock quickly shifted to irritation at the insult. "I'm not a ghost! I am Casildo Yudanta!" He retorted, his muscular frame standing tall.

Kairav, still cautious, got to his feet. "To hell with your name!" he spat back. "I just want to know—what the hell are you? How did you come out of there?"

But instead of answering directly, Casildo looked at Kairav, his brown eyes filled with confusion. "Are you one of the Astral Conjurers?" he asked, his voice serious.

Kairav frowned, even more confused. "Eh? What weird stuff are you talking about?"

Casildo's gaze flicked behind Kairav. "My animal spirit said it saw a unicorn spirit behind you."

The words struck Kairav like a blow. His expression shifted, surprise and tension mixing with a sudden wave of gloom. His heart raced, a shadow of disbelief clouding his face. "You—did you really see it?" he asked softly, a faint tremble in his voice, unsure if he wanted the answer.

Casildo shook his head. "Not me. My bull spirit did." He gestured behind himself. "Didn't you see it?" he asked.

Kairav, still reeling, could only shake his head, caught in that thin space between belief and disbelief, his mind swirling with unease.

Casildo furrowed his brow in confusion. "That's strange," he muttered. "I can't see yours, and you can't see mine… As fellow Astral Conjurers, we should be able to see each other's animal spirits..." He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.