Chapter 2 The New Experience

The long-awaited day had arrived. Everyone had entered the bus and occupied their respective seats to then travel quite far to the intended location. The journey to Kediri City took quite a long time and Novita spent the trip listening to one of her favorite boy bands.

Once there, Novita couldn't stop grumbling about what she saw. Meanwhile, Yudhis and Adrian couldn't stop shaking their heads thinking about whether their decision to bring Novita was the right thing or the wrong thing.

The atmosphere in the cemetery was indeed very crowded, but Novita's very chatty attitude really made the two of them uneasy, especially since the girl's problem was always about her dislike for what was there. Things that make Adrian and Yudhis sometimes feel afraid if it will be heard by others and end up offending them.

"What is this? So where is the king's tomb?" Novita asked again. The girl was so chatty and asked a lot of questions about various things she saw.

"Inside the small hut. The tomb is there," Yudhis patiently explained. He pointed towards a building that was quite large and had a royal atmosphere that was quite obvious.

"So we bothered to come here just to see that little hut? Can't see the tomb in person? Why?" Novita continued to ask, making Yudhis and Andrian sigh again.

"It was deliberately made because in the past, before the hut was built, the king's burial ground was often lost by pilgrims, dear," explained Mrs. Yudhis who stood beside Novita. Novita, who heard the story, suddenly widened her eyes and blinked slightly.

"Even the tomb land was stolen?" muttered the girl in disbelief. She was surprised by the actions of humans who seemed to lack work.

"Yes, even though taking anything in the cemetery is not allowed," Mrs. Yudhis explained again.

"Ah that's it! Just a moment, Novita. I'll just go there first," said Ibu Yudhis when she saw something she needed. Meanwhile, Novita just nodded slowly without any interest in following.

The atmosphere of the cemetery was very crowded with pilgrims, even occasionally Novita felt herself pressed and staggered by the flow of pilgrims who were not sure of their direction.

"What the hell? Photos in the cemetery?" Novita, who had just been freed from the crowded area, couldn't help but curse when she saw some of the activities of the people around the girl. Then she began to realize something.

"Where are Yudhis and Adrian?" Novita's body instantly cringed as she realized she was separated from the mob. It must have been because she had been so busy getting herself out of the crowded area that she didn't realize how far she had walked.

Novita immediately returned to her feet trying to find the whereabouts of Judhis and Adrian. Until accidentally the girl came to the back of the tomb building which had a very quiet atmosphere. In stark contrast to the front of the tomb which was so crowded with pilgrims from various cities.

In that area, Novita accidentally saw the back door of the hut slightly open, with various questions raging in her head, Novita stepped closer to the door and opened it slowly to be able to see the inside of the room in detail.

"Just an ordinary tomb," Novita muttered with a frown, but still stepped inside.

"There's nothing special here. Just an ordinary grave like the one in the neighborhood. And they only came here because the man who died was a king? Gosh, how nice of this king, he's been dead for hundreds of years but there are still so many people praying for him." Novita continued to mutter. Especially when she ventured inside and all she found was a well-maintained tia grave with a tombstone lying on it.

A stone engraved with the king's name, the approximate birth and death of the king himself. Novita sighed at the sight of everything in front of her, much to her disappointment at not finding anything interesting there.

Until the girl decided to go back outside, her eyes accidentally caught sight of a beautiful reflection of an object lying on the side of the king's tomb. Novita squinted her eyes as she continued to step closer, and how surprised she was to find a small jewelry box there. She quickly moved closer, until her hand stopped when she saw a small note warning her not to touch what was inside.

For a moment Novita seemed to consider the warning. However, a moment later the girl chose to ignore it because she felt that the writing was made only to make people not damage or dirty the relics of the king.

Yes, at least Novita believed that the objects there were relics of the king, especially when she opened the small chest, Novita found a lot of jewelry and several krises and other heirlooms.

Novita suddenly gasped at the sight. Especially when her gaze fell on a bracelet and a jeweled ring. Two pieces of jewelry that made Novita's soul yearn to have them.

"Oh my, this is beautiful. Is it okay if I have it?" Novita looked thoughtful. Especially when the girl remembered Yudhis' mother's words not to take anything in the cemetery.

"But this is very good. It would be a waste if I didn't take them." Novita clutched the two jewels tightly.

"O benevolent king, may I borrow these two jewels of yours? I'm sure you won't mind, will you? After all, you still have a lot of jewelry there. I just want to take these two. How's that? You agree, right? Ah, thank you very much!" she exclaimed happily when in reality there was no reply at all from the king. The area inside the hut was still as silent as ever.

Novita quickly pocketed the bracelet and ring into her pocket and stepped back outside.

"Hey, what are you doing there?" shouted an old man who was enough to make Novita tiptoe in place.

"Ma-- sorry, I was just curious. The door was open so I chose to come in for a while." Novita lowered her gaze while clutching her jacket pocket tightly, afraid that her act of stealing would be discovered. Even though she had never done such a bad thing before, but the sense of belonging was so great that it seemed to attract Novita to commit this dishonorable act. And Novita deeply regretted it.

"This is a restricted area! Who opened the door and didn't close it again?" the man kept exclaiming especially when the guards who heard the commotion flocked there. Meanwhile, Novita, who felt she had a chance to leave, immediately ran away and escaped.

Novita's breath caught as she made her way through a stretch of scarlet cloth that covered the area. Suddenly the girl's forehead wrinkled. "So that border marks the restricted area?" she muttered.

"Here you are!" snapped a man, startling Novita who had been intently observing the red cloth.

"We've been looking for you everywhere!" added Adrian, dismayed to find Novita missing from their group.

"Ah, sorry."

"Come on, it's time for us to go to the beach," Yudhis intervened.

Finally, Novita rushed back into the bus along with Yudhis and Adrian. On her way to the second location, Novita began to feel strange things hit her body. Novita thought it was a sign that she was going to be sick so the girl decided to close her eyes for a moment to take her nap.

Until a nightmare began to hit her. Marked by the arrival of two tall men in very strange clothes who continued to chase her until she ended up Novita did not have access to run anywhere because the two men's soldiers surrounded her so much. Until finally Novita found her body being forcibly dragged by the two men and then thrown into a huge vortex of light.