HALIM'S POV
'I think football strategies and war strategies are pretty much the same.'
Ali said that to me earlier at school.
That sentence kept replaying in my head, and somehow, the truth in it felt real.
Right now, I'm walking alone toward a place I haven't visited in a long time… the old and large house that belongs to my grandfather on my father's side. There's something I need to take from there.
The house is huge. You could call it an old mansion, one that once witnessed many stories from my family. And it's not far from school, only about a 15-minute walk.
My dad once told me that my grandfather was a history enthusiast. Inside the mansion, there's a massive library filled with thick books about military strategies and world wars. I've always been interested in learning about those things.
I keep walking through empty, quiet, and neglected streets. Wild grass creeps onto the road, and old houses stand like exhausted bodies waiting to collapse. And the weather? It's not exactly bright.
I don't even remember the last time I was here.
But… my steps slow down. Something feels off about this area.
I get the feeling that someone is following me from behind. Slowly and quietly, but I can feel it.
Looking back might just make me careless, so I decide to ignore whatever is behind me.
A few minutes later, I finally arrived in front of the old mansion.
The walls look faded, some windows are cracked and covered by dusty curtains. Nothing has changed at all—
"LET ME GO! HELP…!"
Right before I step into the mansion, I hear someone screaming for help.
"That voice…"
I know that tone too well… that breathing… that panic.
Curious, I immediately run toward the sound to see who's calling for help.
And what I see next… is completely unexpected.
The four seniors who fought Dzaky ten days ago… are now forcefully grabbing Khadijah's arms.
The girl is shaking, terrified, desperately trying to break free from the four of them.
There's no way I'm just going to stand here. I start walking toward them.
"Assalamualaikum…"
All of them turn to look at me… shocked.
"Halim?!"
"…Halim!"
None of them expected me to be standing here. Just look at how stunned those four seniors are.
"Well… well… well. Look what we have here. Four people who call themselves adults… doing something inappropriate to an underage girl?"
My sharp and cold gaze is locked onto the four of them.
The place suddenly goes silent. Until—
"LET ME GO!!!"
"—!!!"
Khadijah suddenly breaks free, then runs behind me and hides there.
I can feel her hands trembling as she grips the backpack on my back.
"Halim…"
Her voice is shaking too, clear proof that she desperately needs help right now.
I glance at Khadijah behind me for a moment, then turn my attention back to the four seniors.
These guys are always causing trouble. And now they've scared Khadijah this badly.
"I knew it. So you two are really dating, huh?"
Dating. Dating. Dating. Blah. Blah. Blah.
Is that all that's inside this guy's head? Do they really care more about dating than their own dignity?
This is an insult to me. A truly annoying one.
"If that's true… do you seriously think I'd let people like you mess with Khadijah when she's alone?"
"You can't lie to us anymore, Halim. You can see it yourself."
"That's right!"
I'm left speechless again… my blood pressure rising.
Back then, these four threatened me, insulted me, and even challenged me to fight—solo versus squad! Can you imagine that?! And now, they're still causing trouble.
Right in front of my feet, I spot something. A short and rusty metal rod. Probably part of a broken fence or an old vehicle frame. It's not very big, but big enough to break bones.
I could use that rod to fight them. But I refuse to dirty my hands like that.
Instead of using it, I lightly kick the metal rod.
It rolls across the ground and stops right in front of one of the seniors' feet.
"Pick it up."
"Huh…?"
"Pick up the metal rod and let's fight. Solo versus squad."
"You want to fight?!"
"Do you four have anything better to do right now besides wrestling people? I remember it clearly—you guys were the ones who challenged me back then. So we've got a fight to finish here."
The moment I say that, their expressions change. All four seniors tense up, clearly intimidated.
"Hey, Halim! Aren't you forbidden from fighting?!"
"Mr. Satrio isn't here, so he won't know. Besides, he told me yesterday that I'm allowed to fight however I want now… including using forbidden techniques."
"W-Wait! We didn't come here to fight!"
"Why? Are all four of you scared of facing a kid?"
"No! You're misunderstanding!"
"Yeah! We were just trying to help Khadijah! She got lost here!"
"That's right!"
"Help, you say? Khadijah was on the verge of crying because of what you did. Imagine if someone else saw that—they'd probably think you were assaulting an underage girl. Is that what you call 'helping'?"
The four seniors fall silent.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I don't want my anger to make Khadijah even more scared.
My hands are itching to hit something. And suddenly, I remember what Mr. Satrio said back then.
Mr. Satrio gave me permission to fight. From now on, if someone wants to fight me, I'm allowed to accept and use forbidden techniques… as long as I don't cross the line.
Besides, I hate wasting time on pointless things.
"No more talking."
"What?"
"You four want to leave? Go ahead. You want to fight? Stay here. Three…"
"Three?"
"Two…!"
I raise my voice, and it startles all four of them.
"Wait!"
"Halim, we can talk this out!"
"Two and a quarter…"
I take my backpack off and let Khadijah hold onto it.
My eyes never leave the four seniors.
Slowly, I walk toward them.
Meanwhile, the seniors start panicking and backing away.
"Why don't we just run?! Our necks could get snapped!"
"Please listen to us, Halim!"
"Two and a half…"
I keep walking… until the metal rod is right in front of my feet.
None of them pick it up. They're too scared.
So I bend down and pick it up myself.
I only mean to hold it—
"RUN…!!!"
"AAAAAAH…!!!"
"MOMMY…!!!"
"HEY! DON'T LEAVE ME…!!!"
I haven't done anything yet. My hand hasn't even fully gripped the metal rod.
They're already running away—as if they're anomalies being chased by a giant rabid chihuahua. One of them even trips over a rock and kisses the ground.
I just stand there, watching the four seniors disappear.
Today, I learned something new…
Apparently, that's what adult screaming sounds like.
"Halim…"
Khadijah's unhappy voice is clearly heard from behind me.
I turn around and look at Khadijah, who's still standing there silently, still holding my backpack.
A few questions pop into my head right now. One of them is why Khadijah is even in a place like this.
"What are you doing here? This isn't the way home."
Khadijah just lowers her head and stares at the ground, like she can't even bring herself to look me in the eye.
"I told you before not to go anywhere alone. You could've asked Latifah to walk home with you. And now you know what happens when you're alone in a place like this. Just imagine if I hadn't heard your scream earlier. Why did you ignore my advice, Khadijah?"
Still no answer from Khadijah. But this time, I see something in her eyes… tears.
Wait, what—Khadijah is crying?
Why? The four seniors are already gone, so what is she still afraid of? Besides, I was only asking—
Oh… I think I know what's making her cry… maybe. Did I look too scary earlier? Was it my stare? The way I talked? Or—
Whatever it is, I can't make this worse. I need to apologize.
"You know what? I'm really sorry if I scared you earlier."
Khadijah finally lifts her head and looks at me. Her eyes are still filled with fear.
"We should go home now. A girl like you shouldn't be in a place like this."
"Wait…"
"…What?"
"I want to know… what were you doing in a place like this?"
Huh? Wasn't I the one who was supposed to ask that? Why is she questioning me now?
"That's not important."
"I don't care whether it's important or not. Just tell me."
What—Khadijah is suddenly pushing me? Why?
But whatever it is, I can't tell her. I hate it when something I want to keep hidden gets dragged out.
"…I'll just walk you home, okay?"
"I don't want to go home until you tell me everything!"
Oh man… she's getting angry now.
Alright. If that's what you want, Khadijah.
"Do you really need to know?"
"Of course!"
"Why?"
"Why…?"
"What reason do you have to know this, Khadijah? It's not even your business."
That question immediately leaves her speechless. But then—
Khadijah's shoulders start shaking, and tears finally roll down her cheeks.
"Khadijah…?"
"I'm scared…"
"Scared of what? Why?"
"I'm scared… that you're hiding something from me, Halim."
Her voice is almost breaking because of her crying.
Just hearing it makes my chest feel uncomfortable… especially seeing those tears.
Now it's my turn to be silent.
"That's not true, Khadijah. I'm not hiding anything from you—"
"Then… please tell me, Halim."
Those teary eyes are now staring straight into mine.
I'd feel incredibly guilty if I didn't tell her where I was going. It would only make her think that I really am hiding something.
But I can't tell her everything because this… it's connected to my past. I don't even know how to explain it to her. Still—
"Khadijah—"
"Please, Halim…"
Maybe… it wouldn't hurt to tell her just a little. As long as she doesn't go there, nothing bad should happen.
"…Listen. I'm not trying to lie to you. It's really not something important. I just want to go somewhere—"
"What are you going to do there?"
"There's something I need to take. I'll go home once I'm done."
She clearly doesn't look satisfied with my answer.
I don't know how to explain everything to her. My thoughts are too messy.
The place I'm going to isn't meant for someone like Khadijah. And I'm not sure she'd understand why I'm going there.
"…Let's just go home, okay? This area is too dangerous for someone like you."
"What about you? Isn't this place dangerous for you too?"
"Even without asking, you should already know that I can protect myself, right?"
That's why knowing how to fight is important.
Even if my opponent is stronger or more dangerous, I can always run, disappear, and hide somewhere I know.
"I want to follow you."
"Follow me home?"
"No. I want to go to the place you mentioned earlier."
"What? You want to follow me to where I'm going?"
"Yes."
"I'm not sure you'd like that place, Khadijah. It's too dangerous."
"And I won't feel calm if you're in danger either, Halim! I want to go with you!"
What is she thinking? Why does she suddenly sound like my older sister?
I can't bring Khadijah to the mansion. That place is dark, quiet, dangerous, and full of memories that should stay buried. A girl like her shouldn't go there.
Besides, I know that if I don't say anything now and don't decide quickly, Khadijah will go on her own. And I have no idea what I'd say to Brother Abbas and Mrs. Zainab if Khadijah got hurt.
But when I start thinking about her family… something crosses my mind.
"This might take a long time, Khadijah. So please… don't make things harder. Brother Abbas and your mom will worry if you get home late."
"Did you forget, Halim? Brother Abbas and my mom are working right now. Besides, if you have a problem, I'll help you."
"What about Abdullah? Your little brother must be waiting for you at home right now. You don't want him running away again like last time, do you?"
"Abdullah is with my mom and Brother Abbas right now. So there's no one at my house. And besides… going home right now doesn't sound like a good idea."
"…What do you mean?"
"If I could secretly follow you, then those four seniors could do the same. And you don't want them to know that I'm your neighbor, right?"
That… is true.
And for the first time since this conversation started, I feel like I've completely run out of answers.
No one knows for sure whether those seniors really left or not. They could still be following us. And if they find out Khadijah is my neighbor, that's trouble.
But even so, something keeps holding me back.
It's hard to explain. It's not just about danger, it's about being alone… with a girl.
You know? I already feel awkward just sitting next to Latifah, even though she's my best friend.
And Khadijah… don't even get me started. She's different from Latifah. And that only makes things harder.
Mr. Satrio strictly forbade me from being alone with girls who aren't part of my family, especially in quiet places. If Mr. Satrio ever found out, rest in peace, my sensitive area.
But he also said that actions depend on intention. If my intention is to keep Khadijah safe, then this is responsibility, totally not negligence.
Hopefully, this won't take long.
"Alright, Khadijah."
Her eyes immediately lock onto mine.
"You can come with me."
"Really?"
"Yes. I'll finish everything quickly so we can both go home sooner. So… let's go."
Like a kid who just got a birthday present, Khadijah instantly smiles happily after I say that.
That smile… oh man. For a moment, it makes me forget that we're heading to a place we really shouldn't be going to right now.
But one thing's for sure… I can't spend too much time with Khadijah.
My heart won't survive that long.
In the end, Khadijah hands my backpack back to me and starts walking toward the mansion… together with me.
THE OLD MANSION
"We're here…"
Khadijah and I stop in front of a huge and old house standing silently under the shadow of gray clouds. My grandfather's mansion.
The building is massive, quiet, and honestly pretty creepy for anyone who doesn't know this place. The paint on the walls has peeled away over time. The large windows look dark and lifeless, and some of them are cracked and misshapen.
Nothing has changed. At least from the outside, it still looks exactly the same as the last time I came here.
Khadijah freezes beside me, her mouth slightly open, her eyes locked onto the building—
like she's staring at some terrifying creature… or maybe something even worse.
Her expression is a mix of awe, fear, and disbelief. It almost makes me chuckle.
"We can go home if you're scared—"
"I'm fine!"
"…You sure?"
"I'm not scared, Halim!"
Liar. I know you're scared, Khadijah. Your body's shaking, and your voice sounds forced.
But I don't have time to drag this out.
"Let's go inside."
"—Inside that house?! Are you serious?"
"Haha, you scared?"
"No! I'm not scared! Hmph!"
At first, Khadijah panics when I suggest going inside the mansion. But the moment I tease her a little, she gets annoyed and her fear disappears almost instantly.
Seeing her pout like an angry little kid makes me chuckle. It actually helps ease my stress a bit. She really hates being challenged.
Khadijah walks ahead toward the house, and I follow behind her.
When we reach the front door, I pull the key out of my pocket and unlock it.
*The sound of a door opening…*
Welcome to the mansion.
We both step inside the massive building.
Different smells immediately greet us. Old wood from the door, dust drifting from every direction, and a sense of history far too long to tell all at once.
Stepping inside feels like walking back in time. All the furniture is still where it used to be, now buried under dust and cobwebs. Worn-out curtains sway slightly from the wind slipping through broken windows. Dim light seeps in, lighting parts of the room in an almost eerie way.
Nothing strange outside. Nothing different inside. It's still the same as it always was.
My reason for coming here is the library on the second floor. What I'm looking for is there.
We start climbing the concrete stairs, one step at a time.
"..."
Beside me, I can see Khadijah shivering again.
She hugs her own arms, trying to calm a fear she clearly can't hide.
For a moment, I'm honestly tempted to mess with her.
I want to whisper something into her ear. Or suddenly run ahead and leave her alone.
Oh, or maybe play one of those creepy sounds I downloaded online… volume all the way up. I wonder… what kind of face would she make if I did that. Hmm…
But the risk is, if she starts crying, I'll be the one panicking.
Still… I really want to—
"Halim, why are you smiling like that?"
"Nothing."
"…You're not going to mess with me, right?"
"Oh, great idea, Khadijah. Perfect timing too… I'm bored."
"—Halim!"
"Just kidding."
She's mad.
And I'm trying my hardest not to laugh. Oh no… I almost spit.
"Hey, are you sure you still want to follow me?"
"If I wasn't sure, I would've run away a long time ago."
"What a brave girl. By the way, I've been curious… why are you keeping your hand on the wall like that? No one's going to kick you from behind, you know that?"
"Hey, this is just in case. If I trip, at least I'm ready."
"Oh, I see. I thought you were about to run away… like those four seniors."
"Stop thinking I'm a coward, Halim. I'm not scared. Hmph!"
Not scared? Did I seriously just hear Khadijah say she's not scared?
One little scare… wouldn't hurt, right? MUAHAHAHAHA—
"Hey, Khadijah—"
"If you try to scare me, I won't forgive you, Halim."
I smile… disappointed.
Looks like she already knows what I'm planning.
A few seconds later, we finally stopped in front of the library door.
I grab the doorknob, twist it, open the door, and—
*The sound of a door opening…*
"Dark…"
In front of us is a room that's freezing cold and pitch black. There's nothing to see and nothing to feel, except total darkness and air so cold it makes my skin crawl.
Even if you try to take a picture of the room, all you'll see in the photo is just… black.
The room looks like a dark cave, ready to swallow anything that steps inside. Just looking at it is enough to make your heart race, especially if this is your first time seeing it.
I remember… the last time I came here, I deliberately closed all the curtains. Sunlight can damage old paper, and my grandfather was very protective of these books.
The darkness makes Khadijah even more scared. But not for me.
"Let's go inside."
"But it's… really dark in there."
"Aren't you supposed to be the brave one?"
"Halim! Can you be serious for once?!"
She's mad again.
"Alright then. Why don't you just choose?"
"Choose what?"
"You've got two options. You can come inside this dark room with me… or you can wait here alone until I open the curtains."
Khadijah stares at me without saying a word.
"It's up to you, Khadijah. One reason we're taking so long is because someone can't make a decision quickly."
I say it seriously because that's what Khadijah wants from me right now.
Khadijah can come with me or wait here alone. Even if Khadijah has another idea and it's a smart one, I might actually consider it.
"So?"
"…I'll go with you."
Khadijah's answer sounds like someone surrendering to uncertainty.
"Alright. I suggest you walk while holding onto the backpack on my back. Just the bag, nothing else. I don't want my neck suddenly getting pulled backward. You got that?"
"Okay…"
Khadijah nods and grabs onto my backpack.
Before stepping inside, I turn on the flashlight on my phone. The small beam immediately reflects off the dust floating in the air.
"Hold onto my bag tightly so you don't get lost in the dark."
"And you're not allowed to run without warning."
"…I really want to, though."
"Halim!"
"Alright, alright. Let's go."
We walk into the room, moving through rows of old bookshelves swallowed by darkness. For anyone with nyctophobia (fear of the dark), entering this room would be a huge mistake.
Khadijah follows closely behind me, gripping my backpack tightly. I can hear her breathing… and I can feel her trembling through her grip.
The phone's light is our only guide.
We keep walking. Until finally—
"The curtains!"
With one quick motion, I pull the heavy curtains aside, letting sunlight flood through the large windows.
The light fills the room instantly, and wipes away Khadijah's fear.
"…Feel better?"
"Yes. Much better."
She lets out a relieved breath, clearly calmer now.
Then Khadijah starts looking around the room, now fully lit by sunlight.
"Is this… a library?"
Khadijah looks amazed by the shelves packed with books all around us. Her mouth hangs slightly open as she looks around.
"A big library, right?"
"Yeah."
Khadijah's probably never seen a library this large before. If that's true, no wonder she's shocked.
"You can borrow books from here if you want."
"Really? Do you even know who owns this mansion?"
"Of course I do. The owner never stopped me from borrowing any book here."
"Oh…"
"Feel free to look around. You might find something interesting to read later. You like reading, don't you, Khadijah?"
"…Alright."
We split up, each looking for the books we want. Our footsteps echo softly on the dusty carpet. The smell of old paper and rotting wood fills the air and honestly, I like it. It reminds me of memories.
I walked past shelf after shelf, sliding aside a few boring-looking books, until finally… my eyes landed on a dull gray cover with big capital letters that read: BLITZKRIEG STRATEGY.
I pulled the book off the shelf. It was thick, and that familiar old-book smell filled the air as I slowly opened it.
Blitzkrieg strategy was a German military tactic used during World War II, meaning 'Lightning War.' It focused on fast, coordinated attacks that shocked the enemy using a combined force of tanks, infantry, and aircraft—breaking through and destroying enemy defenses before they could respond effectively. This strategy once conquered a third of Europe… in less than a year.
"Interesting."
I stared at the cover for a moment, then slipped the book into my backpack. Not every book needs to be read right away. But this one… I'd definitely read it later.
I went back to Khadijah. She was holding a book, her eyes focused on the shelves around her.
"Did you find a good book, Khadijah?"
"Yeah. Look at this…"
She showed me the book she was holding. The cover was old, faded brown, with gold lettering that had started to wear away: NUSAIBAH BINTI KA'AB: THE PROPHET'S SHIELD.
Nusaibah was one of the greatest women in Islamic history. She was known not only for her bravery in battle, but also for her incredible loyalty to the Prophet Muhammad. When many men fell back, she stayed on the front lines, shielding the Prophet with her own body, taking wound after wound without ever giving up. The title 'The Prophet's Shield' truly belonged to her.
I hadn't known a book like that existed in this library.
"By the way, why do you want to read that book, Khadijah?"
She didn't answer right away. She just looked at me… then smiled.
"I'll tell you later."
"…???"
"I can take this book home with me, right?"
"That's fine, as long as you don't lose it."
"Thank you so much, Hali—"
…Huh? Why did Khadijah suddenly stop smiling?
"Is something wrong, Khadijah?"
"…Did you hear that, Halim?"
"Hear what?"
I swear to God, I didn't hear anything at all.
Khadijah's gaze shifted toward one of the large windows nearby.
She started walking toward it, and I followed right behind her.
We both looked outside the window… and yeah, that was completely unexpected.
Those four seniors who had been bothering Khadijah earlier… were there. They looked like they were talking about something, but I couldn't hear a thing.
"They're looking for us… but they don't know we're here."
That's when I remembered—Khadijah's hearing was way sharper than most people's.
It was impressive that she could hear them from this far away, but at the same time… it must've been exhausting. She probably heard things she could've easily ignored otherwise.
The worry returned to her face. I could see it clearly.
Leaving right now wasn't a good option. The only choice we had was to stay here a little longer.
"Khadijah, do you want to explore this place with me?"
"Explore this place?"
"There are a lot of hidden spots in this mansion. Like the basement, secret corridors, old doors you can barely see, and small rooms that you can hide in. If someone suspicious follows you, you can hide here. This place can be your shelter. At least you'll know where to go if something happens."
Khadijah went quiet for a moment, thinking it over. Then she nodded.
"…Yeah. Good idea."
Khadijah agreed.
Alright then—let's explore this mansion.
At the very least, it would help pass the time… and maybe make those four seniors lose interest in finding us.
First, we went to the top floor. I showed Khadijah the attic, which you could access by pulling a small string hidden behind an old painting. It was cold and full of cobwebs, but spacious enough to hide in if things got bad.
Then we went back down to the ground floor. Behind an old wooden shelf that looked like it was stuck to the wall, there was actually a narrow gap you could open. Inside was a short corridor leading to a storage room that time had almost forgotten.
After that, we went to the darkest place in the mansion—the basement. There were plenty of hidden spots and secrets down there, including… uh… you know what? Nevermind.
Oh, right. I almost forgot. This mansion also had a few other exits besides the main door. One of them was hidden behind an empty fireplace. There was a small door there that could lead you outside without using the front entrance.
At first, Khadijah was scared of the dark. But that fear slowly faded after I showed her around.
We didn't find anything strange in the mansion, except—
*Meow…*
A slim white cat stood there, its fur clean… just a little messy.
The cat walked toward us without fear, like it had known us for a long time.
"A cat!"
Khadijah immediately crouched down and gently petted the white cat's head.
The cat purred happily and rolled around under her touch.
"That's weird. Why is there a cat in a place like this?"
"This cat lives here. And it's not the only one."
"…There are more?"
"Follow me."
We headed to the kitchen on the ground floor.
In one corner of the room, there was an old wooden cabinet that clearly hadn't been used in ages.
We walked over to it. I slowly opened the cabinet door and—
*Meow! Meow! Meow! Meow!*
"Aww… kittens!"
Inside were four tiny kittens. Two had bright orange fur, one was pure white, and the last one… had mackerel tabby fur, striped like a tiny tiger.
Khadijah couldn't resist the cuteness. She quickly moved closer and started petting all four kittens one by one, her hands moving eagerly.
She really loved cats. Just look at her, petting them with a smile that she couldn't hide.
My heart felt calm. And Khadijah probably felt the same.
The place that once felt quiet and a little creepy… now felt warm.
*Meow…*
Turns out the white cat had followed us. It just stood there… staring at me.
"What is it?"
The cat walked up to me and rubbed its head against my leg without hesitation.
"I get it."
Usually, when this cat did that, it meant one thing. It's lunch time… but not for me.
I took something out of my bag, a sheet of blank paper and a small pack of cat food I'd bought earlier at a pet shop.
I placed the paper on the floor as a makeshift plate, then opened the food and slowly poured it onto the paper.
Just like I expected, the white cat immediately started eating.
*Meow! Meow!*
Right after that, all the kittens jumped out of the cabinet, ran to their mother, and eagerly joined in.
This wouldn't be enough… but luckily, I still had one last pack in my bag.
I'm gonna take that last pack from my bag
"Halim, can I feed them?"
Looks like Khadijah wanted a turn.
"Of course."
I handed her the last pack.
Khadijah grabbed another sheet of paper, opened the food, and poured it out.
The cats rushed over and ate happily.
Khadijah couldn't stop smiling. Her hands were busy petting the kittens one by one. She even giggled when one of them licked her fingers.
"That tickles…"
"There's nothing scary here, right?"
"You're right, Halim."
None of the cats looked panicked while we were there.
Khadijah kept smiling, still petting all four of them.
And me? Yeah… I was just enjoying the moment.
Watching this alone was enough to ease my stress and calm my mind.
By the way… are those four seniors still out there…?
You know what? Nevermind.
TO BE CONTINUED…