Days passed, but Gabriela's tranquility never returned. Every morning, as she passed through the gates of Surabaya International School, her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the music building. Its large windows are like dark eyes watching. And behind one of the windows, that figure is always there.
Arina.
She stood there, silent with a vacant stare that seemed to pierce directly into Gabriela's heart. Arina's long hair was unkempt, and her shadow always looked fainter, as if fading with time. But the longer Gabriela looked at her, the clearer the horrifying details became the marks of a noose on her neck, her slightly bluish eyes, and her seemingly stiff body.
At first, Gabriela tried to ignore it. She pretended to be busy with her studies, participating in school activities as usual. However, Arina's gaze continued to haunt her. Even in class, Gabriela often felt watched, even though when she turned around, there was nothing there.
In class...
The teacher's voice explaining the math lesson was just background noise for Gabriela. She felt isolated, lost in her own thoughts.
"Gabi, are you okay?""whispered Lisa, who was sitting next to her."
Gabriela flinched and turned towards Lisa. Her friend's face looked worried. "I'm fine, just a bit sleep-deprived," he replied briefly, forcing a smile.
Lisa didn't seem convinced. "If anything happens, you can talk to me, you know."
Gabriela just nodded, but in her heart, she knew that no one would believe her if she talked about the figure of Arina.
The sky began to darken as Gabriela walked through the schoolyard. The cold evening wind seeped through her uniform, making the hairs on her neck stand up. He glanced at the music building a habit he couldn't avoid.
As usual, Arina was there. Standing behind the foggy window, staring directly at him. This time, Gabriela felt the gaze was sharper, more piercing.
"Why do you keep appearing there?" Gabriela murmured softly, even though she knew Arina wouldn't answer.
An inexplicable urge pulled Gabriela towards the music building. She knew she should stay away, but her footsteps seemed unstoppable.
The corridor leading to the music building felt quieter than usual. There are no other students around, only the sound of Gabriela's footsteps echoing against the walls. The twilight light seeped through the window glass, casting long shadows on the floor.
When she reached the door, the air suddenly felt colder. Gabriela took a deep breath before pushing the heavy door.
Inside the Music Hall...
As soon as she entered the room, Gabriela felt the atmosphere change completely. The sound of the wind outside disappeared, replaced by a suffocating silence. He looked around, trying to find Arina.
In the middle of the room, suddenly that figure appeared. Arina, hanging from the ceiling with a rope around her neck. Her hair was loose, her body swaying gently as if pushed by a nonexistent wind.
Gabriela stepped back in shock, covering her mouth to stifle a scream. But as she blinked, the figure disappeared.
However, just a few seconds later, Arina appeared again. This time, Gabriela clearly saw how the incident repeated itself. Arina climbed onto the chair, wrapped the rope around her neck, and jumped. The sound of the chair falling echoed in the empty room.
Gabriela tried to speak. "Arina... what really happened?" Why did you do this?"Why did you do this?" There was no response. Arina just kept repeating the same scene, as if trapped in an endless cycle.
No response. Arina just kept repeating the same scene, as if trapped in an endless cycle.
Gabriela stepped closer, even though her legs were trembling. "What do you want me to see?" This isn't a coincidence, is it?"This isn't a coincidence, is it?" However, as he approached the stage, the temperature in the room dropped drastically.
However, as she approached the stage, the temperature in the room dropped drastically. Gabriela felt as if something was gripping her chest, making it hard to breathe. In the corner of her eye, a dark shadow moved, but when she turned, there was nothing there.
Her mind started to spiral. "What do you want me to do?" Gabriela almost shouted.
However, before she could think any further, the sound of heavy footsteps was heard behind her.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" Get out quickly! The security officer's shout snapped Gabriela out of her stupor.
She turned around in panic, seeing an officer standing at the door with a sharp gaze. "This is a restricted area! I've warned you twice already, this is the last time...!"
Gabriela nodded quickly, stammering. "I... I'm sorry, I just... I'm leaving now."
Without waiting any longer, Gabriela stepped out quickly. But even as she walked away from the music building, the feeling didn't fade; the feeling that Arina was still watching her, pleading for something she didn't yet understand...
The seventh day since Arina's death has arrived, but the atmosphere at Surabaya International School is still filled with whispers. The incident of the hanging left a deep impression, especially because Arina was not the type of student who stood out or was well-known. However, for Gabriela, the image of Arina never left, constantly haunting her, demanding answers.
Gabriela's instinct refused to simply accept the suicide narrative. There is something wrong, something yet to be revealed. Arina's death felt too sudden, too full of mystery. With growing determination, Gabriela decided to investigate further.
On that cloudy morning, Gabriela decided to take her first step. She couldn't keep being trapped in confusion without trying to find an answer. In class, when the break arrived, Gabriela gathered her courage to talk to her friends.
She turned to a girl named Siska, who was known as one of the students who liked to observe others. With a friendly smile, Gabriela started the conversation. "Siska, I want to ask." Do you know who is close to Arina?"Do you know who is close to Arina?" Siska, who was organizing her notebook, raised an eyebrow. "Arina?"
Siska, who was organizing her notebook, raised an eyebrow. "Arina?" Hmm... I'm not sure she has close friends in our class. He rarely talks to anyone, you know."
Gabriela frowned. "Rarely talks?" So, he spends more time alone?"Why are you asking about Arina?"
"Yes. But that's in class. Maybe outside of class she has friends," added Siska while looking at Gabriela. "Why are you asking about Arina?"
Gabriela paused for a moment, then shook her head. "It's nothing, just curious."
The conversation didn't provide many answers, but Gabriela felt increasingly certain that there was more to Arina than her classmates knew. She decided to dig deeper for information.
When the bell rang, Gabriela decided to look for another source outside the classroom.
In the corridor leading to the library, Gabriela heard a group of 10th-grade students talking. One of the names they mentioned caught her attention: Arina.
Gabriela quickened her pace, approaching them. "Excuse me, I heard you talking about Arina." Does anyone know who her close friends are?"
The students were taken aback by Gabriela's direct question. One of them, a bespectacled boy with messy hair, nodded slowly. "I'm Shiro. I used to be his childhood friend."
Gabriela felt her heart racing. Finally, a real clue. "Can you tell me more about him?" I'm just curious about... well, his life before this."
Shiro looked hesitant for a moment before nodding. "Sure. But maybe not here. Let's talk in the back garden."
In the Back Garden...
The quiet back garden of the school became the perfect place for a secret conversation. Gabriela and Shiro sat on a wooden bench that was starting to rot, surrounded by shady trees.
"I don't know much about Arina's life lately," Shiro began in a soft tone. "But I know she's having problems. For the past month, she often looks anxious." Her face was always tense.
Gabriela nodded, waiting for Shiro to continue.
"I once asked, 'What's wrong, Rin?'" "Why do you always look gloomy?" Shiro imitated his words at that time. "But she just replied, 'I can handle it.'" Don't ask anymore. The less you know, the better.
Gabriela fell silent. Arina's words contained a strange tension, as if she was hiding something significant. "And you didn't try to ask more?""And didn't you try to ask more?" Shiro shook his head, his face full of guilt. "I didn't want to force him. But I feel... he's scared. Like something is haunting him."
Shiro shook his head, his face full of guilt. "I don't want to force him. But I feel... he's scared. Like something is haunting him."
Shiro's words made Gabriela even more curious. What kind of fear is Arina facing?
"I didn't know she would do... well, that," Shiro continued, his voice weakening. "If I had known, maybe I could have done something."
Gabriela felt empathy for Shiro, but she was also increasingly convinced that there was a great mystery behind Arina's death. Something that might not only involve Arina but also the people around her.
After that conversation, Gabriela decided to further maximize her investigation. She felt there was a thread she needed to pull patiently. If Arina is indeed facing a threat, who is involved? And is it significant enough to drive her to end her life?
As Gabriela walked back to class, she felt someone's gaze following her. When she turned around, there was no one behind her, only an empty corridor stretching out. But in her heart, she knew.
Arina's spirit hasn't finished with this world...there's something that prevents Arina from leaving everything behind, so she still wanders...