Nusantara Descend

The runes inscribed were pulsating continuously; their white, eerie glow left no room for shadows. With each pulse, the air felt ominous, even oppressive.

Bali spun around in place, and their bells rang with each erratic movement. They took off their cloak, revealing a dastardly clown suit underneath.

Stitched with dark colors, Bali's jester suit is a haunting gothic ensemble, with skulls patched on the front. Its high collars were adorned with silver ornaments and a pair of crow pins.

"You like it?" Bali smiled; his skull mask raised an eyebrow.

"Anywho, welcome to my favorite pastime!" Bali threw their arms wide, addressing Arjuna with a playful bow.

"Quizzes!" a piece of parchment paper out of thin air, into Bali's hands.

"Can I get some Noise~?" Bali encircled their ear with their hand.

The room went silent. Arjuna looked around, feeling uneasy as Bali's eerie demeanor took hold. The atmosphere was tense.

"Tough crowd, huh?" Bali retreated into position.

Three luminous inscriptions, each sparkling with its symbol, appeared in the air as they snapped their fingers.

"Answer all the questions correctly," Bali pointed toward the exit.

"Then the barrier will let you go," Bali momentarily opened a hole in their barrier.

"Answer wrong-" they flourished their wand with an overly dramatic spin.

The wand pointed at a rune, which fired a sharp burst of wind at the wall. It landed with a thumping sound, leaving a bruised rock.

Arjuna flinched, instinctively clutching his wand tighter. His heart pounded.

"Wrong answers will hurt," Bali's smile disappeared, and their voice dripped with malice.

Kunti floated behind Arjuna, her red eyes narrowing, her tone a low hiss. "This is bad, Juna. We need to be careful."

Arjuna bit back his anxiety, forcing a deep breath. "Bring it on."

Another parchment paper floated in front of Arjuna, while three runes with numbers appeared in front of him. The first riddle came into view, the glowing inscription glowing bright.

"The one who is mourned but never buried,

The one who walks but never leaves footprints,

The one who weeps but never sheds tears."

Arjuna stared at the inscription for a moment, processing each line carefully. Kunti watched silently, her expression unreadable.

"Someone who was mourned but never buried? a spirit, definitely," The second one stood out.

"Walks but never leaves footprints," he looked back at Kunti, floating midair.

"The answer is obvious," Arjuna muttered, feeling confident.

"What do you classify as, Kunti?" Arjuna stared into Kunti.

"A ghost, Juna," Kunti showed off her figure.

Arjuna reached out and tapped the inscription. "The answer's a ghost."

The glowing runes flared like firecrackers, dissipating into the air as several runes dissipated, lessening the output.

Kunti let out a relieved sigh. "You've got to thank me for that one."

"Thanks," Arjuna wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"That's the spirit!" Bali swung their arms across.

"Well, then, toodaloo!" Bali swiftly left the cave, leaving their barrier to do the rest of the work.

"Wait!" Arjuna reached out his arm.

Before Arjuna could even respond, Bali conjured another set of glowing runes. The question appeared, vivid and sharp:

Before Arjuna had the chance to respond, Bali cast the next set of questions from afar. The words on the parchment paper shifted, turning into another question.

"A deal with a demon lasts a lifetime.

A deal with a spirit lasts…?"

A. Until the debt is repaid

B. Until the spirit is destroyed

C. Forever"

Kunti came from behind and squeezed Arjuna's cheeks. "Lock in, Juna."

"Sorry," Arjuna looked at the new question.

Different from the previous one, the new question gave options. This removed the need to think of a specific word.

"What do you think, Kunti?" Arjuna looked back.

Kunti shook her head. "I don't think I should get involved."

"Why?" Arjuna's confused.

"That thing wanted you to satisfy them, not me," Kunti crossed her arms.

"Right. Well, the answer has got to be c!" Arjuna's hand leaped and pressed the rightmost rune.

"No—!" Kunti was shocked at the speed Arjuna chose.

BZZT!

A violent burst of spiritual energy tore through the air, crashing into Arjuna's chest like a surge of force.

The impact sent him skidding across the cave floor, his body crashing into a jagged rock. His breath was knocked out of him, and his hand fell weakly to the floor, his wand slipping from his fingers.

The parchment paper shifted again, this time revealing the word, "Wrong!" Kunti rushed to Arjuna's side, concern etched on her face.

"Are you okay?" She helped him sit up as he groaned in pain.

Kunti crossed her arms, staring down at Arjuna with an exasperated expression. "It's B, you fool."

She floated gracefully over to the inscription and tapped it. The runes shifted and glowed briefly before evaporating into the air.

Arjuna groaned from the floor, his face flushed with embarrassment and pain. "I knew that... I just needed a second opinion."

"Second opinion, my foot," Kunti shook her head.

"Do it properly next time," Kunti brushed the dust off Arjuna.

Arjuna sighed and looked up at Kunti sheepishly. "I'll try to pay more attention next time," he said, rubbing his sore back.

Kunti nodded, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched him carefully read the new question on the parchment paper.

"This spirit lurks near bamboo forests,

Mimicking voices to lure the unwary.

What am I?"

A. Wewe Gombel

B. Genderuwo

C. Tuyul

Arjuna's brow furrowed as he stared at the options, his mind racing; the pressure was starting to get to him. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for clues.

Then there he saw a small inscription on the bottom of the paper. It mentioned that Kunti can participate from henceforth.

"Yes!" Arjuna pumped his arms in excitement.

"So? You know the answer?" Arjuna looked back at Kunti with puppy-dog eyes.

"It's that trash, Wewe Gombel," Kunti resigned to her situation.

He tapped A and braced for the worst.

DING!

The runes flared up once more, with several more slowly disappearing, leaving behind half the amount it was at the start.

"Phew," Arjuna held his chest.

"Good on you, Juna," Kunti tapped Arjuna's shoulder.

"But why'd you say they were trash?" Arjuna touched Kunti's hand.

"She gives me the creeps, especially her mimicry," Kunti shuddered at the thought.

"That's rich coming from you," Arjuna remarked.

With Bali already far gone, leaving them both and the villagers behind, they were presented with the last question.

"What is the only way to truly destroy a Pocong?

A. Burn the body.

B. Untie the burial shroud.

C. Bury it deeper."

Arjuna's mind raced as he stared at the glowing runes. His breath quickened.

"It's probably C," he reacted hastily.

"No!" Kunti shouted, her voice filled with panic. "It's B, you idiot! You need to untie the burial shroud!"

"But Poci doesn't have any!" Arjuna insisted.

BOOM!

A massive explosion of spiritual energy rocked the cave, knocking Arjuna off his feet. With a sickening thud, he crashed into the wall, the force of the blast leaving him dazed and breathless.

Kunti's eyes burned with fury as she rushed to his side, shaking him gently. "You need to stop second-guessing me, Juna."

Arjuna groaned, half-conscious. "I'll never doubt you again."

"Well, you better not," Kunti helped him.

"How did I do?" Arjuna sat back up.

The parchment paper declared the completion of the quizzes and announced the results. In the paper, read a particular set of words.

"Two right and two wrong? That's in the middle! Congratulations!"