[CHAPTER 5 : WiITHERED ROSE]

Morning came with heavy rain and thunderous sound. Thili woke up with a bandage around his neck and still feeling a headache from last night's incident.

"My head... hurts... Is sis Eli okay? I want to see her."

Looking around, he realized that his friends were gone.

"Ugh... everyone... maybe they already woke up and are in the dining room."

Thili walked out of his room with the sound of pouring rain, but he didn't find anyone in the kitchen. His headache got worse every time he walked, but it eased a bit when he walked into the main room.

"Ugh... my head still hurts, but I hear noise in the main room. Maybe I should go there." As he arrived, Thili saw his step-sister being drenched by a priest.

"Sis... Eliii..."

Sis Eli looked at Thili with a hopeless gaze, and everyone looked at Thili with pity.

"It's all my fault, Thili. You don't need to be angry/regretful..." Sis Eli said.

Thili noticed two suitcases near Sis Eli and realized it was related to last night's incident. Crying, he shouted, "W-wait! It's my fault. It must be about last night. Please, don't kick out Sis Eli, but kick me out instead."

Sis Eli interrupted Thili's words and said, "Thili, let's go."

Thili still insisted, "PLEASE, I WILL DO ANYTHING AS LONG AS YOU DON'T SEND KAK ELI AWAY. IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!!"

Sis Eli interrupted him and said calmly, "Thili, we don't have a place here anymore. Let's go together."

Thili followed Eli's instructions and took one of the suitcases and walked out of the church. The rain soaked their bodies, clothes, and suitcases. They had no other choice.

Eli's face remained unchanged, and the rain only made the atmosphere even more somber.

"....."

"......."

".........."

Without saying a word, they walked away from the church and entered the forest, not knowing where they were going.

They walked all day until they found a river while the rain gradually subsided.

"Let's rest here. It's better to rest at night," said Eli. "Are you not hungry, Sis Eli?" asked Thili.

"It's okay. We have to save our supplies. You can eat," replied Eli.

Thili ate a piece of bread given by Eli, but the atmosphere remained unchanged. Finally, they decided to sleep.

"Good night, Thili. Sleep well," said Eli. Thili fell asleep, and after a while,

Eli said, "And goodbye."

The morning came, and Thili opened his eyes to see something he would never forget.

Eli hanged herself with a rope, her neck strangled, her eyes bulging, saliva and foam oozing around her lips, and her face turned red and purple.

Thili felt strange after seeing everything, knowing that this incident would never be forgotten, but he didn't feel anything after seeing Eli. Thili walked deeper into the forest, leaving Eli's body hanging from a tree.

To be continued...