End Journeys
reflections on a window

"Let's hurry before they come" Ellen said.

"I'll take Anton to that place" Thomas said.

"We're with you" Reno replied.

"You okay with coming?" ask Felix to the other guys.

"It doesn't matter, do you guys?" Jovi reassured his other friends.

In addition to Reno, Ruby and Thomas' classmate who also came to help was Jovi and several other friends.

"Then it's better that everyone comes along. It'll be safer if we stick together" Ruby suggested.

All agreed with Ruby's proposal and they set out together. Thomas walks in front with Anton, followed by Kylie and Andy. Behind her are Ruby and bi Ellen and Cassie and Bella. In the last row of Felix, Jovi and the other friends walk while watching.

Walking through the darkness of the night in the middle of the very cold weather did not dampen Anton's spirit to cover the place.

"What company do you work for?" ask Thomas to Anton.

"A newspaper publisher" he answered.

"I just saw some media coming to this place. Previously only teenagers who really wanted to create dangerous content like us who came," said Bella.

"I want to help you. Actually the place where I work does not allow me to find out more about the sect" Anton replied.

"Why indeed?" Cassie's curious.

"It looks like the sect did pay the media to cover up what really happened" Anton answered Cassie's question.

"We arrived. You see that gate overgrown with vines? It was the entrance to the ritual site" Thomas showed Anton the place.

"I'm going in" he said.

"Alright, we'll accompany you in" Thomas coded Felix.

"I'm coming, '" Ruby said.

The four of them then entered the ritual. Upon entering the gate, an altar surrounded by candles was seen before them. But unlike yesterday, now some torches that are ready to be lit have also been stuck around the altar.

Anton photographed the scene, no matter how many shots he took. The next place they headed was the hall where ordinary sect members gathered.

"This hall is a place used by sect members gathered. I happen to have seen it with my own eyes" Ruby said.

Anton continued his task of photographing the hall. He and Ruby enter the hall while Thomas and Felix stand guard outside. Inside the hall were already two long tables along with quite a lot of chairs, it seemed like there would be an important meeting because before when they gathered, the sect members just sat down while the leader stood giving direction.

"Have you? Let's go to that room," Felix.

It was followed by Anton and Ruby. Thomas walked in the back.

"To our knowledge, this room is specifically for sect leaders because I've seen leaders gather here" Ruby explained what she had seen.

"Can we go in?" ask Anton.

"To be honest you've never been in this place" Felix replied.

Anton walked towards the door where there were two windows on the left and right of the door. Slowly Anton touched the doorknob.

"Locked," he said.

Anton took another picture of the outside of the room.

"I'd like to see my shots for a second" Anton said.

Ruby, Felix, and Thomas are willing to wait a little while for Anton to get his job done smoothly.

"A.. What'sthis?" Anton showed Ruby the picture. Thomas and Felix saw something in the picture.

"That's woman? Shadow lady?" Ruby replied hesitantly.

In the photo, the window of the room where the leaders gathered shows a shadow of a woman. From the outside it looks dark because there is no light, but when Anton takes pictures with a camera and a live flash, it is clearly a woman's shadow.

There's someone here, you go, "take Felix.

They all ran and headed back to the gate. There their other friends were waiting tensely, except for Ellen who looked relaxed.

"Let's go back," asked Ellen.

"Are you safe?" Reno was a little worried about her friends.

"Calm down" replied Thomas.

"But why is it so quiet inside?" Anton was curious.

"I'll tell you as I walk" Ellen said.

The day before the full moon, all the members of the sect would go on a pilgrimage to a stone grave in the middle of the forest there. Every month they would go far into the middle of the forest to make pilgrimages. There the former elders were buried.

"When will they come back?" ask Ruby curiously.

"It's usually midnight" replied Ellen.

"Before midnight we should've left this place. But I find it quite strange because there is no guard at all" he added.

"If their lunar eclipse will remain on pilgrimage?" ask Kylie.

"Yes, they'll stay on pilgrimage and have a little party. And it was terrible" replied Ellen.

"Why?" now everyone is getting curious.

"The ones who were sacrificed were children. And usually 15 days after the full moon or when the new moon is killed involving teenagers like you" Ellen replied.

"So the ritual is not only done at full moon huh?"

"That's fine, if the eclipse then they will wait until the moon is dead to perform the core ritual," Ellen asserted.

"Just let them get away, then there's a lunar eclipse" Andy said.

"What?" Ellen stopped her steps.

"I looked at my sister's phone" Andy replied.