[12:25 PM] Rohan Base Camp
Half a day had passed since Akasa vanished.
His friends had already conducted their own search—but with no results. Fearing the worst, Chafik rushed down to Rohan Base Camp to seek help.
Luckily, Mr. Wand—one of the senior rangers who had given them the briefing before the climb—was still there. He sat casually at a small stall near the registration post, enjoying a cup of black coffee alongside fried snacks: corn fritters, tempe mendoan, and the like.
Not long after—
“M-M-Mr… Mr. Wandra!”
Chafik called out in relief when he spotted him. He ran toward the stall from a distance.
“Hm? What’s wrong?” Mr. Wandra asked, surprised.
“S-sir! I-it’s… m-my friend is—”
Chafik stammered—not from panic, but because of his natural stutter.
“Hey! Relax, kid. Calm down...” Mr. Wandra gently raised a hand.
“Here. Sit down first,” he said calmly. “Once you’re steady, then tell me everything.”
He poured Chafik a cup of warm black coffee and slid it across the table. Chafik accepted it and drank slowly, until only the grounds remained.
“Getting better?” Mr. Wandra asked.
Chafik nodded, taking a deep breath.
“Alright,” Mr. Wandra continued casually. “So, tell me. What brings you here? You look pretty shaken.”
“P-please, h-help us, Sir,” Chafik finally managed.
“Us?” Mr. Wandra leaned forward, listening more carefully.
“Yes, Sir. I-it’s… m-my friend…”
“Yes...? What happened to your... friend?”
“H-he... he’s missing!”
Mr. Wandra froze. “W-wait, wha—? Missing? How? Where is your group right now?”
“At Water Spring Post 1, Sir.”
Mr. Wandra stood up immediately.
“Alright. I want you to make a report at the registration post first. Once that’s done, we move straight to Water Spring Post 1. I’ll gather the others. Clear?”
“Y-yes, Sir!”
“Good. Let’s move!”
Chafik headed to the registration post, while Mr. Wandra summoned his colleagues and held a brief meeting. Eleven people gathered in total.
They quickly formed a search team divided into three groups.
Aside from Mr. Wandra, each team consisted of five rangers. One additional member—Mr. Kumar—would accompany Mr. Wandra. Both men had spent over a decade handling exploration and rescue missions in the Rohan Forest.