Once inside, the house welcomed them with a warm, cozy atmosphere. Xin, Kaila, and Andy looked around, taking in the surroundings.
"Make yourselves at home, kids. No need to be shy," Joden said with a friendly smile.
"Your house is lovely. It must be nice living in a cozy place like this by the forest," Kaila replied, smiling.
Just then, a young woman came down the stairs. She was beautiful, dressed casually in a T-shirt and shorts, and seemed genuinely welcoming.
"Hello, my name's Melina," she said, introducing herself.
"Hi, Melina. Nice to meet you! I'm Kaila, and this is my brother, Xin," Kaila replied warmly.
"And I'm Andy," Andy added with a nod.
"Kids, come sit in the living room while I make some tea for you," Joden interrupted, still smiling.
They moved to the living room and sat on the couch, observing the room. The walls were decorated with family pictures and paintings, but one photo in particular caught Xin's eye. It was a family photo of two women and a young boy, all with closed eyes and forced smiles, set against an oddly edited-looking background.
"Why does that picture look so creepy?" Xin whispered to Kaila.
"What?" Kaila asked, turning to him.
"Nothing. Just…looking at the pictures," Xin muttered, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, Joden was busy preparing tea, and Melina chatted with Andy, Kaila, and Xin about college, life, and other casual topics. Melina seemed fun and engaging, and Andy and Kaila enjoyed talking to her. Xin, however, just wanted the whole situation to end so he could get home.
"Tea's ready, kids. Help yourself if you want extra sugar. This is my special blend," Joden chuckled, though something about his laugh made Xin uneasy.
"Thanks, Joden. This is nice of you after such a long day," Andy said.
As they sipped their tea, Kaila looked around and asked, "By the way, Joden, where's your wife? Isn't she here?"
Joden's face instantly darkened, and the lighthearted air in the room shifted. His expression grew serious, and Melina's mood changed too, her cheerful demeanor vanishing.
"She's not here," Joden replied quietly. "It's just me and my daughter now."
"They killed her—the same way they killed my eight-year-old son," he added, his voice low and angry.
The group sat in stunned silence. Xin, Kaila, and Andy were shocked, but Melina remained emotionless, almost detached from the conversation. The room grew eerily quiet.
After a moment, Xin broke the silence. "Sorry to hear that… Who did it? Monsters from the jungle? Or…?"
"Xin, what are you saying?" Kaila scolded him quietly.
"It's alright," Joden replied, his tone calmer. "I don't mind talking about it. It's already happened. There's no use hiding it."
He took a deep breath, sipping some water before continuing. "It was about a year and a half ago. My wife had gone to pick up my son Arsen from school, just like any other day. But that evening, she didn't come home. I was on break from work, so I started to worry when she was late."
Joden paused, steadying his breath as he remembered. "Melina was on a trip with friends that day, so I was home alone. I tried calling my wife over and over, but she didn't answer. I finally decided to go look for her."
Everyone listened intently, but Xin noticed something strange—Melina was whispering to herself, too low for anyone to hear.
"What's up with her?" Xin thought, his suspicion growing.
"I didn't have my car since my wife had taken it to pick up Arsen, but I had a tracking app on my phone. I followed the GPS to where the car was parked…"
The rain outside had stopped, and the sound of the wind filled the silence.
"When I finally got to the car… I'll never forget what I saw. I wish I could erase that memory."
"What happened?" Andy asked gently.
Joden took a shaky breath, holding back tears. Melina placed a hand on his shoulder, murmuring, "Dad, maybe you should stop…"
"Are you okay, sir?" Kaila asked, concerned.
But he continued his voice barely a whisper. "I found them both… their heads… gone. Their bodies were torn apart."
"Are you serious?" Xin asked, his face pale.
"This is horrible… but who did this?" Kaila asked, barely able to believe it.
Joden's eyes hardened, and the room grew even more tense.
"It was The Dive," he said bitterly. "They took my family from me."