Since that day, Badrul and Nisa have frequently gathered on the park bench where their first sweet moment occurred.
Only Samar, a trusted close friend, was informed about their relationship.
In order to avoid drawing notice or creating unnecessary trouble among the villagers, they decided to keep their romantic relationship a secret.
But something happened that night that altered Badrul's fate.
Badrul was cleaning the yard when Tok Hussein called him.
"Badrul."
"Yes, father."
"Can you do a petrol tonight?."
"Huh? Tonight, shouldn't it be Abu and Atan's turn?"
"Yes, it should be. but when i ask Jinn to find them earlier, they weren't at home. No one else has seen them either."
Badrul gave a slow nod. But he felt something strange about this.
"Alright, if that's the case."
"I'll ask Badang to go with you on patrol later, once he's finished with his matters, okay?"
"Alright, father."
After that, Badrul grabbed a flashlight and went out to start the night patrol as usual. The village was as silent as ever, and a gentle night breeze blew.
He thought that this patrol would end as usual without any problems.
However, his steps stopped when he saw a suspicious figure in a dark corner near an old house.
There was someone crouching there, doing something in the dark, almost like they didn't want anyone to see it.
Badrul moved cautiously toward the spot, revealing the shadow with his flashlight.
And how shocked he was…
Several suspicious packages were clearly visible — white powder, colored pills, and syringes.
In his entire life, Badrul had never seen such things, but he knew exactly what was in front of him now. It was a type of drug.
The person noticed Badrul's presence and immediately ran off into the bushes.
"Hey! Stop!" shouted Badrul while chasing after the man.
However, Badrul lost track of the man in the darkness of the night.
He sighed and turned around, intending to report the matter to Tok Hussein at once.
But his steps halted when a voice suddenly shouted from behind him.
"THERE HE IS!!"
"Huh?" Badrul turned around — his face full of confusion.
Abu and several villagers appeared from behind the alley with angry and suspicious expressions.
"That's him!!" shouted Abu loudly, pointing his finger directly at Badrul.
Badrul froze — his eyes widened, his breath caught. He had absolutely no idea what was going on.
"Wait… why is everyone gathering here?"
"Don't pretend like you don't know, Badrul," Abu continued confidently.
"I saw with my own eyes what you did!"
"What did I do? I don't understand…" asked Badrul, visibly confused.
Abu stepped forward. His voice grew louder, trying to convince everyone present.
"Just now when I was on my way to Tok Hussein's house, I saw someone doing something near the old house. When I got closer, I saw drugs scattered on the ground!"
The voices of the villagers began to rise. Whispers, gasps of shock, and sharp stares were thrown at Badrul.
"And when I shone my phone light on that shadow… I saw your face!" Abu said firmly.
"What…" Badrul whispered softly.
The villagers began to corner Badrul, their faces growing tense — pressure from all directions closing in on him.
Badrul tried to speak, but his tongue was tied. Disappointment, confusion, and frustration swirled inside him.
"Don't go around throwing accusations, Abu!"
Samar's voice cut through the tension. He arrived just in time, with Nisa behind him.
"Where's the proof, Abu?! If Badrul really did that, where's the solid evidence besides just your word?!"
"I'm the proof!" Abu replied swiftly.
"I saw it with my own eyes! Have any of you ever seen me lie?"
Samar clenched his teeth. He refused to back down easily — especially when it involved his close friend.
"Maybe what you saw was someone who just looked like him. You said it was dark there."
Abu stepped closer to Samar. His face was burning with anger.
"Hey, just because he's your friend… doesn't mean you should try to back him up, Samar. Or… are you involved with him too?!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!!" Samar snapped, nearly lunging at Abu if not for the other villagers holding him back.
"ENOUGH!!"
Tok Hussein's loud voice echoed, silencing everyone present. His steps quickly brought him to the arguing group.
He stood in front of Badrul — the young man's face looked exhausted, as if he had already surrendered to his fate.
Tok Hussein let out a long sigh before speaking in a calm yet firm tone.
"Instead of all of you throwing baseless accusations, it's better we hear the explanation straight from Badrul…"
"… Besides, I was the one who asked him to do the night patrol tonight. And Abu wasn't even home when I called. How could Badrul have had time to do such a thing?"
Abu quickly cut in, unwilling to back down.
"But Tok… I saw it with my own eyes! Right in front of me!"
Badang stepped forward, his voice deep and sharp.
"Your testimony alone isn't strong enough to convict Badrul, Abu." His eyes bore into Abu's face, which now looked uneasy.
"Don't go accusing someone over something you're not even completely sure about. That's slander."
Abu lowered his head, his mouth shut tight. For the first time that night, he was silent.
Tok Hussein raised his hand, giving a clear instruction.
"That's enough for tonight. We'll discuss this tomorrow, once things have calmed down. Everyone, head home."
The villagers began to disperse one by one, returning to their homes — including Tok Hussein, Badang, and Badrul.
They arrived at Tok Hussein's house, with Samar and Nisa alongside them.
Tok Hussein turned to Badrul. His expression was serious, but his tone was gentle.
"Badrul… I know you've changed a lot. I just want you to be honest. Tell me what really happened."
Badrul lifted his head. There were lines of exhaustion and disappointment in his eyes, but he remained calm.
"When I was on patrol, I passed by the area behind the old house…" he said quietly.
"I saw a figure taking drugs. I tried to chase after him, but he managed to get away. When I was about to report it to you… all this happened."
Tok Hussein stood in the yard of his house, staring far into the dark night sky. His thoughts were in turmoil.
"The village's defenses still aren't stable… and now this issue comes up too," he muttered under his breath.
He wanted to just let the accusations against Badrul slide — treat it as a misunderstanding that would fade with time.
But he knew that if left unaddressed, Badrul would be condemned once again. The villagers' scornful stares would come back to haunt him.
"No. I can't let my son fall back into the past. I won't let the same mistake happen again…" Tok Hussein whispered to himself.
He made a decision — the matter would be addressed with the entire village the next day.
In the wooden hut in Tok Hussein's yard, Badrul sat quietly, reflecting on everything he had been through in life.
He felt sad, disappointed, and heartbroken by the way the villagers looked at him — expressions he thought he had long left behind.
"Why… just because of one uncertain testimony, they all looked at me like that…"
"… I've done so much for them — fought all those monsters, built the walls that stopped them from entering the village… And this is what I get in return?!"
His inner voice echoed, shattering every hope he had built over the years.
Suddenly, a gentle touch clasped his right hand.
Badrul flinched slightly and looked — Nisa was sitting beside him. Her face was soft, full of warmth and love.
"Badrul…" Her voice trembled.
"No matter what happens… I will always be by your side."
Badrul's eyes welled with tears. His lips quivered as he struggled to hold back the sobs that had long been buried in silence.
But finally, the tears fell. He cried without a sound, eyes lowered — grateful that there was still someone who believed in him.
The next day, the villagers gathered for a meeting at Tok Hussein's house, while Badrul remained in the wooden hut in the yard with Badang, Nisa, and Samar.
The meeting was tense, with two opposing suggestions being debated: to let the matter go, or to punish Badrul.
"But… why did this drug issue cause such a huge uproar?" asked Samar.
"I forgot… you two are still considered new to this village…"
"Back then… there was a gang that used people as 'couriers' to smuggle drugs from other countries…"
"The gang was eventually caught. The victims — most of whom were undocumented immigrants — were later given a place to stay by the authorities…"
"And that place… is this village," Badang explained.
"I've never heard that story," Nisa added.
"That story was kept hidden and only known by a few, because the case was too dark and cruel for the public to know," Badrul continued.
The village meeting had ended.
One by one, the villagers exited Tok Hussein's house with grim faces. All eyes turned toward the small hut at the edge of the yard — where Badrul waited anxiously for the meeting's decision.
Tok Hussein walked heavily, as if every inch of ground beneath his feet added to the burden on his shoulders.
His face was pale, almost unable to look at the son he had once considered the savior of the village.
Badrul rose from where he sat, standing tall despite his knees nearly buckling. His eyes searched his father's face for a shred of hope… but found none.
Badang stepped forward.
"So… what's the verdict?"
It was Cik Kasim — one of the council members — who answered in a soft but firm voice.
"We've come to an agreement… Badrul is to be exiled from the village for three years…"
"… And if he returns before the sentence ends… he will be considered an enemy, and will…"
"… be executed."
It was like lightning had struck from a clear sky.
"WHAT?! Are you all serious?!" Samar shouted, stepping forward, his face flushed with rage.
"Where's the proof of his crime? You're punishing Badrul without any solid evidence. There wasn't even a proper investigation! You're relying on one uncertain testimony!" Nisa added, unable to contain her anger.
"Have you all forgotten? He's the one who saved our lives when those monsters attacked the village! If not for him, every single one of you would've been dead by now!" Badang chimed in.
No one dared to speak.
Some hung their heads in guilt.
Others were simply afraid — and some just wanted to stay neutral.
Seeing Badang, Nisa, and Samar fighting to protect him, Badrul could only manage a small smile.
He didn't know why, but it was as if he had already expected this to happen — and could only accept it with an open heart.
Badrul stepped closer to the three of them and gently placed a hand on Samar's shoulder.
"Let it go, Samar. What's done is done."
Then, with heavy steps, he turned to face the villagers — their eyes filled with mixed emotions. Some looked heartbroken. Others, angry. A few were clearly disappointed.
And disturbingly… some looked pleased.
"I just want to say… I'm sorry. For all the trouble I've caused this village."
His voice trembled as he spoke, the corners of his mouth lifting into a fragile smile — even as tears quietly spilled down his cheeks.
Without another word, he turned and began walking away from the small wooden hut.
Nisa broke into sobs.
Samar clenched his fists so tightly, his nails dug into his skin.
Badang looked up at the sky, jaw tight, fighting the fury building inside him.
Tok Hussein and Mak Sari stood frozen in place, tears in their eyes, watching their son disappear — knowing there was nothing they could do to stop it.
They knew what this exile truly meant.
Sending Badrul out there was as good as sentencing him to death. Monsters that would not hesitate to tear a man to pieces roamed freely outside the village's protective walls.
And far away, hidden by a dense tree covering...
There was a spectator.
It had a wide, contented smile on their face, indicating that everything had gone according to plan.