EPISODE 8: AIR MATA DI PERBATASAN

EPISODE 8: AIR MATA DI PERBATASAN

Matahari terbit di ufuk timur, tapi tidak ada yang menyambutnya dengan senyum.

Rombongan kecil itu terbangun satu per satu, tubuh-tubuh kaku karena tidur di tanah keras. Mereka mengucek mata, lalu diam—sejenak lupa di mana mereka berada. Tapi kemudian ingatan itu datang, seperti tinju yang menghantam ulu hati. Mereka bukan lagi warga Dusun Karang. Mereka adalah pengungsi.

Anak bungsu Mulya—yang perempuan, usia tiga tahun—menarik baju ibunya. “Bu, kapan pulang? Aku kedinginan.”

Istrinya Mulya menunduk, tidak bisa menjawab. Ia hanya memeluk anaknya erat-erat, bersembunyi di balik rambut panjang yang mulai kusut.

Mulya mengepalkan tangannya. Ia menatap Raka yang sedang sibuk memeriksa persediaan, dan untuk pertama kalinya, ada sesuatu yang pecah di dalam dadanya.

“Raka.”

Suara itu keras. Semua menoleh.

Raka berdiri perlahan. “Ya, Mulya?”

“Ini semua karena keluargamu.” Mulya melangkah maju, jarinya menunjuk ke arah Arka yang masih terbaring lemas di pangkuan Wulan. “Anakmu. Kalau bukan karena dia, kita tidak akan di sini.”

Udara membeku.

Ragil langsung berdiri, maju selangkah—bukan untuk menyerang, tapi untuk melindungi. “Heh, Pak Mulya, jangan salahin Arka! Lo sendiri yang milih ikut!”

“Diam kau, bocah!” bentak Mulya. “Kau tidak tahu apa-apa!”

“Mulya!” Ratmi memotong, suaranya tajam. “Kau lupa? Kau yang bilang kemarin, 'Raka sudah banyak bantu kami. Tidak adil kalau kami diam saja.' Sekarang kau salahkan dia?”

Mulya terdiam. Rahangnya mengeras, tapi matanya—matanya berkaca-kaca.

“Aku tidak tahu harus ke mana,” bisiknya akhirnya. Suaranya pecah. “Anak-anakku kedinginan. Lapar. Dan kita berjalan tanpa tujuan. Aku takut, Ratmi. Aku takut.”

Ratmi mendekat, meraih pundak Mulya. “Kita semua takut, Mulya. Tapi saling menyalahkan tidak akan menyelamatkan kita.”

Kang Bijak, yang dari tadi diam bersandar di batu, akhirnya angkat bicara. Suaranya tenang, dalam, seperti orang yang sudah melihat terlalu banyak hal untuk bisa dikejutkan lagi.

“Rasa takut itu wajar. Tapi kalau kau biarkan rasa takut menguasai, kau akan membuat keputusan bodoh. Percaya sama orang yang pernah hidup lebih lama dari rasa takut.”

Mulya menatapnya. Kang Bijak tersenyum tipis—senyum yang entah kenapa membuat Mulya merasa sedikit lebih tenang.

Raka akhirnya bicara. Suaranya rendah, tapi jelas. “Aku tidak punya jawaban, Mulya. Aku tidak tahu ke mana kita akan pergi. Tapi aku tahu satu hal: kita hanya punya dua pilihan. Berjalan, atau mati. Dan aku memilih berjalan.”

Ia mengeluarkan kompas sederhana—bukan kompas sungguhan, tapi jarum besi yang digosok dengan kain, terapung di atas air dalam tempurung kelapa.

“Aku belajar ini waktu jadi prajurit. Cara sederhana tahu arah. Selama kita punya ini, kita tidak akan berputar-putar.”

Ia menunjuk ke timur. “Kita jalan ke sana. Sampai ketemu tempat yang aman. Atau setidaknya tempat yang bisa kita pertahankan.”

Mulya menunduk. “Maaf, Raka. Aku... aku hanya...”

“Aku tahu.” Raka menepuk pundaknya. “Sekarang, bantu Ratmi siapkan makanan. Kita jalan satu jam lagi.”

***

Di bawah pohon, Arka masih terbaring lemah. Wulan mengompres keningnya dengan kain basah—sisa air minum yang dihemat. Demamnya belum turun, tapi matanya sudah sedikit lebih jernih.

“Bu,” bisiknya. “Aku lihat Mulya marah sama Ayah.”

“Dia hanya takut, Nak. Bukan marah.”

“Karena aku, ya?”

Wulan menatap anaknya. Di usia tujuh tahun, Arka sudah terlalu sering memikul beban yang seharusnya tidak ia pikul.

“Dengar, Nak. Kalian bertiga.” Ia memanggil Raka dan Ragil yang sedang sibuk di dekat api unggun. “Kesini.”

Mereka mendekat. Wulan meraih tangan Raka, lalu tangan Arka, lalu tangan Ragil.

“Lihat lingkaran ini? Ini keluarga. Bukan darah, tapi pilihan. Mulya, Ratmi, yang lain—mereka memilih ikut kita. Dan kita memilih bertanggung jawab pada mereka. Tapi kalau kalian mulai saling menyalahkan, lingkaran ini putus. Paham?”

Raka mengangguk. Ragil mengangguk. Arka, dengan tubuh lemahnya, juga mengangguk.

“Sekarang, istirahat.” Wulan menatap Arka. “Kau butuh pulih.”

Arka memejam. Tapi sebelum tidur, ia sempatkan membuka Jendela Status—hanya untuk melihat perkembangannya.

------------------------------------
NAMA: ARKA
USIA: 7 TAHUN
TIER MANA: F (PEMULA)
MANA POOL: 7/50 (REGENERASI 1 POINT PER 6 JAM)
SKILL TREE:
- PRODUCTION MAGIC [TERKUNCI]
- MARIONETTE [TERKUNCI]
- STATUS CHECK [LEVEL 1 - 15% TERKUASAI]
------------------------------------

Naik dua poin. 7/50 sekarang. Masih jauh, tapi setidaknya bergerak ke arah yang benar.

***

Satu jam kemudian, mereka berangkat. Raka di depan, memegang kompas sederhana. Ratmi di belakang, menjaga anak-anak Mulya. Kang Bijak berjalan di samping, sesekali menunjuk arah yang lebih mudah dilalui.

Arka berjalan dengan bantuan Ragil. Kakinya masih lemas, tapi ia paksakan. Tidak ada pilihan lain.

“Lo ingat dulu?” bisik Ragil di tengah perjalanan. “Waktu pertama kali kita gali lubang?”

Arka mengangguk lemah.

“Lo waktu itu bilang, 'Gue enggak tahu apa yang bakal terjadi, tapi setidaknya gue enggak sendiri lagi.'” Ragil tersenyum. “Sekarang juga sama. Gue masih di sini.”

Arka menatap sahabatnya. Di tengah semua kekacauan ini, Ragil tetap Ragil. Bocah nakal dengan hati sebesar gunung.

“Makasih, Ragil.”

“Sama-sama. Tapi jangan nangis, ah. Malu diliat anak-anak Mulya.”

Arka tertawa kecil—untuk pertama kalinya dalam dua hari, ia bisa tertawa.

Tiba-tiba, Ragil terantuk batu, hampir jatuh. Arka menahannya, tapi mereka berdua hampir roboh.

“Awas lo!” Ragil menggerutu sambil memijat kaki. “Batu sialan.”

Arka memandangi batu itu. Batu biasa. Tapi tiba-tiba, ia punya ide.

“Ragil, gue mau coba sesuatu.”

“Coba apa? Lo masih lemah.”

“Cuma lihat. Bentar aja.”

Arka memejam. Sensasi hangat itu datang—lebih kuat dari kemarin, tapi masih lemah. Ia arahkan ke Ragil.

Jendela Status muncul, berkedip-kedip tidak stabil, tapi cukup jelas:

------------------------------------
NAMA: RAGIL
USIA: 7 TAHUN
NIAT DOMINAN: BAIK
STATUS: SAHABAT ARKA. SETIA. KADANG CEROBOH.
MANA: TIDAK TERDETEKSI
------------------------------------

Arka hampir tertawa. "Kadang ceroboh"—itu memang Ragil banget.

Ragil melihat Arka tersenyum, ikut penasaran. “Lo lihat apa? Apean? Muka gue jelek?”

“Gue lihat status lo. ‘Kadang ceroboh’ tulisannya.”

Ragil mengerjap. “Masa sih? Itu skill lo? Bisa liat status orang?”

Arka mengangguk.

“KEREN! Coba liat yang lain! Liat Pak Mulya, liat Mbak Ratmi, liat...”

“Mana gue masih 7/50, Ra. Habis nanti pingsan lagi.”

Ragil mengangguk-angguk. “Oh iya. Tapi keren banget, Arka. Beneran.”

Mereka berjalan lagi, dan untuk pertama kalinya, beban di pundak Arka terasa sedikit lebih ringan.

***

Sore hari, mereka menemukan sesuatu—mata air kecil di celah batu. Bukan sungai, bukan danau. Hanya rembesan air yang menggenang di cekungan batu, cukup untuk mengisi botol dan membasahi tenggorokan kering.

Ratmi berlutut, menciduk air dengan telapak tangan, meminumnya perlahan. Matanya terpejam, seperti sedang bersyukur pada dewa apa pun yang masih peduli pada mereka.

“Air,” bisiknya. “Air bersih.”

Anak-anak Mulya langsung berlarian, mau menceburkan diri, tapi ibu mereka menarik. “Jangan! Minum pakai tangan, sedikit-sedikit. Kita harus hemat.”

Raka mengamati sekitar. “Kita berhenti di sini malam ini. Ada air, ada batu untuk berlindung. Cukup aman.”

Mereka mendirikan tenda darurat dari kain yang dibawa. Ratmi memasak bubur dengan air mata air—sederhana, tapi bagi mereka yang seharian berjalan, itu adalah makanan terlezat di dunia.

Saat matahari mulai turun, Arka duduk bersandar di batu, memandangi rombongan kecil itu. Mereka sedang makan bersama—tidak banyak bicara, tapi ada kehangatan yang mulai tumbuh. Mulya yang tadi pagi marah, kini duduk di samping Raka, berbicara pelan tentang tanaman apa yang bisa tumbuh di tanah kering. Ratmi menyuapi anak bungsu Mulya. Jasio membantu Wulan merapikan ramuan-ramuan yang masih tersisa.

Mbah Ranga duduk di samping Arka. “Kau lihat mereka?”

Arka mengangguk.

“Itu yang disebut masyarakat, Nak. Bukan karena mereka sepakat, tapi karena mereka butuh satu sama lain. Itu akan jadi fondasi yang lebih kuat dari tembok mana pun.”

Arka merenungkan kata-kata itu. Lalu teringat sesuatu.

“Mbah, soal Kang Bijak...”

“Ya?”

“Waktu itu aku coba lihat statusnya. Waktu seleksi pengikut. Hasilnya... 'Mana Tertutup. Tidak Bisa Dibaca.' Sama persis seperti Wira.”

Mbah Ranga diam. Matanya menyipit menatap Kang Bijak yang sedang duduk agak jauh, memandangi api unggun dengan ekspresi tenang.

“Kau yakin?”

“Yakin, Mbah.”

Mbah Ranga menghela napas. “Sudah kuduga. Dari cara dia bicara, dari cara dia bergerak... dia bukan orang biasa. Tapi apakah dia musuh? Belum tentu.”

“Maksud Mbah?”

“Ada orang yang tidak bisa kau baca karena mereka jahat. Tapi ada juga yang tidak bisa kau baca karena mereka... lebih. Lebih tua, lebih bijak, lebih terlindungi. Mereka memilih untuk diam, untuk tidak ikut campur. Tapi kadang, mereka memutuskan untuk muncul.”

“Kang Bijak... salah satu dari mereka?”

Mbah Ranga tersenyum tipis. “Atau mungkin... dia adalah mereka.”

Arka tidak mengerti, tapi terlalu lelah untuk bertanya lebih lanjut.

Malam turun. Api unggun menyala, mengusir dingin dan—mudah-mudahan—mengusir binatang buas.

Raka meminta semua tidur. Ia akan berjaga giliran dengan Jasio dan Mulya. Tiga pria dewasa, bergantian menjaga.

Arka tidur di samping Ragil, dengan Wulan di sisi lain. Tubuhnya masih lemah, tapi demamnya mulai turun. Mungkin besok ia bisa lebih kuat.

***

Tengah malam. Giliran Raka berjaga.

Ia duduk di dekat api, parang di pangkuan, mata mengamati kegelapan. Angin malam bertiup dingin, membawa bau rumput kering dan sesuatu yang lain—bau yang sama seperti semalam.

Bau binatang buas.

Raka mengencangkan genggamannya pada parang. Tidak ada suara. Tidak ada gerakan. Tapi ia tahu—insting prajuritnya tahu—mereka sedang diawasi.

Dari balik batu, Arka tiba-tiba terbangun.

Bukan karena suara. Bukan karena mimpi buruk. Tapi karena sesuatu yang lain—sensasi aneh di dadanya. Seperti ada yang menarik, memanggil. Panggilan dari "sumber" itu. Tapi kali ini berbeda. Lebih dekat. Lebih... mendesak.

Ia duduk, menggosok mata. Lalu menatap ke arah kegelapan.

Dan di sana, di batas cahaya api, dua titik merah menyala.

Mata. Lebih besar dari semalam. Lebih dekat.

Arka menarik napas. Refleks lamanya—ingin membuka Status Check, ingin melihat apa makhluk itu. Tapi ia ingat pesan Mbah Ranga: jangan memaksakan diri. Mana-nya masih 7/50.

Tapi rasa penasaran terlalu kuat.

Ia memejam. Sensasi hangat menjalar—pelan, berat. Ia buka mata, arahkan ke titik merah itu.

Jendela Status muncul, berkedip-kedip liar, hampir tidak stabil.

------------------------------------
NAMA: ???
JENIS: ALPHA SERIGALA RAKSASA
STATUS: MENGAMATI MANGSA
MANA: TERDETEKSI - LEVEL ???
CATA

Teks terputus. Jendela itu menghilang.

Arka terhuyung, hampir jatuh. Mana-nya sekarang 4/50. Hampir habis.

Tapi cukup untuk melihat satu hal: makhluk itu bukan binatang biasa. Ia punya mana. Levelnya lebih tinggi dari Arka.

Mata merah itu masih menatap. Tidak bergerak. Hanya mengamati.

Lalu perlahan, tanpa suara, ia mundur. Menghilang dalam kegelapan.

Tapi Arka tahu. Ini belum selesai.

Makhluk itu menunggu. Menunggu saat yang tepat.

Menunggu saat Arka tidak bisa mempertahankan diri.

Bersambung...

Karakter yang muncul: Arka, Raka, Wulan, Mbah Ranggawarsita, Ragil, Ratmi, Mulya (dengan istri dan dua anak), Surti & Jasio, Kang Bijak, dan Alpha Serigala Raksasa (penampilan kedua).

EPISODE 8: TEARS AT THE BORDER

The sun rose in the eastern sky, but no one greeted it with a smile.

The small group woke up one by one, their bodies stiff from sleeping on hard ground. They rubbed their eyes, then fell silent—briefly forgetting where they were. But then the memory came, like a punch to the gut. They were no longer residents of Dusun Karang. They were refugees.

Mulya's youngest—a three-year-old girl—tugged at her mother's shirt. "Mom, when are we going home? I'm cold."

Mulya's wife looked down, unable to answer. She just hugged her child tightly, hiding behind her long, now-matted hair.

Mulya clenched his fists. He stared at Raka, who was busy checking their supplies, and for the first time, something broke inside him.

"Raka."

That voice was loud. Everyone turned.

Raka stood slowly. "Yes, Mulya?"

"This is all because of your family." Mulya stepped forward, his finger pointing at Arka, who was still lying weakly in Wulan's lap. "Your son. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here."

The air froze.

Ragil immediately stood, stepping forward—not to attack, but to protect. "Hey, Mr. Mulya, don't blame Arka! You chose to come yourself!"

"Quiet, you brat!" Mulya snapped. "You don't know anything!"

"Mulya!" Ratmi cut in, her voice sharp. "Have you forgotten? You're the one who said yesterday, 'Raka has helped us so much. It's not right to stay silent.' Now you blame him?"

Mulya fell silent. His jaw tightened, but his eyes—his eyes were glistening.

"I don't know where to go," he finally whispered. His voice cracked. "My children are cold. Hungry. And we're walking without purpose. I'm scared, Ratmi. I'm scared."

Ratmi approached, grabbing Mulya's shoulder. "We're all scared, Mulya. But blaming each other won't save us."

Kang Bijak, who had been silently leaning against a rock, finally spoke. His voice was calm, deep, like someone who had seen too much to ever be surprised again.

"Fear is natural. But if you let fear control you, you'll make stupid decisions. Trust someone who has outlived fear."

Mulya stared at him. Kang Bijak smiled faintly—a smile that, for some reason, made Mulya feel a little calmer.

Raka finally spoke. His voice was low, but clear. "I don't have answers, Mulya. I don't know where we're going. But I know one thing: we only have two choices. Walk, or die. And I choose to walk."

He pulled out a simple compass—not a real compass, but an iron needle rubbed against cloth, floating on water in a coconut shell.

"I learned this when I was a soldier. A simple way to know direction. As long as we have this, we won't go in circles."

He pointed east. "We walk that way. Until we find a safe place. Or at least a place we can defend."

Mulya looked down. "Sorry, Raka. I... I just..."

"I know." Raka patted his shoulder. "Now, help Ratmi prepare food. We walk in an hour."

***

Under a tree, Arka still lay weakly. Wulan pressed a wet cloth to his forehead—leftover drinking water they had to conserve. His fever hadn't gone down, but his eyes were a little clearer.

"Mother," he whispered. "I saw Mulya angry at Father."

"He's just scared, child. Not angry."

"Because of me, right?"

Wulan looked at her son. At seven years old, Arka had already carried too many burdens that weren't his to carry.

"Listen, child. You three." She called Raka and Ragil, who were busy near the campfire. "Come here."

They approached. Wulan grabbed Raka's hand, then Arka's, then Ragil's.

"See this circle? This is family. Not blood, but choice. Mulya, Ratmi, the others—they chose to follow us. And we chose to be responsible for them. But if you start blaming each other, this circle breaks. Understand?"

Raka nodded. Ragil nodded. Arka, with his weak body, also nodded.

"Now, rest." Wulan looked at Arka. "You need to recover."

Arka closed his eyes. But before sleeping, he managed to open his Status Window—just to see his progress.

------------------------------------
NAME: ARKA
AGE: 7 YEARS
MANA TIER: F (BEGINNER)
MANA POOL: 7/50 (REGENERATION 1 POINT PER 6 HOURS)
SKILL TREE:
- PRODUCTION MAGIC [LOCKED]
- MARIONETTE [LOCKED]
- STATUS CHECK [LEVEL 1 - 15% MASTERED]
------------------------------------

Up two points. 7/50 now. Still far, but at least moving in the right direction.

***

An hour later, they departed. Raka in front, holding his simple compass. Ratmi at the back, watching over Mulya's children. Kang Bijak walked beside, occasionally pointing to easier paths.

Arka walked with Ragil's help. His legs were still weak, but he forced himself. There was no other choice.

"Remember back then?" Ragil whispered during the journey. "When we first dug the hole?"

Arka nodded weakly.

"You said, 'I don't know what will happen, but at least I'm not alone anymore.'" Ragil smiled. "Same now. I'm still here."

Arka looked at his friend. In the midst of all this chaos, Ragil was still Ragil. A mischievous kid with a heart as big as a mountain.

"Thanks, Ragil."

"Anytime. But don't cry, man. Mulya's kids will laugh at you."

Arka laughed softly—for the first time in two days, he could laugh.

Suddenly, Ragil tripped on a rock, almost falling. Arka caught him, but they both nearly collapsed.

"Watch it!" Ragil grumbled, rubbing his foot. "Stupid rock."

Arka looked at that rock. An ordinary rock. But suddenly, he had an idea.

"Ragil, I want to try something."

"Try what? You're still weak."

"Just look. Quick."

Arka closed his eyes. That warm sensation came—stronger than yesterday, but still weak. He directed it at Ragil.

The Status Window appeared, flickering unstably, but clear enough:

------------------------------------
NAME: RAGIL
AGE: 7 YEARS
DOMINANT INTENT: GOOD
STATUS: ARKA'S FRIEND. LOYAL. SOMETIMES CLUMSY.
MANA: NOT DETECTED
------------------------------------

Arka almost laughed. "Sometimes clumsy"—that was so Ragil.

Ragil saw Arka smiling and got curious. "What'd you see? My face ugly or something?"

"Your status says 'sometimes clumsy'."

Ragil blinked. "Really? That's your skill? You can see people's status?"

Arka nodded.

"COOL! Try looking at others! Look at Mr. Mulya, look at Mrs. Ratmi, look at..."

"My mana's still 7/50, Ra. I'll pass out again."

Ragil nodded. "Oh, right. But it's really cool, Arka. Seriously."

They walked again, and for the first time, the weight on Arka's shoulders felt a little lighter.

***

By afternoon, they found something—a small spring in a rock crevice. Not a river, not a lake. Just water seeping into a rock pool, enough to fill bottles and wet dry throats.

Ratmi knelt, cupping water in her palms, drinking slowly. Her eyes closed, as if thanking whatever deity still cared about them.

"Water," she whispered. "Clean water."

Mulya's children ran forward, about to jump in, but their mother pulled them back. "Don't! Drink with your hands, little by little. We have to conserve."

Raka surveyed the area. "We stop here tonight. There's water, rocks for shelter. Safe enough."

They set up makeshift tents from the cloth they'd brought. Ratmi cooked porridge with the spring water—simple, but for those who'd walked all day, it was the most delicious meal in the world.

As the sun began to set, Arka sat leaning against a rock, watching the small group. They were eating together—not talking much, but there was a warmth beginning to grow. Mulya, who had been angry that morning, now sat beside Raka, talking quietly about which plants could grow in dry soil. Ratmi fed Mulya's youngest. Jasio helped Wulan organize the remaining herbs.

Mbah Ranga sat beside Arka. "Do you see them?"

Arka nodded.

"That's what they call a community, child. Not because they agree, but because they need each other. That will be a stronger foundation than any wall."

Arka pondered those words. Then remembered something.

"Grandfather, about Kang Bijak..."

"Yes?"

"Back then I tried to see his status. When I was selecting followers. The result was 'Mana Blocked - Cannot Be Read.' Exactly like Wira."

Mbah Ranga fell silent. His eyes narrowed, looking at Kang Bijak who sat a little distance away, staring at the campfire with a calm expression.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Grandfather."

Mbah Ranga sighed. "I suspected as much. From the way he talks, from the way he moves... he's not an ordinary person. But is he an enemy? Not necessarily."

"What do you mean?"

"There are people you can't read because they're evil. But there are also those you can't read because they're... more. Older, wiser, more protected. They choose to stay silent, to not interfere. But sometimes, they decide to appear."

"Kang Bijak... is one of them?"

Mbah Ranga smiled faintly. "Or perhaps... he is them."

Arka didn't understand, but was too tired to ask more.

Night fell. The campfire blazed, warding off the cold and—hopefully—warding off wild animals.

Raka told everyone to sleep. He would stand guard in shifts with Jasio and Mulya. Three adult men, taking turns.

Arka slept beside Ragil, with Wulan on the other side. His body was still weak, but his fever was going down. Maybe tomorrow he'd be stronger.

***

Midnight. Raka's guard shift.

He sat near the fire, machete in his lap, eyes scanning the darkness. The night wind blew cold, carrying the smell of dry grass and something else—the same smell as last night.

The smell of wild animals.

Raka tightened his grip on the machete. No sound. No movement. But he knew—his soldier's instinct knew—they were being watched.

Behind a rock, Arka suddenly woke up.

Not because of a sound. Not because of a nightmare. But because of something else—a strange sensation in his chest. Like something pulling, calling. The call from that "source." But this time it was different. Closer. More... urgent.

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Then looked toward the darkness.

And there, at the edge of the firelight, two red dots glowed.

Eyes. Larger than last night. Closer.

Arka caught his breath. His old reflex—wanting to open Status Check, wanting to see what that creature was. But he remembered Mbah Ranga's warning: don't push yourself. His mana was still 7/50.

But curiosity was too strong.

He closed his eyes. That warm sensation spread—slow, heavy. He opened his eyes, directing it at those red dots.

The Status Window appeared, flickering wildly, almost unstable.

------------------------------------
NAME: ???
TYPE: GIANT ALPHA WOLF
STATUS: OBSERVING PREY
MANA: DETECTED - LEVEL ???
NOTE

The text cut off. The window disappeared.

Arka staggered, almost falling. His mana was now 4/50. Almost empty.

But enough to see one thing: that creature wasn't an ordinary animal. It had mana. A level higher than Arka's.

Those red eyes were still staring. Not moving. Just observing.

Then slowly, silently, it retreated. Vanished into darkness.

But Arka knew. This wasn't over.

That creature was waiting. Waiting for the right moment.

Waiting for when Arka couldn't defend himself.

To be continued...

Characters featured: Arka, Raka, Wulan, Mbah Ranggawarsita, Ragil, Ratmi, Mulya (with wife and two children), Surti & Jasio, Kang Bijak, and the Giant Alpha Wolf (second appearance).

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