The mist still danced between the roots and leaves. But it wasn't the same mist. Now, it felt heavy. As if the sky was hiding something. The wind shivered softly, bringing a chill that didn't come from the weather alone.
Bima stood on a small peak near the camp, staring at the fading horizon. The grass swayed lazily at his feet. The birds were no longer singing. The rumbling sound was inaudible, but his soul felt like it was surrounded by shadows. For some reason, even though his body was still, his mind seemed to be stepping far beyond the horizon.
> "The second step..." he whispered softly. "But in which direction?"
He still didn't fully understand what he had seen on the battlefield last night. The projection wasn't just a dream. The vibrations in his body, the faint pain that still clung to his muscles and chest, all told him one thing: what he saw... was real.
---
Behind him, Lina approached slowly, carrying two cups of warm tea made with last night's rainwater. The steam rose softly, like hope trying to sneak into the cold morning.
> "For you," she said shortly, handing him one cup.
Bima accepted, staring blankly into the distance. His hands were stiff, but the warmth of the tea brought a little life to his fingers.
> "Thank you..."
They didn't look at each other. But the distance between them… felt like a world that couldn't be bridged. Lina wanted to say more, but she knew. There was something in Bima that wasn't ready to be touched. A door in his soul that no one wanted to open yet.
---
Suddenly, the wind blew from the direction of Mount Sunyi. The leaves swirled into a small vortex. Inside the vortex, for a moment… a white shadow was visible. Soft, floating like a stray fragment of light.
Bima squinted. His breath hitched.
> "What's that… Catty?"
But the shadow disappeared as quickly as it came. Leaving no trace, except for a racing heartbeat. But on his chest, the heirloom necklace vibrated softly—as if recognizing something. A subtle signal from the universe: they weren't far away.
Footsteps approached from behind. Riko came carrying a flashlight and a rope that he had rolled up carelessly in his hand.
> "Can you feel it? The sky... seems to be holding its breath."
Bima nodded slowly. His eyes looked back to the horizon.
> "I feel... something is coming."
---
In Another Dimension
Meanwhile, beyond the dimension that ordinary humans cannot reach, the observers from the Middle World began to move. They stood on a floating crystal platform, looking down—to the lower world, where new light was beginning to light up.
Three robed figures stood on a crystal cliff overlooking the stream of inherited light. Their eyes glowed faintly, indicating that an energy resonance had been detected. The auras emanating from their bodies were like a haze of fire—changing, unpredictable.
> "Three lights... one is starting to awaken. The Lower World should not awaken the inheritance yet."
> "But the vibrations... are real. And it's not an illusion."
> "Watch him. But don't disturb him... it's not time yet."
The shadows from the Middle World didn't know who Bima was. They didn't understand who Catty and Brody really were. But they knew... something had been opened. And the world, will never be the same again.
At the end of that dimension, an ancient door that had been closed slowly showed a crack.
And from that crack... an old voice began to awaken.
> "The second step has begun. The world will shift."
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Funny Pantun: Climbing a tree carrying petai, Surprised to see a jaguar flying with wings. If you read it until the end, then you are the most steady reader!
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End of Chapter Quotes:
> "In the silence and heavy fog, we are taught one thing: that determination is sometimes born not from strength... but from the courage to stand still."
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Copyright: This work belongs to Rizqi Apri MZ (Iqiww). All rights reserved, please do not copy or commercialize without permission.