The fog had not completely disappeared. As if wanting to stay longer in the almost abandoned campsite. The fifth day marked the end of their journey, and the teachers began to busy themselves tidying up the name lists and rechecking the equipment. The tents began to be folded, the ropes untied, and the logistics bags collected. However, the air that enveloped the place still felt strange. The trees around seemed reluctant to let the children go, their branches shaking slowly as if they wanted to convey their last message.
However, for Bima, that afternoon was not just a preparation to go home. In his mind, the battlefield that he had only seen in his dreams now felt real. Flashes of light, sounds that resembled ancient echoes, and whispers from entities older than time, continued to echo in his mind. The world he knew slowly began to shift, blurring the boundaries between reality and something much bigger.
"Riko, are you ready?" Lina asked as she wrapped her jacket around her body which was slightly shivering because of the cold afternoon air at high altitude.
Riko shrugged. His eyes swept across the campsite which was starting to become quiet. "Ready or not, I don't think this place will ever leave my mind," he said. His voice was hoarse, honest, and a little gloomy—as if this mountain had left more than just memories.
Bima walked slowly behind them. He was silent, his eyes staring intently at the ground. Every step he took seemed to be searching for traces, signs, or remnants of the strange experiences he had had the previous nights. But everything seemed calm—too calm, as if all the secrets had gone back into hiding.
When they started to head towards the gathering point, Bima suddenly stopped. His breath hitched for a moment.
The heirloom necklace on his chest vibrated again. Not strongly, but enough to wake him up. Something was approaching again.
"Did you hear that?" Bima asked, turning his head quickly toward the bushes.
Riko and Lina immediately stopped. Riko narrowed his eyes, listening. "What?" he asked, his tone tense.
"There are... footsteps. Not from humans. But like... familiar."
From behind the bushes, two shadows appeared with slow but steady steps.
Catty and Brody.
But they were not like before. Their fur looked dull, their eyes emitted a faint light that contained something inexplicable. On their bodies there were small wounds, not wounds from ordinary fights, but like traces of great changes. Like their bodies had evolved.
Catty, the orange cat who used to look tame and ordinary, now walked gracefully like a creature from a legend. Her eyes shone golden, as if holding fragments of light from the highest sky. Brody, the big black dog who used to be dashing but ordinary, now appeared like a dimensional gatekeeper. His gaze was sharp and deep.
Bima was stunned. His smile was wide, but covered in confusion.
"Where have you been?!" he exclaimed with emotion.
Catty meowed softly. Brody barked once, short, full of meaning.
But when Bima approached, he realized something. A small glowing symbol appeared for a moment on both of their foreheads. A symbol that did not come from the human world. More like an ancient spirit mark that only appeared in fairy tales.
Lina gaped, her eyes wide. "They... are not ordinary animals, huh?" he whispered, as if afraid that a loud noise would break this sacred moment.
Bima nodded. "They changed. But I don't know yet... what."
As the group prepared to descend the mountain, the sky began to show changes. Black clouds rolled slowly over the peak of Mount Kunci. An invisible pressure pressed on the atmosphere. But only Bima, Lina, Riko, and the two creatures could feel it. It wasn't a storm. It was... something from outside this world.
Mr. Arman, the teacher who had been watching Bima silently from the beginning, approached. His hair was a little messy, and on his face was a mixture of worry and determination disguised by a thin smile.
"Are you okay?" he asked, looking directly into Bima's eyes.
Bima nodded slowly. "So far... yes."
Mr. Arman patted his shoulder gently. "Remember this well: not everything that looks still means it's not moving. This world... has its own way of conveying messages."
Bima only nodded. But in his heart, one question kept spinning.
Who exactly is he... and why did the world start shaking because of his presence?
****
In Middle Earth
The dimensional rift that had formed since that night finally opened wider. Blue light spread like roots, forming a circular pattern in the air. Three figures stood inside. One was in a white robe with eyes shining calmly, holding a small crystal that reflected Bima's face in it. Another was in a black robe, standing on the shadowy side, his eyes hidden in the darkness.
"The child's name is... Bima," whispered the figure holding the crystal. His voice was soft, yet deep.
"The inheritance has begun. But no one knows yet that his bloodline... connects to something that even the Nameless Watchers cannot touch," said the black-robed companion. His voice was deep, heavy like an echo from the bottom of a river.
Then from behind the darkest space, a third voice emerged. "If he rises too fast, the foundation of the lower world will break. Are you sure you want to let him?"
"I... only follow the voice of the Light. And the Light has chosen him. We can only watch. But we can no longer stop him. The chain of the universe has moved."
*****
On the Bus — The Journey Home
The afternoon sky gradually darkened as the Ceria Elementary School bus descended the forest path of Mount Kunci. The sound of the old engine combined with the blowing of the wind, carrying the scent of leaves and wet soil. The children fell asleep exhausted. Some were still awake, silent in a daydream that they could not explain.
Bima sat by the window. His gaze was blank, staring at the dusk that turned into night. The heirloom necklace on his chest still hung, warm, pulsing softly like a second heartbeat.
"You haven't slept yet?" Riko's voice was heard from behind. He leaned his chin on the chair, looking at Bima curiously.
Bima shook his head slowly. "Not yet. It feels like... the world is still following us. I don't know why, but... the atmosphere is still stuck in my chest."
*****
Inside the Bus — Night Completely Descends
The cabin lights were dim. Lina sat not far from Bima. She glanced at him occasionally, her expression showing a mixture of curiosity and anxiety.
"Are we going to go back to normal life?" she muttered, almost inaudibly. She hugged her bag tightly, as if seeking a sense of security from an ordinary object.
Bima didn't answer. But his heart knew, their world had changed.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then thought to himself, "Catty, Brody... you're still out there, right?"
And the wind, as if answering... gently infiltrated through the gaps in the glass. Bringing hope. And a sign that this journey... had just begun.
****
End of chapter quotes:
"Sometimes, change doesn't come through shouts... but through whispers from a world that's almost forgotten."
******
A pantun from the author:
Take a trip to Savana, Don't forget to buy crackers and emping. Don't think Catty & Brody are ordinary, It turns out they are the guardians of the lost sky!
******
Copyright:
This work is protected by copyright. Any form of plagiarism, unauthorized distribution, or duplication of part or all of the contents of the story without the author's permission is a violation of the law. The universe and characters in "BIMA: Warisan Dua Dunia" are the full property of the author.