The Brebes sky that morning was gray.
There was no rain falling, but the sunlight did not penetrate the clouds. It was as if nature was hesitant—not knowing whether to cry or endure. So was Bima's heart. The first day back to school after five days of camping at Mount Kunci. But something had changed. Not just the atmosphere… but himself.
Class 4B began to fill with voices. The benches were filled with jokes and stories, as if the world was going on as usual. But in the middle row, Bima just sat quietly. His gaze was fixed on the blackboard, but his thoughts were far behind—in the war projection, under the sky of Mount Kunci, and among the voices that no one could hear except him.
> "Bima?"
The voice of Mrs. Siska, the homeroom teacher for class 4B, broke his reverie. "You didn't answer when I called you earlier."
Bima flinched.
> "Ah… yes, Ma'am. Present."
Several friends chuckled. But Bima only smiled thinly, like someone who had just returned from an unknown place.
*****
Break time came as usual, but it didn't feel the same anymore.
In the corner of the back field, under the old mango tree that was usually the place where the three of them hid from the heat, Bima sat leaning back in silence. Riko came while chewing on a meatball skewer, and Lina followed with a bottle of cold water. They didn't talk right away. It was as if they felt... ordinary words weren't enough anymore.
> "Usually you'd start a debate about fried food, Bim," said Riko, trying to provoke a smile. "Why are you silent now?"
Bima took a deep breath, still staring at the sky.
> "What's being fried now isn't tofu... but my mind."
Lina just stared at the ground. Then, her soft voice interrupted the silence.
> "Do you feel it? Ever since we came back from there... everything feels strange."
> "Yes," answered Bima. "As if... something from there came home."
****
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the school that was starting to be abandoned due to renovations...
The old teacher's room stood silent. No one paid attention to him anymore. But behind the frosted glass window, a figure appeared—a boy in uniform. But not the Ceria Elementary School uniform. His gaze was deep and undefined. Around his body, the air seemed to ripple thinly, like glass slowly cracking.
From below, Bima suddenly turned his head. The necklace around his neck vibrated softly, as if responding to something invisible.
> "Look at that," he said softly. "He's not from here… and this necklace—feels it."
Riko immediately stood alert, half covering Bima. Lina gripped Bima's arm tighter.
> "He… isn't an ordinary human, right?"
It was Aeryan. Not from their school, not from their world. He came from Langitara City—a world above Bima's world. Secretly, he was assigned to observe the vibrations of the legacy that were beginning to rise.
*****
Character Description: Aeryan Vish
Origin: Langitara City – Second Layer, Jagat Bima
Role: Lower-level Varaktama legacy observer
Traits: Silent, keen observer, only appears when legacy vibrations are nearing awakening point
*****
> "He saw us… right away," Riko whispered. "Like he knows who we really are."
And before they could say anything else, the figure disappeared. Without a sound. Without a trace. Leaving only vibrations in the air and a premonition in the heart.
*****
But far below, in a world untouched by light...
In the deepest layer of Jagat Bima, stands Loreng Vaksata—the headquarters of the Kaemra Clan, observers of the world of darkness. In the reflection chamber, the living black crystal walls display a faint image of the human world. There, the members of the Kaemra gather in a circle, observing... Bima.
> "Subject: Bima. The light is not yet perfect... but enough to ignite a ripple," said Zareth Kaemra, the leader.
> "Don't touch the path directly," whispered Malaveth, a fellow observer. "Instill fear first. Make him hesitate. Make him lose his way."
> "I'll send Thalas. The Nameless Shadow."
*****
Enemy Description: Thalas
Origin: Loreng Vaksata – Deepest World of Darkness
Level: Varaktama Negatif – Corrupted
Ability: Infiltrate human minds when they hesitate
Objective: Disrupt Bima's direction before his legacy fully awakens
*****
Back to school…
The bell rang. The students began to return to class. But Bima was still sitting in his place. The necklace on his chest continued to throb, indicating something. Not fear. But a sign.
> "Bim, come on. We'll be late," Lina invited softly.
> "Yes…" she replied.
But her eyes did not leave the sky. Up there, the clouds began to form a strange vortex—slowly, but surely.
> "This… is just the beginning."
******
Quotes at the end of chapter 13:
Not all light comes from the sky, sometimes it comes from a heart that chooses to survive even though the world doesn't understand. And in every shadow... there is always a reason to keep going."
*****
Quotes at the end of chapter 13
The wind carries the voice of the sky,
Crossing silently between souls.
If the legacy begins to rise,
Then the darkness does not stay long.