One sunny morning, inside a big house, a tall man with yellow hair and sea blue eyes in a white t-shirt covered by an unbuttoned blue shirt and blue trousers was seen putting his clothes into an aqua colored suitcase. He did it with a pounding feeling in his heart, even though his face looked like it was just a little calm smile.

Not long after, the door to his room opened accompanied by someone's voice.

Karna : "Oi Sapphire, do you want to be left behind?”

A black-haired man with blood-red eyes in a black leather jacket with black trousers named Karna called out to his friend with an annoyed face and tone.

Sapphire : "Oh come on, the plane doesn't leave for another 3 hours, right? Just relax a bit"

Sapphire answered casually while tidying up his things in the suitcase.

Karna : "Tck. I'll uppercut you if we're late."

Karna said as he walked out of Sapphire's room without closing the door again.

Meanwhile outside the house, a man in a plain white casual shirt covered by a thick white jacket and white trousers with silver hair and ice blue eyes was seen talking to an old woman in a thick gray jacket who was 20 cm shorter than him.

Minori : "Is that so.... to Dubai for new year celebrations, huh? Take good care of yourself there, Jihan"

Jihan : "Don't worry, the plane we will board is guaranteed. We have also booked temporary accommodation for the three of us there."

Minori : "I mean, be careful of the people around you, you could lose your valuables...... or maybe your life"

Jihan smiled slightly with a warm gaze at the woman in front of her who had a worried and sad face as if she was seeing her child who would not be coming home.

Jihan : "You worry too much"

Minori : "How can I not? I don't want you to suffer the same fate as my only child."

Jihan : "I know, Saori's death was very unfortunate and traumatic for you. But the world is much better now than 5 years ago. Crime has dropped significantly, almost touching 2 percent, so there is nothing to be worried about."

Minori let out a resigned sigh, she looked at Jihan and pulled his neck down into a warm embrace.

Minori : "I wish she was still alive now. You are a very good boy, Saori would definitely like you"

Jihan was silent for a moment before returning the hug from the figure he considered like his second mother.

Jihan : "I'm taken"

Karna, who had just come out and saw the scene in front of him, immediately lost his annoyance and walked over to them to join in the hug. He went behind Minori and wrapped both his arms around her until the tips of his hands reached Jihan's back.

Karna : "We will miss you, Mrs. Minori"

Minori : "Me too"

After a while, Karna released himself from the hug and also pulled Jihan out. His seemingly rushed movements made Minori a little confused.

Minori : "Why so hasty?"

Karna : "So it's like this, we want to get to the airport as soon as possible, and also didn't you say you wanted to join the community service event to clean the shrine?"

Minori : "But I haven't said goodbye to Sapphire yet"

Karna gently turned Minori around and pushed her slowly. Minori became more confused and resisted Karna's push a little.

Karna : "I'll tell him that later for you. Now you better go quickly before that bald old man starts ranting"

Hearing Karna's suggestion, Minori's face immediately turned sour and she started walking on her own accord.

Minori : "Uh.. now that you say that, I definitely don't want to deal with Mr. Kuga."

She stopped walking and looked back while waving her hand slowly.

Minori : "Then I'll go first, be careful on the road and come back after you have nothing to do in there"

Minori walked again until she was out of their sight.

A few seconds later, Sapphire came out with his suitcase with a radiant face.

Sapphire : "Hey guys! I'm done packing. Just need a few words with Mrs. Minori and then off we go!"

Karna and Jihan didn't say a word and just stared at Sapphire. Karna had a grin on his face while Jihan didn't really react and walked down the cement stairs to the street.

Sapphire watched Jihan walk then to Karna who was still standing in place with the same gaze. Sapphire finally realized something.

Sapphire : "Where's Mrs. Minori?"

Karna felt satisfied hearing Sapphire's question and started walking towards where Jihan was going. His face was still full of grins with a chuckle.

Karna : "That's what you get for being too slow. Now lock the door and get down immediately"

Sapphire was dumbfounded and couldn't believe his best friend did that to him. But he quickly came back to his senses and locked the door before walking downstairs while lifting his suitcase.

Sapphire : "Brother forever he said, until the last breath he said nye nye nye nye nye"

He grumbled as he went down the stairs.

After arriving at the bottom, two taxis were seen parked on the side of the road waiting. Sapphire went to the car where Karna was in, opened the trunk and put his suitcase on top of Karna's.

After that, Sapphire immediately got into the car through the left door. The other taxi in front started moving. Without being told, the driver immediately started the engine of the car where Sapphire and Karna were and started following the other car.

Karna rolled down the window and rested his head on his fists, taking in the fresh, cool air.

Sapphire : "Does-"

Karna : "Don't talk to me"

Sapphire sighed and leaned back in his chair, turning his gaze to the scenery on his left. For a moment, he had forgotten that Karna was a person who got carsick and didn't like to be talked to while traveling because it could disturb his focus on holding back his nausea. Sapphire reflexively chuckling on his own and it's kinda annoying for Karna.

Sapphire : "Weak"

Karna only responded with an annoyed snort.

Meanwhile, in another car

Jihan : "Thank you for financing all of this, Doctor Tirta"

A brown-haired, yellow-eyed man in a brown kimono with various accessories sat quietly next to Jihan. Both of his hands were crossed inside their respective sleeves, his eyes full of calm looking forward.

Tirta : "Don't think too much about it, I'm enjoying this"

His voice sounded soft and manly, making people who heard it feel no suspicion towards him.

Jihan : "Not only that, you also let me read your novel drafts for free every time"

Jihan is currently holding a stack of sheets of paper containing kanji characters written using a brush. Not only that, the paper is also made from paper mulberry tree fiber, making the antique impression even stronger which makes its beauty irreplaceable.

Jihan : "I wonder, where do you always have this stock of paper? It seems like you never run out of it"

Tirta : "All you need to know is that it's legal"

Jihan : "I see, glad to know"

The two of them didn't speak for a few minutes, Tirta didn't move an inch from his position while Jihan didn't stop turning the paper and reading.

1 hour later, they finally arrived at the airport, still 1 hour and 42 minutes left before the plane departed.

Jihan got out first and took out his and Tirta's suitcases before closing the trunk again. Meanwhile, Tirta paid for his trip using his smartphone and did the same to the other taxi.

Sapphire walked out casually and took out her suitcase. Before he walked away, he saw Karna who had just gotten out of the car walking unsteadily and his face grinned seeing him in that state.

Sapphire : "Are you okay? Want me to carry your suitcase?”

Karna leaned against the car and looked at Sapphire with a face full of contraction. He didn't say anything and just nodded.

Sapphire : "One more jolt and he'll explode for sure" "Want to let it out now?”

........

The two of them stared at each other without saying anything.

Jihan : "You two, come here"

Jihan called them from a distance of about 10 meters while carrying 2 suitcases in his hands.

 Sapphire : "Wait a minute, come over there soon"

Sapphire opened her suitcase and took out a vomit bag that had been prepared just in case. He handed it to Karna who immediately took it and vomited all the contents of his stomach until the bag was almost full.

Sapphire turned his face away because he didn't want to feel nauseous seeing Karna's many, colorful vomits.

After vomiting, Karna handed the bag back to Sapphire.

Karna : "Thank you"

Sapphire took out a large plastic bag and opened it for Karna to throw the vomit bag into. After the bag was in, Sapphire immediately tied the plastic bag so that the disgusting smell would be covered immediately.

Sapphire : "I'll throw this away first, and you carry my suitcase, understand?"

Sapphire said as he lift up the plastic bag before walking away without hearing Karna's answer first.

Karna, who felt much better, immediately did what Sapphire said. Although both of them love to play pranks and jokes on each other, at certain times when they owe each other, they will become serious for a while until they feel they are even enough.

1 hour and 17 minutes left

Karna, Sapphire and Tirta are sitting on the airport chairs while waiting for their plane to be ready. Sapphire on the other hand after throwing away Karna's vomit, stopped in the middle of the road and thought of buying some snacks to fill stomach.

He decided to buy some spicy fried chicken and juice to eat together. He entered the mini restaurant and immediately went to the cashier's desk to order.

Cashier: "Welcome to Century Fried Chicken, may I take your order?"

The cashier bowed slightly to Sapphire and gave hin a warm smile before placing her fingers on the typewriter.

Sapphire : "Um.......20 Chicken hot wings level 6 please, and also 3 orange juices"

Cashier : "Let me repeat, 20 Chicken hot wings level 6 with 3 orange juices, correct?”

Sapphire : "That's right, and it's take out"

Cashier : "Sure, please wait in the chair over there"

After Sapphire got his chicken and drink, he went back to looking for the three of them. His right hand was holding all his shopping while his left hand was rubbing the cellphone screen, chatting with Jihan about their current location.

Sapphire : "Near the Christmas tree with a blue star top.... blue star.... blue star..."

Sapphire muttered to himself as he twisted his neck looking for the clue Jihan had given. Feeling nothing around, Sapphire walks further to look for a Christmas tree with a blue star on top.

After walking a few dozen meters, he stopped and started looking here and there, until his eyes fell on a tall figure with short black hair wearing casual clothes in jet black. Recognizing the figure, he ran towards him while waving his hand which was still holding the cellphone.

Sapphire : "Big brother Indra!"

The tall figure stopped walking and turned his body towards Sapphire. Sapphire stopped right in front of him, his eyes sparkling and excited. While the man in front of him stared down with his obsidian pupils. His expression did not convey the slightest bit of emotion, full of emptiness and total calm.

Sapphire : "Are you planning to go to Dubai too?”

Indra : "No"

That short answer made the excitement in Sapphire's eyes instantly disappear and turn into curiosity.

Sapphire : "Eh? To where then?"

Indra : "America"

.....

Hearing that, Sapphire immediately returned to normal and smiled lightly.

Sapphire : "I see. So you're still doing it, huh?"

Indra : "Mmh"

Sapphire : "Well, see you in another day. My friends waiting for me."

As if he didn't care, Indra casually continued on his way without looking at Sapphire and disappeared into the crowd.

54 minutes left

Jihan : "Feeling better?"

Karna : "Yeah, very"

Jihan sat across from Karna who leaned back completely with his head hanging back. Jihan occasionally looked at his phone and around to call Sapphire when he's in sight. Meanwhile, Tirta sits next to Jihan while reading someone else's horror novel for inspiration.

When Sapphire came into view, Jihan stood up from his chair and waved at Sapphire. Sapphire could also immediately see Jihan and approached the three of them.

Sapphire : "Chicken wings~~"

Sapphire said in a deep voice as she put the bag containing a pile of chicken wings on Karna's lap, took 1 and sat next to him. Sapphire handed 1 juice to Jihan, and put 1 on Karna's side.

Jihan : "Thank you"

Sapphire : "Yoh"

Karna straightened his body in the chair and started eating the chicken wing. When he took a sip of his drink and the juice hit his tongue, he paused for a moment, pulling the cup away from his mouth and looking at it for a moment before turning his eyes to Sapphire.

Karna : "Is there no-"

Sapphire : "Nope, they ran out of guavas"

Karna looked back at his Cup then at Tirta and back to Sapphire.

Karna : "Didn't you buy a drink for Doctor Tirta too?"

Sapphire lifted his mouth from the straw with a disappointed look.

Sapphire : "Doctor Tirta, do you want some chicken or juice?"

Tirta : "No appetite. Also don't bother me"

Sapphire : "See?"

A few minutes later.

A woman's voice echoed around the airport, announcing for passengers to board the plane immediately.

Airport Announcer : "Please be informed to those who have booked Fuji Dream Airlines, please board the plane immediately as the plane will take off in 30 minutes. Thank you for subscribing"

Sapphire stood up and raised both his hands up, stretching his back that had been frozen for a few minutes.

Sapphire : "That's our plane, let's go"

Inside the plane.

Because he was texting on his cellphone while sitting near the airplane window.

Sapphire : "Adyana?"

Sapphire who was sitting next to him glanced at Karna's cellphone and asked with a grin on his face.

Karna : "Yeah"

Sapphire : "What did she say?"

Karna : "They arrived about 5 hours ago."

Sapphire : "5 hours....."

.........

.........

Karna & Sapphire : "12 pm"

They reflexively laughed a little because they said it at the same time.

Flight attendant: "Dear passengers, welcome onboard. We are currently third in line for take-off and are expected to be in the air in approximately seven minutes time.

We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts at this time and secure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments. We also ask that your seats and table trays are in the upright position for take-off.

Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight. Thank you for choosing Mountain Airlines. Enjoy your flight."

Karna put his phone in his pocket while still letting out a small laugh.

Karna : "Never gets old"

Sapphire yawned and began to lean back in his soft airplane seat.

Sapphire : "The chicken just now started to make me sleepy, even though I had ordered level 6."

His voice was starting to sound tired and lacking the usual enthusiasm that was present.

Karna : "How coincidence, me too"

Same case with Karna.

Sapphire : "Really? Then you go to sleep first, I'll wake you up after 2 hours"

Karna : "This is airplane, should be safe enough"

Sapphire : "I am not sure"

Karna : "Whatever, do as you like"

Karna began to squirm in his seat, looking for a comfortable sleeping position. And when he found it, he pulled on the blanket provided by the airline.

While Sapphire tried to keep the sleep from taking control of him. He couldn't stop playing scenarios in his mind when he fell asleep. Even though it has been reported that the crime rate has decreased by 2 percent globally, he still can't help but suspect that the 2 percent is all around him.

Meanwhile....

Tirta exhaled as he closed his eyes, closing the small novel in his hand with one hand before giving it to the person sitting next to him.

Jihan : "How was it, Doctor Tirta?"

He said as he took the small book from him hand and then put it into his small bag.

Tirta : "Apart from the concept, everything is trash. From the characters, the plot to the delivery, they are all really bad"

Jihan : "Are you serious? Then how can the book be famous?"

Tirta : "Either the writer is clever at marketing or the readers' standards are too stupid"

Jihan : "You never change huh, always harsh criticism. I like that"

........

Tirta : "Jihan, have I ever told you about the person who inspired me?”

Jihan's interest was sparked when he heard something unusual.

Jihan : "I don't think you've ever done it, please tell me"

Tirta : "..........."

Jihan : "Doctor?"

In Tirta's mind he remembered a figure completely covered in shadow, his young self kneeling before him amidst the ruins of a destroyed building.

Tirta's mind returned to the present, taking a breath as he closed his eyes.

Tirta : "Nevermind, better save it for next time"

Jihan : "...... If you say so"

Jihan closed his eyes and leaned weakly on the chair behind him.

Meanwhile, Tirta seemed like he didn't want to sleep even though his body wanted to, his eyes were fixed on the window next to him, his thoughts flying back to the past.

Tirta : "Your Majesty, how are you now?"

Finally arrived in Dubai after a few hours.

Karna patted Sapphire awake.

Karna : "Oi, We're here, get ready"

Sapphire : "Uh?"

His eyes slowly opened, he sat up straight then stretched his body.

Meanwhile, Jihan immediately woke up with just one call of his name from Tirta.

Tirta : "Jihan"

Unlike most people, he woke up without looking weak or still sleepy.

Jihan : "Thank you very much, Doctor"

Later.

They went to the baggage claim area and took their respective suitcases, except for Tirta whose suitcase was taken and carried by Jihan.

On the way out of the airport.

Karna : "Jihan, You can hand over Doctor Tirta's suitcase if you want"

Jihan : "I appreciate your good intentions, but since we'll be taking different cars, it's probably best not to."

Karna : "Mmm..... Quite a sense"

Time skip when they arrived.

Sapphire : "So this is our hotel?”

Jihan : "Just to be sure, you'll be the one paying for this for us, right, doctor?"

Tirta : "Correct, you don't need to think about much and just have fun to your heart's content"

Meanwhile, Karna held on to Sapphire tightly while holding back his vomit. He shook Sapphire's body fiercely, asking them to move quickly and find a bathroom.

They entered the hotel. Tirta and Jihan went to the counter to confirm their arrival. Meanwhile in the back, Sapphire asked the attendant about the location of the toilet. The attendant pointed left and right repeatedly, giving them the route they should take.

Tirta : "Tirta Yasha"

Counter : "Mr. Tirta Yasha, is it? Please wait a moment"

Karna immediately ran after the officer finished giving the route, Sapphire panicked and chased after him, afraid that he had gone the wrong way. Karna took the wrong route several times and only reappeared behind Jihan and Tirta while Sapphire tried to reach Karna to guide him correctly.

Counter : "Welcome, Mr. Tirta Yasha. Your arrival has been confirmed."

The counter immediately gave Tirta 2 room keys and bowed politely.

Counter : "I hope you enjoy your holiday, sir"

Tirta and Jihan walked towards the elevator while Karna was still busy looking for a toilet which he finally found after being helped by the previous attendant.

When the sun had set, the four of them went out of the hotel towards the stadium. Each of them was wearing everyday clothes like they were going on a date except for Tirta, he was still in his kimono, only changed to grey.

They stopped in front of the stadium entrance, waiting for something or maybe someone.

Tirta : "I'll go in first"

Tirta left the three of them in front of the gate and disappeared into the crowd without waiting for their response.

Karna's eyes were glued to Tirta's figure until he disappeared from sight and he took out his cellphone to call someone.

There were several rings before a "beep" sound and a high-pitched female voice came out of Karna's cell phone.

Adyana : "Where are you?"

Karna : "North entrance"

Adyana : "What?! I thought you said south"

Karna : "..........Did i?"

Adyana : "Yes! Now hurry up and meet us at the south entrance"

Karna : "W-"

Before Karna could say a word, Adyana had already hung up the phone. Karna let out a resigned sigh and put his cellphone back into his small bag.

Sapphire : "So?"

Karna : "Uh..... I made a mistake, we should have gone to the south entrance"

Sapphire lifted his chin and looked at Karna with an annoyed look, while Jihan just frowned.

Karna : "Hehe. Understandably, humans are not perfect, they often make mistakes."

Sapphire : "THE PROBLEM IS THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME YOU'VE MESSED UP"

Sapphire delivered an uppercut to Karna's stomach until his feet were lifted 1 meter off the ground before landing back on the ground while holding his stomach.

The people around them turned to look at them as they continued to walk, some were stunned, some were disturbed, and some were amazed by Sapphire's fist.

Jihan just stood there, deadpanned with both hands in his jacket pockets watching the actions of his two friends who didn't care about time and place.

On Tirta

Tirta stood still in the elevator which slowly lifted him to the highest floor As the elevator doors opened, he was greeted with a luxurious interior with few people inside, and clearly engraved on the floor was the word "VVIP" made of pure gold.

Tirta sat on a chair on the highest platform, his right fist supporting his head while his other hand rested on the armrest.

??? : "Well well, look who finally decided to show himself"

A person in a dark green shirt with a scale pattern appeared from behind Tirta and took the seat next to him. He has light green hair and emerald eyes that looked at Tirta like something he had not seen for a long time.

Tirta : "Darius, huh? I didn't think you cared enough to come to an event like this" "

This man is Darius Sinathrya, a genius scientist in the field of genetics.

Darius : "Of course i am. I have a feeling we're in for a big surprise tonight"

......

Tirta took a soft breath and exhaled before opening his mouth.

Tirta : "How's your brother?"

Darius : "Not yet shown"

.........

Tirta : "I see. He is still with your majesty"

Darius chuckled when he heard Tirta's words.

Darius : "It's funny to hear you say that here. Anyway, where's our champions?"

Tirta : "I don't know"

Darius sighed in disappointment and leaned back.

Darius : "You're playing it low too much. Can't you do more than write novels?"

.....

Darius : "I know, don't say anything. You prefer to observe, that's why I never liked you"

Tirta : "In the contrary, i like your character"

Darius : "Don't say that, you make me sick"

.........

Meanwhile somewhere inside the stadium.

A female servant in a black suit walked through the corridor until she came to an iron door and pushed it open. From there, she saw a woman sitting facing the mirror, she was putting on makeup. She has long dark brown hair with golden yellow eyes.

She stepped forward towards the woman, stopped at 2 meters from her.

Servant : "Miss Eden"

Eden : "It's time, huh?"

Servant : "Yes"

The woman in the chair continued to apply lipstick to her lips.

Eden : "Wait a minute, I'm almost done"

Servant : "You have 5 minutes before the event starts"

Eden : "I understand that, there's no need to rush me"

.......

Eden finally finished her makeup and put on her lipstick before placing it on the dressing table. She stood up from her chair and looked at the servant.

Eden : "Shall we go?"

Servant : "Please follow me"

Back to Jihan et al.

Karna : "You see them?"

Sapphire : "Nope"

They were already around the southern entrance, but they had not seen Adyana and the others. Until...

Karna : "Sssss... We have to quick up, the concert is about to- GHAAK!"

From behind Karna, there were two slender hands that suddenly embraced his neck down the back and that clearly surprised Karna.

Karna quickly turned his body around and faced the culprit. As Karna thought, it was Adyana. A girl in a long-sleeved white shirt and a knee-length black skirt who was 20 cm shorter than him with long silver hair in a ponytail and ocean blue eyes.

Adyana : "Hehehe, got you"

Karna, who was still annoyed, pulled Adyana's cheeks without hesitation.

Karna : "My neck almost snapped just now, you know!"

Adyana : "Owowow, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Karna : "If my forgiveness is what you want, then hold on a little longer...."

Karna said while increasing the strength of his pull on Adyana's cheeks.

Sapphire who saw that immediately took a stance, he lowered himself, both arms opened to the side as if preparing to catch something. His eyes darted left and right, as his body slowly spun in place.

Suddenly from behind, he heard fast footsteps and reflexively turned his body and caught the figure jumping towards him.

Sapphire : "Got you! Hahahaha"

It turned out to be a girl in a white knee-length dress dominated by pink with long pink hair with pink eyes and about 23 cm shorter than Sapphire, named Alisa.

??? : "Aaa.... i almost did it"

The girl in Sapphire's arms whined in disappointment because she failed to surprise her boyfriend.

Sapphire : "Unyunyunyunyunyu~, are you mad?"

Sapphire said while playing with the face of the girl in front of him with his two large palms.

Alisa : "Can't you let yourself down for me once in a while?"

Sapphire : "Where's the fun in that? Just try harder next time"

On Jihan

Unlike his previous 2 friends, this time, he just stood still in front of the girl who was 14 cm shorter than him. The woman had silver hair, her deep blue eyes stared softly at Jihan with a slight tilt upwards, and her name is Sofia.

Sofia : "Long time no see, Jihan."

Jihan : "Yeah, long time no see that is"

Jihan returned the woman's greeting with the same feeling, he walked over and hugged her tightly. Sofia returned the hug, placing both her hands on his back.

Their romantic moments was immediately broken after hearing the sound of the spotlight turning on and immediately looking up at the stadium and sure enough, the event had just started. Plus their surroundings were completely empty, making them panic and immediately run.

Sapphire : "For those who agree to throw Karna out of the hotel tonight if we don't get a seat, raise your hands"

Surprisingly, the three girls didn't raise their hands, it seemed they were still too tender. But what was more surprising was, Karna raised his hand.

Adyana : "Karna?! Why?"

Before they answered, they had already arrived at the ticket counter, Jihan immediately collected everyone's tickets and confirmed their names.

Sapphire : "Typical Karna. Just let him be. Even though he is annoying, his sense of responsibility is big enough to cover up his nature"

Karna : "Sorry everyone"

Sapphire : "We'll talk about this later. Let's focus on finding empty seats"

Everyone agreed without saying a word, moving as one to find their seats. Unfortunately, even though they found some empty seats, it was always 1-2, while they wanted to be together.

The natural and classic stage began to move and a graceful figure appeared walking to the center.

Eden : "Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming to my concert. First of all...."

Karna : "Damn, we won't make it. Do we have to stand for the whole concert?"

Karna felt resigned, his back leaned against the wall and his face looked at the floor, full of guilt.

Adyana's heart ached seeing Karna's pitiful figure, she approached and patted his back gently several times.

.......

Jihan : "It seems like there is no other choice. We split into 3 pairs and take the empty chairs we found earlier"

Sapphire sighed in annoyance as he

scratched the back of his neck. Meanwhile, Alisa smiled optimistically.

Alisa : "Well... it's better than standing the whole concert. Let's do that"

Jihan was the first to go with Sofia, followed by Sapphire, whose hand was being dragged by Alisa. Karna was still pensive for a moment in place

Adyana : "Karna, let's go"

Before answering and the two previous couples moved away, a man appeared in a black suit and glasses.

??? : "Hold there, you six, come closer"

Even though they were hesitant and confused, they still did what he asked.

Sapphire : "Are we in trouble for running around the stadium seats?”

??? : "Mr. Darius calls you. Follow me"

The man in the suit refused to give them any further elaboration and simply walked into the door behind the stadium seats. Hearing Darius' name, the six of them did not hesitate any longer and followed the man in the suit.

Back to Tirta.

Tirta was writing something in his small book, the sound of the pen scratching the paper could be heard clearly by Darius. Even though he was annoyed, he remained silent and locked his eyes to the center of the stage.

The door to the room opened and revealed 7 people stepping inside.

Darius : "You've been taking too long, Teo."

Teo : "Sorry, sir"

Teo bowed with guilt on his face.

Darius : "Provide them with food and drink, quickly"

Teo : "Right away, sir"

Teo went to another room to carry out Darius' orders, while the other six were signaled to sit wherever they liked by Darius.

They sat on the long sofa in front of Darius and Tirta.

Sofia : "Thank you again, Professor Darius"

Darius : "If things ended like this, you shouldn't have rejected my offer from the start."

Sofia : "About that..... we don't want to bother you, and most importantly, we want to be with them"

Teo returned with some snacks, sweets and drinks in a 3-tier trolley table. Darius put his eyes on hime before finally turned to Tirta who was still writing in his small book. He was about to ask, but knowing he wouldn't like the answer he would get, he turned his attention back to the six students in front of. Besides, he already have a picture of it.

Darius : "Enjoy it to your heart's content, don't hesitate"

Teo placed various foods and drinks on the table in front of them.

Adyana : "Can renting a room really access this far?”

Darius : "I funded 20 percent of the construction of this stadium"

They were shocked to hear this, and were speechless.

Darius : "Focus ahead, the star is about to let out her golden voice"

They finally came to their senses, and faced the front where the main star of the event had just finished her rather lengthy speech.

Feeling sucked into an illusion, the time they experienced while Eden sang felt like falling asleep in their mother's lap, comfortable but too short. Even those who don't like classical and old-school music can't deny how enjoyable it is to hear her beautiful singing that transcends space and time.

On the other hand, it doesn't seem to work on Darius. Instead of enjoying the concert, he focused on the cellphone in his hand.

23:59

The first song has been finished singing. Without warning, Eden immediately prepared the next song, the spotlights began to fade to black and white, Eden's face became full of sadness. She took a deep breath and...

00:00

.....

....

.....

Everyone was silent, not a single sound came out. A red light slowly fell on them from the sky. Some people speculated it was a stage effect, until they realized that the organizers were also starting to show signs of panic and confusion.

Everything broke apart when several bodyguards started escorting Eden into the stadium. People began to panic and push each other as the red light in the sky grew stronger and they felt a burning sensation in their chests.

It turns out that the light was not only in the stadium, the whole world was hit by this mysterious red light.

Sapphire and the others froze in their seats, at a loss for how to react.

Karna : "Do you feel the same sensation?”

Adyana : "Mm, it feels like there is a fire in my chest, precisely in my left chest"

Meanwhile, Tirta seemed not to care about what was happening around him, he even continued writing faster than before. And Darius..... for some reason he smiled widely.

At some place.

A figure was seen in the darkness who had just finished burying 3 human bodies,He walked away empty-handed, no dirt or blood on his clothes or body. Even though he knew the red light was a mysterious disaster happening in front of him, he didn't care and continued walking with his gaze forward.

In Morocco 21:01.

There is a motorbike gang enjoying the wind. When the red light appeared, the leader who was at the front had his eyes fixed upwards without realizing that he was approaching death.

Member : "BOSS! LOOK OUT!"

Too late, their leader fell from an extreme height. The members were stunned and petrified. Not long after, they were speeding down the road, ignoring the burning sensation in their chests that they thought was an emotional reaction.

When they reached the bottom, they quickly took off their helmets and got off their motorbikes, running towards the point where the boss was expected to land.

Not long after, they found a badly damaged motorbike with a pool of blood nearby. Strangely, there was no body of their leader around. They didn't even find any traces of blood. They were running here and there with flashlights in their hands blindly.

Back to Darius.

He was still in the same seat, but the six students who were previously in front of him had left because they were told to go home. Darius' cell phone rang and he immediately picked it up casually.

Darius : "Vina? What's wrong?"

Vina : "Sorry to interrupt your time but I think you need to hear this report"

Darius : I'm listening"

Vina : "9 failed rat specimens that had just been thrown into the burning area were found missing from the location without a trace. We have also checked the furnace and there is still no sign of any specimens inside"

Darius : "Is that so. Keep searching"

Vina : "Understood"

With that, the call ended and the smile on Darius' face did not fade one bit.

.....

He chuckled, then....

...

Darius : "Sweet"

Tirta, who was still next to him, had not finished writing in his little book, but he started to slow down and finally stopped at a point. On the paper there was a little writing visible at the end of the sentence.

"The world with a new meaning of death, begins"

2nd January 2017. 7 am

1 day after the incident that hit the world, it immediately became the top topic in news broadcasts on all media. This continued until the next day, today, everyone is still questioning the meaning of the light.

Sapphire and Karna are currently sitting on the sofa while watching the news on TV in their hotel room, while Jihan is who knows where he went.

Presenter : "صباح الخير للجميع-"

Karna : "Nope, nope, nope, nope"

Karna kept changing channels until he found a news broadcast that used a language he understood.

Presenter : "-A mysterious disaster that hitting the world right now"

Karna : "Finally"

Presenter : "Next news, still about the mysterious light 2 days ago. It is reported that several bodies that were registered as dead have mysteriously disappeared, both those that were recently buried, in hospitals and even random places where the deaths occurred."

Sapphire : "...... What the hell"

Both of them started to lock in their eyes on the news that was being broadcast, using all their brain power to digest every word, straining their ears so as not to mishear.

The door to their room opened and revealed Jihan with a large plastic bag hanging in his right hand. His eyes fell on the two of them, observing what they were doing, then following where they were looking.

Understanding how intense the situation was, he didn't say anything and sat next to them, took out 2 pizza-like boxes and placed one of them on Karna's lap.

Presenter : "It doesn't stop there, the strangest part of this incident is that the bodies that died before the light appeared were still there and did not disappear. Scientists concluded that only creatures who were exposed to the mysterious light while they were alive experienced mysterious disappearances."

Karna slowly opened the box on his lap and took a piece of pizza-shaped food and put it in his mouth very slowly. He also chewed slowly and carefully, not wanting to make the slightest sound that might disturb their hearing.

Presenter : "Oh, and this doesn't just apply to humans, but to animals too. This is still being researched by scientists for more information on the mysterious disappearance incidents. People are urged to stay at home and are asked to follow the instructions given by each government in each country. Several public facilities have also been forcibly closed, such as airports and ports, until further notice."

Even though there was more, Karna felt enough and turned off the TV. He threw the remote next to Sapphire and let out a sigh before taking another bite of the food in his hand. Sapphire also took one from Karna's lap.

Karna : "Mmm! What's this? It's very good"

As if forgetting the tension that was happening, Karna ate greedily because of the new pleasure for his tongue.

Jihan : "Manousheh"

Karna : "Man house, heh?"

Karna laughed and was accompanied by Sapphire who laughed along with the chew still in hia mouth. While Jihan kept chewing, not understanding what was so funny about it.

Karna's laughter stopped when his cellphone's football ringtone rang loudly. He took it out of his pocket and answered the call.

Karna : "Adyana? What's wrong?"

Adyana : "Ah. Um... Have you watched the news?"

Sapphire signalling at Jihan to give him a drink from a plastic bag. Jihan nodded once and took the bottled orange juice and guava, handing the orange to Sapphire and the guava to Karna.

Karna : "I don't know which one you're talking about but I'm sure I have."

Karna smiled seeing Jihan's gesture and temporarily held the phone away from his face.

Karna : "Thanks"

Adyana : "About the temporary closure of the airport and others"

Karna : "Oh. Yes. What's about it?"

Feeling that this was an important topic and not personal, Karna turned on speaker mode so that Sapphire and Jihan could hear clearly.

Adyana : "Professor Darius offers you a ride on his private jet"

Karna : "For real?!"

Karna turned to Sapphire who threw both his hands in the air with a happy face without making a sound, while Jihan just gave a thumbs up.

Adyana : "It's real, I'm not lying"

Karna's smile immediately faded and became a little suspicious.

Karna : "Wait a second. Isn't Professor Darius good friends with Doctor Tirta? Why tell us through you?"

Adyana : "Umm... I don't really understand either, but he said that Doctor Tirta is not someone who likes to carry a cellphone, so he's hard to contact."

Karna turned to Jihan and Sapphire for confirmation.

Sapphire : "It's true"

Jihan : "Affirmative"

Karna : "Ok, two people that know Dr. Tirta well have just confirmed it. So, what time are we leaving?”

Adyana : "In 1 hour, we leave"

.

Sapphire: "What?!"

Sapphire immediately moved his head closer to Karna's cellphone with a panicked face.

Sapphire : "Can't it be postponed?! at least 1 extra hour please"

Adyana : "Honestly, I was also surprised when the professor said that. We are also packing up right now, so you guys should do the same if you want to come along."

Sapphire immediately jumped off the sofa and ran to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and a change of clothes in the middle.

Meanwhile Jihan slowly stood up and walked out of the room casually.

Jihan : "I'm going to tell Doctor, you better pack up now"

Karna : "How about you?"

Jihan : "Already done"

Karna : "Okay Adya, thanks for letting us know, I'll hang up now ok?"

Adyana : "Mm, you're welcome"

Karna : "Love you"

....

Adya didn't answer and instead hung up the phone. Karna just chuckled seeing that and immediately stood up from the sofa to pack his not so much belongings.

Meanwhile

Adyana blushed badly because of Karna's sudden words. Her feelings were a mixture of happiness and annoyance.

Adyana : "Karna..."

Sofia : "Adyana.... Your hand stopped moving"

Adyana took a deep breath and the blush on her face slowly disappeared.

Adyana : "I know, you don't have to remind me"

55 minutes later

The four of them were already inside the private jet, but Darius and his 3 female students were nowhere to be seen.

Sapphire : "I thought we would be on the same jet as them"

Karna : "Yeah, me too"

Jihan : "That's quite unlikely. Our country's destinations are clearly the opposite"

Sapphire : "Come on, can't we at least rise up our hope?"

Jihan : "Illogical kind of hope"

Karna : "You're talking like you don't want the same thing"

Jihan : "Of course I want it too"

Sapphire was overcome with anger and stood up from his chair while pointing at Jihan.

Sapphire : "So stop arguing us back!."

Tirta : "Silent, all of you"

Then Darius came out from the direction of the toilet, laughing as he walked past them while putting his belt back on.

Darius : "It seems like it would be more fun to take care of these three creatures than the ones I'm taking care of now."

Darius took a seat opposite Tirta's left facing the three of them. He lifted both of his legs and put them on the table.

Karna : "They will be sad if they hear it, you know."

Darius : "What do I care? I'm just being honest"

Sapphire : "Ugh.... Now I understand why the media calls you a scum scientist"

Darius didn't care about Sapphire's words and kept his grinning face.

Darius : "Isn't that great? The media finally stopped throwing around bullshit"

Karna : "Oh? You're not denying it at all? Maybe you're not as bad as I thought"

Darius : "Forging authentic data is an insult to me. No matter who does it"

Jihan : "Sorry if this bothers you, it's okay if you don't want to answer, but why did you decide to come to Japan with us?"

Darius : "I refuse to answer, then"

Jihan : "Understood"

A few hours later

They finally managed to return to Japan safely. It's night in Japan now.

They walked out of the airport dragging their respective suitcases, except for Tirta whose suitcase was carried by Jihan.

Karna : "BTW Doctor Tirta, will classes still run next Sunday? You know, after that strange incident, shouldn't the campus be closed temporarily?"

Tirta : "In your dreams, I will still force you all to come in, unless you want to get a red mark on the attendance list"

Karna and Sapphire were disappointed because they had thought of a small plan if classes were temporarily canceled, while Jihan doesn't care at all.

Karna : "Sapphire, can you carry my suitcase? I'll just take the train."

Karna handed over his suitcase to Sapphire and he took it in confusion. Karna started walking away from the team with both hands in his jacket pockets.

Sapphire : "At least you can take a taxi there. Don't you want to?"

Karna : "Nah.... "

Sapphire : "Ok..."

Sapphire muttered to himself. He then looked towards Darius.

Darius : "What do you want?"

Sapphire : ".... Nothing, professor, nothing. Nothing~"

.....

With that, Darius went with Tirta to who knows where in his taxi while Jihan and Sapphire headed to their rented house.

At the rented house

Sapphire and Jihan are seen walking up the concrete stairs. Sapphire carried his suitcase like a small school bag on his back while Jihan carried two suitcases on his two broad shoulders.

Sapphire : "What a messy trip, isn't it?"

Jihan : "At least the organizers are willing to provide compensation"

Sapphire : "Sixty percent.....! I want 90!"

Jihan : "Be patient, maybe they will send more. Because you are not the only one complaining now"

After a few steps and arriving in front of their house, Jihan put the suitcases down and reached for the key in his suitcase. Meanwhile, Sapphire waited with his right hand resting on his suitcase. His eyes, which initially looked at Jihan, turned to the house on the right.

Without saying anything, Sapphire walked towards the house, leaving Jihan alone behind. Jihan, who realized this, didn't do anything but glanced at him for a moment then focused on looking for the key.

On Sapphire

Sapphire stopped in front of Minori's house, without thinking he pressed the doorbell, expecting a quick answer. His face looked uncomfortable, like someone who felt something was wrong.

.....

No response.

Here Sapphire felt increasingly uncomfortable, his brow furrowed, his mind drowning in a sea of possibilities.

'Tap'

A hand suddenly landed on Sapphire's shoulder, making him flinched for a moment.

Sapphire : "Your habit of sneaking behind people is really healthy for people's hearts"

Sapphire said sarcastically as he turned to face his silent friend.

Jihan : "Maybe Mrs. Minori is out socializing with other residents."

Sapphire : "Hiki did not respond"

Jihan was surprised to hear this, his eyes widened for a moment before sharpening and thinking hard.

Without hesitation, Jihan pulled down the doorknob and was again surprised by the fact that it was unlocked. He pushed her away and quickly walked inside with Sapphire following behind.

Jihan : "Hiki."

Jihan called out a name only to receive emptiness as an answer.

Sapphire : "Hiki....."

This time Sapphire also called out the same name a little louder and longer.

The two of them instinctively split up, Jihan went to the 2nd floor and Sapphire searched in the 1st floor.

A few minutes passed, Sapphire followed Jihan to the room on the 2nd floor. He sat on the bed while Jihan remained standing with his arms crossed and his index finger kept tapping.

Sapphire : "There's no way Mrs. Minori would take Hiki out. Could it be because he's sick?"

Jihan : "I don't think so. Even if he was sick, Mrs. Minori would have called a doctor here, and not the other way around."

Sapphire was starting to get fed up and he scratched his head hard before standing up.

Sapphire : "Let's just go back"

Sapphire started walking towards the exit followed by Jihan. However...

Sapphire : "WHOAAA!"

Mrs. Minori was already beside the door, her face also shocked and she reflexively held her chest. While Sapphire held onto the edge of the door while taking a deep breath.

Minori : "Oh my, I thought who it was, but it's you two."

It took a few seconds and a few breaths for Sapphire to calm down and speak.

Sapphire : "Fuh........ Mrs. Minori..... Where is Hiki?"

Sapphire couldn't think of any other words than what he was investigating on.

Minori : "I'm also looking for him, I don't know where he went."

Sapphire : "Then... want to look for him together?”

Minori's face showed disapproval and her forehead frowned slightly.

Minori : "You two just got back from Dubai, right? It's already night now, so go back to your rooms and get some rest."

Sapphire : "No, it's okay. We still have a lot of energy left, right Jihan?"

Sapphire elbowed Jihan lightly with an enthusiastic smile. Jihan just nodded once. Minori could only sigh in defeat.

Minori : "I think it's useless to advise you two, huh?."

Now they were around the tree-filled shrine where Minori always visited. Sapphire walked around the trees with a flashlight in his hand that Minori had just given to him, so is Jihan. They searched together at a distance not too far from each other.

Jihan showed strange behavior by occasionally glancing at Minori and not focusing on looking for Hiki.

For some reason, Minori suddenly started walking away from Jihan. Jihan instinctively increased his pace towards Minori while pointing his flashlight everywhere, pretending to join in the search.

Minori continued walking and Jihan's eyes didn't stop observing her. Until his view was blocked by a large tree, he flinched slightly and ran around, and was surprised not to see Minori.

He also began to realize that he had been unconsciously walking away from Sapphire.

Jihan : "SAPPHIREEE....!!"

Feeling something approaching quickly towards his head from behind, he ducked quickly and let the object pass over his head, grabbing its leg and slamming hard into the ground.

Jihan shone his flashlight on the figure's back and was surprised to see Minori with black hairy hands with sharp claws at the tip of each finger.

Jihan pressed the figure that looked like Minori on the nape of her neck, preventing her from standing.

Jihan : "SAPPHIREEE.....!"

Jihan shouted Sapphire's name once again, but louder. His eyes filled with alertness, he used all his strength to suppress whatever it was below from breaking free.

Not long after, Sapphire appeared running fast.

Sapphire : "What's wrong Jihan?!"

Sapphire stopped in her place about 6 meters from Jihan and looked at her with a shocked look.

Sapphire : "Jihan...... what the hell you think you are doing to Mrs. Minori?!"

Jihan : "Don't you see-"

Jihan's words were suddenly cut off when she saw the figure below her turn into a normal Minori, without fur or claws on her hands.

Minori : "Sapphire...! I don't know why Jihan suddenly attacked me..."

Jihan : "NO! LISTEN TO- keuck?!"

Suddenly Jihan was kicked hard by Sapphire and made hin fly about 2 meters.

Sapphire : "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?! YOU JUST ALMOST KILLED MRS. MINORI!"

Jihan immediately sat up and ignored the pain, he wanted to speak but the kick that hit his stomach made it difficult for him to get the words out. Sapphire clearly didn't hold back on that kick.

Sapphire reached out to help Mrs. Minori stand up, Minori accepted it and immediately pulled Sapphire hard and slashed his neck. Sapphire managed to pull his head back and reduce the possible damage his neck would have received.

But unfortunately, the cut was enough to make Sapphire permanently mute.

Minori prepared her next attack as she walked closer to Jihan first.

'Bang'

The sound of a gunshot was heard, followed by Minori's body falling to the ground with her head bleeding profusely. That was clearly a headshot.

Afterwards, he heard footsteps approaching and could see the figure who had fired the bullet.

Jihan : "Mr.. Kuga.."

Kuga : "Shut up, I've called an ambulance. You better treat Sapphire's wounds first."

Jihan : "Thank you...."

Jihan immediately approached Sapphire, tore his own clothes and tied them around Sapphire's bleeding neck.

Kuga : "Totally beyond what I've expected...."

In the hospital.

Tirta : "Your story is like a kindergarten child type of tales"

The two of them were now standing with a trundle bed between them. On top of it there is a human-shaped bend covered with white cloth.

Jihan : "Do you still say that after seeing this?"

Jihan opened the cloth and revealed Minori's corpse, whose entire body was covered in fur, and whose eyes were like those of a cat.

Tirta : "I said your story is like a kindergarten kid, not a nonsense"

.......

Jihan : "......."

His expression looked at Tirta with annoyance because he still didn't seem to care about what had just happened.

Tirta : "Please don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't care at all about what happens. It's just that you're not the first case."

Jihan : "What?"

The door to the room opened to reveal Karna carrying several bags of snacks and toys and a hyottoko mask on the right side of his head. His expression was unclear and looked tense, his eyes glanced at Tirta, the corpse then Jihan.

Karna : "Hi"

Jihan stared at Karna in disbelief while Tirta stared at him calmly.

Jihan : "Where have you been all this time?”

Karna's face began to look panicked and he averted his gaze from Jihan's eyes.

Karna: "I- I just.... stopped by the New Year's festival to cheer up my disappointment in Dubai and... got carried away by the atmosphere... yeah"

Tirta : "Do you have mochi in those bags?"

Jihan's attention immediately turned to Tirta with a questioning face.

Karna : "Yes.... Green tea flavour"

Karna : "I'm.... Truely sorry"

Karna apologized, his head lowered in guilt. Now he was sitting outside a room with Jihan next to him. His purchases during the New Year festival were piled up on the side of the chair.

Jihan : "It's none of my concern anymore, don't think about it"

Jihan said while scrolling his cellphone screen, looking for the information he wanted.

Jihan : "Do you have any watermelon juice in there?”

Karna piqued up hearing Jihans question and immediately rummaging through the bags.

Karna : "Of course! Just wait a second, hopefully it hasn't warmed up yet"

As Karna was rummaging through the bags, the door next to them opened and a doctor with square glasses came out from inside. The doctor who noticed their presence looked at them.

Doctor : "Are you friends of Sapphire?”

Jihan : "We are"

Doctor : "His conditi-"

Jihan : "No need"

Jihan stood up from his seat and looked down at the doctor with calm eyes.

Jihan : "I just need to know if we can come in yet."

Doctor : "Of course, go ahead"

Jihan immediately walked in without waiting for Karna who was still busy looking for watermelon juice among the pile of bags. When he got it, he turned around and found Jihan had already entered first and was now making eye contact with the doctor.

Karna reached back into the bags and took something out before walked over to the doctor, took his hand and placed an apple in his hand.

Karna : "Happy new year".

Doctor : "Oh.... Mmm, thanks"

Karna walked back to his pile of bags and dragged them all into the room without feeling overwhelmed. Meanwhile the doctor was stunned on the spot, until he snapped out of it and walked away with an interested smile.

Inside, Karna saw Sapphire on the patient's bed with bandages wrapped around her neck. Both of his hands formed several signs that were foreign to Karna, but apparently not to Jihan who was sitting next to him with an understanding look. Sapphire's face looked guilty for a moment before he put on a cheerful face and pointed to his own neck.

Jihan : "If that's what you want, then so be it".

Karna : "I heard it from Doctor Tirta earlier, but are you really mute now?”

Sapphire nodded with a small, serene smile.

Karna : "Man..... I didn't think it would be like this. Kinda want to make a joke but.... Sure I'll get some punches, won't i?"

Sapphire : (It's. Fine)

Even though Karna didn't understand sign language, he could roughly understand that what Sapphire had just said was a form of reassurance.

Karna : "Now I kinda regret not practicing sign language with you guys back then."

Karna : "Also.... how bad is the cut on your neck?”

Sapphire : (Enough. Bad. To. Not. Can. Eat. And. Drink. Too. Much)

Jihan : "Short thing is he can only drink plain water and eat porridge in small amounts. And of course the rest of the nutrition will be fulfilled by the infusion"

Karna : "Ah.... I see. Guess I'll have to finish all your parts"

Karna joked with a sad smile on his face, looking pitifully at his friend's condition.

Sapphire : (Ok)

Sapphire only answered with one sign.His face was full of resignation, completely at peace with himself. Karna, who was relieved to realize this, sat next to Jihan and started to talk about several things with his two friends, including about the strange Minori.

Meanwhile, underground in the hospital.

Many people in suits and PPE are seen walking back and forth in a white room with an interior full of chambers containing humans and animals with very strange shapes.

In one of the rooms, Darius and Tirta and 3 other people in surgical uniforms are performing an autopsy on Minori's body. Tirta watched behind the transparent glass while writing in his small book, while Darius led the autopsy process in his casual green shirt.

Minori's corpse in front of them already had a slit in her chest, revealing her heart which appeared to be partially wrapped around by some kind of branch.

Darius : "specimen number 008 heart core extraction attempt, begins"

Slowly and calmly, Darius cut open the skin of the heart with a scalpel. His eyes were so calm, not so afraid of the possibility of failure. Once the outside part is opened, a small ball is seen formed from several coils of small branches that are balled up, and from there other small branches spread out from the heart to the upper part of the body.

Darius separated the branches from the heart flesh with precision, and once everything was separated, the ball was picked up with tweezers by the person across from Darius.

Darius : "Analyze what genetics are in it, then store it with the others in a chamber"

"Understood"

After saying that, the person put the core into a small tube before leaving the room, while the others rearranged the equipment to its original position and sterilized it.

Darius paused for a moment looking at Minori's corpse bedore took a few strands of black fur from her arm and put them in his chest pocket. He then took off his gloves and threw them in to sink, then walked out of the room and went into where Tirta was. Darius walked past Tirta and washed his hands with soap at the sink.

Tirta : "For someone who is renowned as the pinnacle in a field where sterility is a must, your behavior is nothing short of disgraceful."

Tirta said a little mockingly without taking his eyes off his small book.

Darius : "What I did there didn't require that, so keep quiet if you don't know anything."

Tirta stopped writing, closed his book in his right hand and leaned back on the soft sofa.

Tirta : "Explain to me then"

Darius was still in front of the sink, this time he washed his face while occasionally looking in the mirror. There was silence between them until Darius finished washing and drying his face with a folded towel on the table next to the sink.

Darius : "I'll let you know if my speculation is correct. Just call me when it comes."

Tirta : "Very well"

While they were talking, Minori's body in the autopsy room was pushed out by Darius' 2 assistants.

Tirta : "By the way, what did you do with the extracted bodies?"

Darius walked to the table behind Tirta and picked up an apple then took a big bite. He chewed only 3 times before swallowing it and answering Tirta.

Darius : "Apart from research, what can be done?"

2 seconds later, the sound of 4 knocks was heard from the door. Darius walked towards the door while eating the apple. He opened the door and saw one of the assistants he had sent to analyze the core, returning with a piece of paper clamped to a plywood board.

"Professor Darius, the analysis has shown the results, please check it"

Darius : "Well done"

He said with his left hand taking the analysis results and turning around towards his desk. The assistant behind him excused himself before closing the door again and leaving.

Darius finished his apple and threw the core part into the trash can next to his desk and sat down in his chair, reading the results of the core analysis inside Minori's body. It took about a minute of silence before Darius opened his mouth.

Darius : "Tirta, what do you know about Minori and the area where she lived?”

Tirta : "An old woman around 60, the owner of the boarding house where Sapphire, Karna and Jihan live. She has a routine to go to the temple every week for community service. She has a child and husband who died because of an accident, their names are Saori and Katou if I'm not mistaken. The house is surrounded by vast, lush trees, but it is rare to find-"

Darius : "Stop."

Tirta stopped and turned to Darius who sighed while rubbing his forehead.

Darius : "Seems I asked a bit unclearly. Is there anything related to Minori specifically about cats?”

Tirta : "Cat?"

Darius : "Ah.."

Tirta : "There's one thing I remember, the 3 kids kept discussing it when they got together. Minori has a pet cat, named Hiki."

.....

Darius looked back at the piece of paper in front of him then back at Tirta.

Darius : "Let me guess, black fur and golden yellow eyes"

Tirta : "I don't know about that, ask them"

Darius : "Ugh....."

Darius got up from his chair and walked out of the room without saying or looking at Tirta. Meanwhile, Tirta slowly getting off the sofa, took out his pen and started writing again while walking out of the room.

In the elevator, Darius was alone leaning against the iron wall with his cell phone in his right hand. He was exchanging messages with someone, his fingers very agile and precise in typing each letter.

[Darius]

"Hōmine Seiru, remember me?"

[Hōmine]

"Of course. How could I forget my mother's savior"

[Darius]

"I have a favor to ask, lend me one of your dogs"

[Hōmine]

"Eh?! Like right now?!"

[Darius]

"You can't? Doesn't matter, I'll ask someone else"

[Hōmine]

"Please wait! I never said I refused"

[Darius]

"I'll send the address, time tolerance 2 hours from now"

[Hōmine]

"You are too generous, 30 minutes is more than enough. Maybe"

[Darius]

"Also, i want you to bring something for me."

[Hōmine]

"Sure. as long as it's not something that endangers citizens"

Right after the last message was sent, the elevator doors opened and he walked out of it then going through white corridor with many doors and windows with patients in each of them.

Back to Jihan

Karna : "Come to think of it, how are you going to eat now? Surely they'll just come out through that cut, right?"

Sapphire chuckled silently while shaking his head.

Sapphire : (They. already. patched. it. with. silicone)

Jihan : "Silicone has solved it"

Karna : "Ah..... I see, i see"

Sapphire continued to form several hand signs.

Sapphire : (Even. so. it. still. feels. painful. and. uncomfortable.)

Jihan : "It hurts"

Karna and Jihan slowly lowered their gazes, feeling sorry for the misfortune of their friend who had now lost his voice.

Suddenly, the door behind them opened to reveal Darius with a calm face with a hint of his trademark condescending look. The three of them immediately turned to Darius with shocked and confused looks, except for Jihan.

Darius remained at the door and held the door with his right hand. He looked at Sapphire for a moment then at Jihan.

Darius : "Popsicle, I need you to come with me"

Jihan : "May I know what it is for?”

Darius : "I'll explain on the way"

They exchanged glances before Jihan finally stood up and walked towards Darius. They left the room without looking or saying a word, leaving Karna alone with Sapphire.

Karna : "Uh..... Please use my phone when you want to say something"

Karna reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone then unlocked it before giving it to Sapphire. Sapphire received the blood red casing cellphone and opened the Google Translate application which had a speaker feature.

The door to their room opened again, their attention returning to the door this time more slowly than before. After it was opened, it turned out that it was not Darius who returned, but Tirta.

Karna slowly raised his hand, then his index finger pointed in the direction Darius and Jihan were leaving.

Karna : "If you're looking for Darius or Jihan, they went that way."

Sapphire typed something on Karna's phone, and pressed the speaker button.

Sapphire: "Um...... Doctor Tirta?"

A flat voice from the phone appeared trying to break the awkward silence.

Tirta : "Don't worry, one day you will be able to talk again, Sapphire"

Tirta finally spoke after taking a long, light breath in his calm tone.

Karna : "Did we get a donor or something?”

Tirta : "No, this is just my guess"

After saying that, Tirta left the room after closing the door silently. They both looked at each other, Karna tilted his head towards Tirta once with a question mark and Sapphire responded by shrugging.

Meanwhile, with Darius. [08.54 pm]

Darius was standing in front of the bakery with Jihan beside him. They had been standing since ordering and staring at the seller with cold gazes, which made her tremble slightly from pouring the coffee into the edible cup to wrapping the bread.

The seller handed Darius a bag containing 2 white coffees and 2 toasted butter buns.

"That would be 1.340-"

The seller's words were cut off when she saw Darius who had already handed over the exact amount of money even before the price was mentioned.

"O-um. Thank you for purchasing"

Darius : "You're welcome"

Darius and Jihan walked to the concrete bench near the fountain under the street lights. Darius handed Jihan's part into his hands and then ate his. Jihan stared at the bread in his hand, thinking about something.

Darius : "Don't worry, I didn't ask you out just for coffee and bun"

Jihan turned to Darius for a moment, whose gaze was straight ahead and didn't stop eating his bread, then looked at his and started taking a bite.

Jihan : "In that case, thank God"

......

Darius had finished his bun and was sipping his coffee slowly but without stopping, while Jihan still have his bun three-quarter. While they were still busy eating, a black car slowly stopped in front of them.

After stopping completely, the right door of the car opened and a woman with brown hair in a ponytail was seen in a black shirt and slightly tight black pants. She has a serious stare on them and walks closer to them.

Darius : "That's our pick up"

Darius threw away his bun wrapper and ate his coffee cup. After that, he clapped his palms a few times to clean off the crumbs and walked into the passenger seat, which made the woman halted in surprise and get back in quickly with panic.

Jihan finished the rest of his bun quickly and took a sip of his coffee before getting into the car next to Darius. Inside, Jihan saw a K-9 dog next to the passenger seat, his behavior was calm and he looked professional.

The woman started the engine and started to step on the gas slowly.

??? : "Um.... Mr. Darius, who is the young man beside you?”

Darius : "He's Jihan, my friend's student, and Jihan, she's Hōmine Seiru, from the central police. Now i want you to go to where i have told you"

Jihan : "No wonder she has a K-9 dog"

Jihan's attention was diverted to the long black suitcase next to the driver's seat.

Darius : "Maybe I said I would explain it on the way, but nevermind. We will just practice it in the field."

Hōmine : "Understood, I believe Mr. Darius."

Jihan pulled back his gaze, and faced forward.

Jihan : "I'm fine with that"

A few minutes later, they arrived at the area where Minori lived, Jihan already finished his coffee. Darius got out of the car followed by Hōmine holding the leash and Jihan holding the black suitcase, then they climbed the stairs. After passing the stairs, Darius asked Jihan to show Minori's house. It didn't take long for them to arrive in front of the house.

Darius : "Hōmine, tell your dog...

Darius took out a few strands of black fur from his chest pocket and crouched down with his palms open.

Darius : ....Sniff this"

As ordered, Hōmine told the dog to smell the fur on Darius' hand. Without being told, Hōmine knew what to do next, the dog began tracking the presence of an object with a scent similar to the one in Darius' hand.

The three of them circled the house, led by the dog. After one circle, the dog barked once at Hōmine. Hōmine shook her head at Darius, indicating the object he was looking for was not in the vicinity of Minori's house.

Darius: "Not here, huh? Jihan, where was the location when you were attacked?"

Jihan : "It's in the forest area"

Darius : "Bring a hoe, then show me the way "

Jihan leads the way ahead towards the area where Jihan was attacked by Minori. The dog immediately reacted and approached a certain point.

Darius : "Is the point the dog is pointing to is where Minori's body was lied?"

Jihan : "Yes, it was"

Darius : "Hōmine, Tell your dog to look for another point, besides this one"

Hōmine nodded and continued their search, until they stopped at a banyan tree.The dog reacted again and rushed towards one of the tree roots and started digging. After digging a quarter of a meter deep with Jihan's help using a hoe, they finally found something. Jihan's eyes widened, shocked by the sight before him.

Jihan : "Hiki...."

Darius : "You sure it's Hiki?"

Jihan : "There are very few cats in this area, and there is only one with black fur and golden yellow eyes i know."

Darius : "Move aside"

Jihan stood up and took a step back, his shock had subsided and he had calmed down again.

Darius crouched near the hole and lifted the black cat's corpse from the hole and examined it. There was a big hole in it's stomach, it's organs were a mess, and Darius kept sorting through the insides of the corpse. After a few minutes, he found something interesting, and he started laughing a little which slowly became louder.

Although it looked terrifying, the other two were not afraid at all. One was used to it and the other believed it was not a bad thing at all. Darius took a photo of the corpse before placing the cat's corpse back into the hole. He stood up and looked at them with a happy look.

Darius : "There's no heart in there"

Both of them tilted their heads, confused by the meaning of Darius's sudden statement that brought up the subject of heart.

Darius : "Only one thing left"

Darius's hand, covered in the corpse's blood, went into his trouser pocket and took out his cell phone, not caring at all about his clothes being stained. He pressed a certain contact and turned on the speaker. Not long after, an adult male voice came from Darius' cellphone.

"Hi, Professor Darius, what's the matter with you calling me?"

Darius : "Check Minori's body, is there any cat genetics in it?

"Um.... Isn't the result...-"

Darius : "Not in the bloodstream or flesh, but in the digestive organs."

......

Meanwhile, in the United States.

In a dark room, there was a bald person lying on an iron bed tied with chains on both his hands and feet. Not long after, a man came from the shadows, a man in a black shirt and black trousers, in his right hanging hand, there was a syringe containing a gray liquid.

The man on the iron bed struggled, trying to scream but realizing his vocal cords had been destroyed. Without further ado, the man in the black suit grabbed the bald man's head and injected a gray liquid into his neck. After seconds it was pulled out, the bald man had violent convulsions before finally died.

Behind the man in the black shirt, another person appeared in a brown shirt with the sleeves folded up. The man walked with a data sheet in his hand and his eyes fixed on it.

??? : "Indra, there are a few things I want you to-"

The man's voice cut off at the sight of the corpse in front of them.

??? : "Um.... What are you doing?"

Indra : "Testing"

......

Slowly, the corpse in front of them began to move, every part of the body moving as best it could, as if it was testing its own capabilities. Indra's gaze remained calm and his body did not move an inch in the face of the terrifying sight.

Gray liquid slowly leaked out of the pores of the corpse's skin, and when it stopped, he opened his eyes, for the second time, in the first stage of life.