In the ancient texts of Zendirah, it is written that when the Veil between worlds grows thin, three marks will appear on three souls. The Triumvirate awakens only in times of great change, when balance must be restored. This is how the latest cycle began.
***
The sun shines brightly, but there are no shadows.
Saguna Taksa knows this isn't right. He looks down at his feet and moves them around, searching for darkness that should be there but isn't. Funny how I always search for the shadows, even in a place as beautiful as this. Trees surround him in the park, their leaves rustling in a breeze he cannot feel. He wonders why someone would plant trees that cast no shade, that offer no protection from the relentless sun. Looking around, he notices a path winding between the trees, and feels an unexplainable urge to follow it.
The trees reminded him of the sacred groves near his village, where elders would perform rituals in the beginning of the season. In Teluk Jati, they believed trees connected the mortal realm to the spirit world—their roots reaching deep into the earth while their branches stretched toward the sky, creating natural pathways between worlds.
The path narrows as he walks, the trees leaning in as if trying to whisper secrets. After several minutes of walking, Saguna suddenly misses a step and tumbles down a steep slope. He sees bushes and grass below before closing his eyes and bracing for impact.
But the hit never comes.
When his eyes open, he's lying on the road. The stench of burnt rubber, gasoline, and dust fills his nostrils at once. His body trembles, sweat breaking across his forehead. He turns his head to the left and sees long light brown hair half-covering a face he recognizes all too well. He raises a trembling hand to touch that face.
That's when he hears it—the whispers. They've been there all along, he realizes, a constant murmur beneath the surface of his awareness. But now they're clearer, speaking in an ancient language he shouldn't understand but somehow does.
"The guardian is not ready," they hiss.
"Wednesday is the key," another voice answers.
The girl with light brown hair slowly turns to face him, but where her eyes should be, there are only empty sockets filled with swirling darkness. Her mouth opens unnaturally wide, and more whispers pour out.
Your sister was only the beginning.
Saguna Taksa wakes with a violent jerk, his body drenched in sweat. Another nightmare. The familiar migraine pulses at his temples, and a heaviness settles in his chest. Without checking, he already knows.
"Today must be Wednesday," he mutters grimly. He sits up and sees the time. 8:03 AM. "Great, I'm late. Might as well skip everything today." Saguna lies back down, trying to recapture sleep, but the image of his sister's face—those empty eye sockets, those ancient words—lingers vividly in his mind.
After tossing and turning, Saguna realizes sleep won't return. With a sigh, he drags himself to the shower, hoping cold water might wash away both the nightmare and the strange whispers that seem to follow him out of sleep. As the water runs down his back, he notices something that wasn't there before—small bumps on the back of his neck just in the upper spine, like three dots resembling inverted triangle. He tries to rub it away, assuming it's dirt, but it doesn't budge.
At 8:21AM, there is a knock on his bedroom door followed by his mother's voice. "Will you go to the academy today?"
"No, I've decided I'm not going anywhere today." Saguna answered.
"Are you serious? We've talked about this. Today is the beginning of your academy life, an important day for freshmen like you." His mother said.
"I know, but I have a migraine now." The mark on his back seems to pulsate with each throb of his headache.
"Your father and I have done a lot for you. And you said it yourself, this is what you want. We've gone to great lengths to make it happen. Look, I'm just asking for your commitment, Sun."
His migraine subsides slightly when he hears his mother using his childhood name.
After a sigh, she continues, "Just please go there today. They will put you in a group with other students. Try to have fun. You may get to know one or two friends there."
"...Fine, I'll go to the academy today." As he speaks, the whispers return briefly, so faint he almost believes he imagined them. They are waiting.
"Fight your demons, Sun. You know I love you, right?"
"I love you too, Mom."
His mother smiles, "Get ready then, I have prepared you some breakfast."
Saguna stands up with a sigh. He knows he doesn't have a choice. Not when it was his decision to move to Meridian. His mom is right—he can't give up without even trying.
I'll fight my demons for you, Mom, he thinks. But as he gathers his belongings into his trusty backpack, he can't shake the feeling that his demons might be more real—and more ancient—than either of them realize.
***
The Meridian City sun already blazes in all its glory as Saguna walks out of his house. Today marks his second week in the city. His family decided to move there because Saguna got accepted to The Imperial Academy, the most prestigious academy in Zendirah. He hasn't explored much of the city, still adapting to the new weather and culture.
This was supposed to be a fresh start for Saguna Taksa. Born and raised in the village of Teluk Jati, he had never set foot in the city before. The past few years had not been kind to him. He'd lost his ability to cope and keep up with school, barely graduating because his mom promised they could leave the village if he get accepted to the academy.
Saguna had always wanted to escape the village. It sits at the edge of a bay where the jungle meets the sea. The village never felt right for him – too many bitter memories, no one to call a friend. And on Wednesdays, Saguna usually locked himself in his room trying to silence the whispers only he could hear. He wanted to get as far as possible from his past. His mom made another offer: if Saguna was willing to attend The Imperial Academy in Meridian City, they will move there together.
After a lengthy process, Saguna finally made it to Meridian. On his first day, he had gone to the edge of the town and run in the rain. He'd looked up and tasted the raindrops on his tongue, feeling something inside him stir. I made it this far.
What he didn't know then was that he hadn't escaped his demons at all. In fact, he'd moved closer to their source. The ancient spirits had been calling him, and on this particular Wednesday, two strangers would enter his life who shared a destiny intertwined with his own.
As Saguna walks to the academy, he notices an old woman across the street watching him. Her eyes seem too knowing, too ancient for her weathered face. She raises three fingers to her forehead in what might be a blessing—or a warning. By the time he blinks, she's gone, leaving only the faintest whisper in her wake:
The Triumvirate has begun