Three days later.
Celis opened his eyes, looking up at the sky.
"Am I in my room?"
Celis tried to sit up, but he felt an excruciating pain in his abdomen. Slowly shifting into a sitting position, he pulled up his shirt to check his stomach, revealing eight holes of random sizes. Although punctured, the bleeding had stopped, unlike before.
Celis tried to remember. A few days ago, he had been shot by Ferra and then passed out.
"That bastard Ferra."
Celis covered his stomach back up with his shirt, and at that exact moment, Shintia opened his bedroom door, carrying some medicine in her hand.
Wearing a house dress with her hair untied, she walked over to him.
"You're awake?"
Celis instinctively replied, "Not yet."
"Then I won't treat you."
"As if you—Ouch!!"
Celis felt a sharp pain in his stomach.
Seeing this, Shintia quickly poured the medicine onto a spoon and roughly shoved it into Celis's mouth.
Celis swallowed it—at least in less than five seconds after taking it, the pain subsided.
"What kind of medicine is that?"
Shintia placed the medicine and spoon on Celis's table.
"Painkiller. If you don't take it, you'll just be in agony."
Celis was surprised to hear that. His feelings were slightly touched; it turned out there was someone else who cared about him.
"Oh yeah, how long have I been out?"
"Out? Weren't you dying?"
Celis hadn't expected that Ferra had brought him to death's door, and he responded, "Huh?!"
"You've been asleep for three days—one day at the hospital, two days at home. Besides, you healed on you only went to the hospital to ask for painkillers."
"..."
Celis was speechless about it, muttering inwardly.
"Could this be because of my healing ability?—"
He stroked his stomach.
"—My stomach should have fully healed by now, especially since it's been three days."
Shintia asked Celis about three days ago.
"Celis, what kind of problem do you have with that person from back then?"
Celis answered calmly, "Who knows, he's just some weirdo."
"Explain it properly, I want to know."
"Nagging."
"What?"
"Nothing. He was in my class back in elementary school. I didn't know him very well, but his name is Ferra. I don't get or understand what goes through his mind everything I do is wrong in his eyes, and whatever I say, he feels offended by it. I don't get it, he's just a weirdo, don't think about it."
"I see, maybe he's just problematic. Or maybe he's jealous of you."
"Jealous?—"
Celis flashed a smirk with a small laugh.
"—hahaha, what is there to be jealous of in someone who has nothing."
Shintia looked at him with pity—someone who had neither family nor friends. It was a huge problem for Celis, yet he trivialized it, and in Shintia's view, Celis had no intention of resolving this issue.
"Shintia."
"Hmm?"
Celis asked her, "Do you understand the concept of the powers that people have?"
Shintia thought for a moment with her eyes closed, recalling whatever was in her mind.
"Our powers come from a Promise made to a stranger who entered Indonesia back then. We were told to make any Promise we wanted, whatever we liked. But that Promise also binds us to a predetermined destiny. For example, if you Promise to protect someone with your power, then your destiny is sealed so that you will eventually die protecting that person."
Celis fell silent in shock upon hearing that, thinking to himself.
"I have a feeling that was just an example. How could it actually be like that? Meaning... my parents' Promise..."
Spontaneously, Celis broke out into a cold sweat remembering it, but he suddenly thought of something else to calm himself down.
"I see, I never knew that. So what about people who borrow powers from someone else?"
"As for that... I'm not really sure, since we live in the New Era, there are still a lot of questions like that. But I've heard a little bit about it too; the condition is the same—they still have to make a Promise, but the difference is that people who borrow others' powers aren't bound by destiny."
"Why is that?"
"Well, because they're just borrowing. But for those who break their Promise, their lives will become miserable—including our Promise to that stranger back then. If we break our Promise, our lives will turn utterly wretched, and we'll be tortured mercilessly, both mentally and physically."
Another question popped up in Celis's mind.
"Then how come some people misuse their powers? They look just fine to me."
Shintia gently poked Celis's forehead with her index finger.
"That's just how it looks, right? How would you know what they're actually going through?"
Celis was brought back to reality by her words. Shintia stood up and walked away, but before reaching the doorway, she stopped and delivered an important message.
"I almost forgot, wait for Hella, okay? She and Mitha went out to look for your medicine together. They'll probably be back in three days with your medicine."
Celis lay back down just as Shintia closed the bedroom door.
Celis stared blankly up at the ceiling.
"It's rare for anyone to go out of their way for three whole days just to buy me medicine. Especially since I'm nobody to them."
Shintia lowered her head, still standing right outside Celis's door. Her body suddenly went weak, causing her to sit down right there.
Shintia whispered softly.
"You only have four days left to live, yet you're still so laid-back."
Meanwhile, at the Aji Parikesit Regional General Hospital (RSUD) in Tenggarong Seberang.
Suo's condition looked severe; both of his arms and legs were completely wrapped in casts, and he had just finished undergoing surgery to insert metal pins a few hours prior.
Accompanied by Dea, who was still staying by his side to watch over him.
Suo said to Dea, "I never expected him to leave me in this bad of a state."
Dea then answered him with affection, saying softly, "It's okay, honey, in two days all your bones will heal completely."
"Two days just to get out of the hospital. It takes way longer to fully heal so I can enjoy life again."
Dea felt an uncomfortable tightening in her chest.
"....."
"My bones were chopped into tiny pieces like this—not just my right arm, my left arm and both legs were completely sliced up into little bits. Even though they're small, the cuts were so precise and neat that it made it easy for the doctor to insert pins into my bones. Even so, the doctor had to figure out how to fit normal-sized pins into my dice-sized bones."
Shifting to another scene, Hella and Mitha were riding together on a white Honda CBR150R motorcycle, having just passed by the building known as the Garuda Palace, designed as a "house" associated with the Garuda bird.
It stands not merely as a regional landmark, but rather as the embodiment of an achieved synergy between art, science, and technology.
The fusion of these three elements constantly characterizes iconic buildings worldwide located in the National Capital Region (IKN), situated in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan.
The total area reaches one hundred hectares. The presidential palace complex stands majestically, encompassing various surrounding buildings, including the State Palace. Behind the palace, there is a distinct architectural design of a Garuda bird spreading its wings.
Both of them were struck with awe and amazement at the sight.
Delighted by the view, Mitha exclaimed, "It's so beautiful... Coupled with the blue sky and a few clouds, it makes it look even prettier."
Unlike Hella—who, despite being awestruck, had her mind wander off in a totally different direction.
"It looks more like Batman's hideout, damn."
Hella then shifted gears and accelerated the motorcycle.
Shortly after, they arrived at an empty house rented out by someone.
Hella stopped and got off the bike.
"We'll stay here for a while."
Mitha nodded her head, which meant.
"Yeah."