The red line office turns into an emergency command room. Anton Monitor displays a Jakarta map with several red blinking points, signifying a report of mild psychic disorders that still continue such as the ripple effect of the explosion at the reservoir. Medium, known as Dimas, is still critical in the hospital ICU room, is tightly guarded by the police.
"His energy spread," Anton said, staring at the screen anxiously. "Like poisons that slowly pollute ground water. It is not intensive like in the mall, but constant."
Bimo nodded, his eyes closed. He was feeling the city. "He tried to stay connected. Looking for a new gap. He needs another anchor." He opened his eyes. "We need a way to break the connection completely from this world. Not just expeling him from one host."
Dr. Maya entered the room, her face was serious. "I have analyzed Dimas blood samples and energy residues from the reservoir. There is something interesting." He put the tablet on the table. "The composition of energy has a striking similarity with Pak Daru's note about 'Sources of Old Darkness' in Jakarta."
"Source of dark darkness?" Riani repeated.
"Yes. According to Daru's record, Jakarta was built on an unstable energy meeting point. But more than that, he suspected that there was something older, deeper, which was buried far underground, which acted like a magnet for dark energy. He called it 'Core'."
"Is this 'core' their 'master'?" Anton asked.
"No," answered Dr. Maya. "According to his theory, this 'core' does not have its own awareness. It is more like a giant battery or a crystal that absorbs and stores dark energy. Their 'master', the entity they call 'open eyes', is likely to be awareness that evolved from the energy stored in the 'nucleus', or an entity from outside found the 'nucleus' and made it home."
Bimo stood up, a vague memory appeared in his mind. "Mountain ... but not a mountain."
"What?" asked Riani.
"Pak Daru once told me something, a long time," Bimo said, trying to remember. "He said, 'To understand the darkness in Jakarta, you must understand the lost mountain.' I didn't understand that time. "
Anton immediately typed quickly. "The mountain is missing? There are several hills that are leveled for development, but ..." he stopped, his eyes enlarged. "Wait. There is one. Mountains in the Gambir area. Formerly called *Mount Sahari *. It was actually flattened in the colonial era. Now it is a dense office and settlement area."
"Gunung Sahari ..." murmured Dr. Maya. "That makes sense. Daru's notes often mention the area as a persistent energy anomaly." He saw his notes. "He even marked a specific location: an old underground tunnel behind the Gambir train station, which is said to go to the core of the mountain that is gone."
"The tunnel must be access to this 'core'," Bimo said. "And if their 'master' is weak and needs anchor, he will attract energy from there. Or worse, trying to reach his physical location."
"We have to go there," said Riani. "Before they do it."
Meak immediately get ready. Anton carries an energy scanner and an upgraded frequency. Riani brought all the protective talks they had. Bimo focused himself, gathering his white fire to shine stable in him.
Meak arrived at the area behind Gambir Station. The area is a small alley labyrinth and old warehouse. Based on Pak Daru's map, they found a rusty steel door that was almost hidden behind a pile of garbage and billboards. The door was locked with a large new padlock.
"Give me time," Anton said, issuing lockpick equipment.
"There is no time," Bimo said. He touched the padlock, and with a short hiss, the metal melted and dripped to the ground. He pushed the heavy steel door to open.
From the inside, the stuffy air and the smell of the soil and the rust metal. A narrow concrete tunnel stretches into the darkness.
Rely on the flashlight and enter the tunnel. The air feels getting heavier and cooler as they walk deeper. The walls change from concrete into soil reinforced with old wood, and eventually become natural stone.
"We have passed the modern development area," Anton whispered, checking the map on the tablet. "We are now in a much older tunnel. This may be part of the remaining mountains."
Suddenly, Anton's scanner sounded loudly. "A large surge in energy. From the front."
Running more carefully. The tunnel turns and opens into a very large natural cave room. The ceiling is high and filled with stalactites. In the middle of the room, there is a large stone structure that looks like an altar or a natural stage. And on the altar, floating as high as the waist, is a jet black crystal as big as humans. The crystal emits the darkness of darkness that is almost unbearable, making the air tremble and hissing.
That's the "core".
And they are not alone.
Traveling around the altar, there were at least ten black robes. And standing between them and crystals, is an old man who is familiar. He wore a neat formal business suit, not a robe. His face was thin and smart, his eyes were cold and counting.
"Bimo," said the old man in a soft and educated voice. "I have been waiting for you."
Bimo frowned. "Who are you?"
"My name is Albertus van Dijk," said the old man. "I am ... Well, just call it an investor. A property developer. And also, of course, the leader of the brotherhood you know as an eye cult is closed."
"You?" said Riani, did not believe. "But we think the leader is a robe ..."
"Subordinate?" Van Dijk smiled faintly. "They are just tools. Fanatical followers are easily moved. People like me prefer to work from behind the scenes. Control everything with money and influence, not spells and robes."
"Now I understand," Bimo murmured. "Your wealth finances all this. The underground development project, acquisition of antiques, all to help you achieve this."
"Very good," said Van Dijk. "Our goal is not a chaos without meaning. Our goal is enlightenment. And this 'core'," he pointed to black crystals, "is the key to opening human eyes to greater truth. To welcome our master fully into this world."
"You only give him the power to destroy everything," Bimo said.
"Destruction is part of creation," Van Dijk replied calmly. "But we don't need to argue. You come right in time to witness rebirth."
He gave a signal, and two cults pushed a prisoner forward. That is Dimas, the medium. He looks weak and pale, still wearing hospital clothes.
"Why did you bring him?" Bimo shouted.
"His body has been prepared," said Van Dijk. "He is a perfect vessel. His connection with our master is still there, even though it is weak. And with the power of this 'core', we will strengthen the connection a thousand times, making his body as a permanent physical body for our master in this world!"
Two cults drag Dimas towards the crystal. Black energy starts to propagate from crystals such as roots, reaching towards Dimas.
"No!" Bimo shouted. He darted forward, the fire burned in his hand.
Van Dijk is not panicked. He just raised his hand. From the pocket of his jacket, a small metal talisman depends. The talisman shines with purple light, and a strong energy shield appears, blocking the path of Bimo. Bimo bounced back by his impact.
"You think I go into a place like this without protection?" said Van Dijk. "I have studied magic for decades, a fire. I might not have your innate power, but I know how to buy it."
Meanwhile, black energy roots have touched Dimas's body. He screamed pure pain, his body curved.
Riani and Anton acts. Riani created a stone wall illusion that suddenly grew from the ground, separating the cult group from Van Dijk and Dimas for a moment. Anton threw a small device attached to the crystal. The device emits a frequency of screams that makes the crystal vibrate erratically, disturbing the flow of energy.
Van Dijk frowned, disturbed. "Kill them!" his orders to the cult.
The battle broke out. The cult issued weapons and began to attack. Anton threw smoke grenades and flashbang, while Riani used his illusions to make many self -shadows, messing up the enemy.
Bimo rose. He saw that Van Dijk was concentrating to stabilize crystals with his talisman. He saw Dimas who was getting weaker. He must stop this.
He did not attack the shield again. Instead, he ran towards the wall of the cave. He raised his hand and focused his white fire on a point on the ceiling of the cave, right above the crystal.
"What are you doing?" Riani shouted.
"Make another way!" Bimo answered.
With a concentrated bursts of fire, Bimo melted and broke the stone on the ceiling. Large stones and soil begin to collapse, raising the area around the crystal.
Van Dijk was surprised. He diverted his shield up to protect himself from the ruins. That is the opportunity that Bimo has been waiting for.
The shield in front of Van Dijk weakened.
Bimo hit. He threw his strongest fireball not to Van Dijk, but to the talisman in his hand. The talisman, which is emitting energy for the upper shield, is not protected.
The fireball hit the talisman directly. The metal talisman heats up to burning and then melts in the hands of Van Dijk.
Van Dijk screamed in pain and dropped the burning metal. The shield is extinct.
At that moment, the ruins from the ceiling rained down crystals. A large stone hit the crystal hard.
The effect is direct. The crystal cracked with a sound like thunder. The black energy stored in it exploded out in a terrible shock wave, throwing everyone to the cave floor.
The energy explosion was followed by a sudden silence.
Bimo rose with a buzzing head. He looked around. Van Dijk lay not moving, struck by stone. The other cults are also in ruins. The black crystal is now cracked and broken, the light is extinguished, becoming only a lump of ordinary dark stones.
And Dimas was lying near him, but he was still alive. His breathing was panting, but the eyes that looked around were his own eyes full of confusion and fear, but humane.
"We ... we succeed?" whispered Riani, standing with difficulty.
"The core is destroyed," Anton said, checking the crystal fraction with the scanning. "His energy disappears. It's really dead."
Bimo walked slowly towards Dimas and helped him sit. "You're safe now. It's over."
Dimas can only nod, still too shocked to talk.
Meak check Van Dijk. He was still breathing, but unconscious and most likely suffered a serious injury. The other cults are also in conditions that are not much better.
"We must call help," said Riani. "Police. Ambulance."
Bimo nodded. He looked around the cave. The threat of "core" has been neutralized. The main energy source of darkness in Jakarta has been terminated.
But he didn't feel winning. When an energy wave disappears, he feels something else. A departure. Not an explosion of anger, but a cold and counted withdrawal.
And once again, a whisper in his mind, this time weaker, like a voice from very far.
You won a battle, a fire boy. You destroy one battery. But darkness is not only in one place. We will find other sources. We always do it. And we will meet again.
Bimo looked at the darkness outside the reach of their flashlight. Van Dijk is just a wealthy pawn. The "master" is still out there, who knows where, now loses the main anchor, but not defeated.
War hasn't ended yet. It only enters a new phase. Now, they have to hunt for a dark consciousness that is no longer bound to one place, a ghost in the world machine, who is looking for a new plug.
And Bimo knows, it will be more difficult than before.