Morning on the open sea felt endless.
An endless blue sky stretched across the horizon.
The ocean shimmered beneath the sunlight.
Calm.
Too calm.
Their small boat cut through the still water, heading toward something none of them fully understood.
No one spoke much.
The usual jokes were gone.
Even Bimo had been unusually quiet.
It felt as though everyone shared the same thought.
They weren't traveling to a destination.
They were traveling toward an answer.
Or perhaps something far worse.
Eventually, Bimo broke the silence.
"Honestly..."
He stared at the ocean.
"This is the first time the sea has ever creeped me out."
Dika smirked.
"It's not the sea."
"It's where we're going."
At the bow of the boat, Arga stood facing the horizon.
The wind whipped through his hair.
The lunchbox in his hands felt warm.
He opened it.
The thirteen rice grains glowed softly.
Their rhythm had changed.
Faster now.
Not frantic.
Not unstable.
Calling.
Kai stepped beside him.
"We're getting closer."
Arga nodded.
His gaze remained fixed ahead.
"...It's waking up."
In the distance, land finally appeared.
A small island.
Isolated.
Surrounded by dense forest.
There were no docks.
No buildings.
No signs of civilization.
It looked like a place the world had deliberately forgotten.
Bimo stared at it.
"Definitely not vacation material."
Tono shrugged.
"Which makes it the perfect place to hide something."
The boat reached the shore.
The engine fell silent.
Immediately, the world felt different.
Quieter.
Too quiet.
They stepped onto the beach.
White sand stretched beneath their feet.
Pristine.
Untouched.
There were no footprints.
No birds.
No visible signs of life.
Nothing.
As soon as they entered the forest, the atmosphere changed.
The air became warmer.
Denser.
Heavier.
Like an invisible presence was watching them.
Arga stopped.
The lunchbox vibrated in his hands.
Stronger than ever before.
He pointed deeper into the jungle.
"That way."
Kai nodded.
"It's below us."
Sinta immediately raised her guard.
"Stay alert."
The team moved forward cautiously.
The forest was unnaturally still.
Leaves barely moved.
The wind seemed absent.
Even the insects were silent.
It felt as though the entire island was holding its breath.
Several minutes later, they stopped.
A massive stone stood in the middle of the jungle.
Perfectly upright.
Far too deliberate to be natural.
Ancient symbols covered its surface.
Circles.
Lines.
Layers connected to one another.
Like a map.
Yet not a map of places.
Farhan stepped closer.
"This was made by humans."
Lila studied the markings.
"And definitely not modern humans."
Bu Maya carefully ran her fingers across the stone.
Her eyes widened.
"I've seen these records before."
Everyone turned toward her.
She looked at the symbols again.
"This is connected to the earliest nutritional research."
Arga stared at the stone.
A realization settled over him.
"We weren't the first."
Silence followed.
The weight of those words lingered in the air.
Someone had been here before them.
Someone had known.
Kai circled around the stone.
Then suddenly stopped.
"Here."
Everyone gathered around.
The ground looked different.
Tono brushed away layers of leaves and soil.
A metallic surface appeared beneath.
A hidden hatch.
Half-buried underground.
As if someone had wanted it to remain hidden forever.
Bimo exhaled slowly.
"Okay."
"That is definitely not part of a nature tour."
Pak Rahmat grabbed the rusted lever.
CLANK.
The hatch shifted.
Slowly.
Heavily.
A rush of warm air escaped from below.
But it wasn't comforting.
It felt like the breath of something sealed away for a very long time.
Dark stairs descended into the earth.
Deeper.
And deeper.
Arga stared into the darkness.
The lunchbox blazed with golden light.
The thirteen rice grains spun rapidly.
"...It's down there."
Then Farhan suddenly froze.
"Wait."
Everyone stopped.
His eyes were fixed on his scanner.
"What is it?" Sinta asked.
Farhan swallowed.
"We've got another signal."
"Where?"
He pointed toward the coast.
"Out at sea."
The display zoomed in.
A ship appeared.
Large.
Fast.
Purpose-built.
Then another.
And another.
Dominion insignias were clearly visible on their hulls.
They were heading straight for the island.
Bimo groaned.
"Of course they are."
Kai's expression darkened.
"They felt the call too."
Sinta immediately made her decision.
"We can't wait."
Rani checked the distance.
"They'll reach shore in minutes."
Farhan nodded.
"If they get inside first..."
"...we lose everything."
Arga looked toward the approaching ships.
Then toward the hatch.
There was no hesitation.
No uncertainty.
He closed the lunchbox.
Though the light remained visible through the seams.
"We go now."
Sinta stepped toward the entrance.
"Move."
Bimo grinned.
"The race begins."
One by one, they descended into the darkness.
Toward the unknown.
Toward whatever had been sleeping beneath the island.
Far out at sea, Dominion's ships surged forward.
Their engines roared across the waves.
Relentless.
Determined.
And deep beneath the island—
the second core responded.
Not awake.
Not yet.
But no longer silent.
For the first time, it sensed two approaching forces.
A Guardian.
And something far darker than a hunter.
Something that had come not to protect.
But to claim.