The sky was still dark when the Nutritional Guardians left the MBG Community Kitchen in the western district.
The streetlights glowed faintly as the cold morning air settled over the quiet city.
A large expedition vehicle waited behind the building, its roof stacked with supply crates and camping gear.
Bimo stood beside it, stretching with a loud yawn.
"We're leaving way too early..."
Dika tossed another backpack into the cargo compartment.
"If we wait until daylight, Dominion will beat us there."
Near the passenger door, Sinta checked the equipment list one last time.
"Everyone ready?"
Lila raised her tablet.
"Energy sensors online."
Farhan patted the laptop bag hanging from his shoulder.
"Tracking system is operational."
Rani zipped up her medical kit.
"Emergency supplies are complete."
Pak Rahmat looked around at the team before giving a satisfied nod.
"Then let's move."
Before climbing aboard, Arga turned back toward the kitchen.
Warm lights still glowed through the windows.
The faint aroma of freshly cooked rice drifted through the morning breeze.
That place had always felt safe.
Simple.
Peaceful.
Only a few months ago, his biggest worries had been school... and lunch.
Now he was chasing something that could change the entire world.
Without realizing it, he tightened his grip on the lunchbox.
Part of him missed the days when life had been ordinary.
But he knew...
there was no going back.
"Arga?"
Sinta's voice pulled him back.
He looked up, nodded, and climbed into the vehicle without another word.
Hours later...
The city disappeared behind them.
Wide highways gave way to narrow country roads.
Concrete buildings were replaced by endless forests stretching toward the horizon.
Bimo rested his forehead against the window.
"I still can't believe we're actually heading into a forest hardly anyone has ever explored."
Tono smiled from the seat beside him.
"Every adventure starts exactly like this."
Kai sat quietly in the back.
His eyes remained fixed toward the east.
A faint golden glow shimmered within them.
Arga noticed.
"You can feel it too?"
Kai nodded.
"The closer we get..."
"...the stronger it becomes."
Arga looked out the window.
He felt it as well.
A silent pull from somewhere he had never been.
It wasn't simply calling him.
It felt as though something had been waiting for him all this time.
And for reasons he couldn't explain...
that thought made him uneasy.
Several hours later, the paved road finally ended.
The vehicle stopped beside a small village at the edge of the forest.
Wooden houses lined a dusty road.
Several villagers paused to watch the unfamiliar visitors arrive.
Pak Rahmat turned off the engine.
"This is as far as the vehicle can take us."
Sinta stepped outside first.
The forest rose before them.
Towering trees disappeared into a blanket of mist.
The Ancient Forest.
A place barely touched by human hands.
Lila glanced at her tablet.
"The energy signature just increased."
Farhan opened a digital map.
"If we follow this river..."
"...it should lead us deep into the central region."
Bimo stared uneasily at the forest.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
Rani smiled faintly.
"That usually means we're exactly where we need to be."
Just then, an elderly villager slowly approached.
His face was lined with wrinkles.
But his eyes remained remarkably sharp.
He looked toward the forest before speaking.
"You're planning to enter?"
Pak Rahmat nodded.
"We are."
The old man was silent for several seconds.
Then he spoke quietly.
"That forest isn't like any other."
Bimo leaned toward Dika.
"I already know I'm not going to like whatever comes next."
The old man pointed toward the towering trees.
"Over the past few months..."
"...the animals have changed."
Sinta's expression became serious.
"Changed how?"
"They've grown unusually aggressive."
He paused.
"And sometimes..."
"...their eyes glow in the dark."
Kai immediately turned toward the forest.
He understood.
The Nutritional Energy had already begun affecting the wildlife.
Arga slowly opened his MBG lunchbox.
The fifteen glowing rice grains floated peacefully inside.
But the instant he faced the forest—
they vibrated violently.
Their golden light grew brighter.
He inhaled sharply.
Every time the grains reacted like this...
danger was never far away.
Suddenly—
everything became silent.
Completely silent.
The wind stopped.
The birds stopped singing.
Even the insects vanished into an unnatural stillness.
The entire forest seemed to hold its breath.
Farhan frowned.
"...Do you hear that?"
Nobody answered.
Because there was nothing to hear.
Then—
every compass hanging from the team's backpacks spun wildly at the same time.
Round and round.
Without stopping.
Lila stared at the nearest compass.
"That's impossible..."
Pak Rahmat slowly lowered his own compass.
"I've never seen anything like this."
The old villager quietly stepped backward.
His face had turned pale.
Without another word, he hurried back toward the village.
As though he wanted to be as far away from the forest as possible.
Kai whispered,
"The forest knows we're here."
No one laughed.
Because deep down...
everyone felt it too.
Lila looked back at her tablet.
"The resonance is still increasing."
Farhan spoke quietly.
"The Third Core is fully awake."
Sinta looked at the team.
"From here on..."
"...we continue on foot."
Bimo stretched his arms.
"So..."
"Mysterious forest expedition officially begins."
Tono tightened the straps on his backpack.
"Let's just hope there aren't any giant snakes."
Dika chuckled.
"Don't tempt fate."
Arga walked toward the tree line.
A cool breeze drifted out from the forest.
The enormous leaves swayed gently overhead.
Beneath everything—
he felt it.
An ancient power.
Deep.
Patient.
Like the heartbeat of the earth itself.
But beneath that...
there was another feeling.
Fear.
Not fear of being hurt.
Not fear of losing a fight.
Fear that this time...
he might be leading his friends into a place none of them would ever leave.
Kai stepped beside him.
"This forest is alive."
Arga looked at him, then slowly nodded.
"And the Third Core is somewhere inside."
Sinta raised her hand.
"Move out."
The team crossed the edge of the forest.
Instantly, the sunlight faded.
Massive trees swallowed the sky above them.
Mist drifted silently across the forest floor.
Strange bird calls echoed somewhere in the distance.
Arga walked at the front.
His heart beat faster with every step.
But he never stopped moving.
Because whatever waited inside...
he knew one thing.
If he turned back now—
everything they had fought to protect could be lost.
Deep within the Ancient Forest...
something opened its eyes.
It had sensed their arrival.
The journey toward the Third Core had truly begun.
And this time...
Dominion might not be the first enemy the Nutritional Guardians would have to face.
The forest itself had already begun watching them.