Golden light still enveloped Raka's body. His eyes, which had previously been dark, had now turned golden. His gaze was empty, yet the pressure radiating from his body caused the entire tomb chamber to tremble.
The mysterious man who had been struck by Raka was still lying near the wall. He tried to get back on his feet while enduring the pain.
"Impossible..."
Raka slowly turned toward him.
"What?"
The man stared into Raka's eyes.
"That gaze..."
He tightened his grip on his keris.
"It has been a thousand years since I last saw it."
The King immediately shouted.
"Don't approach him!"
Raka turned toward the King.
"Why?"
"Because that isn't you."
Raka fell silent for a moment.
Then he gave a faint smile.
"Then... who am I?"
The King did not answer.
Raka then stepped forward. Every step he took caused the stone floor to tremble. Laras immediately stood between Raka and the King.
"Raka."
Raka stopped.
"Don't come any closer."
Laras gripped her sword, but her hand was visibly trembling.
Raka looked at her.
"Are you afraid of me?"
Laras did not answer.
"Laras."
"I'm not afraid."
"Liar."
Laras bit her lip.
Raka then grabbed his head.
Suddenly, the pain returned.
"Ah...!"
The golden light surrounding his body flickered.
A voice echoed inside his mind.
"Do not let your anger control you."
Raka immediately fell silent.
The voice was different. It was not the voice of the woman in the white robe. Nor was it the voice of the mysterious man. And it was not the voice of his shadow.
Raka kept his eyes closed.
"Who are you?"
There was no answer. Then the voice returned.
"You do not need to remember everything."
Raka opened his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because some of your memories do not belong to you."
Raka froze.
"What?"
The golden light around his body slowly weakened.
The King noticed the change.
"Raka..."
Raka ignored him.
"If some of my memories don't belong to me, then whose memories did I see?"
The voice did not answer. Instead, a tremendous cracking sound came from above them.
KRAAAAK!
The ceiling of the tomb chamber began to crack. Purple light seeped through the gaps between the stones.
The mysterious man immediately stood up.
"The Gate is opening further."
The King looked upward.
"How long?"
The man shook his head.
"Not long."
Laras then looked at Raka.
"We have to leave."
But Raka remained standing still.
"Leave where?"
"Out of the tomb chamber."
"And then?"
Laras fell silent.
Raka stared at her sharply.
"Are we going to run away from this problem again?"
"That's not what I mean."
"Then what?"
Laras took a deep breath.
"If the Nusantara Gate opens completely, it won't only affect Arkapura."
Raka simply stared at her.
"All of Ardhana?"
Laras nodded.
"Yes."
Suddenly, a tremendous rumble echoed from the distance.
DUUUUM!
The entire tomb chamber shook.
Several stone coffins fell and shattered. Black mist poured out from within before disappearing into the air.
Raka looked toward the doorway.
"So those creatures earlier..."
"They aren't an army."
The mysterious man answered.
"They are the remnants of those who once guarded the Gate."
Raka continued staring at him.
"Then why did they attack me?"
The man fell silent.
"They weren't attacking you."
Raka frowned.
"Then what were they doing?"
"They were trying to take you back."
"Back where?"
The man looked at Raka seriously.
"To the place where you died."
Raka fell silent.
Laras immediately turned toward the man.
"Don't."
But the man continued.
"If Raka returns there, the Nusantara Gate will open completely."
Raka clenched his fists.
"And what is behind it?"
The man did not answer.
Raka approached him.
"What is behind the Gate?"
The man looked at Raka.
"A world that should never have come into contact with Ardhana."
Raka remained silent.
"Another world?"
"No."
The man shook his head.
"A world that was once part of Ardhana."
Raka frowned.
"I don't understand."
"Because you haven't remembered it yet."
Raka was about to ask another question when a woman's voice suddenly echoed through the chamber.
"Raka..."
Everyone immediately fell silent. Laras looked around. The voice came again.
"Do not open the Gate."
Raka closed his eyes.
"You."
"Do not listen to them."
Raka frowned.
"Who are they?"
There was no answer.
"Answer me!"
The woman's voice then became quieter.
"Those who betrayed you."
Raka opened his eyes. He looked at the King.
Then Laras. Then the mysterious man.
Raka clenched his fists.
"How am I supposed to know who to trust?"
Laras stepped forward.
"You don't need to trust anyone."
Raka looked at her.
"Not even you?"
Laras slowly nodded.
"Not even me."
Raka remained silent.
Laras then sheathed her sword.
"But this time, don't run."
Raka frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"If you want to know the truth..."
Laras looked directly into Raka's eyes.
"Find it yourself."
For the first time, Laras did not try to hide anything. She simply stood there, waiting for Raka to make his decision. Suddenly, a voice came from behind them.
"That's enough."
The King raised his sword. Everyone turned around.
From one of the open stone doors, a soldier wearing ancient armor emerged. But unlike the previous creatures, his body was not covered in black mist.
His face still looked human. He slowly walked toward them. Then he knelt before Raka.
"First Heir."
Raka stared at him.
"Don't call me that."
The soldier raised his head.
"If you are not the First Heir..."
He pointed toward the Nusantara Gate.
"...then why does the Gate recognize you?"
Raka could not answer.
The soldier then took something from beneath his robe. A small fragment of stone. On its surface was the same symbol found in Raka's grandfather's notebook.
Raka's eyes widened.
"That..."
The soldier handed the stone fragment to Raka.
"This belongs to you."
Raka took the fragment.
The moment his fingers touched its surface—
FLASH!
White light filled his mind.
He saw a room. Not the tomb chamber. Not Arkapura. A room that looked incredibly ancient. In the center stood a young man. A man with the exact same face as Raka. Before him was a massive stone engraved with the same symbol.
And beside him... stood Raka's grandfather.
Raka froze.
"Grandfather...?"
The young man turned toward Raka's grandfather.
"If one day he returns..."
Raka's grandfather looked at him seriously.
"Who will tell him?"
The young man answered.
"No one."
Raka's grandfather looked shocked.
"Why?"
"Because if he knows who he is from the beginning..."
The young man looked toward something outside the room.
"...he will never come to Ardhana."
The light suddenly disappeared. Raka jolted back into the tomb chamber.
"HAH!"
He collapsed onto his knees. Laras immediately rushed toward him.
"Raka!"
Raka looked at Laras.
His breathing was ragged.
"I saw my grandfather."
The King froze.
The mysterious man also looked shocked.
Raka slowly stood up.
"He was here."
No one answered.
Raka then looked at the King.
"Your Majesty."
The King looked at him.
"Did my grandfather ever come to Ardhana?"
The King remained silent.
Raka then looked at Laras.
"You know the answer?"
Laras was silent as well.
Raka clenched the stone fragment in his hand.
"Answer me."
For several seconds, there was no sound. Then the King finally spoke.
"Yes."
Raka froze.
"He came here."
Raka stared blankly at the King.
"When?"
The King lowered his head.
"Several decades ago."
Raka felt his chest tighten.
"So..."
He looked at the stone fragment.
"My grandfather knew about Ardhana?"
"Yes."
"He knew about the Nusantara Gate?"
The King fell silent again.
Raka immediately understood the answer.
"He knew about me?"
The King did not answer. Raka let out a small laugh. But the laughter sounded bitter.
"Great."
Golden light began to shine around his body again.
"So everyone knew."
Raka looked at everyone in the room one by one.
"The King knew."
"Laras knew."
"He knew."
He pointed at the mysterious man.
"Even my grandfather knew."
The light grew brighter.
"And I'm the only one who knew nothing."
The floor began to tremble again. The Nusantara Gate above them started to open. Slowly. Little by little. Through the widening gap, a gigantic purple eye could be seen.
Everyone fell silent.
Raka stared at the eye.
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed from beyond the Gate.
"At last..."
"You have returned."
The enormous eye slowly opened.
"The Creator of the Gate."
The golden light surrounding Raka exploded.
And for the first time... Raka heard the voice coming from beyond the Nusantara Gate with perfect clarity.
"Welcome back, Raka."