Baskara remained perched atop a building quite far from the Atmadewa family's residence.
From afar, he caught glimpses of shadows darting swiftly—
figures clad in all black flashing between the luxurious houses of the noble family.
Techniques clashed mid-air, hurling blasts of light and explosions in all directions.
Silently observing, Baskara muttered under his breath,
"So, Sekar's abduction is connected to what's happening tonight…"
But that didn't mean he was in a rush to intervene.
He had no obligation to get involved,
and part of the city's security forces were already heading toward the scene.
It was clear this chaos had been meticulously planned—
beginning with that one-horned buffalo earlier, which had already drawn widespread attention.
Baskara let out a deep sigh,
a long exhale lost into the chill of the night.
"Huhhh…"
In his mind, Baskara realized:
this was all still within someone's grasp.
Someone who had yet to reveal themselves, but was already moving the pieces like a chess master.
But… what was the real goal behind all this chaos?
That question kept spinning in his head.
With a sharp gaze, Baskara looked back toward the Atmadewa estate,
trying to find a sliver of an answer among the blaze and rumbling of distant battle.
After observing more closely, Baskara recalled the earlier event—
the three-headed serpent that, upon death, released remnants of consciousness in the form of a dark shadow.
Perhaps… that was a clue he could use.
A faint trail that might lead him to the mastermind behind all of this,
and maybe even… the place where Sekar was being held.
Baskara clenched his fists tightly.
Within his chest, a growing certainty began to take root:
"Sekar was taken by that group…"
"Alright… let's hope I'm right this time," he whispered,
as if speaking to the night itself.
Without wasting a moment, Baskara sat cross-legged atop the skyscraper.
His eyes slowly closed, his breath syncing with the rhythm of the earth.
He began entering a meditative state,
spreading his awareness outward—
through the night air, across the deserted buildings,
toward the site of the three-headed serpent's battle.
His wave of consciousness pierced through dust and remnants of still-pulsing energy,
searching for the faint traces of the dark shadow that had appeared moments before the serpent fell.
Baskara's awareness slowly rippled outward…
through ruins, poisonous smoke,
until it touched the scorched and cracked ground where the serpent's body once lay.
As his awareness traced the ground's surface,
he sensed something—
an almost-vanished astral imprint,
faint… fragile… yet still perceivable to his meditative senses.
Shrrrkk…
At once, Baskara dove deeper into the trace.
What he saw was a hazy shadow:
a figure cloaked in black soaring through the air,
followed by a spiral of purplish light,
heading toward the northern outskirts of Trita Negara City—
an old, long-abandoned area known as the Batu Meraga Cave Complex.
Though the vision was blurry, the energy from the shadow was unmistakably strong:
filled with hatred, ambition, and profound sorrow.
Baskara could sense that in that place,
many souls had once been imprisoned and sacrificed.
"Batu Meraga Cave…" Baskara whispered, slowly opening his eyes.
The night wind brushed against his face as he rose.
His gaze was now cold, resolute.
Even if this was a trap, even if it was all part of the enemy's grand scheme—
"This really does point to Batu Meraga Cave," Baskara murmured, furrowing his brow.
But doubt still lingered in his heart.
"Should I really go there?" he pondered.
Before deciding, Baskara reconsidered his priorities.
His main concern—ensuring Dinda's safety.
He couldn't act recklessly.
At once, he closed his eyes again, immersing in the energy flow around the Atmadewa estate.
In the silence, gradually…
Baskara examined the terrain carefully, dissecting the energy fields with steady breath.
Until finally, he sensed one particular figure amidst the chaos:
a black-clad leader fiercely battling the Atmadewa elites.
The astral signature of that figure… faint, yet undeniable—
it matched the same shadowy energy that had emerged from the three-headed serpent.
Baskara slowly opened his eyes.
A cold glint flickered in the darkness.
"Seems that's where it all began," he murmured.
But again, he held back.
"Wait… my priority is still Dinda. I have to make sure she doesn't act rashly,"
he said firmly.
His original reason for heading to the city center was to keep watch—
worried that Dinda might take matters into her own hands in searching for Sekar.
But who would've thought tonight would spiral into a disaster of this scale—
nearly a quarter of Trita Negara City in ruins.
Tonight was turning into a long, dreadful night.
And Baskara knew—he only cared about those truly important to him.
Sekar may have been Dinda's close friend,
even once treated him to a meal…
but for Baskara, risking his life for someone who'd only briefly crossed his path—
was foolish.
With his decision made,
Baskara turned away,
vanishing into the silence of night,
heading back to Dinda's school,
to ensure the place was still tightly guarded by government forces and the school's special units.
Baskara moved swiftly,
gliding over the city's shattered, burning rooftops like a silent shadow.
The night air smelled of smoke and blood,
yet amid the chaos,
he remained focused on one thing: Dinda.
It didn't take long.
From atop an old building, Baskara could already see Dinda's school complex.
The grand modern structure stood firm in the night,
lit by still-working security lights.
Several government vehicles were stationed by the main gate.
There were also guards in light armor, wielding astral weapons, patrolling the schoolyard.
Baskara observed intently.
He scanned every corner, every movement,
even swept the area with his spiritual sense.
No signs of attack.
No hostile aura.
"Still safe…" he muttered softly, relieved.
But he didn't leave right away.
Baskara stayed at his perch,
like an owl watching from the dark,
allowing himself to blend with the shadows of night.
For a while,
he simply sat cross-legged at the edge of the building,
watching in silence.
The cold wind rustled his hair,
carrying the scent of metal and embers from afar.
"At least, Dinda's still safe…"
he whispered in his heart.