2 : The Gate of Illusion
The night wind in the Anjasmara Forest no longer whispered as it used to.
The air felt heavy, as if the world itself mourned for the soul of a small child who had just lost everything.
Aji Saka sat among the roots of a towering tree so massive it looked like a gate to another world. His clothes were torn, his body covered in scratches, yet his eyes remained open.
He did not cry.
He did not scream.
He simply stared at the night sky, now burning with the memory of what once was.
In his hand, the small kris Lung Geni, heirloom of the Majapahit bloodline still pulsed with warmth.
As if alive.
As if it, too, knew that it was the last fragment of a shattered past.
"You are not dead.
Therefore, your task is not finished."
The voice came not from outside but from within.
And from that night forward, Aji was no longer a mere child.
At seven years old, he was not just an orphan.
He was the last surviving bearer of the old bloodline—marked for extermination by the gods' purification.
Three Days, Three Nights
Aji walked with no direction.
The forest embraced him but also tested him.
He did not eat. He did not sleep. Yet he survived.
Wild beasts avoided him, and the river water he drank felt like medicine.
On the third night, just as his body began to give in, an old man in a black robe appeared by a small fire Aji had made from damp twigs.
"Your name… is Aji Saka, isn't it?"
Aji stared at him without fear.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who has waited a long time for one of your kind to still be alive."
The old man introduced himself as Mpu Reksabanyu, guardian of the Shadow Path—a secret network used by those who opposed the gods to protect hunted bloodlines.
Reksabanyu led Aji to an ancient cave in the mountains.
There, he began to reveal a hidden world: stories of survivors, forbidden technologies, and most importantly the secrets buried by the All Worlds Academy.
About the All Worlds Academy
The Academy system is the backbone of the gods' dominance.
Each continent houses one Branch Academy an elite training ground for that region's race.
Its purpose is not just education, but indoctrination.
Structure of the All Worlds Academy
Branch Academies (One per continent):
Train in magic, technology, physical prowess, and racial doctrines.
Each academy is led by a Praetor, bound by oath to the central gods.
Only the best students from each branch are allowed to ascend to the Central Academy.
Central Academy – The Axis:
Floats above the world's center, in the sky itself.
It is here that future rulers, supreme mages, and generals of All Worlds are forged.
The system is brutal. Many enter, few ever leave.
Behind its walls lie the world's greatest manipulations and the oldest energy source: the Core of Origin.
Academy Branches and Their Traits
Aetherion Academy (Angels)
Focus: Light magic, healing, divine law
System: Strict hierarchy; one's rank determines celestial status
Entrance Test: Soul Purity Exam reveals the candidate's innermost heart
Dravhark Academy (Dragons)
Focus: Ancient combat arts, fire, physical strength, draconic bio-tech
System: One-on-one duels in the Arena of Pureblood
Entrance Test: Open Duel only survivors are accepted
Umbra Academy (Demons & Shadows)
Focus: Dark arts, shadow magic, mental manipulation
System: Intrigue and betrayal are expected and rewarded
Entrance Test: Spiritual Suicide kill your former self to enter
Solari Academy (False Gods)
Focus: Divine energy control, propaganda, sacred influence
System: Highly disciplined and doctrinal; has elite classes for god-heirs
Entrance Test: Mental Simulation submission to the "divine light"
Verdantia Academy (Nature)
Focus: Druidism, spirit communication, natural healing
System: Non-linear; learning through forest trials and spirit mediation
Entrance Test: Chosen by the Spirit Tree in a sacred ritual
Nusantara Academy (Humans)
Focus: Martial arts, ancestral magic, crystal-tech
System: Mix of tradition and adaptive innovation
Entrance Test: Three trials Heritage (blood), Intellect (mind), and Loyalty (heart)
Back to Aji
Mpu Reksabanyu explained to Aji that to shake the system, he must infiltrate it.
He must become part of the Academy.
He must rise through its ranks, all the way to the center where he could uncover the secrets that killed his family and sustain the illusion that cloaked the world.
But the path was long. Aji was still too young to enter any academy.
Yet time would not wait.
"Starting tonight," said the Mpu,
"I will train you as the heir of the Gate of Ravana."
"The Gate of Ravana?"
"A martial art and soul-path said to unlock the layers between reality and illusion.
It was erased from all Academy records.
But I preserved it because I knew… the day would come."
And now…
That day has arrived.
To be continued...