The smell of ammonia and dried blood still lingered sharply in my nose. I knew fleeing the house last night with that masked man was the craziest choice. He claimed to be Surya's enemy, the BIN agent who turned out to be the devil pulling Uncle Jaya's strings. Now I sat in his speeding car, bound by a pact that felt like a death contract.
"Get off here," the masked man ordered, his voice heavy and leaving no room for protest. He pointed to an almost empty bus terminal. "You take a taxi. I have to get rid of this car. Remember, the locket and the locker key are your guarantee now."
I stared at him hard, my anger had already hardened in my chest. "Who do you think you are, deciding my life after you took everything I needed?" My left hand still trembled thinking about the key and the locket, the important things I had handed over so easily.
He laughed mockingly, a laugh that wasn't funny at all. "I'm the person who just saved your life. Don't be arrogant, Gamali. I'll contact you, and we'll meet again. Don't you ever try to betray me."
I got out of the car, slammed the door, not caring about his threatening look. I knew he wouldn't shoot me now. He still needed me for his grand plan, for his revenge on Surya, that N.S. figure. I felt like a puppet being played by two cruel puppetmasters.
After waiting a bit, I took a taxi, eyes constantly watching my back. I knew that since I decided to resist, every second was surveillance. I asked the driver to take me to a small hotel on the city outskirts. I had to hide from the Shadow and from this mysterious former subordinate of Surya.
I felt filthy and humiliated. Uncle Jaya fled. Andaru was dead. I ran from my own home, and now I was cooperating with someone I didn't trust. I was a loser with nowhere to go.
The next afternoon, in the stuffy hotel room, the phone I'd bought that morning buzzed. I immediately knew, it was him. An unknown number, but I was sure it was Surya, or at least someone acting for him. I had a bad feeling; my stomach turned.
A short message appeared on the screen: terse, compact, intimidating. "Come to Tanjung Coffee Stall, alone. 2 PM. Don't be late. —S."
Surya. He actually contacted me, in broad daylight, without fear. He knew I already knew a lot, yet he still dared to meet me. It was clearly a trap, but I had to go. I had to know what he wanted. I had to confront the childhood hero who had become my family's mortal enemy.
I checked the wall clock. 12:30. I had to get ready. I hid my old phone in my shoe, took the small folding knife I'd been carrying, and tucked it into my waist. I had to look innocent, but I had to be ready for anything.
I stepped out and chose another taxi, asking the driver to circle the block several times, just to make sure I wasn't being followed. Fear gnawed at me, making me paranoid. Every face on the street felt like a spy.
Tanjung Coffee Stall. It was crowded, full of people enjoying coffee and cigarettes in the midday heat. I got out of the taxi, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might explode. I scanned the place, looking for the man with the blank stare, the man I once called a hero.
He was there. Sitting in a corner, facing the door, holding a cup of black coffee. He looked older, with lines of fatigue on his hard face. But his gaze, Surya's gaze, was the same. Cold, calculating, and emotionless.
I walked straight toward him, weaving through the chattering crowd. It felt like walking toward the gallows. I pulled the chair opposite him and sat down. The small wooden table felt cold beneath my elbows.
"You came," Surya said, his voice calm, flat, unsurprising. He gave a thin smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. A predator's smile, the one that waits for its prey.
"Why did you call me? Why did you send people to threaten me? You said you saved us, Uncle Surya," I answered, my voice low but full of the anger I held back. I didn't use his last name, just "Uncle Surya," as if still respecting the figure he once was.
Surya slowly moved his cup, staring at me without blinking. "Listen, Gamali. You read your uncle's diary, right? Good. That saves me time. You already know who I am."
"I know you're the devil controlling Uncle Jaya, the one who forced him to betray!" I snapped, my voice almost out of control. I didn't care if others heard; I just wanted to release all this pain.
Surya sighed, as if I were a whining child. "Devil? Fine. Call it that. But listen carefully, Gamali. Andaru wasn't an ordinary victim. He infiltrated an organ syndicate. The name: Korpora. That's the old name for the Shadow."
I flinched. Andaru infiltrated? He wasn't killed by chance — he was killed because he was a double agent? That betrayal stabbed deeper than any knife. Why didn't he ever tell me?
"Infiltrate? Why would he do that? Why didn't he tell me anything?!" My voice trembled. Guilt for not knowing hit me like a wave. I felt like my brother died alone because I was too stupid.
Surya sipped his coffee, then set the cup down with a sharp clink. "He did it to protect you. Korpora wanted your family's inheritance, and Andaru was the eldest bloodline. He tried to sacrifice himself, but he failed."
"What inheritance? A secret arms warehouse? I don't know anything about that!"
Surya narrowed his eyes, his look piercing me. "Of course you don't. It's a closely guarded secret. That inheritance is the key to controlling politics and power in this country, Gamali. And you, you are the final key to open that warehouse door."
I clenched my hands under the table. The small gold key, now in the masked man's hands, was incredibly important. I had to get it back.
"You sent your people to attack me? To take that key?" I asked, my tone turning cold. I needed to know who my true enemy was.
Surya smiled sardonically, shaking his head. "No. That wasn't me. It must be Rio. He was my former subordinate, ambitious, wanting to seize Korpora and get that inheritance first. He's the one who took your key and locket."
Rio. The masked man. His name was Rio. I had just handed my weapon to someone equally dangerous. My anger at Surya shifted a bit toward Rio.
"You liar! You sent them! You threatened me on the phone!" I accused, trying to bait him. I needed to know the limits of his lies.
Surya looked at me with an unbearably sharp stare, full of intimidation. He leaned forward; his voice dropped to a whisper, but it cut. "Listen, child. The more you dig, the faster you die. You should stay quiet, enjoy the rest of your life, before Rio or Korpora find you. You're just a little mouse among lions."
That insult sank into my bones. I didn't care about his threat; I had lost too much already.
"I don't care," I shot back, meeting his gaze with the same fierce anger. "They killed my brother! They took him from me! I won't stop until I destroy them all! Including you!"
The air tightened, suffocating, as if the oxygen around us thinned. Surya watched me; his expression unreadable. I caught a strange glint in his eye, like something hidden beneath his false calm. The same glint Uncle Jaya had spoken of — a devilish flash.
"You're stubborn, like your brother," Surya said, his voice now cold. "But Andaru was much stronger than you. You'll only be bait for them."
I opened my mouth to respond with sharper words, but suddenly…
BOOM!
A small but very loud explosion rocked the café. Not a huge blast, but strong enough to shatter all the glass windows around us. A small fire quickly flared in one corner, followed by thick smoke and panicked screams.
I jumped, reflexes gone. I looked around — everyone was screaming, running for exits. Tables overturned, coffee cups scattered. It was an attack!
Without a word, Surya grabbed my arm hard. His grip was crushing, painful. He pulled me forcefully out of the smoky, chaotic café.
"Damn it! They're here! It must be Rio's men!" Surya barked, furious rather than frightened.
We ran through the panicking crowd. I glanced back. At the cashier's counter, the café attendant lay motionless, covered in broken glass and blood. He had died pointlessly because of our meeting. Guilt hit me, making me nauseous.
We kept running. I looked back again and saw two large men wearing black hats running after us. They carried weapons, not sticks.
"Over there! We need to run into that narrow alley!" Surya shouted, pulling me harder.
I was gasping, heart pounding faster than before. I looked at Surya's face — the man I once called a hero. He looked panicked, but his eyes were still focused.
We turned sharply into a narrow alley, dodging piles of trash and a sour smell. The men behind us drew closer. I could hear their heavy breaths and the gunshots cracking in the alley's silence.
One shot missed and struck the wall beside me, leaving a small hole. I flinched; it felt like lightning striking. I knew this was no longer just a threat — it was a hunt.
"Hurry, Gamali! You must live! You are the final key!" Surya shouted, pushing me forward.
Suddenly he stopped. I crashed into his back.
"What are you doing?!" I cried, panicked.
Surya turned, his eyes fixed sharply on the approaching men. He smiled again — a terrifying smile, the devilish smile.
"I'll hold them off for a bit. Run! Go straight to the nearest station, and take a train out of town. Don't ever look back. Remember, you must live!"
He shoved me hard, then turned and drew a pistol from beneath his jacket. The gun looked large and menacing.
"Run! Now!" he yelled.
I froze, confused. Why was he saving me? Why sacrifice himself?
"Why are you doing this?!" I cried, voice breaking.
Surya didn't answer. He just fired.
BANG! BANG! Two quick shots, and I heard cries of pain.
I had no time to think. I turned and ran as fast as I could, leaving Surya engaged in a firefight. I ran, tears and sweat mixing on my face.
I made the last corner and burst onto a busy main road. I darted across, ignoring honking cars. I had to reach the station.
As I ran, I heard more gunfire, much louder this time, followed by moans. I looked back and saw Surya fall to the ground, blood pouring from his shoulder. He had been shot!
He looked at me, his eyes begging, "Run! Save yourself!"
I couldn't. I had to help him. I turned back, ready to go back into the alley.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed. An unknown number. I glanced at it — it wasn't Rio's number.
A message from an Unknown Number (Unique Code):
Don't be stupid, Gamali. Let him die. He deserves it. He's a killer, just like me. You must stay alive. The locket and the key are safe with me. We meet tomorrow night at the old headquarters. Don't let Surya see you. If you return, you will die. I'm watching you.
I froze. I stopped running. My phone slipped from my hand. Who was this? Not Rio, not Surya. A third enemy? I looked back toward the dark alley. Surya, the false hero, lay helpless. I couldn't help him.
I had to run. I had to live. I was the final key.
I grabbed my phone, then ran again as fast as I could. I would not let Andaru's death be in vain. I had to live, for this revenge.
I reached the station and jumped on a train that was just about to depart. I sat down, breathless, my body trembling. I looked out the window at the city receding.
I felt a strange vibration in my jacket pocket. The same vibration I'd felt from Andaru's locket. Even though it wasn't in my hands, the locket seemed to vibrate.
I stared out the window. I felt like eyes were watching me — eyes from the darkness in pursuit. I knew this game had only just begun.
I had already lost everything, and I had to be ready to lose more.