Episodes 155. Their Heart

"Sir! Ma'am! Have you all forgotten about the event after the Teacher Test?"

Hakam turned to all the teachers, from the far right to the far left.

"Yes, why?" Samuel replied.

"At that time, he(Rasyid) disappeared after winning the last battle, didn't he? He even had to be picked up by Sophia before coming... He must have met with that old woman then." Xander added suspiciously.

"Forget about what happened before he came to the event! Remember when he was on stage!" (Hakam)

"Ah!" Tasya suddenly shouted as she recalled.

Both Samuel and Xander immediately turned red, remembering something they had tried to forget.

A terrifying vision reappeared in their minds. A beautiful woman in skimpy clothing was on stage, greeting the first-year students.

"That vision... I want to forget it!" Samuel shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

"W-what does that have to do with the current problem?" Xander asked, blushing, feeling wrong for recalling it.

"At that time, his smile..." Tasya spoke up, her eyes shining like stars at night. "... He was happy, even smiling cheerfully."

"Hmm (nodding), that smile, though embarrassing to recall, if examined closely... It was his true self!" (Hakam)

"I don't want to remember it, but at that time... he really brought a different atmosphere from his usual self. I even vividly remember that smile." Moka added.

Everyone there except Tesi, Widodo, and Linda suddenly held their chins and seemed to say, 'True,' but couldn't speak. They all clearly remembered the incident, even Astra, who now hated him, still remembered it.

"So, with that evidence, should we still forgive him?" Xander shifted the subject.

The conversation, which started from questioning his humanity, had turned to whether he deserved to be judged.

"What do you mean?" Linda asked, confused.

"Even if he has a soul, the fact remains that he has killed many people!"

The atmosphere grew tenser with that argument.

They all reacted differently after hearing it. It seemed that the group had now split into two parts. The part that wanted to help Rasyid and the part that wanted to kill him.

Just from their expressions, it was clear who wanted to help him and who wanted to kill him.

Samuel, Haran, Xander, Astra, and Tesi were on the side that wanted to take him out, while Hakam, Gita, Moka, and Tasya were on the side that wanted to help him.

Linda and Widodo seemed unwilling to take sides. They both knew what was actually wrong here.

"Um..." Widodo raised his right hand, seeming like he wanted to say something important to calm the situation.

"W-what do you want to say, Widodo?" (Xander)

"Do those of you who don't think Rasyid deserves to live want him dead?" That question was shocking.

Both Tesi, Xander, and even Widodo knew that if he were put through the law, he would be sentenced to death.

But the problem is...

Answering the question, Xander nodded slowly with determination. Although Rasyid was once his friend, now everything was different. He had killed many people and even caused Widya's death, even though she was a SANGKUNI.

In Xander's heart, he just couldn't ignore that he had to do this. After all, he was a member of the royal family. The law had to be upheld, even if it involved someone he knew.

"The main issue is... How to kill him?" Widodo's question again silenced that side.

Tesi, who knew how terrifying the battle situation was, didn't dare to recall it. Everything that happened there was considered a nightmare.

"So... In essence, there's no difference whether we want to kill him or save him. We still have no choice but to make him our ally again." Haran, who had been silent, now spoke up.

Her voice, as if teasing someone, shocked everyone.

"What do you mean?" (Linda)

"Easy, make him understand his situation himself... Then make him choose." Haran raised both index fingers. "First, tell him, 'Live! Even though you are full of sins, you can still be forgiven.' or 'you have caused much chaos, it's better to sacrifice yourself and save this city from the terrible winter event, Winter of Blizzard.'"

Haran's given choice made everyone in the circle shudder with horror. They did not expect to get such a terrifying and manipulative suggestion.

"I hate to say it, but... Haran is right." Widodo stood and clenched his fist. "If that's the only way we can choose. Then just do it, and think about the different choices later!"

"Where are you going?" Haran asked.

"Our thoughts here are not valid, so voting for everyone in the school must be conducted!"

If they only used what was here, the vote to protect Rasyid would win, and it would sound like it was done out of ego. But if at school, everyone could choose their option, and most importantly, everyone would have a part in determining that fate.

"Don't tell me you're using the entire school to vote for that?!" Haran held back the man's hand.

Although Haran wanted Rasyid dead soon, killing him in such an evil way was a bit too much.

Whether she was influenced by CODE magic or not, if the same bad scheme she had used like that time repeated(at the Teacher Test), then now not only Rasyid would take a move, but that old woman too.

"Your eyes show fear, Haran. It seems you know how dangerous that is." Widodo clearly read the fearful expression on Haran's usually sinister smiling face. "Alright, I don't want to take a risk then... If you are scared, then we who know nothing will scared too."

Everyone was surprised at Widodo's sudden change of heart.

"So, do you want to save-" Xander tried to scold him but was immediately cut off by Widodo.

"I'm just canceling my intention to use school voting. My desire to kill him is still as strong as ever."

Feeling the atmosphere growing awkward, Linda immediately stood and walked towards Rizki's weak body. She uses Rizki's weak body as an excuse. 

"I want to go; there are still many things I need to do right now!"

Linda knows if she just sits there, not just Rizki's condition will worsen. But her fear are increasing every time they said about 'kill'.

With that, Linda left without waiting for the others.

There were still many questions to ask, but the atmosphere was too divided. Making it impossible to ask.

.......

The circular formation was now broken with some people leaving. The heater tube that mediated them all had been taken back by its owner.

The atmosphere became like a dangerous calm water. Quite hazardous at this moment, and no one dared to speak. A wrong word could bring bad consequences to them.

"Everyone, let's get in the car... We're going back to school." Tasya's soft voice was the only thing that moved those students.

They didn't know what they could do at this moment. They were not adults who could move the world. They were just students who should be studying.

.......

At school, someone stood in front of the gate, blocking the car's path.

*Thud!

Widodo got out of the car and walked towards that person. From Widodo's expression, he seemed unaware of that person's intentions.

"Mrs. Zarbeth, what are you doing?"

Zarbeth, standing there, slowly raised her head and cautiously looked at Widodo.

"They, the teachers who retreated from the battle earlier, are chasing Rasyid again! And this time they are armed with the five-colored agate hidden by Bahar!"