CHAPTER 14: Shadows Between the Glass

The sky of Brebes City that afternoon was like an unfinished water painting. Purplish clouds slowly drifted over the school, reflecting the almost melancholic light of dusk. The wind seeped through the gaps in the windows of classroom 4B, carrying the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves.

In the corner of the classroom, Bima sat pensive. His body was straight, but the look in his eyes was like someone who had just witnessed the world change before his eyes. His slightly messy black hair was hit by the afternoon sunlight, and the heirloom necklace on his chest seemed to pulse slowly behind his white uniform that was starting to wrinkle.

> "Strange... why does it feel colder the later it gets?" he thought.

Since morning, the necklace had been vibrating. Since the appearance of a figure in a strange uniform that only he could see with Riko and Lina on the second floor. Something inside him seemed to scream, forcing him not to stay silent.

*****

Second Floor Corridor - Dusk

The orange light of dusk penetrated the corridor window grilles. The cold floor, the dust that was not completely swept, and the long shadows of the children who had started to be picked up. But Bima walked alone, climbing the stairs to the second floor—the last place where he felt the "normal" world was starting to change.

His steps stopped in front of the old teacher's room. The wooden door was half open, its hinges creaking softly in the wind. The air around him felt quieter than it should have been. As if the sounds of the outside world were unable to reach that place.

> "Alone?"

A soft voice broke the silence. Lina—a smart girl with shoulder-length black hair and clear eyes full of curiosity—was standing behind him. Her face was pink from chasing Bima silently.

> "I knew you would come here," she said while catching her breath. "Too curious to stay still in class, huh?"

Bima turned his head, smiling weakly. His hand touched the necklace hanging on his chest.

> "This necklace won't stop vibrating. There's something in there…"

*****

Riko Appears – With His Distinctive Style

Fast steps accompanied by the sound of wood hitting the floor, emerged from the direction of the stairs. Riko—a sturdy boy, with short hair and an enthusiasm like exploding firecrackers—came carrying a wooden stick that he took from the back garden.

> "If there's something strange, I'll just hit it!" he said, trying to hide his fear behind his bold style. But his eyes kept watching the frosted window glass.

The three of them stood in the doorway. Then, slowly entered. The room was… different. The air inside seemed to stop flowing. The old papers on the table vibrated, even though there was no wind. The walls seemed to be whispering. And from behind the glass… something appeared.

*****

Aeryan's Appearance

The shadow was familiar. But now it was more real.

A tall figure with a calm silhouette, emerged from behind the dusty window glass. His hair was shoulder length, his blue eyes glowed faintly. He was wearing a foreign outfit—like a uniform but not, shining softly but sharply. A soft blue light surrounded his body.

> "Bima. Your time to be silent is over. The upper world knows you have touched the limit."

Lina instinctively stepped back. Her face was pale.

Riko raised his cane, standing in front of Bima and Lina. "He spoke to Bima. But who is he really?"

Aeryan walked slowly... through the glass as if it were just water. His feet stepped on the floor without a sound.

> "I am an Assessor. From Langitara. And Bima... you are an anomaly. You move too fast on a path that is not ready."

The light from Bima's necklace changed—no longer just vibrating, but radiating. Its white color pierced the air, making the room look like another world.

> "I don't understand what you mean!" Bima exclaimed. His voice echoed. But his face remained straight.

Aeryan stared at him calmly, then turned to Riko and Lina.

> "You were not chosen. But you are too close."

> "And that is enough… to draw the attention of those who live in the shadows."

****

Loreng Vaksata – Kaemra's World

In a dimension unknown to any map, among the shards of dead stars and voices frozen in the void, stood a black crystal platform—Poltar. On it, Zareth Kaemra, tall and slender with skin like obsidian and eyes glowing red, spoke.

> "Aeryan has begun to speak. But we… will first instill fear."

Malaveth, a woman with hair hanging like silver threads and eyes like black water, held out a shard of pulsing, pitch-black glass.

> "This shadow… will infiltrate through dreams. Through the doubts it hides."

Thalas, a smoke-like figure, took it. His body immediately spun, becoming a dense vortex.

> "Bima… will see himself as an enemy."

*****

Back to the Old Teacher's Room

Bima held his head. His ears buzzed. The world seemed to shift.

> "Why do I... feel like I'm being torn apart?"

Aeryan touched her shoulder, gently but heavily.

> "That's the first effect of awakening the legacy. The world will reject you. Even your own body and mind."

Lina held Bima's hand tightly.

> "We're here. You're not alone."

Riko stood in the doorway, guarding.

Bima's necklace faded. The light disappeared.

Aeryan looked at them once more, then went back into the glass. The surface was wavy... and silent again.

*****

Closing

Outside the room, night had fallen. But for Bima, it was not the end.

It was only the beginning of reflections of truth that would emerge one by one.

> "I... must be ready."

*****

End of Chapter Quotes

> "Sometimes the world doesn't give us a choice.

But as long as we can still move forward,

then that's enough to fight the darkness of the shadows."

---

Funny Poem Chapter 14 – "Glass and Words"

Clear glass is mounted on the wall,

Shadows appear to make your hair stand on end.

The inherited necklace is getting crazier,

Eh, Riko even asked me to play marbles!