What the Light Doesn't Show

The sun hung high over Kendari by the time Kola began making his way back toward the kost. His shoulders were sore from the weight of the woven bamboo crafts swinging against his hip — ten in total, packed tightly in a black plastic bag. The city pulsed around him: scooters coughing exhaust, students laughing over iced drinks, vendors shouting beneath the midday glare.W

Kola was halfway across the main intersection between Pasar Baru and the UHO campus when two familiar shapes caught his eye near the cracked sidewalk of a vendor cart. One stood small and still, arms limp at his side. The other sat on the edge of the pavement, head down.

"Jalu?" Kola called out, his brow tensing.

The boy looked up.

There was a pause before he smiled — but it wasn't the usual Jalu grin. It was thinner. Forced.

"Kola…"

Kola rushed over, concern flooding his voice. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay at the kost! It's not safe—"

He stopped when he got closer.

Jalu's eyes were red-rimmed. His shoulders slumped beneath the weight of something invisible, but too heavy for a kid his age to carry. Lila sat beside him, quiet as always, her fingers gently pulling at a loose thread in her sleeve.

"You shouldn't be out here," Kola said, softer this time.

Jalu didn't answer immediately. When he did, his voice was low.

"She wanted some air."

He glanced at Lila. She didn't look up, but she leaned slightly into his side — as if needing to feel him there, to remind herself they were still together. Still alive.

Kola opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. He'd forgotten. No — he hadn't. He just hadn't known how to deal with it.

Their whole family. Gone. In one night.

And here they were, walking among traffic and fried tofu carts like everything was fine.

Jalu's next words were steadier, but his eyes didn't lie. "She teleported us here. I didn't ask her to… but I think she needed to prove she still could."

Kola looked down at the girl. She still hadn't said anything.

There was something deeply unfair about the way grief sat on her so quietly.

"I was scared in the kost," she whispered.

The sentence came out of nowhere. Barely audible.

Jalu's hand twitched. "She hasn't talked much since last night."

Kola crouched down slowly, knees creaking under the strain of his overstuffed backpack. "I get it. I do. But you both need rest. Time."

Jalu shook his head. "We can't stop. Not really. I keep thinking — maybe if I'd been stronger. Faster. If I'd noticed sooner—"

Kola reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "Don't."

Jalu's jaw clenched. He swallowed something bitter and nodded, eyes flicking up toward the street.

Jalu's gaze turned serious. He pointed northeast. "Anyway... I sensed something. Other presences. Not monsters — Guardians. Or at least, people like us."

Kola raised an eyebrow. "People like you?"

"Eh? And what about you?" Jalu looks confused.

"Well, basically, im... human, for your information. I mean, if you're forget." Kola make a flat face.

"Ah... Anyway, there's a chance a Clan outpost is nearby. I think it's near a campus? If i'm not mistaken, its Mandala Waluya," Jalu said, tilting his head slightly. "And if it's there, I need to talk to them."

"Clan?" Kola echoed.

Jalu took a deep breath. "Clans are legal organizations sanctioned by the Council of Two Worlds. They operate to monitor, manage, and protect. In Indonesia, there are three major Clans. And as far as i know, every cities have outposts."

Kola looked in the direction Jalu had pointed. "So you're saying… there might be a safe house?"

Jalu nodded. "Well yeah, its maybe like a place for our people for hangout together and looking for information, or even extra jobs. But for me right now, I need answers. The attack in our sanctuary on Palabuhan Ratu wasn't just an accident. It was an illegal strike. If the Council knows, they should have responded."

Lila murmured, "But they didn't."

Kola looked down at her, then back to Jalu. "…Alright. Lead the way."

They crossed the street together, the city swallowing them again.

As they walked, Jalu kept glancing at the bag Kola was holding. "What's in the black bag?"

"Hm?" Kola looked down, realizing he'd been gripping it tightly. "Oh. Uh—just some bamboo crafts."

"Crafts?"

Lila leaned closer, curiosity peeking through her quiet demeanor. Kola pulled the plastic open slightly to show them. Inside were several intricately woven baskets, trays, and fans — all made by hand.

"Whoa," Jalu said. "These look awesome. Where'd you get them?"

Kola gave a small smile. "Some street vendors near the bridge. They were…" He paused. "Let's just say, they needed it more than I did."

Neither child asked more. They understood — maybe better than he expected.

"...By the way, where's your partner?" Jalu ask.

Kola blinked. "Huh?"

"You know — your summon. The one with the sword and cannon arms? That big guy who picked us up like we were laundry. Is he not coming?"

Kola blinked again — then smirked.

"Oh. You mean Omegamon?"

Jalu snapped his fingers. "Yeah, that one. Omegamon. Sounds like a boss name."

"He's not a summon," Kola said, eyes forward. "Not really."

Lila looked up. "Then what is he?"

Kola reached behind him and tapped the front of his backpack.

There was a soft, muffled snore from within.

Jalu's eyes widened. "Wait... he's in there?"

Kola nodded. "Sleeping. Said he spent all night reweaving protective barriers around the kost."

Jalu squinted. "...He fits in your bag?"

Kola shrugged. "Only when he wants to. The rest of the time he's like twenty meters tall and ruins public infrastructure."

Lila giggled. Just a little.

They passed a cluster of students sitting on the grass beside a canteen. Loud laughter filled the air, mixed with the screech of passing angkot—public transportation—and the sharp honk of a delivery truck cutting through the street.

Lila covered her nose. "Kendari smells funny."

"Welcome to college life," Kola muttered.

"It's so busy," Jalu said, eyes darting between the buildings. "Not like Palabuhan Ratu. This place is loud."

"And hot," Lila added.

"And full of people," Jalu concluded.

"Yup. That's civilization for you," Kola said.

They turned onto a quieter street, shaded by leafy trees that rattled lazily in the breeze.

"Jalu," Kola asked, "what exactly is a Guardian's job? I mean, like… what do you actually protect people from?"

Jalu didn't answer at first. He walked a few more steps, then turned his head.

"You remember the flying shark? The fish-headed monsters? The dragons?"

Kola blinked. "Hard to forget."

"Well, those are big threats. But our real job… is stopping the ones you don't see."

He stopped walking and pointed toward a nearby alley between two buildings.

Kola followed his gaze.

A young man stood there, hunched over his phone, half-hidden in the shade. His skin looked pale, eyes sunken. He twitched every few seconds, like he was fighting some internal pressure.

Jalu leaned in. "That's a perfect example."

Kola frowned. "Of what?"

Jalu's voice dropped. "Dosa."

Kola looked at him, confused. "Dosa? Like… sin?"

"Exactly," Jalu said. "Dosa are creatures born from human darkness. Guilt. Anger. Envy. Regret. All that ugly stuff that builds up. Most of the time, they stay dormant. But in the wrong place… in the dark… they manifest."

Kola blinked. "You mean they're, like… real monsters?"

"Yup."

"And only come out at night?"

"Usually. Or in dark, hidden places, but still, its rare for them to come out at this time."

Just then, something shifted.

Behind the man in the alley, a shape began to form — tall, black, writhing. Like a silhouette made of oil and smoke. Two burning red eyes opened, piercing through the gloom.

It was massive — larger than the man, with clawed limbs and a body that bent reality around it.

And it was watching them.

"Ah, speak of the devil, there it is." Jalu said calmly. "And it just noticed us."

Kola stepped back instinctively. "That's it?"

Suddenly, Lila moved.

She reached into her small bag and pulled out a metallic red object — a sleek, short-barreled pistol glowing faintly at the seams.

She took aim.

Pulled the trigger.

A single flash of light.

The bullet hit the creature square between the eyes.

It didn't scream. It simply disintegrated — unraveling into soft green particles that floated upward like sparks carried by wind.

The man in the alley blinked once, shuddered, and slowly walked away — never having seen the thing that had just been latched onto his back.

Kola stood there, breath held.

"What… just happened?"

"The sin," Jalu said softly, watching the last of the light fade. "Has been purified."

Lila lowered her pistol, returning it to her bag without a word.

And the city moved on — unaware.

But Kola didn't.

He kept staring at where the monster had stood, heart heavy.

So much of this world was invisible.

And now, he could never unsee it.

The man they'd saved didn't scream. He didn't collapse, or thank them. He just looked around — dazed, confused — like someone waking up from a fever dream.

Then he walked away.

Slowly. Still clutching his phone. Expression pale, his brows drawn tight like he couldn't remember why he'd stopped in the first place. He didn't even notice the three people watching him from the edge of the alley.

Kola, still standing stiffly, blinked in silence.

But then — in a soft shimmer of air — Lila vanished from his side.

She reappeared exactly where the man had stood, crouching down with her small fingers brushing the pavement.

She reappeared again almost instantly, between Kola and Jalu, holding out a tiny green object. It shimmered in the light.

A pebble?

No — smaller than that. Like a splinter of jade, no larger than a fingernail.

"What's that?" Kola asked.

Jalu took it from her gently and held it between two fingers. His face grew serious.

"It's Dust," he said. "Residual essence that drops after a Dosa is purified."

Kola frowned. "Like… the Dust of the Sea? The one I found in Palabuhan Ratu?"

"Almost," Jalu replied, turning the tiny fragment in his hand. "But not the same. This kind is from inner corruption — born from personal torment. The Sea Dust is collective. Broader. Heavier."

Kola just stared at the fragment. His hand twitched, remembering the soft glow of the ocean marble.

He didn't press further.

Instead, they walked.

The sun was burning now — properly afternoon, no clouds in sight. Shadows shrunk into the sidewalk, and the heat began to gather between buildings like boiling tea.

Kola glanced at his phone.

3:02 PM. January 7th.

Still the same day.

Still the same city.

But the world felt different.

Jalu led them down another road, until they stopped at a quiet intersection just outside a modest convenience store. A blue and white awning flapped above the windows, and a few motorcycles were parked outside. It didn't look special. Just another shop in Kendari — narrow aisles, bottled drinks in coolers, and a dusty shelf of instant noodles.

Kola raised an eyebrow. "Uh. This is it?"

Jalu nodded. "Yup."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

Omegamon stirred in Kola's backpack, his voice still groggy. "He's not wrong. There's an anomaly here — layered space, maybe pocket-folded dimensions — but the data's fuzzy. Same reading I got when I first met Jalu. And Agrama. And Lila."

"So we're standing in front of a dimensional pancake and it looks like a snack shop," Kola muttered.

"That's how they hide it," Jalu said with a shrug. "Come on."

He pushed the door open, and the familiar chime of a shop bell rang above their heads.

Inside, the air was cold from a struggling AC unit. A bored-looking man sat behind the counter, flipping through a comic book. The shelves were clean, but nothing screamed magical outpost. A few people browsed silently — none of them paid the group any mind.

Kola reached to stop Jalu — "Wait, maybe we should be careful about just asking—"

But Jalu had already walked up to the cashier and said plainly:"Is the clan outpost here?"

The cashier didn't blink.

He just sighed, shut the comic, and jerked his thumb toward a narrow wooden door at the back of the store. "Go on."

Jalu bowed slightly. "Thanks."

Kola blinked in disbelief. "Wait—seriously? That worked?"

He followed them toward the door, eyeing it suspiciously.

It looked like a storage closet. Old, scuffed. A mop leaned nearby.

"You're telling me that's it?"

Jalu reached for the knob — but instead of pulling it down, he lifted it up.

There was a faint click.

Then the door creaked open.

And Kola's breath hitched.

Because what waited on the other side wasn't a closet.

It was a world.

—

The space opened like something out of a storybook — a massive interior hall with timbered walls and vaulted ceilings. It was like stepping into an old lodge crossed with a guild hall from a game.

Soft lanterns swung gently from iron hooks above, casting warm golden light over polished wooden floors. Flags bearing different crests hung from the rafters — each stitched with runes, animals, and symbols unfamiliar to Kola. Weapon racks lined the walls, but not for war — more like ceremonial display.

Water trickled gently from a fountain in the far corner, where vines grew over carved stone. Hanging flower baskets dotted the beams. A spiral staircase curved upward toward a second floor balcony.

But what stunned Kola more than the décor were the people.

They weren't all human.

He saw a woman with feline ears, speaking with a man whose legs were covered in fur like a satyr. A goblin in an apron was sorting scrolls into a filing cabinet. A tall man with silvery skin and long ears nodded politely as they passed. Some had wings. Others had tails.

Kola stopped walking.

His eyes were wide. He didn't even notice his jaw had dropped slightly.

"What… is this place…" he whispered.

Omegamon hovered beside his head, scanning rapidly.

"This building violates three spatial laws," he muttered. "The outside dimensions do not support this internal architecture. This shouldn't exist."

"And yet here we are," Jalu said simply.

Kola stepped aside as a large, minotaur-like figure strode past, carrying a stack of wrapped parcels.

He didn't know whether to stare or bow.

But everyone here seemed… calm.

Busy.

Alive.

And then Jalu stopped walking.

Kola followed his gaze.

Near the far wall, mounted above a wide bookshelf filled with tomes and spellbooks, was a flat screen monitor. A news anchor was speaking in a calm, composed tone — too composed.

On the screen: footage of a scorched clearing, still smoldering. Trees blackened. Houses remain ruins. Craters in the earth. And above it, the aerial view of destruction — the same forest Kola remembered, the sanctuary that had once sheltered Jalu and his people.

His family.

The text crawling across the bottom of the screen read:"BREAKING: GUARDIAN SANCTUARY AT PALABUHAN RATU DESTROYED — POSSIBLE LAMENT ACTIVITY SUSPECTED."

The anchor continued, her voice almost casual:"Authorities from the Council of Two Worlds Embassy have not yet confirmed the cause of the devastation. However, early reports suggest the appearance of a Class-5 entity — possibly a stray Lament — may be to blame. The Ministry of Otherworld Harmony has issued a general warning to all outposts in the area. Further investigation is underway."

Kola stared.

Lila's expression fell.

And Jalu… Jalu didn't blink.

His fists were clenched again — not just in grief now, but something hotter.

Anger.

"This is a lie," he said quietly.

Kola looked at him.

"They're covering it up," Jalu continued, his voice low. "They're blaming it on a stray Lament. But it wasn't that. You know it. I know it."

He stared up at the screen, jaw tight.

"It was Kardias. It was White Palace. And they're pretending it didn't happen."

The flames on the screen flickered like ghosts.

And no one corrected the story.