Chapter 9 – External Strike

Mateo Does Not Stay Still

He sent another team to Mount Rinjani—this time, a scientific expedition.

The Indonesian government approved the international research proposal submitted by Mateo's team. It was a compelling mission: to study the caldera's geological structure, geomagnetic activity, and geothermal potential.

Local officials welcomed the foreign scientists with enthusiasm. Rarely did such a large research operation come to Mount Rinjani.

The "scientists" stood out—tall, proportionally built, their faces unreadable, their movements precise, almost military.

"Maybe that's just how Western scientists are," murmured one of the conservation staff, admiring the foreigners. "They move like trained soldiers."

"You don't know," his colleague replied, impressed. "In Brazil, scientists are required to undergo military training."

But not everyone was convinced these people were real scientists.

Some local guides—veteran climbers, spiritual seekers, even village elders—sensed something was off. These people were too calm. Too fast. As if they already knew the mountain's path.

"They're not scientists," whispered an old guide. "They're more like professional soldiers."

Mateo's team ignored the growing suspicions. They were focused on their true mission: to find Hulio, and the two individuals possibly working with Antonio Moreira. All three had to be located—dead or alive.

With official permits in hand, they drilled, dug, and—if needed—were prepared to blow through anything standing in their way.

Of course, the "scientists" were nothing more than heavily armed mercenaries in lab coats.

Mateo orchestrated it all to deflect public suspicion.

The "foreign researchers" personally selected their local guides—young climbers from the indigenous tribes of Lombok and East Nusa Tenggara, along with a traditional Sasak spiritual keeper.

"They're too young. Too inexperienced," muttered a senior guide.

"We shouldn't get involved with their business."

"Who in their right mind would willingly enter the belly of Mount Rinjani? That place is cursed. Haunted. Many have vanished there. Spirits dwell in that mountain—spirits that are not yet free," warned the old mountain elder.

"If those foreigners want to dig into Rinjani, let them!"

"They're chasing death for thrills," scoffed one seasoned climber.

"Or maybe for money," someone else quipped.

"Quiet," the elder snapped. "We must not interfere!"

---

The Last Traces

The trackers eventually found the last known location of Diah and Rendra. Footprints. A scorched makeshift camp. Burnt fragments of high-tech equipment.

They descended further, following the trail left behind.

"They were here!" exclaimed the Sasak spiritual guide. He stood frozen before a sheer stone wall, knocking gently on its surface. He felt something behind it—a hollow—but found no door. No cracks. No passage. Just unyielding stone.

"This place has sealed itself," he thought. "Perhaps the mountain no longer grants entry."

---

Below the Mountain

While chaos stirred above, time flowed differently below.

Diah, a geologist by training, found herself torn between science and something she could not explain. Her fingers brushed the damp stone walls, searching for a hidden passage—but found none. The stone didn't wait to be opened… it waited to be recognized.

Rendra paced nervously, breath shallow. "Are we gonna be stuck here forever? I haven't even gotten married yet!"

"That's not funny," Diah snapped.

Hulio stared at the ceiling of the cave. "Our time is running out."

"What do you mean? We've been trapped here for days! If you know the way out, why haven't you led us out yet?" Rendra shouted, laughing bitterly. "Or maybe you can't leave. You're a fugitive, remember? Hunted by your own family. Wow, impressive!"

"Enough!" Diah barked.

Hulio fell silent. Above them, a faint purple light pulsed from within the stone.

Diah sat down, her eyes tracing the blue glow creeping across the wall.

"This isn't just a cave… it's another world," she whispered. She had found something extraordinary. But without evidence, the discovery would mean nothing.

"If only I had a recorder…" she murmured.

Then her eyes gleamed. "I want to stay here longer."

"You what?!" Rendra gasped.

"Diah, have you forgotten why we came here?"

"I haven't. We came to find Hulio. But Hulio… he's no longer the same. Look at him." She pointed at Hulio.

Rendra looked at him—his perfect form. A body too flawless. He frowned in envy.

Hulio ignored them.

Suddenly, the cave trembled—not like an earthquake, but like the breath of something ancient awakening.

Hulio turned to the dark tunnel. "They're coming."

"Who? Mateo?!" Diah and Rendra shouted in unison.

Footsteps echoed faintly—but their presence was felt through the stone itself, like thunder without sound.

Rendra pressed his ear to the ground. "Rhythmic vibrations. Humans."

Hulio nodded. "They're forcing their way in. And the mountain doesn't like it."

The altar's blue glow shifted to dark violet. Symbols along the wall pulsed like a wounded heart.

Far above, a muffled explosion. Cracks appeared. Fog spiraled. The stone wall trembled violently.

"They're bombing the surface…" Rendra murmured. "But there's no door. What are they destroying?"

"The protective layer," Hulio answered. "The barrier between our world… and one that doesn't belong to us."

Out of the mist, a figure emerged—tall, faceless, floating. Water spiraled around it, its chest bearing a radiant third eye.

"A Guardian," Hulio whispered.

It didn't speak, but its thoughts struck their hearts like lightning.

"You are not finished."

"If the gate is opened before its time… all of you will perish."

Rendra stumbled. "Why are we being punished?!"

"Because we are the link," Hulio said. "Our bodies are still human… but our souls… have touched the depths."

The Guardian raised a hand. The altar shook. Its golden eye scanned them.

Then it vanished—leaving only its message:

"Your time is short. The Third Eye has opened. But the Gate remains unsealed."

---

Three Days of Fury

For two days and two nights, Mateo's team battered the sealed stone wall.

They discovered a vast, silent chamber—untouched by human hands.

Still, they pressed forward.

"I can feel them. They're close. But it's like they vanished," muttered the Sasak spiritual guide.

On the third day, pressure sensors beeped. Rhythmic tremors. Too subtle to be earthquakes—but undeniably there.

"There's a massive cavity below. And… it's moving."

"Natural phenomenon?"

"No. It's… breathing."

The leader gave the order. "Detonate the charge!"

The first explosion shook the mountain. White mist billowed from the crater—thick and eerily quiet. Some local trackers collapsed, unconscious.

At the mountain's foot, an old elder clutched his prayer beads.

"They have awakened something… that should have remained asleep."

---

Deep within the mountain, the altar glowed red. Stone cracked. Mist thickened.

Diah stared at the ceiling as fractures spread. "What are they doing up there?"

"They don't know what they've unleashed," Hulio said quietly.

Dust rained down. A sound—like fire crawling through bone.

Rendra's voice trembled. "This isn't just a barrier breaking. This is… the wall between worlds."

Hulio nodded. "If that wall falls… they won't find us.

They'll awaken something the Ancients couldn't control."

---

Cracks spread like ancient wounds tearing open again. Sacred light dripped like glowing ash from the ceiling.

Diah froze. Symbols lit up along the walls—ancient rings glowing from within the stone.

"This isn't natural geology," she whispered. "These are carvings… from inside the rock."

Hulio stepped closer. "It's a seal. This place is protected by a power beyond modern understanding."

"No wonder they couldn't find the entrance from above," Rendra added. "The door… only opens from the inside."

The cave filled with ash-colored fog. The air grew heavy—like burnt forests and iron-rich soil.

Suddenly, the altar glowed—not blue, not red, not purple—but gold. A calming radiance.

"The altar is responding," Diah whispered. "Maybe to the pressure above. Or maybe… to us."

She stepped onto the altar. The stone pulsed beneath her feet—like it welcomed her.

Rendra moved to stop her—but froze when he saw her eyes. Clouded like mist. A faint triangle glowed on her forehead.

"Diah… are you okay?"

"I hear a voice," she said softly. "Not human. From the stone. It says… if the breach opens fully, nothing can seal it again."

Hulio's eyes sharpened. "They're nearly here."

As if in answer, a massive explosion shook the cave.

The ground quaked. Fog rolled in. A deep roar echoed through the tunnels—too low for ears, but felt in the bones.

"Rendra," Hulio said. "Grab your pack. We need to prepare."

"Prepare for what?"

"To run?"

"No," Hulio replied calmly. "To survive."

Diah sat calmly within the golden light. She wasn't afraid. But she knew—the world had changed, and it would never return to the way it was.

And whatever waited behind that breach…

would show no mercy.