The sun wasn't too high when Radhif finished preparing his gear. On his bedroom bed, a large backpack lay wide open. Its contents weren't school books or a change of clothes, but a flashlight, a spare power bank, a small screwdriver, and even a fly spray which he figured could be useful if anyone dared to get too close.
"If this is a kidnapping, at least we're prepared," he muttered, slipping a backup phone into the pocket of his new jeans.
His favorite electric clutch motorcycle was already warmed up in the yard. After making sure the spare helmet was also ready, he sped off towards Ryn Dandelions' house.
---
In a modest house at the edge of the Maykarta complex, Ryn was still fast asleep. The wall clock showed 8:45 AM, but his eyes remained shut.
Shortly after Radhif arrived, Ryn's parents woke him. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed from inside the house, followed by the hiss of water from the bathroom tap.
Radhif could only sigh. "We haven't even left and it's already like this... What about later."
After a few minutes of waiting, Ryn finally emerged. He wore only a long-sleeved white t-shirt and shorts, with no bag, carrying only his phone and a pack of cigarettes in his back pocket.
"You're really going to that place dressed like that?" asked Radhif, incredulous.
Ryn grinned. "I'm ready."
---
Meanwhile, at Nadhyfa Azzaqiya's house, Dzoavha Akilua had arrived early. The large bag on his back contained a tablet, various data cables, and a portable signal transmitter.
"Shall we ride together?" asked Nadhyfa, putting on her helmet.
Dzoavha gave a short nod. "Yes, so we don't have too many bikes. Besides, we're going the same way."
Not far from there, Dhoost van Meijer was waiting in front of his house with a black backpack. His face was as stoic as ever, but his eyes looked alert. He didn't say much when Dzoavha and Nadhyfa arrived.
Nadhyfa, with her ever-overflowing energy, couldn't stop talking about her crazy plans once they were all together.
"I've been thinking, if this turns out to be an invitation to a survival game like in Arise in Borderland or Squad Game, you all have to follow my strategy, okay!"
Dzoavha remained silent. Dhoost nodded slowly.
---
However, Ryn and Radhif were nowhere to be seen. Nadhyfa, usually cheerful, was starting to run out of energy from waiting. She kept checking her watch.
"I'm sure, if I were the kidnapper, I'd have left already if I knew my targets were this late," she complained.
Finally, Ryn and Radhif arrived. Ryn, as usual, was nonchalant and relaxed. He even managed to throw a smile at Nadhyfa before saying,
"Patience, Nad. An adventure isn't fun if you rush."
Without further ado, they set off. Radhif led the group, his electric bike moving slowly but steadily. Dzoavha carried Nadhyfa on the back of his bike, while Dhoost chose to ride his own motorcycle.
The journey to the outskirts of Maykarta took about 40 minutes. The modern city gradually gave way to an area rarely frequented by public transport. Multi-story buildings were replaced by old structures and dusty roads.
Arriving at the coordinate point, they truly found only a single old building standing alone.
An old warehouse.
No cars, no people, no signs of life. Only the sound of the wind occasionally greeting them from the cracks in the crumbling walls.
Nadhyfa, who had been so excited earlier, immediately fell silent. Her eyes searched for something that could make her optimistic again.
"This... this is just a warehouse? Is this really the place?"
No one answered. Everyone looked just as confused.
They began to spread out, circling the building from the outside. There were no signs that anyone had been there recently. Not even tire tracks or footprints.
Just as everyone was starting to doubt, Dzoavha suddenly stopped in front of the warehouse's main door. His gaze was fixed on something beside the weathered wooden door.
It was a small panel, like a keypad for entering a code. It was glossy black, contrasting with the shabby surroundings.
He moved closer, examining the details.
"This... is modern technology," he murmured softly.
Everyone's eyes immediately turned to him.
"We're in the middle of an old warehouse, but a place like this has a digital security system?" asked Nadhyfa, disbelieving.
Dzoavha just nodded. "And this isn't just an empty warehouse."
The old warehouse stood silent, cold and challenging. Beside the weathered wooden door was a small panel with a black screen and a numeric keypad.
"So... what's the password?" asked Nadhyfa, trying to touch the keypad.
They tried several number combinations, birth dates, birth years, even phone numbers, and all failed. But strangely, there were no warnings or lockouts even after more than five failed attempts.
"That means... this isn't a normal system," Dzoavha muttered.
They started to think again. Was the code truly hidden within the words of the mysterious person last night?
Dzoavha sat in front of the panel, his eyes focused on his memory. He replayed the voice of the mysterious person from last night in his mind.
"This is an invitation. Come, all five of you. Don't bring anyone else."
The pentagon logo on the phone...
An invitation for exactly five people...
And he remembered again that the message was delivered twice.
He took the note with the coordinates from Dhoost. The coordinates started with -7 and ended with 8.
His brain started putting things together.
A pentagon means the number 5, coming with five people means the number 5, the person said it twice means the number 2, the first coordinate number is 7 and the last coordinate number is 8.
"Let's try entering this..." he said softly.
He then typed the numbers 55278 into the panel.
At that very second, the light on the keypad changed from red to green.
A mechanical sound was heard.
"Access granted."
The warehouse door creaked loudly, then slowly opened, as if inviting them in.
They glanced at each other for a moment, then stepped inside, one by one.
Inside, it was very dark. Only a faint bit of light entered through cracks in the damaged roof. But it was enough to show that the room was empty... except for five large support pillars scattered within.
Each pillar was a different color. Red on the front right, black on the front left, yellow on the back right, blue on the back left, and green in the center.
Dzoavha approached the green pillar. He touched it. Cold and solid.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook.
"WHAT IS THI-?!" Nadhyfa didn't get to finish her sentence as the floor beneath them opened up.
They all fell simultaneously.
---
A few seconds later, the five of them got up from the cold metal floor. They were in a bright, white, soundproof room. In front of them was a large door with the same pentagon symbol as on the phone.
Nadhyfa stepped forward first.
But Dzoavha stopped her. "Wait. Don't go in just yet."
He looked around. All their electronic gear was still safe. He pulled out a few small devices from his bag, then distributed other items to his friends as preparation.
Ryn could only smile wryly. "I really didn't bring anything, you know... Just a pack of cigarettes and my phone, and I forgot my lighter too."
Radhif handed him the small screwdriver. "Use this, Ryn."
Once everyone was ready, Dzoavha stepped forward.
The door opened automatically.
They entered a long corridor, its walls lined with steel. Their footsteps echoed.
Before they were halfway through, they unknowingly passed through something invisible.
A thin laser beam.
Immediately after, a siren sounded.
"INTRUDER DETECTED!"
From the sides of the walls, hundreds of small devices emerged from hidden slots. All of them fired low-powered lasers that stung upon hitting skin.
"RUN!!" shouted Radhif.
They sprinted down the narrow corridor, dodging the beams of light. Suddenly, from the floor, guard robots emerged, blocking their path.
The robots were equipped with motion sensors and laser weapons.
A small battle began.
TO BE CONTINUED...