The Class Trial room slowly returned to its oppressive silence, as if the black-and-white marble walls were holding their breath along with us. The large crystal chandeliers that had shone brightly like a stage for a death auction earlier now dimmed one by one, leaving long shadows dancing across the floor like ghosts that refused to leave. The exit door behind the podium opened on its own with a painful creak—metal scraping against stone, sounding like Vina's final scream still echoing in all our ears.
We filed out one by one, our footsteps heavy as if carrying the weight of two lost lives. The air outside the hall felt even more repulsive; I almost didn't want to breathe it in at all.
Zahra walked in front, her shoulders shaking violently. She hugged herself, her right hand gripping her work hat so tightly her fingers turned white. The tears that had dried earlier now flowed again slowly, her voice breaking as she whispered to herself.
"Vina… she… she was killed right in front of us. Just yesterday we were still laughing together in the hall, and now… now she was torn apart because she became a murderer. I… I can't take this anymore."
Lira walked beside her, gripping her necklace so tightly the imprint of her fingers remained. Her graceful face was pale, her eyes red. She tried humming softly to calm herself, but her voice only turned into small sobs.
"Yusuf… is dead. Vina… torn apart before our eyes. I'm scared… scared that tomorrow I'll be next. I'm scared we'll all end up like her…"
Sinta clutched her bag like a final shield, her steps unsteady. She stopped for a moment in the corridor, her usually chatty voice now trembling with despair.
"I… I want to go home. I'd rather stay there, even if that place is already destroyed. This… this is too much."
Nova walked behind, his long black coat making him look like a shadow no one wanted to see. He remained silent, but his shoulders trembled faintly. His usually calm, philosophical voice was now cracked.
"Darkness… is clearer than false light. But today… this darkness is too black. Sooner or later, we will all drown in it."
Zayn bit his lower lip until it bled again, his fists clenched at his sides. He stopped in the middle of the corridor, his voice full of anger and despair mixed together.
"Damn it… yesterday we were still sixteen people, still sharing stories about our lives. Now? Yusuf is dead, Vina executed like an animal. I… I can't believe it. I'm scared tomorrow it'll be my turn. I'm scared we'll all start killing each other until only two people remain, just like MonoGaru said."
Adi stopped in the middle of the stone corridor lit by eternal torches. He looked back, his eyes filled with rage but also exhaustion. His voice was low, but carried strength like a leader trying to hold back a panicked crowd.
"Enough… that's enough for today. I know we're all in shock. Traumatized. We lost Yusuf in a horrific way, then watched Vina… torn apart before our own eyes. I know you're all scared. I'm scared too. But if we keep thinking like this, tomorrow we might not wake up again. We should all rest first. Sleep. Recover our strength. Tomorrow… tomorrow we'll figure out what's really happening here. We can't fall apart before everything ends."
Zayn nodded slowly, but his eyes were still wild.
"But… remember what MonoGaru said after the trial ended. He said he'd already given us a 'gift'—access to something in the Main Building. Though we don't know what it is. And he also warned… don't hold back from killing anymore. He doesn't want to have to issue another new rule, because if not… there will be consequences. What does that mean?!"
Krisna, who had been silent in the back, suddenly spoke with a cold, tired voice full of disgust.
"I'm sick of this. I'm going back to the dorm to sleep. What else do you want to think about? Tomorrow? Tomorrow we might die too. I don't want to see your gloomy faces anymore."
He turned and walked quickly down the corridor. Bima grumbled softly, following behind with a heavy voice.
"Me too. My head hurts. I don't want to think anymore. Yusuf… Vina… everything…."
Selena nodded slowly, her voice almost inaudible.
"I… also want to rest."
They left first, leaving the rest of us in the corridor. One by one they went about their own activities—some to the Sacred Forest to breathe fresh air, some just sitting or standing in classrooms like statues that had lost their souls, wanting to erase the memory of what had just happened.
The rest—me, Adi, Aulia, Zahra, Dion—went downstairs to the main courtyard of Akademi Harapan. But as we passed through the lower corridor, I noticed something that made my steps stop abruptly.
The large door in the corridor—the one that had previously been tightly locked with thick iron chains and rare material that couldn't be cut—now stood half open. The chains lay on the floor like dead snakes. A faint light came from behind the door, like a silent, dangerous invitation.
I stopped, my hand reaching out to push it open wider.
"This door… was locked tight before. Now it's accessible."
I was about to step inside, but Aulia immediately grabbed my arm gently. Her hand was warm, but trembling.
"Wait a moment, Reno. We don't know what's behind there. It could be dangerous. We've already lost Yusuf and Vina today… I'm afraid of losing someone else. Better to wait for the others first—we'll go in together. We can't lose anyone else."
I looked at the door for a moment. The faint light from inside seemed to call, but I knew Aulia was right. I nodded slowly, pulling my hand back.
"Yeah… you're right. Let's wait until tomorrow. Together. I don't want to lose you either."
Adi nodded in agreement, his voice low.
"Today is enough. Rest first. Tomorrow… we'll find out what MonoGaru's 'gift' is. And what consequences he meant. But tonight… we sleep. We're still alive. That's enough for now."
We turned around, leaving the open door behind.
-o-
That afternoon, the sunlight filtering through the sky of Akademi Harapan felt hotter than usual. I walked alone along the path in the Sacred Forest, my worn work jacket still smelling of dried blood and oil from the warehouse. Vina's execution had ended less than two hours ago, but the image of the golden chains tearing her body apart still clung to my eyelids every time I blinked. Yusuf was gone too. I never imagined that just yesterday we were still sixteen people sharing stories on this island. Today… we were down to fourteen.
I sat on a stone bench under a large tree in the Sacred Forest Zone, my hand examining the MonoWatch. Vina's last words still echoed in my head.
"Not a few think like me… who prefer chaos to continue…"
Was that just the final bluff of a desperate trader? Or was there really someone among us who didn't want peace to happen? I had to know. If there was a traitor among us, I had to find them before they killed again.
After feeling a little calmer, I stood up again and started looking for people who might be willing to talk.
The first person I found was Aulia. The girl was sitting alone by a small, clear pond, her batik scarf now neatly folded on her lap. Her wavy black hair was gently blown by the soft wind, her beautiful dark eyes staring at the water as if searching for answers that weren't there. I approached slowly.
"Aulia… may I sit here?"
She was slightly startled, but when she realized it was me, she gave a small smile even though her eyes were still red. "Of course, Reno. Sit down. Actually, I also need someone to talk to right now."
I sat beside her. The faint scent from her hair carried by the wind made my chest feel warm for a moment.
"Are you okay?" I asked softly.
She shook her head slowly. "Apparently, no. I… I'm still haunted by the execution earlier. How Vina… was torn apart. And Yusuf… he was the quietest, the most innocent, killed by her. Reno, I'm scared. Scared that Vina's words were true. That there really is someone among us with bad intentions."
I looked at her sharply. "Do you believe that? That someone deliberately wants chaos to continue?"
Aulia was silent for a moment, then stood up from her seat, her fingers touching the pond water until small ripples spread.
"I want to believe everyone here has the same hope. But… after Vina said that, I started to doubt. Maybe some are afraid that if everything unites, their old power will disappear. Or… maybe some are already too comfortable in this ruined world. Reno… if you find someone like that, please tell me. We have to bring them back to the right path, not kill them. That's what I believe."
Then, she turned and held my hand, warm and full, though trembling slightly. "I… believe you're a good person. I believe in you. Don't let Vina's words poison your heart."
After meeting Aulia, I walked toward the Main Building. A girl was sitting under a tree, her work hat pulled low over her eyes. She was trying to clean a plot with her bare hands, pulling out every weed with anger.
"Zahra…"
She looked up, her eyes narrowing sharply as if she didn't want to be disturbed. "Reno, huh. You can't sit still either, can you? Same. I can't stop thinking. Turns out there really are people as evil as Vina… and she said she wasn't alone."
I squatted beside her. "Do you believe that?"
Zahra threw the weeds she had pulled onto the ground. "I don't want to believe it. But… if there is, I'll bury them in the most ruined soil possible! I want everyone's stomachs to be full first before thinking about the future, Reno. If there's someone who wants chaos to continue, that means they want us to starve forever!"
She held my shoulder for a moment, her hand strong like a farmer used to lifting a heavy hoe. "One day… we'll definitely be able to fix this world. Don't let everything fall apart because of one troublemaker."
I kept walking. I decided to go into the cafeteria to eat. There I found Adi with an empty plate, his notebook open but the pages blank. He wrote something, then erased it again.
"Adi… what are you doing?"
"Ah… Reno. Want to eat?" he asked softly.
"You…?"
He then closed his notebook, his voice heavy. "I… was just thinking about possibilities."
"What possibilities?" I asked as I sat down.
"What Vina meant."
"You mean… about there being people who benefit from chaos?"
He nodded slowly. "As a politician, I know very well that many benefit from chaos. Warlords, black market traders, regional nationalists who want their territories to remain separate. Vina said 'not a few.' If it's true… one of us might be one of those 'not a few.' I'm scared we're building hope on a foundation that's already cracked from within."
He looked at me for a long time. "You're the person who can build something from rubble the best, Reno. If you find something that feels wrong, don't stay silent. Because if we let it… we'll die not because of them, but because of ourselves."
Leaving the cafeteria. I found Krisna holding his paintbrush while drawing abstract patterns on the corridor walls. His eyes were empty as usual, but there was something dark behind his faint smile.
"Krisna… aren't you afraid of being scolded by MonoGaru?"
"MonoGaru doesn't care about anyone who scribbles on the rooms or buildings. Especially since what I'm making isn't scribbles, but art. He would actually be happy if an artist like me creates a masterpiece for free," he replied with a small, satirical smile.
I was also curious about his opinion on Vina's words. So I asked him.
"Krisna, what do you think about what Vina said at the end of her life?"
He lifted his face, his smile unchanged. "Ah, that. In my opinion… she might be right. The art I create always influences people's emotions. Sometimes I wonder, do we really need to save everything? Or is this chaos what makes us alive? But… that's just my dark thought. Don't take it to heart."
He went back to drawing, but his hand stopped for a moment. "If there is someone like that among us… I'm curious who it is. Maybe the one with the sweetest smile. Or the quietest. Or even those who are always enthusiastic. Who knows."
I walked slowly toward the Entertainment Room near the dorm. Even though I was tired from the day, I knew that if I stayed silent in my room, my thoughts would only get worse. I needed some normal distraction—at least for a while.
So I decided to go there. The room was indeed quite spacious, with an old billiard table made of dark teak wood, a long faded sofa, a shelf of old books with some worn volumes, and an old music player. There was also an old karaoke machine that somehow still worked, perhaps powered by some mystical force or whatever kept Akademi Harapan functioning.
Inside, there were already a few people who had chosen this place to escape their own thoughts.
Dion sat on the long sofa, his captain's jacket removed and hanging on the backrest. He was holding an old, slightly rusted compass, slowly spinning its needle even though the needle didn't move because there was no real magnetic field here.
I approached and sat across from him.
"Dion… you're not going to the beach for once?"
He turned, smiling faintly—his usual calm smile, like a navigator used to facing storms.
"No. The waves out there feel… too noisy now. I just want to sit here, play with this compass. In the past, this compass always pointed in the right direction even when the ship was rocking in the middle of the sea. Now… for some reason, the needle just stays still. Like it doesn't know what's right anymore. Like me."
I was silent for a moment, looking at his face that now looked sadder than usual.
"You sailed a lot before, right? Before the disaster." I said to lighten the mood.
Dion laughed softly, his voice low and warm.
"Every week. My father was a small fisherman. I joined him from the age of 10. I used to sleep on the deck at night, looking at the stars while listening to the waves. I learned to read the wind, read the currents, read the stars—all without GPS. It felt free. But now… every time I hear the waves at the Akademi pier, I remember my father's boat capsizing during the first tsunami. I survived, but my father… didn't."
He was silent for a moment, then looked at me.
"You know, Reno? Sometimes I envy you. You can build something from rubble. I can only take people from one island to another. But now those islands are separated forever. I… I can only carry memories."
I smiled faintly.
"Maybe one day you can take all of us out of here. Together."
Dion nodded slowly, his smile returning.
"Maybe. If there are still people who believe the stars can still show the way."
On the other side I found Rian near the old music player, his hands full of black oil again—he was dismantling the machine that apparently couldn't play music at all. His thick glasses were slightly askew, but his eyes were focused as usual.
"Rian… what are you doing?"
He looked up.
"Oh, Reno. Trying to get this old machine working again. Because it's a music player. Maybe it can connect to a signal. Whatever it is—even an emergency signal from another island—maybe we can find out what's happening outside. Or at least… listen to old music."
I sat beside him, looking at the pile of cables and old components.
"You used to tinker with stuff like this a lot?"
Rian laughed softly, his voice full of nostalgia.
"Not really. I got into this from middle school. It started with making small robots from scrap—automatic water pumps from old bottles, gates that open with wooden gears. My mom said I was a weird kid, but my dad said 'let him be, maybe when he grows up it'll benefit us.'"
He was silent for a moment, his hand stopping as he turned the screwdriver.
"But in the end… I could only make useless tools. Like the lever… which was meant to make things easier but ended up being used to kill someone."
I held his shoulder gently.
"That wasn't entirely your fault, Rian. Without you, we might not have been able to move the container and help the others. You… you're the person who can turn my blueprints into reality."
Rian smiled widely, this time sincerely.
"Thanks, Reno."
Bima sat alone at the billiard table, a billiard cue in his hand but the balls untouched. His leather jacket was still on, but his face looked tired.
"Bima… not playing?"
He looked up, his voice relaxed but with a bitter tone.
"Hah? Ah… I'm not in the mood."
I sat across the billiard table.
"You used to play billiard before?"
Bima laughed softly, his voice playful but sad.
"I could, back when I was still in camp. I found an old billiard table from a collapsed café. Me and my friends brought it to camp and played every night. The bets were food or a cigarette. I always won. They said I had 'good eyes'—I could read the balls like reading cards. Heh, even though I liked playing this… this time I don't want to play anymore. It feels pointless to win if the loser dies."
He slowly spun the billiard cue.
"Reno… you know? I'm a criminal. A black market dealer—of canned food, cigarettes, fuel, drugs, even weapons. I ran all that just to survive, and the ruined world actually made my business run smoothly. But after seeing Vina earlier… I'm scared. Scared that I also have a side like that. Who wouldn't hesitate to take someone's life just for profit. I… I don't want to become like her."
"You won't. You're still here, Bima. Still holding on with us."
Bima smiled faintly.
"Thanks. Maybe tomorrow I'll invite you to play billiard. The bet… a promise not to kill each other."
After playing a few games and leaving the Entertainment Room. My mind was now a little calmer. When I arrived at the dorm. There was Sinta, she was lining up several bottles of potions with different colors on the table. She was moving a small mortar, mixing something there—perhaps another potion. Her face looked very focused, combining several ingredients.
"Sinta… are you okay?"
She smiled weakly.
"Reno, huh. I'm fine. I'm trying to make a potion. Even though Yusuf used to often tell me the properties of several rare plants. One of them is this leaf, he said it could make you sleep soundly without nightmares. Even though… Yusuf himself is no longer here now."
I sat beside her.
"You really like making potions like this. Aren't you tired?"
Sinta nodded, her voice chatty again but soft.
"I am tired, but that's the only thing I can do. My job from the beginning was just liking to mix this and that, and making potions to heal people. Many said I was like a 'herbalist.' Maybe that's true, even though I can make many potions, it seems there's no potion that can heal a broken heart."
She handed me a small bottle.
"This is for you, it's the potion I just finished. I intended to give it to the others too. Drink it before sleeping. So you don't have nightmares."
I took it, smiling faintly.
"Thanks, Sinta. You… you seem more suited to be called a doctor…"
She smiled widely, even though her eyes were wet.
"A doctor, huh… hahaha. Maybe later… if I can still live and leave this place… I'll decide to become a doctor."
I returned to my dorm room as the sky outside the small window began to turn dark orange. The wooden door creaked softly as I opened it, the sound feeling heavier than usual—like a door that didn't want to be opened again. This room was small, almost empty. There were no family photos, no personal items except the uniform hanging in the closet.
I sat on the edge of the bed, my hand still holding the small bottle of potion from Sinta. The liquid was faintly greenish, smelling like wet leaves after rain. I took a sip—bitter, but the warmth immediately spread to my chest, like a hug that was too short. I placed the bottle on the table, then lay down without taking off my shoes. The mattress creaked softly under my weight.
The stone ceiling above looked faint in the dim light of the eternal torch from outside the window. I stared at it for a long time, but what I saw wasn't stone—what I saw was Yusuf's face when we first met at the Akademi gate. His eyes were bright when he talked about rare plants that could grow in ruined soil.
"Later when everything is safe again, I want to plant mango trees on every island," he said at the time, smiling shyly.
I remembered I answered, "What's a mango…?" truly not knowing what he meant. With him trying to explain what something called a mango was, a fruit that was orange in color and said to taste so sweet and was loved by people in the past.
Now that tree would never be planted. Yusuf was gone.
And Vina…
Vina's image appeared again uninvited. The golden chains wrapping around her neck, her body torn apart on that crazy auction stage, the golden gavel knocking "Sold" like the end of a cruel joke. I closed my eyes tightly, but the image remained—red blood spurting, golden fragments scattering, and MonoGaru's laughter echoing like an echo in an empty cave.
My right hand trembled again. I raised that hand in front of my eyes, seeing the veins bulging from clenching too long. I imagined—really imagined—if the vote had gone the other way. If the evidence had successfully cornered me completely. If I was the one dragged behind that dark door. If those golden chains wrapped around my neck, if my body was torn apart before their eyes—Aulia, Zahra, Adi, the others.
Would they cry? Would they feel guilty? Or would they say, "We tried, but he really was the killer"?
Hot tears flowed slowly from the corners of my eyes, running to my ears, to the already damp pillow. I couldn't stop imagining. Yusuf who died because the container fell on his chest. Vina who died because the chains pulled too hard. And me… I was almost there.
I took a ragged breath, my chest feeling tight as if there was a container pressing down from above. I hugged the pillow tightly, like hugging the remaining scraps of hope that were left. But that hope felt thinner, more fragile.
"Yusuf… I'm sorry," I whispered to the darkness. "I couldn't protect you."
"Vina… I don't know whether to hate you or feel sorry for you."
I cried softly, my voice held back in my throat. Not loud crying—just small sobs that sounded like a breeze in an empty room. I cried for Yusuf who could never plant his mango trees. For Vina who chose profit over everything. For all of us who remained, who still had to wake up tomorrow morning and pretend to be strong.
I closed my eyes tightly, hoping Sinta's potion would work quickly.
Tomorrow… tomorrow I had to wake up again. Had to find out what was behind that door. Had to protect those who remained. Had to prove that this hope wasn't completely cracked yet.
But tonight… tonight I just wanted to sleep.
And if possible… don't give me any dreams.
-o-
That morning, the faint gray light seeped through the small window cracks of my dorm room, bringing a cold air that pierced the bones. I was still curled up in the thin mattress, eyes tightly closed, hoping I could sleep longer so last night's nightmares wouldn't return. But a hard knock on the wooden door shattered that hope.
Tok… tok… tok…
I groaned softly under the blanket, my body feeling heavy as if crushed under rubble.
"Wait…"
Tok… tok… tok… tok…
Louder. Faster. Like someone who wouldn't give up.
I grumbled irritably, throwing the blanket aside, and got up with rough movements. Then I walked to the door while rubbing my sleepy eyes, my left hand already ready to scold whoever dared disturb me this morning.
I opened the door roughly—the door creaked loudly—and immediately snapped.
"I already told you—"
My words stopped in my throat.
Standing in front of the door was Aulia, her right hand still half-raised, her face slightly surprised but quickly turning into an apologetic expression. Her batik scarf was wrapped around her neck, her wavy black hair slightly messy from the morning wind. Behind her were Adi, smiling faintly as usual while holding his notebook, and Selena who chuckled softly.
Aulia immediately bowed her head, her voice soft and full of apology.
"Sorry, Reno… I was the one knocking. We… we didn't mean to disturb you. Sorry if it was too loud."
I immediately felt guilty. The morning anger that had been blazing instantly died down. I quickly rubbed my still-sleepy face, softening my voice and apologizing.
"No… I'm the one who should apologize. I snapped without seeing who it was. Sorry, Aulia. I… I was just annoyed earlier."
Adi laughed softly, his voice warm even though tired.
"It was the best choice to ask Aulia to knock. I tried earlier, but you didn't answer at all. I thought you were dead or something."
Selena nodded while playing with her small mirror, her smile slightly teasing but full of sympathy.
"Adi said, 'If Reno gets angry, it's safest if Aulia knocks. He won't stay mad long if he sees Aulia.' And it's true~"
I let out a long breath, rubbing my stiff neck.
"What's up? Why are you all here so early?"
Aulia looked at me with large eyes full of hope, her voice soft but firm.
"We want to explore the new place MonoGaru mentioned yesterday. The door that was previously locked… is now open. The others have already gathered there. We thought… you should come too. We don't know what's inside, but if we explore together, it might be safer."
I hesitated for a moment. My body still felt heavy, my mind still filled with images of Vina's execution and Yusuf's death. I almost said "not yet," but seeing their expressions—Aulia full of hope, Adi smiling confidently, Selena looking at me with eyes that seemed to say "come on, it'll be fun"—I knew I couldn't refuse.
I nodded slowly, my voice still hoarse from just waking up.
"Alright… wait while I change clothes for a bit."
They nodded, waiting in the corridor while whispering softly. I closed the door, then changed into another uniform from the closet and my safety vest that was still full of tears.
We walked together toward the Main Building. My steps were still heavy, but there was a small warmth from their presence beside me.
I finally asked, my voice soft.
"Why are you all so eager to explore the new place? Even though yesterday… we just saw all that…"
Selena answered with a light tone, but there was a bitter note behind it.
"It's because Zayn was so insistent. He said, 'Maybe there's a clue to escape in that place, or something related to the truth of this island or this crazy game.' He said we can't just stay silent. And… yeah, maybe he's right. We can't keep being afraid and silent."
Adi added, his voice calm but firm.
"We've already lost two people in two days. If we don't find out what MonoGaru is planning, we might lose more. We have to take steps, Reno. Even if they're small."
We arrived at the Main Building. The large door that was previously locked with chains was now wide open. From inside came the sounds of people who had already entered—Zayn, Dion, Rian, and a few others.
The room was spacious, its layout like an ancient, luxurious but worn archive room. Intricately carved antique chairs were arranged around a long table of dark teak wood. On the main wall was a large digital board with a map of the Nusantara before the disaster—intact coastlines, cities still visible, with several mysterious red dots blinking slowly on various islands. No one knew what those dots meant.
Everyone was already inside, scattered in various corners, observing and touching items carefully. Zayn stood in front of the large map on the wall, his finger tracing the once-intact coastlines. Rian squatted near the book shelf, flipping through ancient scrolls. Lira looked at her reflection in a mirror while walking slowly around the room. Zahra stood near an old piano, her fingers touching the yellow keys but not pressing them—as if afraid the sound would awaken something. Bima leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression bored but his eyes continuously watching.
Zayn let out a long breath, his voice full of disappointment.
"There's nothing here. Old maps, history books, statues… this is just an ancient archive room. MonoGaru said 'gift,' but this is just dusty trash."
Rian closed the scroll he was reading, his expression disappointed.
"These books are just pre-disaster history records. No codes, no clues. Just stories about temples and kingdoms that have disappeared."
Lira sighed while looking outside.
"Just an empty antique room."
Bima grumbled from the wall.
"Wasting time. I said from the beginning, this must be MonoGaru's trap. Let's just go back."
I tried to go deeper, stepping slowly on the thick red carpet that covered the entire floor. The carpet was heavy, furry, and felt slightly damp under my shoes. As I stepped to the center of the room, there was something strange—the floor beneath the carpet felt… different. Softer, more resonant.
I stopped. All eyes turned to me.
"Reno? What's wrong?" Aulia asked from near the door.
I stomped my foot down once—thud… thud… the sound echoed faintly, as if there was a hollow space below.
"The floor here… feels like there's something underneath."
Bima frowned.
"Something how?"
Rian immediately squatted near me, his hand touching the carpet.
"Bima, have you ever lived underground after the disaster or something?"
Bima shook his head, his voice sounding like he really didn't know.
"Never. Why?"
Selena shook her head slowly.
"I haven't either. Always above, moving from camp to camp."
Lira added with a small voice.
"I haven't either…"
Rian let out a long breath, his eyes narrowing behind his thick glasses.
"You guys are lucky, huh. I survived in an underground bunker when the disaster happened. If the floor echoes like this, it means there's an empty space below. A large cavity. An underground room."
Zayn immediately stepped forward, his rebellious eyes lighting up.
"That means there's something down there. Help me move this carpet. The guys—Bima, Dion, Adi, Rian, Reno, Nova, Krisna—help me lift it. The carpet is really heavy."
The five of us approached. The carpet was thick and heavy like a giant mat. With great effort we lifted and slid it to the side. Dust flew, making us cough. Beneath it, the stone floor looked plain—but there was a faint rectangular outline, like a trapdoor tightly closed. No handle, no visible lock.
Rian squatted again, his hand touching the line.
"True… it looks like it can be opened. But the mechanism isn't visible. Maybe there's a hidden lever or button."
I also squatted beside him, examining the stone material. The stone was smooth, but there were small scratches in one corner—like traces of something scraping.
Adi observed from above, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Maybe there's a hidden button somewhere. On a statue, on a bookshelf, or on the wall."
Nova suddenly took a thick book from the shelf and dropped it to the floor—thud. Then another one. Thud. Thud.
Anya immediately scolded him, "Nova! Those books contain knowledge! Treat them properly! Don't just drop them like trash!"
Nova shrugged, his long black coat swaying.
"I was just testing. Maybe one of the books is a hidden button."
We searched for more than half an hour. Touching every god statue—none moved. Flipping every book on the shelf—only yellow paper and faded ink. Knocking on the walls—only solid stone. Pressing every corner of the tables and chairs—nothing changed.
Zayn let out an annoyed breath, his hands full of dust.
"There's nothing. Maybe this is just an empty room that MonoGaru opened to mess with us."
Rian shook his head slowly.
"I'm sure there's something. This floor is hollow. The cavity is large. We just haven't found the mechanism yet."
Krisna stood in the corner of the room, his hand touching one of the god statues—Ganesha with an elephant head, its eyes black stone gleaming as if staring back. He tilted his head, his faint smile still hanging on his lips, but his eyes empty as usual.
"Why did MonoGaru open this room and let us all observe it?" his voice was soft, almost like he was talking to himself.
Sinta, who was squatting near the book shelf, her woven bag open beside her, shook her head slowly while holding an ancient scroll.
"Even if we manage to open it, wouldn't that possibly be a dangerous room? There's no guarantee it will help us escape from here. It could be another trap—or a place for… something worse."
Zahra, who was standing near the window while wiping dirt from her hands on her work pants, immediately grumbled with a fiery but tired voice.
"We should use our time for something more important! Like farming, for example! I already cleared a small plot behind the dorm yesterday and this morning. It just needs to be worked on, planted with fast-harvest fruits or vegetables. If we keep busy looking for secrets in this luxurious room, our stomachs will starve first!"
Rian, who was squatting near the already-moved carpet, looked up with a small smile.
"So that's why your clothes were full of dirt this morning, Zahra. You were digging soil, huh? I thought you fell into mud or something."
Zahra snorted, but there was a small smile on her lips.
"Yeah, of course. The soil near the dorm is quite fertile. If we plant now, we can harvest in two weeks. More useful than these statues."
Aulia, who was already tired because she had been moving the most since earlier—touching every shelf, flipping books, knocking on walls—finally leaned slowly against one of the god statues in the corner. The Durga statue holding a trident, its body large and heavy, but Aulia was too tired to stand straight anymore.
"We can't give up so easily…" her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "At least… we have to try…"
Suddenly, the statue wobbled. The sound of stone scraping stone was heard faintly—then the Durga statue toppled backward and fell with a loud thud that echoed through the room. Aulia jerked back, almost falling herself, her hand covering her mouth in shock.
"Aaah—!"
Krisna, who was closest, immediately jumped back, his eyes widening for the first time—his empty expression cracking for a moment.
"That statue… just fell like that? It weighs hundreds of kilos! How could it be that easy?!"
Everyone immediately approached. The Durga statue lay tilted, its trident head embedded in the floor. Under the base where the statue had stood, something was carved into the stone floor—a code of small symbols arranged in a circle: symbols of the same gods as the statues in the room.
I approached first, squatting and touching the carving.
"There's something written under this statue… a code."
Rian, Nova, Adi, Krisna, and Dion immediately approached, examining the code closely.
Rian frowned.
"This looks like a puzzle."
Adi also observed.
"Maybe this is a clue to open the underground door."
Krisna touched the Ganesha statue.
"But this statue is heavy. If the order is wrong, we could be the ones crushed."
Dion shook his head.
"We have to try. If not now, when?"
They started moving the statues according to Anya's order: Wisnu first, then Siwa, Ganesha, and finally Durga. Each move felt heavy, but after the Durga statue returned to its original position—click.
A soft mechanical sound came from beneath the floor.
The rectangular shape in the center of the room began to descend slowly, opening a stone staircase leading underground. Cold air rose from there, smelling of dampness and old metal.
Adi stood in front of the newly opened stone staircase, the faint light from the eternal torches above illuminating his serious face. He looked down into the darkness wafting cold air from the underground room, then turned back to us.
"There might be something useful down there," he said softly, but his voice was firm. "Maps, documents, mechanisms—anything that can help us understand this place better. Or even… a way out."
Zahra immediately shook her head, her hands still dirty with soil from the small plot she had worked on that morning.
"It's too risky, Adi. We just lost Yusuf and Vina. If there are more traps down there, or poisonous gas, or anything—we could all die in one wrong step."
Sinta nodded in agreement, her woven bag slung tightly.
"I agree with Zahra. We don't know what MonoGaru has prepared. It could be another trap—or a place for… something worse."
Bima grumbled from behind, his leather jacket still smelling of the warehouse.
"Better we go back to the dorm. I'm tired of thinking. Tomorrow."
But Zayn had already stepped forward, his rebellious eyes blazing.
"I'm going in. If there's a clue, we have to take it now. We can't keep waiting to die slowly."
He stepped forward, standing beside Adi who had already started down the first step.
Nova followed without speaking, his long black coat sweeping the stone floor like a living shadow.
Whether we wanted to or not, one by one we followed. Aulia gripped her batik scarf tightly, Zahra grumbled softly but still stepped forward, Rian adjusted his glasses, Lira walked behind while holding her necklace, and I—Reno—walked in the middle, hands ready in case anything happened.
The stone staircase was long, winding, and grew colder as we went deeper. Finally we reached a wide underground corridor, its walls thick concrete like an old military bunker. Dim red neon lights turned on automatically as we passed, illuminating the long corridor with several thick iron doors.
On each door was a faintly glowing digital sign:
Control Room
Archive Room
Lab Room
The doors opened automatically when someone stood in front of them—like motion sensors that still functioned after years.
We chose the first room closest: the Archive Room.
The thick iron door slid open with a hiss of air. Inside was a spacious room with tall iron shelves neatly arranged alphabetically. The shelves were full of thick documents, faded yellow folders, and paper scrolls. In the center of the room was a large digital map still faintly lit—a map of the Nusantara before the Double Disaster, intact coastlines, major cities still visible, with several mysterious red dots blinking slowly on various islands. No one knew what those dots meant.
Anya immediately approached the frontmost shelf, her finger quickly tracing the alphabetical labels. Aulia joined her at her side, her large eyes full of curiosity.
The rest of us spread out, observing the room. Zayn touched the digital map, Dion checked the corners, Rian looked at the electrical panel, Zahra touched the iron shelves as if searching for fertile soil, Bima leaned against the wall while watching.
Suddenly Anya and Aulia froze in front of one shelf. Anya took a thick folder, opening it slowly. Her eyes narrowed.
Aulia, standing beside her, suddenly froze, her hand covering her mouth.
"Anya… this…"
Anya lifted the folder so everyone could see, her voice cold but clear.
"This document contains the names of wanted persons after the disaster. People responsible for major crimes—corruption of aid funds, human trafficking, illegal weapons distribution, even mass deaths in refugee camps."
She flipped the page, her finger pointing to one name.
"Here… Vina's family name. They were involved in human trafficking after the tsunami. Selling women and children to warlords on remote islands for profit."
The room fell instantly silent. Zahra cursed softly. Lira gripped her necklace tighter.
Anya flipped the page again, then stopped. Her eyes narrowed sharper.
"And this… there's a censored name. But the letter pattern… is very similar to Bima."
Bima immediately stepped forward, snatching the folder from Anya's hand. His eyes widened when he read it.
"What… what is this?!"
Anya explained with a calm voice, but every word felt like a knife.
"Bima's group was the largest illegal weapons distributor after the disaster. They were the ones who spread firearms and ammunition to warlords, which caused small wars to continue in many islands. Because weapons were easy to get, people preferred to fight rather than work together to rebuild."
Bima stared at the document with trembling hands, his face pale.
"This… this is a lie! My group was just ordinary dealers! We helped people get restricted goods—gasoline, medicine, canned food. We never sold weapons! We… we just wanted people to survive!"
Bima's voice broke at the end of the sentence. He looked at all of us, his eyes full of despair and anger.
"Believe me… I never killed anyone with those weapons. I… I was just a dealer. Not a murderer."
Adi walked slowly between the iron shelves, his hands carefully tracing the thick folders. His face grew more serious as he opened another document, his eyes narrowing as he read line by line.
"This… is dangerous," he said softly, his voice heavy like he was reading a death sentence. "These documents contain information that was never released to the public at all. Corruption of trillions of reconstruction funds, names of high officials who fled, lists of warlords backed by the military… even lists of people who deliberately spread viruses in refugee camps to reduce logistical burdens. If this leaks… it will cause uproar among every person still alive in these ruins. Pictures of bodies deliberately dumped in canals, videos of officials selling international aid, recordings of orders to 'reduce the number of refugees'… this could burn all the remaining hope."
Selena, who was standing in front of the large digital map, slowly twirling her small mirror with anxiety, turned with a slightly trembling voice.
"If all this becomes known to everyone… what will happen? People in the refugee camps will rebel. Warlords will kill each other more brutally. The remaining trust… will be completely destroyed."
Zayn roughly rubbed his head, his voice full of frustration but also worry.
"Releasing the truth without control could cause mass panic. In other words, chaos will increase more than before. People who were still willing to cooperate will start suspecting each other. The small wars that exist now will become total war. This… this is like a time bomb."
Sinta, who was holding one folder with trembling hands, shook her head slowly, her voice chatty but full of emotion.
"Isn't it better to reveal the truth? Hiding everything would seem like a great crime. If we stay silent, that means we're the same as the people in these documents—criminals covering up their sins!"
Rian, who had just finished examining every corner of the room, let out a long breath while cleaning his dusty hands.
"Whether it's spread or not, it won't help us with anything now. None of it will help us escape this crazy game. If there's something that can help us get out of this island, it's not old documents. I'll look in another room."
He turned and walked to the door, his steps firm.
One by one, the others began to follow—Zayn, Dion, Zahra, Lira, Bima, Selena—all moving out of the Archive Room, heading to the deeper bunker corridor.
Only Anya remained standing in front of the shelf, her hand still holding the old manuscript, her cold eyes not leaving the lines of writing.
I stopped at the doorway, looking back.
"Anya… aren't you coming?"
Anya didn't turn, her voice calm but firm as usual.
"I will examine all these files. The truth needs to be revealed. I won't let history be buried like this. You all go ahead. I'll catch up later."
I nodded slowly, even though there was worry in my chest. We left her alone in the Archive Room, our footsteps echoing in the cold concrete corridor.
We walked to the next room: the Lab Room.
The thick iron door opened automatically as we approached. Inside were several long lab tables made of stainless steel that was slightly rusted at the edges. Rows of labeled bottles with damaged labels stood on glass shelves, the liquids inside strange colors—murky green, dark purple, brownish red—some still bubbling slowly even without electricity. There were also broken glass equipment, old microscopes, and test tubes covered in thick dust.
Sinta immediately stepped forward, her hand reaching out but quickly pulling back.
"Don't touch anything carelessly!" her voice was chatty but firm, full of worry. "These liquids could be dangerous. They could be poison, acid, or post-disaster viruses that haven't died. We don't know what they made here before. Better to look from a distance first."
Nova stood in the darkest corner of the lab room, his long black coat blending with the shadows. His hand touched a small drawer under a stainless steel table, then pulled out a crumpled, yellowed note. His eyes narrowed as he read the dense, slanted handwriting.
"There's a note from the previous researchers," he said softly, his voice philosophical but cold. "This is an observation of every liquid they made. Serial numbers, colors, effects, time of death… everything recorded neatly."
Lira, standing beside him, leaned closer, her silver hair touching Nova's shoulder as she read from the side. Suddenly her eyes widened, her hand covering her mouth.
"Some of them… are related to viruses," she whispered, her voice trembling. "This isn't medicine. It's… biological weapons. There are notes about 'strains that can spread through drinking water' and 'effects similar to dengue fever but faster.'"
Adi, who was examining a shelf across the room, immediately walked closer, his face paling as he read the note Nova was holding.
"So this is the lab used to create viruses… to spread disease in refugee camps. In other words, to reduce the population. They deliberately made people die slowly to reduce logistical burdens. This… this is mass crime."
Dion gripped his old compass tightly until his knuckles turned white, his voice low with rare anger.
"I curse the people who once built this place. This place is a place for executioners!!!"
Aulia stood in the middle of the room, her hand gripping her batik scarf tightly, her large eyes full of confusion and fear.
"What is the real purpose of this island? Was everything created to control everything? Disasters, misfortunes, deaths, wars… was all of that staged? Were the people who once lived on this island deliberately planning the destruction of the country so they could control what was left?"
Zahra, who was examining a first aid box on the wall, slowly opened the lid. Inside were bandages, basic medicines, syringes, and several small vials that were still intact.
"There are important items for us here," she said, her voice fiery but tired. "But this is also proof that this place was prepared long ago. They knew we would need this… because they knew we might get hurt someday."
I approached Sinta, who was standing stunned in front of one shelf, her eyes fixed on a dark green liquid bottle with a damaged label. Her face was pale, her hands trembling as she held her own woven bag.
"Sinta… are you okay?"
Sinta glanced around, making sure no one was too close, then whispered softly, her voice almost lost among the hum of the room's air conditioning.
"I… I recognize one of these liquids."
I frowned, confused.
"Which one?"
Sinta pointed to the dark green bottle with a trembling finger.
"That liquid… dark green. It looks very similar to the wound-healing potion I once failed to make."
She opened her woven bag, pulling out her own small bottle of potion— a brighter green color.
"Look at the color. Similar, but this is darker. So dangerous… I once used it on someone. And that person… died."
Sinta swallowed hard, her voice trembling louder.
"This liquid is very dangerous because it's almost undetectable. No smell, no strange taste. If mixed with other liquids, its color will fade until it's almost invisible. At first, the person who drinks it has no side effects… until after about five minutes, they will suddenly have a heart attack and die instantly. No traces. Like a normal death."
She closed her woven bag again, her hands still trembling.
"That's why… I'm always careful when making potions now. I… I used to be a killer too. I didn't mean to, but… I once killed someone with the wrong potion. That's why I promised I would never make potions again without testing them many times."
Tears flowed slowly down Sinta's cheeks. She bowed her head, her voice almost gone.
"I'm scared… if this liquid is still active… and someone among us uses it…"
After observing the Lab Room, we decided to continue to the last room in the bunker corridor: the Control Room.
The thick iron door opened automatically as we approached, releasing a blast of cold air smelling of rusted metal and old oil. This room was larger than the others, with a low ceiling and dim red neon lights flickering slowly like a weak pulse.
In the center of the room stood a large generator made of heavily rusted iron, but its engine was still humming lowly and steadily. The generator was very large—almost touching the ceiling, with thick pipes snaking in all directions like mechanical veins.
Rian immediately approached, his oil-covered hands carefully touching the iron casing. His eyes narrowed behind his thick glasses.
"This is a backup generator… but it's still running," he muttered. "I don't know what powers it. Not solar, not wind, not regular fuel. Its hum is very stable, as if it's been running for years without stopping."
On the sides of the room were several large control panels with faintly glowing digital screens. The writings on them were clear enough:
Power Distribution – Main Building
Power Distribution – Sacred Forest
Power Distribution – Stone Mountain
Power Distribution – Ancient Harbor
Power Distribution – Floating Shrine
Eternal Torches
Rian examined the panels one by one.
"This room… seems to be for distributing power to every zone on this small island. There's even a special panel for the eternal torches throughout the island. If they were turned off… the entire island could go pitch black in an instant."
Nova stood in front of the eternal torch panel, his hand touching the large red lever labeled "Master Shutdown." His voice was quiet but meaningful.
"With this lever… we could turn off all power on the island. Night would become completely dark. Maybe… this could be an opportunity to escape without being seen by MonoGaru or its robots."
We all fell silent for a moment, imagining this island without the eternal torch lights that were always on. Complete darkness. Opportunity… or a new trap.
After observing for a long time and not finding any direct buttons or clues to escape, we finally left the underground room. The stone staircase felt longer as we climbed back up to the Archive Room, then to the main corridor of the Main Building.
We gathered in the front courtyard, sitting on stone benches while breathing a sigh of relief at finally being out of the underground. The afternoon sun had already tilted, its orange light faintly piercing the ash mist.
Adi opened his notebook, his voice tired but still orderly.
"We've seen everything. The Archive Room contains documents of past sins, the Lab Room full of dangerous liquids, the Control Room with power panels. Even though I'm disappointed because we didn't get a direct clue to escape from the island… at least we now understand a little better what kind of place this island is."
He then closed his notebook. Zayn added after him.
"Maybe this island was created with a very dark purpose. Not just an academy to birth new hope. But… a control facility. A place to observe, test, and perhaps control the remaining survivors. The people who once lived here… weren't ordinary people. They were important and dangerous people. Who were willing to create viruses, sell weapons, traffic humans, just to maintain power amid destruction."
Zahra nodded slowly, her voice heavy.
"And now… we've become their lab rats."