The twilight sky above SD Ceria showed an orange hue that blended with a soft gray. It was as if the afternoon refused to end.
Under that doubtful sky, Bima stood frozen near the fence of the back field. The wind stroked his hair slowly, and the heirloom necklace on his chest... pulsed. No longer slowly, but in a clear rhythm.
The light from the small stone seemed faint—only visible if you paid close attention. But for Bima, every pulse felt like a call.
> "Next step... but I don't know where yet," he thought.
---
"Bim!"
Riko's voice was heard from afar, interrupting his thoughts. He waved, running with Lina who seemed to be carrying a small notebook.
> "Why are you daydreaming here?" Riko asked, half out of breath.
> "No… I just feel like something has changed," Bima answered softly.
Lina stared closely at her necklace. "Is it still vibrating, huh?"
Bima nodded.
> "Since this afternoon. Like… leading us to something."
Riko raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure we should look for it now?"
Lina interrupted, "If it's important… maybe the place is already waiting."
The three of them looked at each other. And for some reason, their feet stepped together to the back of the school—a part that was rarely visited by anyone.
---
Secret Passageway
Behind an old warehouse that was almost collapsed and covered in bushes, there was something. Something they hadn't noticed before. A small gap in the wall, like a narrow wooden door that had never been touched by time.
The stone on Bima's necklace shone brightly as they approached.
> "I've been here for four years… but I've never seen this door," Riko whispered.
> "Maybe because it's not for everyone," Lina answered softly.
When Bima touched the carving on the old wood, a ray of light spread like a glowing root, opening a gap—not to another world entirely, but to a secret room beneath the school: the Reflection Room.
---
The Reflection Room – The Hidden Legacy Room
The room was not large. But its walls were filled with ancient reliefs: symbols of ancient animals, star lines, and three large carvings—resembling Catty, Brody, and... Bima.
A faint blue light floated from the floor, as if the room was alive.
> "This... is not a gate. But some kind of intermediary space," Lina said as she touched the wall.
"This space knows... we are coming."
Riko found a small metal fragment in the corner of the room—like a piece of a broken pendant. "Has anyone been here before us?" she muttered.
Bima stepped into the center of the room. The light from his necklace merged with the light on the floor, forming a glowing triangle symbol. But it had not opened anywhere yet.
---
The Appearance of Thalas – The Lurking Shadow
Suddenly, the temperature dropped drastically. Black mist began to creep from the corners of the room. The walls shook, and from the coagulated shadows, a strange figure emerged.
Thalas.
His face was blurry, his thin body towering like an elongated human shadow. Around his body—the air vibrated like a broken mirror.
> "Legacy... should not rise in the lower world," Thalas's voice echoed in their heads.
Bima stepped back. His necklace glowed, but it was not strong enough.
> "You... are just the first chain," Thalas said as he walked slowly.
"And I—am the shadow of the second step."
Riko stood in front of Bima. "Step back!"
He brandished a wooden stick like a weapon. Lina stepped forward as well, her bracelet glowing, creating a thin light shield.
Thalas laughed silently. "Light? Funny. But darkness has come first."
---
Legacy Resonance
Bima held his breath. But behind his fear, he heard a voice. Not from outside... but from his necklace.
A soft voice. Catty's voice. Brody's voice.
And from his own heart.
> "I am not alone."
White light burst from his necklace. Touching the symbol on the floor, it created an energy resonance. Thalas screamed silently, then vanished in a swirl of shadows.
---
New Clue – Not a Gate, But a Sign
The wall behind them shifted. Instead of opening a portal, it revealed a map of the sky—a series of names, signs, and a single red star:
"Langitara – Vadranir."
> "Is this... a location?" Lina murmured.
Bima nodded. "Not a place to enter... but to search."
> "So... we haven't entered another world?" Riko asked.
> "Not yet," Bima answered quietly. "But we've been chosen to see."
---
Chapter Closing – First Light in Langitara
From outside the secret room, the twilight penetrated the cracks, forming a pattern of three interconnected lights.
> "From now on... we must learn. Not just fight," Bima said.
Lina added, "And learn who is a friend, who is a shadow."
Riko patted his shoulder. "Whatever it is... we walk together."
And when they left the secret room...
Someone had been lurking from a distance.
Tasya.
A transfer student who was not from this world.
> "Their steps... have already touched the line," Tasya muttered, her eyes glowing faintly.
"It's time for me to appear... not as an enemy, but as a balance."