The angkot ride had taken nearly an hour. Now, at last, they stood outside a narrow alleyway beside a worn football field in Langgea Village. The sky had turned a tired orange, the sun low and gentle.
Dian was the first to stretch, lifting her arms over her head and groaning. "That felt like forever."
She handed Oren back to Lila, who took the cat with a small nod.
Dian tapped her phone, the screen lighting up. "It's already five. Is it far from here, Kola?"
"Not really," Kola said, adjusting his backpack. "Just five more minutes. My house is all the way at the end of this road. Last one."
"Alright then. Let's move."
She stepped forward, then paused, turning toward Lila. "You sure you're okay carrying him?"
"I'm fine," Lila replied simply.
As she cradled the black cat, she leaned closer to Jalu and whispered, "Why is his name Oren if he's black?"
Jalu blinked, shrugged. "I have no idea."
The group began to walk.
To their left, the wide open field stretched under the fading sun. Children kicked a muddy ball across the grass, their shouts echoing in the soft air. A few villagers tugged along a pair of slow-moving cows, despite a nearby sign that warned: Grazing prohibited. In the corner under a crooked cashew tree, three mothers sat gossiping, the rhythm of their conversation soft and constant.
Kola glanced toward them with a passing smile. There was something calming about seeing the world still spinning.
"I haven't walked through a place like this in a long time," Dian murmured, watching the field. "Before all this... you know, before Sukabumi, before Palabuhan Ratu... I just stayed in my room. School. Phone. Breathe. Repeat. I didn't even imagine I'd leave the city, let alone do... all that."
Her voice trailed off.
Kola looked at her, unsure what to say. He nodded slightly, but her words lingered.
They kept walking.
Jalu had gone quiet. His eyes remained locked on the field, the soft dust kicked up by bare feet.
"You alright, Jalu?" Kola asked gently.
Jalu blinked out of his trance. "Huh? Yeah, I'm okay. I was just... thinking about the beach square at Gadobangkong. Don't know why. This place feels kind of like it."
Kola smiled faintly. "The beach where we met, huh?"
Jalu exhaled, turning his eyes back to the kids. "Yeah."
No more needed to be said. The memories were stitched into the quiet.
Omegamon, perched calmly on Kola's right shoulder, finally spoke up.
"If I may... may I see that object you called 'Dust'?"
Lila looked up, surprised. She reached into the small pouch at her side—the same one that held her pistol—and pulled out a small crystal, pale green and smooth like glass.
It sat in her palm, nearly the size of Omegamon's whole arm.
He leaned forward, scanning it silently.
"What is it?" Kola asked.
"May I eat it?" Omegamon asked, almost shyly.
The group stopped in their tracks.
"Wait, what?" Dian said.
"Eat it?" Kola echoed.
Omegamon hovered a little higher, as if standing straighter. "According to my scan, this object is consumable. A data cluster, to be precise. The system classifies it as edible. Beyond that, I have no records."
The others stared.
"I assure you," he added, "it smells... delicious. At least, to me."
Lila looked at Jalu.
Jalu looked at Dian.
Dian looked at Kola.
Kola blinked. "...You can try it."
The four nodded as one.
Omegamon extended his arms, and the crystal began to glow. Light unraveled from it, like steam rising in reverse, and the Dust dissolved into a stream of green energy that slowly flowed into his core.
Silence.
"Eh? That's it?" Dian asked.
"Already?" Kola added.
"What's it taste like?" Jalu asked.
Omegamon hesitated. "Good. I... think it was good. Filling. Maybe."
"Oh," they all said together.
And then, without another word, they kept walking.
They continued their walk, the path narrowing as they moved deeper into Langgea Village. The football field beside them stretched wide and square, marked at its four edges by dusty lanes. The sun cast long shadows across the field, where barefoot children chased a battered ball, their laughter scattering like birds in the wind.
To their right stood a cluster of old office buildings—paint peeling from the walls, rust carving scars along the gates. To the front lay a paved road, still faintly visible in the haze of the departing angkot. Behind them, the simple block structure of SD Negeri 2 Ranomeeto marked the last boundary of concrete. Beyond it, the earth changed.
The road was no longer paved.
Each step now kicked up dust, and deep potholes filled with dry leaves threatened to trip careless feet. When a delivery truck passed them, the wind it stirred up forced them to turn away and cover their mouths.
"Ugh," Dian muttered, waving at the air. "I feel like I just inhaled half a rice field."
Kola smirked. "You'll survive."
Dian shot him a mock glare, then took out her phone. "By the way, give me your WhatsApp. Might as well, right?"
Kola pulled out his phone and handed it over. It was taped at one corner, the screen slightly discolored. The plastic back cover had a visible crack running down the center.
Dian stared at it. "Wow. Your phone looks like it survived a war."
"Technically it did," Kola said. "My war."
"Ever think of replacing it?"
"With what money?"
Dian paused. "Right. Sorry. I've seen you leaving that restaurant late at night... the one near campus."
Kola tilted his head. "You've been spying on me?"
"No! I mean—kind of? I grab meatballs at the cart nearby. Sometimes I see you through the window. You look... tired."
"I usually am."
She smiled softly, then saved his contact. "Alright, got it. Next—Jalu?"
Jalu blinked at her. "Huh? I don't have a phone."
Dian froze. "Wait, really?"
Lila chimed in. "We've never needed one. We're not supposed to go on missions alone."
"We were planning to get one today actually," Jalu said. "But… the Dust we got? Omegamon ate it."
Dian turned slowly toward Omegamon.
"You what."
Omegamon, floating near Kola's shoulder, tilted his head. "I was given permission."
"Wait," Kola interjected. "You're telling me that stone could be sold?"
"Oh yeah," Jalu nodded. "Easily ten to fifteen million, in human currency. Depends on the density."
Kola stopped walking.
Dian's jaw dropped. "We just fed years's of your rent to a floating toy."
Omegamon blinked. "To be fair, it was delicious."
Kola sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I should've known."
They resumed walking, still shaking their heads in disbelief. The sun was beginning to dip lower now, painting the grass in burnt gold.
"Uh... its just me or the people around are watching us right now?" Lila murmured.
Kola glanced around. She was right. Several villagers had stopped their tasks. A group of boys had paused mid-game. A woman watering plants at her doorstep peered between her curtains. Even an old man with a straw broom had gone still, leaning on the handle like a cane.
Oren growled softly in Lila's arms.
"It's okay," she whispered, petting his head.
Kola gave a tired chuckle. "It's probably me."
"Why?" Dian asked.
"Because of my mom. People talk. Rumors."
Jalu looked up. "What kind of rumors?"
Kola stared ahead. His voice lowered. "They think she's cursed."
Dian furrowed her brow. "What kind of curse?"
"Something dark. Black magic. They say she was punished."
The mood shifted.
"She's sick," Kola continued. "But no one knows what it is. When she moves... her mouth bleeds."
Dian blinked. "She doesn't move at all?"
Kola nodded. "She just stays still. Always."
"Since when?" Lila asked gently.
Kola swallowed.
"Since Sella was born."
The air thickened with dust and quiet.
"Twelve years," he said.
Even Omegamon was silent.
For a long moment, they just walked. The village seemed to breathe around them—faint wind, distant laughter, a rooster calling from behind a bamboo fence.
Jalu kicked a small rock down the path.
"They blame her," Kola said, voice rough. "They think she invited it. That she did something wrong. But she didn't. She never did anything wrong."
No one responded.
He didn't need them to.
He felt a warm pressure beside him—Lila brushing her shoulder against his briefly, as if to say: we're still here.
"I wanted to fix it for her," Kola continued. "Still do. That's why I took the gold. That's why I keep working. Selling snacks, saving coins, staying up. I just... I thought maybe someday it would be enough."
"It still might be," Jalu said.
Kola looked down.
"That's the thing," he whispered. "I don't even know what enough looks like anymore."
They reached a bend in the road, where the dirt path curved around a thick tree growing from a broken sidewalk. The wind caught loose strands of Lila's hair, lifting them into the light.
Dian exhaled slowly. "You know... my problems suddenly feel a lot smaller."
"Don't do that," Kola said.
She looked at him.
"Pain's not a contest," he added. "Yours still matters."
She gave a small smile. "Alright."
Omegamon shifted in the air beside them. "I may have consumed a small fortune, but I believe emotional support is free."
Kola snorted. "That might've been your first joke."
"Progress."
The laughter was small, but real.
It didn't fix anything.
But it softened the silence.
And they kept walking.
After a long pause, Jalu glanced sideways at Kola. His tone was still light, but there was something sharper beneath it—an edge to his usually playful rhythm.
"Still... you don't need to worry too much about money anymore, Kola," he said.
Kola raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"
"Yeah," Jalu nodded, straight-faced. "You're not just a regular human now. You've crossed over. Touched the unseen. Hung out with ghosts. Spent ancient gold. Helped a cat."
Oren gave a soft meow from Lila's arms.
"Thanks," Kola deadpanned.
Jalu grinned. "My point is—money won't be a problem much longer. For people like us, the world works differently. Dust, relics, favors... it's all a different kind of economy. You'll see."
Kola sighed. "Yeah, but I still need to pay rent in rupiah."
"True," Jalu shrugged. "But let's just say... you'll get used to solving problems that aren't on spreadsheets."
He paused.
"Of course," he added, voice lowering just slightly, "if you take one wrong step, you might die horribly before realizing what went wrong."
Kola blinked. "Thanks for the encouragement."
Dian raised a brow. "Wow, motivational. Really helpful."
Lila, cradling Oren, said softly, "He's being honest."
"Yeah," Jalu muttered. "Just... take it slow. We'll figure it out together."
And with that, they turned the corner—dust rising behind them.
The road ahead narrowed again.
What had been a dusty lane slowly gave way to a trail—one barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Dry weeds brushed their ankles, and tall grass whispered against their legs. As they moved deeper, the path led them into a pocket of trees, their trunks rising tall and close. The foliage above formed a gentle canopy, filtering the light into scattered beams.
It was cooler here. The air was softer.
Kola walked ahead, but his steps had grown slower, more hesitant.
From her place beside him, the girl Dian adjusted her grip on her bag and glanced up. Just then, Blumon popped his head out from the unzipped flap and yawned, his jelly-like form wiggling.
"Out already?" the girl muttered.
With a sudden bounce, Blumon launched himself from her bag and landed squarely on top of her head. His stubby limbs splayed out lazily, as if it were the most natural place in the world.
The girl let out a sigh. "Seriously?"
The boy Jalu grinned. "He likes you."
"He's heavy," she complained, though she didn't remove him.
Ahead, the trees thickened, their bark dark and moss-covered. Ferns grew close to the ground, and overhead, hanging vines swayed gently in the still air. The deeper they went, the more the sunlight faded into soft grey-green shadow.
And then, through a break in the trees—a house.
A small wooden structure stood quietly at the end of the path. The boards were old and uneven. The roof sagged under mismatched sheets of tin. There were no windows facing them, only a narrow porch with cracked clay pots filled with roadside flowers. The house looked forgotten by time.
Kola stopped walking.
His breath caught in his chest.
Behind him, the girl, the boy, and the little girl all slowed, watching his back.
Omegamon stopped flying.
The small knight descended silently and perched on Kola's shoulder, where he sat like a second thought—small, steady, and watching.
Kola's throat tightened. He tried to breathe, but the air felt thick.
He felt eyes on him.
The boy Jalu tilted his head, a worried glance flickering across his face. The little girl, Lila, stepped forward, her gaze unblinking. The girl Dian didn't say anything, but her brows knit with quiet understanding.
Omegamon shifted, and Kola turned slightly to meet him.
Kola offered the knight a small, stiff smile—like someone trying to convince themselves they weren't afraid. Omegamon didn't speak, but his stillness said everything.
One more step.
Then another.
They reached the porch. The dirt beneath their shoes was packed dry, and no tiles lined the entry. Just earth, and a few flattened patches where the ground had worn from years of use.
Up close, the house looked even older. The walls bore sun-bleached scars. Nails stuck out at odd angles. The pots of flowers were filled with hibiscus, cassia, and even a single wild sunflower—grown not from design, but stubbornness.
The boy stared. The little girl blinked slowly. The girl Dian exhaled, long and low.
Kola's heart pounded.
He clenched his fists at his sides, then quickly loosened them again. He inhaled deeply, exhaled. Inhaled.
Then reached for the door.
It creaked open.
Kola turned to speak—to welcome them in—but stopped.
All three of his companions were gone.
Well, not gone—just occupied.
To the side, by one of the flower pots, the boy Jalu was kneeling.
"Hey! My turn!" he called out.
Lila stood beside him, gently patting Blumon, who now stood in front of them in top one of leaf of the flower—his small, blobby body gurgling slightly as he sprayed a steady stream of water from his mouth like a living drinking fountain.
"Wait your turn," she said calmly to Jalu, handing a handful of water to her own face.
Jalu scoffed. "I'm dying out here!"
Dian crouched beside them, rubbing her wet hands over her flushed face. She groaned in relief. "Oh my God. This actually helps."
She wiped her neck, her arms, shaking off the dust clinging to her sleeves.
"Why didn't I think of buying a cold drink earlier?" she muttered to herself. "Seriously, what was I doing?"
Kola tilted his head, amused, watching the trio splash themselves clean with the water. Their faces were red from the sun and flecked with dust from the road. The cool stream from Blumon washed away not just sweat, but the weight of the walk.
Just then, a soft sound came from inside the house.
Step. Step.
Kola turned.
Oren.
The black cat had already entered through the open door, padding quietly into the dim interior like he belonged there.
Kola smiled again, this time with something deeper in his chest. He stepped into the threshold and crouched, reaching out.
"Welcome to my simple house, Oren." he whispered.
Oren meowed and brushed his side against Kola's leg before disappearing deeper inside.
Outside, laughter trickled from Jalu and Lila as they continued washing their faces and arms. Blumon, though clearly wobbling from effort, kept up his makeshift hydrant act with a proud squish.
"You better be charging us for this," Dian teased.
Blumon gurgled something unintelligible.
Lila looked over. "Is he okay? He looks kind of dizzy."
"Nah, he's fine," Dian answered. "Just dramatic."
Kola shook his head, still crouched in the doorway.
Not everything was fixed.
Not everything was right.
But at least for now...
Yeah, he thought.
Maybe things are better now.