After giving the gifts he made himself to his grandfather and father, Baskara saved the rest for his cousins. He hadn't given those gifts yet—perhaps later, when there was a chance to meet them in person. After that, he returned to the ancestral land and entered the temple where he usually meditated.
This time, his purpose for meditating was no longer merely to understand the relic but to raise his spiritual realm.
Several months passed. At the age of eleven, Baskara finally surpassed his limits and ascended to the Mid-Level of the Jagat Sukma realm. A great leap for a child who advanced without a mentor, relying only on perseverance and the silent voice within his soul.
Upon reaching the peak of his meditation, Baskara's body was enveloped in a gentle light flowing from within. The previously dim aura of his soul now pulsed strongly—stable, deep, and resembling the cycle of the universe. His breath was calm, yet there was an unmistakable strength shining through his expression.
Within his consciousness, his soul's space, once dark and foggy, had now opened wide like a morning sky. Pillars of light stood around him, marking the stability and new power he had attained. The pancawarna stones within him gleamed brighter, their main color a red-golden hue symbolizing the fire element and the purity of his soul.
"This is not just power... but also calmness. I'm beginning to understand it," he whispered softly, realizing that true strength is born not only from anger or ambition but from clarity of mind continually refined.
Astadi Candika responded as well. Within the small relic, the spiritual space called Mandala Atma pulsed stronger, indicating that the soul's boundary space had expanded. This space could now perform three important functions:
1. Soul Cleansing – Purifying souls stained or disturbed by dark energies to return them to their original purity.
2. Inner Healing – If a soul is wounded by spiritual trauma or inner conflict, this space can gradually help repair it.
3. Sealing Evil Souls – With the owner's permission, this space can trap dark souls so they cannot spread or damage the balance of the outside world.
All of this was not only a protective power but also a balancing one. Baskara knew this was not merely a gift, but a trust from his ancestors—a long path toward a true understanding of power and responsibility.
"Seems Astadi Candika is truly bound to my soul..." Baskara murmured softly, sitting cross-legged in the silent temple. His gaze was deep, piercing through walls of space and time as if looking far within himself.
When I ascended to the realm, Astadi Candika also reacted... even seeming to unlock new mysteries within it." He took a slow breath. There was an irresistible curiosity stirring inside him. The deeper he delved into the relic, the stronger the vibration of their bond he felt.
His grandfather himself did not know much about the relic. He had never even tried to conquer it. But when ancestor Nala personally gave it to Baskara, everything happened so naturally… as if the relic had been waiting only for him.
He was now exactly eleven years old. Since the age of seven, he had entered a deep meditative world—a realm no child his age had ventured into. Outside, children his age were only beginning basic physical training, while attending school and learning general knowledge.
Meanwhile, in the city of Tirta Negara, which was plagued by ongoing conflict, a little girl sat silently by the window of a dormitory. Her eyes stared at the orange-hued sky of dusk. Her face held a deep longing, and her heart quietly called out.
"I want to go home… Brother, where are you really?"
That was Dinda, Baskara's younger sister, who hadn't seen her brother in a long time. Her heart was overwhelmed with an unspoken yearning. The conflict ravaging the city made it difficult for her family to visit her, let alone bring her home.
Footsteps came from behind. A young woman gently touched her shoulder.
"Din, calm down… This conflict will end soon. We will all be able to go home."
Her roommate also missed her family. They were the same age, both eleven years old, but their longing made them feel older than they should.
Dinda nodded slowly.
"Yes, hopefully…" she replied softly.
The battle began like lightning tearing the sky. In an instant, the two patriarchs met mid-air, their swords blazing like hellfire. The first clash of their blades sent out an unbelievably powerful energy wave, deafening and creating a vacuum in the air. The loud explosion shattered the sky, creating dark swirling clouds around them.
But this was only the beginning. When they vanished and reappeared, each moved at such high speed that it was almost beyond the eye's perception. In a flash, the energy they released streaked downward, striking the ground and triggering small earthquakes beneath the city of Tritanegara. Skyscrapers trembled, some began cracking at their foundations, and the streets opened wide as if ready to swallow everything above.
The energy blast diverted the flow of rivers running through the city, causing the water to rise at an unnatural speed, destroying bridges and sweeping away shops along the banks. Dust and debris flew hundreds of miles from the battle's center. Even forests far from the city started burning, spreading fire and smoke that darkened the sky.
As they moved to higher ground, the air around them began to split with sharp hissing sounds. Every sword slash left a trail of devastating explosions, breaking large rocks into flying fragments. Not only forests and buildings were affected, but even the sky itself appeared torn, with dark clouds swirling into a massive vortex that pushed fierce winds, striking everything in their path.
Their incredible power caused massive changes in the surrounding universe. As the battle moved closer to the foot of Mount Loka Geni, the energy waves tore through the earth, creating a deep and wide chasm. The mountain began to tremble, seemingly responding to the fight above. One powerful strike shattered large boulders around the mountain, triggering landslides rolling down its slopes. In an instant, Mount Loka Geni, which had long been tranquil, now shook with unimaginable force.
The mental and physical power of these two patriarchs appeared to have surpassed ordinary limits. When they reached the mountain's peak, the final eruption of their attacks tore the sky further apart, creating temporal and spatial rifts. Thunder roared around them, flashing blinding light, while below, the area around Mount Loka Geni was filled with thick smoke and raging flames.
Above, the two figures fought relentlessly, no words heard anymore—only the clashing of swords and the rumbling of energy. What was once the peaceful mountain peak had become a vast battlefield of destruction.