Prologue De La Nusantara

I felt the presence of a boy in this cold darkness. Somehow, his dull figure managed to conceal his existence. Ignoring him, I also caught a whiff of nostalgia—the scent of jasmine attempting to dilute the stench of blood from the corpses surrounding it.

Using my memories, I illuminate the darkness and transform it into an endless white corridor, simultaneously fading the presence of that ethereal being, like a ghost. For a moment, no one would suspect that this bright corridor harbors countless tragic tales.

Using this consciousness, I began exploring this delicate illusion in search of clues or anomalies—honestly, anything that could distract me from this endless cycle. Eventually, I discover a rectangular window on my left, revealing a room with white cushions enveloping its walls. Not a single soul occupies this room as if it were merely an exhibition of my memories.

Continuing my journey, I find another window that unveils a classroom-like room, adorned with ceramic walls and thirteen seats for its "students". Observing the "lecturer's" desk at the front, I notice a small pot holding a single white lily, defiantly challenging the flickering ceiling lights.

The next window reveals a grassy room with walls showcasing nature paintings. In the center stands a gray gazebo but unlike the previous rooms, a boy in a hospital gown sits on the patio. His legs are drawn up, and his sharp black hair frames a face turned toward his knees... The boy appears to be lonely.

Soon after, a metal door swings open from the right side of the room, revealing a girl--also wearing a hospital gown--skipping towards the boy. I can't hear their conversation through this thick window, but by observing the expression and gestures of the red-haired girl, it seems she wishes to invite him to play together.

After a moment of hesitation, the boy finally stands and allows himself to be led through the metal door, hand in hand with the girl.

*BRRT!*

Do you wish to wake up from this nightmare?

Feeling a jolt that disrupts my vision, I find myself suddenly standing at the end of this white corridor while still facing the same gazebo room, but now shrouded in a gloomy aura and dim lighting that creeps in from my edge of vision, obliterating the purity of this white space. I must dismantle this disturbance--especially after sensing the presence of horror behind me.

Gathering my courage, I then slowly turn my consciousness to confront a sight resembling the gateway to hell. This once-blinding corridor has now dimmed, with flickering lights revealing splatters of blood from heaps of lifeless bodies. No one is spared from this fate, whether old or young, doctors, guards or even the canteen staff.

Amidst this bloodshed, I felt a familiar presence from the shadowy figure before me. His vacant yet oddly fiery gaze is locked on the blood-stained corridor that surrounds him. The blood-smeared walls also seem to mock him, taunting his cruelty in slaughtering his own kind.

And yet, the thoughts of this man are starkly horrifying. His sanity--already poisoned by the scent of blood--leaves him unable to distinguish between laughter and tears of gratitude for the suffering and vengeance that has finally ended.

"Five... More..."

Like a broken robot, he repeats those words for the umpteenth time. The dagger dripping with blood on his left hand has been used to slice through his victims with ease like a cake. However, this doesn't conceal the various wounds and gunshot marks covering his entire body, nor the blood flowing from his ears, eyes, mouth, and limbs.

Are you willing to be a coward who surrenders to this little nightmare, or are you prepared to force your sanity for the ending you have been long awaiting?

That question haunts his mind--a nightmare that keeps returning until it leaves him numb. Heh. Humans always stand between life and death, unaware of when fate will come knocking at their hearts.

Yet, the man pays no heed. He only desires to fulfill the vengeance that has been buried since that fateful birthday. Observing the bloodthirsty face before me, I realize--I am mourning a reflection. That man... Is me.

***

"...Guh."

After moments of struggling, I finally awoke from that nightmare. Opening my eyes, I find my physical body lying on a bright blue bed, staring at the steel ceiling held up by large screws. This room feels so foreign that it takes me a moment to realize where I am--inside a cabin of a cruise ship.

"That dream again..."

The watch on the bedside table shows the time as 10:12. Gathering the scattered remnants of my soul, I then force this sweating body to rise from the trap of soft pillows before reaching for a white bottle standing next to my watch.

Taking out a few small pills, I then place them on my dry tongue. After waiting a moment while gulping loads of water and stretching my limbs, the previously shaky tremors finally subside.

"Haah... We'll be arriving soon, Jackie."

After finishing a cold shower, I put on a uniform that resembles me as an office worker--a crisp white shirt and freshly laundered black pants. Tidying up personal belongings in my bag, I then check the black suitcase that is blocking the door.

Seeing it unmoved allows me to exhale in relief, knowing there are no intruders trying to break into this room, despite the lock and chain securing the wooden door.

*HONK*

Hearing the ship's horn, I carefully lift the black suitcase to avoid disturbing the toys sleeping inside. Ensuring I have everything I need, I step out of the cabin to navigate this steel corridor. Upon reaching the deck, I encounter various other passengers preparing to disembark from the cruise ship.

Among them are a couple with their two children, a young man wearing glasses, a floral shirt, a straw hat, and holding a selfie stick, as well as a group of workers bustling around the deck to prepare for unloading the ship's cargo.

Sunday, July 17, 2022. It's quite hot today. I can see colorful umbrellas shielding passengers from the fierce sun during this peak summer season. Amidst the crowd, I spot land drawing closer. The harbor pier, with its buildings and a giant orange sign leaning against the hillside behind it... Kusumajaya.

...

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