CHAPTER 0

The night in Kuala Lumpur was loud in its usual way, horns blaring in the distance, motorcycles weaving through traffic, the hum of city life never truly sleeping.

Adrian Noah, however, was already in his own world. He leaned back in the plastic chair of a mamak stall, one hand holding a half-finished glass of teh ais, the other lazily scrolling through his phone. The table was cluttered with leftover roti canai crumbs, sambal stains, and the familiar chaos of a late-night lepak session.

His friends were still arguing loudly across the table.

“Bro, I’m telling you lah, that striker should’ve passed!”

“No lah, he had open shot!”

“Open shot my foot—”

Noah exhaled, half listening, half not. “Can you all chill?,” he muttered. “It’s just FIFA rankings, not national crisis.”

One of his friends pointed at him.

“Eh Noah, you always act like you don’t care but you're the most toxic one when we play.”

“I play for survival,” Noah replied flatly.

Laughter erupted.

The night continued like that—warm, ordinary, familiar. The kind of night that made everything feel stable.

Just life.

Eventually, he checked his phone.

“Eh I’m going back first,” he said, stretching. “Got class tomorrow.”

“Study boy suddenly responsible,” one of them teased.

“Don’t miss us too much,” another added.

“I won’t,” Noah said immediately, standing up.

More laughter.

He waved them off and walked toward his motorbike.

The night air was humid, comforting in a way only Malaysian nights could be. Streetlights reflected off damp asphalt. The city felt alive but distant.

By the time he reached home, it was already late.

____________________________________

His room was quiet, too quiet. Noah dropped his bag on the floor, kicked off his shoes, and flopped onto his bed.

“Finally…”

He stared at the ceiling. No assignments due immediately. No plans tomorrow.

Just sleep.

He reached for his charger.

“Tomorrow I’m not waking up until—”

BZZT.

His phone lit up. Incoming video call from...

Nelysha. His annoying twin sister.

Noah groaned. “Of course.” But he answered anyway.

Her face filled the screen instantly. Too bright. Too energetic for Noah's liking.

Too awake for this hour.

“NOAHHHHHH!”

“It’s 1 AM.” Noah deadpans.

“So?”

“I have class tomorrow.” He sighed.

“So do I.”

“You don’t even attend half of yours.” Noah scoffs at his twin sister.

“That’s not the point!” She scoffs back at him.

Noah rolled onto his side. “What do you want?”

Nelysha grinned, then lifted something into frame. Two tickets.

Noah squinted. “What is that?”

“Art exhibition tickets.”

He blinked once, twice. "Why?” He raised his eyebrow.

“Because I want to go.” Nelysha smiles brightly.

“I don’t.” Noah squinted his eyes, somehow he wanted to slap his twin.

“Yes you do.”

“I literally just said I don’t want to.” Noah sighs again, almost fed up in talking. Especially talking with her.

She pouted. “You didn’t even see the theme yet!”

“I don’t care about the theme.” He rolls his eyes, not taking any interest into whatever his sister says.

“It’s about ancient Malaysian mythology and lost kingdoms and legends—”

Noah immediately sat up slightly. “…You said mythology?”

“Yes!” Nelysha exclaimed happily.

“No.” He said back, not interested.

“Yes.”

“No.” He said again, more louder.

“Yes.”

“No—”

Nelysha suddenly leaned closer to the camera and her tone shifted. Dangerously sweet.

“Or…”

Noah narrowed his eyes. “Or what.”

She sniffled dramatically. Then—fake tears.

Full performance. “Noah…you don’t love your twin sister anymore…sob sob”

Noah snorted, completely knew his twin sister's antics. “You are literally crying on command.”

“I’m emotionally fragile.” She sobs, being extra dramatic there.

He shook his head. “You were laughing two seconds ago.”

“I’m sensitive.” She sniffs, wiping her non-existent tears.

“No you’re not.”

She wiped her eyes exaggeratedly. “I guess I’ll just go alone then…in a dangerous city…full of mysterious artifacts…what if I disappear and Dad asks you where I am—”

Noah froze.

“…Don’t bring Dad into this.”

Nelysha instantly stopped fake crying, and her smile returned. Too fast. “So you’ll go?”

“No.”

She leaned back. Then casually said, “I’ll tell Dad that you skipped your responsibility as a brother.”

Noah sat up fully now. “That’s blackmail.”

“It’s motivation.”

“No it’s blackmail.” He shot back.

“It’s sibling love.” She sticks out her tongue at him.

Noah stared, unblinking. “You are insane.”

“I know.” Nelysha smiles wider.

Silence stretched as Noah rubbed his face, feeling a bit stressed. “When is it.”

“Tomorrow.” She said.

“Morning?” Noah asks.

“Afternoon.”

He sighed heavily. “I hate you.” He's definitely gonna skip classes tomorrow just to see old paintings and listening to old people's fantasy. Well, his semester break starts tomorrow after all, he sure his lecturer didn't mind he skipped two classes.

“No you don’t.” She gives a flying kiss at Noah.

A pause. “…I tolerate you.”

“Same thing.”

Noah leaned back into bed again. He stared at the ceiling for a while, decided and thinking about his future life.

“Fine.”

Instant silence from her end. Then—

“YAYYYYYYYY!”

“No screaming.” Noah covered his ears.

“Sorry not sorry.”

Noah pointed at the screen. “This better not be boring.”

“It won’t be.”

He warned her. “If it’s boring, I’m leaving.”