Raka was still standing in front of the altar. The sentence that had appeared in his notebook continued to echo in his mind.
"I am the one who brought you back."
Back?
Not brought here. Not summoned. But brought back.
Raka then looked at the ancient keris, which had become still once again on top of the altar. The golden light that had filled the room earlier had disappeared. Only the blue flames of the torches along the walls remained.
"Your Majesty..."
The king did not answer.
He was still standing near the altar with a serious expression, as if he were thinking about something far greater than what had just happened.
Raka raised his notebook.
"That voice said she was the one who brought me back to this world."
Laras immediately turned toward him.
"Raka..."
"So what does that mean?"
The king finally looked at him.
"Does that voice often speak to you?"
"Sometimes."
"Since when?"
"Since I arrived in this world."
The king fell silent.
Raka immediately noticed the change in his expression.
"Why?"
"Nothing."
"Don't say 'nothing.' Every time I mention that voice, everyone looks like they've just seen a ghost."
Laras then looked at the king.
"Your Majesty, we need to leave this room immediately."
The king did not answer at once.
Instead, he approached the altar and examined the ancient keris.
"The heirloom has not awakened."
Raka frowned.
"Didn't it move earlier?"
"Moving does not mean it has awakened."
"Then what's the difference?"
"If it truly awakens, the entire palace will know."
Raka looked toward the ceiling.
"And what will happen if the entire palace finds out?"
The king looked at him.
"The war will begin."
The room suddenly felt even quieter.
Raka had not expected that answer.
"The war?"
"The war that ended a thousand years ago."
Laras stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, we cannot remain here. The Gate above the palace is becoming increasingly unstable."
The king nodded.
"Let us go."
But before they left the room, Raka looked at the ancient keris again. For some reason, he felt as though the heirloom was watching him. Even though it had no eyes. Raka followed the king and Laras toward the stone door. However, as he passed the altar, the woman's voice echoed in his mind again.
"Raka..."
Raka's footsteps immediately stopped.
"Who are you?"
There was no answer. Raka looked behind him.
The ancient keris was still lying on the altar.
"If you really brought me back here, why don't I remember anything?"
Laras immediately turned around.
"Raka, what is it?"
Raka did not answer.
He continued staring at the keris. The woman's voice then spoke softly.
"Because your memories have been sealed."
Raka froze.
"Sealed?"
"Do not trust them."
Raka clenched his fists.
"Who are they?"
But the voice suddenly disappeared. Raka raised his head.
"Wait!"
Laras walked toward him.
"Raka?"
"She said my memories were sealed."
The king, who was already standing near the door, immediately stopped. For the first time, his expression changed noticeably.
"Who said that?"
Raka looked directly at him.
"So it's true?"
"Your memories were sealed?"
The king finally turned around.
"Not everything needs to be known by you right now."
"That line again."
Laras immediately warned him.
"Raka—"
"No, Laras. I've heard enough answers like that."
Raka approached the king.
"I suddenly appeared in a strange world. Everyone keeps calling me an heir. There's a woman's voice that constantly warns me. There's a man's voice coming from my notebook. And now you're telling me this heirloom could start a war."
Raka raised his grandfather's notebook.
"And every time I ask a question, you all tell me to wait."
The king looked at him calmly.
"Because if you learn everything too quickly, you may not be able to accept it."
"Then let me decide whether I can accept it or not."
Laras remained silent.
The king then approached Raka.
"Very well."
Raka frowned.
"Very well?"
"I will give you one answer."
"Only one?"
"For now."
Raka sighed.
"Go ahead."
The king looked at the notebook in Raka's hand.
"You are not the First Heir."
Raka immediately fell silent.
"Then?"
"You are also not the heir recognized by this kingdom."
"Then why do you keep calling me an heir?"
"Because your blood carries the same mark."
Raka looked at his own hand.
"The same mark?"
The king pointed toward the back of Raka's hand.
Raka examined his skin. There, near his wrist, was a thin golden line. Its shape resembled the symbol in his grandfather's notebook.
Raka had never noticed the mark before.
"When did this appear?"
Laras looked at the mark with a serious expression.
"Since you touched the Gate outside the palace."
Raka immediately turned toward her.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because we weren't certain yet."
"Certain about what?"
The king answered.
"Whether the mark truly belongs to you... or whether it is merely attached to your body."
Raka frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The king did not answer.
Suddenly, a thunderous sound came from above.
DUUUMM!
The entire room shook.Dust fell from the ceiling, and the blue flames inside the torches swayed violently. From somewhere in the distance, the palace bells began ringing without pause.
Laras immediately drew her sword.
"The Gate is opening further."
The king looked toward the door.
"Impossible."
Raka turned toward him.
"What?"
The king quickly left the room.
"The heirloom has not awakened. The Gate should not be able to react this strongly."
Raka and Laras immediately followed him.
As soon as they emerged from the underground corridor, the palace had already changed completely.
Guards were running in every direction.
Several walls had begun to fill with glowing purple cracks. Thin black mist seeped through the gaps in the floor.
Raka stopped.
"This isn't an ordinary disturbance."
Laras nodded.
"No, it isn't."
From the direction of the main hall came a shout.
"Your Majesty!"
A guard ran toward them with a panicked expression.
"There's a problem in the eastern chamber!"
"What happened?" the king asked.
"The sealed door has opened."
The king immediately looked at him.
"Which door?"
The guard swallowed hard.
"The tomb of the heirs."
The atmosphere instantly fell silent.
Raka looked at Laras.
"The tomb?"
Laras did not answer.
The king then ordered the guards:
"Do not let anyone approach that chamber."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The guard immediately ran back.
Raka looked at the king.
"Why did the tomb open?"
The king did not answer.
"Does it have something to do with me?"
The king only looked at him. That answer was enough.
Raka sighed.
"So it does."
Laras approached him.
"Raka, you need to go somewhere safe."
"No."
"Raka!"
"I don't want to keep hiding while everyone continues concealing things from me."
The king looked at Raka seriously.
"If you go to the tomb, you may not be able to return."
Raka clenched his fists.
"Then I need to know why."
He looked at the golden mark on his hand.
"If all of this is happening because of my blood, I have the right to know what is actually inside me."
Laras remained silent.
The king stared at Raka for a long moment. Then he began walking toward the eastern corridor.
"Then come with me."
Laras was immediately startled.
"Your Majesty!"
The king did not stop.
"It is time for him to see the first truth."
Raka followed the king, while Laras walked beside him.
"Raka," Laras whispered.
"What?"
"If something happens, do not touch anything."
"Even the keris?"
"Especially the keris."
Raka nodded slowly.
"Understood."
But deep down, Raka knew one thing.
If they found answers about him inside the tomb, he would not let anyone stop him. Eventually, they arrived in front of a massive stone door in the eastern part of the palace. Unlike the previous door, this one was covered with carvings of human faces.
Dozens of faces appeared to be crying.
At the center of the door was the same symbol as the one in Raka's notebook. But this time, the symbol was already open.
The king stood in front of the door.
"This chamber may only be opened by an heir who is recognized."
Raka looked at him.
"Didn't you just say that I'm not the recognized heir?"
"Correct."
"Then why is the door open?"
The king did not answer.
From inside the chamber came the sound of footsteps.
Slowly.
One step.
Then another.
Laras immediately raised her sword.
"Your Majesty..."
The king raised his hand.
"Do not move."
The stone door opened slightly wider. From within the darkness, someone emerged.
A man.
He was tall and wore ancient white clothing. His hair was long, his face was pale, and in his hand was a keris identical to the heirloom in the underground chamber.
Raka froze.
The man looked at him. Then he smiled faintly.
"The Unrecognized Heir..."
Raka suddenly felt the mark on his hand burning.
The man continued.
"You have finally returned."
Laras pointed her sword at him.
"Who are you?"
The man did not answer Laras.
He only stared at Raka.
"Do you still remember me?"
Raka slowly shook his head.
"No."
The man's smile disappeared.
"Then... they truly sealed your memories."
The king stepped forward.
"Enough."
The man turned toward him.
"King of Arkapura."
His voice was cold.
"A thousand years have passed, yet this kingdom still continues to hide the truth."
Raka looked at the king.
"Your Majesty..."
The king did not answer. The man then raised his keris.
"The First Heir has returned."
The golden mark on Raka's hand shone even brighter. From inside the tomb came the sound of countless voices whispering at once.
"The heir..."
"The heir..."
"The heir..."
Raka took a step backward.
The man looked at him with an expression filled with sorrow.
"But this time..."
He tightened his grip on the keris.
"Do not let them kill you a second time."