DUM!
The door to the tomb chamber slammed shut. Raka immediately turned around. He then ran toward the door and tried to push it open.
"Open!"
But the stone door did not move even slightly.
Raka struck its surface with his fist.
"Open, damn it!"
Laras immediately grabbed his arm.
"Raka, stop!"
"Why?"
"That door won't open through ordinary force."
Raka stared at her.
"Then how do we open it?"
Laras did not answer.
Then, from inside the tomb chamber, the sound of cracking stone echoed once again.
KRAK...
One of the stone coffins near the wall began to open. Its lid slowly shifted before falling to the floor.
BRAK!
Black mist poured out from inside the coffin. Raka immediately stepped backward.
"What is that?"
The King raised his sword.
"Don't approach it."
A hand emerged from inside the coffin. It looked like a skeleton covered in black shadows. Its fingers moved slowly before gripping the edge of the coffin.
Laras immediately stood in front of Raka.
"Your Majesty, that isn't a tomb guardian."
The King stared at the coffin.
"It isn't."
"Then what is it?"
The King did not answer.
The hand then pulled the rest of its body out. The figure wore ancient soldier's armor. However, parts of its body looked like black smoke. Its face had no eyes only two glowing purple lights where its eyes should have been.
Raka swallowed nervously.
"An undead?"
The creature raised its head.
"The heir..."
Its voice sounded deep and layered.
Raka stepped backward.
"Why does everyone keep calling me that?"
The creature then raised the old sword still hanging at its waist.
"The heir must... be returned..."
Laras immediately moved.
"Raka, get back!"
She swung her sword at the creature.
CLANG!
Laras's sword collided with the creature's ancient blade. The impact released blue light that spread across the floor. The creature pushed Laras several steps backward.
Raka was shocked.
"Laras!"
"I'm fine!"
The creature raised its sword again. But before it could attack, the mysterious man standing near the door suddenly moved. In an instant, he was already standing before the creature. The keris in his hand slashed toward the creature's chest.
SRAAAK!
Golden light pierced through its body. The creature released a horrifying sound before its body broke apart into black mist.
Raka stared at the man in shock.
"You..."
The man did not turn around.
"Don't let them out."
Raka immediately looked toward the other coffins. One by one, their lids began to shift.
KRAK...
KRAK...
KRAK...
Laras raised her sword.
"Your Majesty, there are too many of them!"
The King looked at all the coffins beginning to open.
"They are not the ones we need to fight."
Raka immediately turned toward him.
"Then who?"
The King looked at the mysterious man.
"Him."
The man slowly turned around.
"Finally, you've said it."
Raka stared at the King.
"What does that mean?"
The King pointed his sword at the man.
"He is not a tomb guardian."
Laras looked shocked.
"Your Majesty?"
The King then spoke firmly.
"He is the one who broke this seal."
The man gave a faint smile.
"This seal had already begun to crack when Raka arrived."
"But you were the one who accelerated it."
"Because I couldn't let them take him again."
Raka frowned.
"Take who?"
The man looked directly at Raka.
"You."
Raka pointed at himself.
"Why does everyone treat me like I'm an object?"
No one answered.
Suddenly, one of the creatures from the coffins leaped toward Raka.
Laras immediately slashed at it.
SRAK!
The creature was thrown backward, but it did not break apart. Its body reformed from the black mist.
Laras was startled.
"They can recover!"
The King raised his hand.
"Use light."
"Light?"
"Ordinary attacks won't stop them."
Laras tightened her grip on her sword. Blue light began to envelop the blade. She then charged toward the creature.
SRAAAK!
The blue-light slash struck the creature's body. This time, the black mist surrounding it began to disappear. The creature fell and did not move again.
Raka stared at Laras's sword.
"So your sword can do that?"
"There are many things you still don't know."
"Yes. I'm starting to realize that."
Meanwhile, more and more creatures emerged from the stone coffins. Some carried swords, spears, and ancient shields. Several of them even wore small crowns on their heads. Raka then noticed one figure that was different from the others.
The creature did not attack. It simply stood behind a coffin, staring at Raka with purple light glowing in its eyes.
Then, it knelt.
"The First Heir..."
All the other creatures in the room immediately stopped. One by one, they lowered their heads.
"The First Heir has returned."
Raka froze.
"Why are they kneeling?"
The mysterious man looked at Raka.
"Because they recognize you."
"No. They recognize the person who looks like me."
The King suddenly shouted.
"Don't listen to them!"
Raka immediately turned toward him.
"Why?"
"Because they no longer possess their own will."
The kneeling figure slowly raised its head.
"Heir... open the gate..."
Raka stepped backward.
"I'm not opening anything!"
The creature suddenly stood up and raised its hand. All the other creatures immediately began to move. They were no longer attacking the King or Laras. Instead, they all walked toward Raka.
Laras immediately stood in front of him.
"Don't come any closer!"
But there were too many of them.
The King then looked at Raka.
"Listen to me. Don't let the mark on your hand fully awaken."
Raka looked at his hand.
The golden mark was indeed growing brighter.
"How do I stop it?"
"Use your will."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"Imagine the mark going out."
Raka closed his eyes and tried to concentrate.
But the harder he tried, the stronger the light became. The creatures drew closer, while Laras continued holding them back.
"Raka! Hurry!"
"I'm trying!"
Suddenly, the woman's voice rang out again.
"Do not fight the mark."
Raka immediately opened his eyes.
"Then what should I do?"
"Let it remember."
Raka shook his head.
"No. I don't want to remember everything!"
"If you continue rejecting it, they will use your body."
Raka stared at the approaching creatures.
"What?"
"The heirloom does not merely awaken your memories."
The woman's voice sounded closer than ever.
"It also awakens something that was buried with you."
Raka suddenly felt his head throbbing.
"What was buried?"
But the voice did not answer.
Suddenly, one of the creatures managed to get past Laras and lunged at Raka.
Raka instinctively raised his hand.
Golden light exploded from his body.
BUUUUM!
All the creatures were thrown against the walls.
Laras was also pushed backward.
The King drove his sword into the floor to keep himself from falling. Even the mysterious man looked shocked. Suddenly, Raka stood in the middle of the golden light. But this time, the light did not only emerge from his hand. The same symbol began spreading across his neck, chest, and the side of his face.
Raka immediately grabbed his body.
"What's happening...?"
From inside his head, another man's voice could be heard. The same voice as the man in the batik-patterned robe.
"Do not let them awaken you."
Raka fell silent.
"Who is awakening me?"
The voice answered quietly.
"Not them."
The golden light grew brighter.
"But you."
Raka then saw the shadow of a man standing behind him. The man had the exact same face as Raka, but wore ancient clothing and carried a bloodstained keris.
Raka immediately turned around.
"Who are you?"
The shadow did not answer.
It only raised its keris.
All the creatures in the tomb chamber immediately knelt. The King stared at the shadow with a pale face.
"No..."
Laras turned toward the King.
"Your Majesty?"
The King tightened his grip on his sword.
"He's beginning to awaken."
Raka immediately looked at the King.
"Who is beginning to awaken?"
The King did not answer.
The shadow then leaned toward Raka's ear.
"Do not trust them."
Raka froze.
The words were exactly the same as those written in his notebook. But before Raka could ask anything, the shadow suddenly thrust its keris into Raka's chest.
SRAK!
Raka screamed.
"AAAAH!"
Golden light exploded once again. The entire chamber filled with the sound of cracking stone.
And from inside Raka's body came a voice that did not belong to a human.
"The Nusantara Gate..."
"Has chosen its master."
The King immediately shouted.
"Laras! Take Raka away now!"
Laras quickly ran toward him.
But the mysterious man stood between them.
"No."
The King glared at him.
"Move."
"If he leaves now, the gate will open completely."
Raka remained on his knees, clutching his chest. His breathing was ragged.
Laras then looked at the mysterious man.
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
The man looked at Raka sadly.
"Kill him before his memories return completely."
Laras froze.
The King immediately raised his sword.
"Don't you dare touch him."
The man tightened his grip on his keris.
"Then you will all witness that war repeating itself."
Raka slowly raised his head.
"No..."
Everyone immediately looked at him. Raka then struggled to his feet. Golden light still enveloped his body.
"I won't let anyone kill me."
The marks across his body shone even brighter.
"Not a second time."
At that exact moment, all the doors to the tomb chamber began to open. From beyond them came the whispers of thousands of people.
"The First Heir has returned."