Meanwhile, Arya slowly began to open his eyes. He had not fully regained consciousness. His vision was still blurry, and his head felt heavy, as if it needed time to recognize his surroundings again. He blinked several times, trying to adjust to the light. Little by little, the shapes in front of him grew clearer.
The first person he recognized was Rika. She was beside him, holding him up so he wouldn't fall again. One of her small hands gripped his arm tightly, as if she never wanted to leave him again. From this close, Arya could see that Rika looked a little worn out after everything they had been through. He was quiet for a moment. Once he was sure he was alert enough to speak, the corner of his mouth slowly lifted into a faint smile.
"I guess... we're even this time," he said in a weak voice.
His tone was soft and a little halting. Even though he was nowhere near recovered and his breathing was still uneven, he tried to lighten the mood with a joke. Rika froze for a moment when she heard it, then a faint smile appeared on her face. But beneath her tired expression, a blush was clearly rising on both her cheeks. She turned her face away a little, trying to avoid Arya's gaze.
"That makes a girl uncomfortable, you know," she said, sounding a little shy.
Rika tried to stay composed, but the red in her cheeks only made her attempt to hide her feelings more obvious. Her hand still held Arya's arm, while her face stayed turned to the other side. Seeing her reaction, Arya couldn't hold back his laughter. He chuckled softly, though the sound was weak and his breath was still ragged. His body didn't seem to have enough strength even for laughing.
"Sorry... I was just joking," he said between uneven breaths.
For a while, the two of them fell silent again. No conversation broke the quiet between them. Rika stayed by Arya's side, while Arya tried to steady his breathing. The mood, which had felt a little warm after their short exchange, slowly settled back into calm. But without any warning, Rika suddenly let go of him. Arya, who had been leaning on her for support, lost his balance at once. He didn't even have time to brace himself before his body simply dropped to the ground.
Thud!
The loud sound of the impact broke the silence. Arya winced, holding back the pain from his sudden fall. He lay there for a few moments, as if still trying to understand what had just happened, before finally lifting his head and looking at Rika in disbelief.
"Hey! What was that for?!" Arya shouted, groaning in pain.
Rika turned to him. She showed no sign of guilt at all, and the corner of her lips curved up slightly.
"Looks like you're well enough to make jokes like that," she answered casually.
Arya could only snort quietly at her words. He rubbed the part of his body that hurt, then let out a short sigh. Even though he was a little annoyed by how Rika had treated him, he knew she wasn't truly angry. There was a playful note in her words, as if Rika had deliberately paid back his joke in her own way. After a moment, Arya began to gather his strength to get up. He put his hand on the ground for support, then slowly pushed himself up. His movements were still unsteady. Even so, he tried to stand without asking for help again.
"I'm Arya Prawisandha," he said in a firm voice, with a smile on his face.
Arya stood in front of Rika. Although his body still looked exhausted and some of his movements were not yet steady, he tried to look as serious as possible. His eyes were fixed on her, as if he wanted to make sure that every word he was about to say would truly reach her.
"Just call me Arya. Would you like to be my friend?"
Those simple words hung in the air. There were no extra sentences or long explanations after them. Arya just stood there waiting for an answer, while the mood between them suddenly felt different. Rika went quiet. Her eyes widened slightly, as if she had never expected to hear a question like that. She looked at Arya for quite a while, trying to be sure she hadn't misunderstood him. A trace of doubt slowly appeared in her eyes. For a moment, she seemed to lose the ability to respond at all.
"Friend...?" she murmured, almost inaudibly.
The word left her lips so softly. Rika seemed to be trying to understand the meaning of an offer that felt strange to her. Arya nodded slightly. But when he realized Rika still hadn't answered, nervousness began to show on his face. He scratched the back of his head, glanced away for a moment, then looked back at her.
"If that's too sudden, I'm sorry. I just... I just—" He stopped mid-sentence, overcome with awkwardness.
Without realizing it, Rika's eyes began to well up. For a while, she just stood still, looking at Arya as he struggled to finish his sentence. She had no idea how long it had been since someone last offered her friendship. The feeling of being deeply moved came over her all at once, touching a part of her that had long been shut tight and empty. Arya's simple offer had awakened something she hadn't felt in a very long time. Rika quickly tried to hide the emotion showing on her face. She looked away for a moment, then put on the expression she usually wore. It was as if she didn't want Arya to realize how deeply his words had just touched her heart.
SMACK!
A blow landed right on Arya's head.
"Ow! Why did you hit me?" Arya complained, wincing. He instinctively held the spot where he had been hit, then looked at Rika in confusion.
"Because you talk too much," Rika answered.
Her tone was a little irritated. She didn't even explain her action any further. But her expression slowly changed. The corners of her lips began to rise into a smile that she no longer tried to hide. It looked simple, but it felt far warmer than the expression she had shown before.
"All right. We're friends," Rika said cheerfully.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, the royal carriage finally came to a stop right in front of Nagini. Nagini stayed where she was. Her eyes were fixed on the carriage now standing before her. The carved wooden door slowly swung open, revealing the many ornaments that decorated its surface. Carvings of coiling snakes blended with lotus flowers, forming a pattern that was beautiful and finely detailed. Every curve showed delicate craftsmanship, giving off a sense of grandeur and authority.
From behind the door, an elegant woman began to appear. She stepped down from the carriage with slow, measured steps. Her movements were calm, without a trace of hurry. Her long hair fell neatly, adorned with a beautiful arrangement of jasmine flowers. Her bluish garment, patterned in sea green, blended harmoniously, giving her an air of both grace and majesty. Every detail of her appearance seemed to show the rank and dignity that belonged to her. Even without doing anything excessive, her presence alone was enough to create its own pressure. An aura of power radiated from her, subtle yet strong and impossible to ignore.
The woman then turned her gaze to Nagini. For a moment, the two looked at each other in silence. The woman gave a faint smile before finally speaking. Her voice was soft and warm, but beneath that gentleness was an authority that made every word she spoke carry great weight.
"My daughter, Nagini..." the woman said.
At once, Nagini bowed her head, her eyes on the ground, as if she dared not look at the woman for long.
"M-Mother Queen..." Nagini replied, stammering. Her body trembled slightly. She had never expected that the one stepping out of the carriage would be the Queen herself.
She was the leader of the spirit beings of the Southern Sea, a ruler with immense rank and power in her realm. Her presence here could not be taken as an ordinary visit. Even more so, Nagini had never imagined meeting her in a situation like this. The Queen looked at Nagini for a moment. A faint smile touched her face, as if she were observing the changes in the figure standing before her. Her gaze then traveled over Nagini's appearance before returning to her face.
"You look more grown up," the Queen said with a thin smile. "Though your heart is as stubborn as ever."
The words sounded light, but they were enough to make it even harder for Nagini to hold her composure. She gave no reply and showed respect to the figure before her. Nagini didn't even dare raise her face to look at the Queen directly. The posture that had been so upright before had become far more restrained.
"What brings you here, Mother?" she asked quietly.
Her voice was almost trembling. She tried to keep calm, but her nervousness was still plain to see. The question was asked carefully, as if she already suspected that the Queen's arrival must be about something far more important than an ordinary meeting, while the Queen only looked at Nagini with a meaningful gaze.
"There is something that must be settled. And you, Nagini... you have crossed the line we agreed upon. You know what must be done, do you not?" the Queen answered with a gentle smile, her eyes on Nagini.
Hearing those words, Nagini kept her head bowed. She didn't try to argue or make excuses. It was as if she already understood exactly what the Queen was talking about. The Queen looked at her calmly once more before finally asking a question.
"You know what must be done, do you not?"