The long corridor suddenly turned into a battlefield. Lasers flashed from the walls. The sound of grinding machinery came from under the floor. Guard robots with red eyes began to emerge, moving quickly, firing stinging laser beams.
The five teenagers immediately scattered. They didn't yet know the purpose of all this, but one thing was clear: they had to survive.
At first, they just tried to avoid the attacks. Nadhyfa ran in a zigzag pattern, while continuously shouting, "IS THIS A SECRET AGENT ENTRANCE EXAM OR A GAME AGAINST THE KING OF SPADES?!"
But the robots showed no signs of letting up.
"We have to fight," said Radhif, clenching his fists.
Radhif stepped forward first. With his strong body and reflexes honed from various adventures, he began punching the robots with his bare hands. He didn't care that his hands were starting to get scraped. He only cared about one thing: protecting his friends.
"Dhoost! Attack! Quick!" he yelled.
Dhoost immediately understood. He jumped forward, attacking the robots that had been momentarily halted by Radhif. His movements were quick and precise, like someone already trained. He used the small item he had taken from Dzoavha as an improvised weapon.
Radhif held the line.
Dhoost attacked.
They were an unexpected duo,the mainstay in this mechanical storm.
Nadhyfa, who was usually just talkative and cheerful, now joined the fray. She didn't want to be just a spectator. She took one of the devices from Dzoavha's bag, a low-voltage electro-shock device, and started attacking the robots that tried to get close to her.
Now there were three of them.
A trio that fought back.
A trio that held their ground.
Meanwhile, Ryn stood leaning in the corner. Now with a cigarette in his hand, though unlit.
But when one of the lasers nearly hit him,he pointed the tip of the cigarette at the beam. A brief spark, and the cigarette lit.
Expressionless, he took a long drag. His eyes remained fixed on the battle. Though he looked relaxed, he was observing every detail. Every movement. Every opportunity.
Amid the chaos, Dzoavha remained calm. He moved quickly, approached one of the downed robots and started dismantling its system. All while dodging the laser beams from the walls.
"I need time... just a little more time..." he murmured, his fingers nimbly typing on a small screen.
However, fighting for so long began to drain their energy. Radhif, who had been the vanguard from the start, finally went down. His body fell from taking too many hits.
The robots immediately took advantage of the opening. They surrounded Radhif, Dhoost, and Nadhyfa.
They were cornered.
Seeing his friends in danger, Ryn finally stood up. He put out his cigarette, then raised the small screwdriver he had been holding since earlier.
And with one throw...
Bullseye.
The screwdriver lodged itself in the head of one of the robots. Its system immediately shut down.
But that wasn't all that happened.
The other attacking robots suddenly turned around and started running towards Ryn.
Ryn, surprised, jumped back. He didn't understand what was happening.
"I... did it," said Dzoavha, standing in the middle of the corridor. His hand still held the small device he used to hack the robot's system.
The robot he had hacked was the key. Now, he could control one robot, and that robot had been released from their system's control. He ordered it to attack the other robots.
And now, the battle was over.
Everyone fell silent. Their breaths were still ragged. Their bodies were tired. But they were safe.
Nadhyfa let out a small laugh. "Is this what they call an entrance exam? I like it!"
Radhif smiled weakly. "I like it too... if it didn't drain so much energy."
Dhoost let out a long sigh. "This is just the beginning."
And Ryn? He just gave a faint smile. "I like this screwdriver."
Just as they were about to rest for a moment, the large door at the end of the corridor opened.
From inside emerged the same silhouette they had seen on the phone the previous night.
This time,it wasn't speaking through a screen.
It stood before them.
And spoke with the same voice:
"Welcome, Five Pillars."
The narrow, cold corridor began to feel warm with the presence of the silhouette. He stepped slowly, but firmly. He was tall, with an athletic build, his long hair flowing softly under the white lights on the ceiling.
He wore a modern black suit with bright red accents, a futuristic design that signaled he was no ordinary person.
When he reached them, he smiled lightly.
"My name is Agent Kodratama Sebastian. Welcome to PILAR; the Protective Independent League of Area and Residents."
The five teenagers looked at each other. No one spoke for a few seconds.
Until finally...
Nadhyfa stepped forward first, her eyes shining like a child who had just entered a playground.
"So... this is really a secret agency? I'm not dreaming? And this is an entrance test? We had to fight robots first? And are you going to say we passed?"
Dzoavha immediately stopped Nadhyfa from going further.
"Nad,be patient... sorry, Sir Agent," he said, holding back Nadhyfa who still wanted to ask more.
But Agent Kodrat just laughed softly.
"Relax. I was once like you all. Endless energy, and full of questions. So I understand."
Nadhyfa smiled contentedly. Dzoavha could only sigh.
Agent Kodrat walked slowly, signaling for them to follow. They walked along the corridor towards a large room at the end.
As they walked, he explained,
"PILAR is an independent agency formed to protect Maykarta. Not just from physical threats, but also digital, supernatural, even threats that cannot yet be categorized as from humans or machines."
They listened seriously.
"And in PILAR," he continued, "every member has a role. Their part in the team during missions."
Nadhyfa frowned. "Role?"
Agent Kodrat smiled. "Yes. There are five main roles in PILAR."
"The first is Anchor, tasked with holding off attacks and being the front line."
"Second is Shadow, tasked with infiltration and being a silent assassin."
"Third, Marksman. The sharpshooter, controlling the battlefield from a distance."
"Fourth, Techno. The technology expert, hacker, and electronic controller."
"And the last is Support, tasked with being the medic, strategist, and field coordinator."
After explaining everything, he paused, then said,
"And I can already see...which role each of you will fit into."
They all fell silent. Their eyes began to shine with a deeper curiosity.
The underground corridors seemed endless. They passed several security checkpoints, a secret elevator that went deep underground, until they finally arrived at a large room.
The iron door slid open slowly. Cold air greeted them. Inside, a dim blue light enveloped the entire room. In the center, a large pentagon-shaped table was the focal point.
Four people stood there. Each at their own side of the table.
Agent Kodrat walked slowly, then stopped at the fifth side of the table.
"Welcome to the Hall of Five Pillars."
In a calm yet firm voice, Agent Kodrat introduced them one by one.
Kodratama Sebastian – Anchor
"I am the Anchor,the one who holds the line, the unshakable vanguard."
He wore a modern black suit with bright red accents, his long hair flowing freely. His posture was upright, his aura of leadership palpable.
Javar Nakai – Shadow
"My name is Javar Nakai.I am the Shadow, the infiltrator who is never seen."
A slim man with long, fiery red hair. His suit was silver with black accents, like a shadow hard to catch with the eye.
Miftah Theeverkoper – Marksman
"I am Miftah Theeverkoper,head of the Marksman role."
He wore a dark cloak with yellow accents, a head covering resembling a blangkon that made him look like a legendary hunter. His eyes were sharp, full of focus.
Clarissa Meshica – Techno
"I am Clarissa Meshica,head of the Techno role."
A woman with long hair in a ponytail and a headset on her ear. She smiled faintly, but her eyes were full of information. Her hands were nimble even just from glancing at data.
Wayne Ironi – Support
"And I am Wayne Ironi,head of the Support role."
His body was sturdy, his face calm, his posture seeming to guarantee he could keep the team alive even in a hellish battlefield.
The five teenagers looked at each other. They were no longer ordinary high school students. They stood before the elite of a secret agency they had never even heard of before.
But the atmosphere of awe didn't last long. The department heads began asking questions.
"What is your purpose in coming here?" asked Agent Javar.
"Why did you follow the invitation?" continued Agent Clarissa.
"Are you ready to leave your normal lives behind?" added Agent Miftah.
"Are you ready to remain silent, even to your families?" stated Agent Ironi.
Question after question was thrown at them. Lying was not allowed. Dzoavha answered technically. Ryn answered briefly. Nadhyfa answered spontaneously. Radhif answered with conviction. Dhoost answered with certainty.
They didn't realize they were being tested yet again.
After all the questions were finished, Agent Clarissa spoke.
"Since you already know too much about PILAR,you must also abide by our rules."
Agent Miftah continued.
"You cannot tell anyone.Parents, siblings, friends... not even your partners."
Agent Javar added in a low voice.
"And once you enter our system...you cannot leave. The only way out of PILAR is to be erased."
Silence.
The air felt heavier.
Nadhyfa wanted to laugh because it sounded like a joke. But seeing the expressions of the four department heads, she knew this was deadly serious.
Agent Kodrat stepped forward into the center of the room again.
"I ask you once more...are you ready to join PILAR?"
The five teenagers looked at each other.
Radhif nodded firmly.
Ryn grinned.
Nadhyfa gave a thumbs up.
Dzoavha looked at the pentagon table with a confident gaze.
Dhoost closed his eyes for a moment,then opened them again.
Then they said in unison,
"READY!"
TO BE CONTINUED...