Adam lay still on the ground for several seconds. His eyes stayed open, but his mind needed time to catch up. The air around him felt different. It so pure, carried no smoke, no rain, and no heat. His body felt light. The noise of the explosion was gone. There was no ringing in his ears. No pain.
He pushed his hand against the ground. Grass brushed against his palm. Dry. Soft. He lifted himself slowly into a sitting position. His breath remained steady, but confusion filled every part of him.
The sky above him was bright. Clear blue. No trace of Jakarta's thick clouds. No sign of the storm he had been inside. He saw no buildings, no cables, no rooftops, and no roads. Only an open field and a line of tall trees in the distance.
Adam touched his chest and arms. No burns. No injuries. His clothes were completely dry. He looked at the ground around him. No debris. No marks of an explosion. No sign that anything violent happened here.
He closed his eyes and tried to recall the last moments. The truck. The pole. The sparks. The explosion. The light. The sensation of falling. His last words. Everything before this place was clear.
He opened his eyes again. The field remained unchanged. Silent. Still.
Adam then stood up slowly. His legs felt steady. His breathing was normal. He turned in a full circle to understand where he was. The field extended far in every direction. Trees formed a wall at the edges. The sunlight felt warm but gentle. Birds sang somewhere in the distance. The place looked peaceful, but he felt no familiarity.
He checked his pockets. His phone was still there. His wallet too. He pulled out the phone and pressed the power button. Nothing happened. It did not turn on. It felt like a dead piece of metal. He held the power button again for several seconds. No response.
He placed it back in his pocket.
He tried to think calmly. Maybe he survived and someone moved him? But it made no sense. He was inside a flooded street, surrounded by houses and people. The explosion was large. Even if rescue teams arrived, they could not bring him to a wide open field. And no part of Jakarta looked like this.
He said quietly, "Where am I?" felt confused.
His voice sounded sharp in the quiet space. The silence returned immediately.
Adam walked toward the nearest tree line. Each step confirmed that the ground was dry. The grass reached his ankles. The wind moved lightly. He felt no smoke or dust. He listened carefully for traffic, sirens, or human sounds. None existed.
He reached the trees. Their trunks were tall and straight. The leaves were broad and unfamiliar. He could not identify the species. The forest ahead looked dense. A faint trail ran between the trees. It appeared narrow but walkable. He followed it.
Inside the forest, the air grew cooler. Light filtered through the leaves. The trail continued for several minutes without turning. Adam kept his pace slow. He paid attention to every noise. Branches cracked under his shoes. Birds moved somewhere deeper inside. No other sounds appeared.
After a while, he reached a small clearing. A shallow pond sat at the center. The water was clear. He stepped closer and knelt down. He wanted to see if his face looked injured.
When he looked at his reflection, he froze.
It was him. But not exactly.
His face looked younger. The lines around his eyes were softer. The slight puffiness he always had from long workdays was gone. His facial hair looked neater. Even the tiredness he usually carried in his expression was missing.
He touched his cheek and watched the reflection repeat the movement. His hands trembled slightly.
"This is impossible," he said quietly.
He leaned closer to the water. Thin, glowing lines ran faintly across the back of his hands. Not bright, but visible when the sun hit them. They disappeared when he relaxed his fingers, then appeared again when he tensed.
He stood up fast and stepped away from the pond. His heart beat faster. His breath stayed controlled, but his mind raced through explanations. None made sense.
He looked around again. This place looked too natural to be a hospital garden or a remote evacuation point. It had no sign of human presence. No tools, no shelters, no footprints, no sound of vehicles.
Adam held his forehead and tried to think straight.
He said a short prayer under his breath. His voice sounded steady. After the prayer ended, he felt a slight vibration in the air. Light shimmered around his fingers for a second. It faded quickly. He stared at his hand in disbelief.
He stayed still for a long moment. His mind refused to accept anything supernatural, but the evidence sat right in front of him.
He turned back to the trail. Standing there would solve nothing. He needed to find people. Even one person. Even a sign of human activity. Anything familiar.
He followed the trail deeper into the forest. Minutes passed. Then more. The air stayed quiet. The forest floor remained dry. He walked with steady steps, checking both sides of the path for danger.
After some time, he heard something new. A faint sound. Not from nature. A human voice. It came from far ahead. Adam stopped. He listened carefully. The sound came again. It was soft but clear enough to be speech.
His heart lightened. He walked faster toward the source. The voice grew louder. Several voices joined. They spoke in a language he did not recognize, yet the tone sounded calm.
He pushed through a final cluster of branches and reached the edge of a forest opening.
A small village stood ahead.
Simple houses made of wood and stone. Smoke rose from a few chimneys. People moved between homes carrying baskets. Children ran near a well. The villagers wore clothing that did not resemble anything from modern Jakarta. Tunics. Simple belts. Soft leather shoes.
They looked peaceful. Busy. Normal.
Adam stood at the forest edge, unsure of his next move. He listened again. The villagers spoke with each other. The language was unfamiliar, but somehow he felt he could understand pieces of it. He tested a word quietly. It matched a sound they used.
He felt his pulse increase. Confusion and relief mixed in his chest.
For the first time since the explosion, he accepted something silently.
He was far from Jakarta.
Farther than anything he could explain.
The silence he woke into was no accident.
And nothing about this world was familiar.