Then a voice echoed softly inside his mind, gentle, yet weighty enough to cut through the stillness. "It seems your friends are starting to worry."
Kaivan jolted. His eyes flew open as he turned toward the table where the Tome Omnicent rested, as if waiting. Something about it felt different.
He sat upright, rubbing his face. "Why can you speak now?" he asked quietly, still half-dazed.
The Tome did not move, yet the voice returned, calm and certain. "Once you placed that crystal, I began to awaken. Like a toy that has finally been given a battery."
Kaivan blinked slowly. He remembered the incident at Radio Malabar, the crystal. He hadn't expected it to trigger something like this.
"So you're fully conscious now?"
"My awareness has always been here," the voice replied, elegant and clear. "But now I can move more freely. From the beginning, I simply followed your will."
Kaivan pressed his fingers against his temples, his breath heavy. "I still don't know what your plan is. I've only been following everything you wrote."
Silence fell for a brief moment. Then the voice returned, gentler yet far more compelling.
"Didn't you say, 'I just want to help the people around me. I don't want to be apathetic anymore'? That was your wish, wasn't it?"
Kaivan nodded slowly. He had said that, but everything now felt so much larger, more complicated.
"Then… what am I supposed to tell them? Your answers only confuse me more."
The voice sharpened, now carrying a clear resolve. "Gather them. I will explain it myself. But remember, speaking drains my energy. I can only do it for a short while."
Kaivan stared at the book in silence. Tonight, everything would change, not only for him, but for everyone who had walked beside him.
As the sun sank behind the mountains, Kaivan stepped out of his room. The villa felt cold and dim, warm yellow lights flickering softly along the corridor. His steps were slow, burdened by something unseen.
On the terrace, his friends were already gathered. Their earlier chatter had quieted to a tense stillness. Raphael leaned against the wooden railing, looking at Kaivan with questioning eyes. Zinnia and Felicia sat side by side, exchanging uncertain glances. Radit stood with his back against the wall, arms crossed, trying to hide his unease.
Kaivan stopped at the center of the terrace, meeting each of their gazes. He drew a short breath. "Can we meet at the hot spring in front of the villa? There's something I need to talk about."
His tone was calm, yet deep. The request sounded almost like an order. No one refused. They all knew, tonight would change everything.
The hot spring outside the villa was shrouded in thin, drifting mist that swayed in the cold mountain air. The natural water emitted a gentle warmth, contrasting with the heavy mystery of the night. Lanterns around the pool cast shimmering reflections across the surface, creating a peace that felt far too fragile to be real.
Kaivan had entered the water first. Half-submerged up to his chest, he leaned his head against the warm ceramic edge, eyes closed as the heat slowly eased the tension in his muscles, gathering his thoughts before anything else.
Footsteps rustled over the grass. When Kaivan opened his eyes, the others were already standing at the edge of the pool, still fully dressed, their expressions a mix of confusion and irritation.
Radit spoke first, his tone sharp. "Why are you soaking in there, Kaivan?"
Kaivan met his gaze calmly. "I should be the one asking. Didn't I say we'd talk while soaking?"
A brief silence drifted between them. Felicia folded her arms, glaring. Zinnia let out a quiet sigh. Raphael and Radit exchanged a look, while Isabel hovered behind them, nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.
Raphael finally spoke, his voice flat. "This is a serious discussion. Not the time to relax."
Kaivan shrugged, the water rippling around him. "Exactly why we need to relax. Trust me, it's better than a cold room."
Radit exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine… This is stupid. But I'm not going to be the only one still dressed." He left to change.
The others followed. Zinnia wrapped an arm around Isabel and whispered, "It's fine. Not the first time, right?" Isabel nodded hesitantly.
When they returned and slipped into the water, the atmosphere shifted. The warm steam slowly melted the tension from their faces. They settled in a loose circle around Kaivan, silence flowing gently between them.
Kaivan drew a long breath. The air felt heavy with expectation and fear. He opened his eyes, looking at each of them in turn, and spoke softly, yet with weight.
"Before you ask anything… I'll start from the beginning."
That night, amidst the rising steam and the quiet glow of lanterns, no one laughed. No one whispered. Only breath, warmth, and a single truth waiting to be revealed.
The hot spring outside the villa shimmered under thin swirls of steam dancing in the mountain air. The sky was a deep, moonless blue, scattered with faint stars. The wind rustled the trees, its soft rhythm blending with the gentle ripples of water.