Thivi and Zinnia lay side by side, their bodies still carrying the gentle warmth from the hot springs. Yet Thivi's mind refused to drift into sleep. Ever since the incident at the Malabar radio station, one question kept circling inside her head.
In the quiet darkness, she drew a slow breath and murmured, almost timidly,
"Zinnia... back then, when you pretended to be affected by Omnidream... what were you really thinking? Did you truly want... Kaivan to touch you?"
Zinnia's body stiffened. The question caught her breath in place. She kept her gaze on the wall, as if hiding an expression that couldn't even be seen in the dark.
Several seconds of silence passed before she finally replied. Her voice trembled slightly, though she tried to sound calm.
"Of course... I was only pretending," she said, each word separated by a pause a little too long. "There's no way I'd imagine something like that with my own friend."
But her tone held something else, a faint quiver, leaving space for an answer left unsaid.
Thivi, who knew her all too well, only smiled softly in the darkness. She didn't respond, letting the silence speak far more honestly than words ever could. She knew Zinnia had never shown interest in Kaivan, or at least, not openly.
Morning at the villa felt far calmer than the night before. The laughter and mischief had faded, replaced by everyone's quiet preparations.
Raphael, expression serious, checked their gear and weapons. Isabel zipped her backpack with one firm pull, then scanned the room to make sure nothing was left behind.
Zinnia stood near the window, her gaze drifting far into the distance. Her eyes looked a little tired, yet there was a certain softness in her silence. The memory of last night, whispered laughter, warmth beneath the blankets, still lingered in her chest. She smiled faintly, exhaling long and slow before turning away to finish packing.
At the doorway, Kaivan stood with his hands in his jacket pockets. Morning light caught his eyes, reflecting the mountain landscape stretching across the horizon. The air was still cold, though slowly warming. He drew a deep breath, letting the crisp oxygen fill his lungs before releasing it. Many things weighed on his mind, especially the project he still hadn't finished. But this morning, he simply wanted a moment of peace.
Once everything was packed and nothing forgotten, they left the cabin. Their footsteps moved in unison, crunching over dried leaves along the narrow path. A soft breeze lifted strands of Zinnia's and Isabel's hair, creating a cinematic contrast with their calm expressions. Few words were exchanged, only small glances and faint smiles holding quiet meaning.
Frans was already in the driver's seat. He started the engine, its gentle hum breaking the stillness of the morning. "Alright, let's head home," he said lightly as he shifted gears.
Kaivan took the front seat while the others settled in the back. His eyes focused on the road, though his mind clearly wandered elsewhere. He touched his chin, then finally spoke without turning. "Like it or not, I need to finish that device."
Frans glanced at him briefly. "What device exactly?" he asked, calm but curious.
"A tool that can read text and turn it into voice. Something like a fusion of OCR and TTS," Kaivan replied, his tone steady but thoughtful.
From the back, Isabel leaned forward. "You mean that design you showed us on the whiteboard?"
Kaivan nodded. "Yeah, that one. The tech exists, what I need now is time and funding to pull it together."
Zinnia raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "How much funding are we talking about?"
Kaivan opened the Tome Omnicent he carried everywhere. Morning light ran across its pages as he flipped through them. "Around fifty-eight million… up to one hundred and twenty million rupiah."
For a moment, tension filled the car. Then,
"WHAAAAT?!"
The shout erupted from the back seats all at once. Frans choked in surprise, while Isabel and Zinnia stared at each other in disbelief.
Frans burst into laughter, gripping the wheel while glancing at Kaivan through the mirror. "You're gonna sell all your gold just for that device?! You're insane!"
Isabel leaned back with her arms crossed, eyes sparkling. "With that kind of money, you could build your own mini-lab, you know!"
Kaivan shrugged calmly. "Yeah. But I want the Tome Omnicent to speak again."
That sentence softened their laughter. Raphael, who had been silent all this time, finally looked up. "Are you sure that device can do it? A Tome isn't a normal book."
Kaivan glanced back at them, eyes filled with quiet conviction. "If it works, it won't be just for me. It'll help a lot of people."
Zinnia looked out the window as trees swept past the glass. "If we're really going through with this… where will the rest of the money come from?"
Silence answered first. Then Kaivan lowered his gaze slightly. "I don't know yet. But as long as we keep collecting gold from old phones… maybe we'll reach it someday."
Between the hum of the engine and the cool scent of morning air, one thing felt certain, their dream was still far away, but their resolve was real. The car continued forward, carrying their conversation, their laughter, and a small, steady spark of hope.