The alley fell silent again.
But this time—
it didn't feel empty.
It felt watched.
Arga still held the box.
Heavy.
Not because of its weight—
but because of what it represented.
Sinta stood beside him, alert and focused, scanning the rooftops and shadows.
Bimo slowly pushed himself to his feet.
"...I'm never eating random food again."
No one laughed.
Arga crouched and carefully placed the box on the ground.
"We need to know what's inside."
Sinta nodded.
"Before they use it on someone else."
Arga slowly opened the lid.
The smell hit immediately.
Sharp.
Bitter.
Rotten.
Bimo recoiled.
"Yeah... that's definitely not food."
Inside were several dark packages arranged in neat rows.
Too neat.
Too deliberate.
Too wrong.
Arga picked one up and turned it over.
Then he carefully peeled part of the wrapper open.
Inside was something fried.
At least, it looked fried.
Dry.
Dark.
Almost lifeless.
"Look at this."
Sinta pointed to a printed label.
Clean.
Professional.
Intentional.
ULTRA SNACK X
Below it were smaller words:
Instant Energy Formula — Trial Generation
Silence settled over the alley.
"...Trial?" Arga murmured.
Sinta's expression darkened.
"They're testing something."
Bimo frowned.
"Testing it on who?"
No one answered.
The answer was obvious.
At the very bottom of the box lay a black card.
Arga picked it up.
A fractured lightning symbol was printed across the surface.
Jagged.
Unstable.
Beneath it were two words.
JUNK DOMINION
The air seemed to grow colder.
Bimo read the name slowly.
"...Dominion."
Arga stared at the card.
Then something clicked into place.
"They're not just making food."
A pause.
"They're manufacturing power."
No one spoke.
Because it made too much sense.
Arga clenched his fist.
"Our power feels alive."
Sinta nodded.
"Balanced."
Bimo looked back at the box.
"This feels wrong."
"Because it is," Arga replied.
"They're forcing it."
He looked at the packages again.
"They want the power."
Another pause.
"They don't care what it does to people."
The realization settled heavily between them.
Finally, Arga stood.
"We're not taking this back yet."
Sinta frowned.
"What?"
"If we hand it over now, they'll hide everything."
Bimo crossed his arms.
"So what's the plan?"
Arga's eyes sharpened.
"We use it."
"...As bait?" Sinta asked.
Arga nodded.
"They want this box."
"Then we make them come to us."
Bimo stared at him.
"...You know that's dangerous, right?"
"It is."
Arga didn't look away.
"But hiding won't stop them."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Sinta stepped forward.
"Okay."
Bimo sighed dramatically.
"Yeah."
He pointed at both of them.
"I knew you were going to say that."
Then—
a voice echoed through the alley.
"...Too late."
All three froze.
Footsteps followed.
Slow.
Measured.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
More than one person.
Sinta immediately tensed.
"They're here."
Shadows stretched across the alley wall.
One.
Two.
Three.
And then—
the man from before stepped into view.
His faint smile never changed.
"You're learning."
Arga closed the box.
The energy inside him rose.
But unlike before, it didn't explode wildly.
It steadied.
Focused.
The man seemed pleased.
"Good."
He took another step forward.
"That saves time."
His eyes settled on the box.
"Give it back."
Arga didn't move.
Instead, he lifted the black card.
"Junk Dominion."
For the first time, the man's smile paused.
Only slightly.
"So you found it."
Arga held his gaze.
"You're testing people."
"Those who survive become like you."
Silence.
Then the smile returned.
"Close."
A pause.
"But not quite."
He raised a hand.
"Show them."
The two men behind him stepped forward.
At first, nothing happened.
Then their bodies changed.
Not dramatically.
Subtly.
But wrong.
Their movements became sharper.
More rigid.
Almost mechanical.
As if something inside them was forcing every action.
Bimo took a step backward.
"...They're like us."
Arga shook his head.
"No."
His eyes narrowed.
"They're unstable."
The air grew heavier.
Pressure built around them.
The man spread his arms slightly.
"Our power is efficient."
"No hesitation."
"No weakness."
Sinta's gaze hardened.
"No balance."
The man's smile widened.
"Balance slows people down."
His eyes sharpened.
"Power doesn't wait."
Then he moved.
The two men charged forward.
Fast.
Dangerously fast.
"Bimo—right side!" Arga shouted.
"Got it!"
Bimo burst into motion, circling wide.
Sinta jumped.
Precise.
Controlled.
Intercepting from above.
Arga stepped forward.
Not faster.
Smarter.
The first collision came hard.
BANG!
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Arga barely held his position.
The opponent pushed harder.
Wild.
Aggressive.
Desperate.
"He's too strong!" Bimo yelled.
"No."
Arga gritted his teeth.
"He's out of control."
The moment the attack overextended—
Arga shifted.
Redirected the force.
The opponent stumbled.
Only for a second.
But it was enough.
Sinta dropped from above.
THUD!
The impact shattered their formation.
Bimo surged in immediately.
Fast.
Controlled.
Together, they forced the attackers back.
The momentum shifted.
For the first time—
the advantage belonged to them.
The man watched quietly.
Not angry.
Not surprised.
Calculating.
"...Adaptation confirmed."
Arga stepped back, breathing harder now.
"This was never random."
His eyes locked onto the man.
"You're selecting people."
"Testing them."
"Building something."
The man didn't deny it.
"...Of course."
A pause.
"And you're part of it."
Arga's jaw tightened.
"We're not yours."
The man's smile returned.
"You already are."
Then the pressure changed.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
The man stepped forward.
Stronger.
More dangerous.
Enough to make even Sinta hesitate.
His voice dropped.
"Enough testing."
Another step.
"This time..."
His eyes locked onto Arga.
"...we take you."
The alley seemed to shrink around them.
Bimo swallowed.
"...This is bad."
Sinta's muscles tensed.
"Arga..."
But Arga didn't move.
The energy inside him settled.
Not wild.
Not afraid.
Controlled.
For the first time, it felt truly his.
He looked directly at the man.
And stepped forward.
"...No."
Silence.
The symbol inside his lunch box suddenly flashed.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Arga froze.
A new grain of rice began forming beside the others.
The man's smile disappeared.
For the first time—
he looked genuinely surprised.