The location—
looked normal.
Too normal.
A small school.
Morning had just begun.
Students walked through the gate.
Laughter.
Footsteps.
Voices overlapping.
Nothing broken.
Nothing wrong.
Nothing—
yet.
"…this is it?"
Bimo frowned.
"…it looks completely fine."
Lila didn't look up from her tablet.
"…signal's here."
A pause.
"…but it's weak."
Sinta's eyes narrowed.
"…then it hasn't started."
Silence.
That should've been good news.
But Arga stepped forward.
"…then we're right on time."
Something about that—
felt off.
They moved inside.
Clean hallways.
Normal voices.
Ordinary life.
No panic.
No collapse.
No enemy.
"…Arga."
Sinta's voice lowered.
"…we might be early."
He didn't slow down.
"…that's the point."
They reached a classroom.
A boy sat at his desk.
Still.
Too still.
Lila whispered—
"…there."
The signal—
was coming from him.
Rani stepped forward immediately.
"…wait—"
Arga raised his hand.
She stopped.
"…not yet."
The boy looked up.
Confused.
"…are you guys… new?"
Bimo blinked.
"…uh…"
Arga stepped closer.
"…have you eaten anything?"
The boy nodded slowly.
"…yeah… just breakfast…"
Sinta stepped in.
"…what kind?"
"…a snack… someone gave it outside…"
Silence.
That was it.
The moment—
before everything breaks.
Arga's eyes sharpened.
"…when?"
"…just now."
Too early.
Too soon.
The energy hadn't erupted yet.
It was still inside him.
Growing.
Waiting.
"…we can stabilize him."
Rani stepped forward again.
This time—
Arga didn't stop her.
Not immediately.
The boy shifted in his seat.
A small movement.
Barely anything.
But—
Arga felt it.
A flicker.
Inside.
Tiny.
Unstable.
Alive.
Rani reached out.
"…we still can—"
The boy looked at her.
Confused.
A little scared.
"…am I… in trouble?"
Silence.
One second.
Two.
Arga's hand—
didn't move.
Not yet.
The energy flickered again.
Stronger.
Closer.
Savable.
"…Arga."
Sinta's voice was low.
"…we can stop it."
Rani took one more step.
"…please."
For a moment—
just one moment—
it was still a choice.
Arga inhaled.
Slow.
Measured.
Then—
his eyes changed.
Gone.
GRAB.
The boy froze.
"…h-hey—what are you—"
The energy sparked.
Just once.
That was enough.
"…I won't be late again."
THUD.
Silence.
No explosion.
No surge.
No chaos.
Nothing.
Because it never got the chance.
The boy's body collapsed.
Still.
Too still.
"…no…"
Rani dropped beside him.
Hands shaking.
"…hey… hey…"
Nothing.
"…wake up…"
Nothing.
Bimo stepped back.
Slow.
"…he didn't even…"
He couldn't finish.
Sinta stood still.
Eyes locked on Arga.
Because she understood.
Completely.
Arga released his grip.
Breathing steady.
Eyes calm.
Unshaken.
"…it's done."
That was the worst part.
Not anger.
Not regret.
Certainty.
"…you didn't save him."
Rani's voice trembled.
"…you didn't even try."
Arga looked at her.
No hesitation.
"…I made sure he wouldn't become one of them."
"…he wasn't one of them."
"…he would've been."
That—
was the line.
Bimo shook his head slowly.
"…that's not us…"
But even he—
didn't sound sure anymore.
Sinta spoke.
Quiet.
Sharp.
"…you crossed it."
For the first time—
she didn't step closer.
Arga met her eyes.
"…we don't have time for hesitation."
Silence.
Rani's shoulders shook.
Tears falling freely now.
"…we just killed someone."
No one corrected her.
Because it was true.
Outside—
the school continued.
Unaware.
Unchanged.
Inside—
something had ended.
Far away—
a screen flickered.
The man in the hat watched.
Not smiling.
Not reacting.
Just—
observing.
"…there it is."
A pause.
"…efficiency over humanity."
His finger tapped the screen.
"…now let's see how far he goes."
Back in the classroom—
Arga stood alone.
No noise.
No movement.
He looked at his hand.
Opened it slowly.
The energy responded.
Instant.
Perfect.
Obedient.
He closed it again.
"…I was on time."
No regret.
No doubt.
No hesitation.
For the first time—
nothing inside him resisted it.
And that—
was the part
no one could fix anymore.