asked the police officer. A nameplate bearing the name Agung Suteja was pinned to his uniform.​“The café closes at ten o’clock in the evening, sir. But sometimes there are special bookings after closing time. That does often happen with Mr Darwin’s permission. It’s just that, for matters like that, the entire responsibility lies with Mr Darwin’s own men—the bodies that were taken away earlier,” replied Doni, trembling.​“Oh, I see. Right then, let’s check the footage from when the café closed until perhaps five in the morning.”​“Yes, sir,” replied Doni. His fingers danced swiftly across the keyboard. “Here you go, sir. Let’s start with the front car park camera.”​The large monitor screen displayed a fairly clear black-and-white image. Tono held his breath. He knew full well that it was at that very hour that the black Kijang driven by Zaqqy had arrived there. He closed his eyes, unable to bear the thought of Zaqqy’s face appearing clearly on the screen.​“Hang on, why is it like t

said Wak Jul, handing over a few notes.“Yes, Wak. Thank you so much for the pay,” replied Zaqqy sincerely.“You’re welcome. Here, take this—it’ll be enough for your side dish at home,” added Wak Jul, handing him a plastic bag containing about seven ounces of fresh sea fish.Zaqqy’s eyes lit up. “Alhamdulillah, thank you, Wak! Well then, I’ll head home now. Assalamualaikum.”“Waalaikumsalam! Just don’t be late again tomorrow, Zaqqy! You did a good job—quick, clean, and the fish boxes were neat when you packed them!” praised Wak Jul, to which Zaqqy gave a firm thumbs-up before walking towards his motorbike’s parking spot.​Just as he was about to start the engine, Ki Braja’s cold voice echoed in his mind.​‘Be careful, Zaqqy.’​The young man fell silent, his hand frozen on the ignition key. “What is it, Ki? Is something going to happen?”​‘They have begun to reveal themselves. A great danger… a deeper, darker existence may soon be upon you. Do you remember what I told you before you re

Dwitoro slowed the car down, breathing heavily. “Just how powerful is his energy that I can’t penetrate his face? It looks like this search is going to take a bit longer,” he muttered. He pressed the accelerator again, speeding through the night with a burning sense of curiosity.​Elsewhere, the police had also received a report regarding a body found in a former tofu factory. Agung Suteja and his police colleagues were already there. The young officer stood in front of the former tofu factory, now cordoned off by police tape. The pungent smell of blood and old dust assaulted his senses.“There are no CCTV cameras here, are there?” Agung asked his subordinate.“There are, Commander, but they’re not working. We’ve already checked every corner.”“Then, were any identification documents left behind?”“Yes, Commander. The bodies are identified as Rinto, Ardito, Andrianus, and Sugianto. We’ve also secured their mobile phones. The last call was made to Darwin’s number. It seems they were

He muttered to himself, recalling how he had crushed the market thug’s hand the day before.He took a deep breath, then stared at the palm of his hand, which was throbbing once more. His veins glowed red, creeping slowly up to his elbow in time with his racing heartbeat.“Ah, never mind. We’ll see. If they’re really looking for trouble, I’ll finish them off. I’m no longer the weak Zaqqy. This strength won’t let me be oppressed again like when Rinto nearly killed me,” he said to himself with iron resolve.'Be careful, Zaqqy. You’re being targeted from all sides,’ Ki Braja’s voice rustled again, causing Zaqqy to immediately look left and right, hoping no one was there. “What do you mean, Ki? Am I really in grave danger?” Zaqqy asked in return. ‘Be on your guard. I cannot always warn you. I’m only reminding you at the start; the rest you must handle yourself.’​The voice faded away. Zaqqy chose to stay on guard outside, lying on a long bench with his hands propping up his head. He didn

muttered the man in a cold, barely audible tone. “I don’t need to get close to attack now. I just want to see what kind of face makes the leader of the Suro Menggala group so uneasy.”The man in the black cloak exhaled a long, slow breath, letting cold vapour escape from his mouth even though the night air wasn’t that cold. He then swung his left hand in a precise circular motion, before patting his own chest three times in a strange pattern.​Instantly, the aura around him seemed to be sucked back into his body. His figure still stood there, yet his presence seemed to fade, blending perfectly with the shadows of the trees and walls around him.Wusssh... “Halimun Rogo…” he muttered, darting like the wind, as he spotted Halim talking to Zaqqy. “Is what you’re saying true, Lim?” Zaqqy asked, startled, though he kept his voice low so it wouldn’t be heard inside the house.​“Yes, I swear! They’re back, but this time they’re not wearing masks. You know who they are? Two of them are thug