Thick mist shrouded the peak of Mount Lembean like a white shawl that never leaves the mountain's body.Among the ancient trees whose roots gripped the rocky soil, the wind blew carrying sounds that made the hair on the back of one's neck stand on end.Sometimes it sounded like a long, heartbreaking moan. Sometimes like a sharp shriek that split the silence of the night. The villagers at the foot of the mountain were accustomed to those sounds, and they believed they were the voices of the supernatural beings who inhabited that sacred mountain.But Mount Lembean was not merely a haunted mountain. To the villagers, it was a holy place that had provided blessings for nearly a hundred years.On one of its slopes, there was a cave believed to be the dwelling place of a Deity. Legend had it that whoever came to the cave with a sincere heart and prayed for healing, from within the darkness of the cave a single pill would be thrown out. Once that pill was swallowed, the disease that had been

In his heart, Wiro wondered. He had always imagined that the Deity living in this cave must be an old man in a white robe with a long beard and a face full of wisdom. But the young man before him looked so young. Too young. How could a Deity be eighteen years old?But the young man did not answer the astonishment reflected on Wiro's face.'I have lived for seven thousand years,' the young man thought as he gazed at the rubble of his cave wall with an unreadable expression. 'An event in my youth changed everything. Since I was eighteen years old, my body stopped aging. And for the last hundred years, I chose to seclude myself in this cave, distancing myself from a world that keeps changing. When people happened to come and pray, I helped them. I gave them pills from medicinal plants I cultivated myself in here. The gold I gave came from a mine deep within the bowels of the earth, dozens of kilometers beneath this cave. A mine that no one could ever reach through ordinary mining.'But h

Wiro immediately turned pale."Impossible," he whispered. "This quickly?"Kevin stood calmly and walked to the window. Outside, four large cars had stopped in the yard of Wiro's house. Dust flew from the sudden braking. Car doors opened and dozens of people emerged noisily. Large-bodied thugs, far more than those at the cave earlier. Wiro quickly counted. Their number was roughly three times as many as before.But that was not what made Wiro grow even paler. Among the crowd of thugs, he saw Gito. His broken wrist was now supported by a sling, and his face radiated blazing hatred. Beside Gito stood a man around fifty years old with a large belly and an expensive black suit. That was Gito's father. And behind them, seated in a wheelchair pushed by a servant, was a thin old man with eyes as sharp as an eagle's. Gito's grandfather.But there was more. Among the crowd stood four people who were different from the other thugs. Their bodies were lean and muscular, their movements controlled,

The atmosphere in the room grew hotter as Kevin deepened the kiss, merging his breath with Indah's in a synchronized rhythm.No longer satisfied with just the joining of lips, Kevin began to move his fingers gently along the curve of Indah's neck, delivering a subtle tingling sensation that made Indah shut her eyes tightly.Kevin shifted his attention to the sensitive areas around the neck and collarbone, planting small, warm kisses. Every touch was made with deep feeling, as if he were mapping every inch of Indah's smooth skin.Slowly but surely, Kevin lowered his position. He let his lips explore the chest area, giving special attention to every curve with patient movements.Indah could only sigh softly, feeling the warmth of Kevin's breath contrasting with the cool air around them.The tension escalated as Kevin continued moving down toward the stomach area until he reached the groin.There, he used the tip of his tongue to deliver precise and teasing stimulation, creating waves of

The next morning, as the morning sun bathed the village in its golden light, Kevin was already prepared to leave.Indah was still asleep when Kevin departed. But even though she might be sad, Indah would surely rejoice, for beside her lay twenty bars of gold, each weighing one kilogram, which would certainly be enough to sustain Indah for the rest of her life.---Kevin stood in the yard of Wiro's house wearing different clothes. Wiro had given him modern attire purchased from a shop in the nearest town the night before. Blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a thin gray jacket. Though simple, the clothes only made Kevin stand out even more.His handsome face combined with modern clothing made him look like a model strolling through the countryside."Kevin, are you sure you want to leave now?" Wiro asked with a sad face."It is time. I have not seen the outside world for a hundred years. There is much I wish to learn."Wiro's mother, standing behind her son, approached Kevin and hande