The white light faded slowly. Bima felt the sensation of gravity slamming back into his body. He fell, landing on the cold marble floor. His breath came in gasps. His head felt incredibly heavy, as if thousands of memories were being forced into a single human brain. Beside him, Rina lay weak. Her beautiful dress now appeared dusty and torn in several places.Bima immediately crawled toward Rina. He shook her shoulder frantically. "Rina? Wake up. Where are we?"Rina opened her eyes slowly. Her pupils, which had been pitch black, returned to a warm honey brown. She groaned softly and looked around. They were in a vast, luxurious ballroom. Grand crystal chandeliers hung from the high ceilings. The floor shimmered like a mirror. Around them, dozens of elite guests in tuxedos and evening gowns were dancing at an incredibly slow tempo. All of them wore gold masks that covered half their faces."Bima? What happened?" Rina asked in a faint voice. She tried to stand, but her legs were trembli

The earth shook violently beneath his feet as if the very foundations of the world were being forcibly uprooted. Rina stood frozen in the distance, her face deathly pale. Her eyes, usually brimming with intelligence, now held only a suffocating void. Without waiting for a second command, thousands of soul-stripped followers began to move in unison. They lunged at the concrete structures around them with their bare hands. Walls crumbled, glass shattered, and the panicked screams of innocent civilians echoed through the air. Bima stared at his own hands, which were still shrouded in black energy. He didn't want to do this, but the system in his head was exerting a pressure that nearly drove him to madness."Rina, run!" Bima shouted amidst the deafening roar of collapsing buildings.Rina didn't budge. Instead, she took a slow step forward, even though her legs seemed to be trembling. "Bima, what have you done? This isn't you. This isn't the man I know!"Bima clutched his head. The pain i

"You are too late, Bima."The voice echoed like the tolling of a thousand death bells within a limitless void. Bima tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as lead. The darkness didn't just suffocate him, it felt as though it were crushing his soul down to the bone. Slowly, he began to see a faint, dim light emanating from his own hand. That black energy was still there, pulsing slowly like a dying heart. He was no longer on the battlefield, nor was he at the orphanage. He was in a dimension that felt like a waiting room between life and annihilation.Bima took a long, deep breath, trying to gather his remaining consciousness. His trembling hand reached forward, searching for something tangible. Suddenly, his fingers brushed against something soft yet cold. It was Rina’s hand. He could feel it with absolute clarity."Rina?" Bima called out in a raspy voice that was barely audible.There was no answer. Bima used the last of his strength to summon the light from within his

"The game begins anew, Bima."The voice echoed like thunder in an endless void. Bima jolted awake, his eyes snapping open. His heart hammered against his ribs as if pumped with pure, lethal adrenaline. He wasn't in a cold, dark void. He lay gasping on an old orphanage bed, cold sweat soaking his body until his t-shirt clung to his skin. His breath came in ragged gasps as he stared at the cracked ceiling in disbelief."Another dream," he whispered hoarsely. He wiped his face with palms that were still trembling slightly.Bima climbed out of bed and walked unsteadily toward the window. Outside, the orphanage was shrouded in the quiet darkness of the night. But his mind was far from peaceful. Memories of Rina’s dagger, the black crown, and the endless game looped in his brain like a broken tape. Bima felt like his head would split open if he didn't do something soon. Suddenly, a familiar yet now incredibly irritating voice surfaced in his mind.[Good morning, Host. You look quite disheve

"You can't hide forever, Bima."The voice was raspy, like the sound of sandpaper rubbing against rotting wood. Bima stood frozen behind the thick wooden door. His breath hitched. Rina, standing right beside him, reached for his hand and gripped it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Rina’s eyes, usually sharp, were now wide with terror. She did not dare make a sound, as if merely breathing could invite death into their humble home.Bima turned slowly toward Rina. He signaled for her to move away from the door. Bima slowly pressed his face against the peephole, but all he saw was pitch-black darkness. There was no one on the porch. The gold-enveloped letter still lay there, but there were no feet or silhouettes to be seen."Who's out there?" Bima shouted, his voice trembling violently. There was no answer. Only the sound of the night wind whistling through the cracks in the window.Bima turned the key and creaked the door open slightly. The cold night air immediately pierced his