Ryn let out a long breath, staring at the last cigarette butt now lying in the coffee stall's ashtray. His coffee cup was empty, leaving only black dregs at the bottom. His phone screen displayed "defeat" after nearly half an hour of playing to kill time. But Radhif, Nadhyfa, Dzoavha, and Dhoost were nowhere to be seen passing in front of the stall; they should have passed by here if they were indeed going to the old warehouse. Yet that afternoon, the road in front of the stall felt deserted, accompanied only by the occasional roar of motorbikes.
Ryn furrowed his brow. The PILAR watch on his wrist was still blinking slowly, showing a vague message.
"PILAR: Incoming Summons."
It had been almost an hour since the notification appeared, but there was no news from the others.
"Did they ignore PILAR's summons? Or take a different route? Or maybe they didn't even get the call?" he muttered, feeling a strange unease in his chest, a sense of foreboding.
For the first time, Ryn Dandelions, the always-relaxed rebel, felt restless.
He paid for the coffee and cigarettes to the stall owner, then pedaled his bicycle towards the old warehouse on the outskirts of Maykarta, the entrance to the PILAR headquarters they had discovered yesterday. A gentle breeze swept across his face, carrying the smell of damp earth and vehicle exhaust. The old warehouse came into view, standing alone on an empty plot, far from any other houses or buildings. But as soon as he arrived in front of the door, Ryn froze.
"Damn, what's the password again?" he said, scratching his head.
He paced back and forth, kicking small pebbles on the ground. Annoyed, he fumbled for his phone and tried to call Dzoavha. No answer. Dhoost, Radhif, Nadhyfa, all the same.
"Where is everyone?" he grumbled, his unease growing.
---
Meanwhile, inside the secret room of the SMKN 2 Maykarta library, Dzoavha and Dhoost stood stiffly inside an elevator. A dim blue light from the panel on the wall reflected off their faces. Mr. Rusdi, the teacher who had suddenly appeared with a serious expression during class, stood in a corner, staring straight ahead. The elevator moved downward at high speed, making Dhoost's stomach feel nauseous. A soft rumbling sound filled the cramped space, as if they were speeding through an underground tunnel.
Dzoavha broke the silence.
"Mr. Rusdi, who are you, really? How do you know about PILAR?" His voice was full of curiosity, but there was a note of suspicion in it.
He looked at the teacher, trying to find a clue on his face.
Mr. Rusdi just smiled faintly, his hand reaching into his pants pocket.
"I'll explain later when we get there," he answered briefly, his voice calm but firm.
Dzoavha frowned, unsatisfied with the answer. He pulled out his phone, hoping to find out more, but the screen showed "No Signal."
"What the hell?" he muttered.
"All external internet access is blocked in the PILAR area," said Mr. Rusdi without turning his head.
"To prevent data leaks.You'll understand once you reach headquarters."
Dhoost, who had been silent with a pale face, swallowed.
"So…we're really entering this spy world, huh?" His voice trembled, but he tried to smile to hide his anxiety.
Dzoavha just nodded, although his mind was already racing, trying to solve the puzzle about Mr. Rusdi and PILAR.
On the other side of the city, Nadhyfa and Radhif stood in a similar elevator, but this time they were escorted by the cleaning staff who usually seemed to be sweeping the schoolyard. The elevator moved at the same speed, causing Nadhyfa's hair to sway gently. She couldn't stay still, her hands busy scratching her non-itchy hair.
"Sir, who are you really? A PILAR Agent? Or just their errand boy? What's your name?" she fired off questions, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
The cleaning staff member, a man with a shabby hat, just shook his head slowly.
"It will be explained later there, "he said, his tone similar to Mr. Rusdi's; calm, but full of authority.
Nadhyfa snorted, but her smile didn't fade.
Radhif, standing beside her, looked at the elevator wall which shimmered like steel.
"Nad, where's Ryn? Is he still at his usual coffee stall?" he asked, his voice full of worry.
Nadhyfa just shrugged, still relaxed.
"Ryn? He probably got there first. He left school right after break earlier," she said with a small laugh, unaware that Ryn was panicking in front of the old warehouse, confused by the locked door.
Both elevators stopped simultaneously with a soft thud. The steel doors opened, revealing the lobby of the PILAR headquarters, the same as yesterday: vast, cold, and illuminated by blinking blue neon lights on the ceiling. Radhif, Nadhyfa, Dzoavha, and Dhoost stepped out, exchanging glances.
"You guys?" asked Radhif, his voice firm as usual.
Dhoost nodded weakly, while Dzoavha was still looking at his phone with a scowl, annoyed by the lack of signal. Nadhyfa immediately stepped forward, her eyes shining.
"This is it! PILAR Headquarters!" she exclaimed, making Dhoost shake his head slowly.
They walked through the same corridor as before, where they had fought the out-of-control robots. The metal walls around them reflected their shadows, and the sound of their footsteps echoed in the silence.
Nadhyfa kept talking, her voice breaking the tension.
"Hey, have you guys seen Ryn? Where is he?"
"You said he was already here…,"said Radhif, though there was doubt in his tone.
"Yeah,Ryn wouldn't possibly be late for things like this," added Dzoavha, although he was starting to feel something was wrong.
Dhoost just nodded. "I hope he really did arrive first," he murmured softly.
Nadhyfa grinned widely, trying to think positively.
"Relax, Ryn is definitely fine. Maybe he's really inside, leaning against a wall waiting for us."
After walking for a while, the corridor led them to a vast hall they had never seen before. The ceiling was high, the walls covered with holographic panels displaying maps of Maykarta and rapidly moving lines of code. But what stunned them wasn't the hall itself, but the fifteen other teenagers, their age, already standing there. Some looked at them with curiosity, some were busy checking the PILAR watches on their wrists. Ryn's face was not among them.
Nadhyfa froze, her smile fading.
"Why… is Ryn… not here?" she said, her voice now full of confusion.
Radhif clenched his fist, his eyes scanning the crowd.
"He should have been here by now.Did he get left behind?"
Dzoavha shook his head,his fingers busy tapping his phone even though there was no signal.
"Impossible. Ryn wouldn't dare miss a PILAR summons. Something's wrong."
Dhoost swallowed,his face growing paler.
"Don't tell me… he's in trouble?"
Before they could speculate further, two robots approached them. Red lights in their eyes blinked, and a soft metallic sound was heard as their arms moved. The first robot handed a red vest to Mr. Rusdi and a black vest to the cleaning staff member; they put them on without a word.
The vests shimmered like steel,forming a protective layer covering their bodies like modern armor.
The second robot approached the four teenagers, carrying a tray with four vests of different colors. Red for Radhif, black for Dhoost, blue for Dzoavha, and green for Nadhyfa.
"Please wear these,"said the robot in its typical robotic voice.
Radhif took his red vest, examining it carefully.
"This… isn't a normal vest, is it?" he asked, feeling the weight of the metal in his hands.
Nadhyfa immediately put on her green vest, her eyes shining again.
"Wow, like Iron Man's suit! So cool!" she exclaimed, although her heart was still uneasy thinking about Ryn.
Dzoavha held his blue vest, his fingers tracing the smooth yet sturdy surface.
"This must have nano-technology or something,"he murmured, already analyzing in his head.
Dhoost hesitated, looking at his black vest anxiously.
"Is this…safe?" he asked softly, but finally put it on after seeing the others do so.
Once the vests were worn, they felt a strange sensation. The metal seemed to meld to their bodies, forming a lightweight yet strong protective layer, adjusting to their movements. A small screen on the vest lit up, displaying data like heart rate and the status of their PILAR watch.
Nadhyfa giggled, but her eyes were still searching the hall.
"Ryn, where are you?" she murmured softly.
Outside, in front of the old warehouse, Ryn was still pacing, his phone still getting no answers. The sun's rays grew hotter, and for the first time, he felt truly alone.
TO BE CONTINUED...