Hashim was deep in a poignant recollection of his past with his mother, the memories weighing heavily on his heart. Unaware of his surroundings, tears streamed down his face, falling and pooling on the Lok 19 Kris he held tightly.
"Bro, are you okay?" Fariza asked repeatedly.
Hashim seemed to snap back to reality after being lost in the old memories.
"Sorry... I'm okay... What were we talking about just now?" Hashim tried to refocus.
"We were still discussing the inscription on this wooden artifact," Fariza reminded him.
Suddenly, Pak Reno's voice cut through the room. "Everyone, step back!" Pak Reno's shout startled everyone in the secret chamber.
A beam of light suddenly burst forth from the Lok 19 Kris. Hashim quickly released his grip on the kris. "Ouch, it's hot," he said, checking his palm. Thankfully, there were no burns, though his hand still felt hot and stiff.
The Lok 19 Kris glowed brightly, shifting from white to a purple hue. Every vein of the kris emitted an increasingly intense light. The once rusted kris seemed to shed its layers of grime and corrosion, revealing a gleaming, pristine weapon beneath.
Those watching stepped back as the kris stood upright in front of them.
Then, a pulsating sound emanated from the kris, resembling a human heartbeat quickening. The sound grew louder and more deafening.
Hashim, Fariza, Pak Reno, and Sari Jamilah stared in stunned silence at the unfolding spectacle.
"What do we do, Pak?" Hashim asked, anxiety clear in his voice.
"Everyone, take cover against the walls... quickly!" Pak Reno directed urgently.
Everything in the chamber began to shake and float. The ground beneath them felt as though it was about to quake violently.
Each person grabbed onto whatever they could to maintain their balance.
The Lok 19 Kris continued to emit a blinding light, spinning faster and faster. Its rapid rotation sent debris and objects flying around the narrow chamber. The debris nearly struck Sari Jamilah as it hurtled through the air.
Everyone clung together, protecting themselves from the flurry of objects.
Suddenly, the spinning kris shot forward, crashing into the wall in front of them and continued to spin. Gradually, a vortex of white light began to expand from the kris, creating a vacuum that began to pull everything in the room towards it.
Hashim, holding onto a nearby table, was being drawn into the expanding void.
Fariza tightened her grip. "Hashim, hold on tight. Don't let go!" she shouted.
Pak Reno and Sari Jamilah managed to grab a metal support embedded in the wall. As Pak Reno held Sari Jamilah, she clung desperately to Fariza's arm.
The pull grew stronger. Hashim, his hand still aching from the earlier strain, could no longer maintain his grip for long.
"Let me go, Fariza!" Hashim yelled.
"Don't even think about it!" Fariza shouted back.
As Fariza tried to hold on tighter, a flying glass statue struck Sari Jamilah on the cheek.
"Allahu Akbar!" Sari Jamilah's voice cried out. Simultaneously, she lost her grip on Fariza's arm.
Hashim and Fariza could do nothing but surrender as they were sucked into the radiant open space.
The open space closed abruptly, and everything returned to normal in an instant.
"Are you alright, Jamilah?" Pak Reno asked his wife.
"I'm fine, dear... but what about them?" Sari Jamilah asked, her face showing shock.
"Stay here in case anything happens... I need Jamilah to find Kiyai Mustakim immediately. Then call our children. No matter where they are, they need to come back as soon as possible. We don't have much time. It seems... everything has now begun..."
