"Kai."
"Kailendra Ador Saputra."
I repeated my name inside my head like a ritual, trying to remind myself that I still existed—that I was still here, in this world, in this body.
Nineteen years I've lived, but somehow, every one of them feels like shadows—passing, flickering, never staying long enough to become real.
"Today, huh?" I muttered to myself, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
Beside me, Diego turned his head.
His brow rose slightly.
"Yeah, today," he said, short and simple.
His eyes were fixed on the sky, glinting with curiosity.
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Above us, eight planets hovered in perfect alignment—an astronomical miracle.
The crowd around us erupted with cheers.
Phones lifted into the sky like a thousand digital offerings, screens flashing as people tried to capture the once-in-a-lifetime event.
I didn't move.
I didn't speak.
Instead, I watched.
Watched the sky.
Watched the people.
Watched the moment stretch and crack, like glass under pressure.
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I'm a psychic.
Not the kind that tells your fortune with crystals or tarot cards.
The real kind.
The cursed kind.
For most people, the world is just what it appears to be—predictable, physical, explainable.
But for me, it's split in two.
The surface world, where people walk blindly.
And the other one—the invisible layer stitched just beneath it.
A world humming with beings no one acknowledges.
Ghosts.
Shadows.
Fragments of things we were never meant to understand.
They're here.
Not always visible.
Not always "real."
But I see them.
And that's not even the worst of it.
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The part I hate most—the thing that never lets me sleep—is my ability to feel people's emotions.
Not just understand them.
Not just empathize.
I feel them.
Like waves crashing through my skin.
Anger.
Fear.
Regret.
Guilt.
Love.
They flood into me, raw and unfiltered, even when someone's face says otherwise.
Even when their smile lies, I feel the truth buried under it.
And I hate it.
I didn't ask for this.
I didn't want to be haunted by the honesty no one else can see.
But it's there.
Stuck to me like a second skin.
A shadow that never lets go.
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Still, like any curse… I have to understand it.
Even if I can't fix it.
Even if I can't share it with anyone—not even the people I trust most.
It's my burden alone.
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I stood near the edge of the main road, staring at the darkening sky.
The city lights blinked on, mingling with the deep purple twilight above, creating a haze that somehow felt… oppressive.
Diego broke the silence beside me.
"You really don't like stuff like this?"
"I didn't want to come," I replied flatly.
"You dragged me here."
He laughed, light and unbothered.
"You're such a rock, you know that?"
I shrugged, eyes still on the sky.
"If I could, I would be a rock."
That made him laugh louder.
"A pebble with a bad attitude," he said, giving my shoulder a playful shove.
He softened, voice quieter.
"Come on, Kai. Eight planets, perfectly aligned. You don't think that means something?"
I didn't look at him.
"What could it mean?" I replied, more to myself than to him.
He paused, unsure how to respond.
"People are excited because it only looks cool," I said before he could speak.
He nodded slowly, then sighed.
The crowd buzzed around us—cheering, filming, living.
I stayed where I was, silent, detached, trying to let myself feel something.
But something felt wrong.
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There was a hum in the air—not a sound, exactly, more like a vibration, brushing against my skin.
Faint, almost gentle, like a whisper threading through the bones of the city.
Something was off.
Something was… wrong.
"You gonna take a picture or just keep looking?" Diego asked, grinning like this was all just a party.
I shook my head.
"It's not important."
He sighed again.
"Kai, seriously. This kind of thing—it might never happen again in our lifetime."
I didn't reply.
That itch under my skin only grew worse.
"I don't know… something feels off," I said softly.
"What do you mean?"
I hesitated.
"I don't know. Just… off."
"Paranoid again?" he teased. "You've been on edge all week."
His hand landed on my shoulder, warm, reassuring.
"Relax, man. Just enjoy the moment."
I gave a half-smile, hollow but convincing enough to shut him up.
"Yeah, yeah. Incredible moment."
I glanced at him—still smiling, so bright, so sure the world was fine.
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I remember the first time I met Diego.
Middle school.
He barged into my life like a beam of unfiltered sunlight.
Most people feel messy when they get close—tainted by resentment, anxiety, insecurity.
But Diego?
His aura was… clean.
Untouched. Sincere.
Even his voice felt like it had nothing to hide.
"Hey, I'm Diego Sebastian Carter! But you can just call me Diego. Cool name, huh?"
I turned, confused by the explosion of energy.
He stood there, grinning, eyes gleaming with reckless charm.
I remember thinking, What the hell is wrong with this guy?
He smiled like we were already friends.
Maybe we were, in some forgotten lifetime.
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Diego's always been like that.
Big-hearted.
Impulsive.
Occasionally reckless.
But always clear.
Even when I was being bullied—
No, we won't talk about that—
Unafraid.
He doesn't carry secrets like other people do.
And that makes him precious in a world like this.
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At that moment, I was lost in my thoughts, drifting away in my own mind.
I snapped back as he spoke.
"I want to go to a military college."
I blinked, surprised.
He sounded serious.
Too serious.
"You're not joking?" I asked.
He nodded.
"Yeah. I've been thinking about it for a while."
I studied him—posture straight, buzz-cut hair, muscles earned from relentless exercise.
"Yeah… you kind of look like a soldier already."
Then I added.
"But… is this really what you want?"
He hesitated.
Then nodded again, firmer.
"I want to protect people I care about. I want the strength to do that."
I felt something stir inside me.
"I believe you," I said.
"Even if I don't understand dreams like that."
He smiled.
"It's enough that you listened."
I looked at him longer, trying to read him deeper.
Suddenly, I remembered something.
"What about your dad plan? If you really want to join the military, wouldn't it be easier to start there?"
Diego sighed softly.
"I thought about that. But... If I start there, it would feel like everything's being decided by my dad, not me."
I nodded slowly.
Diego had always had a complicated relationship with his dad, Harvey Carter, the relentless diplomat—and the opportunity to go to America.
But Diego wanted his own path.
Not a future designed by someone else.
"I want something that's mine," he said.
"Even if it's harder."
I smirked.
"You better be ready for one hell of a lecture."
He laughed, a real laugh this time.
I wasn't the type of person who was good at giving emotional support like this.
Diego was always full of hope and big dreams.
As for me?
I was often caught up in confusion and doubt.
But somehow, seeing Diego's spirit gave me a glimmer of confidence.
Confidence that maybe, someday, I could find my own dream.
Maybe one day...
I hope so...
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Diego shook my shoulder excitedly, nearly making me lose my balance.
"Kai, look!"
The sky had darkened, the stars shining unnaturally bright.
The air felt thick, like something enormous was pressing down from above.
People gasped.
A stillness crept in.
Then it began.
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Yet, the beauty felt strange.
The air felt heavy, and the atmosphere seemed odd, as if nature itself was holding its breath.
The city, which had been buzzing with the hum of traffic and chatter, had now fallen silent.
Cheers came from all directions as people pulled out their phones, trying to capture this rare phenomenon.
The sound of phone cameras snapping pictures and recording videos filled the air.
Suddenly, phones started dying.
One by one.
All of them.
"My battery was full!"
"Why isn't it turning on?!"
The street screen flickered—then went dark.
Even the massive displays on buildings cut to black.
"Power outage?" someone asked.
"No way. All at once? Even phones?"
Diego pulled out his phone, tapping the screen.
Nothing.
"This makes no sense."
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Before I could answer, something even stranger happened.
A blue light shimmered in the air, hovering like a hologram, wide and tall, pulsing cold.
People screamed.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Do you see this?!"
"Yeah," Diego whispered. "What the hell is it?"
The blue screen brightened.
Then words appeared, glowing in silver.
I took a step back, trying to make sense of what was happening.
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Cosmic Announcement -
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Earth is about to evolve to a higher level in the universe.
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The world stopped.
The crowd, once loud and chaotic, fell into a silence so absolute it hurt.
People stared.
Some reached out to touch the screen—only to find their hands passed through it.
"This isn't AR," someone muttered.
"There's no projector," said another.
"This isn't any kind of tech I've ever seen."
A new line of text appeared, with a ticking number.
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00:30:00
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A countdown.
And no one knew what it meant.
People panicked.
Some screamed.
Some ran.
Some just collapsed.
"What happens in thirty minutes?!" someone yelled.
Diego grabbed me.
"Kai—what is this?!"
"I don't know," I said, my voice flat.
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The message updated again.
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Cosmic Announcement -
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Welcome, Awakened, to a New Era.
Earth Quarantine #5 has been completed.
Prepare to enter the cosmic stage.
You may now view your character profile.
Suggestion: DO NOT share personal information.
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Survive and continue evolving.
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Something shifted in my chest.
A cold realization.
This wasn't a prank.
It wasn't a glitch.
This was the beginning of something none of us could ever prepare for.
This was real.
Real and threatening the lives of everyone.
There was no escape.
The world we had known had changed.
And we only had one choices.
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SURVIVE