THE ARCHITECT OF STARS: SEASON 1
ARYO PURNOMO SAGA
CHAPTER 1: THE LAST COORDINATE
The heavy teak door slammed shut, a thunderous finality that seemed to strike Aryo Purnomo right in the chest. The afternoon rain fell in torrential sheets, masking the tears that streamed down his cheeks, yet doing nothing to wash away the stinging pain in his heart.
Aryo collapsed onto the wet asphalt of the front yard. The colonial-style mansion—a home built from his late father's blood and sweat—was now a fortress barred against him.
"Get out, you parasite!"
The voice of his uncle, Hardi, boomed from behind the iron gates. The middle-aged man stood with a face flushed red, eyes burning with greed. Beside him stood Bayu, Aryo's cousin, wearing a crooked, mocking grin. But what shattered Aryo's heart wasn't the loss of shelter, but the woman clinging affectionately to Bayu's arm.
Eva.
"I'm sorry, Aryo," Eva said, her tone flat, devoid of remorse. "I need a guaranteed future. Bayu... he is the rightful owner of this house now that your grandfather is gone."
"That is my father's house!" Aryo screamed, his voice hoarse against the wind. "My father bought it before he died! You all are just guests!"
"The deed says otherwise, stupid boy!" Hardi laughed derisively. "Your grandfather transferred it to me before he passed. You own nothing."
Before Aryo could retort, Hardi hurled a small object at him. It struck Aryo's chest and fell into a muddy puddle. A small, rusty metal box.
"Take that trash your father left behind! It's all you deserve. Never show your face here again!"
Hardi turned, embraced Bayu and Eva, and retreated into the warm, glowing interior of the mansion. The lights inside flickered on, a cruel contrast to the darkness now swallowing Aryo.
With trembling hands, Aryo retrieved the small box. Inside lay a worn, silver microchip. He didn't know its purpose, but it was the only piece of his father left in this world. He tucked it into the pocket of his soaked jacket.
***
Aryo walked aimlessly for hours. His feet instinctively carried him to the only place he felt welcomed. The public cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
The rain began to subside into a thin drizzle. Aryo knelt before a black marble headstone.
Dr. Ir. Satria Purnomo
Died: 12-05-2004
"Father..." Aryo whispered, tracing the name. "They took everything. Your house, your wealth... even Eva."
Aryo bowed his head, mourning his fate. However, as lightning cleaved the sky in the distance, a brief flash illuminated the numbers on his father's epitaph. Aryo frowned. He realized something odd. For years, he had seen them only as dates. But the format was wrong.
Beneath the name, it read:
Born: 1970 | Died: -6.9175, 107.6191
Aryo's heart pounded against his ribs. He wiped away the thin layer of moss covering the numbers. That wasn't a date. That wasn't a time format.
"These are... coordinates?" he murmured.
He knew his father was a genius scientist who worked on classified government projects before his mysterious death. Was this a final message?
With the last percentage of his phone battery, Aryo typed the numbers into his map application. The point led to a protected forest area at the foot of the mountain, about ten kilometers away. A desolate place.
Driven by curiosity and the desperation of having nowhere else to go, Aryo began to walk.
***
The sky was pitch black when Aryo arrived at the coordinates. Before him stood an old building that looked utterly wretched. Vines strangled the outer walls, the paint was peeling like dead skin, and the roof looked ready to collapse at a breath of wind.
"A haunted house?" Aryo hissed skeptically. "Father, what is the meaning of this?"
Yet, the GPS insisted he was exactly on target. Aryo stepped closer, cutting through the tall undergrowth. He reached a massive wooden door that appeared rotten, eaten away by termites.
Strangely, there was no handle.
Aryo touched the rough wooden surface. Suddenly, the center of the door glowed. The rotting wood was merely a holographic illusion, a high-level camouflage. Behind the illusion of decay lay a panel of elegant black glass.
A beam of blue light scanned Aryo's face from top to bottom.
"Biometrics Detected. Subject: Aryo Purnomo. DNA: 99.9% Match with Creator."
A soft, robotic voice echoed from nowhere.
Aryo flinched, stepping back. "What..."
"Please place your right palm on the panel."
Hesitantly, Aryo pressed his hand against the glass.
Beep.
The massive door didn't creak. It slid open soundlessly, revealing a smooth hydraulic mechanism.
The sight before him made Aryo hold his breath.
In stark contrast to the haunted exterior, the interior was a slice of the future. The floors were white marble reflecting the soft blue LED lights embedded in the walls. The air was cool, smelling of lavender and ozone, sterile and pristine. Not a speck of dust existed here.
"Welcome back, Young Master Aryo."
The voice was gentle, melodious, and filled with warmth.
Aryo turned toward the source. In the center of the spacious room stood a woman. No, she was too perfect to be human.
Her skin was white as porcelain, her eyes shone with a vivid sapphire blue, and her silver hair fell straight to her waist. She wore a modern maid's outfit with elegant futuristic accents. Her curves were perfect, her face devastatingly beautiful—a beauty designed with mathematical precision.
The woman bowed gracefully.
"Who... who are you?" Aryo stammered.
She straightened up and smiled. A soothing smile. "I am Unit A-01. Your father, Dr. Satria, named me 'Alia'. I was created specifically to serve and protect his sole heir."
Alia walked closer. Her steps made no sound. "Your father predicted this day would come. The day you would be cast out and find your way to your true home."
Aryo's eyes burned. So, his father knew? He had prepared this sanctuary over a decade ago?
"Master Aryo, you look exhausted and soaked," Alia said with concern. She snapped her fingers, and a wall on the right slid open, revealing a wardrobe filled with high-quality clothes that looked perfectly tailored to Aryo's size.
"Please, come in. Warm water has been prepared, and Master's favorite dinner—Special Nasi Goreng Kampung—is being cooked."
Alia took Aryo's hand gently. Her skin felt warm, mimicking a real human.
"Here, you are not an outcast, Master Aryo," Alia whispered, looking deep into his eyes. "Here, you are King. And I exist to obey your every command."
Aryo looked around the advanced room, then touched the pocket of his jacket where the chip from his uncle lay. He felt the wheel of fate turn 180 degrees.
"Thank you, Alia," Aryo said softly.
"With pleasure, My Lord."