The Wibisono family mansion was filled with invited guests from early morning. Luxury cars were lined up in the spacious courtyard decorated with white and red flowers. Waiters in black and white uniforms were busy carrying trays of drinks and snacks, serving the arriving guests.
On the main stage set up in the middle of the garden, a gold-carved bed was the centre of attention. On it lay a girl in a luxurious white wedding dress. Vivian Wibisono. Her eyes were closed, her face pale as a candle, her body so thin that her bones protruded beneath the silk fabric.
She looked like a corpse dressed for burial, not a bride waiting for her husband.
The guests gathered near the stage, whispering in tones that were a mixture of pity and curiosity.
"Poor Miss Vivian," a middle-aged woman whispered to her friend. "She used to be so beautiful and cheerful. Now look at her..."
"I heard the Wibisono family has taken her to dozens of hospitals," her friend replied. "But no one can cure her."
"Not just hospitals." An old man with a long white beard joined the conversation. He was dressed in traditional clothing, his eyes sharp and knowledgeable. "They have also called in the best doctors from all over Asia. Chinese traditional medicine practitioners, Ayurvedic experts from India, even famous shamans. All of them have failed."
"All of them?" The first woman looked shocked.
The old man nodded seriously. "All of them. Miss Vivian's condition is very strange. Modern doctors cannot explain it. Traditional healers are also confused. Some say it's a curse, some say it's karma. But no one can cure her."
"Then there's no hope?" The second woman asked sadly.
The old man paused for a moment, as if weighing whether to share the information he had. Finally, he spoke in a softer voice.
"There is one person. If that person appears, perhaps Miss Vivian can be cured."
"Who?"
"The God of Knowledge."
The two women looked at each other in confusion. The old man continued.
"Fifteen years ago, there was a man who travelled all over the world. He was a master of every science there is. Medicine, martial arts, strategy, business, art, languages, everything. People called him the God of Knowledge because there was nothing he did not know. It is said that he could cure any disease, solve any problem, defeat any opponent."
"Then where is he now?"
The old man shook his head. "No one knows. Ten years ago, he disappeared without a trace. Some say he is dead. Some say he has secluded himself in the mountains to achieve enlightenment. But if he is still alive..." He glanced at Vivian, who was lying down. "There is no illness he cannot cure."
The conversation was interrupted when someone realised something.
"Wait, where is the groom?"
The question spread like ripples on water. The guests began to look around, searching for the figure who should have been Vivian's partner. But there was no sign of the Young Master of the Tanjaya Family.
"The event should have started fifteen minutes ago."
"Could he have run away?"
"Who would want to marry a girl in that condition?"
The whispers began to turn into louder gossip.
In the corner of the garden, Albert and Diana Tanjaya stood with tense faces. Cold sweat ran down Albert's forehead. Diana nervously wrung her handkerchief.
Heavy footsteps approached. Beni Wibisono, the deputy patriarch of the Wibisono family, stopped in front of them. He was a man in his fifties with a large body and a fierce face. His small eyes stared intently.
"Where is your son?" His voice was low but threatening.
Albert swallowed hard. "He... he's on his way. Maybe he's stuck in traffic—"
"Traffic?" Beni snorted. "I could close every road in this city if I wanted to. Don't lie to me, Albert."
Diana clutched her husband's arm. Albert tried to remain calm.
"Mr. Beni, I guarantee he will come. There might be a slight delay, but—"
"If your son doesn't show up in ten minutes," Beni whispered in a tone that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up, "I will consider the Tanjaya family to have insulted me. And you know what happens to people who insult me."
Albert turned pale. He knew very well. The Wibisono family was not known for their mercy.
"I... I'll call him—"
"No need."
The voice came from behind them. All heads turned.
Kevin stood there in a simple but neat black suit. His hair was slicked back, his face calm. He didn't look like a nervous or late groom. He looked like someone who had arrived exactly when he wanted to.
Albert exhaled a very obvious sigh of relief. "Ahhh! Finally, you—"
Kevin walked past his father without a glance. His steps were calm, his eyes fixed on the stage where Vivian lay.
But before he reached the stage, his steps slowed. Something caught his attention.
In the row of guests of honour sat a group of people dressed in luxurious clothes and with haughty attitudes. The Wijaya family. One of the four most powerful families in Aranca City, on par with the Wibisono family.
And in the middle of that group sat a man in his sixties with white hair and a cruel face. Frans Wijaya.
Kevin recognised that face. How could he forget? Five years ago, that was the last face he saw before darkness engulfed him. The face that smiled smugly as he ordered his men to break his arms and legs. One by one. Slowly. Enjoying every scream that came out of Kevin's mouth.
Their eyes met.
Frans did not recognise Kevin at first. Five years had changed many things. The thin, weak young man he had tortured had now transformed into a grown man with a taller frame and broader shoulders.
But then, something changed in Frans's face. His eyes narrowed, studying Kevin's face more closely. And slowly, recognition appeared there. Followed by shock.
It couldn't be, Frans' eyes seemed to say. He should be dead.
Kevin showed no expression. He just stared back for a few seconds, then looked away and continued walking towards the stage.
Dealing with the Wijaya family could wait. Now there was something more important.