"Your friend? Have you been waiting long?" Kaivan asked, trying to sound gentle, not pressing her too hard. Isabel hesitated before answering softly, "I just met him earlier... around five in the afternoon. He borrowed my phone, said he needed to call a shy driver. From the restroom."
Kaivan listened, his disbelief hidden behind a calm expression. Watching her innocent face, he muttered inwardly, This girl is either too pure... or just plain naïve. A quiet unease crept into his chest. Her trust came far too easily, and everything pointed to one conclusion, she had been deceived.
He took a moment to think, then spoke gently, careful not to sound judgmental. "But," he said softly, "it's already eleven at night. You've been waiting for six hours. Doesn't that seem... suspicious to you?"
Isabel looked up, her brows furrowed. She paused, then quickly replied, "But he was nice." Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a small plastic pouch filled with candies. "Look, he gave me these so I'd wait for him. Fifty of them."
Kaivan stared at the candies, expression flat. He couldn't decide whether to laugh or sigh. She really has no idea... He exhaled deeply, a hint of frustration hidden beneath his breath. Hopeless. She's really... hopeless.
The night wind swept across the empty street, carrying a sharp chill. Standing under the pale glow of a streetlamp, Kaivan's body seemed still, but his mind churned. He watched Isabel, her steps light, her face full of naive hope, like a child untouched by the world.
Why does it have to be this hard? he thought, weariness tightening his chest. Then, barely louder than the whispering breeze, he called out, "Isabel."
She turned. Her long hair swayed gently with the motion, eyes wide and trusting. Kaivan took a slow breath, steadying himself, then met her gaze.
"Your phone... has been stolen."
Silence fell. The simple words struck her like thunder. Her brow furrowed, lips parting in confusion. "Stolen? How could it be stolen?" she asked, still clutching the candy bag as if it might explain everything. "He gave me these... to wait for him," she added faintly, her voice trembling with fragile hope.
Kaivan sighed, his thin frame bending slightly under the weight of the night's chill. His face tightened, but his tone stayed kind. "Isabel... how much was your phone worth?"
She hesitated. "Two million rupiah," she said softly, like the number itself was sacred.
Kaivan nodded slowly. "And... how much do you think the candies cost?"
She looked at the bag in her hands. "Maybe five thousand," she whispered.
Kaivan stepped closer, eyes calm but sharp. "What's the difference?"
Isabel began counting with her fingers, mumbling under her breath before whispering, "One million nine hundred ninety-five thousand." Her voice wavered, as if she wished the math were wrong.
The silence hung heavy. Kaivan finally said, "That's how much you've lost. You've been tricked."
Isabel's face drained of color. Her lips trembled. "W-what? Seriously?" she whispered, eyes widening as his words struck deep. "My phone... was stolen?" she repeated softly. Realization spread through her, slow, painful. Her trust had turned into betrayal. She shivered.
Panicking, she looked up at him. "What was your name again?" she asked, her voice shaking, as though clinging to him was the only thing keeping her grounded.
"Kaivan," he replied simply. His eyes held both irritation and pity. He knew he was now her only anchor to reason.
Isabel hugged the bag of candies like a charm. "What should I do? My sister will be angry... and my parents too..." Her voice quivered, breaking into small pieces.
Kaivan stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You won't face this alone. But promise me one thing, don't trust so easily again."
Isabel nodded weakly, tears sliding down her cheeks. "Okay..." she whispered. For the first time that night, she felt that someone truly cared.
Under the dim glow of the streetlights, their shadows stretched across the wet pavement. Kaivan gripped the Tome Omnicent tightly, feeling the faint pulse of mystery inside it.
He flipped it open, and golden ink began to appear on the rough paper. A pale light danced across his face as his eyes traced the words that surfaced: "Go to Kopo, then to Baleendah. The address is there…"
A simple map accompanied the message. Kaivan closed the book, his voice firm in the quiet night. He slipped the Tome into his bag and turned to Isabel.
The girl still looked lost, fear and confusion swirling in her eyes. Her lips trembled, as if she wanted to say something, but the weight of the world felt too heavy to put into words.
"Come on," Kaivan said, his tone steady but not harsh. "We're getting your phone back."
Isabel blinked, raising her brows. "Why not go to the police?" she asked softly, her voice trembling, as if breaking a rule she'd lived by her whole life.
Kaivan sighed. "Forget the police. They're too slow for things like this. Besides, I've already been there once today. I'm not going twice."
Isabel's eyes widened. "Wait… are you a criminal?" she asked, half afraid, half curious.
Kaivan rolled his eyes. "No. I just don't like wasting time. Now let's go."
Without waiting for her reply, he walked toward a motorcycle parked beneath the streetlight. The engine roared to life with a sharp twist of his wrist, breaking the silence of the night.
"Get on," Kaivan said, glancing back over his shoulder.
Isabel approached hesitantly and sat behind him. Her hands trembled as they wrapped around Kaivan's waist, seeking balance in her confusion.
They rode through the quieting city. Streetlights stretched their shadows long, like ghosts following in silence. The night air was sharp and cold, biting at their skin. Isabel, wearing only a thin sweater, instinctively pressed closer to Kaivan's back, though her grip remained uncertain, afraid to hold on too tightly.
Kaivan said nothing during the ride. His mind spiraled with the Tome Omnicent's cryptic words. Who had stolen the phone? What awaited them at the end of this road? His hands tightened on the handlebars.
After nearly an hour, they reached Baleendah. The place felt detached from the world, buildings old and brooding, walls cracked and veined with moss. Narrow streets wound between them like corridors of time. Streetlights flickered weakly; some had already gone dark, leaving only silence to guard their secrets.
"We need to go in there," Kaivan said, glancing at Isabel's hesitant expression. He was about to open the Tome again, hoping for another clue, when Isabel suddenly pointed.
"That green building," she said quietly. "It looks just like the one in the book."