Rico began to understand what Alya had meant.
Memories of the old man in the white robe they had encountered earlier flooded back into his mind. The man's words were beginning to make more sense, as though the pieces of a great mystery were slowly falling into place inside his head.
It turned out that Mount Srinjani was not merely a towering mountain with dense forests and dangerous hiking trails.
There was something far greater hidden behind it.
Another world.
A kingdom concealed within a different dimension, existing beyond a boundary that ordinary humans could never reach. The kingdom had stood for thousands of years and was even believed to have existed since before the Common Era.
Its name was the Kingdom of Kandis Srinjani.
Legend had it that the kingdom's name was the origin of the name Mount Srinjani, which had endured to this day.
However, behind the glory of this ancient kingdom lay a dark tale of power struggles, betrayal, and death that would change everything.
The story began with a royal family that had once lived in prosperity.
Within the Kingdom of Kandis Srinjani, there were three descendants of King Atmanagara who would eventually determine the fate of the entire kingdom: King Tarumanagara, Srimanikmarpati, and Queen Amarpati.
King Atmanagara was their father. Before drawing his final breath, he had already decided who would succeed him to the throne.
His choice fell upon his eldest son, King Tarumanagara.
There was a reason for his decision.
King Tarumanagara was known to be intelligent, wise, and exceptionally capable of ruling a kingdom. He could read situations, devise strategies, and make sound decisions for the welfare of his people.
In contrast, Srimanikmarpati, King Atmanagara's second son, had suffered from a mysterious illness since birth. Even as he grew into adulthood, the illness never truly disappeared. His condition made their father fear that he would be unable to bear the responsibilities of a king.
Meanwhile, Queen Amarpati, King Atmanagara's third child, harbored an ambition that few people knew about.
An ambition that would eventually become a catastrophe.
────────
That night, King Atmanagara's chamber was filled with the scent of medicine and slowly burning incense.
The king lay weakly upon an intricately carved golden bed. His face was pale, and his breathing was heavy and irregular. For the past month, he had frequently suffered from tightness in his chest. The royal physicians had been summoned to treat him, but none had succeeded in restoring his health.
Beside the bed stood a man dressed in a white robe, his head bowed.
He was Ki Jaka, King Atmanagara's trusted bodyguard.
His long white hair fell past his shoulders. His face appeared calm, but his eyes concealed an anxiety he could barely hide.
"Ki Jaka."
King Atmanagara's weak voice broke the silence.
Ki Jaka immediately approached and knelt beside the bed.
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
With great difficulty, King Atmanagara reached inside his robe. He took out a parchment scroll tied with red thread and handed it to Ki Jaka.
"I wish to entrust this will to you."
Ki Jaka accepted the scroll with both hands.
"Your Majesty, please do not speak that way. The royal physicians are still trying to find a cure for your illness."
King Atmanagara offered a faint smile, one that resembled resignation more than peace.
"Not every illness can be cured by physicians, Ki Jaka. I can feel my body growing weaker. I fear I do not have much time left."
"Your Majesty…"
"Listen carefully."
The king's gaze suddenly became serious.
"When I am gone, deliver this will to my three children. Do not allow anyone to alter the decision I have made. Whatever happens, you must safeguard this trust."
Ki Jaka bowed his head even lower.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I swear to protect this trust until the appointed time."
King Atmanagara nodded slowly.
He had no idea that the decision he was leaving behind would become the beginning of his own family's destruction.
Several days later, King Atmanagara drew his final breath.
His passing plunged the entire palace into deep mourning. Yet before the grief had fully subsided, the throne of the Kingdom of Kandis Srinjani was officially inherited by his eldest son.
King Tarumanagara ascended the throne.
From that moment onward, the kingdom's fate rested in his hands.
────────
Under King Tarumanagara's leadership, the Kingdom of Kandis Srinjani flourished.
The kingdom's economy grew stronger. Agricultural and trade production increased, bringing greater prosperity. Supply routes were improved, while the government was reorganized to ensure more efficient administration.
The king also strengthened the kingdom's defenses.
His soldiers were trained with strict discipline. Weapons were upgraded, and various military strategies were devised to protect the kingdom's territory while expanding its borders.
Within a few years, the territories surrounding Mount Srinjani had been conquered by the armies of Kandis Srinjani.
Victory after victory made King Tarumanagara increasingly respected.
To his people, he was more than a ruler seated upon a throne. He was a leader who provided security, prosperity, and hope for a better future.
However, not everyone was pleased to witness the kingdom's growing glory.
Behind the magnificent palace walls, a pair of eyes watched every one of the king's achievements with ever-burning hatred.
Those eyes belonged to Queen Amarpati.
King Tarumanagara's younger sister could never accept the fact that her eldest brother held control over the kingdom.
In her eyes, the throne should have been hers.
She believed that the royal blood flowing through her veins gave her the same right to rule. Yet her father's decision had closed the path to power.
As time passed, her disappointment turned into resentment.
And that resentment slowly gave birth to something far more sinister.
Queen Amarpati did not merely want to replace her brother. She wanted to destroy everything King Tarumanagara had built and establish a new regime founded upon fear.
She wanted every subject to bow before her.
No one would be allowed to question her. No one would be permitted to resist.
Anyone who dared to oppose her would suffer the consequences.
Even her own brother.