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The death of King Tarumanagara sent shock waves throughout the Kingdom of Kandis Srinjani.
When the king's body was discovered the following morning, the palace descended into chaos.
Guards rushed through the corridors. Servants wept, while royal officials quickly assembled to determine who was responsible for their ruler's death.
No one had imagined that a king so powerful and respected would meet his end inside his own chamber.
Even more heartbreaking was the fact that no one knew his murderer was his own younger sister.
King Tarumanagara died at the age of thirty.
He had ruled the kingdom for only five years following his father's death.
In that relatively short period, he had led Kandis Srinjani into an era of prosperity.
Now, everything he had achieved was in danger of collapsing.
Inside the palace, Ki Jaka stood before the king's lifeless body.
His hands clenched into fists beneath the sleeves of his white robe.
He had failed to protect King Atmanagara's eldest son.
A failure that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
"Your Majesty…" he whispered.
The head of the royal guard lowered his head. For the first time in his long years of service to the royal family, he could no longer conceal the grief on his face.
"Forgive me for not being at Your Majesty's side when this happened."
Yet beneath his sorrow, Ki Jaka understood that the king's death was not the only problem they had to face.
The kingdom could not be left without a ruler.
If the power vacuum continued for too long, the territories conquered by King Tarumanagara might rebel. Enemies who had been waiting for an opportunity could also launch an attack.
They needed a ruler.
And only one descendant of King Atmanagara remained in the palace.
Srimanikmarpati.
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The news of his brother's death caused Srimanikmarpati to lose consciousness.
The moment the news reached him, he collapsed before the servants could catch him.
For a while, everyone in the palace feared that he had died as well.
However, after the royal physicians examined him, Srimanikmarpati eventually regained consciousness.
The first words to leave his lips were a single question.
"Where is my brother?"
No one could bring themselves to answer.
Srimanikmarpati's gaze shifted from one face to another. He began to understand the truth everyone was trying to hide from him.
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"No… this cannot be happening."
He tried to rise from the bed, but his body was too weak.
"My brother would never leave me…"
His sobs broke through the silence.
Ever since childhood, King Tarumanagara had always been there for him. Although his illness prevented him from living like other people, his elder brother had never treated him as a burden.
Now, the person who had always protected him was gone.
And he had no idea how to continue living without him.
Outside the chamber, the royal guards and officials began discussing who should succeed King Tarumanagara.
"Ki Jaka," said Darmawangsa, one of Queen Amarpati's trusted guards, "what if we temporarily entrust the kingdom's affairs to Srimanikmarpati? We cannot leave the kingdom without a ruler."
Ki Jaka regarded him seriously.
"Srimanikmarpati has suffered from an illness since birth. King Atmanagara himself never entrusted the throne to him because he feared that he would be unable to govern."
"But do we have any other choice now?"
Ki Jaka fell silent.
Darmawangsa was right. According to the royal line of succession, Srimanikmarpati was the next heir who remained within the palace.
Meanwhile, Queen Amarpati had disappeared following her brother's death.
No one knew where she had gone.
She had left no message, and none of the guards knew her whereabouts.
It was as though she had vanished into the earth.
However, Ki Jaka did not believe her disappearance was merely a coincidence.
Something was wrong.
And he was determined to uncover the truth.
"I will search for Queen Amarpati," he finally declared.
He turned toward the guards and soldiers stationed throughout the Srinjani territory.
"Deploy troops to search the forests, valleys, and every trail surrounding the mountain. Do not return until you have discovered her whereabouts."
His voice was firm.
"Whatever happens, Queen Amarpati must be found."
Without wasting any time, dozens of soldiers immediately set out.
The search began.
A month passed.
The royal troops had scoured various regions around Mount Srinjani. They entered dense forests, crossed ravines, and climbed slopes covered with slippery rocks.
Yet every search ended the same way.
There was no sign of Queen Amarpati.
Until one morning, a soldier stationed on the northern side of the mountain discovered something suspicious.
Footprints.
The tracks led toward a narrow trail ascending to the summit, passing through ancient trees that grew close together and rocks almost entirely covered in moss.
When the report reached Ki Jaka, he immediately led a group of soldiers to the location.
Darmawangsa joined the search.
Throughout the journey, the man appeared more anxious than usual. Every so often, he glanced at Ki Jaka as though he had something he wanted to say.
But he continued to hold his tongue.
Because Darmawangsa knew something the other soldiers did not.
He knew Queen Amarpati was not a victim fleeing from the threat of an enemy.
He knew the queen had planned King Tarumanagara's murder.
And he also knew why Queen Amarpati had left the palace.
As her trusted guard, Darmawangsa had witnessed the queen's dark side long before the murder took place.
Yet his loyalty had compelled him to remain silent.
Now, he had to ensure that the secret remained hidden.
After a long journey, the group finally arrived at a narrow plateau near the summit of Mount Srinjani.
The trees grew farther apart there. Thin mist blanketed the ground, while cold winds swept between the rocks.
Ki Jaka raised his hand, signaling the entire group to stop.
In the distance, a woman could be seen sitting cross-legged atop a massive boulder.
Her hair hung in disarray. Both hands were raised before her chest, and her lips moved as she recited a series of words that could not be clearly heard from afar.
Several objects had been arranged in a circle around her.
Thin wisps of smoke rose from a vessel placed before her.
The woman was performing a ritual.
Ki Jaka narrowed his eyes.
He recognized her.
"Queen Amarpati…"
Darmawangsa immediately turned toward him.
"That's her!" he exclaimed. "Come on, let's approach her!"
Several soldiers began moving forward, but Ki Jaka raised his hand once more.
"Do not rush. We do not know what she is doing."
For a moment, Ki Jaka observed the woman from a distance.
Something felt wrong.
The mist surrounding the boulder where Queen Amarpati sat appeared to move against the direction of the wind. The air around her was also far colder than the rest of the mountain.
However, Ki Jaka had no time to dwell on the strange phenomenon.
He had to bring the queen back to the kingdom.
With cautious steps, he approached the woman.
"Queen Amarpati."
The woman stopped moving her hands.
Her ritual had been interrupted.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and turned toward Ki Jaka.
"What brings you here, Ki Jaka? Why have you come to this place?"
Her voice was calm.
Far too calm for someone who had been missing for an entire month.
Ki Jaka bowed his head.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I have come to deliver terrible news."
Queen Amarpati stared at him without blinking.
"What terrible news?"
Ki Jaka drew a deep breath.
"King Tarumanagara has passed away."
At once, Queen Amarpati's expression changed.
Her eyes widened. Her body stiffened, and both hands slowly fell into her lap.
"What?"
Her voice was barely audible.
Ki Jaka continued, his tone heavy with sorrow.
"According to the report we received, someone entered His Majesty's chamber through the window and murdered him while he was asleep."
For several moments, Queen Amarpati simply stared at Ki Jaka.
Then she rose abruptly to her feet.
"Impossible!"
Her voice echoed between the rocks.
"My brother was extremely vigilant against his enemies. He always made certain that the palace security was strict. How could someone possibly enter his chamber and kill him so easily?"
Ki Jaka lowered his head.
"I do not understand how it could have happened either, Your Majesty."
Queen Amarpati shook her head repeatedly.
"No… it cannot be…"
She walked several steps away from Ki Jaka, then covered her mouth with both hands.
From a distance, the sight would have convinced anyone that the queen was genuinely devastated by her brother's death.
Yet beneath her sorrowful expression, her mind was working rapidly.
King Tarumanagara was dead.
That meant her plan had succeeded.
But why had Ki Jaka come with news that her brother had been murdered by an intruder?
Why had he not said that the king had died of illness or some other cause?
And most importantly…
Did Ki Jaka truly have no idea who the murderer was?
Queen Amarpati swallowed hard.
She had to be careful.
A single mistake could destroy everything she had planned.
"I never imagined something like this would happen to him," she finally said, forcing her voice to tremble.
She lowered her head, concealing her gaze from the people around her.
"Whoever committed this crime, I want them found."
Ki Jaka watched her in silence.
Something about her behavior made him uneasy. However, he had no evidence with which to accuse her.
"The royal troops will continue investigating, Your Majesty," he replied.
Queen Amarpati nodded slowly.
"Good."
She then glanced toward the forest, which was shrouded in mist.
Beyond the trees, the wind suddenly ceased.
For a moment, a faint sound drifted through the distance.
It sounded like someone whispering her name.
Amarpati…
The queen froze.
Her eyes fixed on the darkness between the trees.
The whisper came again.
Your throne awaits you.
Queen Amarpati clenched her fists.
Before Ki Jaka and the soldiers, she continued to wear an expression of grief.
But deep within her heart, a smile slowly began to form.
King Tarumanagara was dead.
The path to the throne now lay open.
And she would not allow anyone to take that opportunity away from her.
Not even if claiming it meant awakening something that should have remained buried in the darkness of Mount Srinjani.
Something that had been waiting for her for thousands of years.
To Be Continued…