The Time Portal
Meanwhile, Giono, Ngatmo, Karsiyah, Rani, and Rina arrived at the front post.
Rani and Rina shouted:
Rani: "Sister Nagini!"
Rina: "You're wearing red, like the old days!"
Nagini smiled.
Nagini: "Rani, Rina, come here."
Rani and Rina approached Nagini.
Nagini: "And you too, Tina—come here."
Tina adjusted her glasses and walked over.
Nagini: "Tono, Rudin, come here as well."
Tono and Rudin stepped closer.
Nagini: "I want to show you something."
Nagini reached into her pocket and pulled out the Time-Splitting Stone.
The stone began to vibrate on its own—Nagini wasn't even picturing a destination.
A small blue dot of light appeared before her. Slowly, it grew larger, forming a circle.
The circle expanded until it was two meters in diameter.
The Time-Splitting Stone had opened a time portal.
They stared in wonder and disbelief.
Tono: "Is this real?"
Rudin: "Is this… a time portal?"
Burhan: "Is this where you came from?"
Rani: "Amazing—Sister Nagini is going to travel through time!"
Rina: "Back to the past."
Tina: "Is this your home, Nagini?"
A thousand questions hung in everyone's minds.
The other officers and the handcuffed security guards couldn't hide their awe.
Even Mariana stood frozen, thinking to herself:
Mariana: "A disciple of the Seven Rivers Drunken Master? No wonder I couldn't defeat her…"
The portal's rim glowed with swirling blue light.
Beyond the circle lay the view of a forest on the slopes of Mount Merapi—just like where they stood now, but with an ancient, regal atmosphere, like the age of kingdoms.
Standing on the other side were three people in royal-era clothing, waving at Nagini.
On the right stood an elderly woman with a plump figure, white hair, and a black-and-white striped robe.
Beside her was a grinning young man dressed in all black, and next to him, an old man with a white beard, wearing a white sash and holding a jug.
Nagini: "The one with the white sash is my master—his name is the Seven Rivers Drunken Master."
Everyone listened in awe.
Nagini: "The man in black is my friend—his name is Suro Gebleg."
Some of them suppressed smiles at the name.
Nagini: "And the striped one is Suro's teacher—her name is Nyai Kendit Pitu."
***
Nagini Goes Home
Burhan: "Is that young man the reason you're avoiding me?"
Nagini: "It's not about that, Burhan. We're from different times. We can't be together."
Burhan fell silent, lost for words.
Nagini: "Tina, I have to say goodbye. I must return to where I came from."
Tina smiled.
Tina: "So that's why there's no record of you in the civil registry, Nagini. Now I understand."
Without being told, Rani and Rina rushed to hug Nagini.
Tina: "Can I hug you too, Nagini?"
Nagini smiled.
Then Nagini embraced Tina, Rani, and Rina.
Karsiyah's eyes brimmed with tears.
Karsiyah: "Mbelgedes! Mbelgedes!"
Giono lowered his head, while Ngatmo simply patted his chest.
Tono and Rudin held back their emotions.
Burhan couldn't hide his sorrow.
They finally let go of the embrace.
Nagini stepped toward the time portal. Slowly, her feet crossed into the other side.
Once she was fully across, Nagini turned back and waved.
The portal's circle began to shrink, becoming a dot, and vanished.
***
Mariana's Escape
Tina, Rani, Rina, Giono, Ngatmo, Karsiyah, Tono, Rudin, and Burhan exchanged glances.
Meanwhile, Mariana was already in handcuffs.
But as everyone was distracted by Nagini and her portal, Mariana began channeling her inner energy.
Her hands trembled, glowing with a red aura that spread across the cuffs.
Slowly, the metal began to burn hot, almost melting.
And then—
Plugh!
The cuffs snapped open.
With the last of her strength, Mariana dropped into a low stance, flicked her paper fan forward, and struck with her right hand.
Boom!!
A loud explosion.
Everyone stared.
Before them, Mariana's strike seemed to hit empty air—until a red dot appeared, growing into a two-meter circle.
Inside was the sight of a pristine seashore, gulls soaring over the waves.
It was the ocean of the 16th century.
Mariana had opened a time portal.
She staggered toward it, coughing, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.
Tono: "Stop, or we'll shoot!"
Mariana ignored the warning and stepped halfway through the portal.
Tono raised his weapon.
Tina: "Don't shoot, Tono—let her go!"
Tono didn't understand, but obeyed.
Once Mariana's feet touched the sand on the other side, the portal began to shrink into a red dot, then vanished.
Silence.
No one spoke—only awe, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of curiosity.
A single question burned in everyone's mind:
How could such mystical objects open portals through time?
To be continued