The alley fell silent again.
But this time—
it didn't feel empty.
It felt… watched.
Arga still held the box.
Heavy.
Not because of its weight—
but because of what it meant.
Sinta stood beside him, eyes sharp.
Scanning.
Listening.
Ready.
Bimo slowly pushed himself up.
"…I'm never eating random food again."
No one responded.
Arga crouched.
Placed the box on the ground.
Careful.
Deliberate.
"We need to understand this."
Sinta nodded.
"…before they use it again."
The Truth Inside
The lid opened.
The smell hit instantly.
Sharp.
Bitter.
Rotten.
Bimo recoiled.
"…that's not food."
Inside—
dark packages.
Neatly arranged.
Too neat.
Too wrong.
Arga picked one up.
Turned it slowly.
Then opened it slightly.
Inside—
something fried.
Or pretending to be.
Dry.
Dark.
Lifeless.
"…look."
Sinta pointed.
A label.
Clean.
Deliberate.
Ultra Snack X
Below it—
Instant Energy Formula — Trial Generation
Silence.
"…trial?" Arga whispered.
Sinta's voice lowered.
"They're testing something."
Bimo frowned.
"…on who?"
No one answered.
They didn't need to.
The Name
At the bottom of the box—
a card.
Black.
Arga picked it up.
A symbol marked its surface.
A fractured lightning bolt.
Jagged.
Unstable.
Below it—
a name.
JUNK DOMINION
The air shifted.
Subtly.
But enough.
Bimo read it slowly.
"…dominion…"
"Control," Sinta said.
Arga stared at the card.
Then—
something clicked.
"They're not just making food…"
A beat.
"…they're manufacturing power."
Silence settled.
Heavier now.
The Difference
Arga clenched his fist.
"Our power feels… alive."
Sinta nodded.
"…balanced."
Bimo muttered,
"…this feels wrong."
Arga looked back at the box.
"…because it is."
He inhaled slowly.
"They're forcing it."
"They're creating power…"
"…without control."
That realization landed.
Hard.
The Strategy
Arga stood.
"We don't bring this back."
Sinta frowned.
"…what?"
"They'll hide it if we do."
Bimo crossed his arms.
"…then what's the plan?"
Arga's gaze sharpened.
"…we use it."
Silence.
Sinta's eyes narrowed.
"…as bait?"
Arga nodded.
"They want this."
"Then we make them come to us."
Bimo swallowed.
"…that sounds dangerous."
Arga met his eyes.
"It is."
A pause.
"But running won't stop them."
Silence.
Then—
Sinta stepped forward.
"…okay."
Bimo sighed.
"…yeah. I figured."
Too Late
"…too late."
The voice echoed.
From the end of the alley.
Footsteps followed.
Slow.
Measured.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
More than one.
Sinta tensed.
"…they're here."
Shadows stretched across the wall.
One.
Two.
Three.
And him.
The man from before.
He smiled.
"You're learning."
Arga closed the box.
The energy inside him rose—
but didn't spike.
It held.
"Good," the man said.
"…that saves time."
He stepped forward.
"Give me the box."
Arga didn't move.
Instead—
"…Junk Dominion."
The man paused.
Just slightly.
"…so you saw it."
Arga's voice remained steady.
"You're testing people."
"Those who survive…"
"…become like you."
Silence.
Then—
the man smiled.
"…smart."
A beat.
"…but incomplete."
He raised his hand.
"Show them."
The Difference Made Visible
The two men behind him stepped forward.
At first—
nothing changed.
Then—
their bodies shifted.
Subtle.
Then—
wrong.
Their movements sharpened.
Too sharp.
Too rigid.
Too aggressive.
Like something inside them—
was forcing control.
Bimo stepped back.
"…they're like us…"
Arga shook his head.
"…no."
"They're unstable."
Clash of Systems
The air grew heavy.
Pressure built—
unnatural.
The man stepped closer.
"Our power is efficient," he said.
"No hesitation."
"No weakness."
Sinta narrowed her eyes.
"…no balance."
The man smiled.
"Balance is slow."
"Power is fast."
Then—
he moved.
The two men rushed forward.
Fast.
Too fast.
Arga stepped in.
"Bimo—right!"
"Got it!"
Bimo dashed.
Controlled this time.
Cutting wide.
Breaking their angle.
Sinta leapt—
precise—
intercepting from above.
Arga advanced.
Not faster—
but smarter.
BANG!
The first clash hit.
Force collided.
The ground cracked beneath them.
Arga held—
barely.
The opponent pushed harder.
Wild.
Unstable.
"Too strong—!" Bimo shouted.
"No," Arga said.
"…too uncontrolled."
He shifted.
Redirected.
The opponent staggered.
Just enough.
Sinta dropped—
THUD!
Breaking their formation.
Bimo surged in.
Fast.
Controlled.
The momentum shifted.
The man watched.
Silent.
Calculating.
"…adaptation confirmed."
The Truth
Arga stepped back.
Breathing heavier now.
"This isn't random."
"You're selecting."
"Testing."
"Building something."
The man didn't deny it.
"…of course."
A pause.
"…and you're part of it."
Silence.
Arga's jaw tightened.
"…we're not yours."
The man smiled.
"You already are."
The Shift
The pressure changed.
He stepped forward.
Stronger.
Heavier.
More dangerous.
"Enough testing."
His voice dropped.
"…we take you now."
The air twisted.
Dense.
Crushing.
Sinta whispered,
"…Arga…"
Bimo tensed.
"…this is bad."
Arga didn't move.
His eyes sharpened.
The energy inside him—
stabilized.
Not wild.
Not afraid.
Controlled.
"…no."
Silence.
Then—
he stepped forward.
And for the first time—
they weren't just surviving.
They were resisting.