The streetlights in Western City— weren't truly on anymore.
They flickered.
On. Off. On. Off.
As if even the night itself— was unsure whether it was still safe.
In the middle of the street— the asphalt cracked open like wounds.
And standing above it—
was a teenage boy.
Still.
But his body— wasn't.
Trembling.
Golden energy swirled around him.
Not fully visible— but enough to make the air feel unbearably heavy.
KRAK.
The cracks in the ground spread wider.
People stepped back.
One step. Two.
Then—
they ran.
Because everyone knew—
this wasn't something ordinary people could face.
The One Who Didn't Retreat
Arga kept walking forward.
Slowly.
Without hesitation.
The MBG lunch box in his hand— glowed softly.
The nine rice grains pulsed calmly.
Completely opposite—
from the chaos in front of him.
"Arga…"
Sinta's voice was quiet.
"Be careful."
Farhan stared at the monitor.
"His energy is rising again!"
Lila added quickly, "He's about to lose control!"
Bimo muttered under his breath.
"…and we're standing right in front of him."
The Gaze
The boy stared at Arga.
His eyes— golden.
But there was something else inside them.
Emptiness.
And—
confusion.
"You…"
His voice cracked apart.
"…same."
Arga nodded slowly.
"Nutritional energy."
The boy grabbed his head.
"…too much…"
His body jerked violently.
Energy leaked out wildly.
Chaotic.
With nowhere to go.
What Was Forced
Arga could feel it.
This wasn't energy that had naturally grown.
It had been planted.
Forced.
"Dominion gave this to you."
The boy didn't answer.
But his body— did.
Trembling.
In pain.
Golden sparks burst from his hands.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
Bimo swallowed nervously.
"…if he explodes…"
Nobody finished the sentence.
Nobody needed to.
What Was Alive
Arga opened his lunch box.
Warm light spread outward.
Not sharp. Not oppressive.
Gentle.
Flowing slowly.
Like the first breath— after drowning.
"This energy…"
He raised the box slightly.
"…was never meant to destroy."
The boy stared at the warm light.
And for the first time—
his golden energy hesitated.
Closer
Arga took another step.
Then another.
"This energy comes from living bodies."
"From food."
"From something that gives life."
He stopped— only one step away from the boy.
"…not from machines."
The boy whispered softly.
"…alive?"
Arga nodded.
The boy looked down at his own hands.
Golden light still flickered wildly.
"…it hurts."
Break
For one second—
silence.
Then—
"TOO MUCH!"
BOOOOOOM!
Energy exploded outward.
Streetlights shattered into darkness.
Wind burst through the road.
Windows cracked.
The ground shook violently.
Bimo struggled to keep himself standing.
"THIS IS BAD!"
Farhan shouted, "Extreme surge detected!"
Sinta screamed, "ARGA—!"
The One Who Still Didn't Retreat
But Arga— didn't step back.
Instead—
he moved closer.
One more step.
His lunch box shined brighter.
The nine rice grains spun rapidly.
Warm light spread outward—
and touched the golden energy.
Not fighting it.
Not suppressing it.
Only—
calming it.
Like water—
not extinguishing fire.
But helping it—
stop hurting everything around it.
Connected
The boy froze.
His eyes widened.
For one brief second—
everything aligned.
Golden— and warm.
Chaos— and calm.
Arga felt it.
Not just energy.
Feelings.
Loneliness.
Fear.
Pain—
he never chose for himself.
Arga whispered softly.
"Calm down…"
"It doesn't have to hurt you anymore."
Falling
Slowly—
the golden energy weakened.
Streetlights flickered back on.
The wind stopped.
And the world— breathed again.
The boy collapsed to his knees.
Breathing heavily.
The golden light dimmed.
But—
didn't disappear.
After the Explosion
Arga stepped closer.
Carefully.
Without fear.
Only caution.
"…are you okay?"
The boy slowly lifted his head.
His eyes— still golden.
But now—
more human.
"I…"
He stopped.
"…I don't know who I am."
The sentence fell quietly.
But—
it felt heavier than the explosion before it.
A Meaningful Silence
Sinta stared at him.
"…they may have erased his memories."
Farhan checked the readings.
"His energy is stabilizing."
Bimo finally let out a long breath.
"…finally."
Rani helped the boy stand up.
"You're safe now."
The boy looked at Arga for a long moment.
"You…"
"…saved me."
Arga shook his head slowly.
"Not yet."
He looked at the remaining golden light.
"If Dominion finds you…"
"…they'll come back."
Somewhere Else
"The subject's energy is stabilizing!"
Voices echoed through the laboratory.
The man in the hat turned quickly.
"How is that possible?"
But the Dominion leader didn't seem surprised.
Instead—
he smiled.
Slowly.
"…so that's how it works."
He enlarged the recording.
Golden light.
Warm light.
Two things—
that should never have been able to coexist.
"…original energy…"
"…calms artificial energy."
His eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
He stared at Arga's face for a long moment.
"…so this is the key."
Back in the streets of Western City—
Arga stood silently.
In front of him—
was a boy—
who should never have existed.
With powers—
he should never have possessed.
And far away—
something had begun to move.
No longer an experiment.
No longer a test.
But—
a hunt.
And this time—
the target wasn't the system.
Not the network.
But—
Arga.