3:30 AM WIB. Kampung Rambutan Bus Terminal was in a state of total freeze under the influence of Maxcen's projection zone. The air had such high density that oxygen particles did not move naturally. Enver Eraly knelt on the rough asphalt surface. The weight of his black hair reached 180 kilograms and exerted constant pressure on the atlas bone in his neck. The ends of that hair dragged across the cement and left a trail of dust.
Ibu Sumiyati stood still in front of Enver. That woman's face underwent a color change to a pale gray. Black veins bulged in the neck and forehead area due to the activity of the Mutated MAU parasite. The parasite was performing a process of systematically erasing memory data in the subject's brain.
Maxcen manifested in the form of a giant silhouette of darkness behind Enver. His presence caused the temperature around those coordinates to drop to 5 degrees Celsius. Maxcen's voice was heard through the vibrations of air atoms traveling directly to Enver's eardrums.
"The greatest weakness and the most disgusting thing about humans lies in their feelings, Enver. Especially affection and love," Maxcen said. His voice was flat and lacked emotional intonation. "Once, we were two balancing pillars that worked mechanically. We were pure machines. I took the lives that had withered and you sowed the seeds of new life. There was no emotion in our work procedures. There was only function. Why did you choose to become filthy by involving these feelings?"
Enver did not immediately answer. He vomited golden liquid from his mouth onto the asphalt. The golden blood glowed dimly in the middle of the darkness of the projection zone. Enver tried to take a breath but his lungs were suppressed by the weight of the hair that was getting heavier.
"She is not just a function or data in your system, Maxcen," Enver answered with a hoarse voice. "She is the sole reason why I still have an identity as Enver Eraly."
Maxcen moved his shadow hand over Ibu Sumiyati's head. "Identity is a useless variable in the stability of the universe. You are messing up the frequency of the Neutral Loom just for this one old human specimen. This is a fatal failure of logic."
Enver moved his right fingers with a slow movement. Ten golden veins came out from his fingertips. The veins pulsed but there was a black line in the center indicating contamination by Maxcen's death essence. Enver directed the veins toward the astral layer of Ibu Sumiyati.
"I will perform a soul displacement procedure," Enver said.
"You will regret it, Enver," Maxcen replied. "You have just confirmed that you are a failed product."
Enver ignored the warning. He plunged his golden veins into Ibu Sumiyati's fate nerve point. He performed an illegal soul-stitching to bind the woman's consciousness into his own anatomical system. This was a violation of the universal laws established by the 7 Councils.
Physically, Ibu Sumiyati's body underwent atomic disintegration. Her flesh and bones dissolved into fine silver-colored dust particles. From that vortex of dust, an astral entity emerged. This entity had the form of a woman with a long white cloth torn at the bottom. Very long black hair covered her entire face. Technically, this entity is categorized as an astral kuntilanak. On the entity's forehead, a piece of a golden coin-shaped seal appeared, marking her status as a servant vassal belonging to Enver.
Z'loq manifested through a projection of light on the surface of the golden blood puddle. His red eyes showed a high intensity of anger.
"You have committed a betrayal against our absolute contract, Enver!" shouted Z'loq. "You stripped the subject of her right to choose and bound her soul based on your private emotional preferences. I am cutting 200 days from your remaining lifespan as punishment for this procedural violation!"
Instantly, Enver's hair grew automatically by 20 centimeters. The mass of the hair increased so that its total weight now reached 210 kilograms. The sound of a crack was heard from Enver's neck bone. He collapsed until his face hit the asphalt of the bus terminal.
"Look at yourself now, Enver," Maxcen said while walking closer. "You are now dragging the carcass of affection on your back. You are no longer the balancer of the universe. You are merely a damaged asset collecting memories that should have already perished."
Enver wiped the golden liquid on his lips. He used his right hand to support the weight of his head. "If affection is a system failure, then I will become the failure that brings down all of your thrones."
Maxcen's projection zone suddenly shattered and disappeared. The physical reality of the bus terminal functioned normally again. Humans around began to move again. The sound of bus engines and the conversation of conductors were heard simultaneously once more. No ordinary human was able to detect the presence of the astral kuntilanak standing behind Enver.
Ibu Sumiyati, who now had an astral form, touched Enver's shoulder. Her pale astral hand provided a transfer of energy to hold part of Enver's hair weight.
"Enver," the entity whispered. Her voice sounded like the vibration of the wind. "Do not give up. I am still here."
In the sky of the bus terminal, a weather anomaly appeared. A vortex of black clouds formed a precise geometric pattern. Three faceless mechanical entities descended from the center of the vortex. They wore armor made of shimmering liquid metal. They were The Eraser units sent by the 7 Councils.
"Target identified: Enver Eraly," the Eraser units said in unison with mechanical voices. "Status: Infected with human emotion. Protocol: Total erasure of all assets."
A very bright white light appeared on the western horizon in the direction of Enver's apartment location. That energy explosion erased the entire physical existence of Enver's apartment. The bottles of life essence and all of Enver's fate documents were destroyed in seconds.
"Your apartment has been erased, Enver," said one of the Eraser units. "You no longer have access to the energy source of the universe."
Enver stood upright even though his body shook violently. He dragged his heavy hair across the asphalt and created a sharp scraping sound. "I do not need that apartment anymore."
Ibu Sumiyati floated low behind Enver. Her astral hair moved wildly and formed a circular protective formation. She was ready to face the attack from the council's execution units.
"Mother, be ready," Enver said to his astral servant. "We are the variables that will erase them from history."
The Eraser activated the molecular-shattering weapons in their hands. The weapons emitted blue radiation that sliced through the air. Enver pulled back his ten golden veins and prepared to perform astral surgery on the liquid metal of The Eraser.
"You call this asset erasure," Enver said while looking straight at the executors. "I call this the beginning of the cleansing of the terrified rulers."
The bus terminal now turned into a battlefield between the cold laws of the universe and Enver's emotional betrayal. Enver stepped forward and each step left a crack three centimeters deep on the road surface. The physical battle between a human with the gravity of sin and faceless machines began in the middle of a crowd of humans who did not realize that the fate of the world was being fought over beside them.