Evening descended upon Jayakarsa City. The sky slowly changed color, and the sunlight was no longer harsh. At the training grounds, rows of archers stood neatly in formation, with Gatot among them. Every bow was raised in unison, arrows ready to be released at the command.
"Draw… hold… release!" The archery instructor's voice echoed across the field. A moment later, dozens of arrows shot forward simultaneously.
THUK! THUK! THUK!
Most struck their targets accurately. Some missed. One arrow flew far off target. Suddenly, a man walked behind the line of archers. His steps were calm, and the pressure of his aura felt different from the ordinary instructors. Several knights immediately saluted once they noticed his presence.
The man was a Dharma named Karna. His eyes observed each archer carefully—their technique, posture, and concentration. Almost everything looked correct. Until Karna stopped behind Gatot.
"Your draw is too stiff," Karna said. Gatot was slightly startled and glanced back, seeing Karna standing there.
"Your shoulders are tense. It's affecting your aim," Karna continued. Without waiting for permission, Karna adjusted Gatot's stance directly.
"Lower your shoulders. Relax your arms, don't make them too rigid. Breathe properly so you can stay calm," Karna said while guiding him slowly. "Archery isn't about strength. It's about control." Gatot stayed silent, focusing carefully on following the instructions.
"Now, try again," Karna said. Gatot drew the bow once more. This time, his posture was steadier. He held his breath, Then released.
TSUS!
The arrow flew straight into the center of the target. Thuk.
"Good," Karna said with a short nod.
Gatot stared at the result before turning back toward the man in front of him.
"Keep practicing until you become truly skilled."
Gatot narrowed his eyes slightly, as if recognising something. "I've seen your face before," Gatot said.
Karna raised an eyebrow. "A lot of people know me," he replied flatly, assuming this was nothing unusual.
Gatot shook his head. "No, not because of that."
A brief silence followed.
"We've met before, Uncle Karna," Gatot continued.
Karna fell silent.
Gatot stepped slightly closer. "We met in Wanasura Village." The moment the village name was mentioned, Karna eyes widened slightly.
"At that time, several Dharma came there. I remember Bima, Arjuna… and you were there too, Uncle Karna."
Gatot even pointed toward him briefly.
"I still remember when Dharma Bima and Arjuna were searching for—" Suddenly, Gatot lost his train of thought. There was something he had forgotten. Something important.
"I can't quite remember what you were looking for back then, but my friend Abas said the object you were searching for was inside the Ghost Cave… though it turned out to be empty."
Gatot paused, recalling the past.
"I also remember you saving us from the poisoned coffee beans Bima almost gave us."
The memory returned to Karna as well. Including the names of the children he once met in Wanasura Village.
"I remember now," Karna finally said. His expression, however, was not warm. Gatot smiled slightly, but before he could continue speaking, Karna had already turned away.
"Sorry, I don't have time to talk any longer," Karna said as he walked away quickly.
Gatot remained standing there, watching Karna's back disappear into the distance. Something felt strange. But he couldn't tell what.
Training eventually ended. The knights gathered around buckets of water, fighting over fresh drinks.
"Hey! Stop pushing! Take turns!" Hands scrambled noisily for water. Eventually, Gatot got his turn.
He picked up a clay cup, poured some water, and drank slowly.
"Hey, did you hear the news yet?" one of the knights beside him asked.
"Hear what?"
"A village got destroyed by Kurawa."
Gatot did not react immediately.
"They say it was completely wiped out."
"That's horrible."
"What village was destroyed?"
"Wanasura Village."
Gatot's hand stopped moving the moment he heard the village name.
The water inside his cup trembled slightly. His expression remained blank.
"You said it was attacked by Kurawa?"
"Yeah. They said a massive horde attacked the village. No survivors."
Gatot lowered his head silently.
"This information hasn't spread widely throughout Jayakarsa yet. Father and Mother don't know either. I need to find out whether this is true or not… I need to confirm it myself."
Gatot quietly distanced himself from the others. His steps quickened toward the office of one of the Dharma. Gatot was still under the mentorship of Dharma Arjuna. Now he headed toward that office, the place where he usually reported attendance as an apprentice archer. When he arrived, the door happened to be open.
Gatot peeked inside first. Silent. No one was there. He slowly stepped inside.
"No one here?" Gatot muttered. Carefully, he walked deeper into the room. Then his eyes caught something. Papers scattered across a table. Gatot approached and picked one up.
The documents were filled with writing—kingdom funds, operational costs, and various projects. "What's this? Reactor? What does that mean?" Gatot frowned.
He did not understand the term reactor. He continued reading until another word made him stop.
"Bloodstone…"
"I've heard that before… but where?"
The term sounded familiar, but he could not remember why. Gatot grabbed another document and read more quickly. Then he found an operation report. It contained plans regarding Wanasura Village. The report clearly stated that it was not Kurawa or monsters who attacked the village. It was the Dharma themselves.
They had planned the destruction of Wanasura Village and the theft of something they sought. The reason for the attack was because the villagers had hidden Bloodstone and refused to hand it over to the Dharma. Even worse, the entire incident would later be reported publicly as a Kurawa attack.
Gatot froze slightly. His breathing became heavier. His eyes reread the report over and over, as if hoping he had misunderstood. But the words never changed. Slowly, his hand clenched into a fist. Without thinking further, Gatot secretly gathered several sheets of paper and hid them away. He turned toward the door. The door was open. And suddenly, Someone stood there.
A Bhayangkara knight. Their eyes met. Both looked equally shocked.
"Who are you? What are you doing in there?" the knight asked in a low voice. Gatot immediately felt the suspicion in the man's gaze.