[09:25 AM] Art Class
A week after their visit to the Bain City Museum, Raffy stood at the front of the classroom, concluding his group’s presentation on the scarcity of reliable records regarding ancient artifacts.
Beside him stood Akasa, Ezra, Chafik, Gita, and Dafina—quietly supporting the presentation from start to finish.
Ten minutes dragged by.
Raffy closed with a rhetorical question, but it was met only with silence. Their classmates looked uninterested, clearly more eager for the class to end than to engage in debate.
“Well then, if there are no questions, that concludes our presentation. Thank you.”
Light applause followed—half-hearted and polite. The lecturer nodded in approval, while relieved murmurs rippled through the room.
As they exited the classroom, Raffy glanced at Akasa. His friend was still smiling faintly, but his steps felt heavier than usual.
Without a word, Raffy slipped an arm around Akasa’s shoulder, tossing out a casual joke to lighten the mood.
[11:32 AM] Campus Cafeteria
Two hours later, the sun began drifting westward, spilling warm light through the windows. Chairs scraped against the floor as students poured out, and—as always—the campus cafeteria became their next destination.
The aroma of soup and spiced broth blended with the chatter of students. At their usual table, Raffy and the others fell into a relaxed discussion about their semester break plans.
They talked logistics—supplies, camping gear rentals, physical preparation—until Gita suddenly shifted the topic.
“Oh, by the way, Zra,” she said. “My roommate wants to join us. Is that okay?”
“A girl?” Ezra asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah. First time hiking, apparently.”
“Then let her train with us beforehand,” Ezra suggested sensibly.
“Alright! So we’re meeting directly at the station, right?” Gita confirmed.
“Sounds good,” Ezra nodded.
Then, she frowned, looking around.
“Wait—where are Raffy and Akasa?”
“They left earlier,” Ezra replied. “Said they had something urgent.”
“Urgent? Like what?” Gita pressed.
“No idea,” Ezra shrugged. “But… it seemed important.”
Even as he spoke, a vague, uneasy feeling crept into his chest.
[07:25 AM] Bain City Station
A week slipped by unnoticed. Departure day arrived.
Ezra was the first to reach the station, which was already filling with early-morning travelers. Not long after, Gita arrived—decked out in full outdoor gear, a large carrier strapped to her back.
“Whoa—you’re already here? Since when did you become so diligent?” she teased.
“Come on. I’ve been waiting for a while,” Ezra replied calmly.
“Really? What time did you get here?”
“Well... seven-twenty?”