Akasa’s unexpected confession plunged the grand hall into silence.
Not only Princess Dewi Chandara—who had brought him here—but even the Queen herself, the supreme ruler of the Sacred Kingdom of Ardana, stood frozen, unable to believe what she had just heard.
Akasa’s voice caught in his throat. He stared in disbelief.
The woman seated upon the throne… she truly looked like his mother.
“Kulo sanes ibumu.”
(“I am not your mother.”)
The Queen stated firmly—her voice gentle, yet commanding—cutting him off before the situation spiraled further.
Akasa fell silent.
He glanced around—at the people’s attire, the architecture, the atmosphere of the hall—and only then did reality sink in.
The woman before him was not his mother.
“Pangapunten… kadosipun kula klentu ningal.”
(“Forgive me… it seems I was mistaken.”)
His voice was low as he bowed his head in regret—not directed at the Queen, but at himself.
Yet the Queen did not look away. Something about the young man unsettled her. She studied him longer than necessary. There was something hidden behind his eyes—something that tugged at her attention.
The way Akasa looked at her felt… different. Not like a subject gazing upon a ruler with fear. But like someone staring at a presence long missed—as though they had known each other before.
Curiosity crept into the Queen’s mind, mingled with uncertainty. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she spoke—softly.
“Hmm… punapa kulo rumaos manahmu gundah, Nak?”
(“Hmm… why do I sense unrest in your heart, child?”)
Akasa said nothing. He did not even return her gaze.
“Napa ingkang sampeyan delikaken?”
(“What are you hiding?”)
Her voice remained calm—but heavier now. She rose from her throne and stepped closer.
Slender fingers reached out, gently lifting Akasa’s chin, forcing his face upward until their eyes met.
“Nak… mriksa mriki.”
(“Child… look at me.”)
And in that instant, the world folded inward.
Time stretched, then collapsed into a single point as a soft green light spiraled around them, swallowing sound, space, and motion—everything froze.
The Eye of Truth.
One of the Queen’s ancient spells—capable of tracing the past, unraveling memories, and revealing buried truths.
Within her inner vision, time began to flow backward—like a film reel spinning in reverse. Only the Queen remained unaffected.
She walked calmly through fragments of reversed reality. Flowers rose back to their stems. Fallen leaves returned to their branches. The wind flowed upward instead of down.
The universe itself seemed to hold its breath. It felt like a dream—yet not a dream. It was a living memory. Her consciousness drifted into the past.
She passed moments of her first encounter with Akasa… then further back to when Princess Dewi sang at the Lake of Living Gardens.
The Queen of Ardana standing on the other side of the lake—between Akasa and her daughter’s position.
And finally, it became clear. Akasa was nothing more than a lost, ordinary boy. Not even close to a threat.
She could have stopped there, but her curiosity refused to yield. Three questions haunted her thoughts.
First.