After watching from afar,
Baskara took a thin communicator from his pocket
and casually contacted Dinda.
"Hello, are you still at school?"
he asked, his voice clear and steady, without the slightest hint of worry.
A few seconds of silence.
On the other end, Dinda's voice trembled, holding back tears.
"Ka... Kak... Sekar... She hasn't been found,"
she said hoarsely.
Baskara remained calm, unhurried,
as if the turmoil of the world could not disturb his peace.
"Calm down. This is a serious matter, not something that can be solved overnight.
The authorities are already in motion. Let's leave it to them,"
he said, his tone flat but imbued with a soothing strength.
Dinda sobbed again.
"But… it's not just Sekar, Kak... her family was attacked too... This must've been planned..."
Baskara closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling slowly,
yet his expression remained unchanged — flat, firm, unwavering.
"I understand," he replied briefly.
"Stay somewhere safe. Don't act recklessly.
You've done your part — now trust the rest."
Baskara's words weren't merely meant to calm,
but were born from confidence and full self-control.
He didn't just appear composed — he truly stood steady in the storm.
Once he made sure Dinda fully understood,
Baskara ended the call.
His movements remained calm — even his steps as he left the spot were unhurried.
"If Dinda's safe, then I can move,"
he muttered briefly.
The night, still loud with battles and chaos,
couldn't disturb his thoughts.
Baskara had already chosen his path.
Using the "Silent Step" technique,
he vanished into the darkness, heading for the edge of the city —
toward a place he had marked: Batu Meraga Cave.
Along the way, the wind's breeze, crumbled shadows,
even the scattered aura of death,
all felt silent around him.
His resolute heart made the world around him feel void of noise.
Behind the thick woods that night, Baskara slowly descended from a height, landing soundlessly on the cold, slightly damp ground.
His steps were steady, his breathing calm, letting no tension of the night disrupt his mind.
He stood before Batu Meraga Cave, observing every detail.
Up close, the cave's mouth looked more terrifying — as if ready to devour anyone who dared to enter.
Baskara scanned the area.
Only the sound of rustling wind and whispers of wet leaves accompanied him,
while inside the cave, darkness seemed to shift — as if something alive lurked unseen.
Without hesitation, Baskara stepped forward.
His feet crossed coarse sand and sharp scattered stones near the cave's entrance,
passing natural stone pillars that stood silent and still, like sentinels witnessing his arrival.
As he approached the cave mouth, a stronger cold burst out,
carrying the scent of ancient earth and a faint rusted iron smell —
as if old blood had once flowed and dried within.
Baskara paused.
He closed his eyes, sharpening his senses, letting his spirit adjust to the cave's aura.
For a moment, he felt faint tremors — traces of astral energy scattered about,
some wild, others trapped, swirling in a deep, dark vortex.
'This place isn't just any cave,' Baskara thought coolly.
But his face remained expressionless, calm.
No fear touched his mind.
He took a slow breath, then opened his eyes —
sharp eyes ready to pierce the darkness of Batu Meraga Cave.
With firm steps, he entered the gaping stone jaws.
His silhouette was slowly swallowed by darkness,
as if the world inside this cave was another realm — a world beyond normal human understanding.
Baskara walked deeper, allowing himself to be consumed by the cave's blackness.
The further he went, the clearer it became — this was no ordinary cave.
Its tunnels branched like earth's veins, twisting and plunging into unseen depths.
Each step echoed faintly, as if the cave walls whispered while watching him.
In some corners, black stalactites and stalagmites hung and jutted, dripping glistening water in the dark.
The air grew thinner, the atmosphere tense, and the silence so thick that even his heartbeat seemed to strike the stone walls.
Though he had spread his awareness around him, Baskara still hadn't found any signs of Sekar's presence.
There were no clear tracks, no specific energy link.
Besides, he had never seen the kidnapper clearly —
only vague guesses based on fragments of black energy left from the previous battle.
Baskara paused at a junction in the cave —
three large tunnels stretched in different directions, each carrying a distinct sensation:
one hot, one damp and heavy, and another biting cold.
'I can't choose carelessly,' Baskara thought calmly, sharpening his gaze.
He observed closely, letting his spiritual sensitivity read every tiny vibration in the air.
For now, there were no definite signs about Sekar's kidnapping.
But one thing he knew for sure — this cave held secrets far deeper than just a hideout.
And whoever orchestrated all this, wasn't ordinary.
Baskara took another deep breath, keeping his mind clear.
He couldn't rush.
He needed to be patient, gather more clues before taking further action.
With steady steps, he chose to remain in place for a while, focusing his awareness deeper,
waiting — like a patient hunter in the belly of the earth.
Baskara stood firm in the middle of the cave's forked paths, his body calm, showing not a hint of anxiety.
His mind worked quickly yet sharply — full of vigilance.
There were two main reasons he came here:
First, the magical trace of a shadowy black form from the three-headed serpent,
and second, the chance that a clue about Sekar's abduction might reveal itself here too.
'Maybe one clue will lead to another,' Baskara thought with his usual calm.
But he knew — even a moment's carelessness could spell disaster.
He was well aware — he didn't know for sure who the enemy was.
How many were they? How strong? Were they even in the physical world, the spirit realm, or somewhere in between?
Everything was still a mystery.
Every step had to be calculated.
Every shift in air, every faint whisper in the dark, Baskara sensed with deep precision.
The cave air felt heavy, like unseen eyes watched him from the shadows.
But Baskara showed no sign of nervousness.
His face stayed blank, breath steady,
as if the threat was nothing more than a passing night breeze.
In the depth of his meditative awareness, he locked away all unnecessary emotions —
leaving only razor-sharp calm, like the surface of a lake untouched by storm.
With one long breath, Baskara began to move,
following the faint trace of the black shadow energy that led him slowly into the quietest tunnel,
one that carried strange energy ripples.
His steps were light, nearly silent, as if he were part of the darkness itself.
In his mind, Baskara held on to a single, simple principle:
Move without disturbing, observe without being seen, strike only when necessary.