ADJOINING REALM
STALLED STEP

"So...what happened to Darto?" I then sipped the black tea that was left half and was also quite cold.

"She died, Mas." said Jaka stopped, he received a plate of fried cassava from the grandmother who walked slowly towards him, then put the plate in front of me, "Eat this first, Mas. Mumpung is still hot," continued Jaka back.

"So how's the devil's fate?" ask me to come back regardless of the so tempting cassava in front of me.

"He was destroyed, Darto killed the devil with the rest of his energy. All that much energy was expended at the same time, just before Darto died. It was the biggest explosion I've ever heard in my life, Darto killed thousands of souls that the devil had, with one suicide attack," Jaka replied then ascertained the position of the grandmother who delivered the cassava.

After making sure the grandmother was far enough away, Jaka put his lips close to my ear while saying in a whispering tone, "That's all a lie, Mas. It's true the devil died, but Darto still lives there."

The amazement really immediately greeted my chest, I didn't expect to hear a story that was quite pleasant, from someone I had just met six days ago.

I unconsciously clenched my hands, even swinging my arms to express the joy that was in my chest, after hearing a complete story from someone who was already famous with a nickname Jaka teler.

Everyone who had met him, would scorn Jaka for always telling the same thing. He recounts the fight and fight he went through, when he met the man he always thought of as his Leg.

They all assume Jaka is a person who always digress, from which the term Teler began to stick behind his name.

Maybe this was also my destiny, where I was suddenly kicked out of my old place of work, and decided to go home wearing an old motorcycle, despite having to travel such a long distance, he said, considering that between my workplace and home there is a stretch of immediately and a strait that separates the two places.

Although I knew that it would take days, for some reason I was so excited to embark on a journey that I did not expect to encounter a troublesome obstacle.

Just two days into the trip, my old bike showed me how powerful he was. The equipment I have cannot restore the situation as before, because the damaged part of the machine cannot be tricked with makeshift equipment.

My old motorcycle was stuck on a road that was shaking the wilderness, with the number of riders that could be counted every day.

An alternative road that was supposed to cut tens of kilos of meters from the main road, became an increasingly long road because of the obstacles that hampered in the middle

As I was doing the only activity I could do, a young man who might be my age suddenly appeared from behind.

He came out of the thicket, holding a hoe on his shoulder. The young man approached, then helped me push the old motorbike that was unwilling to cooperate.

In my heart I was happy enough to see other people around me, I thought I was close to the village, but my hope ran out when the young man said, "Bring me to my house, Mas. From here the nearest village is about an hour and a half drive by vehicle."

That's where when I met Jaka, he then introduced his name, and also one family person who he had.

I used to think that the parents who were in his house were his mother or grandmother. But I was very surprised when he said that it was his wife named Magisna.

From the surprised face I put out, Jaka immediately gave a story, and from there the story began.

For the second time fate seemed to hold me back from staying in Jaka's hut.

The day after I stayed there, early in the morning Jaka and I pushed back my old bike, almost five hours into our walk, to arrive at a village that has a fairly complete workshop of its parts.

The nearest village is really a village that is still left behind, let alone a workshop. The tyre patch is absolutely non-existent.

Not to mention when we found the workshop, considering the small number of mechanics available, we had to queue up and leave my old bike there. Fortunately we were escorted back by one of the working employees, to the place where Jaka and his wife lived away from the crowd.

At first I thought Jaka was really crazy. He deliberately covered the age range between himself and his wife, with a story that could not be accepted by the common sense of his audience.

But slowly Jaka showed a magic action that might be very difficult to dismantle the trick. At that time Jaka lit a cigarette that was already on his lips, with one snap of his finger.

Where did the fire come from?

Does Jaka really have energy?

Those were all questions that stuck in my mind for days.

That night Jaka invited me to stay up late, after his wife slept she told him all her regrets.

"If I had known what Eyang Semar whispered, I might not have given the energy of all my ancestors and friends to Darto. I should have fought against the demon" said Jaka himself, looking up at the sky, which did not put a single star on its head.

"Oh yes... What exactly was Eyang Semar whispering?" manya curious.

"The one who says that an empty throne will only lead to war. If the throne is won by evil beings again, maybe the struggle of Darto as long as it will be in vain" replied Jaka.

"So? Is Darto the leader there?" I came back with a pretty surprised face.

"Really... Maung, Komang, Sastro and Wajana became accomplices to Darto, while I? Why am I the only one coming home?" A clear water thread started flowing down her cheeks, she looked very regretful of what had happened.

"Yes..." My words stopped, because they showed me his palm, to signal me not to continue my sentence.

"Darto was ready to die when he got an attack from the devil, he was very sure if the life and death of humans were written, and he bet right then and there. When the devil thought Darto could not resist, Darto launched an attack that consumed all his energy" Jaka said after inhaling the air greedily.

"How did Darto survive?" just short

"He still had one strange fruit given by Ki Guntur. Me and four of my friends went straight to the battle site after the big explosion was heard, and luckily I had to give the fruit into the mouth of Darto who was dying" Jaka explained.

"Luckily Darto has my energy, the wound immediately burned, then his body gradually recovered in just a few hours," continued Jaka again this time he stared intently at me.

"What's up, Mom?" my question was a little reluctant after seeing Jaka's difficult gaze described.

"Can I ask for help?" Jaka did not answer but threw a question.

"What?" I answered briefly again asking

"I've told so many people I've met, but none of them can trust my story. I know you are, too, but please don't consider me a liar. I just don't want the struggle that Darto did not know by anyone, he deserves flattery, even though I know he doesn't want it," Jaka bowed.

"Darto gave up everything he had. He was even willing to part with the family he loved, only to change the destiny and survival of every bloodline successor, as well as all humans who might have the same fate as him. At least I want to hear one word of thanks thrown to Darto," Jaka again presented a clear circle that flowed from the corner of his eye.

Seeing that sincerity, somehow my heart was moved, I made a promise that I might not be able to fulfill, because it was not a field that I mastered.

After hearing my promise, Jaka was very happy, he stood up from his seat and said, "But don't tell me that Darto is still alive. That was the last message that Darto had, he didn't want his descendants to seek or worry about him."

After hearing the message, Although I was in doubt, somehow after seeing Jaka's happy face, I was determined to fulfill my promise even though there might be a lot of scorn that I would receive.

Four days later after I got to my house, starting from the fourth of October 2021, I started trying to fulfill what I promised.

I love an activity I have never done, which is to walk a path commonly taken by a writer.

It did not feel like for more than a year I was trying to fulfill that promise, there are so many shortcomings in the story that I made this hastily, he said, but I'm quite satisfied with what I've done so far.

Sorry for everything that has ever disappointed you, whether from delays or shortcomings in the field of writing, which makes you dissatisfied when reading.

I hope you can understand all these shortcomings, because this is really the limit of the ability that I have now.

As a new writer who still has so many shortcomings, I Hendra Dwi Maulana say a lot of thanks to you, who have been willing to read and also support this Work.

Without you, Darto and all his friends would not have made it this far.

...EXPIRE...