ALKISAH: Prayer for the World [1001 Indonesian Fantasy Stories]
EDEN II/Him, This World & The True Hope

"All those miracles... Where exactly to go, huh?" The little whisper came out of Aqil's mouth without his will.

However, a barrage of sharp shrill clanging sounds instantly resuscitated Aqil from his daydream. The gondrong boy who was sitting on the back corner bench turned his gaze from the window and observed his boisterous classmates bustling by hearing the sound of the bell coming home. 

They were still in the sixth grade of elementary school, still a kid, so it felt natural that they were acting crazy and wild like that.

However, Aqil is an oddity in the view of that class. Because, he was the only one who put on a flat face and seemed not interested at all with the sound of markers ending the school hour.

Whether it was unnatural or how, Aqil also did not know exactly why he could act like that. He himself has often thought about it in recent years, even though he never got an answer.

Ever since the little finger of his right hand was cut off by his mother in third grade, since then the way Aqil looked at it, and the way he lived his life in this world, everything has changed very far.

Sometimes, he felt heavy even just to play marbles with his friends. Although he wanted to, but his heart rejected the proposal. Laughing is also hard. He also often felt confused for no apparent reason.

Reality has begun to feel foreign since her pinky was cut off. As if, Aqil was unable to recognize himself, as well as this world. 

"Hmmm..." After he finished praying and all his friends had left, Aqil got up and put his backpack on his back, then said goodbye to his teacher before stepping out of the classroom.

Outside the classroom, Aqil's legs came to a halt for a moment in front of the descent of the stairs, while his bluish eyes glanced around slowly. However, after a while looking at the world unfolding before him, Aqil sighed deeply and continued his steps to leave his school.

It has been a few years since that painful incident, and it is undeniable indeed, since then also the days of Aqil became strange not playing. 

However, this time, Aqil also felt that there was something somewhat different about this world. 

Yes, that incident yesterday must be the reason why Aqil felt a little different today. 

Aqil saw a miracle.

A miracle that was able to make Aqil feel better after all this time. A miracle that made her feel really happy for the first time ever. And that, was the vast ocean, also his encounter with a strange child who had eyes as red as blood and hair as blue as the morning sky, named Odin.

Aqil didn't know exactly how it all happened, just like he was winking, but it wasn't a dream. It was real, and he was there.

On the way home from school yesterday, Aqil suddenly realized that he was already in the middle of the sea, and he could even walk on it, completely on the water. And there he met Odin. 

Aqil ran over the sea until he was tired, and laughed out loud without a doubt. It was very pleasant, and Odin also accompanied him there until the afternoon. 

Although the blue-haired child continued to tell strange stories, but it did not matter, he was still a good person compared to people known to Aqil all along.

Even so, shortly after, strangely when Aqil regained consciousness and opened his eyes, the boy found himself waking up in his own bed, and it was already late at night. That's really magical. And Aqil could not remember how he ended up in his room at that time.

Everything just happens.

Returning to this moment, the world around Aqil was filled with the voices of her school children, while the boy focused on walking towards the school gate.

Arriving at the crowded gate by children who were buying siomay and frontman, Aqil turned to his left and right looking for something that might never have existed.

A gentle breeze blew back slowly and passed through Aqil. It felt comfortable indeed, but still this world had already become foreign in his eyes. 

"Today Odin will come again, won't he?" the boy hoped deeply as he looked at the small piece of gold coin Odin had given him all day. 

Although now the world becomes blurry again like the previous days, but at least, now Aqil already knows for sure that the miracle is still there.

The boy continued walking towards the passage which was located about a hundred meters to the left of the school gate. Aqil entered the hallway and continued to walk beside the asphalt road. 

Indeed, those who saw Aqil always looked at him in a strange way in an unpleasant sense. Given that he rarely smiled, and his facial water also seemed very empty, so it was natural, right, if they thought like that?

Once again, Aqil's steps came to a halt because of all those thoughts. 

"What exactly am I supposed to do? Uh..." The question came back from Aqil's mouth without his will. That happens often. It was as if his own body was confused by the boy's life.

"Hey, Dude, your eyes are cool, too, huh?" A tall young man suddenly appeared in front of Aqil while looking into the boy's eyes in a frightening manner, to the point that it managed to make him a little surprised considering Aqil was unaware of the young man's presence at all.

"Huh? mean, Brother...?" Aqil who hesitated turned to look at the face of the young man in the police uniform. He seems to be no stranger. But, no. That's not important at the moment, because there's one odd thing that's bothering Aqil right now, though, that is the fact that the young policeman knew about Aqil's eyes which should only be known by three people in this world; him, his mother, and Odin.

"Well... Your eyes are cool, but they're actually dangerous, you know." The young man bent down slightly to look at Aqil's face closer, or rather, he was looking at Aqil's eyes that were as blue as the bright sky.

Amidst the hot weather, Aqil suddenly felt a strange chill that seemed to pierce his skin, it felt exactly like the sensation of a knife slicing his pinky first. It was foolish of his name that he was not afraid and anxious about his current situation. Aqil broke out in cold sweat.

"Ah, you calm down. I'm not interested in your eyes, though." The young policeman said while putting a friendly smile on his lips. 

"Eh... I see, huh?" at once, the cold just vanished like being carried away by the wind, and the atmosphere was calm again as ever. "But... This brother, who, huh?"

"Sister's name is Regi Saputra Alacnan." The policeman said while pointing at the knit on his left chest that read his name. "And... I want to buy that gold coin in your hand." His voice turned serious when the young man said his true interest.

"Hm... You shouldn't have to know about it, anyway. But... If I don't know, the fucking coin might run away again." Police it–Regi–mumbled while thinking hard. "I can't get that coin if you're not sincere either. And if I kill you... "

"Eh...?" Aqil's eyes opened wide when he heard the word that seemed very dark and very uncivilized. The intense fear in an instant crept into him like a wave. 

It was just strange to see the young man say that word so easily, let alone that he was a policeman. 

"Well, if I kill you... It was clear that the coin would also disappear... And I'm not that stupid to let go of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Regi sighed deeply after struggling for quite a while in his mind. "alright. Look, Dik. The coin you hold can be used to buy something to just one person around the world."

"Huh? How come, can that be?" Tanya Aqil spontaneously. He was already stupid with the horror earlier because he was so curious.

"Well, because that guy needs it. He, really needs those coins." Regi began to explain. "The coin was his from the beginning. It contains his power. However, because that person had died before, so all the coins he had were scattered everywhere. Oh, and by the way, that guy would do anything to get all those coins back. So, I want the coin so I can exchange with him. I want his Euphrates River Drop..."

"What is the Euphrates River?" Aqil asked back. What the hell is that? And anyway, that's a thing name or what?

"Ah, it was a kind of potion containing a drop of water from the Euphrates River that was in the Garden of Eden. It can be used to cure all kinds of diseases... I need it to heal my mother." Once again, the young man in police uniform put a smile on his lips, but this time, his smile was a bit different. 

He smiled like a slumped man in a very, very scary situation, and he could only give up.

Come to think of it at a glance, the situation of Regi may not be much different from Aqil, only, the things that Regi experienced were at a higher level, and the, because the problem he experienced it has involved a different world.

"So... How's it? Is the coin sold or not? Decide now, because I'm going to the office." The young man was waiting for Aqil's decision. 

"But, right, I still don't know how much this coin is worth." Aqil replied confusedly. After all, he did not know anything, including the selling price of this gold coin. 

"If it's money, I can give you as much as you want. But if you want something else, like flying shoes, or maybe a lamp to call a genie, I can give it to you. Well, if I had." Regi pulled out a small, bright red glass bottle from one of his pockets. "Well, this. I happened to bring one of my pets. Inside was Kitsunae; a fire fox. And he's strong, you know. Wanna change, won't you?"

"Hmmm..." Regi stared at the red glowing bottle with interest. It was really sparkling and looked so magical that it made the boy's eyes sparkle. "But... Doesn't this include the idolaters, huh? Keeping the genie is a sin, you know."

"Byeah!" Regi patted his own eel, then went back to explaining after sighing deeply. "I never said it was a genie. I said, right, that this is my pet." 

"Ah... How, yeah." Aqil looked at the coin in her hand doubtfully, then turned her gaze back on the magic bottle. 

At this time, Aqil was well aware that he was in a disadvantaged position. Supremely. The coin in his hand, could only be used by one person in the entire world, and that person, was willing to buy the coin no matter how expensive it was. 

One fact is certain, Aqil believes that this coin is actually hundreds of times more valuable than the shiny bottle that contains either creature. Maybe even thousands of–no, maybe even millions of times more expensive. However, now, the boy had no other choice to take. 

After all, he had always believed that second chances were mere nonsense that people used to create hope. And if he were to waste this opportunity, then Aqil deserves to be labeled as a stupid creature in this world.

So, then, the answer is only one.

"Alright then, I'd like to accept Brother's offer." Rama held out the coin to Regi, and the young man slowly raised his hand to receive it. However, doubt was clearly drawn on his face. But it seemed, rather than doubt, that perhaps the expression on his face looked like an overwhelming fear.

However, after the young man in police uniform managed to take the coin from Aqil's hand, gradually, his face turned brighter and his eyes seemed calmer than before. 

Regi sifted through the coin in his hand carefully. It was so strange, for some reason he acted as if the coin could kill him at any time. 

But, second by second passed, and nothing happened. Then, with his eyes still on the coin, Regi handed the red bottle to Aqil, and he seemed to have no objection at all. 

"Gee... Thanks, yes, Brother." Aqil lifted the bottle in front of his face while looking at him fixedly. Really, it really looks so pretty and magical. "So, how do I get this Kitsunae out, brother?"

"Ah, just open the cover, and call his name. He's gotta be out, by the way." Clearly the new Regi was aware of his reverie. A cold sweat flowed from his chin, and his breathing was slightly breathless. From his face alone he looked like a man who seemed to want to say; "It's not a dream, is it?" or I don't know.

Aqil tilted his head while looking at the young policeman once more. 

He seemed to be very happy now, no doubt like a boy who was given the gift of a toy he dreamed of for the first time. 

That coin, how magical was it really?

"All right, I'm gonna go first." Regi kept the coin in his pants pocket, then buttoned it tightly. He sighed deeply while putting on a wide smile. "Oh, yes, my house is at the end of this hallway, right in the middle between the forked roads. Anytime, you come to my house, okay?"

"Eh? Ah, okay, sister." a small smile formed on Aqil's lips. "Bye, Brother."

"Hmm, when I thought you couldn't smile. Thank goodness then." Regi whispered softly and sighed again. "alright. See you, Aqil." 

Regi flicked his finger, and at once, suddenly a dazzling green glint filled Aqil's vision as thunder rang out. 

However, when Aqil opened his eyes again, he realized that the young policeman named Regi had vanished from there.

"Gee... He's completely gone." Aqil looked around looking for the whereabouts of the young man, but he was nowhere to be seen. So, Aqil turned his gaze back to the glowing bottle. "The miracle... It's really magical."