"Everyone has their sides, able or not to control depending on the strength of each self."
The cafe is getting quieter because it's late at night. The workers at the cafe packed up the chairs and some arranged the cups on the shelves in their original place. Despite the hustle and bustle to close the shop, a man sat on a barstool at the far end. The workers there ignored the man because he was a regular customer at the cafe. They already knew the temperament of the man who liked to sit in the cafe until the closing time.
Often, they will give space to the man but not today. With the entry of new staff who knew nothing about the man, the night that used to happen finally changed. Behind the staff, there was a pair of eyes that stared at the man sitting alone. Without feeling guilty, the staff stepped walking closer to the man.
"Good afternoon, sir." the rebuking staff's voice was enough to wake him from that reverie. He turned in the direction of the voice, he could only see a woman in a hijab and a hat covering half of her face.
"Good afternoon." He replied without enthusiasm.
"If you want to tell me to go back home, I'll go back but give me five more minutes-"
"That's not my intention sir," the staff placed a cup of his favourite latte on the bar. He was momentarily stunned when he saw the gift. "I may be a stranger but if you have anything in mind, you better let it go. It's not good to keep that burden to yourself.
He went silent listening to what she said. It was true that, from that moment on, he could feel a feeling that he had not felt for a long time. Hope, the feeling of having fertile hope.
"....thank you, I guess."
She chuckle and nodded before she leave him alone again. Continuing her task behind the bar.
..............
Cybercity North Forest is a place that is not visited because of its thick forest area and lots of wildlife. But that statement scares nothing for these two people. "Prof! I'm back," called the figure of a girl in her 20s.
Without delay, she entered the home of a former technology professor who once served under a famous tech company in Cybercity. "I don't," the professor shouted was the first thing the girl heard. The screams emanated from the professor's bedroom.
Prof! He must be in danger.
His bedroom door was kicked violently until it was ripped off. "Ah! Don't mess with me, I didn't create the programme!" shouted the professor who was still lying on his bed.
"Professor," the girl's call was filled with anxiety. As a precaution, she pointed a gun into every corner of his's bedroom. Strangely, there was no one in the room except herself and the professor who was lying on the bed and drenched in sweat. She sighed to herself. "A nightmare? I thought there was a robbery or something. You're lucky I don't shoot you, professor," she then sighed in relief.
After making sure there was no threat, step opened her steps slowly approach the bed and gently woke him up. "Professor, wake up, you're having a nightmare. Wake up," she exclaimed, softly.
His eyes widened as he jolt, surprised to see her sudden presence. "Hah?" he questioned himself while massaging his chest. She smiles sweetly, "I'm home. I just saw you having a nightmare."
"I'm okay. If I'm not wrong, you going to move into the FSU dormitory, right?" the old genius ask befriended the face of astonishment.
She nodded once. "That's right, I came here because I want to visit you and I want to thank you for taking care of me all this time," she replied while handing his inhaler.
"No need to thank you, your father has given the trust to me. I just carryout the trust given. Take care of yourself when you're there. Most importantly do not stop praying. If there is time to visit, just come here," added the professor, a smile engraved on his lips. He then walk towards his table where all the work of creation or programming took place.
"Well," he handed a key to her who just kept herself quiet while listening to the verses of his conversation. "What is this key for, professor," ask the girl, suspicious. "This is your father's will. He told me that when you're old enough, I should hand you the keys to your family's house."
"Family's house...?"
...............
"I'm exhausted!" Diaz shouted. It's been three hours full of torture. The whole apartment is now shiny and clean without dust. Diaz, Ellie and Khai sat leaning against the wall with their faces wet with sweat. "I don't expect it to be this tiring," Khai replied while wiping his dusty glasses.
"That's right, tidying up this apartment is more burdening than doing simulation," Ellie began to speak. After a few minutes of taking a breath.
"Agree one hundred per cent," Diaz replied succinctly.
The atmosphere in the apartment became quiet in the blink of an eye. After five minutes of silence, Eric finally emerged from the kitchen with his hands carrying a tray containing jugs and glasses. Uninvited, Eric takes his place in front of his three friends only to see the three of them were already in the dream world.
He watches them with bored and regretting his life choice expression. Without guilt, Eric clapped both hands with the loudest applause he had. Eric's technique succeeded with just one attempt causing the three of that sleeping beauty to wake up from their dream.
"Eric, sorry. We didn't realise you're here," said Khai while scratching his head which happened to be itchy.
Eric just replied with rowling eyes. There is no more appropriate reaction he can throw in a situation like this. "You made this water for us?" Diaz asked. Eric just nodded in response then left the three of them in the living room. That's the life of Eric, the mute guy.
"Both of you can drink first. I need to go back to my dorm. There's still a lot of things to settle there," said Diaz. One of Diaz's popular tactics is to cover up the embarrassment that suddenly wells up inside him. "Sit down mate. You better drink this before I do a spot check on your dorm" Khai pulled Diaz's arm with a cynical smile. The atmosphere that was full of cheerfulness in the blink of an eye turned into tense and full of its aura.
"Okay..." Diaz just gave up.
...............
A pause was made when he saw two unidentical shoes arranged beautifully on the shoe rack by the door. Two male bodies were hanging out in the living room while watching television with lively conversation, like close acquaintances.
They were both a little surprised when they saw Diaz standing stiffly in front of the door. "Good evening. You're my dormmates?" Diaz asked in a shy tone. "Good evening, yes we are!". Diaz nodded as he closed the door and arranged his shoes on the shelf.
"What's your name?" greet one of them with a sweet smile. He seems friendly.
"I'm Diaz," Diaz replied. He walked over to the two men while extending his hand to greet them. "I see, I'm Martin. This broomstick is Kaili."
"Oi." Martin was given a special punch from Kaili.
"Flash up." Diaz could only amuse seeing this two behaviour. Moment of silence finally come, Martin suddenly giving Diaz a calculating stare. Diaz froze as he let Martin analyse himself. Somehow, his blood suddenly boiled.
"You must have many girlfriends, arent's you Diaz?"
What? Why- am I that handsome?
Diaz chuckle as he scratches his neck in embarrassment, "Why did you say that?"
"You seems like a playboy."
WHAT?!
"Ah-"
Martin then burst out laughing, he cup Diaz's shoulder as he patted Diaz's head. "I'm joking, mate."
Martin then invited Diaz to hang out with them. He shifted slightly from the occupied sofa to divide the space for Diaz to sit on. "Wait, I want to do my Maghrib prayer," Diaz politely declined Martin's invitation. "Okay, Kaili. Go pray now!" Martin turned his gaze to Kaili. His face will never be free from a cynical smile, his job was just to tease Kaili and now Diaz all the time. "I've prayed." Kaili laughed wickedly.
"So fast-"
"Heh," Kaili smirked at Martin who was speechless. He crossed his arms over his head for the pads and continued to enjoy the drama he watched with triumph.
...............
The voices of newsreaders echoed throughout the living room, occupied by the three occupants. Each focuses on the newsreader and the pictures displayed on the TV screen. "It has been eight years since the attack on Cybercity. The President has officially closed the case of a public report on the emergence of a secret group three years ago. Various speculations from the public about the "Cybercity Avengers". Throughout the interview session, President Amethyst Lyara has confirmed that the secret group in question is from the elite unit of the Cybercity Defence Force. World news.... "
"You know the case eight years ago, I was so scared that time," Martin broke the silence, he turned his gaze to Diaz and Kaili. "Just imagine a 12 years old boy, hanging out with his family to buy his birthday present and the attack suddenly appear," said Kaili, the story adder. Diaz just kept quiet. His mind replays memory cassettes of the moments he fought and nearly die in the hand of the enemy. He was just a 12 years old boy at that time.
"Diaz," called Martin. Diaz quickly turned his gaze to his two friends. "I'm sorry Martin, Kaili. I've been spacing out for a bit," Diaz covered. A calm ripple was still exposed on his face. "You're starting to miss your parents I supposed," Kaili asked with a cynical smile. "I'm not. I remembered something," Diaz replied, changing his position facing the television screen. Followed by two of them after a few seconds. "I saw someone on that day, he has the same hairstyle as you," Kaili speaks suddenly.
"Huh?" Diaz change his gaze towards Kaili, his heart was beating fast. "The secret group that saved Cybercity from the bad guys," explained Kaili, he then got up and went to the bedroom. Eleven minutes later he came out again with his hand full of pillows. Leaving Diaz with all possibility of his identity getting leaked playing in his mind.
I have to take care of my identity properly. My life depends on that.
"Oh, that boy! I knew him. He's my teenagehood hero. I wonder what did he do right now," said Martin. Diaz's gaze shifted to Martin. The worry and anxiety in himself can still be controlled. "At that time I joined my parents and went to my father's friend's restaurant. Half an hour I was there and the attack started. My parents and I didn't have time to run so the three of us decided to hide behind the half-broken wall. When I looked around to see the situation, the Cybercity Avengers came. I was so excited. I also saw a boy, maybe he was 12. Suddenly he got beaten up very bad but then he woke up like a sudden strength appear in his veins! Then he destroys the enemy with ease. But suddenly he fell unconscious and that's the last time I see him," Martin said. Daiz and Kaili heard Martin's story with their mouths open.
"You're so lucky to see him with your own eyes, arent's you," said Daiz with a smile. His heart was pounding very quick when he heard Martin's story.
Luckily he couldn't recognize my face because I was a child back then, but what's so different from me now. I have the same hairstyle too.
"Fiuh! Luckily he can't recognise us, doesn't he or we're a lump of dead meat now," he laughed, a voice heard in Daiz's head. Yes, this is not something new for him. Diaz who have enough with that voice rolling his eyes. Unaware of his actions he was noticed by Martin
"Is there any problem, Diaz?" they both asked simultaneously. Their views are also inseparable from Diaz.
"Nothing."