THE WITNESS

GLACIER THE WORLD IS DIFFERENT NOW

Syifa walked down the hall with gray walls, headphones without music to her ears. He stepped enthusiastically towards the defense sector. Can't wait to surprise his dad again. But he stopped when he heard cries mixed with the sound of someone being dragged away.

He immediately pressed against the wall, slowly turning into the Prisoners' Hall. He ran to the source of the sound and stopped to hide behind a pile of iron boxes.

Syifa's brown eyes bulged at the sight of a group of Guards in black uniforms passing in front of her. Someone was being dragged away by two Guards. He's a gentleman, his face is puffy. He convulsed as the Guard stuck the stun batons to his stomach.

"Hey, he doesn't fight, don't get electrocuted," Syifa's father said.

"I don't take orders from you, Dimitri."

Dimitri spoke to the limply electrocuted man. "Hans, don't worry, I'll—"

Someone lunged past the Guards. This one is a woman, she cried after the man. A Guard was about to electrocute the woman's hand, but Dimitri stopped her. Then came a boy, sweat dripping down his shirt, showing the muscles underneath.

"Son, take your mother out," said Dimitri. "Please."

"Hans!" the woman shouted. He fell to his knees in the boy's arms. "Dimas, they will execute your father. Elvan, let mother go there!"

The man named Dimas looked at Dimitri with anger and fear. "My dad didn't do anything!"

Dimitri nodded. "Yeah, I... I'll try to help," he replied. "Please, take your mother out, they will electrocute anyone who disobeys."

Syifa leaned deeper and covered her ears. He couldn't bear to hear the woman's screams as Dimas pulled her out.

Soon someone passed and stopped in front of Syifa, right behind this pile of iron boxes. He thought it was his father, but it turned out to be a burly brown-skinned man with a star badge on his shoulder. Chief Bara. He is with a Guardian.

Syifa didn't hear much. Chief Bara talks about a plan that was leaked to Hans. A plan to reduce energy consumption. They need to eliminate something so that the heating machines at Garage can function optimally again. Otherwise, all machines will die completely. But Syifa didn't hear what they needed to eliminate.

He focused his ears, but all he heard were threats. The threat that anyone who finds out about this plan will end up like Hans.

Executed.

Someone pulled Syifa from the crowd. The first thing he saw were Anggara's glasses. Then he was pulled back because someone's body fell on him.

The man was very poor, purple lines around his puffy eyes and a nose bleed. A second later Dimas pushed his way through the crowd, pulling the man to his feet.

Anggara pulled Syifa, almost hugged her. He glanced at the dining-room door and saw the Guards running toward the crowd. "Come on, go away, it's getting more and more chaotic in here."

Syifa let go of Anggara's hand. He saw Dimas punch his opponent down and then kick him in the back. Unlike his opponent, Dimas wasn't hurt in the slightest and he wasn't satisfied yet.

"You have to stop!" Syifa's high voice broke just like that. "The guards are coming, they—"

Dimas looked Syifa straight in the eye, so intensely, it instantly froze her. Then Dimas studied it from head to toe.

"Who are you?" he said in a strong and deep voice. "I'll stop when I want to."

The man returned to his opponent. He was about to kick him in the face, but an electric baton came crashing down on his back. Instantly he fell to his knees. Another guard electrocuted his shoulder, he fell to the ground, but immediately got up and grabbed the guard who was about to shock him again.

"Hey, enough!" Dimitri pulled the Guard back. Then he sighed looking at Dimas. "You again, Elvan! My mouth is sore from advising you! Get up quickly!"

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Dimas pushed Dimitri's hand away and stood alone. She glanced at Syifa as Dimitri pushed her out of the dining room. "Why, sir?" He smirks. "You don't want to electrocute me in front of your favorite daughter, do you?"

The other guards told everyone to disperse, but Syifa was still standing there.

His eyes followed his father leading Dimas out. He immediately got goosebumps when Chief Bara caught sight of the two of them. But Dimitri said something to Chief Bara, he nodded and let Dimas go.

Before taking a step, Dimas looked at Syifa for a moment. Flat and quiet. Then he smiled faintly. His lips curled between those firm jaws.

Syifa's heart seemed to explode.

❆❆❆

The needle was stabbed into his wrist.

The pinhole is almost as wide as a straw. A small ball of iron flashing blue slid from the needle under his skin. The man in the white coat covered his wound with a bandage and said he could only open it in an hour.

"What's this?"

"Tracker, son," he replied. "To monitor the condition of your body. Don't let go."

Syifa stepped back. He glanced up at the upstairs hall window that revealed the garage. In the super spacious garage parked the plane.

It wasn't every day he could see the antique vehicle. There were two planes, they were like a pair of eagles in a seventh grade Biology book. His body was solidly covered in gray iron, two wings stretched out firmly on both sides. Its tail is in the form of a triangle that tapers upwards, with the words Swa Bhuwana Paksa engraved on it along with the symbol of the Red and White flag.

The iron eagle has been parked in Garage's garage for 200 years. Not many military vehicles were rescued from the blizzard. So, Garage is super lucky to have them. Although both have never operated to this day.

Before leaving, all the members of the GARUDA mission gathered with relatives in the garage. Meanwhile, large items such as suitcases are transported by caddy to the trunk.

"Eaglets!" someone came hugging Syifa to lift her up a bit.

"Dirga!" Syifa laughed, feeling lucky to be on the same team as this cute dimpled boy. Not everyone can team up with their cousins.

Then two people came with big grins. Syifa and them hugged each other while jumping up and down.

"We're going on a plane!" shouted Anggara.

"Yes, get on a plane!" Kalista replied. "I have to get up soon, want to sit by the window in GARUDA II."

Syifa was silent looking at her two friends. Even before they parted, he already missed them. "See you in the green fields, Orion's Belt."

"Long live, Orion's Belt!" shouted Anggara. Everyone turned around.

Kalista smirked. "Da, don't embarrass Del on the plane, okay?" Then he rushed.

Syifa turned around when two melodious voices called out to her. Two hugs came to grab Syifa. He immediately hugged his father and mother tightly. It didn't matter if people were confused to see the Guardian—who was known to be cruel—hug someone.

"You're about to step on a green field, son," said Dimitri before letting go of the hug.

"All of us, Dad."

Lasya hugs Dirga too. "Your parents must be proud of you," he said. "Take care of yourself and I'll leave Syifa."

A siren sounded and someone spoke into the speaker. He said GARUDA I and II would take off in fifteen minutes, all members were required to board the plane. Immediately Syifa's body shuddered, imagining that in ten minutes she would be separated from the warmth of Garage and from her parents.

"See you in the green fields."

Syifa hugged her parents again. This time her father slipped something into Syifa's coat pocket—hard, triangular and heavy—perhaps an extra inhaler. He is not allowed to open it until the plane lands.

It's not hard to find a seat on the plane. There are two rows of loveseats with shelves on top of them. Syifa chose in the left row, near the glass. Anggara sat next to him.

There was a noise at the cabin door. It was Chief Bara, he pulled someone from the line. Elvan. He fought back and pushed Chief Bara away, but after something whispered, he wanted to be taken out of the cabin.

Syifa was surprised when Chief Bara turned to her. He also looks away.

"He's from a criminal family," said the man in front of Syifa. "Good, not going to GARUDA."

"Hey, that's not true," Syifa replied reflexively.

The man climbed into his chair and looked back. He took off his dark blue hoodie, revealing the thick black hair and porcelain skin. "His father was executed and his mother will follow," he said. "Execution is only for serious offences."

Syifa was silent. He didn't even understand why he was defending Dimas. He didn't know the boy.

"Hi, Beauty. I'm Gibran." He held out his hand and smiled handsomely.

"You're not on his levDimas, Loser," said Anggara.

They both looked at each other cynically, Syifa thought he was going to punch each other. Instead, he laughed and Anggara pushed Gibran back into his seat.

"Sorry, he's lonely so a bit coquettish."

This is where pilot Sagita speaks. Two minutes left for GARUDA I to take off. Fasten the seat belt. Prepare for a three-hour moderate-altitude flight.

The plane shook and slowly moved forward. Syifa also gripped the seat belt around her body.

"I'm the director of Argus, speaking one last time before the plane takes off," he said into the speaker. "Members of the GARUDA mission, we are all stronger than the blizzard, togetherness is our home and kindness warms our souls. Don't lose GARUDA. See you in the green."

It was a kind of farewell paragraph at Garage. Hearing this gave Syifa the chills.

Suddenly he felt something press against his lungs. It got worse as the plane accelerated, but he closed his eyes and composed himself. I'm stronger than asthma. He said it in his heart over and over again.

GARUDA I was on the air. All the passengers scrambled to look out the window. Seen Garage behind which is slowly moving away.

It was the first time Syifa saw Garage from outside, from the sky. The building was like three giant iron boxes lined up. The central building rises tens of meters high topped by a dome covered in snow. Two shorter buildings flanked him, solar parabolas stacked above them, moving to catch the sun's rays.

The plane flew over the main fence. From here, it looks like a black line that extends around the Garage. Guard posts are scattered in every corner. After that, there was only a snow field that seemed to be infinite.

GARUDA I has taken off. See you in the green field. That's all from pilot Sagita.

❆❆❆