Entering the Unseen World is akin to diving into deep sea waters. The unknown vastness of another world within the hidden folds of reality is a terrifying place to venture into - one would never truly know what lies beyond a Riff into the Unseen World. The cold, dense air pressing against one’s skin feels like an unforgiving weight, and each breath feels as though it is missing half its oxygen. Dark Energy seeps out and lingers in the air, making every sight tinge with a layer of indigo. Without a well-controlled Aura, any human senses would be overwhelmed with dread, fear, and sometimes, a whiplash of nausea.

For the three of them, the dense air and indigo-tinted sight felt familiar - a part of their job as Skuad Helang* of Bayangan. Scouting out Riffs, gathering intel on their contents, and reporting back to a strike team to eliminate threats was a necessary cog in the machine to fight back against the Unseen.

"The distortion here is quite dense," remarked the tallest of the three, a scrawny young man with sharp, angular features. His bangs hung low over his forehead, partially obscuring his round glasses. Beneath the lenses, his eyes glowed a steady indigo, a sign of his active Mambang powers. He was sporting the standard-issued Bayangan Strike Ops combat suit - a full black bodysuit with padded protective gear around the joints, a navy-colored streamlined vest with the Bayangan’s logo prominently displayed at the back, and black leather gloves and boots.

The bespectacled man's gaze darted around the enclosed space of cobblestones and moss. "I'm a little worried," he muttered. "Just minutes ago, we were standing in an open field beneath the stars. Are we in some sort of tomb now?" Unease crept into his voice.

"It does resemble a tomb," the older girl agreed, her brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail. Her Aura shone a touch brighter than her colleagues. "It reminds me of a game I once played. Let’s keep our guard up, tombs are never good for anything.”

“Right,” Arif noted, nodding his head slightly.

“Based on the brief, this should be around a Cat 4 Riff.” The girl spoke, her gaze fixed on the dark hallway stretching beyond them. “So, the source shouldn’t be too far away. Let’s find it, take notes, and get out.”

"Nad," the bespectacled man called out, his face contorted with unease. "I have a bad feeling about this."

He grimaced, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but something feels off."

"You worry too much, Shaun," Arif interjected, earning a sharp look from Nad.

"We'll proceed cautiously," Nad declared, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Pusaka out, everyone."

No sooner had the words left her lips than a terrifying, suffocating presence swept over the trio. They leaped back instinctively, eyes wide, scanning for the source of the terror. A bone-chilling, demonic roar echoed through the dark tomb, making their blood run cold.

"Nad," Shaun managed, his voice trembling, "This isn't a Cat 4..." Before he could say more, a flash of darkness engulfed them, swallowing their world whole.

“Arif…” A familiar deep voice shook Arif out of his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.

“Yes?”

Ram crossed his arms on his chest. “Were you listening?”

Straightening his back, Arif replied, “Sorry about that, go on.”

His boss sported a frown of concern. “I was just saying that last night was a close call. We nearly lost our one-week-old rookie, saved only by a mere coincidence.”

“Yeah, she acted alone without thinking.” Arif crossed his arms, nodding slightly before creasing his brows. “But, I find it strange…”

“Strange?”

“Elena is reckless for going at a Being alone but even so, I think she can handle it. Based on her profile with those three Beings in Bangsar, she can at least fend for herself against Cat 2 level Beings.” He felt his teeth grind, and a strange sense of déjà vu crept into his mind. “The masked Being last night was definitely not Cat 2.”

Ram paused to ponder his subordinate’s statement. “But that means-”

“I’ve checked with Bayangan’s list. There were no Riffs reported nearby. Only weak Beings, at most Cat 2, can spontaneously leak without any Riff.”

“So, without any Riffs nearby, how can a Being beyond Cat 2 leak into the real world?” Ram interjected. “That’s quite troubling…” he mused, his tone laced with concern. “I’ll call my Bayangan contacts and see if they know something about this.”

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Arif shifted, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. "In the meantime, I think Elena should be benched until she has a better grasp of her powers."

Ram hesitated, reluctant to sideline their newest recruit so early. But Arif pressed on, his voice low and insistent.

"I'll train her personally."

For a long moment, Ram studied him, his expression unreadable, his eyes searching Arif's face for something, some hint of the thoughts churning beneath the surface. Then, slowly, a smile curved his lips. "Well, well," he said, a hint of amusement coloring his voice, lightening the mood. "A change of heart, Arif?"

Arif looked away, avoiding Ram’s amused gaze, refusing to answer. Ram gave a small deep chuckle. “You can use the ground floor as usual. I’m pleased to know you’re taking up to train Elena.” His voice lowered. “Let’s…not have another close call again.”

Arif caught his boss's more somber statement and merely nodded in acknowledgment. As he stood up to leave the office, Ram's voice stopped him, softer now, with genuine concern.

"Arif...are you okay?"

Arif froze, his shoulders tense at the sudden question. A heartbeat passed, then two, the silence stretching between them.

"I'm fine," he replied in nonchalance, even though he had his hand coiled into a tight fist. As soon as he left Ram’s office, the sound of the front door creaked throughout the small office. Arif felt Ram peering behind him.

“Elena! Why are you here? Are you alright?” The older man’s deep voice called out for the girl who had just entered the office.

Elena gave an awkward, sheepish smile. “I-I'm fine. Yeah.” She crossed her arms, fingers absently rubbing the bandages beneath her sleeves.

"Arif already filled me in. You should be resting and recovering." Ram’s voice was a mix of surprise and concern, his eyes roving over her, finding signs of injuries.

"I'm okay, really," she said, her voice thin but laced with a stubbornness that Arif was coming to recognize. "I can power through. Plus, my phone's broken, so I couldn't call in even if I wanted to."

Ram sighed, torn between understanding and exasperation at Elena's excuse. “That’s not a good excuse to not call in. But I trust your judgment that you’re fine. Just take it easy if you need to.” He turned back into his office. “Wait here, I think I have a spare company phone.”

As Ram disappeared into his office, the air grew thick with unspoken tension. Elena bit her lip, Arif's reprimands from last night echoing in her mind. She tugged at her sleeves, the bandages underneath a reminder of her failure. Arif's gaze remained fixed on the floor, guilt and frustration warring within him. The words to break the silence eluded them both.

As if on cue, they spoke at the same time.

“I-”

“You know-”

“Found it,” Ram emerged from his office, holding a smartphone that looked tiny in his large hands. “It’s not the latest model by any stretch,” he offered the device to Elena, oblivious to the tension in the air. “But it’ll serve you well enough for now.”

“Oh,” she muttered as she snapped out of the awkward moment. Elena took the phone, a genuine smile breaking through. “Thanks, Ram. I promised to return it when I have enough money to replace mine.”

“Nonsense, use it as long as you need.” Ram smiled before noticing Arif’s discomfort. As if seeing something amiss, he turned back to his office. “I will leave you two to sort things out then. Elena, please take it easy okay?”

“Yes sir,”

As Ram's office door clicked shut, leaving them in privacy, Elena spoke first, her voice low, barely above a whisper.

"Sorry, I-"

"How are your injuries?" Arif interjected, concerned momentarily overriding his guilt, his eyes searching her face for signs of pain.

A flicker of vulnerability passed over Elena’s features. "I'm fine, really. Managed to hide it from my sister, so she doesn't worry. The pain is nothing I can't handle."

Arif nodded awkwardly. "Good to know. Good..."

After a long pause, Elena spoke again. “Hey…I just want to say I’m sorry again. It was reckless of me to go alone, knowing I’m still weak.” She winced as she bit her lips. “I know I apologized last night but it didn’t feel enough. So, I wanted to apologize again,” She bowed her head slightly, strands of her black hair falling forward. “For being a failure yesterday and letting you down.”

Arif frowned at his mentee’s incessant apology, trying to string the words in his mind as a response but the guilt warring inside him made it hard for him. How Elena kept on referring to herself as a failure was not lost to Arif, and he knew he contributed to that feeling of hers. He took a breath to steel himself, to gather his thoughts.

“What happened last night,” Arif spoke at last, each word carefully measured. “Can’t happen again. It was too close of a call. We were lucky.” He met his mentee’s eyes squarely, trying to hide his inner turmoil. A lump in his throat formed as a distant memory tried to creep into his thoughts but he shook it away. “That can’t happen again.”

“And-” He wanted to continue with his own apology but no words were able to form on his lips. A sigh of defeat escaped instead.

“Starting today, I’ll be training you to control your powers better. We have to get you prepared in case you run into a Being that strong again. But until then…” He paused again. “You’re benched from patrol, requests, and any field work. Effective immediately.”

Elena nodded in defeat and resignation. The realization of not being on the field to hone her skills sank in causing her eyes to be downcasted to the floor. “I understand. It’s probably for the best…”

Then, another realization hit her, her head shot up instantly, her expression in full disbelief. “Wait, hang on. Did you say you’ll be training me?”

Arif crossed his arms before responding, “Yes.”

“For real?”

“For real.”

Elena straightened up, a small spark of determination filled her and glinted in her eyes. She still had a chance even after her failure last night. Her distant mentor finally opened up to train her.

“When do we start?” It took great effort to hide her eagerness in her voice.

Arif uncrossed his arms and rested them on his hips. “Up to you.”

“Then…” A smirk broke into her expression, a crack in the facade of remorse and regret. “How about now?”