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"How was it?"

Raiden asked, watching Sanju came inside the class as he stretched his arms a little. "It went well, he wasn't that bad in person honestly," he explained, before grabbing the chair from the desk to sit with them. "Uh-huh? Tell us the real story," Akito said as he made fun of him, glancing at Sanju from the corner of his eyes. "Long story short, he asked me if I can go on an expedition with him after my study, if I accepted, he promised me to become his researcher and everything would be prepared for me," Sanju continued explaining, before putting both of his hands on his hips and looked out.

"He's an ambitious man, that's what I felt."

He noticed Izana was spacing out with dead-eye look, making him confused when they began staring at her. "Hey, Izana?" Akito asked with worry, while she gazed away and mumbled to them. "No, I'm fine," she replied, making Damian lifted both of his eyebrows and Masaki stopped reading his book.

Juha listened while Haruna was typing on his laptop, Kirana and Kanae wondered why Izana was spacing out--which is unusual for her. "Professor Maha's class will be starting soon, let's go to his lab," Sanju reminded them.

The subject of his class is Geography and Environmental Science, since Maha taught the scientific subjects of archaeology major. He was in his lab with the glasses when most students went into the lab, which was spacious and has several incubators (where did that came from) inside that were cooling, but it was protected by the glass.

As the class continues for two hours, Sanju was twirling his pen while sitting next to the window--he watched one of the incubators which was kept inside the lab cabinet and thinking about the upcoming problem if he is going to accept this.

On the other hand, the rest of the class were taking notes; as Professor Maha keeps teaching the subject like a lecturer would. As the class still distracted, Sanju took a peek at one of the large tube filled with neon blue serum like liquid; a serum. He tilted his head, before he pressed the button so the color of the liquid becoming transparent like water (the professor allowed the student to only change the color as long as they return it after done)--his eyes widened when he suddenly felt a wave of memories passed inside his head.

All the images that present are... Professor Maha?

He still looked youthful and never aged... except he was wearing his clothes as an archaeologist. Then, there's an images of his parents... his mother... his father... they... what? He could see they were struggling to live from the injuries that the attacker inflicted--and it was...

"Sanjaya Adinata, what did I tell you about staring at them for too long? Don't you want to get trouble?"

Sanju flinched when the voice startled him, quickly turning around to face Professor Maha. "Sorry sir, I was just looking around for a while," he said to him, trying to calm down his instinct.

The young professor hummed, he seems... noticing something? Sanju can't pinpoint what or where did his thoughts come from, the glint in his eyes showing he was knowing something important to him. "It's alright, next time be careful while in the lab--I will prepare the equipment for the experiment for next week, until then."

It was unnerving, seeing Professor Maha appear behind his back and scolded him so sudden for looking around the room--making him scared of him. Sanju was amnesiac so he didn't know what happened to his parents, all he remembered that he got caught in accident when he was young--and he was questioning his existential state of his life. Was he dead, since he survived the accident?

Or something worse... he wanted to remember but...

'This might be a part of my memory, but what is this memory?'

'My parents, they look like they're getting beaten... the attacker looks familiar, if only I could remember why Professor Maha looks familiar in this image...'

There were not only the things Sanju had wondered; he wondered that why Professor Maha forbid him from entering 'that' lab. Perhaps... was it all happened related to each other... or he's overthinking? The class has ended, Sanju felt like he had to ask his grandparents but he doubt if they will tell him. So, he keep that to himself. "Hey, are you okay man?" he heard Haruna asked him, he turn around to face him who was going down the stairs.

He contemplated first, before he made up his mind. "To be honest, no... I’m not okay," Sanju answered with his expression laced with uncertainty, Haruna could tell there is something suspicious from him.

Raiden also curious that why Sanju is being unusually quiet, so he interjected the discussion. "Class is over, are you coming, Sanju?" he asked, worried that Sanju being quiet like this can be a warning sign. 'Just when I was about to solve the case about his attitude, today he just...' Raiden stared at Sanju's back that wasn't facing him.

Akito glanced back at them, he heard something--and his curiosity took over his caution. "Y'know what? Let's get something to eat," he said, ignoring Haruna's stare and following him. "Suit yourself, geez..." Damian grumbled to him, it's no use if Sanju won't trust him...

Kirana pondered when she observed her friend who's still acting like nothing happened, but she could tell he was disturbed from the thought of that experiment.

"Sanjaya, what did you saw earlier?" she whispered to him, while keeping it natural for them to act. She knows something, and for the fact she wants Sanju to open his heart to her, even though the others already did. Sanju didn't say anything, he doesn't want her to be involved and... he merely let out an exhale. "I... can't describe it, but the memories I saw earlier were... the ones I'd rather avoid," he replied.

Now Izana frowned slightly, she was holding her backpack while they walked together towards the campus gate. Her hair fluttered when the wind brushed past her hair, the air were much crisper.

Sanju can't describe this when Izana is here, knowing that she was Professor Maha's daughter and he doubted if she might believe him or not, considering the Professor in fact is a dangerous man to talk about. 'Whatever this is... he might be hiding things from me, even if we know each other pretty well...' Sanju thought to himself, looking at the side.

'But... why am I amnesiac...?'

Another class again after two hours break, in the same lab AGAIN. Sanju was working on his digital project (he refused to tell anyone, he wanted to do it alone until he said so), he would always stay in the lab even if he's a normal student and somehow he was allowed here despite being a student from the Department of Archaeology.

However, he keep looking at the lab where he saw a certain serum he couldn't explain--not only that; he now questioning his connection with Professor Maha. Is there any connection related to this laboratory? Is there some sort of memories he can remember once he looked at the incubators?

Sanju look around when no one is around, sometimes it's really convenient because no one is going to question him unless he will be caught by the lecturers.

That was a relief, he decided to search around--checking and analyzing if there was a switch.

They looked complicated, Sanju knew if he was doing this wrong and gets in trouble, he couldn't forgive himself--but he could try. "Okay, first let's open up the cabinet lab," Sanju muttered to himself as he opened it, he see the notes that have been recently created. Most of them are simple notes, he knows which paper was the last one he used and wrote with black marker.

'Neon Blue Serum: Complete.'

However, instead of being bamboozled or any kind of reactions towards this discovery--he continued reading the file to grasp the valuable information. Wait, what the--he look up to see the incubators of CLONES?!

These were clones that Professor Maha invented... Sanju's jaw opened wide, he didn't know he can make clones and worst of all... he almost choked when his eyes caught on one thing in the notes.

Sanju froze to see a clone of... himself, in the file--there was a photo of his younger self when he was twelve and captured for an experiment. At least, Sanju wasn't a clone of the experiment but a group of them. 'Is... is Professor Maha is hiding something from me, did he knew my parents...?'

Sanju was relieved that he wasn't made as a clone of himself, at least, that's for now. However... his eyes narrowed sharply, staring at the first name that was written on the folder. He turned to face Professor Maha, but this time, his teal-blue eyes gazing with a mischievous playful look while placing his hand on the spine of the journal book.

"I wonder why did your thoughts took over you."

The man himself--it couldn't be, Sanju was now back against the counter and stared at Professor Maha himself, holding the journal book of his job he was using.

"Sanjaya Adinata, consider yourself lucky that you're not a clone when you were still a child, unlike the rest--yet you have your talent and ambition, even being so observant. Wouldn't it be a pity if I made you my clone?"

Professor Maha continued, he glared a little bit at the front door to see the rest of the students are waiting outside before turning to face the teen. "Y-You..." Sanju stuttered, before the professor chuckled. "Oh, come on, I won't hurt you. I'm pretty impressed how you broke in and read the file, except the one you shouldn't read--" he stopped when he stared at his angry eyes. "Looks like you discovered my confidential file, and I don't want to destroy this base..." he said casually to him, before he smirked wider.

It's funny that Sanju wasn't fazed, he's just pissed at the audacity of the professor.

"What are you going to do now?Threaten me, hurt me, or maybe both?" the youth asked, before continuing. "For me, I'd rather leave because it doesn't give any benefit to me. If this lab is getting destroyed, so be it," he said, snatching the journal book from his hands which triggered him to grasp his neck to pin him against the wall.

Professor Maha narrowed his eyes with a dangerously calm aura, which sent his chill to the bone to see the professor showing it. He finally showed his cold glare, staring at the young student's dark brown eyes.

"Shouldn't you thank me instead for saving you from a lot, when I saved you from death because you got into a car accident to recover you from near death. Such a hardworking kid, a remarkable student yet so kind. My, my, if only you could remember before, Sanjaya Adinata--"

Sanju hissed in pain when he dropped the journal book, before he felt his hand released him, he heaved and gasped for air, panting and held his neck when Professor Maha's thumb nicked his skin and stung a little. He watch the professor walk away as the lab door locked behind him, making him surprised, like he was cursed somehow.

"Crap, time to think on how I can get out of this fucking lab...!" Sanju cursed, groaning while rubbing his eyes with a heavy breath. Until, he felt so drained from the air in the lab which made him fainted.

Back to Professor Maha's point of view...

He grabbed the keys after locking the lab door as a way to prevent the students from going inside, looking at the teen who was lying on the counter in exhaustion. A plan was formed from his mind, after knowing what he's going to do now, he chuckled softly as he knew he hit a nerve of him and knowing what the teen was thinking of him.

"Prof, have you seen Sanju?"

Akito asked, making him huffed in amusement as he kept his cold façade but he turned a little to glare daggers at him. "He's inside the lab, try to call him," Professor Maha answered casually, he left them waiting outside and went to take care of the business. Akito watched him as he narrowed his eyes when he told him Sanju was in the lab, making him annoyed. Before he reached his pocket for his phone and dialed Sanju's number; it sounds unreachable.

That's weird, the phone should've connected. 'Could it be... he's in the...' his thought paused when he heard a grunt from inside the secret lab, where the lab was in question... only he knows Sanju in this university. Thinking that if it's true, then the answer he should find is to break in or open the main entrance from the back--like trying to kill a rat.

"Sanju, are you there?"

Akito asked as he attempted to twist the knob; and it wouldn't open. 'It's locked and I can't even hack it, someone must be inside and it could be...' he knitted his eyebrows, wondering why did Sanju insisted on being in this lab.

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He was quiet for a moment, before he stepped back for a moment and used his judo kick to break the door open.

The door forced open; now it's mission time and he doesn’t have much time left on this. He made sure no one is seeing this--using his short and small stature to enter the darkness of the hallway, hoping he could spot the familiar figure in the dark. When he turn on the switch, Akito's jaw dropped at the sight of the large incubator tubes that hold... clones.

Not only he sees the clones, he sees the incubator filled with neon blue serum that was mentioned in the notes for the experiment... so Sanju could've been right that something about this professor is fishy and in this experiment... he felt like he want to vomit from the sight of a corpse underneath the fluorescent fluid. Sanju himself seems to be avoiding this path for a while, but... now there's something off that Professor Maha himself created a room for experiment and took them all as his guinea pigs--

"Sanju!"

Akito yelled, quickly running towards him to shake him off. Sanju groaned, he tried to move but he struggled to even open his eyes. Not only that; he heard the noise that came from the door. From what Akito interpreted, his only job is to get Sanju out of this place before the professor notice the mess that he just made. "Sanju... hey, get up, come on," he shook his shoulders, before he began to carry him on his back and quickly sprinted out of the room.

On the campus, Masaki spotted Akito that was running towards them--carrying a knocked-out Sanju on his back, that made the entire group jumped in surprise when Akito stopped for a moment while panting. "Yo, what happened?!" Raiden asked, but Haruna immediately shut him up in case the lecturers are listening. Izana covered her mouth, before they stood up from their seat.

"Wait, is Sanju alright?"

Kanae asked worriedly while Kirana helped him to carry Sanju and lay him down, knowing that their friend doesn't faint or at least he rarely fainted before. "Judging from the way he's knocked out, it was not the physical reason why he was unconscious because it looks like from a mental impact like an assault," Juha interjected, he did his job as an observer.

Demian helped Akito to lay him on the bench, almost wanting to punch a wall when he realized Professor Maha locked him up in the lab. "That asshole, look at Sanju now!" he hissed when Damian was carrying Sanju on the bench.

"Oh crap, what did that lecturer do? What did you saw, Akito?"

Haruna asked, seeing Akito was having a terrible flashback of what's inside the lab. It was not only a secret that was brought to their world; this was a crime against humanity...

"He has an incubator..."

Akito breathed a trembling sigh, covering his face from seeing any disgusting imaginations of the clones. "Some of the clones looks like... how should I describe this? They look humane... and they look like Sanju, that was inside a glass tube..."

Haruna's eyes widened when he understood that not only the experiments involving the clones, but genetic engineering--that is absurd.

"Sanjaya, are you okay? Can you tell us what happened?"

Damian asked, watching Sanju regained his consciousness after all of them was in fear that the worst thing happened if he was not awake.

This prompted them to be dead-silent and the only sound that filled in that silence was his breath, he has seen something--that he was supposed not to see in his lifetime. "Hey, it's okay. We'll listen to you, we're not in the campus ground yet. We're still here," Izana comforted him, patting his shoulder and leaned closer. "Want to tell us?" Kanae asked, her drowsy eyes remained on him; showing him she wouldn't pressure him and neither would she.

'Deep breath…’

Sanju reminded himself to stay calm in any condition, even if he could pass out again or even worse, which is more than they can handle. "I... don't know what to say anymore, I feel like I wasn't suppose to... see that coming. I keep getting this feeling of familiarity yet unknown to me, it's a mix of feelings that I can't understand. I just feel awful..."

He stared at the ground, furrowing his eyebrows when the past he experienced with the professor has crossed his mind and the memories he didn't remember. "He made a clone of me, like... what the fuck did he just done to me, and look, there's my mother... my father... dying in the images I was seeing--the same situation, and..."

Sanju suddenly hissed in pain, covering his forehead from the excruciating pain that was pulsating against his nerves, like a brainwave. Izana wanted to ask her father Professor Maha about this, but she feared that he might not telling the truth or could potentially being... dangerous to know if they knew the truth.

'Immortal cloning experiment--how could he be successful in that? Father created a group of clones to do his will, even clones are half-god beings...' she thought, watching Sanju having both existential crisis and mental breakdown.

Meanwhile, Haruse was in his office with other Indonesian lecturers--texting Althair about talking to Sanju again while managing the paperwork on his desk. He saw one of the international students--Raiden, barging the door open by surprise which made other lecturers shrieked.

One of the professors scolded him about crashing their meeting with papers scattered on the table and their chair, Haruse himself could handle it and gestured at them with his hand to indicate he can handle the unplanned barging.

"Alright, why are you in the hurry, Raiden Amagiri?" Haruse asked, referring Raiden by his full name or just his surname.

"Sanju... I mean, Sanjaya Adinata... sir, he got attacked by one of the professors--can't say the name because he's known here," Raiden replied, watching the other professors were leaving the room so it's just the two of them left. "It was Professor Maha, sir."

Haruse widens his eyes, before standing up and made his way to the door. No wonder, today will be the day where he revealed his dark secret from the surface of the sea. "Alright, you could go first. Where is he now? I want to meet him because I heard the professor's lab got messed up earlier," he said, closing the door when both of them got out. "I know where he is, come with me, please," Raiden said, gesturing Haruse to follow him.

Siska was walking down the hallway, until she saw Raiden approached her with Haruse--they seems to be in a hurry. "Prof, something happened to Sanju!" he informed, making her stopped--shocked that he informed something happened to him. It made her motherly instinct kicking in, Siska asked worriedly. "What happened to Sanjaya, is he okay?!"

"Come on, follow me!"

They didn't waste time and decided to visit him in the infirmary, seeing him becoming weak from the overwhelming stress of the horrors in the lab.

***

Sanju was laying on the bed in the infirmary, he wasn't moving or trying to say something, he only had his eyes staring at the plain ceiling. "Professor Maha, what in the world have you done to that boy?" one of the professors asked, the reason they heard about the incident was because Akito and the rest of the gang spread the words around (and Professor Maha's anger from a student being inside his lab, being an idiot--as a fact).

While in the meantime, Akito sat down when he stayed with Demian; he could only stare away from time to time. "He got inside my lab without permission, and that's my lab--my authority holds in there."

"But you don't have to beat him up, then lock him inside," the Indonesian chancellor spoke to him, ignoring the murmurs of protests from the few other lecturers who are allied with him. "He's an exception, in case if you'd forgotten how much he's special to the public's eye. He's still a college student, do you know how much media could make a nonsense of his identity? Then, everything would cause his life to be targeted."

Akito can sense Kanae comforting him by nudging his elbow with hers to express her anger, that is an undeniable fact that Sanju is quite known in Garuda University--not much of a well-known but recognizable by many. Professor Maha continued, before he could listen further.

"Alright, I get it. I can't put him in a detention for ten minutes because the professor was complaining about his experiment to be destroyed, and if it's about the other one I'm teaching, just bring him somewhere--"

"Wait, what experiment are you talking about?"

The dean asked, suspecting the professor's second secret of the word that he was referring as ‘experiment’. They were suspecting on Professor Maha has a personal need or something to be done with his 'personal creation'--the result somehow turned like a dangerous and forbidden thing from the other nation. Not even the Nirvana Organization can deal with this mess, more worse Professor Maha is part of the Nirvana Organization's executives.

The professor only chuckled, folded his arms. "I don't mind putting him in the suspension because that lab is like my second-hand workplace, it's nothing important and, let him stay in your classes. Deal?" the young professor still insisted, enough to convince them despite knowing Professor Maha doesn't take a 'no' for a response.

Siska noticed him beckoned her to come closer and whisper something to her, whispering the truth of what happened. It made her wide-eyed and Haruse was listening as well, seeing him nodded and Haruse goes to whisper to the rector about this whole ass mess, that Sanju was not lying. He stepped back, looking over to see the professors inside the room turned their attention towards him.

Akito sat properly when he heard a distant heavy footsteps when someone walking towards the infirmary room where he and his friends left to do what they told them, Kirana was listening and Kanae merely yawned to keep herself up from sleeping. Raiden helped Sanju lay down on the bed, so he can rest again.

The rector nodded at the Japanese-American professor, before turning to the Indonesian lecturer. "Is it true that you did some 'unethical' experiments secretly in the lab?" he questioned, watching Maha blinked in slight annoyance at the professor that doesn't match his.

"That's why I told you if there's an unwanted intruder, leave it to me."

"According to Sanjaya Adinata's statement, you're not just abusing this lab's right--you also abuse it's worth and everything went berserk! Is he involved with this experiment or did he found out the truth about what you are hiding?" the vice chancellor questioned, silencing the professors from talking.

"That's classified as a sensitive information, my fellow lecturer."

Holy shit, he keep defending himself without remorse, and it also affects them in a bad way that could implode in this situation.

"Professor Mahatma Kartawinata," the rector started with a stern voice, letting him have nothing to say in the conversation. "According to this incident, I prohibit you from teaching all the archaeology courses starting today as a way to stop you from doing your experiments inside this uni, it will be dealt with your license soon. We're not keeping you to work in the university, for the sake of students' safety. You're a danger to them and an example to have; to be a dishonor of what an educator could do to his or her own student and the role model they should learn," he told him, completely turning his back.

"Don't you forgot how much I contributed to the research, sire?"

Professor Maha started with this ace card that nearly nobody could challenge with, except for a specific two people inside the room. It is true that he have contributed a lot of his scientific research, even Akito knows how did he helped to invent the equipment used in the archaeological field of sciences. "I created a solution by using these instruments we use here, no other technology could replace my blueprints in a different ways. Other's opinion is meaningless if their goal is also necessary, they would think that it would be a violation to our history. That is one."

Akito swore if he knew Professor Maha would bring this up, then he and Raiden should work on their plan to stop him--even Sanju might as well pay him back.

"That doesn't change the fact of what you have done before, Professor Maha. Go to your class, I'll be waiting at the gate. Sanjaya, I'll wait here," the rector decided, after writing something on the table and ignoring what Professor Maha said. The young professor himself scowled in his face, his job nearly crashed because of one person's curiosity.

If that curiosity didn't exist in this world, he would be able to create that cloning facility and the future will be so different without them. Izana didn't talk to her father, knowing what he did is true--she felt guilty of Sanju now lying on the infirmary bed because of that man she called him as. She might not forgive her own father, or forgiving the reality of his cruelty.

"Sanju, I'm terribly sorry after what happened. On behalf of my father, please tell me when are you going to report him to the police for something related to genetic experiments," Izana spoke sadly, watching Sanju surprised that she apologized on behalf of him. "I-Izana, it's okay... it's not your fault, don't blame yourself because it's not like you were the one that's been locking me up in the lab. You weren't involved, so don't..." he breathed, gripping his hand into a fist before sitting up from the bed.

The rector talked to Sanju for some time and while Sanju do talk to him, he nodded without question. They exited the room to bring Sanju back to his class--this isn't good to interrupt Professor Maha's work while most of his time to talk to the rector, by asking questions. It was a relief that the university didn't kick Sanju out to protect the uni's reputation, instead they were going to warn the professor to behave or even threaten him to cancel his profession.

As of now, Sanju just wish to stay out of this and try not to cause any more trouble that was unnecessary.

The rest of the class got their lunch after Sanju went back, with the students who has the same subject with him told what happened from Professor Maha and everyone didn't want to take action, considering the situation as an accident. Besides, thanks to the rector that Professor Maha will not teaching the history and archaeology courses, there is no need to worry.

"Akito, can you tell us how did you work as part of Nirvana Organization so early?"

Akito heard his friends asked, while playing with his company ID card and it has been a long time since he worked as one of them. "Eh, I was just an intern," he replied simply, which Raiden want to kick his ass for not being specific about the story. So he wanted to ask when, how, and who signed him up for this? "I know Professor Maha, but I'll just call him Maha in Nirvana Organization. He's a mysterious guy, and quite ambitious--all I know that he's the current Superintendent of Singgahsana because he was a Kartawinata--not because he wants to become one."

Sanju was heading to the bathroom for a while, before Masaki close the book and began to ask Damian. "So, how was his condition so far?" he asked, turning his attention to Damian for the information. "A little better, just not too much. Who wouldn't be okay after he found out an illegal experiment in the lab--by the way, what happened now?" he whispered back, making Masaki bit his lower lip.

"I heard that Professor Maha got suspended temporarily because of the incident, and Professor Siska is taking over the subject. For sure it would only be one time after the rector's decision is valid," he sighed.

What happened next was, neither them or the class know, the only information is that Professor Maha is dismissed from working in Garuda University. "The lecturers, dean and rector investigate into his lab--turns out it was more than just a clone facility," Kirana explained to them, giving more information. After a while, Haruna sat on his place as the students are taking care of his bag for him while he's gone. "Did Sanju's grandparents know about this?" Kanae asked.

"Sanjaya and his grandparents aren't very close," Haruna spoke, with exhausted and worried tone. While some of them either remained quiet or asking the problem here, he decided to tell them about him. 'Did Sanju found out about Professor Maha's past inside that lab? Is that why he...' Raiden gulped as he placed his hand on his lips, trying to ease his anxiety. "How so?" Izana asked, wondering why did Professor Maha does this to Sanju.

"Sanjaya don't look that much pain... but he's a pain in the ass, in fact."

Damian huffed, seeing Haruna's half serious face and not joking. "He never tell anyone about his family issues, he's an introvert you know? Keeping his feelings to himself until someone approached him. By the way, he'll be fine, it's just a minor concussion--he has nothing serious to tell," Haruna added, with a whisper at the end.

"What was that?"

They shrieked to see Sanju just came back from the restroom, merely standing behind them and watch them cower in fear. Sanju couldn't hear them earlier, but that sentence sounded like what they're in trouble because he listened in the third person or because they're sitting in his seat. "Ah, it's nothing!" Kirana excused, watching him sit down. While watching the scene, Juha held a small book and watched Professor Siska arrived with a replacement book Professor Maha was handing before. "Alright, I will be taking over his subject for all of you. Sanjaya, are you okay?"

The students got worried over him, seeing Sanju seems not in the best mood--but he tried his best to keep a smile for them. "I'm okay for now, Miss Siska. Don't worry about me," he said, not wanting to worry her too much.

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