The journey began—
before the sun had fully risen.
The sky was still gray.
The roads were empty.
A small convoy left the harbor—
cutting through streets that felt far too silent
for a city this large.
No one talked much.
Not because they were tired.
But because everyone knew—
their destination this time
wasn't just another location.
This was the center.
Inside the vehicle—
Lila held the tablet tightly.
The MBG network map glowed on the screen.
Blue dots moved steadily.
Normal.
Then—
one red point flashed.
NATIONAL MBG DATA CENTER
Bimo looked at it from the back seat.
"…if that place falls…"
Farhan answered without turning around.
"…everything stops."
Rani stared out the window.
"…which means a lot of kids won't eat today."
Pak Rahmat spoke quietly.
"And that's exactly what they want."
Silence.
Not because no one wanted to speak.
But because everyone already knew the answer.
Arga opened his lunch box.
Nine grains of rice glowed softly.
But—
he didn't feel calm.
"Something's wrong."
Sinta turned toward him.
"What is it?"
Arga didn't answer immediately.
His eyes remained fixed on the box.
"…they're not playing around the edges anymore."
A pause.
"…they went straight for the center."
Farhan nodded slowly.
"That's not escalation."
"…that's a decision."
Bimo swallowed hard.
"…so this isn't an attack…"
"…it's the finish line."
No one disagreed.
Several hours later—
the city skyline appeared ahead of them.
Tall buildings.
Glass towers.
But the moment they entered—
something felt wrong.
Traffic lights flickered.
Digital billboards were dead.
The streets were empty.
Too empty.
Bimo pressed his face against the window.
"…is this a city…"
"…or was it abandoned already?"
Lila checked the network status.
"Several systems are offline."
Farhan narrowed his eyes.
"Not offline."
A pause.
"…cut off."
Sinta spoke quietly.
"They already started."
The vehicle stopped.
The building stood before them.
Massive.
Tall.
Cold.
NATIONAL MBG DATA CENTER
But—
the gate was slightly open.
Pak Rahmat frowned immediately.
"That's not right."
Arga felt it again.
The lunch box in his hand—
grew warmer.
The nine grains shined brighter.
"…inside…"
He swallowed slowly.
"…something already woke up."
They entered carefully.
The parking area was full of vehicles.
But—
there was no one.
No footsteps.
No conversations.
Only the wind—
echoing too loudly through the empty space.
Bimo whispered,
"…I hate places like this."
Tono scanned the area.
"No guards."
Rani spoke softly.
"…this is the national data center…"
"…it should be crowded."
Lila stared at the readings.
"The systems are still running."
Farhan pointed deeper inside.
"The servers are underground."
Pak Rahmat nodded.
"We move."
The doors opened.
The lobby was brightly lit.
But completely empty.
Several monitors flickered.
Then—
BEEP.
A massive screen turned on.
Words slowly appeared.
WELCOME, NUTRITIONAL GUARDIANS
No one moved.
Bimo sighed softly.
"…yeah… of course."
The words changed.
WE HAVE BEEN WAITING
Sinta narrowed her eyes.
"…Dominion."
Farhan stared at the screen rapidly.
"…they're already inside the system."
Pak Rahmat immediately warned,
"Be careful—"
Too late.
WHRRRRRRRRR—
A deep mechanical sound echoed from below.
The lights flickered violently.
Every monitor activated at once.
A map of Indonesia appeared.
The entire MBG network.
Trucks moving.
Routes stable.
Normal.
Then—
everything changed.
One route.
Two.
Ten.
Dozens.
Chaotic.
Farhan froze.
"…no…"
Lila's voice shook.
"…they took control."
Bimo muttered quietly,
"…this is bad…"
Farhan stared at the screen without blinking.
"…this is a disaster."
Arga watched the map carefully.
His lunch box glowed brightly.
The nine grains pulsed rapidly.
"…that container was just a test."
Sinta nodded slowly.
"…this was the real target."
There was no more doubt.
This wasn't an attack.
This—
was a takeover.
TING.
The elevator sound echoed through the lobby.
Everyone turned immediately.
The doors opened.
Footsteps approached.
Slow.
Measured.
Dominion agents stepped out.
And at the front—
the man in the hat.
He walked calmly.
As if—
this place already belonged to him.
He smiled faintly.
"You arrived right on time."
Bimo sighed.
"…unfortunately, we always do."
The man pointed at the screen.
"Look."
The routes continued changing.
"In just a few minutes…"
"…every delivery in the country will collapse."
The lights flickered again.
The sound of the servers grew louder.
As if—
the building itself was becoming unstable.
Arga stepped forward.
"Stop this now."
The man in the hat looked at him calmly.
"Why?"
He stepped closer.
"Don't you people love saving others?"
A faint smile appeared.
"Well then…"
"…try saving everything at once."
Silence.
No one answered.
Because this time—
there wasn't a single target.
Not one victim.
Not one choice.
What was at stake—
wasn't one city.
Not one school.
But the entire country.
And for the first time—
they weren't too late.
They were simply—
not enough.