"First of all," said Kencana Ireng. "I didn't deliberately choose you for this, Satya."
"But you're the one who cast this magic."
"I know," said Kencana Ireng. "What I mean is, I am waiting for one of my descendants in the future, someone who can realize that there is a connection between the sentence on the bronze medal and the carving on the wall of the house I inherited."
"So…" Satya was wide open again. "You mean my family's legacy house that's in—"
Kencana Ireng laughed softly, his hands behind his back. "No, it's not like that. The house was not I who directly inherited it, Satya. But my descendants."
"I don't understand."
"With each of my descendants who add a similar carving on one of the walls in their house, it will be my inheritance."
"Aah…" Satya took a deep breath.
He understood now that what Kencana Ireng meant were the carving on the wall itself and the bronze medal.
"Wait a minute," said Satya, "what if it turns out that one of your descendants is selling the house? Say someone who is not your descendant finds the bronze medal and understands that it has something to do with the carving on the wall. What will happen?"
Yeah, that's ridiculous, Satya thought. It is not his descendants who will appear to the past but other people.
Kencana Ireng laughed softly again. "It won't happen."
"Oh really?"
The ancestor took a deep breath. However, he understood Satya's lack of understanding of the magic power he used in the grand plan he had devised in such a way.
"Say like a very accurate and well-planned system."
Even though he didn't understand this, Satya just nodded.
"The point is," said Kencana Ireng, "whoever the person is, as long as he still has my bloodline, then this can happen to that person. Vice versa."
"And unfortunately," said Satya. "I am that unlucky person."
Kencana Ireng smiled, he touched Satya's shoulder. "I'm sorry for getting you involved in this."
Satya took a deep breath. "Well, it's all happened. Then, Ancestor, Great-Grandfather—or what should I call you?" he scratched his head.
"To be honest," Kencana Ireng laughed softly. "With all the things that have upset you, I dare not ask you to address me as Great-Grandfather."
"Oh Great Goddess, this makes me very awkward."
"Yes, me too."
"I'm sorry," said Satya. "I'm not upset—or whatever it's called. After all, you are my ancestor, it is my duty to defend my family's prestige."
"Oh, I see?" Kencana Ireng looked into Satya's eyes.
"I'm just confused. One moment I'm in the family lounge, the next second, I'm thrown into the middle of the sea of nowhere. Saved by a girl—which I think you already know this, don't you?"
"Princess Lathifa, yes, of course."
"Okay," said Satya. "With all this weirdness. I just feel like my head is spinning around, and all this is still not clear to me."
And then, Satya fell silent, looking down, only his breathing could be heard.
"Yeah…" he said half inaudibly.
Kencana Ireng took a deep breath. Satya's words made a lot of sense, he thought. Whoever the person is, when experiencing the same thing, that person will be confused and, the worst, that person could become angry for all reasonable reasons.
"Then," he glanced again at the handsome face beside him. "What about now?"
Satya lifted his face, looking at the verdant valley below. Kencana Ireng smiled, he found a strong belief in Satya's eyes.
"Slightly better."
"That's more than enough."
"Do I have to do this? Like for real?"
Kencana Ireng laughed silently, his gaze also fixed on the very beautiful valley that lay before them.
"You know I can't do that, don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess…" Satya took a deep breath. "Lathi has told me everything. You," he glanced at his ancestor, he smiled because, in his eyes, the ancestor was very worthy to be a leader. "Has been sentenced to death by Pramudya Antaguna."
Then Satya frowned because Kencana Ireng laughed softly after hearing his words.
When Kencana Ireng's gaze met Satya's, he immediately understood what Satya was thinking.
"It's very ironic, isn't it?"
Satya let out a long sigh. "Absolutely."
"I know," Kencana Ireng smiled again. "I was able to create such magic to save Princess Lathifa, but I was unable to save myself."
"That's what exactly stuck in my mind."
"But," Kencana Ireng glanced again at the man who was his descendant from the future. "I think you understand the reason behind it, don't you?"
"Who knows! I'm not so sure about any of this."
"Do you?"
"All right," said Satya. "If you can save yourself, I suspect this will destroy the magic you have ordained on Lathi, the magic that keeps her body and soul at the bottom of the sea until the help of the Sea God himself comes to her."
Kencana Ireng laughed again while nodding. "Looks like my spell is working well, you are the right choice, Satya."
"Yeah, right. And that sucks!"
Though Satya felt that he was not someone special. Or let's say someone who has one or two things that can be used as a guarantee for his election from among the dozens of Kencana Ireng descendants. No, no, no! Hundreds!
Or at least, he doesn't master any sport. He was even a bad soccer player when he was in high school.
"I'm not someone who has an important position in my world."
"That doesn't matter," said Kencana Ireng.
"I can't do martial arts."
"I know."
"I never even studied magic spells," said Satya. "Let alone magic which is only considered as a fairy tale, there are many incantations for the prayers of Gods and Goddesses that I don't even know."
Kencana Ireng smiled again. "As I said, I already know. And there's no problem with your ignorance. Do you know?"
"What?"
"To start learning something new," said Kencana Ireng, "especially all things related to magic and supernatural power, it would be better for you to start from ignorance."
"From the emptiness?"