Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from the side of the road. "Stop! Stop!"
A mogger? I thought, recognizing the aggressive tone of the highway robber.
Dove, however, seemed unfazed. "Tsk, those kinds of people," she muttered under her breath, glancing out the window.
"Dove, open my window," I instructed, my voice cold and steady.
She looked at me, surprised to see the gun I had summoned with a flick of my wrist. A small smile spread across her face as she complied.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
I fired three warning shots into the air, the deafening sound echoing through the night.
"Help! Help!" The mogger cried out, scrambling back into the shadows.
Why do they cry for help when they're the ones trying to rob us? I thought, shaking my head.
"Drive, Dove," I ordered, my eyes scanning the surrounding area for any other threats.
She nodded and sped up, catching up to the first SUV.
"Aca, are you alright?" Dove asked through the car's communication system.
Aca's voice crackled, unfazed. "Yeah, I was about to summon some nearby predators with my power, but luckily Xian took care of it," she replied with a laugh.
She accelerated, and Dove followed suit, leaving the mogger far behind in the dust.
"Geez... those people need to get a real job," Vill commented from the front seat.
"It is what it is, Vill," Dove sighed. "They're too lazy to work, just wanting easy money."
The monotonous hum of the engine and the gentle rocking of the car lulled me to sleep. I awoke with a jolt as the SUV came to a stop. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I realized we were parked in front of a small motel, its neon sign flickering in the pre-dawn light.
"...Are we staying here?" I asked, stretching my stiff back.
"Yeah," Dove replied with a yawn. "I need to get some sleep after that long drive." She opened her door and stepped out of the car.
I gently shook Ratu's shoulder. "Wake up, we're here."
She blinked sleepily, then mumbled, "Hmm... okay."
I got out of the car and was immediately hit by a blast of cold air. "Shit, it's freezing!" I exclaimed, shivering involuntarily.
I watched as Dove, shivering slightly, approached the receptionist, rubbing her arms for warmth.
"It's always cold in this place," she remarked to the receptionist, her voice a bit shaky. "Let's get inside. Xian, can you grab our bags?"
I nodded, retrieving the bags from the back of the SUV.
Yolan walked over to me, her arms laden with bags. "Need a hand?" she offered.
"Yes, please," I replied gratefully, taking a couple of the bags from her. "It is pretty chilly out here."
Yolan chuckled. "Just wait until you experience a real Javanese winter," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye.
I followed Dove to the receptionist, who handed her a key. "One private room for Xian," she said, her voice barely audible over the chattering of her teeth. "Aca, Irune, and I will share one room, and Ratu, Vill, and Yolan can share another."
Everyone nodded in agreement, their faces pale from the cold.
I carried Dove's bags to her room, then Vill's, and finally, my own. I entered the room, closing the door behind me with a sigh of relief. The warmth of the heater enveloped me, a stark contrast to the biting chill outside.
"Ahhh, warm..." I murmured, collapsing onto the bed, the weight of the day finally catching up to me.
"A little sleep wouldn't hurt..." I murmured, closing my eyes and drifting off into a deep slumber.
"Xian!"
I jolted awake, disoriented and confused. Dove stood over me, a worried expression on her face.
"Huh... Dove?" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
"You've been sleeping for a long time," she said gently. "It's already nighttime."
"Really?" I asked, sitting up and looking around the room. The sunlight that had streamed through the window when I arrived was now replaced by the soft glow of the bedside lamp.
"You slept through the entire day," Dove explained, a hint of amusement in her voice. "You didn't even move, like a corpse."
"I'm hungry..." I mumbled, feeling groggy and disoriented.
Dove placed a white styrofoam container on my lap, along with a steaming cup of tea. "We're heading to the beach soon," she said. "You should hurry and eat, then take a quick shower."
I nodded, grateful for the food and drink.
Dove left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
Damn... did I really sleep for that long? I wondered, a sense of disbelief washing over me.
***
Outside the motel, the Unveiled girls huddled together, their breath forming wispy clouds in the chilly night air. Each of them wore a thick winter jacket, their faces bundled up against the cold.
"Is Xian awake yet?" Irune asked, her voice muffled by the scarf wrapped around her face.
"Yeah, Let's give him ten more minutes to get ready." Dove replied, checking her watch.
She walked over to the second SUV, where Ratu sat gazing out the window, lost in thought.
"Hey Ratu, are you ready to use your voice?" Dove said softly.
Ratu nodded silently, her expression a mask of determination.
The group settled into a comfortable silence, the anticipation of the night's events hanging heavy in the air. Yolan paced back and forth, her energy seemingly boundless even after a long day of work and a thrilling motorcycle ride. Vill, ever the stoic one, leaned against the car, her eyes closed in quiet contemplation. Irune and Aca chatted quietly, their voices barely audible above the gentle rustling of the wind.
"I wonder if Xian will be able to unseal his eyes tonight," Irune mused, a hint of worry in her voice.
"I'm sure he will," Aca replied confidently. "He's stronger than he thinks."
Vill opened her eyes, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Destiny has a way of unfolding," she said cryptically. "We just need to trust the process."
Yolan stopped her pacing and looked at Vill. "Do you think Nyi Roro Kidul will actually help us?" she asked, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
Vill shrugged. "It's impossible to say for sure," she admitted. "But we have to try. We owe it to Xian, and to ourselves, to explore every possibility."
Just then, the motel door creaked open, and Xian emerged, looking refreshed and ready for the night's adventure.
"Ready to go?" Dove asked, a smile spreading across her face.
Xian nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Let's do this," he said, his voice filled with a confidence.
< Chapter 073 > Fin.