Adzima pov
Ramadhan joined us immediately after the Troublemakers told him. We returned to the mansion, and I had the feeling that our battle with Zalgo was getting closer. The others seemed to feel the same way as they began to hone their abilities. There's something odd about Falco as well, every time I look at him, I feel a deep grief, a deep longing feeling that I know I don't deserve.
Falco:"Are you okay, princess?"
He asked me when he noticed my gaze, which I answered with a small smile.
Falco returned my smile with a small smile of his own, and though I couldn't see his eyes directly, I could tell he also looked at me with the same longing feeling. As we kept staring at each other, we then heard Aditya sigh on the sofa, so we looked at him.
Adzima:"What's wrong, Aditya?"
Aditya:"It's nothing, Adzima, don't worry about it"
Aditya:"I just missed my brother, I hope he's okay"
Adzima:"You missed your brothers? But didn't you just play with the Troublemakers earlier?"
Aditya:"I mean my biological twin brother, Adzima, not those mongrels"
Adzima:"You shouldn't call your brothers like that, Aditya"
I tried to advise him, but he simply smirked. Not long after, a pan lands on Aditya's forehead, and the Troublemakers arrive.
Fian:"How dare you call us mongrels, you ape!"
Aditya:"At least I'm still a primate"
They appear to be about to fight at first glance, but I notice smirks on their faces, and then they laugh.
Tetron:"Seriously? Ape? You've gotten soft, Fian"
Fian:"I know, I know that was not my best comeback"
The others then also came towards us.
Elsa:"Sigh, how much more childish can you guys be?"
The Troublemakers just ignored her and kept laughing.
Falco requested that we gather around the hologram to discuss the next person when the Troublemakers had had enough of their laughter.
Falco:"The person we will meet this time is a shaman"
Tetron:"So, a dark arts user?"
Falco:"No, not that kind of shaman"
Falco:"This one is an Onmyouji"
Aditya:"An Onmyouji? That sounds interesting"
Falco smirked at Aditya after he said that, and then I noticed that Qori had been standing really close to Aditya the whole time, and that made me smile at them.
We entered a dense forest to look for the shaman. Fortunately, this forest still has relatively wide roads, so we can explore it by cars.
Adzima:"Wow, this forest is very dark, even though it's still daytime"
Falco:"Yeah, it's a perfect place for hiding, isn't it?"
We found a small hut deep in the forest, and in front of the hut, we saw the locals and the Soul Devourers sealed by paper talismans. Anjas then used his ability to burn one of the Soul Devourers, but not only did the Soul Devourer not burn, but neither did the paper talismans that sealed them.
Arvin:"Whoever did this, this guy is great"
As we approached the hut, we noticed another talisman attached to the door handle, but the characters on this talisman are different from the characters on the talismans that seal the locals and the Soul Devourers. Falco then knocked on the hut's door, and not long after, we heard a voice from inside the hut.
Shaman:"Who are you?"
Falco:"We're not your enemies, so you don't have to be wary of us"
Shaman:"What do you want from me, then?"
Adzima:"We are assembling a team of people with extraordinary abilities to save the world, and we need your help for it, will you help us?"
Shaman:"Sure"
Aditya:"Really? That easily?"
Shaman:"Yup, but on one condition"
Shaman:"One of you has to touch the talisman on the door"
Shaman:"That talisman will read your heart"
Shaman:"If what you said is true and you have a clean and pure heart, the door will open"
Shaman:"But if you lie to me, then the talisman will seal you like the people out there"
Falco nodded when I looked at him. Then, when I touched the talisman, it suddenly caught fire, and the hut door opened by itself.
When the door was fully open, we were greeted by someone dressed in a modern Onmyouji outfit. It turns out that the shaman is Aditya's older twin, Andika. Aditya then immediately ran and hugged Andika when he saw him.
Aditya:"So it's really you, brother, no wonder you sound familiar. I'm very glad that you are okay"
Aditya:"I really miss you, brother"
Andika was surprised at first, but he quickly returned Aditya's hug.
Andika:"I miss you too, brother. I thought the Soul Devourers already possessed you"
We all smiled when we saw them, but I noticed that Qori's smile at Aditya was different, her smile was pure and full of affection. I then nudged her and smirked at her. Qori immediately blushed when she caught my smirk. Andika suddenly let go of his hug and threw several talismans, which instantly turned into paper bees and flew out of the hut.
Aditya:"Why did you send those shikigamis out, brother?"
Andika:"Just see for yourselves"
When we turned around, we saw that the paper bees had stung and sealed some of the newly arrived Soul Devourers. The Troublemakers whistle and clap when they see that.
Fian:"Can you do that too, Tetron?"
Tetron:"No, I can't use shikigamis like that"
Fian:"What about you, Galuh?"
Galuh:"No, I don't even know something like that exists"
Ina:"Guys, I think it's better that we leave quickly before more Soul Devourers come"
Elsa:"Ina is right"
We all nodded, then Andika quickly packed his things, and we went straight back to the mansion. Once we got back to the mansion, Aditya and Andika told us about how they got separated.
Aditya:"At first, the two of us stayed together for a while, when all of us went our separate ways"
Aditya:"However, every time we are together, we get reminded of "that" accident, which hurts us greatly"
I immediately lowered my head after he said that, but Falco squeezed my hand gently, making me smile a little.
Andika:"So, for the first time, we also decided to go our separate ways"
Andika:"We remained in contact for the first few weeks, but as time passed, we lost contact with each other"
Aditya:"That's when I was crowned king"
Andika was surprised when he heard that.
Andika:"What? King? You?"
Aditya:"I will tell you later, brother"
Andika then nodded.
Andika:"Ah, by the way, guys, who touched the talisman on the hut?"
Adzima:"It was me, why?"
Andika then looked at me, amazed.
Andika:"No, it's just..."
Andika:"As I said before, the talisman will read your heart"
Andika:"And you, Adzima, have a very pure, clean, and beautiful heart"
Andika:"I never thought that someone with a heart like that still existed"
When I heard that, I immediately became embarrassed, so I covered my red face with both hands while the others looked at me in amazement.
Adzima:"Please stop looking at me like that, guys"
I then heard Falco chuckle at my reaction, so I looked at him.
Adzima:"Not you too, my prince"
Falco:"Come on, princess, just accept the compliments"
Adzima:"But I don't deserve the compliments, I know myself better than anyone"
Adzima:"I know I also have bad things inside my heart"
Falco then gave me a smile after that.
Falco:"Everyone has bad things inside their hearts, but yours is different, princess. You have the most beautiful heart-far more beautiful than anyone's I've ever seen"
I blushed even harder after I heard that.
Adzima:"But what about you, my prince?"
Falco:"You already saw what I did, princess, and you are still asking me that?"
Falco:"My heart is full of darkness"
Falco:"It's vile, cold, and very disgusting"
I immediately hugged him to stop him.
Adzima:"Stop, please stop, my prince"
Adzima:"Please stop degrading yourself, my prince"
Adzima:"You are not like them, my prince"
Adzima:"They will never do what you always do"
Adzima:"So please, stop"