Far But So Close

Satya felt something soft touch his face, he could even smell a peculiar aroma that aroused passion within him, even though he was asleep. And his subconscious says that it is the same softness.

Maybe my face is buried in Lathifa's cleavage again!

But then he felt strange. The softness he felt not only on his face but all over his body. He winced, this forced him to open his eyes.

And he gasped, frowning more when he realized that he was not in the basement, nor with Lathifa by his side.

"Where am I?" he muttered. He was alone there.

There was nothing that Satya could see, except for an infinite space like he was in a different dimension. Like a realm that only consists of white as far as the eye can see. Without a barrier, without any form, he could find.

He blinked, and rubbed his eyes, hoping what he had just witnessed wasn't real. Or at least, maybe he was dreaming.

But after he wiped his eyes and face, the realm condition was still the same. Pure white, as far as his eyes can see.

He rose to his feet, trying to notice the boundless conditions around him.

"Am I dead?"

He checked his own body. There are no scars on his body, let's say, maybe someone found the underground room while he and Lathifa were asleep, then someone stabbed him.

None at all.

Satya is still in the same condition, only wearing knee-length pants, without a shirt.

"Then, where am I now? Why does everything look white?"

"This is not your world, Satya."

Satya gasped, and quickly turned around, a man standing seven steps behind him. He gulped.

"I hope I didn't scare you," the middle-aged man smiled.

Satya didn't know the man at all, not even his clothes. His clothes are almost completely dominated by black, in certain parts there are knitted gold threads. He looked like an important person in an ancient kingdom, he thought. Even his hair was rolled up like a little bun on the top of her head, tied in black ribbon-like cloth with gold thread embroidered on each side.

But, maybe he's a genie or a demon, thought Satya. After all, in reality, he did not understand how he got to that realm.

However, he didn't feel anything strange about the middle-aged man or anything that would frighten him. Not in his voice that seemed very fatherly, unpretentious, and calming. Not from the look in his eyes that were calm, or the look on his face that looked peaceful.

Then, who is he?

"W-What do you mean?" asked Satya with slight nervousness. "This isn't my world? After all, how did you know my name?"

The middle-aged man with a neat mustache and beard smiled. His mustache and beard were neither too long nor too short.

"You have come from a land that is very far away, Satya."

"You mean, from the future?"

At least, from Lathifa, also with the condition in which he was stranded, Satya had known that, about him coming from a very different time.

The man laughed softly. "Yeah, that's what I meant."

"You mean this is in the future?"

The man smiled and shook his head lightly. "No, it's not like that."

"I don't understand," Satya was getting confused, he scratched his head. "A moment ago I knew and firmly believed that I was sleeping with Lathifa—ermm, I mean side by side with a girl, in a room that was underground. And suddenly…" he stretched out his hands in such a way. "Here I am now, in the middle of nowhere."

"I'm so sorry," said the middle-aged man. "I had to drag you here. I don't have a choice."

"You dragged me?" Satya's eyebrows are almost knit together. "Who are you exactly?"

Then, suddenly Satya's eyes went wide with his right hand pointing at the middle-aged man.

"N—No," he said, "no, no! Don't tell me that you are—"

The middle-aged man smiled. "Kencana Ireng, yes."

"Oh, the Great Gods," Satya fell to his knees on the white surface where he didn't even feel any pain in his knees. "No, no…" He covered his head in such a way.

Too many things he didn't understand had happened to him. Then now, Kencana Ireng? His ancestor, now standing before him.

"How could this be?"

Kencana Ireng smiled again, he approached Satya, helping him to stand up.

"This is real!" Satya muttered when he felt the touch of the middle-aged man's hand. "No, this is unreal…"

"Real or not," said Kencana Ireng, "it's hard for me to explain to you."

"Wait a second!" said Satya. "Don't tell me I'm currently in the magical realm you created?"

Kencana Ireng again answered only with a smile.

"Oh, the Great Gods," said Satya as if he was in great confusion. "Why are you doing this to me? What I've done that I have to accept karma like this?"

"No, Satya, it's not like that."

"And, and you are my ancestor!"

"That's true."

"Then why?" Satya lowered his head and massaged his forehead which he felt was throbbing. "You shouldn't have done this to me, let me live in peace in my world, in my time."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Satya took a deep breath, not to try to understand the realm he was in now, but rather to calm his chaotic heart and mind.

"I'm sorry," said Satya. "I know, I shouldn't have yelled at you who is my ancestor. But this is–"

"I know," said Kencana Ireng, "and I understand."

"Please, can you explain all this to me?"

Kencana Ireng smiled again, that's what he had been waiting for. Satya's willingness to accept whatever has happened to him. He could feel it.

In a matter of seconds, the all-white condition around Satya changed very quickly, and now he was standing on a cliff with a very beautiful panorama.

"Wow…!" Satya is amazed.

They stood under a large and shady tree, in front of them was a very green valley. Satya could hear the screech of an eagle, as well as the chirping of birds around there.