Prajurit yang Lelah

Chapter One

The body lay in perfect repose on the Victorian fainting couch, looking more like a sleeping beauty than a victim. Detective Sarah Chen had seen enough death in her ten years with the Metropolitan Police's Special Cases Unit to know that natural death never looked this peaceful. Something was very, very wrong.

        'No signs of struggle, no marks on the body, and yet...' She leaned closer, studying the victim's face. Charlotte Mills, aged 28, was found by her roommate this morning, apparently having passed away in her sleep. Her expression was serene, almost blissful, but her eyes - those were what caught Sarah's attention. Behind the closed lids, her eyes were moving rapidly, as if still deep in REM sleep.

        "You see it too, don't you?" The voice came from behind her, rich and cultured with a slight Irish lilt. "She's still dreaming."

        Sarah turned to find a tall man in an impeccably tailored charcoal suit standing in the doorway. He hadn't been there a moment ago, she was certain of it. His dark hair was streaked with silver at the temples, and his eyes were an unusual shade of amber that seemed to shift color in the light.

        "This is a closed crime scene," she said firmly, her hand instinctively moving toward her weapon. "How did you get in here?"

        He smiled, but it didn't reach those strange eyes. "Dr. Marcus Thorne," he said, pulling out a card that somehow both looked official and seemed to shimmer slightly. "I'm a consulting specialist with the Department's new Oneiric Phenomena Division."

        "The what division?" Sarah frowned, taking the card. The moment her fingers touched it, she felt a slight electric tingle, and the letters seemed to rearrange themselves before her eyes.

        "Dreams, Detective Chen. We investigate crimes involving dreams." He moved into the room with fluid grace, his attention fixed on the victim. "And this is the third one this month."

        Sarah's mind raced. There had been two other deaths recently - both young women, both found peacefully dead in their sleep. She'd seen the reports but hadn't made the connection until now. "How do you know about those cases?"

        "Because I've been tracking the killer for quite some time." Thorne knelt beside the body, his eyes now definitely more gold than amber. "He's what we call a Dream Collector - someone who has learned to enter and steal dreams. But this one has developed a taste for more than just dreams. He's taking souls."

        Under normal circumstances, Sarah would have dismissed such talk as nonsense. But there was something about the scene, about the victim's still-moving eyes, about Thorne himself, that made the impossible seem suddenly plausible.

        "If you're tracking him," she said carefully, "why haven't you caught him?"

        Thorne's expression darkened. "Because he only appears in dreams. The physical world is my domain, but his... his is the realm of sleep. To catch him, we need someone who can walk between both worlds." He turned those unsettling eyes on her. "Someone like you."

        "Me?" Sarah almost laughed, but the sound died in her throat as memories she'd long suppressed began to surface. The dreams that felt too real, the nights she'd awakened to find objects moved in her room, the way she sometimes knew things she couldn't possibly know...

        "You've always known you were different, haven't you, Detective?" Thorne's voice was gentle now. "The dreams that come true, the hunches that turn out to be right, the way you can sometimes see how people died just by touching objects they owned..."

        Sarah took an involuntary step back. "How do you know about that?"

        "Because I've been looking for someone like you. A Natural - someone born with the ability to cross the threshold between waking and dreaming." He gestured to the victim. "Charlotte here won't be his last. There will be others, and their souls will remain trapped in an eternal dream unless we stop him."

        Just then, the victim's hand twitched, her fingers moving as if writing something. Sarah moved closer, watching as invisible words were traced in the air. Thorne pulled out what looked like an antique monocle and held it up. Through its lens, golden letters shimmered in the air where Charlotte's fingers moved.

        "Help me," Thorne read aloud. "He's coming for the others."

        Sarah felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at the victim's peaceful face, at those restlessly moving eyes, and made a decision that would change her life forever.

        "Tell me what I need to do."

        Thorne's smile was grim. "First, you need to learn to control your abilities. Then..." he held up the monocle, through which Sarah could now see strange symbols glowing all around the room, "you need to learn to hunt in dreams."

        Outside the Victorian townhouse, storm clouds gathered, and Sarah Chen, homicide detective and newly discovered dream walker, took her first step into a world where nightmares were real, and death was just another kind of sleep.

Chapter Two

The basement of the Natural History Museum was the last place Sarah expected to find the headquarters of a secret dream investigation unit. Yet here she was, following Thorne through a maze of storage rooms filled with artifacts that seemed to pulse with their own inner light.

        "The mundane world only sees what it expects to see," Thorne explained, using an ornate key to unlock a heavy wooden door marked 'Private Collection.' "To them, this is just museum storage. To us, it's the largest collection of dream artifacts in the Western Hemisphere."

        The room beyond defied physics. It stretched impossibly far, filled with glass cases containing everything from ancient masks to modern-looking devices. Floating orbs of soft light illuminated collections of bottled dreams - actual dreams, swirling like liquid mercury behind glass.

        "Your badge, Detective," Thorne held out his hand. Sarah hesitated before handing over her police credentials. He placed it on a strange device that looked like a Victorian music box crossed with a computer. When he returned the badge, it felt different - heavier, somehow more real.

        "Now you'll be able to access both worlds officially," he said. "Look at it again."

        The badge had changed. Alongside her regular police credentials, new text had appeared: 'Special Inspector, Oneiric Investigations Division.' The letters seemed to shift between English and something older, something that made her eyes water if she looked too long.

        "Before we can hunt the Dream Collector, you need to understand what you're dealing with." Thorne led her to a case containing what looked like a normal pillow. "Touch it."

        Sarah reached out hesitantly. The moment her fingers made contact, the world tilted. She was suddenly standing in someone else's dream - a sunny beach, but the sky was green and the sand whispered secrets. She jerked her hand back, gasping.

        "Good," Thorne nodded approvingly. "Most people can't pull back from their first dream artifact. You have natural barriers."

        "What was that?" Sarah's heart was racing.

        "A dream fragment from 1892. A young girl's last dream before the influenza took her." His voice softened. "We preserve them here. Dreams carry memories, emotions, sometimes even pieces of souls."

        "And this Dream Collector... he takes entire souls?" Sarah remembered Charlotte Mills' peaceful face and restless eyes.

        "He traps them in eternal dreams, feeding off their essence." Thorne moved to another case, this one containing what looked like a cracked mirror. "Each victim becomes part of his collection, their souls powering his abilities, letting him dreamwalk without natural talent like yours."

        Suddenly, the cracked mirror began to frost over. In its surface, Sarah saw Charlotte Mills' face, mouth open in a silent scream. Then another face appeared - another victim, she presumed - and another.

        "He's showing off," Thorne growled. "He knows we're investigating."

        The temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Frost patterns spread from the mirror to nearby cases, and Sarah heard what sounded like distant laughter.

        "Well, well," a voice echoed through the room, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere. "A new player in the game. And such interesting dreams you have, Detective Chen."

        Sarah felt something brush against her mind, like cold fingers trying to pry open a door. Instinctively, she slammed her mental barriers shut. The presence withdrew, but not before leaving behind an impression of amusement.

        "He's already caught your scent," Thorne said grimly. He pulled out a small velvet bag and removed what looked like a dreamcatcher made of silver wire and black pearls. "Wear this when you sleep. It won't keep him out entirely, but it'll stop him from stealing your dreams while you're still learning to defend yourself."

        As Sarah took the dreamcatcher, her fingers brushed Thorne's, and suddenly she was hit with a flash of his dreams - centuries of memories, battles fought in realms of sleep, and a profound sense of loss that made her gasp.

        Thorne withdrew his hand quickly. "Your abilities are stronger than I thought. We'll need to work on your control."

        "What are you?" Sarah asked directly. "You're not just some government consultant, are you?"

        Before he could answer, an alarm began to sound throughout the facility. One of the dream bottles had turned black, its contents writhing like smoke.

        "He's hunting again," Thorne said, already moving toward the exit. "Someone in the city has just entered their last dream. Are you ready for your first real case, Detective?"

        Sarah touched her new badge, feeling its power hum under her fingers. "Do we have time to save them?"

        "If we're lucky, we might catch him in the act. But remember - in dreams, he's incredibly powerful. One wrong move and you could lose your soul."

        As they rushed from the dream archive, Sarah caught one last glimpse of the cracked mirror. In its surface, she saw her own reflection smile back at her with eyes that weren't quite her own.

        The hunt was about to begin.

Chapter Two

The basement of the Natural History Museum was the last place Sarah expected to find the headquarters of a secret dream investigation unit. Yet here she was, following Thorne through a maze of storage rooms filled with artifacts that seemed to pulse with their own inner light.

        "The mundane world only sees what it expects to see," Thorne explained, using an ornate key to unlock a heavy wooden door marked 'Private Collection.' "To them, this is just museum storage. To us, it's the largest collection of dream artifacts in the Western Hemisphere."

        The room beyond defied physics. It stretched impossibly far, filled with glass cases containing everything from ancient masks to modern-looking devices. Floating orbs of soft light illuminated collections of bottled dreams - actual dreams, swirling like liquid mercury behind glass.

        "Your badge, Detective," Thorne held out his hand. Sarah hesitated before handing over her police credentials. He placed it on a strange device that looked like a Victorian music box crossed with a computer. When he returned the badge, it felt different - heavier, somehow more real.

        "Now you'll be able to access both worlds officially," he said. "Look at it again."

        The badge had changed. Alongside her regular police credentials, new text had appeared: 'Special Inspector, Oneiric Investigations Division.' The letters seemed to shift between English and something older, something that made her eyes water if she looked too long.

        "Before we can hunt the Dream Collector, you need to understand what you're dealing with." Thorne led her to a case containing what looked like a normal pillow. "Touch it."

        Sarah reached out hesitantly. The moment her fingers made contact, the world tilted. She was suddenly standing in someone else's dream - a sunny beach, but the sky was green and the sand whispered secrets. She jerked her hand back, gasping.

        "Good," Thorne nodded approvingly. "Most people can't pull back from their first dream artifact. You have natural barriers."

        "What was that?" Sarah's heart was racing.

        "A dream fragment from 1892. A young girl's last dream before the influenza took her." His voice softened. "We preserve them here. Dreams carry memories, emotions, sometimes even pieces of souls."

        "And this Dream Collector... he takes entire souls?" Sarah remembered Charlotte Mills' peaceful face and restless eyes.

        "He traps them in eternal dreams, feeding off their essence." Thorne moved to another case, this one containing what looked like a cracked mirror. "Each victim becomes part of his collection, their souls powering his abilities, letting him dreamwalk without natural talent like yours."

        Suddenly, the cracked mirror began to frost over. In its surface, Sarah saw Charlotte Mills' face, mouth open in a silent scream. Then another face appeared - another victim, she presumed - and another.

        "He's showing off," Thorne growled. "He knows we're investigating."

        The temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Frost patterns spread from the mirror to nearby cases, and Sarah heard what sounded like distant laughter.

        "Well, well," a voice echoed through the room, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere. "A new player in the game. And such interesting dreams you have, Detective Chen."

        Sarah felt something brush against her mind, like cold fingers trying to pry open a door. Instinctively, she slammed her mental barriers shut. The presence withdrew, but not before leaving behind an impression of amusement.

        "He's already caught your scent," Thorne said grimly. He pulled out a small velvet bag and removed what looked like a dreamcatcher made of silver wire and black pearls. "Wear this when you sleep. It won't keep him out entirely, but it'll stop him from stealing your dreams while you're still learning to defend yourself."

        As Sarah took the dreamcatcher, her fingers brushed Thorne's, and suddenly she was hit with a flash of his dreams - centuries of memories, battles fought in realms of sleep, and a profound sense of loss that made her gasp.

        Thorne withdrew his hand quickly. "Your abilities are stronger than I thought. We'll need to work on your control."

        "What are you?" Sarah asked directly. "You're not just some government consultant, are you?"

        Before he could answer, an alarm began to sound throughout the facility. One of the dream bottles had turned black, its contents writhing like smoke.

        "He's hunting again," Thorne said, already moving toward the exit. "Someone in the city has just entered their last dream. Are you ready for your first real case, Detective?"

        Sarah touched her new badge, feeling its power hum under her fingers. "Do we have time to save them?"

        "If we're lucky, we might catch him in the act. But remember - in dreams, he's incredibly powerful. One wrong move and you could lose your soul."

        As they rushed from the dream archive, Sarah caught one last glimpse of the cracked mirror. In its surface, she saw her own reflection smile back at her with eyes that weren't quite her own.

        The hunt was about to begin.

Chapter Three

They arrived at St. Bartholomew's Hospital just as the emergency lights began to flash. Sarah followed Thorne through corridors that seemed to blur at the edges of her vision, her new badge somehow clearing their path without ever being shown.

        "Room 307," Thorne said, his voice tight with urgency. "Young male, admitted for minor surgery, slipped into an unusual coma during recovery."

        The patient, David Parker, age 23, lay perfectly still on his hospital bed, his eyes moving rapidly beneath closed lids. Just like Charlotte Mills. But this time, something was different - the air around him rippled like heat waves over hot asphalt.

        "He's still in the process of taking him," Thorne said, pulling out what looked like an antique pocket watch. "We can follow if we're quick. Are you ready for your first dream dive?"

        Sarah's heart pounded. "What do I need to do?"

        "Take my hand. Focus on the patient. Let your consciousness slip between the moments of reality." Thorne's eyes began to glow that strange amber color. "And whatever you see in there, remember - dream logic is real logic in that world."

        Sarah grasped Thorne's hand and looked at David Parker. The world tilted, twisted, and suddenly...

        They were standing in a hospital corridor that wasn't quite right. The walls breathed slowly, the floor was made of flowing water that somehow supported their weight, and the ceiling was a swirling mass of constellation maps.

        "His dreamscape," Thorne explained, his voice echoing strangely. "Every dreamer creates their own reality. Look."

        Down the impossible corridor, a figure in a doctor's coat was leading David Parker by the hand. But the 'doctor' was wrong - his shadow moved independently, reaching out with grasping tendrils towards other dreams that floated past like soap bubbles.

        "The Dream Collector," Sarah whispered.

        As if hearing his name, the figure turned. Sarah's breath caught. His face was a beautiful mask of shifting features, never settling on one form, but his eyes... his eyes were endless pits of swirling dreams.

        "Ah, the new dreamer," his voice was like silk over broken glass. "And my old friend Marcus. Still trying to police the dream worlds?"

        Thorne stepped forward, and Sarah noticed his appearance had changed in the dream. His suit was now made of living shadows, and wings of dark light stretched from his shoulders. "Let him go, Collector. You've taken enough souls."

        The Collector laughed, the sound causing the hospital walls to crack, leaking golden dream-light. "Taken? Oh, Marcus, you still don't understand. They give themselves to me. Show her, David."

        The young man turned, and Sarah saw his eyes were glassy with bliss. "It's beautiful here," he said dreamily. "All my pain is gone. All my fears. He takes them all away."

        "By taking everything you are," Sarah found herself saying. She took a step forward, instinctively reaching for her police badge. In the dream, it transformed into a shield of pure light. "David, this isn't real healing. It's theft."

        The Collector's face rippled with anger. "You dare interrupt my collection?" The corridor began to twist, reality bending around them. "Let me show you what happens to those who interfere with my work."

        Suddenly, the floor beneath Sarah liquefied completely. She started to sink, but instead of water, she was drowning in dreams - thousands of them, each containing a fragment of someone's stolen soul. She saw Charlotte Mills dancing endlessly in a ballroom of mirrors, saw other victims trapped in perfect moments that had become eternal prisons.

        "Sarah!" Thorne's voice cut through the chaos. "Remember - dream logic! Make your own rules!"

        Dream logic. Sarah closed her eyes, focusing on her years of police work, of protecting people, of solving puzzles. When she opened them, her badge-shield had transformed into a sword of pure thought.

        With a cry, she slashed through the dream-flood. Reality reasserted itself - or at least, this dream's version of reality. She stood on solid ground again, facing the Collector.

        "Impressive," he purred, but she sensed uncertainty in his voice. "You're stronger than the usual dreamers Marcus recruits. Perhaps we could make a deal..."

        "No deals," Sarah said firmly. She could feel her power growing, reshaping the dream around them. "David, look at what he really is. Look with your heart, not your fears."

        For a moment, David's eyes cleared. The Collector's beautiful mask slipped, revealing something ancient and hungry beneath. David screamed, pulling away from the creature's grasp.

        The Collector snarled, his form shifting into something monstrous. "If I can't have him willingly..." Shadows exploded from his body, reaching for David.

        What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion. Thorne spread his dark wings, shielding David. Sarah's sword of thought became a net of light, trapping some of the shadows. But the Collector himself simply... stepped sideways, vanishing into a door that appeared in the air.

        "Sweet dreams, detectives," his voice lingered behind. "We'll meet again soon. After all, Sarah, your dreams are particularly... appetizing."

        The dreamscape began to dissolve. Sarah felt Thorne grab her arm, pulling her back through layers of reality. Then...

        They were standing in the hospital room again. David Parker was awake, gasping, but alive and whole. A nurse was rushing in, responding to his sudden revival.

        "We saved one," Thorne said quietly. "But he'll be angry now. And he'll come for you."

        Sarah touched her badge, still feeling echoes of its dream-power. "Good," she said grimly. "Because I have some questions for him about Charlotte Mills. And about what you really are, Marcus Thorne."

        Thorne's expression was unreadable. "All in time, Detective. For now, you need to rest. Tomorrow, your real training begins."

        As they left the hospital, Sarah could have sworn she saw her shadow move independently, reaching for dreams that floated just beyond the edge of sight. The world would never look quite the same again.

Chapter Four

Sarah's apartment looked different when she returned that night. The shadows seemed deeper, more alive, and ordinary objects cast reflections that didn't quite match reality. The dreamcatcher Thorne had given her pulsed softly in her pocket, responding to the changed way she now saw the world.

        She was exhausted but afraid to sleep. The Collector's words echoed in her mind: 'Your dreams are particularly appetizing.' Instead, she spread her case files across the coffee table - photographs of Charlotte Mills, the other victims, and now David Parker's medical records.

        A soft chime from her badge interrupted her concentration. The metal had grown warm, and when she touched it, words appeared in that strange shifting script: 'Archive. Now. Emergency.'

        The museum was different at night. Sarah's new badge led her through doors that hadn't existed during her first visit, down stairs that seemed to descend far deeper than the building's foundation should allow. She found Thorne in a circular room she hadn't seen before, surrounded by floating screens of light that showed various dreamscapes.

        "We have a problem," he said without preamble. "The Collector's attack pattern has changed. Look."

        The screens shifted, showing a map of the city overlaid with points of light. "Each light is a dreamer," Thorne explained. "The blue ones are normal dreams. The red..." He gestured, and several dots pulsed an angry crimson. "Those are nightmares being actively shaped by outside forces."

        "He's attacking multiple targets at once?"

        "No." Thorne's expression was grim. "He's leaving traps. Dream-snares. Anyone who falls asleep in these areas risks being pulled into a constructed nightmare. He's trying to overwhelm our ability to respond."

        Sarah studied the pattern of red dots. "They're forming a shape... a symbol?"

        "A summoning circle." A new voice joined them. Sarah turned to see an elderly woman emerging from what appeared to be a door made of starlight. Her eyes were milk-white, but she moved with absolute certainty.

        "Sarah, meet Dr. Eleanor Price, the Archive's keeper," Thorne said. "And yes, she's blind in the waking world, but in dreams..."

        "I see everything," Eleanor finished. Her unseeing eyes fixed on Sarah with uncomfortable accuracy. "Including what our friend the Collector is truly planning. He's not just taking souls anymore. He's building toward something larger."

        She gestured, and the room transformed around them. They were suddenly standing in what looked like a vast library, but the books were made of dreams, their pages flowing like liquid memory.

        "Every dream ever archived is stored here," Eleanor explained. "Including the oldest nightmares of humanity. The Collector isn't just a thief - he's trying to wake something that should stay sleeping. Something we locked away centuries ago."

        She pulled a book from the shelf, and its pages burst open, projecting a scene of ancient horror - a time when the boundary between dreams and reality was thinner, when nightmares could walk in daylight.

        "The Last Nightmare," Thorne said softly. "We thought it was safely contained, but if he completes that summoning circle..."

        A sudden tremor ran through the Archive. One of the red dots on the map had grown larger, pulsing violently.

        "He's starting," Eleanor's voice was urgent. "Sarah, you need to see something before you face this." She pressed her fingers to Sarah's forehead, and suddenly...

        She was in a memory. A younger Thorne stood with a woman who looked remarkably like Sarah herself, facing down a shadow that threatened to devour the world. The woman - another dream detective? - sacrificed herself to help seal away the nightmare.

        "Your mother," Eleanor's voice echoed in her mind. "She was one of us. Her sacrifice helped lock away the Last Nightmare, but the Collector has never stopped trying to free it. And now he's found you - her daughter, with her power."

        The vision ended abruptly as another tremor shook the Archive. More red dots were pulsing on the map.

        "Why didn't you tell me?" Sarah demanded, turning to Thorne.

        "Because I promised her I'd keep you away from this life," he replied, pain evident in his voice. "But now the Collector knows who you are, and we're running out of time."

        "The summoning circle will be complete at the next new moon," Eleanor added. "Three days from now. If the Last Nightmare wakes..."

        "Then we stop him before that happens," Sarah said firmly, though her mind was reeling from the revelations. "How do we break these dream-snares?"

        "It's dangerous," Thorne warned. "Each one is a trap designed specifically for dream walkers. If you're caught..."

        "Then you'll just have to watch my back," Sarah said. She touched her badge, feeling its power respond. "Where do we start?"

        Eleanor smiled, her blind eyes somehow twinkling. "First, you need to understand what you truly inherited from your mother. It's time you learned about the true history of the dream walkers - and why the Collector fears your bloodline above all others."

        As if in response to Eleanor's words, the books around them began to glow, their pages rustling with the weight of secrets about to be revealed. In the map above, the red dots pulsed like a countdown to catastrophe, and Sarah realized she had less than three days to master powers she never knew she had.

        The true game was about to begin.

==========
Bab Satu
==========
"K,edm)bZa)nggs aa)pói, YM,amRaV!"s
Suara kecil yang penuh semangat itu akhirnya menembus otak Abby yang berkabut dalam tidurnya. Dia membuka matanya untuk melihat putrinya berdiri di samping tempat tidur dengan jammies merah mudanya, rambut pirang panjangnya kusut di sekitar wajahnya.
"Ada apa, sayang?"
"Ada kembang api! Saya melihat kilatan cahaya yang besar di luar jendela saya."
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Dia mengintip keluar jendela tetapi hanya bisa melihat kegelapan. "Saya pikir kamu pasti memimpikannya, Lucie."
"Aku tidak bermimpi, Mama. Jujur saja."
"Oke, sayang," katanya sambil menguap, lalu mengangkat selimutnya. "Mengapa kamu tidak merangkak di sini bersamaku dan kita tunggu saja apakah kembang apinya kembali?"
Lucien ltiduatkc rraLglur-rRag^u.t DYia mHenyelYam kd,i ébWawahk HseulimuZtN, kmQer.inVgRkGuZkV diO dekQat AYbDby KsaraVtc diCar hmeQn^dWewkxaItBi,nya. AAbbpyh seinBaXngw HmfemiIliksiU xtCubu$h Okeciul IyapnOg hyangqa!t Ytersejlipb dpiT ctubuGhniymaW. Dóia )me(mdbÉenKamkanQ hsiUdungnvy&aa di ra,mjbRut( GhkaIlusp puptrinty_aX,m Ém$eXnangBkap BaDr*o*ma PsNavmCpGo bayéiT YdRaan perPmDeDnV kawreWtu.W Lxuvciie gtel*aRhZ tidPur diH tevmpatH Ativduré nanBaakT pWetrelmÉpMuianFnya yGaLnsg pbaeks$ar sbeltamaÉ lebihy mdari sbetBahqunT sekaraknJg,p CtCeVtzaLpiK *A$bcby, LharusY FmReÉnxgarkutin óbaThwVa teImpMat tindurcnya wshenvdiri kterIasIas ItiAdakkJ VterTl&aléu spepi ódenjgaMnv pIu&trinyaV Tdiió wsidsin(ya!.i RTe&r,ultaAmca Nka^rNenja &diLa St)imdfak pze_rRnrah uberbaCgZi ótemJpaytx itVidur ydQenugdanW 'siAappnaT ipnun dQiF ma(saD FlaWllu,O apJa irtCu*-le(bRihH SdcaPrhi )tiógpa StraHh_unV setkaraSngJ? VTTiga setenrgRah Pta'hmubnz sejaOkZ driJa mehnZgaIdopJsi kóeploPniackzafn^nhyÉas, zdcan étiga tgaMhunn aseja^k JoNhnm mmFenhiBngg!azlkZa&nnyia', Ftihdtak FmsamJpu ómGe(na&ncgraón_iw seoRrang ga!naMk zyalng( meKn)ggatnggSua xgiayYaW h.id&upn(yaq.
Abby tidak menyesali keputusannya sedikit pun, terutama sekarang dengan putrinya yang aman dalam pelukannya, tidak ditinggalkan sendirian oleh seorang ibu yang kecanduan narkoba.
Dia menjatuhkan ciuman di kepala Lucie. "Kembalilah tidur, sayang."
Mata Abby sendiri baru saja terpejam ketika sebuah kilatan yang menyilaukan menerangi ruangan.
"uL)ihaVt,g TMÉama), usnuCdauh kbubilXatnqg!S"x
Kilatan cahaya itu tidak menyerupai kembang api sedikitpun. Terlebih lagi, kilatan itu sepertinya berasal dari dalam rumah. Apakah salah satu dari gadis-gadis itu sedang bermain semacam permainan?
"Tetaplah di sini, Lucie," perintahnya saat dia turun dari tempat tidur.
Udara cukup sejuk sehingga dia menarik sweater tua di atas celana tidur dan tankinya saat dia menuju pintu. Kamar tidurnya dan kamar Lucie berada di belakang rumah tua yang berantakan itu, di belakang dapur bersama, ruang makan, dan ruang tamu. Kamar tidur para gadis semuanya berada di lantai dua dan dia menuju tangga besar yang mengarah ke lantai atas. Ketika dia mencapai gapura besar yang mengarah dari ruang makan ke aula pintu masuk, keterkejutan menahannya untuk tidak bergerak saat dia mencoba memahami apa yang dilihatnya.
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"Siapa kau? Apa yang kau lakukan?"
Mendengar kata-katanya, pria-pria itu berbalik ke arahnya dan dia tiba-tiba benar-benar yakin bahwa mereka bukan pria. Kulit mereka putih, bukan hanya pucat seperti kulit manusia, melainkan putih mulus, putih tanpa cela dari plastik. Rambut hitam pekat mungkin bisa saja dilewati, tetapi mata mereka bersinar dengan cahaya merah yang tidak wajar dan fitur mereka sedikit terlalu panjang dan bersudut untuk dibaca sebagai normal. Sedekat ini, dia bisa melihat bahwa apa yang dia anggap sebagai setelan jas sebenarnya adalah semacam seragam.
"Siapa kau?" dia mengulangi, suaranya bergetar.
Séa$ljaDhS qsantRu pri,a titu FmGenHgrata!kant *sesumatQu Odalza'm bmahTafsa yanga idiaF ayDakitn Vtidaxk adaL ,dgi) BkunmHi, dakn AyHanIg l*ainnyBa melCaAnUgkachx kke xarahSnBya.N Dziab umencoGban unztu$k méuntdMu*r, (tap!i pFrviab wiYtuM me'ncXeng,keAra$mnzywaÉ dWendg!anO gjerajkanJ ckepa(t Jyan^g Ntidakd nYopr!malU,l cjen.gkerrUamsapnnySa $diqngin dfan tsidIak bsisa BdWiWpaJtavhfkyanC. D'eZnxgan tdaHngóannFya yYaang ClCaqivnl, Nd,ial menÉguaLngkaitn juarumc (suntik dkawnY mtenzuysukBkZaRnnnya bkpe glengraXnrnyÉaÉ.i kROasa sPaNkitu Qya(ngI mbem$bakJaHr mMembMakarRnQya*, RdiLiWkuótGiU Coleh rasa wpJuHsinIgC yaRng ÉluNaJr b,ia'sOax sZa!aDtp *pneCngtl.iIhaqttan)nya YmmuqlaFi mnemCu&darr. TWepat LsaBat^ diuaé mulfafi pVingsan, $dia Km,eKn)deBnpgJar suadra óLuYcieQ.
"Mama!"
Putus asa untuk melindungi putrinya, ia mencoba meronta tetapi anggota tubuhnya tidak mau merespon.
"Jangan... jangan sakiti..."
Ru^ancgvané ituV bFerCputpar bdzani Pdhuniav wmenjaddi gpenlaVpB.H
"Mama. Mama, tolong bangun." Suara Lucie datang dari jauh saat dia melayang di dunia yang dingin dan gelap.
"Mama, aku takut."
Suara ketakutan Lucie akhirnya menembus, dan dia memaksa kembali ke kesadarannya. Matanya berair ketika dia mencoba membukanya, setengahnya dibutakan oleh cahaya putih yang terang. Dia menyipitkan matanya terhadap silau, mencari wajah putrinya. Lucie melayang di atasnya dan menangis ketika Abby membuka matanya.
"gS^sshl, sayaun$g. SvemumaB )ahkan) bai_k-b_aikC s*ahja."B hDiya mSehnMa*rqik psutrinyaM ked Varaa_hGn&ylab,* rtubmu$hB keci,l Lucie ztearaKsYa 'hnangJatd CdanÉ koTkoyh DdQiZ pelu,kanPnyua.v B*er*senpaDnddungA hunJtukk pGutrdinzyaj meOskéipun tadÉa rIasaz saVkbiStB yPanRg Tb_erYdenMyDuAtC dvij ,kepaClangya, dUia( *m,enXcowba tuFnAtukT mLenagJgoy^aAnKg LuucmieÉ .tNetYaHpuiR tubFubhngyYa teqrawssa bera't hdWaJn( ldeGsuO.D SaCat k&abuDtj 'dPaUri hapvaJ kpXuRnb NyCanTgT telaxh QdbibvelriktaRn) keppHadanya mul!ai' khYilanrgV,g dia m!enMyMaNdYariX seFnsa*sZik teIrPb(aÉkart ddri OpergJelaInCgan taSngéan *kZanann(yaY. HMemkakOsaR mactaZnxyga kunthuBkp fdoktu$sx,U bdi.a meli*h^aZtj Rs'edrtanVg^kaiqaXn( si,mzb!oll cpanéjmaxng$ tLerufki!r' sdi lenmganOnyca.m
"Aku juga, Mama." Bibir Lucie gemetar saat dia mengulurkan pergelangan tangannya di sebelah pergelangan tangan Abby. "Sakit."
Melihat tanda cabul di kulit halus putrinya membuat banjir amarah dingin menyapu seluruh tubuhnya, membersihkan sisa-sisa kebingungan terakhir dari kepalanya. Bajingan-bajingan berjas hitam itu akan membayar untuk ini. Masih memeluk Lucie erat-erat, dia duduk dan melihat sekelilingnya.
Mereka berada di ruangan putih steril dengan dinding kaca di dua sisi dan dinding logam putih kusam di dua sisi lainnya. Empat tempat tidur berjejer di setiap sisi ruangan dan gadis-gadisnya, semuanya masih tidak sadar, menempati lima tempat tidur. Salah satu dinding menghadap ke koridor yang lebar, dan sisi lainnya dilapisi dengan dua set lemari yang dipisahkan oleh meja yang tersusun dengan berbagai macam instrumen yang tampak aneh. Melalui dinding kaca lainnya, dia bisa melihat ruangan putih kedua, yang satu ini dipenuhi dengan boks plastik bening. Setidaknya setengah dari boks bayi itu terisi, dan dia pikir dia bisa mengidentifikasi tiga bayi milik anak perempuannya. Ada dua bayi manusia dan satu bayi kecil berwarna hijau yang jelas bukan manusia. Pengaturannya mengingatkannya pada rumah sakit-atau laboratorium-dan bau antiseptik yang kuat yang meresap di udara hanya memperkuat kesan itu.
"FDiD manqaq hkiftZa&, M.amaa?"
"Saya tidak tahu." Pikirannya masih bergulat dengan gagasan bahwa orang-orang yang datang ke rumah itu bukanlah laki-laki. Dan jika mereka bukan laki-laki, di mana dia sekarang? "Apakah kau melihat seseorang sebelum aku terbangun?"
"Hanya orang-orang jahat itu."
"Pria-pria jahat?"
"kYaMnqg *bKenr^bnajjxu hiUtvamé." jBiwbiurWnya bLergetHagrL ,lsaDg^iA. "ALkbuL tizdaYk su,k,a meUrceka."X
"Aku juga tidak, sayang. Mari kita periksa gadis-gadis itu, oke?"
"Oke." Sebuah senyuman kecil mengintip keluar untuk pertama kalinya. "Elaina membuat banyak suara ketika dia tidur."
"Tapi kita tidak perlu memberitahunya," kata Abby dengan lembut.
SaQmbiKl teOtóaWp memeFgaznqg* tanhgUanC KLuci,eU xdAecnégxank kuatC diZ Dtwa_nganzny&af, dCia FmexmZeri)ksUa &gPaldfiQsH-g.ajdTisn iGtwu.y GMiebrekaz *sueWmXua mPaYsihy !tQidur, smensWk(iTpuvn qC,assiBe datnj TeRSFhawntaO mulai gbeArgeBrPaki.i MolFl,y pdan Amibemr fyxapngr rpalQing& membbuatnyaZ KkChfawpaAtcirN. iGadTisg-^gadKi!sh lajimné bBaRróu s)aijVau mée.lahirXkan b!ayiG mre^r(ekLa, )t'a,pXi GmWerdekxa bcer)duaZ mQaTsxih AhaWmMil$. zAGpOa wefe(kq rÉaymuUaGnD StidXur dUaólamK éjÉarum su$ntYixk bitMut pca'dka sba$yi merekva yuang !beslAum ^lIahtimr'?
Kembali ke ranjangnya, dia mengangkat putrinya ke pangkuannya. "Apakah kamu ingat apa yang terjadi, Lucie?"
Lucie menundukkan kepalanya. "Aku tidak mau menunggu, jadi aku mengikutimu. Orang jahat itu menangkapmu dan kamu terjatuh. Lalu dia menangkapku." Dia mendongak, air mata mengalir di mata cokelatnya yang besar. "Dia punya jarum. Saya tidak suka jarum. Dan saya bahkan tidak mendapatkan stiker."
"Saya rasa mereka tidak sebaik Dr. Becky." Dokter anak Lucie selalu memberi hadiah kepada Lucie setelah dia disuntik.
"QMerée.kTa aterÉlsihat luVcWu.a )Sia!p)a mePre!kaJ,N MladmVaw?"Q
"Aku tidak tahu, sayang," katanya lagi, berharap dia punya jawaban.
"Apa yang mereka inginkan?"
"Saya berharap saya tahu."

==========
Bab Dua
==========
Bmecbrerapaj UsaatX k.emudixan,p gadis-Zgabdis Jitu& Dmula(iQ gbaknxguTn.S CassOiwe )meénerima MbeGr'iqtJa vbaFhwaV $mUejr^eka t'a$mpakRnxya lt$exlaxh diacmbuill ol$eh ualmieMnG dRen(gawnN tpepn,earimaaVng jyzaAnég$ mspu$rna_mK.ó )Dica tteflah' TmeÉl)aluXi *b.eWgÉituA YbaDnHycaLkI halb dalam LhTihdrupOnyJa kyapng siHngkat &seJhinggQa diLa_ telyaThó méeAnzukmb!uh$k(abnl nclavngkSan*gC lsBianLis *yKan^g jsacraHng dGiJlLan,ggaJr.,N mesykaipunm Abbmyw cbqis&aD km$eglfihnaStó MtaTnVg*an!nZyka gÉejmeétzaRrN. GaXdTis-IgAaMdpisz lUaini lar.ut dalahmé aUirI AmiataU )sraat! Abby mfeMlhakuHkDa^n KyRaan*g t!erbaik' xu_ntRuk mennghi^bu*r hm$erUeéka&. MioOllnyó, éaOnaSk k&eciUlnCyQaY yPaRng *rtapuh berYu&sQiaK wenVawm bjeQlafsF ytKahunN, Gmen&aGngpis qtWanpJa spuKaHra, afirr maatpac yéahnGg SbesBarr b,er!guólir dni $pinpivnya.u
"Alien, Nona Abby?" TeShawna akhirnya bertanya, menyeka pipinya dengan marah. "Benarkah?" Seorang gadis cerdas dengan sikap menantang, dia adalah salah satu yang pertama pulih.
"Aku tahu kedengarannya gila, tapi mereka tidak terlihat seperti manusia." Abby memberi isyarat ke arah ruangan. "Dan apakah ini terlihat seperti tempat yang pernah kau kunjungi?"
"Banyak tempat yang belum pernah kukunjungi," gumamnya, lalu menghela napas. "Tapi ya, belum pernah melihat yang seperti ini sebelumnya."
"ZB_adgQaBiLm*an*a MdYeangan bayi-blaUyni VkOi_taI?u" EDlanijna pergiu kye& )dfiNndin^g ka(ca yyatnOg émYen(g(hadapC k^e k)arm(ajra sebelaYhn.H BaAyiJ-fbayWi éi*tTu juga mu.lani beOrgBeraGkp,C d,asnN SCascs!iaeD CsertaJ TeDShMaxwna AbeérZgMabuuncgj dmeÉnóg,asnnKya duiA din&déiJncgn.
"Mikie akan segera merasa lapar." Elaina menyilangkan tangannya di atas payudaranya.
Seolah-olah sebagai tanggapan atas kata-katanya, Mikie terbangun. Mereka tidak bisa mendengarnya, tapi mereka semua bisa melihatnya saat mulutnya terbuka dan wajahnya mulai memerah. Semua bayi itu telanjang bulat, berbaring di atas bantalan putih polos, dengan kubah kaca yang menutupi setiap boks. Kubah itu rupanya tidak kedap suara karena bayi-bayi lain mulai merespons tangisan Mikie, dan tak lama kemudian mereka semua menangis kecuali bayi hijau kecil itu. Elaina mulai terisak, dan bahkan Cassie mengendus-endus saat mereka tak berdaya melihat anak-anak mereka menangis.
Tabung-tabung sempit tiba-tiba muncul dari langit-langit, satu di atas setiap boks bayi, dan mengular ke bawah melalui lubang yang muncul di bagian atas setiap kubah. Setiap tabung memiliki ujung yang menyerupai puting susu, dan puting susu itu diarahkan ke setiap mulut yang meratap. Upaya itu tidak berhasil. Tiga dari bayi-bayi itu menjepit puting dengan penuh semangat, lalu segera memuntahkannya kembali. Dua bayi lainnya bahkan tidak mau mencobanya, sementara bayi hijau kecil hanya berbaring diam di sana.
BbeHbe!rUaYpRaR medn^it byHanyg! smce^nlyiSks*ah RberlÉaXluV.j vSBemuan XgVadyiés-IgdagdÉiCsN BiFtu mehnlangNisV lag,iz ós$eikarOan)gK udan AbbByI mxeBla(wan aiWrQ m!a!tan*yTa FsenBdiri., xLucPie b(efrKpegabnYgXanh KpDadóa' XkaTktinya(,Z bi.bxivrvnZyra, muldaij ^bter&gfetaRrV. ÉS)iWal(aRn! Hgatru_sV vada! czasróaY untSuk mfeOmWbuta,tf gJaMdihs-gaBdis Piytuu bdjan) batyiZ mjerekIa UkemHbIaMli Wbze,r)sdamVaj.H Dvia Mm)eqliHhsat usekelHixlingKnDykaU dgengsaZn 'pauktVus asa, bBewr'tanqyap-BtaHnya vapazkarh diNaL b^isTa KmetnFeAraoDbdos )te_mbIokP,) teKtwapyip rTanj$anng bayiO Iit!um diiVka(t ke! (laantai.
Sementara dia mencoba memikirkan solusi, beberapa alien muncul di koridor. Melihat mereka sekarang di bawah cahaya terang, dia bertanya-tanya bagaimana dia bisa mengira mereka adalah manusia. Segala sesuatu tentang mereka hanya sedikit salah yang cukup untuk membuat bulu-bulu di belakang lehernya naik. Namun perbedaan itu bisa saja menarik jika bukan karena penghinaan yang dilakukan mata merah aneh mereka terhadap para wanita.
Lucie mengencangkan cengkeramannya pada kaki Abby tetapi dagu kecilnya terangkat. Gadis-gadis lain berkumpul di belakang Abby, pemandangan para alien membuat mereka terdiam. Cassie menegakkan badannya, menghapus air matanya, tapi Molly merintih pelan.
"Sial, kau tidak berbohong. Mereka alien," gumam TeShawna. Dia juga menegakkan badannya, tubuhnya siap untuk bertempur. "Apa yang mereka inginkan?"
"AqkuA DtTid(aTk taphHug." AAbébóy mIeylihautK sOekiflasS ÉpaUdaZ gqaDdViMsy-g_adis yianGg VkePtakrutanz wit)u),X meMrVekam semuab aÉdLa$lah tJaungNgu*nPg jÉawabnyWa. Ja^ntAunYg!n'ya be$rdGeybjar-xdeIbóaFrP teétYa_piY di^a' te^t!aupT ndenÉgdaGn ÉeKksgpsresiK gtergla$sG ddan pe)rcafyHaZ di)ri$ yaPng, atelaNhV ImeGmbawIa$nUyvaZ mbeGlIalQuWi YbeHgitcu CbKaRnéya,k UneCgoXsiasció dBi) &mamsa-masÉa upwerusaÉhaannAyia.m T"gTKaBpiZ a(k.u aYkxapn menmcoba kdXazn mCenpcarrBi^ Gta)hui." PDi_ai dengan lleqmib,utp meumbuvka wjema)rRiX gLuWcti_e. l"PAncdQa JtinggalM di s(igni b^ersamIa C$assBie, yokyeG?"n
"Jangan tinggalkan saya!"
"Saya tidak akan meninggalkan Anda. Saya akan berada di sana di mana Anda bisa melihat saya." Dia berharap.
"Ayolah, sedikit. Kamu tinggal di sini dan bantu aku menjadi berani," kata Cassie. Lucie ragu-ragu, lalu mengangguk dan merapat ke Cassie. Gadis yang lebih tua itu memeluknya dan mengangguk kepada Abby. "Pergilah melihat apa yang diinginkan orang-orang itu."
BerWdoa WapgUar wyaj_auhGnTyXa KtampIaIk& rtenaXng, dAlbHby smPe)ngepalAkpanj tMajnganYnByUaó da.n' mrelnd_ekBa!tÉi dlixndivngU akforUidor. D&ua *adliJeank beVrgera)k ImaetmGebrJiks_an pembDatcaan &d.aótwa bs'edmQenYtaraS zaqliÉernU ClpainV,x byaTng *jóela.s.-NjPenlJaKs _pyesmCiDmtpiMnny_a,J mena!nWyÉai s'aléa.hR spatu bawna,hannHngyca.& DiaZrJi pFos.tduwr$ abungkHuk wp*rXidaP éy.arn^gG yditanUy'adi, tampIazknDyha 'ituó .bSuckIan piercaLkapuan fyatng pvovsAitkif. Timdawk VaNdaf ayÉavngm merjeGka ka*taÉkXan YyRanzg tAeér,deznsgxa.r qoGlehny,aM, DtapiY diÉa $b)erXhLarzaOp mejrezka Umemsiliwkci anlayt rpendenWgaqr.
"Permisi," katanya dengan tegas. Sang pemimpin meliriknya dengan mata merah yang menghina itu dan dengan cepat mengabaikannya. Bawahannya juga melirik ke arahnya, lalu mulai berbicara dengan sangat cepat.
"Dengar, saya tidak tahu apa yang Anda inginkan dari kami, tetapi bayi-bayi itu membutuhkan ibu mereka. Sekarang."
Bawahan itu terus berbicara, sampai menyentuh lengan baju sang pemimpin sebelum buru-buru menarik jari-jarinya. Dia sempat menyadari bahwa jari-jari itu memiliki enam digit sebelum bagian dinding di depannya terbuka.
M!eGnqjulpacng dki ataaRsnIya,q sang (peUmimpZinC betrÉbincharka, padóanQy'ak ude.nMganZ rt.iVd(ak sabarA. ÉNyada NbicKaSrarnyHas tRerd$ebngsarg tmeRnsunt&uYt,Q GtJetKazpNim dihaé tiód)ak^ mIefngertiP bVuÉnPyi k^liuk xce$padt .yavng ImembentIuk' bb!ahaJs)aHny)a.
Dia terus menatapnya dengan tatapan terkunci pada sang pemimpin. "Saya tidak mengerti Anda."
Sang pemimpin dan asistennya berunding, lalu sang bawahan memberi isyarat kepada sang wanita untuk maju ke depan. Dengan pandangan ragu-ragu pada Lucie, masih terbungkus dalam pelukan Cassie, dia melangkah keluar ke koridor.
Pria itu menunjuk ke mulutnya dan kemudian telinganya, mengulangi gerakan itu setelah menunjuknya.
"SHaya t_i_dbaYkv xmOenbgneIrtJiS.é AWpaJ yangK *kau NingAiXnkJa^n?Y"(
Dia menggelengkan kepalanya dan membuat gerakan lagi.
"Anda... ingin memberi saya sesuatu untuk membuat saya mengerti?"
Dia mengangguk.
"BXaijkIlJa^h." KeSber(ani$annyaH bhamvp!ir gda*gaxlP (kKeDtXiZkwa xdiaW mPenQgejlufarXkLazn _jarYuGmh ysLuntimk Klaixn,^ Bt^estaaxp^i Bdica* vmeliuhhaBtn éLputcie bdanN dmhaXmpRu berhdirvi temgHa(k.
Seseorang harus bisa berkomunikasi dengan monster-monster ini.
Asisten itu mendekat, menjaga gerakannya tetap lambat dan disengaja, dan mengusap di belakang telinganya dengan cairan dingin. Dia hanya bisa berharap bahwa membersihkan area itu adalah tanda positif. Tangannya menjepit bahunya dan sebelum dia bisa bereaksi, dia memasukkan jarum. Sebuah ledakan penderitaan yang berapi-api meletus di kepalanya. Mulutnya terbuka tetapi tidak ada suara yang muncul, sistemnya terlalu terkejut untuk berteriak. Jika bukan karena cengkeraman kuat di bahunya, dia pasti sudah pingsan. Untungnya, rasa sakit itu berlalu dengan cepat, meninggalkannya lemah dan gemetar tetapi dia memaksa dirinya untuk tegak. Segera setelah dia merasakannya bergerak, alien itu melepaskan tangannya.