The atmosphere this morning was warm and joyful, especially for Tian and his two younger siblings. The task of fixing the equipment and other belongings didn't take long for their mother, Tian, and their siblings. Their most valuable possessions were just mattresses, clothes, and a motorbike—the main means of transportation for Tian's family. Knowing they were about to move into a new rented place, with a fresh environment and, of course, new hope for the future, filled the family with optimism.
A knocking sound was heard. Mother, who was not far from the door, immediately opened it, seeing two men in black uniforms.
"Excuse me, Ma'am, good morning," said the two men politely.
"Good morning," replied Mother.
"Introducing ourselves, Ma'am, we are delegates sent by the company regarding your son, Sebastian," they explained in detail about his assignment and assisting with the process of moving Sebastian and the family's residence.
"Given the limited time and restrictions imposed by the government, to speed up the process, we hope that you and your family will come together to the place we have provided." Mother and Sebastian looked at each other and finally prepared to obey what was written in the letter they had read last night.
"Take it easy, Ma'am, the other officers will bring all the rest," said the man, as if he knew Mother's concern.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a flat, apparently not far from their previous rental. After giving her a key, the man said, "Please come in, Ma'am, this is the place we meant. Make yourself comfortable," then excused himself to continue his work.
Sebastian found that his two younger siblings, who looked happy, had their rooms. Likewise, Mother, who could not stop giving thanks, received a gift that she had never imagined. Everything was already available in this apartment—there was no need to save money to buy household contents, all thanks to the help from the company related to her new child, although in her heart, she felt sad to be separated for some time until Sebastian completed the official bond with the company.
Sebastian and Mother had a serious conversation. "Tian, if you are allowed permission during the service bond later, we will go visit Grandpa's place, okay?"
"Until now, you have never met him. You will meet him later. I am ready now," said Mother very seriously.
"What do you mean?" Sebastian asked, not understanding. All this time, he only knew that his parents were orphans, based on the narrative of his late father when he was a child.
"This is Sebastian, accept this ring!" While pinning it on his eldest son's finger, which turned out to be very fitting. Sebastian was speechless; his body seemed to flow with cool air, his vision became clearer, and the one thing that stunned him was the glow of his mother's golden-yellow aura.
"I think you're ready, Sebastian. Now go to sleep; let fate carry all your curiosity," Mother ordered.
Again, Sebastian was amazed—everything his mother said made him follow and obey without being able to refuse.
—
The First Lesson Is Vision
Like during the interview, Sebastian was waiting in the meeting room. This time, Prof. Rhinno didn't invite him inside but took him to the back building of the hospital. There was a room that seemed to function for Neurotherapy patients.
"Sebastian, please put this device on your head!" Prof. Rhinno ordered.
It looked like Prof. Rhinno wanted to collect data first before starting his work. Sebastian followed instructions and wore the half-face helmet. However, he was a little surprised and immediately stepped back from his standing position. As soon as the device he was wearing turned on, his gaze caught images of what had happened last night while talking to his mother.
"Calm down, Sebastian. What you see is the memory inside your brain... Now, stay calm and focused. What color do you see now?" the professor asked.
"Color… green, Prof!" Sebastian replied.
Over time, he saw the colors filling the scene.
"Okay, that's enough. Remove the device!"
Sebastian did as the professor instructed and then asked about the meaning of the activity he had just done. The professor explained that Sebastian was one of those chosen by nature. According to him, the chosen ones are described differently in various fields of science. Terms like "miracles," "gifted," "spiritual people," "Indigo," "psychics," "karamah," and others are often used.
But for now, they concluded it as "Bio Evolution" — where living beings, especially humans, consciously experience the process through the five senses, which operate at a level above that of average humans.
No one has yet possessed advantages in all five senses—maybe one, two, or even three, but even those are unevenly developed. Until now, they have found Sebastian, who is above that level.
"Tomorrow, I will teach you how to use it."
An early example is vision, which is connected to the nerves of the eye and shows how the eye evolves. Sebastian now understood a little more about the purpose of this program.
"So, Sebastian, your first task is to find someone—the owner of that green color you saw."
"Study the file now... After that, you may return to the apartment," Professor Rhinno said, closing the first session and heading back to his practice room.
After Sebastian returned to the apartment, Prof. Rhinno went back to the therapy building to research something that made him curious. He opened the head scan results and compared them with the records stored on the device. Prof. Rhinno saw that all five of Sebastian's senses were fully active, more than normal levels.
Two oddities remained for Prof. Rhinno:
First, he couldn't penetrate or reach Sebastian's mind, as if a shield covered the child's subconscious.
Second, the light that radiated from Sebastian's "aura" seemed infinite.
"Hmm… I'd better catch up with him immediately to give him the next lesson," Prof. Rhinno thought to himself.
—
Meet The Green Snipers
Sebastian walked out to the bus stop in front of the hospital. The device in his hand buzzed with a notification from an online motorcycle taxi app. His eyes followed the driver who had sent the notification. Sebastian approached him and then rode the vehicle to the apartment where he now lived.
Arriving at the Sudirman office complex, located right across from a cemetery, Sebastian intended to buy lunch first. Suddenly, he experienced a strange phenomenon again, like the one he had seen before.
Battle...!!
The fight was happening right in the middle of the cemetery... eerily quiet... no one was watching or passing by. Gathering his courage, Sebastian tried to get closer, but his steps were stopped by someone who suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Come on, son, follow me...!" said an old man, leading Sebastian toward the fight.
When they arrived, the old man said, "Calm down, son. This is just practice. They are my students." Then he ordered the two men who had been poised to fight to lower their weapons.
"Oh yes, let me introduce you to Sanim, the gravekeeper and head of the 'Mahesadewa' school. It's nice to see a young man with such a calm body aura," the old man said.
"I'm Sebastian, sir!"
Sebastian watched as the two fighters pulled weapons seemingly materializing from their palms. One wielded a sickle-shaped weapon glowing red, while the other held a red knife shaped like a rice mower blade. They clashed their weapons in mid-air, sparks flying.
The sickle wielder swung his weapon, which suddenly expanded, aiming to cut toward his opponent's waist. But the opponent also extended his weapon, blocking the attack. Both were thrown backward from the heavy impact. They returned to their stances as their weapons slowly vanished back into their bodies.
Then Sebastian saw a light slowly surround each of their bodies, taking the form of a tiger.
Before the fight could resume, Tuan Sanim raised his hands and ordered them to stop. They obeyed and returned to normal, without the glowing light. After greeting them, Sebastian started to leave.
"They're here just to test their abilities," Sanim explained when Sebastian asked about joining the school.
Sebastian politely declined, saying he had just started a job and wanted to focus on that.
"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Sanim. I'm honored," Sebastian said, though something inside made him hesitate.
"Alright then, excuse me. I must be going," Sebastian said, bidding farewell.
Back in his apartment, Sebastian reopened the file Professor Rhinno had given him to study. As he read, his eyes kept glancing outside from the fifth-floor window. Step by step, he realized he had to start practicing immediately.
He closed his eyes, focused his mind on one object, and suddenly a soda bottle puffed up, then burst, scattering its contents everywhere. Sebastian was stunned and almost didn't believe what he had just done. Quickly, he grabbed a rag to clean up the mess.
Not long after, Prof. Rhinno arrived carrying a packet of food. Yes, Sebastian now lived with her in this apartment.
And so the adventure began.
—
The Journey Enters a Territorial Border
Sebastian rode slowly on the motorcycle taxi Prof. Rhinno had arranged, crossing the southern region of the capital's buffer zone — Depok, to be precise. According to the data from Prof. Rhinno, among the many "Bio-evolution" individuals, only a few were publicly known. Most preferred to stay hidden, blending in with ordinary people.
In front of a sleek, brand-new building, Sebastian stopped the vehicle.
The government building read: Bureau of Cyber and State Crypto. The name gave Sebastian a small glimpse into Prof. Rhinno's world.
But how do I recognize someone called the "Green Sniper"? Sebastian wondered silently.
Prof. Rhinno had explained that if a "Bio-evolution" had honed their abilities, they could easily appear normal, indistinguishable from ordinary humans.
Hopefully, it won't be too hard, Sebastian thought as he stepped inside.
He was immediately escorted by officers to the elevator.
"Please, take the elevator," the clerk said, pressing the button.
Sebastian nodded, and the elevator rose smoothly to the fourth floor. As the doors slid open, an officer awaited him and gestured for Sebastian to follow.
Sebastian's eyes widened at the scene before him. Rows of computer stations filled the room, each screen alive with streams of letters and numbers. What surprised him most: nearly all the operators were teenagers, no older than himself.
The officer stopped before a door and said, "Please enter, then take the stairs up to the next floor, Sis!"
"Why stairs now?" Sebastian thought, but complied.
After climbing, Sebastian found himself on an empty floor with synthetic turf covering the ground, reminiscent of a futsal court. Two men were talking, their backs turned, facing the city skyline.
Noticing Sebastian, they turned and approached.
One of them, well-built and authoritative, extended his hand. "You must be Sebastian. I'm Ringga."
Sebastian shook his hand, feeling the firm heat of the grip.
"And this is Pandu," Ringga introduced the other man.
When Sebastian shook Pandu's hand, an intense chill ran through him. Green light pulsed thickly where their hands met.
"Green Snipers?" Sebastian said, recalling Prof. Rhinno's words.
Pandu smiled. "Good to meet someone our age."
Ringga, it turned out, was the supervisor for both Pandu and Sebastian, responsible for organizing their training.
"This morning is your first session, Sebastian," Ringga said. "Pandu's glad to have a partner to sharpen speed and accuracy."
"Alright, Sebastian. Start by creating a shield. Focus on your breathing," Ringga instructed.
"How do I do that? I don't understand yet," Sebastian admitted.
"Pandu, show him," Ringga said.
Pandu crossed his arms, inhaled deeply, and lifted his hands, stopping them mid-air while holding his breath. Sparks of electricity crackled around his body, which glowed green.
"It's similar to your stance technique, but you have to focus more on your mind," Pandu explained.
"Okay, your turn."
Sebastian mimicked the stance, drawing on his martial arts training. He crossed his arms, breathed steadily, and concentrated on forming a shield.
Suddenly, his body radiated a silvery light.
Ringga and Pandu exchanged looks of surprise — this usually took many tries.
"Great!" Pandu exclaimed.
"Enough for now," Ringga said.
Then Pandu was ordered to attack Sebastian. Sebastian was told to strengthen his silver shield.
Pandu launched his first attack — a green light orb, about the size of an egg, thrown like a baseball. The orb shattered harmlessly against Sebastian's shield.
Next, Pandu intensified the attack, firing a denser green beam shaped like a long-barreled gun.
"Focus, Sebastian! Faster!" Pandu warned.
The green beam shot at Sebastian with sudden speed. Caught off guard, Sebastian dodged but was hit just before he could react.
There was an explosion!
Pandu was thrown backward, collapsing into his seat. Ringga stood nearby, unfazed.
Sebastian rushed over, apologizing for the unexpected force.
But both Pandu and Ringga laughed.
"It's true... your level is above average!" Pandu said.
Ringga explained, "I only guided you because every living thing has instincts, and those instincts shape their abilities. When adrenaline spikes, powers can increase."
"For example, Pandu's basic nature is plant-based. His first weapon was a bow, and now he's evolved further. He's also a healer."
"That's enough for today," Ringga concluded.
Suddenly, a wireless call came through from the fourth floor.
"Sir, we've detected its presence. Can you come down?"
"Alright, we're on our way," Ringga replied.
Sebastian's heart quickened.
"What's happening?"