Battle of the Unreal

Yaaawn—!

I quickly covered my mouth with my hand, trying to hide the yawn that slipped out anyway. It was only 9 a.m., but my eyes felt ridiculously heavy, like I hadn’t slept at all. Staying awake during class felt like a full-on struggle, and honestly, I already knew exactly why.

It all started last night when I was forced to read lontar, a traditional Balinese manuscripts made from dried palm leaves. They’re filled with moral teachings, ancient wisdom, and all kinds of cultural values passed down from our ancestors for centuries. Sounds meaningful, sure—but not when you’re stuck reading them all night without a break.

My grandpa is known for being extremely strict, especially when it comes to tradition. For him, mastering cultural practices isn’t optional—it’s something that a true Balinese must be able to do. If we fail, he doesn’t just get disappointed; he pushes us harder until we finally get it right.

And last night, I was his target.

I had spent the entire day trying to read and understand the lontar he gave me, but I just couldn’t get it right. I kept misreading the words, misunderstanding the meanings, and no matter how many times I tried, it never improved. Grandpa got furious, his sharp gaze practically burning through me as he ordered me to keep practicing.

He didn’t let me stop until well past midnight, and by the time I finally got to bed, I only had about three hours to sleep.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, my mom woke me up at 6:30 in the morning by splashing water on me. She was annoyed, probably because I looked completely useless after barely getting any rest.

Now here I was, sitting in class, half-asleep and barely functioning.

Sometimes I just don’t understand people like my grandpa—or even my older siblings, who actually seems to enjoy learning this stuff. I mean, I understand preserving culture is important. But does it really have to be this intense?

It’s not like I’m planning to become a cultural expert or a scholar someday. Knowing how to read lontar isn’t exactly a skill that helps you get a job. And honestly, forcing someone to learn something they don’t even like just feels pointless.

The strangest part is what my grandpa once said about it. He claimed that mastering lontar could bring "protection" on a spiritual level, keeping us safe from unseen dangers and invisible beings. I couldn’t help but think how ridiculous that sounded.

We live in the 21st century, where people explore space and build advanced AI, yet somehow there are still people who believe in things like that. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Why spend so much time on something that’s never been proven?

I let out a quiet sigh, trying to keep my eyes open as the lesson went on. There was no way I could argue with my grandpa anyway—he’s too respected in the family for that. In the end, the only thing I could do was try not to fall asleep in class.

*****

Craaaack… grrrgh!

The sudden noise exploded through the room, snapping me fully awake in an instant. My head jerked up as my heart started pounding, and I looked around in confusion. The entire classroom was shaking violently, with desks rattling, chairs scraping loudly, and cracks beginning to spread across the walls.

“Aaaah!!” I screamed in panic, my body moving on instinct.

I quickly ducked under my desk, crouching low and shielding my head with my arms, afraid that the ceiling might collapse at any moment. The shaking didn’t stop right away—it went on for what felt like forever, though it was probably around five minutes before everything finally became still again. When the silence returned, I slowly peeked out from my hiding spot. My body was still trembling as I carefully crawled out, trying to calm myself down. But the moment I looked around, something felt completely wrong.

Everyone else was still sitting in their seats.

No one ran. No one screamed. No one even moved.

“Hey…” I muttered, reaching out the shoulder of the student sitting in front of me.

He didn’t react at all.

His body was stiff, frozen in place with his eyes wide open and his hand still holding a page mid-turn. A chill ran down my spine as I looked around the room, only to realize that every single person was exactly the same.

“What… what is going on?!” I thought, my chest tightening with fear.

Then a strange sound echoed from above.

Bwooooo…

I slowly looked up, and what I saw made my breath catch. A thick black cloud had formed on the classroom ceiling, swirling slowly as if it were alive. It grew larger and darker with each passing second, and faint flashes flickered inside it like trapped lightning.

Groooooo…

Something began to emerge from within the cloud.

My heart pounded harder as a creature slowly slithered down. Its body was long and covered in scales like a snake, but dozens of legs crawled along its sides, making it look even more disturbing. Its head, however, looked horrifyingly human, with glowing red eyes staring sharply across the room.

“What… the hell is that?!” I screamed internally, too terrified to make a sound.

The creature moved between the desks, its body twisting unnaturally as its tongue flicked in and out. Thick saliva dripped from its mouth as it observed the frozen students. Then, without warning, it leaned toward one of them.

Sluuurp!

It began licking the student repeatedly, as if savoring the taste.

My stomach dropped as I realized what was happening. This thing wasn’t just examining them—it was feeding. It had frozen everyone so they couldn’t resist, turning them into helpless prey.

“Crap… what do I do?!” My mind raced in panic.

There was only one option: don’t move.

If I stayed perfectly still, maybe it would think I was frozen too and leave me alone.

Ts—yiiii!

Oh no.

Out of nowhere, I sneezed.

I tried to hold it back, but it still slipped out. It wasn’t loud, but in the silent classroom, it might as well have been a shout. The creature instantly stopped and slowly turned its head toward me.

Its red eyes locked onto mine.

My heart dropped.

“Oh God… it heard me.”

I forced my body to stay completely still, even though every part of me wanted to run. If it realized I could move, I was finished.

The creature began to slither closer, its many legs making faint scraping sounds against the floor. It stopped right in front of me, so close I could see every horrifying detail of its face.

Then it extended its tongue.

Sluuurp… sluurp…

It dragged across my face, leaving behind a cold, slimy trail.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to push it away. But I didn’t dare move even an inch.

“N-no… please…” I begged silently, forcing myself to endure it.

After a few more slow licks, the creature pulled back slightly. Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth glistening with saliva.

And in that moment, I knew.

It was about to eat me.

“Arrggh!!”

*****

Satyam Niscaya Jayati!

A sharp voice suddenly rang out from behind me, cutting through the air like a blade. In the blink of an eye, a bluish-white light shot forward and slammed straight into the monster in front of me. The impact sent it flying across the room, crashing hard into the blackboard and smashing through the wall behind it.

Crash—!!

The creature’s body disappeared under a pile of rubble—chunks of stone and splintered wood scattering everywhere. But it didn’t stay down for long, as the debris began to shift and it slowly rose again. This time, its sly expression twisted into pure rage, its face glowing red as its sharp eyes locked onto the figure standing right beside me.

I didn’t need to guess who it was.

It was Katon Adnyana.

One of the smartest students in my class, the kind of guy who always ranked first every semester without fail. His grades never dropped below ninety, and he had that calm, confident vibe that made everything look easy. On top of that, I’d heard he was the son of a respected traditional leader who ran a spiritual school near Besakih.

That explained why he was so fluent in reading lontar and chanting ancient Kawi mantras, often performing at school cultural events. But still, I never imagined those chants could unleash this kind of power.

What confused me even more was the fact that earlier this morning, during attendance, the teacher said Katon was absent. So why was he here now? And why was he dressed in full traditional attire, complete with an udeng, like it was some kind of ceremony day?

Saksata Karanda Kanaka Srana!

Katon raised his index finger into the air and chanted another mantra with firm conviction. A golden light burst from his hand and spread in all directions, reaching every corner of the classroom. When it touched me and the other frozen students, it transformed into a transparent shell that wrapped around our bodies like a protective barrier.

It felt unreal—like something straight out of a fantasy story.

The monster, now burning with fury, lunged forward, swinging its massive tail toward Katon with terrifying force. Katon reacted instantly, jumping back just in time to avoid the attack. Even so, the tail slammed into the floor with enough power to crack it open, leaving a massive fracture behind.

The strength of this creature was completely insane.

Sahasra Mushti Prabha!

Without hesitation, Katon dashed forward like lightning and launched a flurry of punches. His fists glowed brightly, and within seconds, he unleashed dozens of strikes in rapid succession. The speed was overwhelming, forcing the monster to retreat slightly, though its many legs still managed to block most of the attacks.

Thwack!

Suddenly, the creature’s head snapped downward and struck Katon with brutal force, sending him flying across the room.

“Hhhk!” My breath caught as I watched in horror.

I thought he would crash into the wall and collapse, but instead, something unbelievable happened. One of his feet planted firmly against the wall, using it as leverage before he launched himself forward again.

Woooosh!

He shot through the air like a bullet, moving so fast that the wind from his motion sent nearby objects flying. But the monster wasn’t out of tricks yet—it grabbed the teacher’s desk with its tail and used it as a shield.

Smash!!

It hurled the desk straight at Katon, catching him off guard. He couldn’t dodge in time and slammed into it, tumbling backward along with shattered wood. The impact tore part of his clothes, leaving scratches along his arms.

Swooosh!

The creature slithered toward him, clearly pleased, thinking the fight was already over. Its head moved forward, preparing to strike and devour him in one final move.

But it was a trap.

Ughk!

The moment its tongue touched Katon’s face, his eyes snapped open. In an instant, his hand shot up and grabbed the creature’s neck, squeezing it with incredible strength.

Rooarrgh! Rooarrgh!

The monster writhed in pain, its body thrashing violently as it struggled to break free. Its breathing grew erratic, almost suffocating, while Katon’s arms glowed with a bluish light, reinforcing his grip with supernatural power.

This time, he wasn’t holding back.

Once he had full control, Katon stood up and lifted the creature high into the air, as if it weighed nothing. Then, with a powerful motion, he slammed it toward the front of the classroom.

Kraaash!

The creature flew across the room like a lifeless toy, crashing into the wall and shattering it into pieces. It lay there, buried under the rubble once again, its eyes still open but its body completely unable to move.

As it glanced weakly to the side, Katon was already standing right in front of it.

Calm. Steady. Unshaken.

He placed his right hand on the creature’s head and began chanting with a loud, commanding voice.

Manunggal ing Dharma!!!

A radiant light poured out from his palm, enveloping the monster’s entire body. The glow was beautiful, almost mesmerizing, but there was no doubt it carried immense power—and pain.

Aaauuurgh!

The monster screamed, its red eyes wide open as tears streamed down its face. Its body trembled violently, unable to resist as it slowly began to dissolve into particles of light.

Within moments, it was gone.

Completely erased.

Katon stood there, exhaling deeply, a hint of relief crossing his face. Then, as if nothing extraordinary had just happened, he glanced at me and gave a casual wink before turning around and walking out of the classroom.

*****

And just like that, everything returned to normal.

My classmates started moving again, chatting and studying as if nothing had happened. The cracks in the walls, the broken furniture, the rubble—everything had vanished without a trace.

I just stood there, frozen in disbelief.

“…Maybe,” I muttered under my breath, still staring at the spot where the monster had been.

“I really should start taking lontar more seriously…”