The story, character names, events, locations, place names, and everything related to this tale are entirely fictional.
Cherry received the news five days before her seventeenth birthday, which would fall on January 30. Her parents, whom no one had been able to reach since the third day of the new year, were finally officially declared missing. That very night, Cherry's uncle, Hendrik Gumintang Wiradana, left for the other island to accompany his father—Cherry's grandfather, Gugun Gunadi Wiradana—in handling everything related to the disappearance of his older brother and sister-in-law.
Cherry had last seen her parents on New Year's Eve and the first day of the new year. The three of them had celebrated the new year with the people of Leuweung Dayeuh, the metropolitan city and largest city in the Dayeuh Raya region. They had watched a fireworks show with the mayor, his wife, and their two children. The next day, Liv Cinta Wiradana and Ariq Suryakusumah, Cherry's parents, left for the other island.
They—especially Ariq—often traveled back and forth to the other island. It wasn't only Ariq's business in mining and minerals that kept them going there. Liv and Ariq's adventurous spirits and endless curiosity also drove them, even as they grew older, each ran a major company, and had an only child. One of the mysteries that had fascinated Liv and Ariq throughout their lives was the existence of the hidden city of Saranjana.
Legend had it that Saranjana was an extremely modern city. Many people speculated that it wasn't actually a supernatural city located in another realm. It was called supernatural because its residents possessed advanced technology that allowed them to hide their city from radar and from the sight of the general public.
Liv and Ariq had a particular interest in anything related to technology. While Ariq's company, Bumi Hijau Mineral Group, operated in mining and minerals, Liv's company, Biru Langit Technology Group, operated in information technology, computer science, and energy. Biru Langit Technology even had its own communications satellite, named the Yulia Communications Satellite. The name was taken from Liv's late mother's name—Cherry's grandmother, Yulianingsih.
For years, Liv and Ariq had wanted to prove whether Saranjana truly existed. For those same years, they had searched for and gathered information about the hidden city. Liv and Ariq set out fully prepared. Yet no one was willing to follow the couple into the dimension believed to contain Saranjana. Liv's closest colleague, as well as a senior CEO at Biru Langit Technology Group, Dandy Wirakusumah, was ultimately willing to accompany them as far as the location believed to be the portal entrance to Saranjana.
“I'm sorry. It's not that I don't care about you and Ariq,” Dandy said when he finally agreed to help Liv and Ariq. “But you also have to admit that I'm the only one, along with a few of my subordinates, who's willing to escort you and Ariq all the way to the area considered the border between our territory—the territory of ordinary humans—and whatever they are. Don't you realize that something could happen at that border, and then my subordinates and I could get dragged into another dimension? Everyone's afraid to take you there because of that risk. Even your own brother, Hendrik, doesn't want to help you with this!”
Dandy had said this to Liv in their office, located in the Biru Langit Technology Group building in the city. Yes, Biru Langit Technology Group and Bumi Hijau Mineral Group were both headquartered in this city, Leuweung Dayeuh.
“Aren't you and the others curious about whether Saranjana exists?” Liv asked.
“No!” Dandy answered promptly.
“But if we can uncover the truth about this city, we could...” Liv began.
“No!” Dandy cut her off again, just as quickly.
Liv stared at Dandy in bewilderment.
“Most of us don't have the same intense curiosity you and Ariq do,” Dandy said afterward. “And you two really should be thinking more about your companies, as well as your daughter, Cherry. Don't you realize that you're responsible for the lives of thousands of people and their families, and of course for Cherry's life too? What if something happens to you? Where are these thousands of people supposed to turn when their futures depend on you?”
Liv patted Dandy on the shoulder. She had to tilt her head up slightly to do it. Dandy was a little taller than Liv, even though she was wearing mid-height heels at the time.
“We believe that if something happens to us, people like you won't just stand by,” Liv said. “You wouldn't let the futures of those thousands of people and their families hang in limbo, would you?”
Dandy only let out a long sigh at Liv's words. And he kept his promise. He and several of his subordinates went to the other island on the first day of the new year.
“We won't be gone long,” Ariq told his daughter, Cherry, on the day he and Liv left for the other island. “We promise we'll be at your birthday party on the thirtieth.”
“Leave the party preparations to Aunt Jennifer,” Liv said. “She's an expert at putting together a spectacular party!”
“Okay, Mom,” Cherry said. “Cherry will prepare this party perfectly. We'll celebrate it together. You only turn seventeen once.”
Cherry hugged both her parents tightly. She then walked them to the helipad in the grounds of Wastu Kadita, their home. Wastu was the term for a large house equivalent to the English word “manor.” Usually, a wastu was smaller than a graha.
Kadita was Cherry's middle name: Cherry Kadita Suryakusumah. The wastu that housed the Suryakusumah family stood on thirty hectares of land. The property complex consisted of a main house—the wastu—several pavilion buildings, a greenhouse containing hundreds of flower and plant specimens, a swimming pool complex, two tennis courts, a stable with a racetrack, and a helipad with its hangar. The family owned three helicopters and a private jet parked at the Leuweung Dayeuh airport. That jet would later take Liv, Ariq, and their party to the other island. To reach the airfield on the eastern side of Leuweung Dayeuh, Liv and Ariq took a helicopter from their home.
Cherry didn't actually walk Liv and Ariq all the way to the helipad. She only went as far as the terrace on the side of the wastu closest to it. Liv and Ariq turned around and waved to their only daughter. That was the last time Cherry ever saw her parents.