The red light above the judge’s bench stayed on.
60:00
The number began to tick down.
59:59
59:58
59:57
Alya stared at the screen, holding her breath.
DEFENDANT: ALYA MAHARDIKA
The words felt like a sentence even before the trial had begun.
She turned to Raka. “What is all this supposed to mean?”
Raka was still trying to open the locked door. “I don’t know yet.”
“You’re saying you don’t know?” Arka called from the other side of the room. “You say that far too often, Raka.”
Raka shot him a sharp look. “Arka, open the door.”
“Not yet.”
“If all you want is to talk to Alya, we can do that without playing games like this.”
Arka chuckled softly. “You’re still the same as you were back then. Always trying to control the situation.”
Alya looked back and forth between them.
“What exactly is your relationship?”
Neither of them answered right away.
Alya stepped toward Raka. “I’ve heard more than enough half-truths. Now I want answers.”
Raka looked at her.
“I’ve known Arka since he was a child.”
Alya froze.
“Since he was little?”
Raka nodded. “Your father asked me to look after him after his mother died.”
Arka cut in, “Don’t make it sound like you were some kind of hero.”
Raka sighed.
“Arka lost his mother under terrible circumstances. I was still a young investigator at the time. Alya’s father asked me to help find out who was responsible.”
“And?” Alya asked.
“The case was shut down.”
“Why?”
Raka fell silent.
Arka answered first.
“Because someone with enough power made the evidence disappear.”
Alya stared at him. “Who?”
“The person whose name is in that document.”
Alya immediately remembered the case file Arka had shown her earlier.
“The name from before…”
Arka nodded.
“That’s right.”
Raka glared at Arka. “You can’t drag Alya into your family’s vendetta.”
“Vendetta?” Arka gave a bitter smile. “You still call it that?”
He pointed to the seven photographs displayed on the wall.
“Those people died because of the same case. They all knew something.”
Alya looked at the photographs.
“Then why me?”
Arka looked at her.
“Because your father kept the last piece of evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“It’s not time yet.”
Alya was beginning to lose patience. “You brought me here, called me the defendant, threatened to kill someone, and you’re still saying it’s not time yet?”
Arka glanced at the clock on the screen.
“Because you have to choose first.”
“Choose what?”
Arka pointed to the seven folders on the judge’s bench.
“There are seven names inside those seven folders.”
Alya swallowed.
“One of them is the person who will die tonight.”
Raka said immediately, “Don’t listen to him.”
Arka smiled. “You have fifty-eight minutes.”
Alya approached the bench.
“If I choose?”
“The person you choose will live.”
“And if I don’t choose?”
Arka answered calmly, “Someone will die at random.”
Raka immediately stood in front of Alya. “Don’t touch any of those folders.”
Alya looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because this is a trap.”
“Everything we’ve done from the beginning has been a trap.”
Raka fell silent.
Alya drew a deep breath.
“I need to know whose names are inside.”
Raka moved to stop her, but Alya had already picked up the first folder.
Number one.
Her hand trembled as she opened it.
The first page held a photograph of a man.
Bima Prasetyo.
Age fifty-two.
Former prosecutor’s office official.
Alya read the description beneath it.
Involved in shutting down the Livia Wijaya case.
She opened the second folder.
Sinta Maharani.
Former court administration employee.
Made the Livia Wijaya case documents disappear.
The third folder.
Alya fell silent.
A photograph of a man around thirty years old.
The name written there made her chest tighten.
Dimas Pratama.
“He’s already dead,” Alya whispered.
Arka nodded. “The third case has already been carried out.”
Alya shot him a hard look. “So all of this really was planned?”
“From the beginning.”
She opened the fourth folder.
Raka Adiputra.
Alya froze.
The room seemed to stop moving.
She read the description beneath the photograph.
An investigator who knew about the first case but chose to remain silent.
Alya slowly turned toward Raka.
Raka said nothing.
“Why is your name in here, sir?”
Raka looked at her calmly.
“Because I was involved.”
Alya took one step back.
“You said you didn’t know.”
“I never said I didn’t know.”
“But you hid it.”
“Yes.”
Alya stared at him through tear-filled eyes.
“Why?”
Raka lowered his head.
“Because I made a mistake back then.”
“What?”
“I trusted the wrong person.”
Alya opened the fifth folder.
The next name was Livia Wijaya.
Alya stared at the photograph of a woman who had died years ago.
“She was a victim.”
“That’s right,” Arka replied.
“Why is her picture in here?”
“Because the first case always begins with the first victim.”
The sixth folder.
Darman Mahardika.
Alya instantly found herself unable to speak.
Her hand stopped in midair.
“Why is Dad’s name in here?”
Arka answered softly, “Because he’s the one who knows the whole truth.”
Alya opened the next page.
There was a single line.
KEY WITNESS.
Alya’s tears fell before she even realized it.
“So Dad isn’t the defendant?”
“Not necessarily.”
Alya looked at Arka.
“Not necessarily?”
Arka didn’t answer.
Alya opened the seventh folder.
It was empty.
There was no photograph.
No name.
Only a single line.
THE PERSON CLOSEST TO THE DEFENDANT.
Alya felt her entire body break out in goose bumps.
“Who?”
Arka gave a faint smile.
“That’s what you have to find out.”
The clock on the screen showed:
41:32
Alya looked at Raka.
“Do you know who it is?”
Raka didn’t answer.
“Raka.”
“I have a guess.”
“Who?”
Raka stared at the seventh folder.
“Someone who’s always been close to you.”
Alya immediately thought of everyone who had been part of her life.
But before she could name anyone, a small explosion sounded from the back of the building.
Crash!
The room lights flickered.
Arka immediately turned toward the door.
“That wasn’t part of my plan.”
Raka quickly drew his weapon.
“There’s someone else here.”
Footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Coming closer.
Getting clearer.
Alya backed away.
Someone stopped right outside the door.
Then they heard the lock turn.
Click.
The door slowly opened.
A man stood there.
His face was covered by a mask.
He held a pistol in his hand.
Raka immediately raised his weapon.
“Drop your weapon!”
The man didn’t move.
Then he aimed his pistol at Alya.
Raka immediately stepped in front of her.
“Don’t!”
A gunshot rang out.
Bang!
Alya screamed.
Raka staggered.
His hand clutched his shoulder.
Blood began seeping through his shirt.
“Raka!”
Alya caught him before he fell.
The masked man fled.
Arka chased after him, but stopped in the doorway.
He turned toward Alya.
“Don’t let him die.”
Alya stared at Arka in panic.
“Where are you going?”
Arka only said, “Find the seventh folder.”
Then he disappeared down the hallway.
Alya pressed both hands against Raka’s wound.
“Stay conscious, Raka.”
Raka grimaced.
“Alya…”
“Yes?”
“Don’t…”
His breathing grew heavier.
“Don’t trust…”
Alya leaned closer.
“Who?”
Raka tried to open his eyes.
“The person…”
He paused.
“…who will come to save you.”
Alya froze.
Sirens sounded in the distance.
But before help arrived, the screen in the courtroom lit up again.
New words appeared.
THE FIRST CASE HAS CHANGED.
WITNESS INJURED.
DEFENDANT STILL ALIVE.
TIME REMAINING: 38 MINUTES.
Alya stared at the screen, tears still streaming down her face.
Then a message appeared on her phone.
Now you understand.
The person closest to you isn’t always the person who wants to save you.
Alya looked at Raka, still lying on the floor.
For the first time, she didn’t know…
who she could trust.