057. Yanti Salsabila

What Jalu had once believed about the dark event, known as the June 9th incident in Indonesia, had only scratched the surface. In the beginning, his father’s retelling of the event closely mirrored what Jalu already knew—official reports, scattered rumors, and his own careful analysis. But as the conversation deepened, the layers began to peel away, exposing secrets Jalu had never anticipated.
Names he hadn’t heard before surfaced, some belonging to figures in positions of power, others whispered in secrecy. And with each revelation, the true nature of the conspiracy, buried beneath the mask of silence, unraveled before him—far more sinister and expansive than anything Jalu had ever envisioned. But nothing could have prepared him for the one name that sent a chill through his veins—Yanti Salsabila, his stepmother. Bayu’s voice, steady and unyielding, revealed truths that no one had ever spoken of before.
Yanti, the youngest daughter in a modest family, helped run their small inn in quiet Lembang. Life was routine until an interdimensional rift suddenly tore open in the backyard, shattering their peace. From it emerged *Enterophaga Vorax*—*enrax*—Category Two threats known for their savage hunger for intestines. Although Bayu’s arrival was prompt, it was already too late. Though he managed to kill all the creatures, Yanti’s family and six guests had already been brutally slaughtered.
Among the blood-soaked ruins, Bayu found Yanti, frozen in shock, her mind shattered by the carnage. As the EPCU’s Recovery Unit cleaned up the aftermath, he took her to their headquarters in Bandung, seeking therapy for the grief-stricken woman. She refused the offer of memory alteration, preferring to live with the bitter truth rather than erase it. For three long months, she stayed in quarantine at the facility, battling the horrors in her mind.
After her therapy, Yanti chose not to return to the inn, despite its flawless restoration. The memories were too painful. Bayu, moved by her quiet despair, offered her a role caring for his son. Yanti’s unwavering love and gentleness in tending to infant Jalu touched Bayu deeply. As he watched her bring balance to his family, his admiration grew. Soon, he asked Yanti to become Jalu’s permanent caretaker and, shortly after, his wife, captivated by her beauty and nurturing spirit.
Yet, no one, not even Bayu, realized just how deeply her family’s death had affected her. The tragedy transformed Yanti into a woman constantly tormented by anxiety, her mind consumed by fear whenever Bayu was away. She became overprotective, unable to shake the terror that anything could happen and take away what little she had left.
To ease her growing worries and because of her impressive managerial skills, Bayu entrusted Yanti with the role of CEO at Banar Group. The position gave her control over a vast network of enterprises, but even the complexities of running a major corporation didn’t distract her from her true priority—Jalu. Her love for him was so profound that she placed him above everything else, making him the center of her world.
As Jalu grew older, Yanti’s fears began to intensify. The usually composed and efficient CEO could swiftly turn into a panicked and frantic mother at the sight of the smallest injury—an insignificant scratch on Jalu’s knee was enough to send her spiraling into anxiety. Her paranoia deepened with each passing year, and it reached new heights when Jalu made the decision to join the army.
His genetic traits and exceptional abilities quickly earned him a place in Kopassus, Indonesia’s elite special forces unit. But instead of feeling pride in Jalu’s accomplishments, Yanti’s fear only grew deeper. She dreaded that Jalu would follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both of whom had served under the shadowy Division 96. It was a path marked by danger and secrecy, one that had become a family legacy—one Yanti was desperate to prevent her son from inheriting.
"She is not someone involved in a world full of secrets. For her, the truth is what the government voices through the media," Bayu’s voice continued.
With no military or political background, Yanti was simply an ordinary citizen, unable to see the complexities of politics beyond a simplistic black-and-white view. Her knowledge of Division 96 was limited to what she feared most—the grave dangers of fighting monsters and the grueling, endless work hours. Having grown accustomed to Bayu’s frequent absences but never to the constant worry that came with them, she couldn’t bear the thought of her stepson following the same perilous path.
To protect his stepmother from the truth, Jalu did hide his identity as a member of Division 96. And in an effort to ease her mind, he told Yanti that he had resigned from military service to pursue further studies abroad, assuring her that he would eventually work alongside her as the CEO of Banar Group. Yanti was overjoyed, her worries seemingly erased by the prospect of Jalu staying safe and close.
Unbeknownst to her, the reality was far different. Jalu had not left the military but had been secretly sent by Division 96 to train with the Nizari Hashashin—an ancient and deadly order renowned for their skills in espionage and assassination. As he honed his abilities in secret, Jalu maintained the façade, carefully guarding the truth from Yanti, knowing that revealing it would only break her heart.
It was weeks after Jalu’s departure that the June 9th incident took place. Afterwards, the Regime intensified its grip on the narrative, launching a sweeping propaganda campaign. The Darah Juang Force was glorified in every state-run media outlet, hailed as the true heroes who had successfully crushed the so-called coup attempt. According to the propaganda, these soldiers were portrayed as unwavering defenders of the nation's ideology, their loyalty to the Penyempurna Regime celebrated with fervor.
In contrast, Division 96 found itself at the center of a smear campaign. Media outlets painted the covert division as nothing more than a rogue syndicate, a dangerous faction composed of officials from various government agencies, departments, and military branches. Allegedly fanatically loyal to the previous regime, Division 96 was portrayed as a terrorist organization—an underground force willing to use violence and chaos to overthrow the new order.
In a bid to tighten their control and crush any remaining resistance, the Regime didn’t stop at labeling Division 96 members as terrorists and traitors. They escalated their tactics by issuing death sentences for those who dared to resist. However, a seemingly merciful offer was extended—a second chance for those who surrendered. The Regime promised that any member of Division 96 who turned themselves in would be embraced by the Patriot Bureau, where they would be ‘purified’ from the misguided doctrines of the previous regime.
It was a deceptive promise, a cleverly laid trap designed to root out the last pockets of dissent. A promise never meant to be fulfilled. And Yanti, in her desperation and fear for Jalu, had unknowingly fallen into this snare.
The regime’s propaganda, though twisted and deceptive, offered an explanation for the veil of secrecy around Bayu’s work. And though the portrayal was false, it ignited something dangerous within Yanti—a misguided hope fueled by her innocence. Believing she was protecting her stepson from the dangerous legacy of his father, she had made a devastating mistake.
In her desperation, Yanti believed the regime's promises. If Division 96 members could be purified and redeemed, perhaps Bayu could break free from the sinister organization. She envisioned a future where her husband would finally be able to step out of the shadows, to be a normal father to Jalu when he returned home. With a heavy heart and a flicker of hope, Yanti revealed Bayu’s identity to the Patriot Bureau, unaware that her decision would set a tragic chain of events in motion—one that could never be undone.