77. The Girl Who Waited

Night had fallen when the sliding high iron trellis gate, covered with fiber, revealed the expansive courtyard of a house in the Cipaganti area. A hatchback sedan glided out towards the only major road in the vicinity. Behind it, an automatic scooter followed suit and halted in front of the open gate. The rider, a bespectacled woman with a masked face, let her long hair flow from beneath the edges of the helmet. She waved to a beautiful girl closing the gate before accelerating her motorcycle swiftly along the one-way street.
The slender and fit girl gazed momentarily toward the bustling road filled with various vehicles. She seemed to be waiting for something. However, realizing that many drivers were looking at her, she quickly closed and locked the gate. As if hoping someone would reopen it, she stood motionless for a moment before eventually walking into the sizable house ahead.
Despite her tall stature by Indonesian women's standards, she appeared petite and adorable in loose pastel pajamas. Clad in such attire, she easily captivated the attention of passing drivers. Just a glance at her beautiful face seemed to erase their fatigue. Little did these onlookers know that the girl was not human.
Liriénka, the girl from another dimension, resided in Jalu's house during his time in Russia. She was accompanied by Sekar and Rini, who taught her many things about human life. Occasionally, other members of the group visited Jalu's home and were impressed by how quickly the niylath girl absorbed the knowledge imparted to her. Liriénka's unique fighting style also captured the interest of the Gugus Niskala members.
The shy and amiable nature of the girl would vanish instantly when she engaged in combat. Liriénka was a member of the Elthié family, an unyielding lineage within the Ornkhå caste, the caste of heroes, knights, and warriors in her world. Despite being the only daughter in the Elthié family, Liriénka was not a fighter to be underestimated. Her combat style, resembling a blend of Wing Chun and Kalaripayattu, could only be matched by field agents of the caliber of Martin, Edo, and, of course, Jalu.
However, it was the girl's innocence that endeared her to the members of the Gugus Niskala. Liriénka harbored no ill judgments except based on her own experiences. She was remarkably caring and protective of all she deemed as good-hearted. Her clear, baby-like eyes sparked a desire in the hearts of all members to always shield her. They never left her alone. But everything would change on that fateful day.
After the meeting at the Gugus Niskala headquarters concluded, all members promptly headed to Jalu's house to bid farewell to Liriénka. They were about to embark on their respective distant assignments. Only Erwin and Jalu remained at the headquarters to discuss the next steps. Sekar informed Liriénka that Erwin apologized for not being able to meet her, intentionally leaving out the fact that Jalu would be returning soon.
Like a diligent homeowner, Liriénka locked the front door and began tidying up the used glasses and plates from her guests. Without wasting time to relax, she swiftly washed and neatly arranged everything on the drying rack beside the sink. After ensuring everything was in order, she turned off all the lights in the house and proceeded to the backyard, which was as vast as the front yard.
Something new could be seen in the backyard—an enclosed space constructed from white wooden panels formed a small room sheltered by a roof near the back door. Besides the CCTV monitor displaying the front yard situation, there was a small wardrobe and a clothes rack. The girl casually removed her pajamas, exchanging them for a black shorty wetsuit. The tight and elastic material of the wetsuit accentuated the beauty of her body shape.
Calmly, she submerged herself into the clear pool designed to resemble a stone lake. However, the girl didn't swim. She didn't even resurface after a few minutes had passed. Liriénka appeared comfortably lying in one corner of the pool as if she were lying on a bed. The niylaths indeed spent more time underwater. In the world of Léit-Nalamn, besides special occasions, they only ventured onto land to eat and relieve themselves.
Liriénka lingered at the pool’s bottom, her gaze fixed on the distant sky above. Through the rippling surface, only the faint glow of a crescent moon and a few scattered stars were visible, their brilliance dulled by the city’s heavy light pollution. Her right hand extended upward, fingers splayed as if she could reach out and pluck the distant celestial bodies from the night.
A melancholic expression clouded her face, reflecting the deep currents of her thoughts. Though she felt comfortable in this house, every glance at the moon stirred memories of her family's uncertain fate. It was a reminder she couldn’t escape. And now, another shadow had taken root in her mind—a figure who had lately become just as important. She couldn't shake the worry that gnawed at her, wondering about the condition of the man who had saved her life at Situ Cukul.
Lost in thought, Liriénka stayed beneath the water, her mind adrift in its depths, until at last, her beautiful eyes fluttered shut, and she surrendered to the brief reprieve of sleep. But the peace didn’t last long. Only a few hours later, her heightened senses, always attuned to her surroundings, caught the faint but distinct vibration of the sliding gate. Her eyes snapped open, sharp and alert.
Instinctively, her right hand shot toward the spear resting nearby. Without making a sound, she propelled herself toward the pool’s edge, slipping out of the water with the grace and agility of a predator. The spear now gripped tightly in her hand, Liriénka moved like a shadow toward the changing room, her movements swift and fluid, as silent as a cat on the hunt.
Her heart raced as she reached the CCTV monitor, eyes wide with anticipation. The black-and-white screen flickered to reveal a black SUV parked in the front yard. A figure emerged from the driver’s seat, his presence commanding immediate attention. He wore his hair in a top-knot undercut, a plastic bag hanging from his left hand and a backpack slung over his right shoulder.
He turned and looked directly at the camera, his face illuminated by the dim light—a face that had haunted her thoughts. Handsome, gallant, and familiar. Liriénka’s heart skipped a beat, her chest tightening with a rush of emotions. The longing and relief in her eyes were unmistakable, flooding her entire being. Her savior had returned.

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