First Day
00:15:21
The numbers on the gigantic digital clock in the sky continued to fall without pause.
Putri stood by the small bedroom window of their shabby rental house, staring at the strange light blanketing the night sky with a confused expression. Behind her, Rangga had changed into a clean shirt and was pressing a cold cloth against his bruised ribs.
"Mas... what is that thing, really? Why is this happening? What are they choosing people for?"
Rangga slowly shook his head.
"I don't know either, Put... But don't worry. Whether it's aliens or whatever... no matter what happens, I'll still be here."
Putri bit her lip.
"But... they said they'd choose a hundred people from every country, right? What if you're one of them?"
Rangga let out a small laugh.
"Haha—ugh... ah..."
His laughter immediately turned into a groan as another sharp pain shot through his ribs.
He rubbed his chest for a moment before looking at his sister.
"Put... there are millions of people in our country... There's no way I'd be chosen."
"But, Mas..."
"Come on." Rangga cut her off with a faint smile. "Don't think about it... We'll just stay hidden here. We don't have anything anyway. Why would they choose us?"
He shrugged.
"Even aliens would probably pick someone better. Look at us. Skinny, broke, and we've got nothing."
Putri lowered her head.
Although she managed a faint smile at her brother's joke, the worry on her face remained.
She turned back toward the tiny window.
"I hope they don't choose us... Mr. Alien."
00:13:57
The Garuda Nation's presidential command room was filled with ministers, generals, scientists, and experts from every field.
Time was running out, yet not one of them had a definitive answer.
President Prabu looked around the room with a solemn expression.
"So... what's the conclusion?"
"We're running out of time."
The experts exchanged glances before one of them stood.
"The most likely explanation is an extraterrestrial phenomenon, Mr. President. It may have originated from alien life."
Another scientist immediately shook his head.
"The International Space Station hasn't detected any unidentified objects in orbit. That hypothesis is still weak."
"Perhaps it's a new weapon developed by the Bald Eagle Nation."
"Impossible," another replied. "Their country is experiencing the exact same panic. They wouldn't attack themselves."
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Theory after theory emerged.
A natural phenomenon.
Classified technology.
A military experiment.
Satellite manipulation.
None of them had enough evidence.
"Enough."
General Suryo's voice instantly silenced the room.
He stepped forward, looking each person in the eye.
"What if..."
"...the voice is telling the truth?"
Silence fell over the room.
"What if the Administrator of the Universe really is giving humanity a second chance?"
"And the fate of our nation's civilization... now rests in the hands of the one hundred people who have been chosen."
Every eye turned toward him.
Even President Prabu remained silent for several moments.
General Suryo continued calmly.
"Perhaps... that truly is the purpose of all this."
"As a nation... the only thing we can do now is place our hopes in them."
President Prabu let out a long sigh.
"Then... who are those one hundred people? No one knows."
General Suryo didn't answer immediately.
His gaze drifted toward the window, where the gigantic digital clock continued counting down in the sky.
"...I don't know either, Mr. President."
Time continued to pass.
00:00:10
Putri hugged Rangga tightly.
Her fingers trembled, as though she feared letting go of her brother for even a second.
"Mas... it's almost time..."
00:00:09
Rangga smiled reassuringly, though his own heart was beginning to fill with unease.
"Relax. There's no way we'll be chosen... Don't be scared."
00:00:08
Putri looked up at him.
"But... what if you or I get chosen?"
00:00:07
Rangga gently patted her head.
"If I get picked, don't worry... I'll bring you with me."
He said it with a smile, even though he wasn't sure it made any sense.
00:00:06
Putri nodded.
Rangga chuckled softly.
"Well then... if you're the one who gets picked, make sure you bring me too, okay?"
00:00:05
A smile finally appeared on Putri's face.
"I will... I'll ask Mr. Alien to take you too... I don't want to be alone over there."
00:00:04
Rangga laughed quietly before pulling her into a tighter embrace.
His eyes turned toward the window, where the countdown was nearly over.
"Don't worry... By tomorrow everything will probably be back to normal."
00:00:03
"Okay, Mas."
00:00:02
The clock continued ticking.
00:00:01
Silence engulfed the entire world.
00:00:00
The voice echoed once again inside the minds of every human being.
《One hundred Pioneers from each nation have been selected.》
《Beginning transfer process.》
In an instant, the tiny rental room was flooded with blinding white light.
Rangga's body began to glow.
"Mas?! Mas, what's happening?!"
Rangga stared at his hands, now shining brilliantly.
His face immediately turned pale.
"I-I don't know, Put! What's happening to me?!"
Particles of light began drifting away from his body one by one.
Instinctively, Rangga wrapped his arms around Putri as tightly as he could.
"HEY! I DON'T WANT TO BE CHOSEN! PICK SOMEONE ELSE!"
Putri burst into tears as she clung to him.
"Mr. Alien! Take me too! Don't take only my brother!"
Rangga's body became increasingly transparent.
Slowly, the warmth of their embrace began to fade.
"Put..."
He reached for his sister's shoulders—
But his hands passed straight through her, as if they already existed in different worlds.
"Put! Put!"
Putri desperately reached for him.
"Mas! Don't go! Mas! Mas!"
They both tried to hold onto each other.
But their hands passed through one another again and again, unable to make contact.
Rangga could only look at his sister's face one last time.
The next instant, his entire body dissolved into light...
...and vanished.
"MAS RANGGAAA!!"
Putri collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
Her eyes searched every corner of the darkened room, hoping her brother would somehow reappear.
But the tiny house held only her now.
The same phenomenon unfolded across the entire world.
A man having dinner with his family suddenly began glowing from head to toe.
Elsewhere, a mother embracing her child also started to shine before slowly dissolving into countless specks of light.
Inside a hospital, a surgeon performing an operation suddenly froze as his body lit up.
"What's happening?!"
His colleagues could only stare in horror as the doctor disappeared before their eyes.
In a bedroom, a student vanished from his desk.
On a fishing boat, a fisherman disappeared in front of his crewmates.
Even on the battlefields that had only moments ago fallen silent, several soldiers from both sides began radiating light.
"He's been chosen! Grab him!"
Their comrades desperately tried to hold onto them.
But as their bodies faded, every hand passed straight through them.
One by one, one hundred people from every nation vanished without leaving a trace.
Billions witnessed the phenomenon simultaneously.
Cries of grief erupted across the globe.
Parents lost their children.
Lovers lost those dearest to them.
Coworkers could do nothing but stand frozen as people disappeared before their eyes.
When the last light faded, silence lingered for only a brief moment.
Then panic exploded once again.
Screams filled the streets.
Emergency lines were overwhelmed with reports of missing people.
Across the world, the chaos that had briefly subsided erupted once more—far worse than before.