The World That Split The Earth

Chapter 001: Fog Inside the Tour Bus That day, a group of 320 eleventh-grade students from a vocational technical high school in Tangerang were traveling toward the new capital city after landing at Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport in Balikpapan. Ten tour buses moved in convoy along the highway, each carrying one class along with their supervising teacher. At first, the trip felt completely normal. The bus engine hummed steadily. The students’ chatter mixed with laughter and music from their phones, though the sounds slowly faded as the signal gradually disappeared little by little. Then everything changed. Without warning, the bus engine suddenly died. Dense white fog appeared out of nowhere from every direction—not like ordinary fog that descended slowly, but like a silent explosion crashing directly into every vehicle at once. In a single second, the highway vanished. HEUK!!! Darkness swallowed them with terrifying speed. The entire bus felt as though it had been devoured by a space without light. The passengers’ bodies suddenly became heavy. Their chests tightened, as if the air around them had abruptly thinned. Breathing became difficult, while a strange pressure squeezed their bodies from every direction. Some students instinctively grabbed their seats. Others clutched their chests while trying to take deeper breaths. Their instincts sensed that something was wrong. Not just darkness. Not just a dead engine. There was something foreign about it—something that made the hairs on the back of their necks rise for no clear reason. Pale faces slowly emerged within the darkness. Cold sweat dampened foreheads, while some students tried to hide their fear through nervous jokes or irritated complaints. CTEK! CTEK! CTEK! The repeated clicking of control panel buttons shattered the silence. Pak Marta, the bus driver, looked panicked. His hands moved frantically as he tried to restart the engine that had suddenly died completely. “What the hell is this?!” “Where are we?!” “Pak Supir, where did you take us?!” Complaints began pouring from the students. Fear slowly turned into anger—the easiest reaction when humans cannot understand the situation they are facing. “S-s-sorry... I-I don’t know why this happened either...” the driver answered in confusion. His voice trembled. He himself was beginning to grow irritated at becoming the target of everyone’s anger over something he didn’t even understand. Seriously... do they think I want to be stuck here too? he complained inwardly. “How could this happen, pak? Why are you still using a broken bus?!” “Seriously. We paid a lot for this trip and now we’re stuck in total darkness...” “Pak, turn on the lights! It’s dark as hell!” “Yeah, hurry up already!” The students’ voices grew louder. The bus became increasingly noisy and chaotic. “Everyone, calm down!” A firm voice cut through the commotion. Rezvan. The Indonesian language teacher who also taught Arts and Culture. He was the supervising teacher for the thirty-six students inside the bus. “All of you have been educated to behave with manners. Pak Supir is also older than you. Show some respect. Complaining and getting angry will not solve anything.” The atmosphere immediately calmed down. Some students lowered their heads in embarrassment. Others pretended to be busy so they wouldn’t have to look at their teacher. “Thank you, pak guru...” Pak Marta said with an emotional smile. In a situation like this, even a small act of defense meant a lot to him. “It’s alright, pak. Please keep trying to restart the vehicle,” Rezvan replied while calming the situation. Pak Marta nodded and tried the engine again. “Pak guru, is your phone dead too?” Rafandra suddenly asked. His tone sounded different. Not panicked—almost too calm. “Hm?!” Rezvan looked confused before quickly pulling his phone from his pocket. “Eh, yeah...” he muttered softly. “Why is my phone dead...?” “Pak Marta’s phone... dead too?” Rafandra asked again. “Y-yes... you knew, Ndra?!” Pak Marta asked quickly. “If your phone was still working, I doubt you’d be using a lighter to check the bus panel,” Rafandra replied flatly. “R-right...” Pak Marta immediately fell silent. Only now did he realize he had indeed been using a lighter this whole time to see the vehicle’s controls. “This is strange... how did all our phones die at the same time?” Rezvan said. His voice was beginning to change. Anxiety. “I don’t think it’s just our phones that died... or rather, got damaged,” Rafandra answered seriously. KRASAK… KRUSUK… KRESEK… The atmosphere inside the bus became even more uncomfortable. People began checking their bags, pockets, and belongings in the dark. “My phone’s dead...” “Same here...” “What the hell?! Mine’s dead too...” The complaints strengthened Rafandra’s suspicion. Something much bigger was happening. “Does anyone have a watch?” Rafandra asked while raising the lighter. That tiny flame became the only source of light inside the bus. One by one, the students shook their heads. “I do,” Rezvan answered while rolling up his sleeve. Rafandra stepped closer and directed the lighter’s flame toward the wristwatch. “So I was right...” he murmured. “What is it, Bang?” Rezvan asked in confusion. “Why did my watch stop too?!” “Pak Marta, stop trying to fix it... this bus isn’t going to start again. It’s broken,” Rafandra said. “What do you mean, Ndra?!” Pak Marta responded, slightly offended. “Why?” “There’s a high chance this was caused by an EMP,” Rafandra answered while glancing at Rezvan. “You teach at a technical school, pak guru. You know what that means.” “EMP?! Why? What happened? Was it natural or...?” Rezvan stopped mid-sentence. He realized the next words might trigger even greater panic among the students. “We still don’t know whether it was caused naturally or by something else,” Rafandra continued carefully. Inside the bus, the students began whispering among themselves. “Pak guru, what’s happening?” “Why is it dark? Wasn’t it still daytime?” “Did we enter a tunnel?” “Why did we stop here?” “Why does this place feel creepy?” Anxiety spread like a virus. “Everyone, calm down!” Rezvan shouted again. Then he turned toward Pak Marta and Rafandra. “Me, Pak Supir, and Abang kenek—we were all in the front together. We all saw what was ahead of us before we got trapped in this darkness. Did any of you see where we entered?” he asked seriously. Rezvan’s heartbeat grew faster. His instincts told him something was wrong. “Sorry, pak, I’m confused too. I’m sure we were still on the highway just now,” Pak Marta answered with a pale face. “Pak... what if we entered SARANJANA?” Arka, who sat directly behind the driver’s seat, suddenly spoke. His face was deathly pale. “Dek, don’t talk nonsense! How could there be SARANJANA on a highway?!” Pak Marta snapped reflexively. Yet his tone sounded more like someone trying to convince himself. “Saranjana’s existence has never been proven. For now, let’s just consider it a legend, Arka,” Rezvan answered calmly. Even so, deep inside, he himself had begun to doubt. Dina, who sat beside Arka, interrupted. “But, Pak Rezvan, we all know we were just on the highway... so how did we suddenly end up in a place like this?” “That’s true, pak... even if thick fog suddenly appeared... we were on a crowded highway. If the bus stopped suddenly in the middle of the road, there’s a huge chance another vehicle would’ve crashed into us. But this whole time... nothing happened...” Kirana added. Rezvan fell silent. His logic was beginning to collide with the reality before him. As a teacher, he was used to thinking rationally. But everything happening now was becoming harder and harder to explain. “Everyone, stay calm. Try to find anything that can be used as a light source,” Rezvan said. “Kirana’s point makes sense... but if Abang kenek is right and this was caused by an EMP, then maybe it’s possible.” The students began fumbling through their bags and pockets. But after several minutes, the result was nothing. No flashlight. No lamps. Nothing at all that could help. Only darkness. Thick. Absolute. “Huft...” Rezvan let out a long breath. “Come on, this is an emergency. I’m not going to report anyone. I know some of you keep lighters for smoking... take them out. We need to see our surroundings.” Almost half the students immediately raised their hands. Rezvan rubbed his temples. He didn’t know whether to get angry or laugh at the sight. Even Pak Marta and Rafandra had to suppress smiles, reminded of how their own youth had not been much different. — “Pak, pak...” A panicked voice called from the middle row. “Pak... Pak Rezvan, please help...” Damar shouted while waving his hand. Rezvan immediately moved closer. “Ardi, Damar, is that you?... What happened?” Damar and Ardi were holding Danang’s trembling body. “We don’t know, pak. Danang’s acting weird...” Damar answered anxiously. “Danang...” Rezvan crouched halfway in front of the student. But the light was too dim to see clearly. “I can’t breathe, pak...” Danang gasped. “Pak, my chest hurts...” “Do you have asthma?!” Rezvan asked quickly. Rafandra immediately approached with the lighter. The tiny flame revealed Danang’s deathly pale face. Cold sweat covered his temples. His chest rose and fell irregularly. Danang weakly shook his head. Rafandra frowned. His expression immediately turned serious. He looked toward Rezvan. Their eyes met. No words were needed. Danang’s condition was bad. And Rezvan realized it too. “Pak...” Damar called again with a trembling voice. “I feel cold too... same as Danang. It’s been hard to breathe for a while now...” A few seconds later— Complaints began emerging from every direction. Coughing. Painful gasps. Labored breathing. Panicked groans. Everything blended into suffocating chaos. Danang was not the only one. “Do any of you have asthma?” Rezvan asked. His voice was beginning to sound desperate. One by one, students started collapsing into their seats. Flushed faces. Heavy breathing. Weakening bodies. The bus transformed into a chamber of panic. “Stay here. I’m going outside to find help...” Rezvan said firmly as he moved toward the bus door. But suddenly— Brak! Rafandra grabbed his arm. Rezvan immediately turned around. “What is it?” he asked in confusion. “Don’t go outside,” Rafandra said quietly but firmly. “Bang, the kids are in trouble. The bus is dead, and nobody’s phone works. I have to go out and find help...” Rezvan replied. His voice was becoming emotional. “Don’t!” Rafandra shouted louder. “I feel like... we absolutely shouldn’t leave this bus.” Those words made the atmosphere even colder. Rafandra himself didn’t know the exact reason. But his instincts violently rejected the idea of leaving the vehicle. As though something was out there. Something unseen. Rezvan’s brow twitched. His chest rose and fell rapidly. Logic told him he had to act. Yet another part of him... was afraid. “Excuse me, Bang,” he finally said while pulling his arm free. “I have to go out... these kids need help.” The bus fell silent again. Only heavy breathing and faint heartbeats could be heard within the darkness. Outside the windows, the pitch-black fog looked like an endless ocean. Rezvan walked quickly toward the bus door. Adrenaline flooded his body. He forced himself to think rationally. The students needed help. He had to move. But the moment his hand pulled the door lever— It did not move. Not even slightly. Rezvan froze. “That’s impossible...” he whispered. He tried again. Harder. Still nothing. His heart immediately pounded wildly. His body stiffened. Humanity’s primitive thoughts—the most basic survival instincts—began taking over his mind. His brain interpreted the situation as danger. Rafandra, standing several steps behind him, watched silently. He could see Rezvan’s hands beginning to tremble. The teacher’s breathing turned ragged. His shoulders tightened. Without needing an explanation, Rafandra understood something: Rezvan’s own body was terrified of going outside. His subconscious instincts were warning him of danger. “Bang... the door... won’t open,” Rezvan said stiffly. “The bus is dead, pak guru. That’s why the door won’t open...” Pak Marta answered from his seat. Even in the darkness, he could clearly hear everything happening. Rafandra stepped closer and gently patted Rezvan’s shoulder. “I don’t know what’s happening... but there’s something out there... something we can’t predict,” he said quietly while staring into the darkness beyond the windows. Rezvan swallowed hard. His logic kept forcing him to search for solutions. But his deepest instincts continued screaming the same warning: Don’t go outside. His neck and shoulders stiffened. His head throbbed. Inside him, logic and instinct clashed violently. Meanwhile, Rafandra remained calm. The bus now felt like a fragile capsule separating them from something vast, dark, and unknown outside.