Keanu was still staring at his phone screen. The message from the unknown number remained open before him.
“I know who Arman really is.”
That short sentence made his thoughts feel even more crowded.
Who had sent the message?
How did they know about the box in the attic?
And how did they know Arman’s name?
Keanu tried to reply.
“Who are you?”
Several seconds passed.
There was no answer.
He typed again.
“You know about the box I found?”
Still no reply.
Keanu set his phone on the table, but his curiosity didn’t go away. He paced around his room, thinking about everything that had happened that day.
All this time, he’d thought his family had only stored old things in the attic. But it turned out there was a major story they had deliberately kept hidden.
And the person who made him most curious was Arman.
The person in the photograph with him when he was little.
The next morning, Keanu went downstairs to the dining room, his face still looking tired.
His mother was preparing breakfast as usual.
“Didn’t you sleep last night?” his mother asked.
“Not much.”
His mother studied Keanu’s face for a moment.
“Are you still thinking about that attic?”
Keanu stopped reaching for his food.
“You know?”
His mother fell silent.
From her reaction, Keanu immediately knew.
“You know everything too, don’t you, Mom?”
His mother slowly sat down.
“Keanu...”
“Mom, I just want an answer.”
His mother lowered her head.
“Your father must have talked to you.”
“He only said it wasn’t time yet.”
His mother sighed.
“Maybe he’s afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
His mother didn’t answer right away.
“A lot of things happened before you were born.”
Keanu stared at his mother.
“Including Arman?”
Her expression changed.
That name immediately made the peaceful morning feel different.
“I thought you didn’t know his name yet.”
“I found his photograph.”
His mother was silent for a long time.
“He was a good person, Keanu.”
“If he was a good person, why have I never heard of him?”
That question left his mother struggling to answer.
“Because after what happened, we agreed never to talk about it again.”
“What happened?”
His mother looked toward the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, honey. I can’t tell you yet.”
Keanu felt disappointed.
Everyone kept saying the same thing.
They knew something, but no one was willing to tell him.
After breakfast, Keanu went to meet Dimas.
He told him everything, from the box in the attic to the message from the unknown number.
Dimas listened seriously.
“So now someone else knows about the box?”
“Yeah.”
“Then who are they?”
“I don’t know either.”
Dimas took Keanu’s phone and looked at the message.
“This is weird.”
“What do you mean?”
“They know you went into the attic. Even though only you and your family knew about it.”
Keanu nodded.
“That’s what’s confusing me.”
Dimas handed the phone back.
“You want to find out who sent it?”
“Yeah.”
“How?”
Keanu fell silent.
He didn’t know yet.
Dimas gave him a small smile.
“Then we’ll start with the easiest thing.”
“What?”
“Find out about Arman.”
Keanu looked at Dimas.
“You’ll help me?”
“What else can I do? If I don’t help, you’ll probably do something reckless on your own.”
Keanu gave him a faint smile.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t get all emotional yet. I’m curious too.”
They began searching through everything Keanu had: the old photograph, the writing on the back of it, and the objects in the box.
Among the items, Keanu found a small piece of paper he hadn’t noticed before.
The paper was underneath an old wristwatch.
“What’s that?” Dimas asked.
Keanu unfolded the paper.
There was only an address inside.
An address for an old house in an area not too far from where he lived.
“This might be somewhere connected to Arman.”
Dimas looked at the writing.
“Should we go there?”
Keanu nodded.
That afternoon, they headed to the address.
The house they visited looked like it hadn’t been occupied in a long time. The paint was beginning to peel, and the front yard was overgrown with weeds.
Keanu stood in front of the gate.
“Why does this place feel familiar?”
Dimas turned to him.
“Have you been here before?”
Keanu shook his head.
“I don’t know. But I feel like I’ve seen this house before.”
They tried knocking on the door.
There was no answer.
After they knocked several more times, an elderly woman came out of the house next door.
“Who are you looking for?”
Keanu stepped closer.
“Excuse me, ma’am. We’re looking for someone named Arman.”
The old woman’s expression immediately changed.
“Arman?”
“Yes, ma’am. You know him?”
The woman looked Keanu up and down.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Keanu.”
The woman fell silent.
She even covered her mouth in shock.
“Keanu?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The woman slowly approached him.
“Are you his child?”
Keanu was immediately confused.
“Whose child?”
The woman stared at Keanu’s face, her eyes glistening with tears.
“Arman’s.”
Keanu froze.
“What do you mean?”
The woman didn’t answer.
She only looked at Keanu’s face as if she were looking at someone from the past.
“You finally came.”
Keanu grew even more confused.
“Ma’am, who exactly is Arman?”
The old woman drew a long breath.
“If you really want to know, come inside.”
The old house’s door slowly opened.
Keanu and Dimas looked at each other.
They had no idea what they would find inside.
But one thing was certain.
They might be getting closer to the answers about Arman.