A gentle breeze brushed against Joenathan's handsome face. It made him overwhelmingly drowsy, until he could no longer force his eyes to stay open.
Eventually, he went back inside and lay down beside Mayang. The two of them fell into a deep sleep and drifted through beautiful dreams.
The next morning, they were awakened by a knock at the bedroom door.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Yes?” Mayang opened the bedroom door with a sleepy face.
It turned out to be Yanah, the hotel employee who had arranged for her to stay for free.
“Get up quickly. Here's your breakfast. After that, get ready to leave,” Yanah said casually.
“What time is it already? You said there'd be a bell,” Mayang said, trying to remind her.
“Yes, but a prince is visiting today. He can't find out that outsiders are staying here,” she said, sounding slightly rushed.
“Outsiders? A prince?” Mayang tried to activate her still-sleeping brain.
“Yes. Your scent smells different from ours,” Yanah replied.
“But I still want to stay here. I feel comfortable, calm, peaceful—it's like I've come home. I can even forget everything that happened yesterday,” Mayang said as she stood on the balcony, enjoying the strange morning that she found incredibly beautiful.
“Who are you, really?” Yanah asked as she approached the balcony.
“I'm Mayang, from Jawa Timur. I came here to meet my best friend. Actually, I wasn't supposed to come to this city but to Banjarmasin, because his company assigned him to work in this city, so I followed him here. I ran away here because my boyfriend just betrayed me. I wanted to find some peace,” Mayang explained, her gaze drifting into the distance.
“Sometimes we really do need to go away for a while to heal a wounded heart, but this isn't the place for that,” Yanah replied, standing beside Mayang.
“Wherever I can feel calm and comfortable, that's where my heartbreak can heal,” Mayang said.
“Do you like this place?” Yanah asked.
“Yes, I like this peacefulness. The atmosphere here feels familiar in my memories. I don't know when I dreamed about this place, but I'm sure I've been here before. It's just that the memory is very faint.”
The two of them stared at the bright sky together, though a thin mist seemed to hang there. Even the sunlight did not shine directly on the city, as if an invisible barrier stood in the way.
“This city is so beautiful. I hope I can come back here someday,” Mayang said, looking at Yanah's face.
Yanah only gave Mayang a sweet smile without saying a word.
That morning, Mayang and Joenathan left the hotel before the bell rang. The hotel looked crowded with guests, unlike the previous night, when it had been so empty and quiet.
“This hotel is actually pretty busy in the morning,” Joenathan muttered as he walked across the white marble toward the lobby.
In the hotel's spacious, magnificent lobby, rows of staff stood stiffly in front of the entrance, lined up neatly like soldiers. Their heads were bowed deeply, their faces hidden behind expressions of seriousness and reverence.
Every uniform looked clean and immaculate, with sleeves and collars pressed perfectly, without a single wrinkle. Outside, a flying car hovered slowly, its body gleaming with a futuristic design that radiated luxury.
The hotel's lights reflected off the vehicle's metallic surface, highlighting its smooth curves and aerodynamic lines.
The car door opened, and a man emerged wearing a long, flowing black robe decorated with contrasting yet elegant gold-yellow accents.
He moved with calm authority as he stepped inside, while the staff kept their eyes fixed on the floor, too afraid to look directly at him.
The lobby suddenly fell silent. The only sounds were his steady footsteps and the soft echo of his robe sweeping across the marble floor.