Day 240 - Monday - 8:30 PM
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It was a celebration. A grand feast stretched across the open grounds, lanterns swaying gently in the evening breeze. Laughter echoed through the air.
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Faces glowed with joy - some carried the silent weight of grief, but all were lit with the warmth of hope.
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Valli stood by my side.
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We recreated our moment - the one I had dreamed of before the world fell apart. I held out a hibiscus flower and a KitKat bar, smiling nervously.
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She smiled brighter.
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Without saying a word, she handed me something - a T-shirt with Jay Lee's face printed on it. The same one I had longed for when his movie released years ago.
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I was stunned.
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"You... kept this all these years?" I asked, nearly speechless.
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She nodded. "For this day."
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We hugged tightly.
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Near us, Ajay and Kohila were laughing and playing cards with Dev, while munching on satay sticks like it was a Deepavali celebration.
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Not far from them, I spotted K-Zhaii holding hands with Shanthini, sitting quietly, eyes locked in a peaceful silence.
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Inside me I was wondering, How the hell did she impress him? But I smiled anyway.
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Professor Joe was entertaining a small group of children with stories and silly science tricks.
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Major Prakash, The Stormbloods, The Last Flame, and others from the Whites and Blues were all celebrating too. Campfires were lit, food was shared, songs were sung.
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We named the night:
Merdeka 2.0.
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For the first time in ages, more than 400 people had gathered together - free, safe, and alive.
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Major Prakash gave a brief speech, not too formal, just like him.
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Then he surprised all of us - gifting each member of the team a silver watch with the engraving:
"To the ones who lit the flame."
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That night was something else.
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Later, Ajay and I sat on an old bench under the stars, letting the night wind cool our tired bodies. Between us was a small collection of old photographs we had gathered during our journey - each one picked up from abandoned homes, schools, vehicles, and streets.
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Behind every photo, we had scribbled the date and place we found it.
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There were pictures of families. Students. Friends. Couples. Pets. Strangers.
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Each one frozen in time... each one holding a thousand unspoken stories.
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Ajay flipped through one and whispered, "This one's my favourite. The kid with the ice cream. He reminds me of how simple life used to be."
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I nodded. "We'll keep these safe. These are the memories we carry for those who couldn't."
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With hearts full of memories and bodies aching from battle, we finally drifted into sleep.
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Day 241 - Tuesday - 9:00 AM
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It was time.
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We were going back to Ipoh - home.
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I stood alongside Valli, Ajay, Kohila, Professor Joe, Dev, K-Zhaii, and Shanthini. This time, we weren't just survivors - we were family.
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On our way, we planned to stop in Kuala Lumpur, to visit the lab and check on Professor Agilan, Pratap, and the rest of the research team. They had helped from the shadows - it was time to reconnect.
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Fighting the Servants had given us new weapons, more ammo, and even clues about where the next threat might be.
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But we also carried something far more important now:
Raya.
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The cure bomb that worked. The spores that turned Rottens back into humans. The beginning of humanity's comeback.
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The world was counting on us now.
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Just before we left, Major Prakash showed us a map - one passed down from the old military. It marked the hidden locations of wired telegraph posts across Malaysia, once used by the army.
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"These still work," he said. "They're not fast, but they're reliable. If anything ever happens, use these to stay connected."
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He taught us how to use them - one more gift for the future.
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Day 241 - Tuesday - 10:30 AM
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We began our journey again.
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But this time, we weren't running.
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We were moving forward. Together. With people we trusted, people we loved.
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There was no fear - only responsibility. The kind that makes your shoulders heavy, but your heart strong.
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I glanced at Valli, walking beside me. She smiled.
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And in that
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moment, I knew:
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Whatever comes next... I'll make it through.
Because now, I have her with me.
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