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Day 239 - Sunday, 6:45 AM
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It was finally the day.
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I, Pugazh, woke up earlier than usual, my heart pounding with nervous excitement. Today, I would finally see Valli again.
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I wanted everything to be perfect. So, I decided to recreate the special moment I had planned long ago-the KitKat chocolate from Dev and the hibiscus flower gifted by Mrs. Ram were ready. This time, I wouldn't run out of time.
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Ajay saw my face glowing with happiness. He smiled knowingly-he understood what today meant for me.
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Then, something unexpected happened. Kohila walked into our room. Before any of us could speak, she turned to Ajay, handed him a handmade bracelet, and proposed to him. No drama, no long speeches-just honest love.
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Ajay hugged her tightly.
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The whole room lit up with joy. I couldn't stop smiling. Dev was grinning wide too.
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Just then, K-Zhaii walked in and clapped his hands. "Alright, lovebirds," he said, "get ready. Big day ahead."
He smirked at Kohila. "Nice bracelet. I told you it would work."
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Turns out, it was K-Zhaii's idea all along.
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Soon after, Dato called for a meeting. We all gathered in the common hall, where he laid out the day's plan.
It was simple but crucial.
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Pratap and Professor Joe, along with the elite squad called The Ultras, would head to a major laboratory in Kuala Lumpur to work on mass-producing the cure. Meanwhile, I, Ajay, Kohila, Dev, and K-Zhaii would continue our journey to the hospital in Ayer Keroh, Melaka.
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But then something surprising happened.
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Professor Joe stood up.
"I'm not going with The Ultras," he said.
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The room went quiet.
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He looked at us-at me, at Ajay, at Kohila, K-Zhaii, and Dev.
"These young ones... they're like my children now. This team, this journey-it's not just about survival. It's about something bigger. It gave me hope again. I want to be there when Pugazh meets the girl in the hospital. After that, I'll go to the lab in KL."
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His words hit us deep.
We were speechless... and honored.
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Pratap and The Ultras nodded in agreement. Professor Joe would stay with us.
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Before our departure, Joe and Pratap-alongside K-Zhaii-revealed what they'd been working on: small syringe darts, each filled with a single dose of the cure.
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They had officially named the medicine "Raya", after Malaysia's national flower-the hibiscus.
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Professor Joe explained, "One shot is enough to cure a Rotten. But be careful-once cured, if they're bitten again, they'll turn back. So don't waste it."
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Then he added something sobering.
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"If a Rotten is already killed... then that's it. Curing doesn't bring back the dead. So if there's still a chance-don't kill. Cure."
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We nodded, taking in the weight of that responsibility.
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About the Bulks, he admitted, "We haven't tested it yet. Based on my calculations, it may take at least six shots to cure a Bulk. But we don't know for sure."
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A copy of the formula and a few doses were handed over to the Hang Tuahs for safekeeping. Mrs. Ram also gave us stem cuttings and seeds of various hibiscus plants. "In case you find safe ground," she said.
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We were ready.
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It would take around seven hours to walk to the hospital. We planned to leave early.
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Before we left, Mr. Cheng gave Kohila a modified axe and handed Dev a small pocket knife with built-in tools for protection.
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Then came a moment I'll never forget.
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Dato stepped forward.
"In recognition of your bravery and for finding Raya," he said, "you are no longer just survivors. From this day on, you are Pendekar Z31-the warriors of Z31."
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He placed gold medals around each of our necks.
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"And your team," he continued, "shall be called..."
He paused for dramatic effect.
"Z-Force."
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The name echoed through the room. We loved it-especially Dev, who immediately started sketching the new team name onto his notebook.
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We promised the Hang Tuahs we'd return someday.
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As we started our journey through the post-apocalyptic roads, my thoughts drifted to Valli.
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Would she remember me?
How would she react when she saw me?
Has she changed?
Do I still matter to her?
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So many questions filled my mind.
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While I was lost in thought, Dev showed me his latest drawing. He had scratched out our old team name "The Travellers" and replaced it boldly with "Z-Force."
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I gave him a big thumbs-up.
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We were no longer just walking towards a hospital.
We were walking towards hope.
We were Z-Force now.
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---
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and then Add to home screen.