[CONTAINS SPOILER] Raya's actual story line, in my opinion

[Eka767✈]

WARNING ! This post contains a HEAVY SPOILER. You are advised to complete the game first, at least once before you read this.

So after one week of playing this game and finished it several times, the story line keeps me thinking every day. I'd try to unravel Raya's actual story on this thread and also trying to explain - i think around 75-90% problems that Raya suffers matched with mine when i was on her age too. I am not a native english speaker so i'd apologize if my english quality here is not so good.

The story listed above is NOT A OFFICIAL PLOT from developers and just my opinion. Please kindly correct me if i have wrong explanations.


THE TIMELINE
The game seemed to take place around Late 1990's to early decade of 2000's given the reference shown on the game. The hospital scene is happened in 2009 (i am not sure whether the date listed on hospital bed remarks suggest the present date, or the date when Raya entered hospital. I should ask someone who is working on hospital i guess).

First, let me try to explain you. The Indonesian compulsory education system is 6 years elementary school followed by 3 years junior high school and finally last 3 years of senior high school. So the timeline may range somewhere between 1997-2009.

With assumption below :
1. Date listed on hospital bed is the date when Raya entered the hospital and the "unknown incident" happened soon after Raya get graduated from high school
2. Raya or Nirmala always get passed on every yearly examination despite her poor performance and never stuck on one level (in Indonesian we called it "tidak naik kelas")
3. To support No.2 assumption, Marin and Nirmala / Raya seems always on the same age and same grade - had if Nirmala/Raya got stuck once or twice on school level, Marin's existence in game would be quite a difficult question unless if she also ever been stuck before - which i think unlikely considering how Marin looks.

i guess she may have entered elementary school around 1996 or 1997.

Nirmala's Era - Around 1997-2000's or earlier
Somewhere around 1997-2000's when Nirmala still on elementary school (i think so since i saw Marin using a red-white uniform - elementary school uniform), she met Marin and developed friendship between them. Nirmala shows Marin a new hobby for her - drawing. Marin has a better parental support which supports her while in contrast, Nirmala suffers A LOT of family problem since her father is very abusive (this perhaps just my assumption which i wish i am wrong but i feel abusive father is rather common in Indonesian family, especially for the 90-2000's era - i experienced it too).

Somewhere after this, i think Nirmala meet Atma (the actual Atma) and developed a very close friendship with him - perhaps it is her only friend who managed so close. Unfortunately Atma was lost, being drowned on river when attempting to save Nirmala. Being heavily traumatized, Nirmala went into a deep sorrow and starting to talk about Atma with her friend, Marin.

Marin who never meet Atma personally thinks that Atma was nothing but a fantasy friend which doesn't exist. From this, a relation between Nirmala and Marin getting even more and more distant.

Marin was aware of Nirmala's problems, but since she was only little back then (and doesn't have ability to help), she can't do anything to prevent them happening. She was attempting to save their friendship, but since that Atma incident Nirmala seemed to have trust issue with Marin and everyone else - she can't trust her any longer and getting more sensitive.

Nirmala (later to be known as Raya) keeps growing up with this severe childhood trauma unresolved.

Sometime in between this
Nirmala or Raya now considered as a weird person by her classmate and continued to be heavily bullied by her classmate, being a severe addition after abused by her father. She has no strength to told all of her problem to everyone but Atma. Raya was trying to abandon Nirmala's legacy and "becoming someone else" to make her more acceptable in school.

Marin still tries to explain her that Atma is never existed at all - even tried to search at books and city logs and found nothing, but Raya can't accept this (since i assume that she has personally meet him). Marin again still can't help Raya, only being able to see it from behind while Raya actually hopes her to help. At this stage, i think Raya started to saw this as a stab from the back and thinks that Marin now hates her too while actually it isn't. Marin feel very guilty and sad that she can't help her - and had to lost her as friend.

Erik actually has some affection with Nirmala / Raya somewhere around elementary school era but after seeing that Nirmala / Raya was considered weird by everyone else, he joined the "dark side" and starting to cover / deny his affection by bullying Nirmala / Raya too. Erik has similar family problem with Raya too i guess.

Raya's Era - Around 2006-2009 or earlier / later
She managed to get into the first rank in class and being entrusted to held the festival. Still, she can't manage to get along well with everyone else and keep being bullied. To make it even worse, she was unable to prepare necessary materials prior to festival and Lulu had to forcefully re-take it. Lulu, being experienced on preparing the festival many years before over-bullied her, though i understand that her intention wasn't totally so (i have a older niece which have similar attitude with Lulu and there was a similar moment i experienced, so i can feel it)

At this stage Raya feels a huge blow and makes her think that everyone is backstabbing at her. The stress is so severe that during the national exam (which is very important for high school students since this determine whether you will be graduated from school or not), she fall asleep and thinking about Atma. Despite this, i think she managed to pass the exam and graduated (as suggested by Niken on the ending scene)

The school is finished by now, but the stress is still heavily resonating in Raya's mind. I assume that she had experienced something that makes her admitted to hospital not so long after her graduation - it could be a suicide attempt, The story of the Unbound started here, possibly during her coma / unconsciousness . She managed to recover though i don't know how long but it might takes several years.

Somewhere around this, Raya's father and mother get divorced. I wonder if the divorce happening before or after the incident? Could be the divorce may compounded even more problems that Raya has experienced that finally she has to give up?

Aftermath era - Somewhere after 2009
After being in coma for possibly years and perhaps, taking valuable lessons from her journey in the unbound world, Raya now managed to recover and able to walk around the city before she leaves for good from the city, The city has changed a lot, along with her friends. Marin now is on internship, which i assume she already on the second, third or even fourth year of university. Lulu looks much mature now so it suggests that the recovery took years. Erik now looks much better and mature although he still have difficult relationship with Raya - i suppose that Erik will be Raya's future husband. She finally accepts the fact that Atma is already long gone and started to walk to the future while remembering his legacy.

I wish this brief explanation may help those who wonder how Raya's actual timeline is. I always open to discussion and feel free to correct me if there is something missed / wrong with my opinion :)

[Coloneljoe20]

About the aftermath era, there is a clue that the cinema in Loka City has 2K resolution of display from staff when Raya walk at the street before reach the bridge. I have feelings that Raya awake from her coma in 2010's (Maybe 2015 because that year is the released date of teaser trailer game)

[Coloneljoe20]

Also, I never ever to agree about Erik will become Raya's future husband because he is the most disliked character by many players (include myself) who already completed the game. I wish if there is a portal into dimension of that game, I will give a warm punch on his face before start the real fight against this "swashbuckler" dude

[Anfia /s]

That's a great Raya's story line assumption

Originally posted by Coloneljoe20:

About the aftermath era, there is a clue that the cinema in Loka City has 2K resolution of display from staff when Raya walk at the street before reach the bridge. I have feelings that Raya awake from her coma in 2010's (Maybe 2015 because that year is the released date of teaser trailer game)

I don't think 2015 is a right.. imo 2015 is a era when 4K resolution of display in cinema is begin to arise at least in the outside of Indonesia (US maybe?)
I don't think Indonesian cinema adapt it at those timeframe era in real life, but 2K on 2010 is almost make sense to me

Originally posted by Coloneljoe20:

Also, I never ever to agree about Erik will become Raya's future husband because he is the most disliked character by many players (include myself) who already completed the game. I wish if there is a portal into dimension of that game, I will give a warm punch on his face before start the real fight against this "swashbuckler" dude

If I say after reading those assumption, change are 50/50 for that, but I think Raya will not choosing him as her future husband... Unless Raya can read his psychology problem like she have ability spacedive to him, I think it may be change her mind based from how Erik past experience when we see during Erik's Spacedives. And we can see like the rest of people during the ending, everyone change their life.

[Coloneljoe20]

Originally posted by Anfia:

That's a great Raya's story line assumption

Originally posted by Coloneljoe20:

About the aftermath era, there is a clue that the cinema in Loka City has 2K resolution of display from staff when Raya walk at the street before reach the bridge. I have feelings that Raya awake from her coma in 2010's (Maybe 2015 because that year is the released date of teaser trailer game)

I don't think 2015 is a right.. imo 2015 is a era when 4K resolution of display in cinema is begin to arise at least in the outside of Indonesia (US maybe?)
I don't think Indonesian cinema adapt it at those timeframe era in real life, but 2K on 2010 is almost make sense to me

Originally posted by Coloneljoe20:

Also, I never ever to agree about Erik will become Raya's future husband because he is the most disliked character by many players (include myself) who already completed the game. I wish if there is a portal into dimension of that game, I will give a warm punch on his face before start the real fight against this "swashbuckler" dude

If I say after reading those assumption, change are 50/50 for that, but I think Raya will not choosing him as her future husband... Unless Raya can read his psychology problem like she have ability spacedive to him, I think it may be change her mind based from how Erik past experience when we see during Erik's Spacedives. And we can see like the rest of people during the ending, everyone change their life.

Thank you for reply my theory, Anfia. I hope there will be other players that join this discussion soon

[Eka767✈]

Originally posted by Coloneljoe20:

Also, I never ever to agree about Erik will become Raya's future husband because he is the most disliked character by many players (include myself) who already completed the game. I wish if there is a portal into dimension of that game, I will give a warm punch on his face before start the real fight against this "swashbuckler" dude

Well i had seen a lot in my life someone who marrying a person that was hating each other during school times. Even i have experienced some of my worst enemy during school days (elementary and junior high school) turned into best friend several times.

Also i think i have seen numerous movies / cartoons / anime which depict someone covering their love to someone by hating them and eventually, ended up married or being a couple. That's what i saw on this game too. When someone grows up, a lot of things may change...

To be honest when i played and finished this game for the first time i am pleased on the scene when Raya finally deleted Erik from existence. But after played it several times, i can't help but notice that Erik actually is more like a lost plain person who is misled to the dark path rather than a pure uncivilized brute. (I just remembered that you can see how plain actually Erik is when he demanded a cigarrete only to find out later that it taste awful - means he probably never tried smoking before)

I know someone who is like Erik in my high school days (those who bullied me very much) and even i still hold lot of grievances with him until recently although he is already died 6 years ago. But after playing this game i felt that there is no need to hold such lot grievances, started to more "forgive him" and started to think "unknown to you, he probably just like Erik, a person who has its childhood abused and misled to the wrong path".

[Eka767✈]

Originally posted by Anfia:

That's a great Raya's story line assumption

Originally posted by Coloneljoe20:

About the aftermath era, there is a clue that the cinema in Loka City has 2K resolution of display from staff when Raya walk at the street before reach the bridge. I have feelings that Raya awake from her coma in 2010's (Maybe 2015 because that year is the released date of teaser trailer game)

I don't think 2015 is a right.. imo 2015 is a era when 4K resolution of display in cinema is begin to arise at least in the outside of Indonesia (US maybe?)
I don't think Indonesian cinema adapt it at those timeframe era in real life, but 2K on 2010 is almost make sense to me

Originally posted by Coloneljoe20:

Also, I never ever to agree about Erik will become Raya's future husband because he is the most disliked character by many players (include myself) who already completed the game. I wish if there is a portal into dimension of that game, I will give a warm punch on his face before start the real fight against this "swashbuckler" dude

If I say after reading those assumption, change are 50/50 for that, but I think Raya will not choosing him as her future husband... Unless Raya can read his psychology problem like she have ability spacedive to him, I think it may be change her mind based from how Erik past experience when we see during Erik's Spacedives. And we can see like the rest of people during the ending, everyone change their life.

Thank you very much for your compliment.

If you check the official ASFTU twitter, there is a re-tweet mentioning the real location of the bridge. There i discovered that one of the dev (seems so) confirmed that bridge design is based from 2013 street view imagery, not recent imagery. Time between 2013 and 2009 is 4 years, so seems indeed the Chapter 6 should take place somewhere in between 2009 and 2013 or perhaps, just exactly on 2013.

[Coloneljoe20]

Originally posted by Eka767:

Originally posted by Anfia:

That's a great Raya's story line assumption



I don't think 2015 is a right.. imo 2015 is a era when 4K resolution of display in cinema is begin to arise at least in the outside of Indonesia (US maybe?)
I don't think Indonesian cinema adapt it at those timeframe era in real life, but 2K on 2010 is almost make sense to me



If I say after reading those assumption, change are 50/50 for that, but I think Raya will not choosing him as her future husband... Unless Raya can read his psychology problem like she have ability spacedive to him, I think it may be change her mind based from how Erik past experience when we see during Erik's Spacedives. And we can see like the rest of people during the ending, everyone change their life.

Thank you very much for your compliment.

If you check the official ASFTU twitter, there is a re-tweet mentioning the real location of the bridge. There i discovered that one of the dev (seems so) confirmed that bridge design is based from 2013 street view imagery, not recent imagery. Time between 2013 and 2009 is 4 years, so seems indeed the Chapter 6 should take place somewhere in between 2009 and 2013 or perhaps, just exactly on 2013.

Ok. I already checked that. It has been good disscussion

[Eka767✈]

I played it again, and noticed several more details :


1. Raya/Nirmala seems managed to join the Karate Dojo too during elementary school era, being suggested on the scene where Erik and his friend stole someone's (high likely Raya/Nirmala) bag for fun and find out weird things inside.
2. It seems that Raya wasn't totally abandoning Nirmala's hobby in the actual timeline, as suggested that she still draws doodle on the interest sheet on the Chapter 4 flashback scene. Or perhaps she only do that but only about Atma.
3. Raya unfortunately indeed very messed up during the festival preparation. There is a chat line during chapter 4 school flashback (the one where almost everyone talking ill about Raya) saying that "can't she at least put everything in it's correct place" - the "she" high probably refers to Raya.
4. Raya also probably being hated by everyone else due to the fact that she always told the teacher if she saw someone doing something unusual (such as the scene when someone bring crowbar to school). I experienced kind of like this too during my life - hated by other students for saying the truth to the teacher.

Also now i guess i have figured out why Raya's classmates characterized as monsters in Raya's mind, with possible explanation below :

1. Erik being depicted as a dog, an animal which could hurt you and intimidating you very hard with their bark but on the other side, a dog is always looking for someone that can be their best ever friend too. Erik is indeed shown has affection to Raya / Nirmala but denied it and "barks" on her to cover it.

2. Lulu being depicted as duck / goose, a animal who honks really loud with their flocks behind its beauty - matched her personality which she and her friends talks and bullied very hard and deep to Raya .

3. Marin being depicted as a snail, which i think depicts a animal who is friendly and knows everything happening around but helpless to do anything else. Marin was simply the same - has a friendly intention, knows everything happening around Raya and willing to help, but doesn't has much ability to do so.

What left in my mind is... who was mocking (possible) Raya on the atlas book on library? If you visit the library, on the 3rd book rack you will notice a world atlas with possible Raya's / Nirmala writing (with blue color), answered with some kind of response like "begone you freak" (with red color). Is the red color may suggest that at one moment, Marin did loses her patience?

[Coloneljoe20]

Originally posted by Eka767:

I played it again, and noticed several more details :


1. Raya/Nirmala seems managed to join the Karate Dojo too during elementary school era, being suggested on the scene where Erik and his friend stole someone's (high likely Raya/Nirmala) bag for fun and find out weird things inside.
2. It seems that Raya wasn't totally abandoning Nirmala's hobby in the actual timeline, as suggested that she still draws doodle on the interest sheet on the Chapter 4 flashback scene. Or perhaps she only do that but only about Atma.
3. Raya unfortunately indeed very messed up during the festival preparation. There is a chat line during chapter 4 school flashback (the one where almost everyone talking ill about Raya) saying that "can't she at least put everything in it's correct place" - the "she" high probably refers to Raya.
4. Raya also probably being hated by everyone else due to the fact that she always told the teacher if she saw someone doing something unusual (such as the scene when someone bring crowbar to school). I experienced kind of like this too during my life - hated by other students for saying the truth to the teacher.

Also now i guess i have figured out why Raya's classmates characterized as monsters in Raya's mind, with possible explanation below :

1. Erik being depicted as a dog, an animal which could hurt you and intimidating you very hard with their bark but on the other side, a dog is always looking for someone that can be their best ever friend too. Erik is indeed shown has affection to Raya / Nirmala but denied it and "barks" on her to cover it.

2. Lulu being depicted as duck / goose, a animal who honks really loud with their flocks behind its beauty - matched her personality which she and her friends talks and bullied very hard and deep to Raya .

3. Marin being depicted as a snail, which i think depicts a animal who is friendly and knows everything happening around but helpless to do anything else. Marin was simply the same - has a friendly intention, knows everything happening around Raya and willing to help, but doesn't has much ability to do so.

What left in my mind is... who was mocking (possible) Raya on the atlas book on library? If you visit the library, on the 3rd book rack you will notice a world atlas with possible Raya's / Nirmala writing (with blue color), answered with some kind of response like "begone you freak" (with red color). Is the red color may suggest that at one moment, Marin did loses her patience?

MY FRIEND, you deserve award because you have just made sense about the meaning of each animal in Raya's three friends! Here is your award! I never realize about that. Also, I become curious about red color on the third book rack. From my perspective when I played that game, it just like part of the feature. Then, you told about that small part and have a thought for seconds. Maybe Marin can be silent killer or yandere or had enough about Raya's "fictional friend"

[Eka767✈]

Originally posted by Coloneljoe20:

MY FRIEND, you deserve award because you have just made sense about the meaning of each animal in Raya's three friends! Here is your award! I never realize about that. Also, I become curious about red color on the third book rack. From my perspective when I played that game, it just like part of the feature. Then, you told about that small part and have a thought for seconds. Maybe Marin can be silent killer or yandere or had enough about Raya's "fictional friend"

Thank you for your compliment. Much appreciated.
I don't think Marin was that bad - even if she did wrote that, she probably just lose her patience. Remember, she is also a librarian assistant, so she may got mad seeing it on the library collection too.

I now observe Marin's problem, she talk too much that sometimes it includes unecessary things that RFN shouldn't hear at the very first place.

I think i am going to make another new post, which explains all of the Raya's main classmates.

[Lyco]

Originally posted by Eka767:

I played it again, and noticed several more details :


1. Raya/Nirmala seems managed to join the Karate Dojo too during elementary school era, being suggested on the scene where Erik and his friend stole someone's (high likely Raya/Nirmala) bag for fun and find out weird things inside.
2. It seems that Raya wasn't totally abandoning Nirmala's hobby in the actual timeline, as suggested that she still draws doodle on the interest sheet on the Chapter 4 flashback scene. Or perhaps she only do that but only about Atma.
3. Raya unfortunately indeed very messed up during the festival preparation. There is a chat line during chapter 4 school flashback (the one where almost everyone talking ill about Raya) saying that "can't she at least put everything in it's correct place" - the "she" high probably refers to Raya.
4. Raya also probably being hated by everyone else due to the fact that she always told the teacher if she saw someone doing something unusual (such as the scene when someone bring crowbar to school). I experienced kind of like this too during my life - hated by other students for saying the truth to the teacher.

Also now i guess i have figured out why Raya's classmates characterized as monsters in Raya's mind, with possible explanation below :

1. Erik being depicted as a dog, an animal which could hurt you and intimidating you very hard with their bark but on the other side, a dog is always looking for someone that can be their best ever friend too. Erik is indeed shown has affection to Raya / Nirmala but denied it and "barks" on her to cover it.

2. Lulu being depicted as duck / goose, a animal who honks really loud with their flocks behind its beauty - matched her personality which she and her friends talks and bullied very hard and deep to Raya .

3. Marin being depicted as a snail, which i think depicts a animal who is friendly and knows everything happening around but helpless to do anything else. Marin was simply the same - has a friendly intention, knows everything happening around Raya and willing to help, but doesn't has much ability to do so.

What left in my mind is... who was mocking (possible) Raya on the atlas book on library? If you visit the library, on the 3rd book rack you will notice a world atlas with possible Raya's / Nirmala writing (with blue color), answered with some kind of response like "begone you freak" (with red color). Is the red color may suggest that at one moment, Marin did loses her patience?

this is a nice interpretation of the animal/monster of Raya's classmate. One thing I might add, for someone being bullied, socially isolated, and considered weird and outcast, it might add the layers of self-doubt, self-hate. And with depression, one can easily thought that others talking bad about themselves, even worse than what they "actually" says. It's hard to get out from the whirpool of doubt and negative feelings especially with no one to support her. So maybe her classmates not talking 'that' much bad things behind her back, but she perceived it as such.

[Eka767✈]

Originally posted by Lyco:

this is a nice interpretation of the animal/monster of Raya's classmate. One thing I might add, for someone being bullied, socially isolated, and considered weird and outcast, it might add the layers of self-doubt, self-hate.

Yes indeed, as someone who has experienced such (bullied, isolated and at many cases considered weird person especially during high school era), i can verify that all you said is true. There was a time when i easily doubt myself and hated many parts of my past life - wishing that it can be reverted - just right before playing this game. This game makes me to realize that there is no use to hate and over-regret your past life - keeping it just makes another drag of life.

Originally posted by Lyco:

And with depression, one can easily thought that others talking bad about themselves, even worse than what they "actually" says. It's hard to get out from the whirpool of doubt and negative feelings especially with no one to support her. So maybe her classmates not talking 'that' much bad things behind her back, but she perceived it as such.

Overthinking that other people may have backstabbed me is almost part of my daily life since i have experienced a lot of backstab - again at least until right before touching this game. This game makes me realize that "probably other people wasn't that bad - you just don't know well each other"

This game basically makes me spacediving to my own life and yes, accidentally fixing myself too from all of the problems that haunted me from the past. I have to say my utmost thanks to the dev who has developed this genius game.

[luckz]

Originally posted by Eka767:

2. Lulu being depicted as duck / goose, a animal who honks really loud with their flocks behind its beauty - matched her personality which she and her friends talks and bullied very hard and deep to Raya .

I'm not sure if she's supposed to be a swan only ("swan queen") or also a honking bird.
(And she's a swan in the sense that the whole town admires her and views her as the ultimate role model, which is why RFN tries to emulate/copy her during the lengthy self-denial phase.)

Originally posted by Eka767:

1. Raya/Nirmala seems managed to join the Karate Dojo too during elementary school era, being suggested on the scene where Erik and his friend stole someone's (high likely Raya/Nirmala) bag for fun and find out weird things inside.

While I don't remember that from the bag scene (and don't know the exact timestamp to find it in a walkthrough video), it would at least explain the Sensei character being relatively important, and the whole Future Fighter / Karate Boy thing.



Do we learn anything about how the 'actual Bosque' dies? w.r.t. Admiral it's of course Erik, as we see – twice.
Would it be seen as normal/acceptable in Indonesian culture for Atma as a basically-adult loner to befriend and more or less full time mentor a much younger girl?

[Eka767✈]

Originally posted by luckz:

I'm not sure if she's supposed to be a swan only ("swan queen") or also a honking bird.
(And she's a swan in the sense that the whole town admires her and views her as the ultimate role model, which is why RFN tries to emulate/copy her during the lengthy self-denial phase.)

Also a honking bird i think. When a swan / goose / duck honks especially with their flocks, it can be really loud that sometimes it becoming annoying. She did bullied RFN very bad, but looks like she doesn't do it as if she really hates her - she actually just doesn't know well and she did has some care about her - very concerned that Raya doesn't act as herself and pretending to be like somebody else (as proved on game and webcomic).

Originally posted by luckz:

While I don't remember that from the bag scene (and don't know the exact timestamp to find it in a walkthrough video), it would at least explain the Sensei character being relatively important, and the whole Future Fighter / Karate Boy thing.

You actually can find it when entering the riftdive to convince Sensei during Chapter 4. When you see Erik, try interact with him and you'll notice that

Originally posted by luckz:

Do we learn anything about how the 'actual Bosque' dies? w.r.t. Admiral it's of course Erik, as we see – twice.
Would it be seen as normal/acceptable in Indonesian culture for Atma as a basically-adult loner to befriend and more or less full time mentor a much younger girl?

Assuming that Bosque is a stray cat which is very common in Indonesia, i think at some point he dies when Nirmala still around elementary school. Stray cats usually only lasts a bit more or less than 5 years i think. The reason why he dies unfortunately isn't revealed yet.

Also in regard of Atma, i think its still normal for a high-schooler to interact with younger elementary schooler. Especially it looks like that Atma was a lost person who fled from his home to find new experiences and when he find Nirmala, he was interested on what she was doing. It ended up into a new friendship.

[srd_27]

The hospital bed also mentioned her age is 21 years old. Typical high school graduation age is 18, so she's probably been hospitalised for about 3 years since 2006.