It was a bright morning at the University of Banten when a young man named Tama stepped out of the courtroom. He had just completed his thesis defense and was the first student to graduate that year—with an A grade. Tama was thrilled and immensely proud of his accomplishment. After four years of studying at the university, he now looked forward to the day he would finally wear a graduation gown.
On his way to the cafeteria after the trial, Tama spotted a student sitting alone at a table, busy typing on her laptop. It was Nadia—the girl he had admired since elementary school. Tama had always followed Nadia, from one school to the next, even enrolling in the same university and department. But despite all this, he had never confessed his feelings, too shy to express his love.
Curious, Tama approached her and asked what she was working on. It turned out Nadia was still revising her thesis. Since Tama had already completed his defense, he offered to help. Having been friends since childhood, Nadia no longer felt awkward around him, and she accepted his offer.
After helping her with the revisions, Nadia treated Tama to lunch. They ended up eating together. For Tama, it was a joyful moment—he cherished every second spent with her. But as graduation approached, he began to worry. Once college ended, they would go their separate ways, and he might not get to see her again. That day, Tama made up his mind: he would confess his love to Nadia after graduation.
A month passed, and all students had finished their thesis defenses. The day of graduation was drawing near. Tama had steeled himself for the big moment. After years of hiding his feelings, he was finally ready to tell her how he felt.
One day, as Tama was walking home from campus along the sidewalk, he came across an elderly woman selling children's toys. She looked downcast, so Tama stopped to greet her. The old woman explained that she hadn't sold a single item. Feeling sympathy, Tama gave her some money.
"Thank you. Please, take one of these toys as a gift," she said.
"No need, Grandma. I hope all your toys sell out," Tama replied with a smile.
He walked away. Watching him go, the old woman murmured to herself, "He's a good boy... It's a shame his life is about to end."
The next day was the graduation ceremony. Tama was overjoyed, participating in the event calmly and proudly. After the ceremony ended, students flooded out of the hall, looking for their families to take pictures. Tama did the same, but his heart grew uneasy—he hadn't seen Nadia yet.
He went searching for her. After a while, he finally spotted her, laughing joyfully about ten meters away. Just as he stepped toward her, he heard people shouting, "Watch out!" But his mind was focused only on Nadia.
"Bruk!"
An electric pole came crashing down on him. Tama collapsed, his soul forcefully separated from his body. He could hear people screaming around him.
"Hey, why are you crying? Why are you calling my name? I'm right here!" Tama shouted, confused.
He approached the crowd and saw what they were looking at—his own body, covered in blood.
"W...what is this? What happened to me?" he whispered, panicked.
Soon, the sound of an approaching ambulance filled the air. His body was carried away, with his parents following behind. Nadia was nowhere in sight.
"Father, Mother... I'm here. Please, listen to me!"
That night, Tama wandered the streets, sad and lonely. He encountered ghosts lingering by the roadside—some stared at him, some whispered.
"Hey, look at him. He must be newly dead," one ghost said.
"Poor guy," another replied.
But Tama ignored them. He just wanted to go home.
After a long walk, he reached his house. It was filled with people. Inside, his mother sobbed uncontrollably beside his lifeless body. His father held his hand tightly while relatives tried to console his mother. Tama cried too, powerless to comfort them. He couldn't even touch them.
Overwhelmed, Tama ran out of the house and stopped in front of a large tree. Suddenly, a strong wind blew, followed by the sound of traditional Javanese gamelan music. Then, a woman's voice called from behind him.
"Ananda Pratama... Are you the one who died today?"
Tama was afraid. Was this the voice of the Grim Reaper? Slowly, he turned around with his eyes closed. When he opened them, he saw a woman in a white kebaya with a batik skirt and a yellow sash—like royalty from ancient times.
"Who are you?" Tama asked.
"Me? I'm your savior," the woman replied.
"What do you mean?"
"If you come with me and become my slave, the Grim Reaper won't take you," she explained.
Tama immediately refused. He didn't want to be enslaved by a ghost. But the woman warned him.
"Once your body is buried, the Grim Reaper will come for you. If you want to stay in this world, just say my name—Kirana."
"I won't call your name," Tama said defiantly.
With that, Kirana vanished.
The next day, Tama witnessed his own funeral. The air was heavy with mourning. Friends and family wept over his grave. But still, Nadia wasn't there. He overheard his friends talking:
"Nadia left for Jakarta. She got a call for a job interview," said one.
"Don't tell her yet—she might lose focus during the interview," another replied.
As people left the cemetery, Tama sat beside his grave, staring at the tombstone bearing his name. The sky grew dark, and the wind picked up.
"Ananda Pratama... The Almighty awaits you," a deep voice echoed.
Tama stood up. It was the Grim Reaper, reaching out a hand toward him. Tama backed away, terrified.
Not ready to move on, Tama shouted, "Kirana! Help me!"
Kirana appeared instantly between Tama and the Grim Reaper.
"Sorry, brother. He's mine," she declared.
"Ah... you again," the Grim Reaper muttered.
A battle broke out between them. The Grim Reaper managed to injure Kirana—but it turned out to be a trap. He was forbidden from harming beings not destined to die. Realizing this, the Grim Reaper disappeared.
"You're safe now," Kirana said. "Let's shake hands—as a sign that you agree to be my slave."
"Who... who are you? A human? A ghost?" Tama asked.
"Sometimes I'm human. Sometimes a ghost. Sometimes an animal," Kirana smiled. "Come with me to my villa."
Eventually, Tama shook her hand—and followed Kirana to the mysterious place she called home.