That night, Arya's room felt smaller than usual. Not because of the piles of textbooks scattered across the floor, or the laptop glowing on a desk crowded with colorful post-its—but because of Rika, the noisy ghost who always managed to make Arya's life more complicated.
Arya sat in front of his laptop, trying to chip away at the mountain of assignments stacked against him. His dark under-eye circles made him look like a panda. Just as he sighed heavily, his phone buzzed, flashing his mother's name. Reluctantly, he picked it up.
"Hello, Mom?" he tried to sound calm, even though his brain was already drifting back to the unfinished work on his screen.
"Arya, come home the day after tomorrow. It's your grandfather's death anniversary. Help out at the house. Don't even think about skipping," his mother's tone left no room for negotiation.
Arya swallowed hard. "Alright, Mom. I'll come home."
As soon as the call ended, Arya set the phone down with a resigned face. But before he could focus again, a familiar voice came from his bed.
"That was a woman's voice. Who was it? Your girlfriend?"
Arya turned. There was Rika, floating lazily above the bed, her messy orange hair making her look like a nosy child. Arya sighed and turned back to his laptop, pretending she wasn't there.
"Definitely your girlfriend! When are you introducing her to me? I want to meet your GIRLFRIEND!" she pressed, this time in a teasing sing-song voice. Arya didn't respond, though his eyebrow twitched slightly. In his head, he thought, If she ever followed me home, it'd be livelier than a night market.
Annoyed at being ignored, Rika began circling Arya like a satellite, tapping on his desk, twirling his hair, and even blowing into his ear like an obnoxious kid.
"Hellooo? I'm right here, you know. Stop pretending you're busy," she whined, though to Arya, it sounded more like an alarm siren.
"Rika," Arya finally spoke, eyes still glued to his laptop, "if you've got nothing better to do, then don't bother me. I'm busy."
"Busy?" Rika tilted her head. "Busy daydreaming, huh? I saw you spacing out during that phone call. What were you thinking about? C'mon, tell Mama Rika."
Arya grunted in irritation. "None of your business."
But her words had stirred something in his memory. He recalled a dream he'd had a few nights ago. In it, he was at a crumbling temple. The air had been cold, and somewhere in the distance, a small gong echoed. The place had felt strangely familiar, as if he'd been there before.
"Arya?" Rika's voice softened, tinged with concern. She floated down to eye level. "What's wrong? You zoned out again."
Arya didn't answer right away. His mind was still caught in the dream, the strange carvings on the temple walls, symbols he couldn't understand. In the center of it all, something faintly glowing—was it a relic? A chest? He wasn't sure.
"Hey!" Rika snapped her fingers in front of his face. "If you keep zoning out like that, I'll dance Jaipong right here!"
That jolted Arya back. He looked at her with a rare seriousness. "Rika, do you know any place like an old temple? Abandoned, with strange carvings on the walls?"
Rika frowned in thought. "An abandoned temple? There are tons in the archipelago. But carvings… hmm…" She floated around, then suddenly lit up. "Oh! Maybe it's one in your village? Didn't you say your hometown has a bunch of ancient sites?"
Arya nodded slowly. She was right—his village was full of unexplored ruins. But why was he dreaming about it now? And why did the place feel so… significant?
"Alright then!" Rika clapped her hands, beaming. "When you go home, I'm coming too! Maybe we'll find treasure!"
Arya gave her a tired look. "You're a ghost. What would you do with treasure?"
She shrugged. "It's fun. Besides, if I get bored stuck here, I'll just become an even more annoying ghost."
Arya exhaled deeply. He knew she wouldn't drop the idea. And deep down, he felt her presence might actually help him unravel the mystery of his dream—or at least make the trip home less lonely.
The next day at the campus canteen, Arya's mood grew heavier. Sitting at a scratched-up wooden table, he stared at a glass of iced tea that had almost completely melted.
Dio finally arrived, moving at his usual unhurried pace. Arya waved him over and immediately started.
"Dio, I need your help," Arya said, his tone serious.
Dio, holding a plastic plate of fried tempeh, nodded casually. "Okay. What's the crazy ghost-girl done this time?" he asked, half-lazily.
"This isn't about Rika!" Arya snapped, though his voice still carried stress. "I have to go home the day after tomorrow. But I can't just leave her in my room. If I do, she'll cause chaos."
Dio paused mid-bite, then smirked. "Chaos? What's she gonna do, open a midnight food stall in your dorm?"
Arya rolled his eyes, clearly not in the mood. "She's not like normal ghosts. You know what she's been up to… never mind. The point is, I need you to watch her for me."
Dio raised an eyebrow, finally intrigued. Before he could reply, a cold breeze swept by. Moments later, Nagini appeared gracefully, her crimson dress flowing with a quiet elegance. Her very presence silenced the air around them.
"You seem very protective of that girl," she said, her smile thin but meaningful.
Arya, already nervous, grew even more flustered. "It's not like that! She just… lives in my room because of… that incident," he muttered, avoiding their eyes.
Dio narrowed his gaze mischievously. "Wait. You two live under the same roof? And you're up all night? Hmmm…" He let the implication hang.
Arya nearly choked on air. "Hey! Don't think weird stuff! What I meant was—she keeps me up because she's way too noisy!"
Dio's expression was like a cat spotting a fresh fish. "Too noisy, huh? What exactly does she do?" he teased.
Nagini chuckled behind her hand. "You're interesting, Arya. The way you defend yourself only makes me more curious. Are you sure you're just roommates?"
Arya ducked his head, face flushed. Inwardly, he cursed the situation.
"Listen," he said firmly, trying to change the subject, "this is serious. I can't bring Rika home. My uncle is a well-known spiritual practitioner. If he finds out a ghost is living under our roof, things will get ugly."
Nagini's smile deepened. "A spiritual practitioner? Intriguing. I'd very much like to meet him. His perspective on us might be… enlightening." She glanced at Dio, who looked equally curious.
Dio shrugged. "I'm interested too. You know me, Arya, I enjoy this kind of thing. And if Rika's going to stir up trouble, isn't it better if I'm there to keep watch?"
Arya groaned internally. This shaman maniac…
"Look," he tried again, sharper this time, "I'm not asking you to come along. Just take care of Rika. That's all. Is that so hard?"
But Dio only smirked. "Hard? No. But I'd rather see what happens if we tag along. So… we're coming."
Arya dropped his head onto the table. Images of the upcoming memorial service and the chaos these three would inevitably cause filled his mind. This is going to be worse than my assignments, he thought.
Dio chuckled, biting into another piece of tempeh. "Welcome to a world more exciting than your lecture notes, Arya."
Nagini gave Arya a gentle smile, her elegance masking something deeper. "Sometimes, facing chaos is the only way to find peace."
Arya didn't reply. But inside, he knew her words meant more than they sounded. And for the first time that day, he realized his trip home might be the beginning of something he'd never expected.
The day of departure arrived. On a bright morning, Arya stood at the train platform with a heavy rucksack. Dio, calm as ever, carried only a small bag and sipped canned coffee from the station kiosk. Nagini wasn't visible, but Arya knew her spirit within the keris was watching nearby.
Beside them, Rika shifted restlessly, bouncing on her toes like an excited child. But something about her felt off today—she was quieter, her cheeks flushed as if hiding something.
"Why's the ghost-girl acting even weirder than usual?" Dio broke the silence, eyeing her curiously.
Rika let out a long sigh, covering her reddened cheeks. "This is my first time going to a guy's house and meeting his family…" She rubbed her face, groaning. "I'm so nervous! Aaahh~ what do I even say to my mother-in-law?!"
Arya blinked at her, bewildered. Dio gave her a deadpan stare, while Nagini appeared beside him, elegantly stifling a laugh.
"Rika…" Arya tried to keep calm, though his exhaustion showed. "They can't even see you, remember?"
Rika's expression deflated instantly, like a popped balloon. But only for a moment—then her cheerful grin returned. Arya sighed. She really was unpredictable.
The train pulled in, and they boarded a half-empty carriage. Most seats were vacant, with a few passengers minding their own business.
Rika immediately bounced around in awe. "Wow! This is amazing! So much better than the old trains. Look at these seats—they're so soft! And there's air conditioning too!"
She floated from seat to seat, sending cold drafts that made some passengers shiver and rub their arms uneasily. Arya quickly yanked her into the seat beside him.
"Sit still! Stop making a scene," he hissed.
"I'm not making a scene!" she pouted, crossing her arms. Still, she stayed seated, sulking.
For a few minutes, things were quiet. But soon, Rika grew restless again, tugging at Arya to explore the train. He refused. She pouted harder.
Meanwhile, Dio looked perfectly at ease, sipping another drink while gazing out the window. Nagini sat elegantly beside him, visible only to his eyes.
"There's a dining car up ahead. I'm going there. You coming?" Arya finally asked Rika.
"Yesss!" she jumped up with a raised hand, like a kid promised candy.
"But don't bother anyone. Walk in the middle."
Rika nodded innocently. "When have I ever bothered anyone?"
Arya gave her a glare. "You've been bothering people all morning."
"Ahem…" Dio cleared his throat, reminding Arya that his voice had gotten too loud. Arya glanced around—sure enough, other passengers were staring at him like he'd lost his mind, talking to thin air. His face flushed, and he quickly stood to head toward the dining car.
Rika followed gleefully, floating behind him. Dio just shook his head with a faint smile, enjoying the trip his own way.
Their destination was Kediri—a four-hour ride. Arya prayed for peace, though he knew better. With Rika around, trouble was inevitable.
In the dining car, Rika's eyes sparkled as she scanned the menu. "I want instant noodles!" she declared, plopping into a window seat.
Arya sighed. "You're a ghost. People will think I'm insane if I order two portions for myself."
Rika's face fell. She slumped over the table like a kid denied candy. Arya wanted to comfort her, but before he could, a smiling train attendant approached.
"Excuse me, sir. Can I help you with anything?" she asked politely.
Arya froze, then forced a sheepish grin. "No, no, it's fine. Just talking to myself. Thinking about schoolwork."
The attendant gave him a small, puzzled smile before walking away. Arya shot Rika a sharp look.
"Listen—if you keep this up, I'll lose my mind before we even reach Kediri," he muttered under his breath.
But Rika only grinned, unbothered. Arya sighed again, realizing the journey had only just begun, and he was already exhausted.