That afternoon, the campus cafeteria was buzzing, the clatter of cutlery against plates mingling with occasional shouts of students calling for friends. Arya sat casually in a corner, scooping yellow rice into his mouth while glancing around at the crowd. Beside him, Rika swung her legs, eyes sparkling as she watched the hot fritters in Dio's hand.
"Dio… can I ask you something?" Arya said, chewing lazily.
"Hm?" Dio glanced briefly, biting into his tempeh mendoan with his usual deadpan expression.
"Do… ghosts sleep?" Arya asked, his mouth still full.
Rika, who had been observing quietly, smacked his shoulder lightly. "HEY! Don't talk with your mouth full! That's rude, you know!" she scolded, like an older sister correcting a younger one.
Dio, hearing Arya's question, snorted with a sly smile. "Sleep? So now this crazy ghost wants to switch careers and become Sleeping Beauty?" he said casually.
"Hey, lazy human! I get tired too, you know! Don't underestimate a beautiful ghost like me!" Rika shot back confidently, patting her chest for emphasis.
Dio just tilted his head, stared at Rika for a moment, then returned to his fritter. Inwardly, he muttered, So, this is just like Nagini said… His gaze flicked toward Arya, then back to Rika, who was still grumbling.
"Listen," Dio said with a long exhale, "spirits like Rika don't need sleep. Weaknesses like sleep only matter for humans who need to reset their energy. Spirits… they shouldn't have needs like that. They're just… energy."
"But…" Dio's voice trailed off as he looked at Rika, eyes deep, as if hiding something.
Rika leaned closer, eyes shining with curiosity. "Come on, Dio! Don't leave me hanging like that!"
Dio smirked faintly and said in a flat tone, "Honestly, this crazy ghost should probably be committed."
"WHAT?!" Rika shrieked, hovering mid-air like a child who'd just had their favorite candy snatched. "What do you mean? I'm perfectly sane enough to hit you!"
Arya, who had been quietly watching, couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. He covered his mouth to avoid spraying rice. "Hahaha… Rika, Dio's just teasing you."
"ARYA! You should defend me, not side with Dio!" Rika pointed at him dramatically, looking betrayed like a friend backstabbed.
Dio smiled mysteriously, finishing his snack before murmuring, "A ghost who can feel tired and wants to sleep… usually isn't a good sign."
Arya froze, catching the rare serious tone in Dio's usually indifferent voice. Rika, meanwhile, huffed in annoyance, oblivious to the fact that Dio was hiding something he shouldn't reveal, especially to her.
"Ah, whatever. Seems like today's tempeh mendoan is a little salty anyway," Dio said, standing and brushing off his jacket. He walked away, leaving Arya and Rika puzzled.
"That annoying human really makes my blood boil!" Rika grumbled, punching the air as if sparring with an imaginary opponent.
Dio's steps were heavy as he left the cafeteria, heading toward the parking lot with his head down. The shadows of swaying trees flickered across his helmet visor. His fists clenched tightly, veins tense in his arms.
"Sorry… I can't tell the truth," he whispered, voice almost lost to the wind.
Not because he didn't want to—but because he was afraid. Afraid of what could break if he spoke. Something he knew, something he wasn't ready to say. That burden now sat heavily on his shoulders, pressing down on his soul, suffocating him.
"The sea holds many secrets," Nagini's soft voice suddenly echoed in his mind."That's why so many humans risk their lives to dive into it."
Dio stopped for a moment. His eyes stared straight ahead, vacant. The wind blew his hair, making the ends of his coat ripple gently. Nagini's words pierced him, sharp as a needle, yet bloodless.
Without answering, Dio started his motorcycle. The engine roared, matching the beat of his restless chest. He twisted the throttle as fast as he could, leaving the campus—and all unanswered questions—behind.
The wind whipped against his face like lashes, but it was nothing compared to the ache creeping through his chest. His hands trembled.
"Nagini…""They're nobody to me…""Then why… why does my chest feel so tight?"
Dio's voice quivered. His helmet hid his face, but tears fell anyway—slow, silent, like an unstoppable underwater current.
Nagini didn't answer. She could have offered comforting words. But she didn't. Because some wounds must be faced, not soothed.
So Dio rode alone, accompanied by the quiet sobs no one could hear. His eyes fixed on the blurred road—not from speed, but from tears yet to be wiped away.
The sky began to tint the campus in shades of orange. Birds flew back to their nests, and the evening breeze stirred leaves and the hems of students' jackets as classes emptied.
Arya strolled along the sidewalk, backpack slung over one shoulder, eyes slightly dreamy, thoughts elsewhere. And as usual, a familiar cheerful voice called from behind, brimming with its usual energy.
"So, what are we doing today? Or do you have homework?"
Rika's voice, bubbly as a child waiting to play. She bounced lightly beside Arya, hovering as if gravity didn't exist. Her face radiated boundless excitement, like soda fizzing on a hot afternoon.
"Tonight?" Arya frowned, checking his schedule. "I think I'll just continue meditating."
Rika sighed, twirling upside-down mid-air, her ethereal hair drifting like mist.
"Meditating again? Boring! You just sit in the corner like some wandering shaman waiting for someone to get possessed."
Her face was annoyed, but her eyes couldn't hide a hint of amusement.
Arya grinned, picturing himself sitting cross-legged with a blangkon, incense burning beside him, a kris tucked at his waist.
"Hmm… actually, that sounds kind of cool. Maybe I should open a Friday-night practice." He grinned mischievously.
"Huh! Don't even try! If you summon other spirits, I'll be the first to kick them out. This is my territory!" Rika crossed her arms, feigning ferocity, but looked more like a perturbed kitten than a threat.
"Oh, really? So you're possessive too, huh?" Arya teased, suppressing a smile.
"Hey… just so you know," Rika leaned in, "I'm going to bother you later. I can't stand seeing you sit there doing nothing! It's boring, boring!"
Arya chuckled softly, his steps calm, cheeks faintly flushed. He pretended to stare ahead to hide his embarrassment.
"Do you have another suggestion, then?" he asked, glancing at her.
Rika froze mid-air. Her eyes widened, lips forming a perfect little "O."
"Eh?! You're actually asking me?"
Her voice was like a child finally allowed to pick the TV channel.
Arya quickly looked away.
"Fine… I'll meditate then," he said quickly, voice suspiciously flat.
"Heeey… you're embarrassed, huh?" Rika teased, leaning in from the side.
"I'm not embarrassed.""Are.""Not.""Are."
Their tiny argument was punctuated with quiet laughter until Rika spun in the air, arms outstretched as if embracing the evening breeze.
"What if we just grab some snacks? I haven't had any in ages, and last time I bought cilok, Dio scolded me!"
Arya glanced at his watch, then the golden-orange sky.
"Hmm… snacks? Cilok hasn't crossed my mind in a while."
"See, see~!" Rika cheered, triumphant, "Your tongue needs snacks, not mantras!"
"Fine, but you choose the place."
"Yessss~! Finally!" Rika twirled like a helicopter, then hovered level with Arya's face.
"Eh, but I don't want another scolding, okay?"
Their steps continued under the evening glow. Light chatter, soft laughter, the tapping of shoes on asphalt—the simple harmony of the afternoon. No tragedies, no ghosts, no otherworldly realms.
Just two young people—one alive, one not—sharing a warm evening in a world that felt… real.
That night, the clock read 7:47 PM. Outside Arya's dorm window, the sky hung heavy with clouds, as if it wanted to cry but couldn't decide. Occasional flashes of lightning split the dark without a rumble of thunder to follow. Arya's weather app only showed a cloud icon and a warning: "Cloudy, dropping temperature, slight chill possible."
Rika lay on the bed, swinging her legs while staring at the ceiling.
"Arya~ hurry up, I'm getting bored waiting…" she whined, twirling a strand of her copper-red hair.
Arya, rummaging through his bag, let out a short sigh.
"Patience. I'm finishing this first…" he replied flatly, pulling out a few thick books and folders and stacking them on the table. His hands moved toward the small wall-mounted bookshelf.
"If you want to be fast, come help," he added without looking up.
"Okay, ready!! I'll help… with all my strength!!"
Rika immediately sat up, raising one arm high like an anime warrior, while the other she used to squeeze her own skinny, twig-like arm. Her face beamed with exaggerated determination.
"Hup! Haaaah! Fighting spirit!!!"
Her solo war cry made Arya glance briefly, then exhale deeply.
"Please don't shout before you even start helping…"
Rika grinned. "Just caught up in the mood."
They began tidying the scattered books and papers. Of course, "tidying" in Rika's version meant picking up a book, flipping to the middle page, and sitting on the floor to read.
"Ugh, what is this? Your notes are awful. Looks like an evacuation map."
"They're important notes," Arya grumbled, snatching the book and slipping it onto the shelf. "If all you're going to do is criticize, don't bother helping at all."
"Ehhh~ no, I am helping…"
Rika's teasing tone was playful. Arya immediately looked away, pretending to focus on another book.
"Don't talk like that while messing with my pencils."
"Ish, this is called exploration."
Rika laughed, holding two pens like swords.
"I am the Pen Knight! Protector of this messy dorm!"
Arya sighed again. Exhausted. But a corner of his lips lifted slightly.
Ten minutes later, Arya realized he was the one putting books on the shelf, organizing folders, and straightening papers. Rika, meanwhile, sat in the corner arranging sticky notes on the wall in a pattern resembling a cartoon face.
"You know… you claim to help but you're just adding more work."
Rika glanced at him, then grinned. "I'm decorating your room, actually."
Arya looked over quickly, then fell silent.
"Yeah," he murmured. "Not alone, I guess."
They fell quiet again. The fan hummed softly, faint music drifted in from the neighboring room, and the smell of fried food wafted in from outside.
"Arya…" she said softly. "Let's… go out for a bit."
Arya was slipping the last book onto the shelf. "Go out?"
"Just a little walk. Get some fresh air. Check out street food stalls that are about to close. Doesn't matter if we don't buy anything."
Arya didn't answer immediately. His eyes flicked to the wall clock, then back to Rika. She smiled faintly, eyes sparkling but also carrying an unspoken fatigue.
"Wait. Let me change my shirt first."
"Yay!" Rika jumped up from the bed and twirled once. "I'll be your guide tonight!"
Arya shook his head lightly. "Try not to be a handful, okay."
"Heh! I just don't want it to be as quiet as your brain."
They laughed. And the night suddenly felt a little warmer.
After tidying the room in a more mischievous than helpful way, Rika and Arya finally stepped outside.
The night air was soft, cold but not biting. The sky still hung with reluctant gray clouds. Occasionally, distant lightning flashed, but no rain fell. Only the night breeze slipped through the gaps in Arya's worn jacket.
Around campus, the usual student pathways were still alive. Dim streetlights flickered, and small food carts and tents lined the sidewalks—selling meatballs, chicken noodles, grilled sausages, satay, ketoprak, cilok, and colorful cold drinks.
Rika ran a couple steps ahead of Arya, as usual overly excited.
"Aryaaa~! Look! A cat!" she shouted, hopping and pointing at an orange cat sitting like a king under a park bench. "So cute~ looks like a professor listening to your presentation!"
Arya let out a small snort from behind, hands in his jacket pockets. "Yep, its annoying face matches."
A few steps later, Rika shouted again. "Arya! Look! A frog! And it's not even raining!"
Her eyes sparkled like she had uncovered a secret of the universe. The frog seemed unimpressed.
"Maybe it's… taking a stroll," Arya said tersely, still looking ahead. But his pace slowed reflexively, adjusting to Rika's distance.
Rika continued scanning the surroundings, her gaze wild, like a child on a first night safari. Until…
"Arya… Arya… that… that old lady…" her voice dropped.
Arya turned immediately. "Huh?"
"At the corner of that closed shop…"
Rika pointed to a dark corner near a shuttered store. An old woman sat there, back to them, wearing a tattered kebaya and a messy bun.
"Whoa… that old lady looks scary, right?"
And without warning—BRUK!
Rika darted behind Arya, pressing her face to his back. Her cold hands gripped his jacket like a child afraid to be called to the blackboard.
Arya looked back but his eyes saw nothing.
"Told you not to speak carelessly," he muttered softly, adjusting his pace.
Rika nodded solemnly. "Sorry… sorry… we're just passing by," she whispered.
They continued toward the bustling food stalls. LED lights glowed across the vendors and buyers. The scent of peanut sauce and broth competed in the air. Pans hissed, fried foods crackled—and Rika's eyes lit up.
"WAAAAHHH!!"
She jumped excitedly. "Everything's here! Round ones… long ones… sausages… that weird pink one looks yummy…"
Rika dashed toward the nearest cart like a firecracker, touching nothing, yet moving with such energy that some customers shivered. They exchanged uneasy glances, clutching their jackets.
"Why is it so cold?" murmured one."Hehe, suddenly really chilly…" added another.
Meanwhile, Arya stood on the sidewalk, expression flat. Hands in pockets, head slightly down, eyes quietly following Rika.
"She probably deserves a slap on the head," he murmured under his breath.
He walked slowly toward her, silent, making sure she didn't get too far.
After several minutes of her jumping around and startling a few people, Rika finally noticed she had gone overboard.
She slowed, walking beside Arya, who had followed silently with his trademark "I don't know her" expression.
Feigning casualness, Rika walked on his right, speaking softly.
"So… what should we get?"
Arya didn't answer. Eyes forward, pretending to observe something important—but it was just a lamp post. Shoulders stiff, pretending not to hear.
Rika knew immediately.
"Ohhh, pretending not to see, huh?" she thought, glancing at Arya with a sly, amused look. "Even though I know he heard everything…"
She didn't get angry. She only smiled faintly, matching his pace. The street still buzzed, though not loudly. Vendors began packing up, but tempting aromas still lingered.
Then… Rika sniffed something.
She turned quickly to the left.
There. Cilok.
A small cart with a faded orange banner and flickering neon lights. The round cilok lay neatly in the steamer, glistening.
Rika's eyes went wide. She ran lightly toward it—almost floating.
She froze in front of it, staring like a child at a toy in a shop window.
Arya followed slowly, stopping beside her. Watching her, silent, smile tense, face pale.
"No… I don't want any…" Rika said quickly, still staring, stepping back slightly."I just… want to look. Really… I'm not asking."
Her voice was soft, hesitant, like a child who'd made a mistake and didn't want to repeat it. Memories of past incidents with Dio lingered.
Arya took a slow breath, smiled faintly, and addressed the vendor:
"Ten thousand Rupiah, please. To go."
The vendor nodded silently.
Rika froze. Her face flushed, then stretched into a wide, restrained smile. She bounced slightly, fists clenched like she was holding back a cheer.
But in a dramatic, failed soap-opera move, she spun to face away from Arya.
"D-don't think I wanted it! I didn't say anything! You bought it yourself."
Arya snorted lightly. "Yeah, for me."
Rika peeked at the bag in his hand, pretending to be indifferent.
Arya waited quietly while the cilok was packed, glancing at her subtly. Her expression wasn't for food—it was for permission.
When the cilok was handed over, Arya took it slowly. The vendor only nodded, silent. Maybe because the night was late—or the air felt strange since Rika stood there. Cold, but not from the air.
Rika looked at Arya and spoke softly.
"Arya… after this, let's go home, okay. So tha—"
FWUUUSSSHHH!!
A sudden gust of wind roared. The air swirled unnaturally. In an instant, Rika was lifted from the ground, hurled backward as if pulled by an invisible force. Fast. Sharp. Cutting through the night air with an impossible whistling sound.
"Rika?!" Arya spun around.
But she was already gone.
Up into the sky. Into the darkness. Arya's eyes widened.
"What… was that?" he whispered, before sprinting reflexively—full speed.