《Indigo In Another World》 Chapter 1 - New World "Die~" "Why do you keep fighting~" "What are you fighting for? Your environment doesn''t want you, Your friends avoid you... Your parents don''t want you~" "Surrender~ Let''s go~ Follow us~" "You''ll be happy if you follow us~" "You will not feel any pain anymore~" "Die~ and join us~" A dark room, lit only by the glow of a computer screen. The sound of rapid keyboard tapping mixed with the eerie whispers that filled the air. Trisakti sat in front of his monitor, focused on an intense MMORPG raid. Around him, distorted figures loomed, pale faces with hollow eyes and grotesque limbs twitching unnaturally. Ghosts. A wandering spirit who cannot be reincarnated because there are still regrets left in the world. Most people would scream. Most would cry. Some might pass out in fear. But Trisakti? He didn¡¯t even blink. He had gotten so used to it, to the point he didn''t care anymore. "*Sigh* Stupid ghosts¡­ can''t you see I¡¯m in the middle of something?" Trisakti muttered, his fingers still dancing across the keyboard. The spirits recoiled slightly and shrank like a pet that had been scolded by its master. One of them, who looks like a woman wearing a long white dress and long hair that covers her face, hesitated before whispering again. "Why do you always ignore us~?" Heard that, Trisakti sighed. Still with his eyes on the monitor screen. "Because you''re annoying" The ghosts whimpered. Defeated. Satisfied with their silence, Trisakti refocused on his game. His guild was in the middle of fighting an important boss monster, and he couldn¡¯t afford any distractions. *Noise~ Noise~ Noise~* Outside his window, a group of teenagers loitered near his house, laughing and yelling insults. "That weirdo still playing games alone? Haha~ what a freak!" Trisakti heard them. He didn¡¯t care. It was nothing new. But then- *BZZZT!* The screen glitched. His game froze. "WHAT?! NO! NOT NOW! FUCK!!" Trisakti screamed In frustration, then leaned down to check his CPU, fiddling with the cables. *CRASH!* A rock flew and broke the window of his room, and was accompanied by the sound of the teenagers giggling which slowly disappeared as they ran away. *Buk!* Trisakti, who was shocked by this, hit the table with his head. A bottle, knocked over by the sudden movement, spilled its contents onto the floor. The liquid seeped toward the power socket. Trisakti¡¯s eyes widened. *ZAP!* A sharp *ZAP!* was heard, followed by an electric surge that shot through his body. His muscles spasmed. His vision blurred. *Buk~* Trisakti''s stiff body fell to the floor. ''Oh, come on¡­ is this seriously how I die? What a fucking Joke'' Trisakti thought, then raised his hand towards the ghosts. ''... Be useful just this once, delete my search history!'' And of course, the ghosts didn''t know what Trisakti wanted, then the last thing he saw was the ghosts surrounding him, watching, whispering before darkness consumed him. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. -------- Trisakti expected death. Maybe even hell, considering how much he ignored the wish of the dead. "*Ugh~* Am I in Hell?" Trisakti said, feeling the light entering through the gaps in his closed eyes. Trisakti raised his hand to protect his eyes from the light. Slowly opening his eyes. Trisakti blinked a few times to adjust his vision, after he could see clearly, what he saw shocked him. It''s not dark, there are no rivers of magma, and it''s not as scary as hell should be. "... Did I go to the Heaven instead?" Trisakti said and continued to look around him. Blue skies. Towering castles. A village bustling with people in medieval clothing. ¡°¡­What the hell? This also didn''t look like what I know about How Heaven looks Like; where''s the fuck is this?¡± He sat up, feeling lighter than usual. His clothes were different, simple linen and a leather vest. He looked around, taking in the scenery. People walked around with swords at their waists, some dressed like Wizards in Games, some with long ears, some with big bodies but didn''t look like Humans, furry and animal-eared. ''... Swords. Magic. Fantasy setting. Either this is a dream¡­ or did I get isekai¡¯d?'' Trisakti sighed. He already knew the answer. This is not Hell or Heaven, not Dream either. ''... This is the fucking legendary isekai''d!!'' Trisakti thought to himself, confused, anxious, mixed with enthusiasm. But then, he felt a familiar presence that made his skin crawl. "Die~" "!!!" Trisakti suddenly felt goosebumps, quickly looked back, and sure enough, it was them. "You guys again?! What the Fuck!!" Trisakti said to a group of spirits floated nearby, watching him with unsettling smiles. They weren¡¯t just ghosts. They were the same ghosts from his old world. And they followed him here. Trisakti groaned in frustration. "Great. I get a new world, but you guys still won¡¯t leave me alone¡­" "???" Trisakti suddenly felt a chill from his shoulder, it felt so familiar that he quickly turned his head. There, he saw the villagers passing by giving him strange looks. "Who''s he talking to?" "Must be crazy. Poor guy, even though he is handsome~ what a waste" Heard that wispher, Trisakti facepalmed. ''Oh no¡­ not this again'' -------- In a quiet alley, a person is seen kneeling while leaning against the wall. After a while, that person then raised his head as if looking at something in front of him. With pale white hair and red eyes, he was Trisakti, who had fled from his previous place after hearing their whispers about him. If seen from the perspective of other people, perhaps they only see Trisakti looking towards an empty space, but Trisakti, who is blessed with special abilities, has another view; in front of him, it is not just an empty space, but... A bunch of ghosts. "... Are you guys for real?! Just after I thought I was finally free from all of you, why do you guys have to appear here with me?! This is why you guys always ask me to die? What the Hell?!!" "We also don''t know, Trisakti-" "Shut up, Kunti!!" Kuntilanak is a pale-skinned woman with long, unkempt black hair and a bloodstained white dress, the vengeful spirit of a woman who died during childbirth or due to violence. For other people, She is a scary figure, but hearing the shout from Trisakti, Kuntilanak recoiled slightly while making a sad groan. After that, a creature that was tall and muscular, covered in thick black reddish fur, and had glowing red eyes, sharp fangs, and a terrifying grin stepped forward. But even faced with the creature, Trisakti did not budge. Then in that deep and scary voice, Genderewo said. "Trisakti, this is not our fault, We didn''t want to follow you into this unfamiliar world, but your energy drew us here with you" "... *Sigh* Even you said that Genderuwo?" "Just accept it, Trisakti; it''s time for you to accept this ''ability'' that you have; you can''t avoid it forever... It''s the time for you to accept us" "Accept you guys?" Trisakti''s voice was sharp, his red eyes narrowing as he stared at the ghosts surrounding him. His hands clenched into fists, his entire body tensing as frustration boiled over. "You think I should just accept you?" Trisakti said, letting out a bitter laugh and shaking his head. Then said again. "Do you have any idea how miserable my life was because of you?" The ghosts flinched, taken aback by Trisakti''s words. "You whisper in my ears every damn day. Telling me to die. Filling my mind with your nonsense. Do you know what it''s like to hear that every second of your life?" Trisakti¡¯s breathing was ragged, his anger bubbling to the surface. "I tried to ignore you. I tried to act like you weren¡¯t there. But do you know what happened? People called me weird. They avoided me. My friends distanced themselves. My parents thought I was crazy" His voice cracked slightly, but he swallowed down the emotions clawing at his throat. "... I was alone. No one wanted to be around the freak who talks to himself" Trisakti gritted his teeth. Then said again, and the Ghost can only remain silent. "... And now, even after dying, after waking up in a whole new world, you guys are still here?! I thought I finally escaped! I thought I could start over!" His voice echoed through the empty alley, his frustration spilling out like a dam breaking. The ghosts remained silent. Even Kuntilanak, usually playful and teasing, shrank back, gripping the edges of her bloodstained dress. Trisakti exhaled, rubbing his face. His hands trembled slightly. "I never asked for this¡­ I never asked for any of you... This fucking curse disguised as a blessing!" After Trisakti said that, For a moment, there was only silence. Then, Genderuwo stepped forward. His towering, monstrous form cast a shadow over Trisakti, but there was no hostility in his glowing red eyes. "We know... We have always known" Genderuwo said, his deep voice carrying a rare solemnity. Trisakti looked up, startled by the admission. "But no matter how much you ignored us, no matter how much you hated us¡­ We never left you" Kuntilanak floated closer, her voice softer than usual. Continued Genderuwo word. "Because you were the only one who could see us~ The only one who never ran away from us~" Trisakti clenched his jaw. "That doesn¡¯t mean I wanted you" Genderuwo nodded. "Perhaps not... But here, in this world¡­ we might be the only ones who truly understand you" Heard that, Trisakti scoffed, looking away. He didn¡¯t want to hear it. He didn¡¯t want to believe it. But deep inside, a part of him knew they were right. Even in this new world, he was still the same. The weird guy who talked to things no one else could see. The outcast. The freak. No matter where he went¡­ he was never normal. Trisakti closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. His shoulders slumped as he said. "¡­I need food." Kuntilanak brightened slightly. "Cemetery~?" Trisakti groaned. "Shut up, Kunti." For the first time, the tension in the air lessened. The ghosts, despite everything, were still here. And maybe, just maybe¡­ that wasn¡¯t the worst thing in the world. .... ... .. . Chapter 2 - Not This Again "... You want a food, Trisakti?" Said one of the Ghosts, Tuyul, a Small, childlike humanoid with a bald head and greenish skin. Has big, round eyes and sharp teeth. It looked like a goblin but smaller and looked a little more human than goblins. Tuyul is primarily known for stealing money or valuables from people''s houses. It is believed that if humans keep Tuyul, they can get abundant wealth. "Do you still want to keep stealing here, Tuyul?¡± "Kakaka~ What else can I do besides stealing something?" "..." No one said anything when Tuyul said that what he was about to do was wrong, but somehow, it sounded right when he said it. "Okay, I do need some food, go ahead, but don''t overdo it!" "Kekeke~ That''s what I''ve been wanting to hear, just wait, this will only take a moment, Kekeke~" Said Tuyul; then, at a speed that could not be followed by the eye, he disappeared along with the sound of his strange laughter, which slowly faded away. Seeing Tuyul leaving happily as if his lifelong wish (He was dead) had been fulfilled, the other ghosts looked towards Trisakti with expectant gazes, as if they also wanted to be useful to Trisakti. "... What? Why do you guys look at me like that?" Trisakti said as he looked at the ghosts surrounding him, their expectant stares sending a chill down his spine. It wasn¡¯t the usual eerie, deathly chill he was used to. No, this was different. It was the unsettling feeling of a group of useless creatures wanting to prove they were useful. Kuntilanak floated closer, her long, messy black hair swaying unnaturally. "Do you want me to scare some people for you~? Maybe make someone faint so you can take their stuff~?" Trisakti groaned. Immediately rejected Kuntilanak''s plan. "No. That¡¯s a crime, Kunti" Genderuwo crossed his muscular, fur-covered arms, his grin revealing sharp fangs. "I could¡­ shake some buildings, make a little chaos. Might scare off some of the competition if you''re thinking of doing business in this town... Isn''t that sound good?" "No! I don''t need a terrorist in my ghost squad!" Pocong, a figure wrapped tightly in a burial shroud with a pale, expressionless face, suddenly hopped forward. "I-I¡­ can make someone trip~" Heard that, Trisakti blinked in confusion. Then asked. "¡­Trip?" Pocong nodded slowly. "Yes¡­ I just stand in their way¡­ and they trip¡­" Trisakti massaged his temples. "So, your big idea is a mild inconvenience?" Pocong nodded again. "¡­Great. Amazing. Truly, you are a force to be reckoned with" The ghosts exchanged glances, clearly eager to help but lacking any sense of moral boundaries or practical usefulness. "Listen" Trisakti said, continued again after he let out a long sigh. "... I just need food. Something normal. Tuyul is already handling it, so you guys can just-" Before he could finish, Tuyul reappeared in a blur of movement, giggling like a maniac. "Kekeke~ I''m back!" Trisakti barely had time to react before a small sack was tossed into his hands. He opened it cautiously. Inside were fresh bread, some fruit, and a few silver coins. Trisakti¡¯s eyes twitched. Looking at Tuyul then asks. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "Where¡­ Where exactly did you get this?" Hearing Trisakti''s questions, Tuyul grinned, showing off his tiny, sharp teeth. "I told you, I steal things~" "Who did you steal it from?" Tuyul tilted his head. "A rich-looking guy who smelled like he never worked a day in his life~ He won''t even notice~" Trisakti sighed. On one hand, he was relieved it wasn¡¯t stolen from some struggling merchant. On the other hand¡­ he had just become an accomplice to theft. He looked at the ghosts, all still watching him, eager for approval. "... Fine. Just this once" Trisakti said, then took a bite of the bread. "But from now on, no more crime unless I say so" The ghosts exchanged confused looks. "So¡­ some crime?" Kuntilanak asked. Trisakti sighed. "I hate all of you." Genderuwo grinned. "Hate us all you want, kid. We''re still in your squad, you said it on your own" Trisakti took another bite, chewing slowly. Yeah. For better or worse, they were his crew now. The only one he knew in this whole new world he was in. -------- After finally eating and regaining his composure, Trisakti decided it was time to explore this new world. Not like others who also Isekai''d like him, he wasn¡¯t in some dark dungeon or an abandoned ruin, but in a town. A place where people lived their lives normally. ''So, why not take a look around?'' With that thought, Trisakti took a deep breath, stretched his arms, and walked out of the alley, stepping onto the main street. It was lively. Vendors shouting their wares, children running around, knights patrolling. It''s the kind of medieval fantasy scene you¡¯d expect in a game of comics. For the first time since arriving, Trisakti almost felt¡­ at peace. ''... This is good'' That''s what Trisakti Thought as he was walking through the main street... Until it began. First, a man carrying a large sack of vegetables suddenly tripped and face-planted onto the road, sending cabbages flying everywhere. "MY CABBAGES!!!" Trisakti paused mid-step. ¡®¡­Wait.¡¯ Then, a noblewoman walking elegantly down the street suddenly shivered violently. "I-It''s so cold! I-Is there an evil spirit around?!" She said as she hugged herself, looking around in panic. Trisakti¡¯s eye twitched. ¡®... Oh no¡¯ Then, a merchant suddenly gasped, patting his pockets frantically. "M-My coin pouch! I had it just a second ago!" Trisakti clenched his teeth, slowly turning his head. Behind him, floating ever so innocently, were his ghosts. Pocong had been the one responsible for the man¡¯s fall. Kuntilanak had sent a freezing chill down the noblewoman¡¯s spine. And Tuyul¡­ well, Tuyul was grinning mischievously while jingling a coin pouch in his tiny hands. Trisakti inhaled deeply. Then exhaled. Then inhaled again. "WHY?! WHY CAN''T YOU GUYS JUST BE NORMAL?!" The ghosts looked at him, confused. Kuntilanak floated closer. Tilt her head slightly and asked in confusion. "But¡­ this is normal for us" Pocong bobbed slightly. "Tripping people¡­ is all I do¡­" Genderuwo, watching from the side, grinned. "Kid, you really thought you could walk around like nothing was gonna happen?" Trisakti gritted his teeth, gripping his head in frustration. People were starting to take notice. More and more bystanders shivered. Some turned pale, feeling an unnatural presence. A priest from a nearby church started looking around suspiciously, mumbling prayers under his breath. Trisakti felt cold sweat drip down his back. ¡®Oh no. No, no, no. This is bad¡¯ He had seen this before. In his old world, whenever people started noticing too much, they called them. The shamans. The exorcists. The ghost hunters or whatever. And if this world had anything like that, especially if the Magic thing is real, then he was so screwed. "That¡¯s it" Trisakti whispered. He turned around and walked out of the city. "Trisakti? Where are you going?" Kuntilanak asked, tilting her head. "Away" Trisakti growled. "Far, far away from here" "But why~?" "Because I refuse to be arrested for ghost-related crimes!" He picked up the pace, ignoring the growing chaos behind him. The ghosts exchanged glances before happily floating after him. Tuyul, still jingling the stolen pouch, giggled. "So, does this mean we¡¯re camping in the wild?" Trisakti clenched his fists. Then, as he ran, Trisakti screamed toward the sky. "I HATE ALL OF YOU!!" And so, Trisakti left the city, forced into exile by the pure chaos that followed him wherever he went. -------- In the middle of the forest, a person who looks like a young man with white hair is seen kneeling while bowing his head with his back leaning against a large rock behind him. "What''s this? Lamenting your fate, part two?" Hearing that, Trisakti raised his head and saw Genderuwo grinning at him sinisterly. But there was not the slightest fear in Trisakti''s eyes; the scary grin on Genderuwo''s ??face was like the expression of an uncle smiling sweetly at his nephew, not afraid but only making Trisakti feel disgusted. "... *Sigh* Can you guys just stay quiet? And Tuyul, where''s the coin pouch you stole earlier?" Trisakti said as he looked at Tuyul, who was also grinning, showing his small fangs. "... What? Do you want me to give it back to them?" "No, give me that pouch, That would be more useful to me than you just keeping it" "But isn''t it bad, Trisakti~?" Kuntilanak Said. "What happened has happened, so there''s no need to think about it anymore, besides returning it now won''t end well, so it''s better to make the most of what you have than nothing at all" "That sounds wise enough... So what are you going to do now? Are you going back to town?" "I will, but not now, maybe after the situation is a little calmer, but for now, let''s stay in this forest and... TUYUL! DON''T TRY TO RUN! GIVE ME THAT COIN POUCH!!" Hearing this, the Tuyul who was about to disappear, condensed his presence again. "Where''s... The... Pouch!" Hearing Trisakti''s words, Tuyul sighed lightly, and then, in his small hand, a brown pouch appeared. A moment after the pouch appeared in Tuyul''s hand, Trisakti immediately snatched it, making Tuyul look sad. "That was a crime you know?" "Hehe~ Our Trisakti is learning to become a bad boy~ Hihihi~" "Do you want me to teach you how to trip a person?" "I can teach you how to crack your bones if you want?¡± After that, one by one the ghosts tried to teach Trisakti what they could, but Trisakti didn''t care and was instead busy counting the gold coins in the pouch. But Trisakti''s hand suddenly stopped when his ears faintly caught a sound and the sound did not come from the ghosts around him. "Ssstt! Shut up!" .... ... .. . Chapter 3 - Encounter As an Indigo child, besides having the ability to see what others cannot see, Trisakti also has sharper senses than ordinary people. However, Trisakti is a little different, Trisakti''s sensory abilities are not as sharp as other Indigo children, but Trisakti''s most striking ability is his vision. But when he entered this world, where Mana existed, Trisakti''s body evolved to follow the changes in his environment, becoming suited to this world, the changes happening slowly, to the point where the changes would not be felt. And Trisakti, which was touched by Mana, underwent a change and made his senses sharper. But he himself did not realize it. -------- Trisakti, who was busy calculating "Profit", suddenly stopped his hands because his ears caught a sound. Trisakti stood up and then told the Ghosts to be quiet. "Ssst~ Shut up!" Hearing Trisakti''s words, the ghosts looked at Trisakti in confusion. "Trisak-" "Ssts! Not now Kunti!" Said Trisakti who then slowly walked towards where he heard the voice. Trisakti closed his eyes and focused everything on his hearing senses. "..." "..." Trisakti¡¯s ears twitched. A voice. Faint. Weak. Desperate. Someone was calling for help. His breath hitched as he focused on the sound. It was distant, almost drowned out by the rustling leaves and chirping insects, but it was unmistakable. ¡°¡­ lp¡­ m¡­¡± "... Help... Me... " Hearing that, Trisakti¡¯s expression darkened. For a moment, he hesitated. Helping people wasn¡¯t really his thing. He had spent most of his life ignoring the voices of the dead. He had no reason to care about some random stranger in a world he barely understood. But¡­ This voice wasn¡¯t like the ghosts. It didn¡¯t carry the eerie, lingering regret of the dead. It was real. Alive. The Voice was weak, and it was getting weaker and weaker with every second that passed. Trisakti¡¯s eyes immediately open. Who knows what happened, Trisakti lifted his feet and immediately ran, chasing the voice that was getting weaker. The Ghosts who saw this were confused, but they still followed Trisakti, trailing behind him. Step by step, the trees around him blurred into shadows. His ears picked up the uneven breathing, the rustling of cloth against dirt, and the frantic heartbeat of someone barely clinging to consciousness. Then... The scent of blood. Aksara slowed his steps. He walked along the unpaved path, through the bushes that covered the path, and with every step he took, the scent of blood he smelled grew stronger. Then. A girl. She was slumped against a tree, her body trembling. Her long, disheveled hair was stained with dirt and sweat. Her cloak was torn, revealing deep claw marks across her arm and side. Blood seeped into the ground beneath her. But what caught Trisakti¡¯s attention the most¡­ Were the creatures surrounding her. Dark, shadowy figures with glowing yellow eyes. Their bodies flickered like smoke, shifting between solid and intangible. They slithered closer, whispering in a strange, guttural language. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. A shiver ran down Trisakti¡¯s spine. ¡®what is that¡­?¡¯ The girl lifted her head slightly, her eyes barely open. She saw him. A glint of hope was shown in her eyes. ¡°¡­Help¡­ me¡­¡± Trisakti cursed under his breath. ¡®Damn it. I knew this was a bad idea¡¯ The ghosts floating behind him peered over his shoulder. "Ooooh~ New friend?" Kuntilanak whispered excitedly. Seeing a creature that is similar to them, somehow. Trisakti sighed. "Not the time, Kunti" Trisakti said without averting his gaze from the girl and the creatures around her. Then. One of the shadow creatures twitched. Its glowing eyes locked onto Trisakti. The air grew colder. The whispers grew louder. Then, without any warning or anything. In unison, that creature lunged at him with unpleasant wailing in the ears. Trisakti¡¯s instincts screamed. He moved. But that creature is not just simply moving; it''s like it moved for a few meters, disappeared, and then appeared again around Trisakti in a second. Trisakti barely had time to react. That thing moved unnaturally, flickering between solid and intangible, vanishing and reappearing around him in erratic bursts. One second it was inches away, the next, meters behind him. Trisakti''s body tensed, instincts screaming, but his usual tricks, dodging, feinting, predicting movements, were useless. He had fought humans before, even dealt with hauntings, but this? This was different. The wailing grew unbearable, echoing in his skull. His vision blurred. The air itself felt heavier like unseen hands were pressing against him. Then. A swipe. Cold. Not like the usual chill of ghosts he had known his whole life. This was deeper, sharper, like something trying to tear at his very existence. His body shuddered involuntarily. ''Shit!...'' Trisakti tried to move, but the creature was too fast. Its form twisted unnaturally mid-air, reforming just above him, clawed hands reaching down. Trisakti had no way to fight back. Then, A scream. Not his. Not human. Something howled in rage, cutting through the wailing shadows. *BAM!* The creature was sent flying. Trisakti staggered, his breath ragged. He barely processed what had just happened before more figures materialized around him. Familiar figures. "Kakakaka~ You dare touch our Trisakti?!" A small, bald, greenish figure cackled as it stood where the shadow creature had been, rubbing its tiny fists together with excitement. Tuyul. The Ghost Thief. A towering, red-eyed beast loomed beside Trisakti, thick fur bristling in rage. Genderuwo. Floating above, a woman with long, dark hair and a bloodstained white dress stared down at the shadow creatures with a haunting smile. Kuntilanak. And more. Pocong. Sundel Bolong. Wewe Gombel. Jerangkong. Bunian people. Spirits from his world, all forming a line between him and the shadow creatures. Trisakti¡¯s mind reeled. ¡®They can¡­ fight?!¡¯ He had always known ghosts could interact with the living world but to this extent? This was new. The shadow creatures flickered, their glowing eyes darting between their unexpected opponents. They seemed¡­ wary. Uncertain. About this new fellow. Then, as if responding to an unspoken command, They attacked again The clearing exploded into chaos. Tuyul darted forward, his small hands moving in a blur, snatching at the shadow creatures before disappearing into thin air, reappearing behind them with a mischievous cackle. Genderuwo swung his massive fist, striking one of the shadows so hard it screeched and shattered into the mist. Kuntilanak let out an eerie, melodic wail, her presence causing the creatures to recoil, their flickering forms distorting like flames in the wind. For the first time since arriving in this world, Trisakti saw his ghosts not just as lingering presences, but as something else. But, Something was wrong. Trisakti¡¯s heart clenched as he saw Kuntilanak¡¯s form flicker, her previously solid presence growing translucent. The others, too. Genderuwo¡¯s massive frame wavered. Tuyul¡¯s figure dimmed. They were fading. Too much energy. Too much strain. They weren¡¯t spirits of this world. They weren¡¯t meant to be here. And now, they were vanishing, due to running out of energy. Kuntilanak turned to Trisakti, her eerie smile now tired. "Sorry, Trisakti¡­ seems like we can''t stay long~ Hihihi~" Trisakti''s breath hitched. One by one, the ghosts disappeared. And in their absence, The shadow creatures turned their glowing eyes back to him. Their whispers returned, stronger, more menacing. The momentary advantage was gone. And now, he was alone. Again. Trisakti clenched his fists. "¡­Shit" Trisakti said, then quickly stood back up and tried to escape. But his eyes were fixed on the girl from earlier. Seeing that she''s still breathing although a little weak, A silent war waged within him, whether to run from here alone or take the woman with him. "Shit! Fuck it!!" -------- Trisakti gritted his teeth as his legs burned with exhaustion. The girl in his arms was barely conscious, her weight pressing down on him, but he refused to stop. The shadow creatures flickered behind them, their glowing eyes piercing the darkness due to the dense forest like a swarm of fireflies. Too fast. They were too fast. They were gaining on him. A cold sensation crawled up his spine as one of them flickered ahead, reappearing right in his path. "Shit!" Trisakti twisted his body at the last second, barely avoiding the strike meant for his head, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough to dodge completely. *Ssshhhkk!* A searing pain tore through his back. It felt like ice and fire burning into his flesh at the same time. His body seized up, his legs buckling under the shock of the wound. The world tilted. The girl. He couldn''t let go. With a desperate move, he twisted mid-fall, using his body to cushion the girls as they hit the ground. His breath left him in a sharp gasp. Pain. It spread through him like wildfire, his blood soaking into the dirt beneath them. Trisakti''s vision blurred. The creatures circled, whispering. Laughing. Trisakti could feel the strength draining from his body. His fingers trembled as he tried to push himself up, but his limbs felt heavy, unresponsive to his will. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ His consciousness wavered. The edges of his sight darkened. He was going to die. Again. But then... A voice. Soft. Familiar. "... Call me, Trisakti~" His breath hitched. ''That voice¡­'' A hazy memory surface, one of mischief, greed, and endless laughter. His lips parted, barely above a whisper. "I¡­ summon you¡­" The shadows closed in. Trisakti¡¯s vision dimmed. His voice trembled, but he forced the words out. "¡­Tuyul..." Silence. Then- .... ... .. . Chapter 4 - Die Again? After Trisakti called out the Tuyul¡¯s name, a thick bluish-purple aura erupted from his body, engulfing him like a roaring fire. The flames flickered unnaturally, casting distorted shadows in every direction. The shadow creatures, which had been closing in, suddenly hesitated, their glowing yellow eyes flickering with uncertainty. One second. Two seconds passed, Then- ¡°Kekeke~¡± A mischievous, eerie laughter echoed through the air. The swirling aura pulsed, then fused into Trisakti¡¯s body. His form shifted. His already pale skin took on the faintest hint of green, and his normally sharp features softened just slightly, taking on an impish, youthful look. His red eyes gleamed with a new, unsettling light, and his white hair now carried a subtle wildness, strands floating as if touched by an unseen force. Trisakti looked down at his hands. His fingers were still human, but his nails were sharper, almost claw-like. His body felt lighter as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. A sly, involuntary grin tugged at his lips. He could feel it. The Tuyul¡¯s power. The creatures whispered among themselves, their hesitation turning to alarm. They could sense the change. Trisakti didn¡¯t wait. His body vanished in a blur. One moment, he was standing still; the next, he was behind the nearest creature, his fingers grazing its shadowy form. The moment they made contact, something strange happened. The creature flinched, not just from the touch, but as if something was being stolen from it. Its form flickered, growing thinner, weaker, and then gone. Trisakti¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Oh? Interesting~¡± Before the creature could react, Trisakti disappeared again, reappearing in front of another shadow. His speed was unnatural, like a flickering light, unpredictable and erratic. With a swift movement, he plucked something unseen from the creature, an invisible force, like taking a coin from someone¡¯s pocket. The creature let out a distorted shriek, its form collapsing in on itself before dispersing into the air. The other creatures recoiled. Trisakti flexed his fingers, feeling the stolen energy surge through him. ¡°I get it now¡­¡± Trisakti muttered, a smirk forming on his face. Then said again. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°This is why Tuyul steals. It¡¯s not just about money; it¡¯s about taking what others don¡¯t even realize they have; this feeling is... Unbearable, Kekeke~¡± His crimson eyes glowed brighter. He turned toward the remaining creatures, who were now trying to back away. Trisakti cracked his neck. ¡°Kekeke~¡± Then with that strange laugh, Trisakti lunged toward the nearby creatures. -------- Trisakti continued his relentless assault, his body moving with an unnatural speed and precision. Every strike drained the shadowy creatures, sapping their strength and reducing them to wisps of darkness before they vanished completely. The thrill of battle coursed through him, a wild exhilaration, unlike anything he had ever felt before. This power, this ability, it was intoxicating. Then, amidst the chaos, a voice echoed inside his mind. "Trisakti, finish it quickly. Your human body cannot bear my power for long, if not-" Tuyul¡¯s warning rang clear, but Trisakti barely acknowledged it. He was too caught up in the battle, in the thrill of watching these creatures crumble before him. The fear in their glowing eyes fueled him and drove him forward. More. Just a little more. ''Let me feel this feeling a little longer, Kekeke~'' Trisakti lunged at another creature, fingers brushing against its essence. Another shriek. Another disappearance. The remaining creatures hesitated. Then, as if reaching a collective decision, they turned and fled into the darkness, their eerie whispers fading into the night. Trisakti stood there, breathing heavily. He grinned. Muttered ¡°They ran¡­ I actually made them run, kekeke~¡± He laughed, exhilarated. He won. But then- "Ughh!" A sharp pain shot through his chest. His grin faltered. His limbs felt heavy. His vision blurred. The eerie bluish-purple aura surrounding him flickered, then dispersed like smoke in the wind. His legs buckled. The strength that had filled him moments ago was gone in an instant. Then without any word, Trisakti collapsed. His body hit the ground, dust rising around him. His breath came in shallow gasps. He could feel it now, the strain, the exhaustion. His human body wasn¡¯t made for this. Distantly, he heard Tuyul¡¯s voice again. "I told you¡­ Kekeke¡­ but you never listen, huh?" After that, His vision darkened. -------- Trisakti woke up, looked left and right, but found nothing but empty space. "... So, in the end, I still die, huh?" Said Trisakti who then quickly stood up "But where is this? Is this... Hell?" "Why are you so obsessed with going to hell, Trisakti~?" "!!!" Trisakti was surprised to hear the familiar voice and tone of voice, then he quickly turned back. "Hy~ we meet again~" "Kekeke~ you want to go to hell that bad, huh?" "This is the first time I''ve seen a human being want to go to hell, to the point of becoming obsessed, only you are a Trisakti" "Why do you want to go to Hell that badly? Are there you can Trip people too?" "I heard hell is a scary place... There are no children there" "How could children be in hell? You child thieves!" "Child Thief? How can you say something so cruel, Bunian? I didn''t steal them, I just played with them" "Well, you ONLY take them out to play but never send them back to their families... That''s what we call a CHILD THIEF, Wewe" "You too, Jerangkong? NO! What''s the point of them going back to their families if they''re not happy? Then it''s better for them to stay with me, right? Is that wrong?" "Wrong, very Wrong, Wewe" "It''s not just me who thinks that way... We all think that way, wake up, Wewe, you''re a thief of children, admit it" Said Jarangkong, the Walking Skeleton, who was wearing tattered clothes, and had hollow, glowing red eyes. Wewe Gombel, Tall and frightening with a grotesque face, wears traditional Javanese clothing but appears eerie and ghost-like; hearing what Jerangkong said, she immediately looked around at her friends, but when Wewe Gombel''s eyes fell on them, they immediately looked away. Seeing this, with a face of disbelief, Wewe Gombel, sadly, muttered. "... You... Guys" "Pfftt~ Ahahah~" But amid the chaos, the sound of laughter was suddenly heard; the Ghosts who heard this immediately turned towards the sound of laughter and found Trisakti laughing his heart out while holding his stomach. "Trisakti has gone crazy... How is this~?" Said Kuntilanak, sounding worried because, during her time with Trisakti, this was the first time she had seen Trisakti laugh out loud like this. "Kekeke~ What should we do, Genderuwo?" "I... I don''t know, this also the first time I see him like this?" "Hm~ Should I try to trip him?" Hearing Pocong''s suggestion, all their gazes immediately turned to him. "What? I''m trying, you know?" "... Haaa~ So you guys still here, huh? Are you all so obsessed that even when I die you will still follow me? And what with that appearance? Where are your feet? Oops~ Didn''t mean to offend you Pocong" Trisakti said seeing his ghost friends, even the Genderuwo, now had no legs, they were like floating spirits. "What?! I have legs too, you know? They''re just wrapped in cloth..." "Well~ Now it''s nothing; I think it doesn''t make any difference for you, but you guys... Pfftt~ Ahaha~ It''s so funny" Trisakti said once again and laughed out loud again; seeing this, the ghosts were initially offended and confused, but after a few moments, they also laughed with Trisakti, laughing at their own appearance. .... ... .. . Chapter 5 - New Path "... So, where are we?" Trisakti asked the ghosts after laughing to their heart''s content. "Seeing you guys are here, I guess this is not The Hell after all" "Well, we are wandering spirits; we can''t go to the afterlife and will continue to wander, so yeah, this can''t be hell, let alone heaven..." "Then do you know where are we?" "I believe we are in your subconscious space... Seeing as after we ran out of energy, we should have disappeared from the world, but we were dragged here instead... And then you came, maybe that''s it" Hearing that, Trisakti crossed his arms, tapping his fingers against his elbow as he processed Genderuwo''s words. "So, let me get this straight. You guys should have disappeared after running out of energy, but instead, you got dragged into my subconscious space. Like that?" Trisakti said, and The ghosts around him immediately nodded in unison. Kuntilanak floated lazily with her long white dress, swaying as if caught in an invisible breeze. Genderuwo cracked his knuckles, his massive form towering over the others, while Tuyul simply grinned. Seeing this, instead of being happy, Trisakti actually sighed. "Great... So now I have ghosts in my head too. As if my life wasn¡¯t already weird enough" "Don''t be like that, Trisakti~" Kuntilanak giggled at Trisakti''s words, then continued. "This means we''re even closer than before~ Hihihi~" "Yeah, no thanks... So what does this subconscious space actually mean? Do I just have some weird ghost storage now?" "Well, it ain''t exactly a storage, but it seems like we can rest here and recover our energy¡­ And, maybe, just maybe... If you get better at controlling this connection, you can summon us whenever you want instead of waiting for us to regenerate naturally" At Tuyul''s words, Trisakti narrowed his eyes. Then said. "You mean¡­ like contracts or summoning magic?" Heard that, Tuyul shrugged. "Something like that~ Kekeke~" Trisakti frowned, rubbing his temple. This was a lot to take in. His ghosts were now inside him instead of floating around like they used to. If he could learn to control this, he might be able to call them back at will. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ''... Wait, That¡­ That actually didn¡¯t sound so bad'' Trisakti thought, but before he could say anything, Genderuwo let out a low rumble. Said. "But there is one thing you must be careful about, Trisakti¡­" Hearing that, Trisakti looked up at Genderuwo, then asked. "What now?" Genderuwo¡¯s deep-set eyes locked onto him. He took a moment before saying. "You merged with Tuyul back there, right? That wasn¡¯t normal... It wasn¡¯t just borrowing power, but you let him inside you and become one with him, even if only for a short time. That kind of thing is dangerous" With those words from Genderuwo, The air in the subconscious space grew heavy. Trisakti was also nervous, swallowed his saliva, and then asked hesitantly. "...Dangerous? How?" "Kekeke~" Tuyul chuckled, resting his chin on his small hands. Then said. "... He means, if you ain¡¯t careful, we could end up taking over instead" Hearing that, Trisakti stiffened, and Kuntilanak smiled sweetly, then with a Playful tone, she said. "Not that we''d want to steal your body, Trisakti~ We like you the way you are~" "Yeah, but what if you try merging with someone stronger? Something more¡­ feral? Kekeke~ You might not come back as yourself" Tuyul said, with smir on his face. Hearing this, worry piled up in Trisakti''s heart, exhaled through his nose, clenching his fists. Thought. ''Great... Another thing to worry about'' But even as the warning settled in his mind, a thought struck him. ''Then... If I could master this power¡­ If I could learn to merge properly without losing myself¡­ Won''t that mean I wouldn''t just be a guy who saw a ghost? But be something more... Something different... That''s... That''s actually amazing, isn''t it?'' With that thought, a slow grin crept onto Trisakti''s face. "...Guess I have a lot to figure out, huh?" -------- "... So how does this ¡°Merge¡± work, and how is it different from regular possession?¡± Hearing that, Tuyul grinned, kicking his unexisting feet in the air as he answered. "Kekeke~ Good question! See, possession is simple... Our kind forces ourselves into a living body, controlling it like a puppet...The host usually struggles, sometimes goes crazy, and most of the time, they don''t survive for long" "That doesn¡¯t sound reassuring." Trisakti said while shuddering. Tuyul huffed in annoyance. Then said. "Let me finish, sheesh! Now, merging is different. Although I don''t know that much because this is also something new for us, but, there''s a but... When you merged with me, you didn¡¯t just let me take over, you let our energies mix... Our souls overlapped, our thoughts blurred together. It was like¡­" Tuyul stopped. Tapped his chin as if searching for the right words. Then continue. "... like sharing the same seat in a car, with both hands on the wheel, I think" With that explanation from Tuyul, Trisakti raised an eyebrow. Ask. "And if I lose control?" Reacting to Trisakti''s question, Genderuwo rumbled. "Then you become a passenger, and the one merging with you takes over. If it¡¯s something small, like Tuyul, you might be able to fight back. But if it''s something stronger¡­ Like me... Then it''s a different story, and if that really happens, then..." "You could lose yourself forever~" Kuntilanak finished Genderuwo''s words with a playful voice. Hearing this, Trisakti ran a hand down his face. Thought for a bit before he said. "... Yeah, okay~ Definitely something I don¡¯t want happening" "But!" Tuyul interjected, grinning wider. "If you can train yourself, strengthen yourself, and learn to control the merge, then, Trisakti~" Tuyul said, then leaned in close, his sharp little teeth showing. Then said to Trisakti in an almost whispered voice. "... You could become something really, really scary... Something new for this world or our original world, isn''t tempting? A new path just for you alone, a special power for a special person... Don''t you want it? Kekeke~" With that, Trisakti fell silent, his thoughts racing. The power to merge with ghosts. To use their abilities as his own. What he felt before when he merged with Tuyul was something he would never forget, that feeling. That feeling of being filled with power... It was dangerous. Risky... ''... But also¡­ Tempting'' After thinking for a while, Trisakti exhaled, shaking his head with a small smirk. "... Great. Another headache to add to my collection" "Kekeke~ That¡¯s the spirit!" "Humm~" Genderuwo hummed, crossed his arms. Then said. "If you¡¯re serious about this, we¡¯ll help. But you need to learn control. Otherwise, the next time you merge with any of us, you might not wake up as yourself" "Well, no pressure then" The ghosts chuckled. Then, the subconscious space began to tremble. A familiar but also Unfamiliar sensation pulled at Trisakti, dragging him away. His vision blurred, and the ghosts slowly faded from view. "Kekeke~ Looks like you''re waking up~" Tuyul¡¯s voice echoed. "Try not to die too soon, Trisakti~" Kuntilanak whispered playfully. Genderuwo simply rumbled, his deep voice the last thing he heard, And then... Trisakti¡¯s eyes snapped open. Back to Reality, he''s new Reality. .... ... .. . Chapter 6 - Something Unknown When Trisakti opened his eyes, the first thing that he saw was the ceiling, a different ceiling than what he had in his house in his original world. "... Ughh~ Where is this?" Trisakti said as he sat on the bed, and looked around. He was inside a room (absolutely). The walls were made of stone, rough and uneven, with a single wooden window letting in dim light. The air smelled faintly of herbs. Trisakti blinked, slowly piecing things together. The last thing he remembered was¡­ Running. Getting caught. Merging. Fighting. And then... "... The Women!! What happened to her?" Trisakti jolted upright, his heart pounding. If the woman died, then his struggle to help her was pointless; he then scanned the room, but other than furniture, there was nothing; he was alone inside that quiet room. "... You up, Trisakti?" Well, not completely alone, maybe. Hearing that voice, Trisakti looked at the source of the Voice, and there he found, up there, his Ghosts, his Ghosts gang, floating. Legless and Small. "... What now? Are you guys trying to become Casp*r now? Or Jin, maybe?" "Kekeke~ Even when we were in a different world, your joke remained the same, huh?" "We can''t help it; our energy is not enough for us to maintain our full form, so we don''t have another choice, do we?" "Yeah~ And your subconscious is boring, Trisakti~ There''s nothing there, it''s absolutely nothing~" "With that, we decide to come out in this form, well~ It looks lame but at least we can still talk to you and see the outside world, so there''s nothing to complain" The ghosts said in turn. But Trisakti was not happy at all; with a sigh, Trisakti lowered his head while murmuring. "... Just when I thought that I would find peace around me... I guess peace is not for me" "You said something, Trisakti~?" "No, nothing" Trisakti said while wiping his face. Then said again. "... Do any of you know where we are?" "Well~ We were here the moment you woke up, so no, we didn''t know anything either" "*Sigh* It was my fault for asking you guys that, forget it... Can one of you-" *Kreek~* The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Before he could finish what he wanted to say, the sound of the door being opened was heard. Trisakti''s eyes quickly turned to the door. Outside the door, Trisakti saw a woman, with long red hair that she let down, red eyes, and wearing typical medieval clothing, standing with a surprised expression while looking at Trisakti. Their eyes met, silent; no one moved or said anything; they just stayed there looking at each other for a few moments before Trisakti finally spoke up. "Ano~ Can I- huh!?" But once again, before he could finish what he wanted to say, Trisakti''s word was cut off again by the sudden movement of that woman, who ran toward him, closed the distance between them, and immediately hugged Trisakti tightly. "Eh! Uh? Ano-" "I thought you would never wake up, Thank God~" The red-haired woman said in a voice as if crying, still hugging Trisakti. But instead of being happy, this actually made Trisakti even more confused with this situation, especially with the Ghosts who seemed to be teasing him because of this situation, making the situation even more complicated for Trisakti. "Uh¡­ excuse me?" He said awkwardly, his arms hovering uncertainly in the air. Afraid to touch the women. But the woman didn¡¯t seem to care. Her grip remained firm, and he could feel the slight tremble in her body. Meanwhile, above him, his ghosts were not helping. "Kekeke~ Trisakti, you move fast, huh?" Tuyul cackled. "Wow~ This! How dare you cheat in front of me~" Kuntilanak said, covering her mouth to appear more dramatic. Genderuwo simply grunted. "Hmph. So this is the kind of woman you like, It''s unexpected" Trisakti shot them a glare. Unconsciously said a little angrily. "Oh, shut up! I don''t even know who she is!" At those words, the woman slowly pulled away, her red eyes still slightly teary but filled with relief. She looks at Trisakti, then asks. "You don¡¯t remember me?" Hearing that, Trisakti blinked. He tilts his head a little, then asks again. "Um¡­ should I?" Hearing that, The woman let out a small laugh, wiping the corners of her eyes. Said "I guess that makes sense¡­ You were unconscious for a whole week" ''Whole week?! Seven days?!!'' Trisakti¡¯s body tensed. ''I''ve been out for that long?!'' The woman smiled softly at his shock, then placed a hand on her chest. Said with a voice full of gratitude. "My name is Olivia... You saved me, remember?" Hearing that, Trisakti stared at her for a moment. Then, finally, pieces of his memory clicked into place. The creatures. The fight. The moment he decided to carry her. The pain in his back before everything went dark. He didn''t remember much about the woman''s appearance, but... If She said so, then maybe it was true. "Oh¡­" Trisakti muttered, rubbing the back of his head. Then said. "Right. That happened" Olivia chuckled at Trisakti''s words, then said. "Yes, it did. And because of that... I owe you my life" "*Sigh* Well, I wasn¡¯t exactly expecting a hug as a thank you¡­" Araya smirked. "Would you prefer something else?" Trisakti opened his mouth, but Tuyul immediately interrupted. "Kekeke~ He wants a kiss!" "Oi!" Trisakti snapped at the floating spirit, but Olivia only laughed. "You have some interesting¡­ companions, I guess" She noted, glancing at the ghosts. "Eh! You can see them?" Olivia shook her head. "No, but I can feel it, something, no, many interesting companions... What are they" Olivia said as she looked at the empty space where the Ghosts were. Then ask again. "Were they the ones who made you like that back then?¡± Trisakti frowned at Olivia¡¯s words. "Like that?" He repeated, confused. Olivia hesitated, glancing at him with uncertainty before taking a deep breath. "...After the wraith retreat, and you fainted, something strange happened to you" Hearing that, Trisakti¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. "Strange how?" Olivia bit her lip before continuing. "After falling, you stand up again... But It was like¡­ you weren¡¯t you anymore. Your body moved on its own, and your presence felt¡­ wrong... Unnatural?" Hearing that, Trisakti immediately turned to his ghost gang. "Oi, what did you guys do to me?" Tuyul whistled innocently. "Kekeke~ Don¡¯t look at me~ I don''t know anything... After the Marged was done, I was immediately dragged to your subconscious space~" Genderuwo crossed his arms, thinking about what might have happened to Trisakti at that time, as well as the other Ghosts, they didn''t say anything because just like Genderuwo, when they ran out of energy, even when Trisakti was in the merged process with Tuyul, they were in Trisakti''s Conscious Space, watching from Trisakti''s point of view and after Trisakti fainted, they didn''t see anything anymore. Didn''t find the answers he wanted, Trisakti narrowed his eyes. Looking back to Olivia, then asks. "Can you be more specific? What is exactly change?" Olivia took her time. Thinking about that event always scares her, so it''s hard for her to explain it to Trisakti. Then, after a while, she finally opened her mouth. "... Your eyes turned completely black... Your body twitched, and you were whispering something... Words I couldn¡¯t understand. And then¡­" Olivia swallowed before continuing again. "... You laughed" Hearing that, Trisakti¡¯s breath hitched. He didn''t say anything and only waited for Olivia to finish her words. "It wasn''t a normal laugh" Olivia continued, her voice lowering. "... It was deep, echoing, inhuman..." At those words, the room fell silent. Even the ghosts didn¡¯t make a sound. And After a few moments, Trisakti finally spoke. "...Then what happened?" Olivia exhaled, seeming relieved that he wasn¡¯t denying it. "You collapsed. Your body convulsed, and for a moment, I thought you were dying. But then, suddenly, it stopped. You went completely still" Hearing that, Trisakti felt a shiver run down his spine. "And then?" At this question, Olivia looked him straight in the eyes. Said. "You exhaled like you were waking up from a deep sleep¡­ Looking at me... And then you smiled at me" Trisakti blinked. "...That doesn¡¯t sound too bad?" But Olivia shook her head. Trambled, just as she remembered something very scary. "No, Trisakti. That smile... wasn¡¯t yours... It''s completely different... That smile is so creepy and abnormal" The weight of her words settled in Trisakti''s chest. Something, someone had taken control of his body, not the Ghosts, but something else, something that resides deep inside him. And he had no idea who or what is that. .... ... .. . Chapter 7 - Meet The Village Chief "... After that, I don''t remember much, but I vaguely remember, some adventurers who happened to pass by, found us and took us back to the village, the adventurers were from the city, they came to the village because the village chief had requested the Adventurers''s Guild to investigate the Wraith that had been seen frequently on the edge of the forest lately" Trisakti listened intently, his expression growing more serious with every word that came out of Olivia''s mouth. "Wraiths, huh?" Trisakti muttered. And Olivia nodded. "Yes. The village chief was worried because the sightings had been increasing. It¡¯s rare for wraiths to linger near settlements, but for some reason, they were gathering at the forest¡¯s edge... It''s like something attracting them" Trisakti crossed his arms. For some reason, the words "attracting them" stuck in his mind, but it was just his feeling or maybe he was just overthinking it, so he chose to forget about it, Trisakti said to Olivia. "... Let me guess¡­ those adventurers found us instead of the wraiths?" "Exactly" Olivia confirmed. Then Continued. "They thought we were victims at first, but when they saw your condition, they assumed you were cursed or possessed" At that, Trisakti groaned. "Great. So now I¡¯m the weird guy with a possible demonic possession. That¡¯s just perfect" Hearing that, His ghosts snickered. "Kekeke~ You were already the weird guy, Trisakti~" "Hehe~ Now they just have proof~" Ignoring them, Trisakti turned back to Olivia. "So, what happened after that? Did they try to exorcise me or something?" Olivia shook her head. "No. They weren¡¯t priests, just adventurers. They brought us to the village healer instead. You¡¯ve been unconscious for a week, and the healer said you were recovering, but¡­" Olivia said, hesitating to continue her words. Seeing hesitating in Olivia, Trisakti pressed. Said. "But what?" Olivia¡¯s red eyes met his. "She said your body was¡­ different" Once again, Trisakti felt a chill at her words. "...Different how?" "The healer couldn¡¯t explain it completely, but she said your soul felt ''twisted.'' Like it wasn¡¯t whole, or like it was pulling something else into it..." Trisakti¡¯s grip tightened on the blanket covering his lap. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ''My soul was twisted? What the hell did that mean?'' He thought, glanced up at his ghosts. Then asks. "...Any of you wanna explain?" Tuyul hummed. "Well~ It¡¯s not our fault your soul is weird~" Kuntilanak twirled in the air. "Yep~ That¡¯s all you, Trisakti~" Genderuwo snorted. "Hmph. You merged with one of us. Did you think it would be without consequences?" Trisakti clenched his jaw. He had merged with Tuyul to survive back then, but he hadn¡¯t thought about the long-term effects. Before he could ask more, Olivia spoke again. "The healer said it wasn¡¯t dangerous¡­ at least, not yet. But if you keep using whatever power you have now, things might change" So, whatever happened during that merging had left a permanent mark on him. And if he kept pushing it, there was a chance he¡¯d lose control again. "...Well, that¡¯s just fantastic" Olivia gave him a worried look. Ask. "Umm~¡­ Are you okay?" Hearing that, Trisakti took a deep breath, forcing a smile to show up on his face. "Nope. Not even a little. But what can I do?" Trisakti said, Then, shaking his head. Asked again. "Alright¡­ what now? Am I free to leave, or am I some kind of cursed guest?" With those questions, Olivia hesitated to answer for a while, but it was not that long before Olivia said "The village chief wants to speak with you" Hearing that, Trisakti wiped his face with his palm, sighed, then said. "... Of course he does" "Not now is also okay, you can rest first before meeting the village chief, especially since you just regained consciousness, I will go to the village chief and ask him to give you some time" "No, I''ll meet him now, take me there" Said Trisakti, who then immediately tried to get up from the bed, but As Trisakti tried to stand to his feet, his legs gave out, and he stumbled forward; he felt he lost strength in his legs; Trisakti fell, but... Instead of falling straight down, he fell into something soft and warm. It''s Olivia. "Ahh!" Olivia gasped as Trisakti practically collapsed against her, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist for balance. Trisakti froze. Olivia froze. For a moment, the world went silent. The feeling of Olivia¡¯s body pressed against his, her warmth, the faint scent of something floral, it all hit him at once. "U-Uh¡­" Trisakti stammered, his brain struggling to process the situation. Olivia, her face now bright red, looked down at him. "A-Are you okay¡­?" Olivia said, Her voice was softer, hesitant. Trisakti swallowed. ''Crap! This is way too close!'' Trisakti thought, in his entire life, even in the old world, he had never been this close to a woman except for his mother, what happened before was incalculable because it was a critical situation, but this? Above them, his ghostly companions were not helping. "Kekeke~ Ooooh~ Trisakti, you''re moving really fast, huh?" Tuyul snickered. "Wow~ This is like a scene from a romance novel~ I''m sad but also Happy~" Kuntilanak giggled, covering her mouth dramatically. Genderuwo simply huffed. "Hmph. At least have the decency to do this in private" "My child Aksara is Grown up now~" Wewe Gombel said in sad tone. Hearing what his ghosts said, Trisakti¡¯s face twitched in annoyance. "Shut up!" He snapped at them, which, to Olivia, just made it look like he was shouting at nothing. She blinked, confused. "Umm¡­?" Realizing how ridiculous he must look, Trisakti quickly tried to push himself away, only to nearly fall again. Olivia instinctively tightened her grip, keeping him steady, and now their faces were way too close. Trisakti could feel her breath against his lips. He panicked. "I-I''m fine! Really!" Trisakti blurted, quickly straightening up, though his legs still wobbled. "Let¡¯s, uh... Let''s just go meet the chief before this gets weirder!" Olivia, still blushing, looked away. "O-Okay¡­" As they walked, Olivia kept a firm grip on his arm to support him. It made the whole thing feel¡­ strangely intimate. And the villagers? Oh, they definitely noticed. "Are they¡­ a couple?" "I heard she cried when he woke up¡­" "They look close, don¡¯t they?" Trisakti groaned internally. This day just keeps getting worse. Olivia, on the other hand, just smiled softly. -------- The moment they stepped outside, the cool village air hit him. The village itself looked like something out of a medieval fantasy, with simple wooden houses, dirt roads, and villagers going about their day. Some of them stopped and looked at him. Whispers followed. "Are they¡­ a couple?" "I heard she cried when he woke up¡­" "They look close, don¡¯t they?" But the further they walk away from Olivia''s house, the more the whispers they hear sound different as they begin to realize who Trisakti is. "That¡¯s him¡­?" "The one they found in the forest?" "He looks normal, but¡­" Hearing those whispers, Trisakti sighed. "Great. I''m already the village attraction" Olivia glanced at him. "Don''t mind them. They¡¯re just wary of outsiders... But you can trust me, they are good people, they are the ones who took care of an orphan like me so that I could grow up like this, and become independent" Olivia said as they walked through the village, eventually arriving at a larger house near the center. Olivia knocked on the door, and after a moment, a deep voice called out. "Enter" Olivia pushed the door open, leading Trisakti inside. The room was modest but well-kept. At a wooden desk sat an older man with graying hair and a serious expression. His sharp eyes studied Trisakti carefully. "You¡¯re awake" The village chief said. Hearing that not-so-good greeting, Trisakti forced a grin. "Yep. Lucky me" The chief didn¡¯t smile. He leaned forward, fingers interlocked. "Tell me, stranger¡­ what exactly are you?" "... Human?" "From what I hear... You are more than just human... So once again I ask, what are you really?" Trisakti felt silent; how was he supposed to answer a question that he himself didn''t know the answers to? "And chief, once again I answer... I am a Human from the beginning and will always be so..." "..." "..." With that, the situation became intense, with the Village Chief and Trisakti looking at each other with intense gazes, as if neither of them wanted to give up on what they believed in. But... "Grandpa! Stop it! He''s the one who saved me! There''s nothing wrong with him! He''s completely Human!" .... ... .. . Chapter 8 - Condition From The Village Head "Grandpa! Stop it! He''s the one who saved me! There''s nothing wrong with him! He''s completely Human!" ''Grandpa? I thought she said that she was an orphan... What the hell happened in here? Trisakti thought as he heard what Olivia said. "I know that, Olivia! I know! And I thank him for saving you, but... But it''s my job to protect every single one of our villagers, and you already heard what the Healers said, this guy is dangerous... I understand why you''re trying to defend him, but do you even know his name? Or where he came from?!" "..." At those words from The Village chief, Olivia fell silent, then slowly turned her head toward Trisakti. "*Ukhum* What''s your name again?" "..." "..." With Olivia''s words, the entire room fell silent, not completely silent, because the ghosts who heard Olivia''s words laughed as hard as they could; even the Genderuwo, who usually appeared composed, had to cover his mouth to hold back his laughter. ''... Fuck! Of all the times, why did you have to ask that now... I''m doomed'' *BANG!* The village chief slammed his fist onto the table, his face filled with frustration. "See?! He¡¯s a complete stranger! You don¡¯t even know his name, Olivia!" Olivia flinched at the Village chief''s outburst, someone who she''d already considered her own Grandfather, her face turning red, not from fear, but from sheer embarrassment. Trisakti, on the other hand, was mentally screaming. ''Seriously, Olivia?! You couldn¡¯t have asked this earlier?!'' Meanwhile, his ghostly companions were absolutely losing it. "Kekeke~ Oh man, this is gold!" Tuyul cackled, clutching his stomach. "He saved your life, and you didn''t even bother to ask his name? Hahaha~!" Kuntilanak giggled. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Even Genderuwo, usually composed, had his shoulders shaking as he struggled to contain his laughter. Trisakti rubbed his face, exhaling sharply. Before he said. "... Alright, alright! My name is Trisakti, okay? Can we move past that now?" With that word, Olivia coughed awkwardly. "R-Right¡­ Trisakti¡­ I totally knew that¡­ I just... I just pretend I don''t know... Yes! It''s Trisakti" *Slap* Hearing this, Trisakti could only slap his forehead, speaking silently. "... It''s already too late, Olivia... Too damn late!" While The village chief narrowed his eyes, clearly not convinced by this. But he would not press on that matter, didn''t want to embarrass Olivia any further, and chose to Ask Trisakti instead. "... And where are you from, Trisakti?" Trisakti hesitated. Should he tell the truth? That he was from another world? Yeah, no. That¡¯d just make things worse. "Uh¡­ Far away" Trisakti answers vaguely. But hearing that, The village chief sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That¡¯s not an answer I want" Trisakti crossed his arms. "Well, it¡¯s the only one I¡¯ve got" The tension in the room thickened. Olivia looked between the two, unsure of what to do. Then, suddenly, The village chief spoke again, his voice softer but still firm. "Look, boy. You saved my granddaughter, and for that, I¡¯m grateful. But the healers said something¡¯s wrong with you. Your soul is twisted. If you¡¯re a danger to this village, I can¡¯t let you stay" After that word came out from The village chief''s mouth, Olivia stepped forward. Said. "Grandpa, he¡¯s not dangerous! If he was, wouldn¡¯t he have done something by now?" While Trisakti, who heard this, could only raise an eyebrow. Thought. ''Wow. She¡¯s really standing up for me, huh?'' But The village chief ignored Olivia''s remark and keep stared at Trisakti for a long moment before sighing again. Then said. "Fine. Then prove it." Trisakti blinked. "Prove it? How?" The old man leaned back, crossing his arms. "There¡¯s been a wraith problem at the forest¡¯s edge. You probably already know that, right? Trisakti nodded, waiting for the Village chief to finish his sentence. "Then... If you¡¯re truly harmless, then go with the adventurers tomorrow and deal with it... Only after that would I believe that you are truly harmless to this village and... For our Olivia, how does it sound?" "Grandpa!" Olivia said in protest, Trisakti, however, smirked. "Alright. That works for me" If fighting wraiths was the price for proving he wasn¡¯t a monster, then fine. Besides¡­ He had some questions of his own about those wraiths. After that, They talked about some other things, but mostly about Trisakti; although Olivia occasionally objected to the Village Head''s decision, Trisakti insisted on doing it. That''s it. A few hours passed, and without realizing it, the day was starting to get evening; Trisakti and Olivia said goodbye to the Village Head and then decided to look around the village while walking home to Olivia''s house. -------- "Trisakti, can I ask something?" Olivia asked as the two of them walked around the village. Trisakti hummed, turning his gaze from the scenery of the village to Olivia. "... What is that?" "... If it''s not bothering you, can I ask where you exactly come from? Like City, village or maybe... Home?" Trisakti fell silent; the Ghosts also fell silent; they knew how Trisakti lived from the moment they met him until now, and the only answers about how Trisakti''s life was... Lonely, Ostracized, humiliated, and disregarded, his life was far from good, so for the first time, the Ghosts fell silent. "Huh~ Some difficult questions you ask there... Hm~ Where I come from, huh?" Trisakti said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes before looking away from Olivia. His eyes look at something far away; there''s a sadness in his eyes, longing, and hatred, but no regrets. Seeing Trisakti like this, Olivia was about to open her mouth, but before she could say anything, Trisakti spoke. "... If you ask where I came from, my answers will be the same... It''s somewhere far away... Far, far away from here... About home... Hmm~ I don''t know if I have a place I could call home... But it''s okay for me, I''m alive it all matters for me" Trisakti said, taking another deep breath, then looking at Olivia, with an unusual smile on his face, which even made the ghosts surprised to see him. Trisakti said. "... Someone like you was rare for me... Someone who will defend me... Thinking about it again, I don''t regret my decision to run towards you that time... And if the same thing happens to you again, believe me, I will do the same thing, so..." With those words, Olivia suddenly blushed; she looked into the depths of Trisakti''s Eyes; there were no lies there; there was only sincerity. "S-So...?" Olivia asked hesitantly; her heartbeat was beating crazily as if she really wanted to hear what Trisakti had to say next, and Trisakti did not betray her hopes, with Trisakti opening his mouth. "So... If possible, could you become my ho- Ouch!" However, Trisakti''s words were stopped by a branch that flew and hit his head, causing Trisakti to groan in pain while rubbing the part of his head that hurt. And at the same time, a childish voice was heard from behind them, in the direction where the branch came from. "... You monster, stay away from big sis Olivia!!" .... ... .. . Chapter 9 - Invitation Trisakti winced, rubbing the part of his head that hurt. "Ow! What the hell?!" Trisakti said and then turned in the direction of the voice, only to see a small boy standing there, His face scrunched, as if in defiance. The kid looked no older than ten, with messy brown hair and a wooden stick clutched tightly in his little hands, clearly, he had been the one who threw the branch. "Stay away from Big Sis Olivia, you monster!" The boy shouted again, his tiny body trembling but his determination unwavering. At those boy''s words, Trisakti blinked in confusion. ''What in the... '' Meanwhile, Olivia gasped in horror. "Leo?! What are you doing here?" Hearing what Olivia said, The boy, Leo, stomped his foot. "I heard you were with him! And then I saw you blushing! That means he must have done something to you!" At those words, Olivia turned completely red. "I-I was not blushing!" Trisakti, who is still rubbing his head, sighed. Then said. "Okay, first of all, oww!... Second, kid, I think you¡¯ve got the wrong idea" Leo didn''t care what Trisakti said, keep glared at him. Then said. "I don¡¯t care what you say! The village chief said you¡¯re dangerous! And I won¡¯t let some creepy outsider take Big Sis Olivia away!" Trisakti froze. ''Wait¡­ take her away?'' Trisakti thought and glanced at Olivia, who was now covering her face in embarrassment. ''What exactly has this kid been imagining?!'' His ghosts, of course, found this hilarious. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Kekeke~ Ohhh, Trisakti! You homewrecker~!" Tuyul teased. "Trisakti, seducing innocent village girls now? How scandalous~" Kuntilanak giggled. Genderuwo crossed his arms, smirking. "You¡¯ve really stirred things up this time" Hearing this, Trisakti groaned. "I swear to god, shut up!" Meanwhile, Olivia finally gathered herself and walked toward Leo, kneeling in front of him. "Leo, listen to me. Trisakti is not a bad person, okay? He saved me" "But-" "No buts" Olivia said firmly, resting a gentle hand on the boy¡¯s head. "And he¡¯s not taking me anywhere, alright? So stop worrying" At this, Leo¡¯s expression faltered. "...Really?" "Really" Olivia reassured him. And Leo could only pout while kicking the dirt. "...Fine. But if he does anything weird, I¡¯ll tell Grandpa!" Hearing what Leo said, Trisakti sighed. He didn''t feel offended or anything; after all, his opponents were just kids. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, kid~" Still, as Olivia smiled softly at the little boy, Trisakti found himself staring. Despite the awkwardness, despite the misunderstanding¡­ There was warmth in this moment. And for the first time in a long time, he realized, maybe he wasn¡¯t so alone after all. -------- "What an unusual child..." Trisakti said as she looked at Leo who walked away from them while once a while glancing back at them. Olivia sighed, shaking her head with a small smile. Said while also looking at Leo''s figure. "... Leo lost his parents when he was really young... The village chief raised him, just like he raised me... He¡¯s always been a bit overprotective" Hearing that, Trisakti hummed in understanding. Said. "I see¡­ That explains the attitude... Still, for a kid that small, he sure packs a lot of energy" At that, Olivia giggled softly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah¡­ he means well, though. He just doesn''t want to lose anyone else" Trisakti nodded, glancing at Leo¡¯s retreating figure. The kid still shoots him with suspicious glares every few steps, clearly not trusting him yet. It was kind of funny. Then, Olivia suddenly looked down, fidgeting with her sleeves. "Uhm¡­ about what you said earlier¡­" Trisakti raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?" Olivia hesitated, then peeked up at him, her face slightly pink again. "Can... Can I hear the rest?" That question completely caught Trisakti off guard. Trisakti''s brain is going black for a while. Looking at Olivia¡¯s serious expression, he realized she actually wanted an answer. "Well¡­" Trisakti scratched the back of his head, trying to find the right words. "I-I kind of forget what I''m going to say before... You know, that branch maybe hit my head a bit too strong, so¡­ You know, I kind of forgot that already... Hehe" When Trisakti said that, he could hear the ghosts behind him dying from laughter again, but he ignored them. Olivia blinked, and for a moment, then a worried look crossed her face. "... A-Are you okay?" Trisakti shrugged. "... Yes, with a little rest, my condition should be okay" Silence. Olivia looked at him with something in her eyes, understanding, maybe even sympathy. Then, she suddenly smiled, a little shy but warm. "Then¡­ Let''s Go back to my house" That statement made Trisakti pause. Olivia¡¯s hands fidgeted again, and she quickly added. "I-I mean, you said you Came from a far away, far from here and you also don''t have a house! I just meant that¡­ The village isn''t that bad, right? And you did save me, so it wouldn¡¯t be fair if we just threw you out¡­ And- And it''s already quite late, I don''t think there''s any lodge around, a-and you don''t have any money in you, right? It''s not permanently, but at least for now you can stay in my house" At those words, Trisakti stared at her. For a girl who had just defended him in front of the village chief, whom she already considered as her own Grandfather, who had risked her reputation to vouch for him, and who had blushed because of a dumb misunderstanding¡­ She sure was bad at hiding her feelings. A smirk slowly formed on Trisakti''s lips. "Olivia¡­ are you inviting me to live with you?" "Wh-What?! No! I mean!" Olivia¡¯s face turned even redder. Try to find the right word to respond, but in the end, find nothing, so, in a defeated tone, She said. "...That¡¯s not what I meant" Hearing that, Trisakti chuckled, enjoying her flustered reaction. "Relax, relax. I get it. You don¡¯t have to explain yourself so hard, y''know?" Hearing that Olivia pouted, crossing her arms. "Hmph" But before she could protest further, a loud cough interrupted them. "*UKHUMM!!*" Both of them turned, only to find the Village Chief standing behind them, arms crossed, watching them with an unreadable expression. "...So" The old man said slowly, eyes narrowing at Trisakti. Then said again. "Not only do you show up out of nowhere, but now my granddaughter is inviting you to stay in her house, huh?" Trisakti gulped. ''...Shit!'' .... ... .. .