**Chapter 13 END: A New Story in a Different Dimension**
When Arya opened his eyes, he found himself lying in bed. The familiar ceiling of his room and the faint sound of traffic outside the window made him pause for a moment, wondering what had actually just happened. Morning sunlight slipped through the half-closed curtains, offering a warmth that felt real. But his body didn't entirely agree. Pain radiated through every muscle, especially in his back and shoulders, as though he had been through something incredibly heavy.
His phone alarm suddenly went off, shattering the morning silence. Arya reached for the phone on his nightstand with slightly stiff movements and turned it off. He glanced at the time on the screen—still an hour before morning class. Normally, this was the moment Arya would pull the blanket back over himself and enjoy the extra time to relax. But today was different. There was a restlessness he couldn't ignore, like something hanging in the air.
He tried to remember what had happened that night. It was as if everything he had experienced was just a wild dream—the encounter with the mysterious young man, the battle with the tree spirit, the woman in the red dress who saved Rika. But the pain in his body was proof that it hadn't been just a dream.
Arya's gaze then fell on his study desk. Something was out of place. With slow steps, he approached the desk, his eyes catching a single white jasmine flower lying there. The flower looked so perfect—its white petals clean and flawless, as if freshly plucked from a heavenly garden. But the strangest thing was that the jasmine showed no signs of wilting. After all, several days had passed since that night.
Arya picked up the jasmine carefully, twirling it between his fingers. There was no foul smell or any sign of decay—even the stem remained fresh, as if it had just been cut. Arya let out a long breath and placed the jasmine inside the drawer of his bookshelf. There was something about this flower that made him uneasy, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to throw it away.
The days that followed passed as usual, a monotonous routine with nothing truly new. But the presence of the jasmine in his bookshelf drawer became a constant reminder lingering in his mind. Sometimes, he would open the drawer just to make sure the flower was still there, and every time he saw it, that strange feeling would wash over him again—the feeling that what happened that night was not just a dream.
The jasmine, with its freshness that never faded, seemed to be a symbol that what had happened between the human world and the astral world was not truly over. Arya knew that sooner or later, he would be forced to face a reality far greater than anything he had ever imagined.
That night, Arya's boarding house felt quiet as usual. Only the sound of an old fan creaking softly in his room. Arya was busy staring at his laptop screen, trying to finish his ever-piling college assignments. Outside, the atmosphere was dark and cold from the drizzle that had been falling since the afternoon.
But the atmosphere in the corridor outside Arya's room was not so calm. Some of his neighbors—the residents of the rooms next door—had begun to feel uneasy because they often saw a strange girl pacing back and forth in front of Arya's door. The girl had long, wavy orange hair cascading down, a pale face, and often kept her head lowered as if searching for something.
"That must be a ghost, right? Because when I got close, she disappeared!" whispered one of the residents in the next room.
"It's creepy. I saw her too last night, standing for a long time in front of room 308. I didn't even dare leave my room to go to the bathroom," added another, face still pale.
Arya knew nothing about the small commotion among his neighbors. But that night, one of the braver residents knocked on his door hesitantly.
Knock, knock, knock.
Arya opened the door, a little confused. "What is it, man? This late at night?" he asked.
The neighbor swallowed hard. "Uh, Arya… I just wanted to ask. Who's that girl who keeps pacing in front of your room? We've seen her a few times now…. Her face is pale, her hair is orange like Mbak Kun but more modern," the neighbor asked, trying to joke while attempting to stay calm.
Arya furrowed his brow. "A girl? Who? I never invited anyone here."
The neighbor just shrugged and left with a frightened face. Arya closed the door, sat back down at his desk, but his mind was unsettled. A pale girl? Pacing back and forth? Orange hair? Arya decided to open the door a crack and peek outside.
Sure enough. Right at the end of the corridor, the rumored ghost stood restlessly, pacing back and forth in front of his door. Every now and then, she would turn toward Arya's room as if wanting to enter, but then she would change her mind.
With a long breath, Arya stepped out of his room and stood right in front of her. "Rika! What are you doing pacing around here?"
Rika jumped in surprise, her face turning pale (paler than usual). "Eh!! I… I was just… just!" she stammered.
"Huh? Pacing around like a thief? Do you know all my neighbors are in an uproar because of your behavior?!" Arya scolded, his voice fairly loud.
Rika hung her head, covering her face with both hands. "I didn't know they could see me…" her voice weakened.
Arya sighed, holding back his anger. "Rika, you can't just pace around here however you like. If you want to say something, just say it. Don't scare people!"
Tears began to well in Rika's eyes. She looked at Arya full of regret, her lips trembling. "I'm sorry, I just… I'm lonely. I'm confused about going back to the other world, but I also got scolded by that terrifying gatekeeper, so I came here, but I was afraid you'd chase me away if I came in. So I just… yeah, paced around."
Arya stood frozen. He hadn't expected Rika to show that kind of expression. Even though she was a ghost, right now Rika looked so human—full of guilt and confusion.
Arya let out a long breath. "Good grief, Rika… Next time, if you want to say something, just say it directly. Don't act like you're haunting a boarding room."
Rika gave a small nod, her face still flushed. "I promise I won't pace around anymore… forgive me, Arya. I don't know where else to go."
Arya softened. "It's fine, I'm not angry. But next time, please think about other people's feelings too, okay? Now, just come in if you want to talk. But remember, don't make things creepy again."
Rika smiled faintly, regret still clear in her eyes. She followed Arya into his boarding room, and for the first time, the atmosphere in that room felt more… alive—even if it was shared with a ghost who had finally found her place.