After finishing morning classes, Arya walked slowly down the campus corridor. His eyes seemed busy searching for something. His face showed confusion, yet his steps remained steady. In his mind, he remembered the figure of a man who had appeared in his dream the night before. The figure had stood beneath a great tree blooming with jasmine flowers, pointing toward him as if giving a clue.
In the distance, Rika watched Arya looking confused and glancing around like he was searching for something. A small smile curved on her face, an uncontrollable curiosity bubbling up. Eagerly, Rika floated toward Arya, her cheerful expression as usual.
"Arya, what's wrong?" Rika asked in a cheerful tone. Her long hair drifted softly in the air. Arya glanced briefly but didn't answer right away. Rika looked at him in wonder, then added in a teasing tone, "Did you lose a coin? Or drop something?"
Arya finally stopped walking and explained with a slightly hesitant tone, "I'm looking for someone… a man I saw in my dream that night. He pointed toward a great tree blooming with jasmine flowers."
"A man?" Rika furrowed her brow, tilting her head slightly, trying to understand what Arya meant. Her confused face made Arya smile a little, though only briefly.
They began walking along the campus corridor toward the ground floor. Curious, Rika kept asking small questions. But Arya's steps suddenly stopped when the corner of his eye caught a student sitting beneath a tree near the motorcycle parking area. The student seemed busy opening a paper, as if checking its contents over again.
"That's him," Arya whispered to himself. Without thinking twice, he ran straight toward the student.
"Hey, what's going on? Arya~" Rika shouted, startled to see Arya leaving her behind so suddenly. She floated after Arya with a confused expression but still curious.
Arya approached the student with quick steps. "Excuse me, can I ask you something?" Arya spoke in a polite but hurried tone. The student looked up from his paper, staring at Arya with raised eyebrows, looking confused by the sudden approach.
Arya huffed. "Listen, I'm not letting you leave. I just want answers," Arya said, stuttering as he caught his breath.
The man closed his paper slowly, his gaze calm yet cold. "Answers? About what? I don't understand what you're talking about."
"About that dream," Arya answered firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You clearly know something. Don't play dumb."
The man let out a breath, placing his notebook beside him. "I think you've got the wrong person. I'm not a dream interpreter."
"If you know something, please tell me. Don't make a fool of me," Arya said, his voice beginning to rise. "In that place, you were the one who told me to pick the glowing jasmine. If you don't understand, why are you trying to avoid me?"
The man stood up, calmly putting his paper into his bag. "Listen, I'm not the person you're looking for, and I'm not interested in some romance story between men."
Arya clenched his fists, feeling desperate. "Then, I—!"
But before the man could walk away, a cheerful voice suddenly cut through the tension.
"Arya! Why were you running earlier?"
Arya turned and immediately recognized the figure that appeared in front of the man. "This kid!"
The man's eyes went wide. His body went rigid for a moment before he leaped backward, taking a defensive stance. His hands clenched, ready to protect himself.
Arya let out a small laugh, realizing the man's unusual reaction. "So you can see Rika, huh? Mister 'I-don't-know-anything.'"
Rika tilted her head, confused by their interaction. "Eh? What is it? Are you two talking about me?"
The man tried to compose himself, but his face was still tense. "I don't know what you mean. I just… Ah, forget it."
Arya stepped closer, a victorious smile on his face. "Reflexes? Don't joke around. If you really didn't know, why did you go on guard the moment you saw Rika appear?"
Rika, feeling ignored, waved her hand in front of Arya's and the man's faces. "Hello? I'm right here, you know. What are you two talking about?"
But neither Arya nor the man paid her any attention. They were both busy arguing.
"Just admit it," Arya said, bringing his face closer to the man. "You definitely know more than you're saying."
The man took a step back but still didn't answer.
Rika furrowed her brow, feeling annoyed. She took a deep breath, then screamed right into both their ears.
"DON'T IGNORE MEEE!!!"
Arya and the man immediately jumped back, their faces startled as they clutched their ears.
"My eaaaars!!! Rika! Don't scream that loud!" Arya protested.
The man turned his face away, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Her voice makes my head want to split…"
Rika crossed her arms over her chest, staring at them sharply. "So, are you two going to explain what's actually going on, or do I have to scream again?"
Arya and the man exchanged glances for a moment. Neither dared to answer.
"What a bunch of weirdos," Rika muttered with a long sigh.
The man finally gave in after several minutes of being pressed for answers by Arya. With a heavy breath, he decided to speak.
"I'm Dionatra Wirayudha, or just call me Dio," Dio said, extending his hand.
"Arya Prawisandha," Arya welcomed Dio's hand warmly. "I'm Rika, Rika Alena," Rika said with a cheerful smile, standing suddenly between the two of them, staring at Dio and startling him so much he stumbled back a few steps.
"What are you doing, you shameless ghost?" Arya said, slightly annoyed.
"Who are you calling shameless, you weird human?" Rika shot back, puffing out her cheeks, which were beginning to flush red with embarrassment.
"Alright, Arya. I'll explain," Dio said, trying to avoid Rika's gaze, which kept waiting for answers. "What you experienced back then wasn't a dream. It was an astral journey."
Arya looked at Dio with full attention. "Astral journey? You mean, my soul left my body?"
Dio nodded. "Yes. Your soul traveled through another dimension, what we call the spirit world. But the big question is, why were you able to do it? That's not something just anyone can do without a reason."
Rika, standing between them, listened anxiously. "So… Arya really entered my world? It wasn't just a coincidence?"
"Correct," Dio answered, staring seriously at Arya. "And I have to warn you, astral travel is extremely dangerous. If your soul is destroyed in the spirit world, it's the same as death in the real world. There's no way back."
Arya went silent for a moment, trying to digest the information. "Wait, so if I die there, I actually die here?"
Dio nodded. "Yes. Worse still, humans who can cross into that world have limited time. The longer your soul is separated, the greater the risk you won't be able to return to your body."
Arya felt a chill down his spine. He hadn't expected that experience to carry such a risk. "Then… how do I avoid that? Is there a way to control it?"
Dio shook his head slowly. "I don't know why you're able to enter that world. But one thing is clear—you have to be more careful. Don't get trapped in there."
Rika, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "Wait, Dio. You can see me, right? So you already know about the spirit world?"
Dio let out a long breath. "Yes, I know. But my job isn't to explain everything. My job is just to make sure the spirit world doesn't disturb the balance of the real world—and worse. WHY DID YOU FOLLOW HIM INTO THE HUMAN WORLD, YOU NASTY GHOST??" Dio shouted at Rika, pointing at her, and Rika clamped both hands over her ears tightly in surprise.
"Well, I don't know either… I tried to go back but got scolded by that terrifying gatekeeper, and eventually I ran to Arya's boarding house, because he's the only one I know in this world," Rika explained, hanging her head in regret.
Arya furrowed his brow. "Job? What do you mean?"
"I'm a guardian," Dio answered briefly. "My family's duty, passed down through generations, is to keep the spirit world from causing problems in the real world. That's all you need to know for now."
Rika tilted her head, trying to remember something. "Hmm… I don't remember ever meeting you before, Dio. But I do remember an elegant woman in a red dress who was terrifying, but beautiful… it seemed like she knew me."
Dio stared at Rika sharply. "A red dress? That might be… Nagini."
"Who's Nagini?" Arya asked, curious.
"She's the spirit within a keris that has guarded my family all this time," Dio explained. "One of the most powerful in the spirit world. If she appeared around you, that means something important is going on."
Their conversation paused for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Arya spoke up.
"Then we have to work together. Dio, you know a lot about this world, and I'm the one trapped in it. Meanwhile, this creature… she's an intern ghost in this world," Arya said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Stop teasing me, you two," Rika said, slightly annoyed, crossing her arms over her chest.
Dio let out a soft huff, but finally nodded. "Fine. But remember, this isn't a game. We all have to be careful. One wrong step, and we could all end up somewhere we never imagined."
Rika nodded slowly, a thin smile appearing on her face. "If it means I can find my answers, I'm ready to help."
And in that quiet park, a new beginning started. An unusual friendship that would lead them through a world full of danger and mystery.