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 those of 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.
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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.
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, it was meters behind him.
Trisakti's body tensed, instincts screaming, but his usual tricks, dodging, feinting, and 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!!"
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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 surfaces, 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-
....
...
..
.