"... 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 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 we are?"
"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.
'... 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 a smirk 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 nonexistent feet in the air as he answered.
"Kekeke~ Good question! See, possession is simple... Our kind forces itself 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.
....
...
..
.