I sped off with Jono as a passenger, not going to Village Head Norman's place first, or to Nadia's house. I went straight through the back road to the old house left behind by the late Mbah Pati. I'd taken the route this afternoon with Nadia.

Jono looked scared, but I reassured him.

"Jon, ghosts are more afraid of humans. So, you have to be brave! Remember, Jon, we're playing the role of dark heroes to save a kidnapped princess!"

"Is that so, Boss?" Jono's eyes lit up under a large banyan tree. I leaned the motorcycle against it. It was dark indeed.

"It's true, Jon! I wouldn't lie!"

"Okay, Boss! I'm not afraid of ghosts anymore! Let's go!"

"Don't make any noise, we're scouting!"

"Okay, Boss!"

We crept under the bamboo trees, and I already knew the path. We continued walking, but there was a sudden flash of movement in the middle of the night, the darkness of the night with its thick fog and moonlight filtering through the gaps between the bamboo trees.

"What's that, Boss?" Jono was a little flustered, but he still whispered.

I nodded at him, reassuring him. Mbah Pati's house was almost here. I did see a flash of white shadow earlier. So, it could be human and just trying to disturb us, like the robbery at the factory the other day.

I grabbed a piece of wood next to me. Jono asked again what it was for, and I told him to be quiet and just follow me.

We truly crept into the darkness of the night, amidst the dark bamboo trees and the dark fog. It was like a horror movie. It would be perfect if a demon suddenly appeared, and this was the perfect moment for a horror movie, so tense was the atmosphere.

But... I braced myself.

I had to be brave. This was my path to love, and I was searching for my lost angel! Oh, I'm exaggerating! I shook my head again, convinced that Nadia was in that old house. I don't know why I was so sure. Was this the feeling of a soulmate's love that electrifies souls when they're near? Oh my! Exaggerating again!

"Still far, Boss?" Jono's voice startled me, and I nearly fell from my seat and slumped.

"Shut up, Jono, just follow me," I warned him softly.

Whoosh! A flash of white passed us again on the right side among the bamboo trees. I nearly fell backward in shock.

That... white—what white?

My hand jerked back, hitting something. I finished what I was holding in my left hand. It was the grave of the late Mbah Pati. We were right near the cemetery. The old, empty house was also within sight.

As I began to panic, Jono grabbed both of my shoulders tightly and gripped them so hard that they hurt.

"What's wrong, Jon?" I lowered my voice.

"Kun! Kun!"

Joni's voice choked, and I immediately looked at Jono, who seemed to be glaring at something beside me. I quickly thought, what was Jono looking at that made him so scared? Was it Kunti?

I forced my head back, and right there, a glowing, white face with long hair. Suddenly, it seemed like a few seconds later, I disappeared, and my heart stopped.

An overwhelming sense of dread arose.

The eerie laughter made my heart skip a beat.

Kiik kiik kiik kiik kiik kiik kiik kiik kiik

The distinctive sound of a kuntilanak rang out, deafening. But then, I suddenly remembered Nadia and Mother. I immediately recited dhikr and recited the ayat al-Kursi (verse of the throne). I regained control of my body, and I caught a glimpse of Jono frozen, his eyes glaring at the woman with white, long hair, and her face glowing from beneath.

"Satan has nothing to do!" I grabbed the piece of wood I was still holding and quickly struck the kuntilanak's head. Somehow, my courage suddenly returned, and I regained consciousness.

Hiaaaatttt!

Whoosh!

Huh? Why wasn't the ghost hit and dodged downwards? Can a ghost duck avoid an attack? Well, shouldn't it just disappear? That means it's a fake ghost.

Watch out!

I quickly lifted my leg, and as the fake ghost ducked from my wooden blow, I quickly kicked its butt as it ducked.

Bug!

Sure enough! It fell forward and hit the bamboo trees, groaning in pain. I quickly grabbed its head and grabbed it, but unfortunately, it pulled on its hair, and it turned out it was wearing a long wig.

It really was a fake ghost. I kicked it hard in the stomach once more, causing the ghost to stumble backward, struggling with its white clothes. It lay motionless, probably unconscious.

However, just as I was about to look back at Jono, a shout alerted me to another threat.

"Give up! Your friend's life is in danger!" a man's voice rang out, his left hand cradling Jono's head. Jono himself was terrified. The man was also wearing a long white shirt and long hair.

So there wasn't just one demon? My suspicions were becoming more and more certain: someone was hiding inside that old house, and with that white powder too. So, was Nadia there too?

"Surrender now!" the man in the white shirt and long hair shouted at me again.

In the silhouette of the night, the thick fog, and the dim moonlight through the bamboo trees, we were trapped in a confusing situation.

"Help, Boss! Maaasss!" Jono's voice sounded choked, and his throat seemed to be struggling to breathe.

"Let him go, Satan!" I shouted warningly.

"You must surrender! Or I'll kill your friend!" He was holding a shiny object in his right hand, as if he wasn't joking.

"Yes, okay! Okay! We surrender. Let my friend go!"

"Heh! You stubborn, stupid brats!" shouted the man in the white shirt and long hair, as if insulting us.

As I raised my hands in surrender, the man disguised as a ghost suddenly choked, glaring at me. His body suddenly shivered, and his grip on Jono loosened.

Jono fell to the ground, clutching his neck, which was probably still sore. The man in the ghost outfit fell backward and sat down. Did he look scared? The man got up, immediately turned around, and for some reason, he ran as fast as he could.

Unfortunately, his running wasn't matched by his conscious mind. He crashed into a bamboo tree, not just one, but many. He fell to the ground, motionless, unconscious.

There's always something.

He's afraid of me, too, apparently; he just found out who Adnan is! Ha... ha... ha... I chuckled to myself. Jono began to regain consciousness and released his hand from his neck. From the dark mist, Jono began to breathe a sigh of relief and regained control of his breathing.

"Are you okay, Jono?" I asked this out of pity for Jono, who had been unfortunately held hostage by a ghost, of course.

"Thank God... I..." Jono's words suddenly stopped. What was wrong with Jono? Why was he now silent and frozen, his body shivering violently, and his eyes looked truly terrifying from glaring at me?

"A real devil, Boss!" Jono pointed at me, and I was confused as to what Jono was doing. Was he trying to scare me? He was probably playing a prank, he... he... he...

Bruk!

Without any further action, he would usually laugh, but why was he sleeping under a bamboo tree like that? Ah, there's something wrong!

I spun around, and my eyes felt like nails driven into a wall. A translucent, glowing astral shadow appeared there. I couldn't even move, and my body shivered violently.

The dim mist made the translucent glowing figure even more obvious. Lit by the moonlight shining through the bamboo trees, the figure smiled at me.

He was the figure wearing a peci, so he was the one who knocked the criminal unconscious, and of course, Jono also fainted upon seeing this.

I was stunned, unable to even speak. In fact, I immediately collapsed backward and sat down. My legs were shaking, and I saw the glowing figure in the bamboo tree. My lips were trembling now; nothing could come out except my brain racing. Was that the spirit of Mbah Patikah?

Yes, he always wore a peci and smiled. But was it really?

The glowing figure smiled once and suddenly disappeared like a fading, shattering light.

Pyar!

I regained consciousness. I immediately tied up the two criminals disguised as ghosts. The public should understand now that everything was just a ploy by criminals to carry out their crimes.

I woke Jono, and he was shocked to wake up and realize he was in a bamboo forest like that. However, I also showed him the two ghosts who were now tied to the bamboo tree, so they could itch. But both of them were still unconscious.

Jono was startled and blurted out, "I'm a ghost shaman because I can catch ghosts." I laughed, but Jono still hadn't fully grasped the situation. He wondered if it was a real ghost.

I explained to Jono about the disguised ghost, and he remembered that he'd been with me to investigate the old house and look for Nadia. He nodded in understanding.

"So, what about the old ghost who really appeared after the battle? He came and was completely transparent at night."

I smiled and answered Jono's curiosity by saying that they were all criminals in disguise. So, the last one might also be their friend. As for where he went, I told him I didn't know and that we'd just let him handle the rest. Jono began to understand the situation.

He was still curious, but despite his fear, he loved a challenge. So, he would follow me tonight to uncover the mystery of Mbah Pati's old house.

We woke the disguised criminals, their faces smeared with powder, and I wiped their faces. One of them finally woke up and begged us for forgiveness.

I forced him to explain what was hidden inside. He claimed he didn't know and was only asked to constantly scare anyone who approached the house for a large fee.

One more thing: was it true that a woman had been brought in? He replied yes, a girl was being held captive inside. So, was that Nadia?

I asked him another question, but he wouldn't reveal anything else. Rather than prolong the situation and not admit anything else, I hit him, knocking him unconscious again.

I immediately grabbed my phone and called the police, demanding they come to the old house in my village. I also contacted my other colleagues who had gone to Mr. Kusrin and the village head's houses. I asked them, along with the community, to join me in raiding the old house.

With the preparations complete, I invited Jono to enter the old house and assess the situation. The mystery of the old house had to be solved as soon as possible.

I followed Jono, but Jono overtook me and led the way. He was acting like a hero who had overslept.

"Just once, Boss!" That's what he said.