Chapter 11 : Help
1566 Words
Aditia and Alya came to visit Ayi Mahogra. Deep down, Aditia felt that if anyone could help them, it would be her.
“So? What happened?” Ayi asked.
“Maybe Ayi already knows,” Aditia replied, looking at her meaningfully.
“Come here. Let me see Alya’s hand,” Ayi said as she extended her own.
“Huh? But I haven’t even introduced myself yet,” Alya said, confused. Neither she nor Aditia had mentioned her name, yet somehow Ayi already knew who she was.
“Just do it, Al. Give Ayi your right hand.”
Alya finally placed her hand in Ayi Mahogra’s grasp. The moment their skin touched, Ayi closed her eyes and began tracing the story hidden within Alya and her family.
Nearly ten minutes passed in silence.
When it was over, Ayi leaned back against the single sofa she occupied. Her face looked pale, and she spent several moments regulating her breathing before speaking again.
Ayi Mahogra was not merely a name.
It was a sacred title.
A title granted to the woman who carried the Karuhun of the Pasundan lands.
Within her circle, she was known as the Queen of Kharisma Jagat. Kharisma Jagat referred to extraordinary individuals blessed by ancestral guardians—ancient spirits or jinn that had lived for centuries and chose descendants worthy of their protection. These beings could be benevolent or malicious depending on the nature of the person they served. They possessed abilities beyond ordinary understanding. They could travel in the blink of an eye, deceive human perception, lend their strength to humans, unleash fire, hide themselves from sight, cast curses, inspire obsession, and perform countless acts beyond reason.
Because of that, not every Kharisma Jagat was good.
They needed someone capable of standing above them all.
That person was Ayi Mahogra.
Among extraordinary people, she was the most extraordinary.
Anyone familiar with the unseen world knew her name.
She stood with one foot in the spirit realm and the other in the human world.
A bridge between two realities.
That was why Aditia had come to her. Begu Ganjang was not an easy enemy to overcome, and Aditia was not a specialist in subjugation. His gift lay elsewhere. He guided lost souls home when circumstances prevented them from crossing over peacefully.
The reason Aditia could come here at all was because his father had once maintained a close relationship with Ayi Mahogra’s group. Before Ayi’s era, that circle had belonged to Mulyana.
Although Ayi had never met Mulyana personally—he had passed away before her seal was broken—she respected his name and everything he had sacrificed in his struggle against forced traditional marriages. In many ways, she had continued the fight he began.
Mulyana had also been a Kharisma Jagat.
Many of Ayi’s investigations and accomplishments had been built upon the notes he left behind.
And because of that ...
Aditia was one as well.
“Ayi cannot help you directly banish that evil spirit,” Ayi finally said. “I can only help from afar. That creature has existed for centuries. It is incredibly powerful. It searches for foolish humans consumed by greed and worldly desires. It only wants one thing—to drag those greedy souls into Hell alongside it.”
She could not intervene personally. Preparations for an approaching war already consumed her attention, and she could not afford to reveal herself. Her marriage to Malik and her movements against Mudha Praya had to remain hidden.
“What should Alya and I do then?” Aditia asked.
“Break the contract.”
“How?”
Aditia had never dealt with anything like this before.
Ayi folded her hands together.
“During school or university, you both learned inheritance law, didn’t you? When someone dies, everything they own passes to their heirs.”
Both of them nodded.
“Good,” Ayi continued. “Alya is her father’s sole surviving heir. Every one of her siblings—whether from her biological mother or her stepmothers—has already died because of her father’s greed. That leaves only Alya. Everything he owns will eventually belong to her.”
A pause.
Then—
“Including...”
“Begu Ganjang!” Aditia and Alya shouted at the same time.
The realization struck them like lightning.
The solution felt unbearably heavy.
“That thing is evil, Ayi. I don’t want it,” Alya immediately refused.
“Jinn reflect their masters,” Ayi replied calmly. “If their master is evil, they become evil. If their master walks a righteous path and places faith only in God, then the jinn must follow that path. You saw the hundreds of spirits guarding this building, didn’t you? They all have different appearances, different strengths, different personalities. Yet they stand together to protect someone as weak as me.”
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
“Do you know why? Because they believe I serve a greater good. And why do they believe that? Because I guided them patiently and sincerely. Everything returns to the blessings God grants. Alya, if you choose this path, you must become strong enough to master that creature. If your heart is certain, it will be easier than you think. But if doubt remains... do not accept it.”
The lecture continued for several minutes.
Long.
Patient.
Wise.
Eventually, Ayi turned toward one of her household assistants.
“Please take Alya to the guest room. Let her rest. She's still weak after being hospitalized. Prepare warm milk and some toast so she can sleep comfortably. Rest tonight. You will be safe here. That creature will never dare enter this place. Trust me, you'll sleep better than you have in years.”
The assistant nodded.
Alya followed without protest.
She was exhausted.
Hungry.
And strangely reassured by Ayi's confidence.
Even if the task ahead sounded impossible.
Once Alya disappeared down the hallway, Ayi looked back at Aditia.
“Adit, I need to talk to you. You can postpone your rest for a little while, right?” she asked.
“Yes, Ayi.”
Aditia moved into the seat Alya had occupied.
“Hold on. Let me call my husband first.”
Ayi picked up her phone and dialed a number.
[Darling, don't come back to our unit tonight. Alya and Adit—Mulyana's son—are staying here. Use Unit 511 instead.]
After ending the call, she set the phone aside.
“Sorry for causing trouble, Ayi,” Aditia said.
“Trouble?” Ayi laughed softly. “This entire floor belongs to us. Having guests isn't a problem. Malik just doesn't like visitors. You know how grumpy he is. Especially female guests.”
“Yeah,” Aditia replied with a smile. “Brother Malik can be pretty intimidating.”
He truly felt grateful.
Ayi Mahogra never hesitated to help people.
She was also the sole donor behind a foundation that cared for abandoned children and orphans.
Children like Rosa's.
Rosa had been a factory worker whom Aditia considered an older sister. She rode his angkot almost every day after work. Then one day she was assaulted, murdered, and discarded near a cemetery by a group of monsters wearing human faces.
At least Aditia had been able to guide her spirit home peacefully.
And now her children lived under the protection of Ayi's foundation, with Aditia serving as one of its caretakers.
“Adit,” Ayi said quietly, drawing him back to the present, “breaking this contract will hurt Alya deeply. First, she will lose her father. Second, she will become the owner of the very creature she has feared her entire life. Do you think she can endure that?”
“If this is the solution you've chosen, then I don't believe anyone in this world could offer a better one,” Aditia answered without hesitation. “So Alya will have to be strong. And no matter how difficult it becomes, I'll stay beside her.”
Ayi smiled faintly.
“Your loyalty reminds me of someone. Good people like you love without expecting anything in return.”
Then her expression became serious.
“Good. Then we can begin.”
A pause.
“The first thing we need to do is... make Alya's father die.”
“Ayi!” Aditia nearly jumped out of his seat. “Astaghfirullah! Are we talking about murdering her father?”
“Didn't you hear my solution a moment ago?” Ayi laughed. “If we want Begu Ganjang to pass to Alya, she must become the sole heir. An inheritance only transfers when its owner is gone. Why are you acting surprised now?”
“But, Ayi... murder is a crime.”
Aditia stood up in shock.
“Lower your voice. Alya might hear.”
“Sorry, Ayi, but killing someone is still a crime. We could all end up in prison.”
He was trying to whisper, but panic still seeped into his voice.
Ayi shook her head.
“Do you think I'm insane? Do you think I'm telling you to kill him? Even if the man arguably deserves death after everything he's done.”
Aditia slowly sat back down.
“Then... how do we transfer the inheritance without killing its owner?”
A sly smile appeared on Ayi's face.
“Well...”
She motioned for him to lean closer.
“Come here. Let me explain.”
- Writer
