06. Agnia Ifrit

After the conversation that night, I let Aya sleep in my room. I had changed the sheets and blankets so that the kuntilanak girl could sleep peacefully. Aya still needed a good rest, in order to make the seven kinds of flower water work properly in her body.

While Aya slept in my room, I chose to sleep curled up on the red sofa where we talked last night. A warm blue blanket was enough for me to ward off the chill of the night.

It was enough for me, because I didn't need to sleep for too long. The sun was going to rise in a few hours, and that meant I had to sleep in and get ready for school.

I closed my eyes.

Feeling like I'd only closed my eyes for a moment, a sudden knock on the door startled me.

I woke up immediately, but unfortunately my eyes were almost blinded by the sunlight that came in uninvited.

I stumbled half-consciously towards the door, passing by the umbrella holder that was only empty during the rainy season. I silently wondered who the uninvited guest was this morning, but no one came to mind.

I opened the door. My eyes were opened even more wide, and I regained my consciousness. I took a few steps back from that damn creature. I was really unlucky this morning!

A little girl was now standing in front of me, with a horrible grin on her face and her eyes burning as red as saga.

Her hair was a reddish-black color, and she was wearing a red kebaya combined with a dark brown jarik.

That damn girl was Agnia Ifrit! The granddaughter of the old man!

"Good morning... Mr. Saputra..."

She turned her grin into a sweet smile, the same smile as when she served the old grandfather's customers. But her smile didn't lessen my caution, I brought my hand closer so I could reach the iron umbrella that was nearby.

"What brings you to me?"

Agnia squinted her eyes, her index finger moving, making the umbrella case near my hand move away from me. So that girl can do telekenesis huh?

"What's my business? Of course it's to see that kuntilanak girl."

Agnia walked past me without fear, she didn't care about hospitality or manners. She would just do whatever she wanted, and wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I got in her way.

At least that's what I saw in her eyes.

But somehow, when she arrived in the living room. She just sat sweetly on one of the sofas, while looking at me resentfully as if to say "Hurry up and get that girl!"

"Um... Aya is asleep in my room, maybe she'll wake up before long.

I tried to make excuses, I don't know what Aya is doing right now. But I really hope that she is now really asleep so that Agnia can get out of here quickly.

"Hmm... Is that so?

Ah... Wait... Aji, I've been feeling something strange about the aura of your house.

Until I realized, the house is really quiet.

Hmm.

Aji... Where are your parents?"

I was speechless for a while. Somehow, I felt nervous. I didn't expect the question to come from Agnia, and not Aya.

"They usually go away for weeks at a time for work, and come home once a month on the last weekend."

That's how my parents were, they trusted me too much. They were idealistic parents who thought that high school kids shouldn't need their parents."

I lied as naturally as I breathed

"Other family members? How about your sibling?"

I was starting to suspect the reason why Agnia was asking about my family background, in some cases my family might become my hostage if I wasn't careful with that mysterious girl.

"My younger sister is in the dormitory and she..."

"Heeh... Is that so? No wonder you're so happy to receive an assignment like this..."

Heeh? Ahh no, I shouldn't be surprised. Although her body was physically like that of a child, her age was probably far above mine.

"What do you mean Agnia? Even though she sleeps in my room, I sleep on the sofa."

"No... I don't mind it, that girl can't get pregnant anyway."

I hated to admit it, but Agnia was right. A man who lives alone shouldn't bring his girlfriend home, let alone stay overnight.

But did that rule apply to Aya? But isn't she human now? Wait... If the neighbors find out about this, will I be reported to the neighborhood chief? Ahhh bad I didn't think things through that far.

"Your face is so pale... You must be having a hard time taking care of that girl... But don't worry, I'm here to help you..."

I tried to calm myself down by sitting on one of the sofas not far from Agnia. The little girl just stared silently at the black glass table in front of her, the shadows of our faces reflected there, for a few minutes we were silent, only sighs were heard.

"Starting today, that girl will be an ordinary teenage girl. That's why, tomorrow she has to go to school with you!"

"Huh, what?"

#############

It was quiet. It was so quiet, as if I didn't feel anything. Only peace and comfort.

For the first time. I wasn't worried about anything.

I open my eyes, my vision feels blurry. I saw that the ceiling of the room was navy blue, was it the color of the walls of this room that made me calm?

I don't know... I don't know, all this time I've been living in the shadow of death as a kuntilanak. But now that I've become a human, maybe that's what makes me calm after fighting with my fear all this time.

I leaned my body against the wall, sunlight streaming in through the window of Aji's room. The light warmed my body, not burning me like my old body.

I open the curtains of the window, letting in more sunlight. Letting them warm my body and melt my heart.

The reflection of my body, faintly visible on the window glass. Black eyes as dark as the night, and also long black hair hanging down.

If I cut it, would I look less scary?

Ah no, that's not a good idea.

Although I did lengthen my hair to cover my left eye, it would take a long time to lengthen it.

Besides, a Kuntilanak's strength depends on the length of her hair.

Sometimes I think, what is it about this body that means the current me is different from the previous me?

Aya the kuntilanak girl who kills humans and the ghosts that chase her, now turned into Aya the half-kuntilanak girl who lives as an ordinary human?

Is that something bad?

I suddenly felt a strange heat, as if the flames of hell were blowing for an instant from behind the other room.

Despite being in a human body, what I saw and felt as a ghost didn't change.

I could still see the spirits of the dead as well as those of my kind, but this dangerous heat was something different!

I quickly walked to the teakwood door. I opened it and walked quickly to the stairs.

A little girl was sitting on the sofa with Aji. But my inner eyes saw it differently, the girl was from the genie creature.

With small red horns in her hair and reddish scaly skin. She emitted a hot aura that looked dangerous, as if asking me not to approach her.

Aji might not realize the danger that lay nearby, but I wouldn't be able to fight her either. The nail sealed all the power in me, except for my courage. I thought hard, what should I do? Was that girl an opponent? Or a friend to us?

"Look Aji, she's awake isn't she?"

I faintly heard their conversation. Just like me, the little girl must be able to sense my presence.

I carefully walked down the stairs, passing the steps slowly, while keeping an eye on the girl

"Ahh... Good morning Aya!"

"Good morning..."

"Good morning..."

Aji greeted with a smile, his smile had much deeper meaning than his words alone.

When he smiled, he showed me a lot of his feelings.

A thin but wide smile like today's means that he is both happy and relieved. He's happy to see that I'm awake, and maybe he's relieved that I'm getting better.

That's what I caught from her smile. I don't care if that's really the meaning of her smile. But that's what I wanted to believe from her.

I made it down the last step. Aji beckoned me to sit down, I nodded my head and sat on the red sofa with them.

Aji introduces me to Agnia, the girl is the granddaughter of Old Man Slamet. The one who gave Aji the Paku Puntianak, and also the seven kinds of flower water. In conclusion, she was the one who had given Aji the poison and the antidote.

The poison that Aji is now using to confine me in this human body.

Last night Aji had told me a little about the red girl, but I didn't expect her to be more dangerous than I had imagined.

"You're really beautiful Aya... I can't believe this is the true form of the kuntilanak girl Chandra was chasing..."

A bell seemed to ring in my head, inside my almost empty memory.

The name echoed.

Calling up other memories trapped in my subconscious.

"That Chandra you're referring to... The King of the Night, right?"

I shot Agnia a glare, but she just grinned impishly. Meanwhile Aji was silent, he knew nothing about this, and I didn't want him to know.

"What's your business with her Ifrit?"

"It's none of your business is it? Puntianak!"

A blackish-black aura emerged from my body, while the little girl haughtily released her fire aura. Water dots in the air formed and slowly appeared along with the white ectoplasmic smoke.

Aji tried to calm us down, it was strange to realize that my power was sealed away but I could still bring out this much of my power.

But at that time I didn't have time to think about it. After a few minutes, we tried to calm down. I'm not going to win from that demon girl, that's what I thought. Meanwhile, the red girl was probably thinking that fighting me wouldn't benefit her at all.

I looked closely at the creature. Its human form had the shape of a 12-year-old little girl, with reddish-black hair, and eyes glowing a ghastly red. She wore red clothes with brownish batik cloth, truly a form capable of deceiving anyone.

"Uhm Aya... I'm sorry about earlier. I don't know what's wrong with you guys, but we have to accept her help this time."

Aji's words were like a breeze to me, that girl had a connection to the horrible monster that was always terrorizing me. I wouldn't let her go so easily.

"I think I'll end our conversation here Aji. You need to tame that girl so she'll listen to you.

She's very easily provoked...

Besides, I didn't think she could unleash even a fraction of her power with the Puntianak Nail in her head.

Why don't you try taming her on the bed?"

I slammed the back of my hand as hard as I could into the insolent girl's face. But unfortunately she was able to block it with one of her index fingers.

With one punch of the index finger, she flung my body away instantly. Making me smash the picture frame hanging on the wall behind my body.

Aji couldn't do anything about it, but I don't blame her. That girl was a monster, even if I could unleash my full strength, I wouldn't be able to stand in front of her.

I vaguely saw the red girl walking towards the living room. Aji helped me to my feet, not caring about the sofa that rolled over and the shattered glass wrapped around my body.

My anger filled my head, Chandra the King of the Night, and Agnia Efreet the Red Devil. I swear I will kill you.