After hearing the entire story from her grandmother, Shanum felt as though the world she had known had turned upside down. Before her eyes, Denar stood gently, his distinctive scent of sandalwood and jasmine filling the room. She knew that in order to get closer to Denar and understand the deeper connection between them, she had to learn the traditional occult knowledge that had been passed down in her family for centuries.
"We will start your lessons tomorrow morning, dear," said her grandmother as she closed her teacup. "We will use the small joglo behind the house, in the middle of the herb garden that your grandfather used to manage. That is where I learned from my mother, and now it is time for me to pass it on to you."
The next morning, Shanum woke up earlier than usual. She saw her grandmother already standing in the front yard, wearing traditional Javanese clothing with a dark green batik sash. In her hand was a rattan basket filled with various types of fresh herbs.
"We will start by getting to know the basic ingredients of our supernatural knowledge, Shanum," said her grandmother as she opened the tightly closed joglo door. Inside the room was an old, yellowed wooden table, shelves full of glass bottles containing dried herbs, and a clay stove that still looked clean.
The grandmother began to patiently explain each herb. "This is turmeric, not just for food or herbal medicine. It has the power to cleanse negative energy and open the way for communication with the supernatural world. This is kencur, which can increase our senses' sensitivity to things that are invisible to the eye. And this is betel leaf, used to make protective herbs and cleanse rooms from evil influences."
Shanum carefully noted down her grandmother's explanations. She also learned how to make a basic potion called "Unifying Water"—a mixture of turmeric extract, kencur, betel leaves, and water from an old well behind the house that was believed to have spiritual powers. The process of making it could not be rushed; each step had to be done with respect and awareness.
Over the next few days, Shanum spent her mornings and afternoons learning with her grandmother. She learned how to read the signs of nature, such as the movement of tree leaves, the direction of the wind, and the shape of clouds, which could convey messages from the supernatural world. She also began practicing how to communicate with Denar through meditation and traditional family prayers.
One night, when Shanum was sitting alone in the joglo reviewing her lessons for the day, she felt a bone-chilling cold spread throughout the room. The usually pleasant aroma of the herb garden was suddenly replaced by a pungent smell like incompletely burned wood. The light of the candle she had lit began to flicker erratically.
"Who's there?" asked Shanum, her voice slightly trembling, but still trying to remain calm as her grandmother had taught her.
From the dark corner of the room, a figure appeared, a woman with long, tangled hair, dressed in pale white clothes that were torn and tattered. Her pale, bloodless face was covered by hair that fell forward, but Shanum could feel a sharp gaze burning behind it. The strong, pungent scent of frangipani filled the room—something her grandmother had warned was a sign of the arrival of evil supernatural beings.
"You don't belong here," the figure's voice sounded like a whisper of wind piercing her ears. "Den Mas Alif Bhirawa is mine. And I won't let a young girl like you take him from me."
Before Shanum could do anything, the figure darted towards her. But at that moment, a golden light shone brightly from the silver necklace Shanum wore around her neck. Denar appeared quickly between Shanum and the female figure, with a strong and powerful aura.
"Don't you dare touch her, Dewi," said Denar in a firm but sad voice. "We have been apart for so long. You must accept that time has passed."
The figure named Dewi looked at Denar with eyes full of anger and sadness. "I've waited for you for years, Denar. I was willing to sacrifice everything to be with you again. But you chose to protect her instead of coming back to me!"
With a heart-wrenching cry, Dewi vanished in an instant, leaving behind the pungent scent of frangipani and a chill that made Shanum's bones feel stiff. Denar immediately approached Shanum and looked at her with attentive eyes.
"Are you okay?" Denar asked softly. Although he couldn't touch her physically, Shanum felt the warmth coming from him.
"I'm fine," replied Shanum, still breathing heavily. "Who is she really, Denar? Why did she say that you are hers?"
Denar sighed deeply before answering. "Dewi was my fiancée before I died in 1998. We came from the same community and had been arranged to marry since childhood. But when I met your family and saw how difficult their circumstances were, I felt called to help. Dewi never liked that decision and felt that I had betrayed her. After I died, she was chosen to become the leader of the community and began to develop stronger but also darker supernatural powers."
At that moment, Grandmother entered the joglo with a worried expression. "I sense a strong negative energy, Shanum. Dewi has found us. We must be careful. She won't stop until she gets what she wants."
Shanum looked at the silver necklace around her neck, then at Denar. She knew that the struggle ahead would not be easy. But with her grandmother's support and the love that was beginning to grow in her heart for Denar, she was ready to face any threats that might come.
"We won't give up, will we?" Shanum asked her grandmother and Denar.
Her grandmother nodded firmly and touched Shanum's shoulder. "Of course not, dear. Our family has protected each other for centuries, and we won't stop now."
Denar also nodded and gave Shanum a gentle smile. "I will always be by your side, Shanum. Nothing can separate us anymore."
Behind her grandmother's house, the moon began to emerge from behind the dark clouds, as if signaling that a new struggle had begun.