That night, Sia's room was lit only by the desk lamp and the soft light coming from outside the window. Occasionally, the sound of motorcycles passing on the street could be heard, but other than that, the atmosphere was quiet.
Sia sat hunched over at her desk, her history book wide open. A pen spun endlessly between her fingers. Her gaze was empty, drifting far from the homework page she was supposed to be working on.
The image of Giselle's face appeared again in her mind.
Her gaze, her subtle smile, that gentle aura that felt so familiar… like it had once existed in her life. Or… in something more vague.
Sia bit her lower lip, trying to remember.
That name.
Giselle.
She knew someone with the same name. But her appearance… was different. This one was far gentler than the person Sia remembered.
"Ugh…" Sia rubbed her hair roughly until the strands became slightly messy. "Why am I thinking about this again…"
She pulled her history book closer, trying to read the next question.
Write the influence of Tan Malaka's thoughts on the national movement, and how his views were considered ahead of his time…
Sia stared at the question for a long time. Too long.
"What does that even mean…" she muttered in frustration. "Ahead of his time? Oh God… I don't understand…"
She lowered her head until it was almost touching her book.
And at that moment, a voice appeared. A calm and deep male voice.
"Tan Malaka was radical in his thinking. He refused to submit to colonial interests or other political factions. That's why his views were considered ahead of his time. Back then everyone had to submit to those in power."
Sia froze instantly. The pen slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.
Her gaze slowly lifted and glanced backward. Her eyes widened.
On top of her wardrobe, someone was sitting.
The man from the bus stop that morning.
His legs dangled lightly at the edge of the wardrobe, his body relaxed as if it were the most natural seat. His chin rested on his palm as though he was enjoying the view.
The same black hoodie. The same blue gaze, now looking even deeper under the room's light.
The corner of his lips lifted.
"Continue?" he said, as if offering to help with homework.
Sia's chair scraped loudly backward when she suddenly stood up. Her breathing was uneven, her eyes wide as if she had just seen something that shouldn't exist.
"Y-you… how did you get into my house!?" Sia's hand rose reflexively, trembling as she pointed straight at him. "And you… you're sitting on top of my wardrobe! Who are you!?"
The man showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, his smile widened. A gentle smile but somehow it felt cynical.
"You're asking?" he said dismissively.
Then without hesitation he jumped down from the wardrobe.
His body landed without a sound, so perfectly and smoothly that it made Sia step back. His movements were too calm, too trained, like someone used to jumping from high places and accustomed to balancing himself.
Asher stepped slowly toward Sia, not in a hurry, but not giving her space to escape either. He stopped right in front of her. Close enough to make her hold her breath. Then he bent slightly.
The movement was polite.
But the intensity in his eyes? It wasn't.
He extended his hand while introducing himself as if this were the most normal meeting in the world.
"My name is Asher Landvik. Just call me Asher. Glad I can finally speak to you more closely."
Sia immediately brushed his hand away.
"Disappear!" she shouted in panic. "I don't want to know you! You… you must be some lost ghost or something! How can you get in?! You're not human, are you!?"
Asher's smile immediately faded.
His face turned flat. Very flat. As if Sia had just said something deeply insulting. His gaze lowered to Sia with a bored, even slightly disgusted expression.
"A ghost?" he repeated flatly. "Seriously? Of all the things you could think of… that's what you chose?"
He straightened up again, letting out a long sigh like someone who had heard the same thing too many times.
"I don't wander around groaning, I'm not curious about other people's lives, and I don't roam asking for help," he said while rolling his eyes. "So please… don't compare me to lost ghosts who don't know where they're going."
Asher looked at Sia again, this time with a sharp yet calm tone.
"I'm far more sane than them."
Sia snorted shortly even though her body was still slightly trembling. "You must have died of old age, huh? That's why your hair is all white like that."
Asher immediately fell silent. Mouth slightly open. His eyes widened.
"I-"
he pointed dramatically at himself,
"-old? You think I'm some grandpa who died of age?!"
Sia shrugged, still keeping her distance. "Your hair is white. That's usually how it is."
Asher placed his hand on his forehead, shaking his head repeatedly with an offended and annoyed expression.
"I'm handsome, young, healthy, and you, the first time we meet, immediately conclude that I died as an old grandpa? Incredible."
"Well if not, then just explain what you-"
The doorbell suddenly rang. Loud. Short. Quick.
Ding-dong.
Sia startled, her head immediately turning toward the front door.
"It must be Mom," she said quickly.
She looked at Asher with pressure in her eyes. "Go. Now. Don't bother me again."
"But-"
"Go!"
Without waiting for an answer, Sia hurried out of her room. Asher stood still for a moment, then scoffed in a low voice.
"Humans are very rude when they panic…"
He muttered while glancing at the closed bedroom door. Then, in an instant, his body faded and disappeared.
Sia walked quickly toward the door. Her breathing was fast but she tried to look normal. Every step felt heavy from the remaining fear that still clung to her because of Asher.
She stopped in front of the door. Her hand reached toward the knob… Then stopped.
Something felt off.
She didn't know what, but enough to make her shoulders tense.
"Mom?" she called without opening the door. "That's… really you, right?"
There was a second of pause before a soft voice from outside answered.
"Yes, Sia. It's Mom. Come open the door."
Sia frowned. Slowly she lowered her gaze, looking at the small gap in the middle of the door. The gap where people could peek outside.
She leaned her face closer.
True.
Her mother was standing there.
Yana, with her slightly loosely tied hair, the tired face typical of coming home from work, and grocery bags hanging from her hands.
Sia let out a slow breath. Her anxiety eased.
She opened the door.
Her mother entered with a faint smile, not too wide. But warm. "Why did you take so long to open the door?"
Sia shrugged. "I was in my room, Mom."
Her answer was short, without excessive expression.
As usual.
Her mother only nodded slowly and closed the door, unaware of anything that had just happened in Sia's room minutes earlier.
She walked slowly toward the small table in front of the sofa, placed the grocery bags down, then took out two packs of rice from a food stall. She handed one to Sia.
"Wash your hands first. After that, eat."
Sia nodded quietly. She went to the bathroom, washed her hands, then returned to the living room.
They ate together with the TV on showing a night soap opera. The clock on the wall showed 21:03. The living room light looked dimmer than usual, whether because the bulb was weakening or because of the strange atmosphere.
Sia spooned rice slowly. Her mother only looked down at her plate, eating without glancing up, without asking, and without a sound.
Strange.
Usually, even when tired, Yana would always ask something to start a conversation. Either about Sia's day or what Sia did at home while she was away.
But tonight… there was nothing.
Silence.
Too silent.
Sia tried to distract herself, trying to think that maybe her mother was just tired. Her mind even drifted to the incident with Asher. That strange ghost, and she almost didn't want to think about what had just happened.
But the atmosphere kept pressing.
Sia finally put down her spoon. "Mom… tired, huh?"
Her mother made a sound. Not an answer.
Just a short, low groan, like a murmur from someone holding something back.
"Hmm."
And she still didn't look at Sia.
Sia froze. Her left hand tingled, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up to her collar. A cold sensation crept into her bones.
Her eyes narrowed slowly. Her movements stopped completely.
"…that's not how Mom answers."
For the first time since the meal began, Yana, or the figure resembling her, stopped moving her spoon.
But still did not turn.
Sia stared at her sharply with a flat face. "You're not my Mom."
Instantly silence enveloped the room.
Then…
The food in front of that figure began to move.
The rice turned into clumps of black insects like cockroaches, caterpillars, and maggots. Those disgusting insects crawled over each other, climbing the spoon, creeping onto the figure's hand.
Sia stood up instantly. "O-Oh my God!"
A small scream escaped her throat as she stepped back several steps.
"Stop pretending!" she shouted in panic, breath caught. "Where is my Mom?!"
The figure finally stopped completely. Its shoulders began to tremble.
Then there was…
laughter.
A small laugh. Amused. Sly.
Its body began to change.
The skin of its face faded like peeling paint. Its neck lengthened. Sia's mother's eyes sank into dark hollows. Its jaw opened too wide, wider than a normal human. Its hands curved like bones.
The creature now stood in a form far from human.
Sia froze.
The creature lunged.
Sia jolted and managed to dodge to the side, immediately running toward the kitchen with choking breaths. She heard the creature crawling fast behind her, its claws scraping the floor like knives.
Sia frantically checked the kitchen cabinet.
"Where-where-where-SAAAALT-!"
Her hand found a large container of kitchen salt, she grabbed it without thinking, pouring it all onto the floor forming a chaotic circle around herself.
The creature stopped right at the edge of the salt circle. Its body writhed angrily, unable to cross.
Sia stood in the middle of the circle, trembling violently, her breath racing until it hurt. Tears almost fell, but she held them back.
The creature opened its jaw wider, wailing, then,
SCREAMED.
A sharp scream, piercing the ears.
Its body began to burn from within. As if invisible fire was devouring it. Its skin peeled, collapsed, until finally…
With a rapidly bending light,
The creature disappeared.
Sia fell to her knees. Her chest rising and falling, almost vomiting from fear.
The next second, footsteps were heard softly behind her.
Sia turned. There stood Asher.
Different.
His blue eyes were now glowing red, dark, intense, sharp like the eyes of a wild beast. His hair was no longer white either, but dark black, reflecting the kitchen light.
But it only lasted a few seconds before everything returned to normal. His hair turned white again. His eyes returned to blue.
Asher walked slowly toward Sia, then three words came from his lips… soft but sharp.
"It's safe now."
He extended his hand to Sia.
Sia looked at Asher for a moment before finally accepting that outstretched hand. His grip was cold, but steady. Sia stood up slowly while wiping the tears still hanging at the corner of her eyes.
Sia looked at him again while holding her still rising chest.
"You… what were you just now?" her voice was soft, trembling.
Asher narrowed his eyes, slightly annoyed at being questioned when Sia was clearly still frightened.
"I'm the one who saved you, that should be enough," he muttered.
Sia shook her head quickly. "Not that. You changed. Your eyes… your hair… why?"
Asher sighed, reluctant to explain but still answering. "Because of that creature. It's the type that won't run if I only show my lighter form."
Sia glared slightly. "That creature… could disguise itself as my Mom. You can't say 'lighter' for something like that."
Asher replied with a flat look. "If I hadn't come, it would've finished you. So stop complaining."
Sia turned her face away, trying to hide her tremor. "I'm not complaining… I'm just scared."
Asher's tone softened slightly, just slightly. "That's normal. But now it's safe."
Sia looked at him again. Something disturbed her thoughts. "Asher… you were the one who-"
Suddenly, the sound of the front door rustled.
Both of them immediately turned.
"Sia?! Where are you?!" Her mother's voice.
Sia froze.
"Mom…"
Asher immediately signaled with his chin.
"Go. Don't let her see you like this."
Sia stammered. "But-"
Asher cut her off. "Go." His tone was firm, leaving no room for debate.
Sia hesitated for a moment, then nodded and hurriedly ran to the front room.
Asher sighed, moved two of his fingers slightly, and his body disappeared just as Sia exited the kitchen.
When Sia arrived at the living room, her mother had just closed the door, catching her breath as if she had been running. Sia looked around… and everything looked normal. The table, the TV, the floor, even the food wrappers that the demon had taken out earlier… nothing. There was absolutely no sign of the fight earlier. No damage.
The room was as if… it had never been touched by anything.
Sia frowned.
How… is that possible?
"Sia?"
Her mother looked at her in confusion.
At that very moment, Sia immediately ran toward her and hugged her very tightly, so tightly that her mother stumbled slightly because she wasn't prepared.
Her mother was startled.
"Hey, what's wrong? What happened?"
Sia didn't answer. She only hugged tighter, as if making sure this one was truly her mother. Her mother's voice, her body scent, the way she stroked Sia's hair, everything felt familiar and real.
After a few seconds, her mother spoke again, this time more softly.
"Earlier someone called Mom… said you were in trouble."
Her mother loosened the hug slightly to look at Sia's face.
"The voice was unfamiliar. Mom didn't know it. That's why Mom came home immediately."
Sia was stunned. A call? Someone? Informing that she was in danger?
Sia swallowed, then slowly turned her head… toward the dining room that was now perfectly silent.
She saw nothing. But she knew.
She knew who made that call. And her stomach tightened when remembering those red eyes that had briefly appeared.