Sometimes, I don't understand Luk's way of thinking. That thirty-something man is a complete enigma. He often acts on his own, issues cryptic orders, and never reveals his true intentions. More than once, I've found myself in life-threatening situations because of his unpredictable nature.
Like today, Luk burst into my room, blaring a siren from a handheld loudspeaker.
"Wake up, Prabu! Wake up! To work!" he yelled, his voice brimming with false enthusiasm.
The siren's wail was unbearable. I tried to muffle it with a pillow, but Luk persisted, unrelenting. With my consciousness barely intact, I glanced at my smartphone. Sunday, 7 a.m. Great.
"Boss! It's Sunday!' I groaned.
"Yeah, I know. Time to get moving. We've got a job!" he chirped
I rubbed my temples. "Didn't... didn't we have Sundays off?"
"Did we? You must be mistaken," he said, feigning ignorance.
"But Boss! Sunday!' I pleaded. "I'm taking my day off."
Luk silenced me with a finger to my lips. "Remember? You said that we were almost bankrupt before. So, Let's work!' he said, his forced optimism dripping with sarcasm. He was definitely messing with me.
I sighed, my gaze drifting away. Overtime and unpaid? Pure exploitation. I'd love to report Luk to labour protection, but... well, we're dealing with magic and curses. Not exactly legal business. I mean, what kind of business is it that takes care of magic and witchcraft? So, I decided to just swallow my frustration.
"So, what should I do?" I asked, my voice flat. Luk grinned.
"Your job today is to investigate Aigin's house and the people there. Don't miss anything; we have to find Poppy's magic buhul as soon as possible."
When you want to bewitch or curse someone, you need a special medium called a buhul. That object will become a kind of transmitter for the witchcraft to be able to attack the target. As long as the buhul is not found, Poppy's healing process will be slow.
"Also, investigate all the places Poppy visited before she was hexed. I'm sure there are still remnants of clues that we can use," Luk said.
"Okay, but I get overtime pay, right?" I asked, a weak attempt at humour and sarcasm.
Luk patted my shoulder and said, "You know the answer, right?"
We shared a hollow laugh. I laughed to hide my annoyance, while Luk tried to cover up the fact that the office balance had reached a minus. I'd be demanding a bonus after this job, believe me.
The next destination is the client's house. Armed with the address Aigin gave me the other day, I went there by online taxi. Before I left, Luk left me a small black suitcase.
"Take care of this suitcase, okay? Don't lose it!" Luk warned me, his tone unusually urgent.
TLuk was acting even stranger than usual. First, the forced Sunday work, now this... precious cargo.
"What's inside?" I asked, curiosity piqued. The suitcase was light, and shaking it yielded nothing but silence.
"Listen closely, Prabu." Luk's voice dropped, a rare moment of gravity, its rare. "Never open that box until you meet her," Luk whispered a name, sending a chill down my spine.
My skin prickled when that name was mentioned. Anger, confusion, dread—a chaotic mix.
"Why should I meet her?" I replied.
"Because only he knows the true worth of its contents. A value beyond my own life." For a moment, I caught an anxiety in Luk's eyes. Before I could respond, he shoved me into the taxi and told the driver to go immediately.
It took about an hour to get to Aigin's house. Because the house is located on the outskirts of the city, it takes longer to get there. As expected, the wealthy lived in grandeur. Even the terrace boasted twin marble pillars, and the entrance was a masterpiece of carved teak.
"How is my sister's condition?" Aigin demanded the moment I settled on the sofa.
I asked her to take a breath, then suggested gathering other family members. So, they could listen my report. Aigin looked restless and her fingers twisted nervously.
"Mom and Dad are still abroad. They won't be back for a week," she said.
Then, I explained to her about Poppy's condition.
"We have taken preventive measures. Her condition has started to recover, but it's not completely normal yet. We still need time," I said.
Aigin nodded, resignedly. An expression of disappointment was clearly printed on her face. I didn't know what to say to comfort the girl. If Luk were here, he would have been able to break the ice.
However, My purpose here was not to socialize. I had a job to do. I immediately began inspecting the house and its grounds. Surprisingly, Aigin offered to accompany me, rather than sending a servant.
"Um... where is Mr Luk?" Aigin asked as we checked the front yard.
"The boss is occupied with other matters," I replied. "Please, feel free to relay any concerns to me.."
"Oh, it's nothing." Just curious, she said, her tone slightly off," she said.
We scoured every inch of the house, yet no atma reaction. Utterly baffling. If a buhul was indeed present, a lingering trace of spiritual energy should have been undeniable.
The living room clock boomed noon, its chimes echoing through the house. We continued our inspection, now focused on the most crucial location: Poppy's room.
"Aigin? Who is this?" A woman burst from the adjacent room, her voice laced with suspicion.
I was a little surprised. She looked like Poppy, like a mirror image of Poppy. Twins, then. Before she could jump to conclusions, I presented my card with a professional flourish.
"Horror Consultant? OH MY GOD, AIGIN!!! YOU HIRED A SHAMAN? If Mom and Dad find out, they could be angry, Sis!" the woman snapped.
Aigin squared her shoulders, her gaze locking with her sister's. "What do you know, Vanessa? This is for Poppy!"
The standoff was brief. Vanessa conceded, but her eyes held a chilling disdain."Fine. But don't expect me to bail you out when Mom and Dad find out."
Vanessa warned, retreating into her room.
"Sorry about Vanessa..." Aigin mumbled, her gaze drifting away. "She's... well, you know... a bit short-tempered".
"Never mind. I've dealt with worse. Let's finish our inspection," I said.
According to records, Poppy Kumalasari fell ill on November 6, 2024. Aigin recounted that Poppy and Vanessa spent the day shopping at the mall. All was well until the twins returned home.
"Poppy suddenly collapsed at the door upon arriving home," Aigin said.
"Where was Vanessa at that time?" I inquired, following her into the room. We left the door ajar.
"Vanessa was with her. Her scream alerted everyone," Aigin explained.
Entering Poppy's room, the calming scent of aromatherapy enveloped us. It was cool and peaceful, unlike the rest of the house. Yellowish-white walls and a brown flower mural created a serene atmosphere.
I almost couldn't reconcile this room with a 20-year-old woman. I mean, this room is starkly simple with minimalist pieces. There is only a study table, bookshelf, and wardrobe.
Aigin sat on the bed, her eyes fixed on me. "Prabu... we're the same age, right? I'm seventeen, you?"
"Same," I replied, my attention on the bookshelf.
"Wow! Really?" she said, surprised.
I nodded. "My birthday was last September."
When checking the shelf, my attention was drawn to a photo album. What's unique is that this album has a leather cover. From a distance, anyone would think this album was an ordinary thick novel.
I took the album and opened it.
"If we're the same age, you'd be in high school, right? Where do you go?" Aigin persisted.
"I don't," I said, flipping through the album. Childhood photos of Poppy and Vanessa, a family portrait—Mom, Dad, three children. December 2007. I continued checking other things.
"If you don't go to school, what about college later?" Aigin asked, her voice soft and hopeful.
"I wish... I don't know," I said, a flicker of something unreadable in my eyes. "It's not that simple".
It was a lie, of course. Deep down, I yearned for the normalcy of school, and the camaraderie of peers. But that life was forbidden, beyond my reach. I was grateful, truly, for the chance to work alongside Luk, a privilege in itself.
And then there was my true nature a Yaksa—shaman—Dukun. It's easier to call people like me witch doctors, but we don't want to be equated with scammers. They're just playing magic tricks.
We, the Yaksa, dwell in the liminal spaces of society, our supernatural abilities veiled from the prying eyes of the mundane world. To reveal ourselves would invite dire consequences, as taught by Luk's unwavering teachings.
"If I do, I want to study abroad. Do you know Harvard?" Aigin persisted, still wanting to continue the conversation.
I held up a hand, needing a moment.
"Hello, Boss? Boss? I'm finished here. Where are you?" Distant, enraged shouts echoed through the line, punctuated by the sharp crash of objects.
"Oh, Prabu? I'm busy right know ... I would call you later," Luk said and hung up.
I glanced at the round wall clock on the messy study table, the ticking a stark contrast to the silence of the room. The clock hand showed 12:50. Ten minutes left before one o'clock in the afternoon. There was still time for investigation. I think I'll go to the next place.
"Heading home already?" Aigin asked, walking me to the door.
"Yes, there is still other work. But don't hesitate to call if you need anything," I said, handing her my business card.
...
Fifteen minutes later, I sat at the bus stop, five hundred meters from Aigin's residence, my vantage point. From here, I could observe the traffic flowing to and from the house. My focus: Vanessa.
A brief reconnaissance of her room had revealed two cinema tickets for the new release. And she was dressing. So, I expected her to leave soon.
Not long after, a silver minibus pulled over. The back door then opened, and there was Vanessa inside.
"Come on in! I'll take you to the city," she said curtly.
Forget about the tone of voice. I really got the jackpot.
"Sorry, I'll just take the bus," I said, pretending to refuse her offer.
"This is important," she said in a pressing tone.
Vanessa Wijayanti is the full name of the woman who is sitting next to me now. Just like Aigin, she is tall like a model, with a sharp nose and long eyelashes. Her hair, however, was a cascade of slightly brownish waves.
The car glided smoothly, a steady hum filling the silence.
"How is Poppy?" she started the conversation, but her eyes were straight ahead. I explained again the condition of her twin.
A prolonged silence followed.
"What was your name again... Prabu, right?"
"Yes, Sis," I confirmed with a nod.
"Prabu... I want you to stay away from my house. Next time, I won't hesitate to call security," he threatened, her tone laced with an unsettling undercurrent.
"The reason?" I inquired.
She turned to me, her eyes flashing. "How long do you intend to deceive me? You claim to be a healer, but you are nothing more than a charlatan! I won't allow you to exploit Poppy's suffering."
Vanessa's face flushed a deep crimson, her features contorted with anger. She was clearly a difficult person to reason with. I sighed softly, trying to remain calm.
"I apologize, but our client is Aigin. If you have any concerns, please direct them to her and request she terminate our contract," I said, keeping my voice even.
Vanessa stared out the window, ignoring me for the entire trip. Not a single word. When we reached the city centre, she told the driver to immediately drive away, and at that moment I exited the car. I watched the car speed away, a feeling of unease settling in.
She was hiding something. Her behaviour, speech, and actions were suspicious. I added her name to my special list. Suspected of practising witchcraft.