The afternoon sky glowed softly as Rai walked home from school, a bright smile on his face. He had just been named the top student at Banjar High School—a well-earned achievement that made him feel like all his hard work had finally paid off. Excited, he quickened his steps toward home.
But fate had other plans.
As he opened the front door, a metallic smell hit his nose. The house was eerily quiet. Too quiet. His heart began to pound. When he stepped further inside, his eyes froze in horror—his parents lay lifeless in the living room, drenched in blood. In the kitchen, he found his little sister, also dead. His uncle and aunt were sprawled on the guest room floor, their bodies twisted unnaturally. Even the housemaid and his beloved cat, Milky, had been killed.
"AAAAAAAAARGHHH!!" Rai screamed in despair, his knees buckling beneath him. He collapsed, trembling as the world around him shattered.
---
A few days later, a large funeral was held. The entire town of Banjar mourned. Rai was now alone in the world, but he had inherited his family's vast wealth—including shares from both his father and aunt in their dairy company and cattle farm. With a total of 40% ownership, Rai became the largest shareholder of the business.
But wealth could not fill the gaping hole in his heart. His grief turned to rage. Rai vowed to uncover the truth behind his family's massacre.
The police claimed that the CCTV system had been destroyed during the attack and couldn't provide any leads. Refusing to accept that, Rai used his skills in tech—one of the reasons for his top academic performance—to attempt repairs himself.
After a long night of rewiring and decoding corrupted data, he finally managed to recover the footage. But what he saw only deepened the mystery. No one appeared on the tape. No intruder, no shadow, nothing. Just… his family collapsing one by one, as if killed by something unseen.
It was no ordinary murder. Something supernatural was at play. Determined, Rai searched online through obscure forums and rediscovered a name he had seen once before—Dukun Rosso, a well-known shaman with rumored ties to the spirit world.
---
Elsewhere, Rai's classmates, Diana and Alfin, were walking through the forest, following a narrow trail often used for camping. Alfin, visibly nervous and holding a bouquet of flowers, finally confessed his feelings to Diana.
Before she could respond, the air grew cold. A black portal suddenly opened in front of them. From its swirling darkness, a giant black hand emerged and yanked Diana inside without warning.
"DIANAAAA!!" Alfin screamed in horror, helpless as the portal vanished.
Panicked and shaken, Alfin immediately called Rai and told him everything.
Just then, Rai had found Dukun Rosso's contact info. Without hesitation, he asked Alfin to come with him.
Their journey into the unknown had just begun.
Alfin and Rai finally met at Rai's house. The once lively home now felt empty, cold, and abandoned. They sat in the quiet living room as Rai powered on his laptop and played the restored CCTV footage.
Alfin watched the screen intently. Just like Rai, he saw nothing—no attacker, no shadow, no sign of struggle. Only the bodies of Rai's family falling one by one… silently, inexplicably.
"This isn't normal," Alfin muttered, his face pale.
Rai nodded. "It's not a human doing this. It feels… supernatural."
They locked eyes, silently agreeing that what they were facing couldn't be explained by logic. Desperate for answers, they decided to visit someone who might know what was really going on: Dukun Rosso, a powerful shaman known to those who dared to believe.
---
Dukun Rosso lived on the edge of town. His house was covered in strange symbols and filled with the thick scent of incense. When Rai and Alfin arrived, Rosso greeted them with an intense gaze that felt like it could pierce straight through their souls.
Rai explained everything—his family's death, the footage, the strange circumstances. Alfin shared what happened to Diana and how she was taken into a dark portal by an unknown force.
Rosso's stare grew more piercing, making both of them feel uneasy.
"I can pay," Rai offered quickly, trying to break the silence.
Rosso chuckled softly. "Money isn't the problem. The issue is… you can't see what I see. You're not shamans. And what you're facing… isn't someone ordinary."
He turned to Rai. "Did you know your father and aunt were also shamans? They had powerful khodams—spiritual companions—but they still died. That means the one who attacked them… was beyond their level. Your father's strength was probably on par with mine, yet it wasn't enough."
Rosso's voice dropped lower. "If you really want revenge, I can teach you how to become a shaman."
Then he looked at Alfin. "Your problem is tied directly to the spirit world. Your girlfriend hasn't disappeared—she's been taken. If you go into that world without any power, you'll die. But if you're both willing to learn, I can offer a basic course. Ten million rupiah each."
He paused, then listed the course contents:
How to awaken your khodam
How to control your khodam
How to merge with your khodam
Tips and tricks to enhance or obtain new khodams
Without hesitation, Rai agreed. "I'll pay for both of us. But Alfin has to help me get revenge."
Alfin was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "If it can help me save Diana… I'm in."
Rosso smiled with satisfaction and began explaining the basics of the spirit world.
"Every human is born with spiritual companions—khodams. The number can vary from one to seven. Khodams aren't alive, they're spiritual bodies, but they can become real through control."
"Controlling a khodam isn't as simple as giving commands. A kastur—a khodam user—must share a portion of their life force with the khodam to animate it."
"It's like controlling two bodies at once. You can sit hidden in a corner, while your khodam carries out a kill."
Then he explained merging with a khodam.
"Humans are weak. But merging with a khodam gives temporary power. Of course, your body will change. It might be minor, or it might resemble the khodam's form significantly."
As for enhancing a khodam, Rosso didn't hold back.
"To strengthen a khodam, you must kill another kastur—or a khodam that's become a jinn."
"What's a jinn?" Alfin asked.
"A jinn is humanity's spiritual sibling. They were once khodams. When a human dies of old age, their soul is absorbed by their khodams, transforming them into jinn. They inherit part of the owner's personality."
Rosso looked at them seriously. "If a khodam master kills other kasturs or jinns, he can collect khodam energy. This energy can be stored in the body and later used to create new khodams… or to empower the existing ones."
Both Alfin and Rai swallowed hard. The path ahead wasn't going to be easy. But they had already stepped beyond the point of return.