Episode 3

It had been nearly three days since my discharge from the hospital, and now I was en route to Sister Marni's residence. Despite my parents' objections to venture out due to lingering concerns about my health, I insisted on going and promised it would be a brief visit. My mother consented on the condition that our driver accompanied me.

I had the address for Sister Marni's place, which I'd previously requested from Sister Rena. Sister Rena initially hesitated to divulge it, but I explained my reasons, which convinced her.

And so, here I am, standing outside a home still brimming with greenery. A modest house where Sister Marni had lived. I push open the rusty iron gate and step onto the porch.

"Assalamu’alaikum, excuse me," I call out.

No movement at the door prompted me to repeat my greeting.

"Walaikumsalam," a middle-aged woman answers, opening the door and looking at me quizzically. "Whom are you looking for?" she inquires.

I smile, suspecting this woman is Sister Marni's mother – they share similar features.

"I'm Yura. I need to speak with Sister Marni's family," I say.

"But Marni has already..."

"I know, ma’am. May I come in?" I ask.

She lets me in, and we face each other in the living room, furnished with worn sofas. "Oh, I'll make you a drink."

"No need, ma'am, I won't be long." She sits back down having risen.

"Well, ma’am, I've come to convey a message from Sister Marni, which might be of help to you and the family."

She listens silently as I speak. Her expression shifts from serious to sorrow-stricken; she sobs with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Marni..." she wails.

"May I see her room?"

She leads me to Sister Marni's bedroom, where I find an insurance document mentioned by Sister Marni. There it was.

I instruct the mother how to process the insurance and which documents are needed, leaving my phone number in case she has further questions. Sister Marni, the family's main provider, had passed away not just with grief but with a legacy for the living family.

The family had been unaware, not understanding. Sister Marni, seizing the moment when I could see her, used me to deliver her final message.

Now, as I stand before the gate, the mother's wailing intensifies.

"Marni... even in passing you still look after your mother and siblings. Rest in peace, dear," cries the mother.

I feel a lump in my throat at her words and sobbing. Glancing at the trees in front of the house, I spot a figure. She gazes at me with a grateful smile, mouths 'thank you', waves, and Sister Marni's apparition fades.

Author's POV

Yura sighs, recalling the first time she could perceive entities beyond humans. The entity that followed her had shown itself multiple times. The mystery of her gift remained unsolved—perhaps tied to her dreams, or something more.

After finishing her sweet tea, Yura takes out a secondary phone. She plays a sacred recitation, her nightly ritual to create a serene environment and dampen her fears. This phone was designated for that purpose ever since she started seeing non-human entities.

"Ah, my body feels terribly weak," Yura complains while lying in bed, soon drifting to sleep.

The Next Day.

Yura exits public transport and strolls through the hallway towards her class.

"Yura," someone calls out; Yura turns to look.

"Early today, huh? Usually, you arrive late," Yura says to Nana.

"Nonsense, I'm not always late. I want to graduate with top marks and full capabilities," Nana retorts. Yura smiles; the two have been classmates since their first semester and have grown close.

"Hey, looks like Mail has settled in," Nana teases.

Yura chooses a seat neither at the front nor the back. Meanwhile, Mail and Nana continue their playful dispute standing up.

"Hi Yura, do you have plans this afternoon?"

Yura looks over to Refan sitting two rows back with three friends. Refan and his group, senior students repeating a course in Yura's class, often flirt with her.

"Hm..."

"I have plans with us," Nana interrupts before Yura can answer, Refan responding with a deadpan expression. "I'm not asking you," he says.

Nana sits on Yura's left, and Mail follows suit next to Nana. "Don't give Refan false hope. We all know his track record," Nana whispers.

"Who's giving hope? I was about to reply so he won't ask again if I'm free."

The class fills up—not just with peers from their batch but many others repeating the course.

"So many older students retaking too? What’s the deal, are they clueless?"

"Hush, that's not nice. Maybe they just didn't take the course before or were busy which affected their grades."

"Psst, Yura, spot at three o'clock, Kaivan. Seventh-semester comm studies, famously cool," murmurs Mail.

"Yeah, super handsome," Nana whispers back.

"Definitely easy on the eyes," Yura concurs. All three comment to themselves without looking at Kaivan, who is just two seats away.

The lecture begins and Yura concentrates, taking down important notes. Suddenly, she's startled by the presence of the same entity from the night before, now standing beside the lecturer.

"Astagfirullah," Yura murmurs, gripping her pen tightly. She steels herself to look again; the specter is gone. Glancing around, it seems no one else sees what she does. When she peeks to her right, Kaivan's staring at her with a chilling intensity.

*Handsome but creepy stare\, even scarier than that entity*\, she thinks.

After class, the entity doesn't reappear.

"Yura, want to hang out with us?"

"Where to?" Yura replies as she tidies up.

"Movie time. Avatar's out. Mail's got it covered."

"You think Yura's pregnant and I'm responsible?" Mail protests.

Yura laughs at their bickering.

"Yura, my offer remains," Refan says, sitting at his desk.

"Don't bother; you know how it is. Yura's heading out with us," Nana asserts, without waiting for Yura's response.

"I was asking Yura, not you," Refan retorts. Yura shakes her head at the impending squabble.

"Let's get out of here!" Yura suggests, leaving class with her friends. On her way out, she glances at Kaivan, who still remains, watching her.

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