After the Linggarjati Agreement, which stipulated the unconditional surrender of the Dutch to Japan, the Dutch occupation of Indonesia ended. From that moment on, Japan controlled Indonesia.

After officially taking control of Indonesia, Japan revealed its true nature as a cruel colonizer. That morning at Villa Roses, about twenty fully armed Japanese soldiers arrived.

"Idō shinai!" a Japanese soldier shouted while pointing his weapon.

("Don't move!")

Mrs. Ernest, who was with her child at the time, did not dare to resist. They looked terrified under the threat of the weapons.

"Ūn, utsukushī. Tanoshimō," said one of them to Shirley, Mrs. Ernest's daughter.

("Uhm, beautiful. Let's have some fun.")

Several Japanese soldiers dragged Shirley into a room and raped her. Shirley's mournful cries could be heard as the rape occurred. The soldiers took turns raping Shirley.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Ernest's fate was no less tragic. She was dragged into a room and raped by several Japanese soldiers. However, Mrs. Ernest fought back and managed to kill one Japanese soldier.

"Uwaa... Kono josei wa kikendesu," said a Japanese soldier, staring intently at the frightened Mrs. Ernest.

("Wow... This woman is dangerous.")

Without much talk, a soldier drew his katana and immediately beheaded Mrs. Ernest right in front of her dressing mirror. Mrs. Ernest's head flew off and landed right in front of the dressing mirror. Some of her blood splattered on the mirror.

After killing Mrs. Ernest, the Japanese soldiers took Shirley to the military barracks. On the way, they saw Dewi hiding.

"Dete kite, utsukushī!" shouted a Japanese soldier.

("Come out, beautiful!")

Dewi, who was terrified of the Japanese soldiers, immediately fled. She ran with all her might.

"Nē, anata o jikkō shinaide kudasai!" said a Japanese soldier who was chasing her.

("Hey, don't you run!")

Dewi ignored him. She kept running, and finally, she slipped into a ravine and died instantly. Knowing that Dewi had fallen into the ravine, the soldier returned to his comrades.

After a rather long journey, they arrived at the Japanese Army Barracks. Shirley shivered at the sight there. Several women were being used to satisfy the lust of the Japanese soldiers.

"Nē, watashitachi ga eta mono o mitekudasai," said one of the Japanese soldiers.

("Hey, look what we brought.")

A soldier pushed Shirley, causing her to stumble in front of dozens of Japanese soldiers. One of them immediately touched Shirley's chin.

"Nē, kore wa yoi monodesu. Sā, kare o-chū ni ire nasai," the soldier said to his comrades.

("Hey, this is a good one. Come on, take her inside.")

Shirley, who did not understand what the Japanese soldier was saying, could only cry in fear.

"Please, let me go. Please....!" Shirley screamed hysterically as she was dragged into a building.

Shirley's screams did not move the Japanese soldiers to pity. Without feeling, inside that room, dozens of Japanese soldiers raped Shirley again to their satisfaction. Time seemed to pass slowly. However, without realizing it, night had fallen.

Shirley, who had regained consciousness, saw that some of the Japanese soldiers who had raped her were drunk. Slowly, she took a bayonet and stabbed a soldier who was sleeping near her.

"Ugh!" The soldier tried to wake his friends, but Shirley was so swift. She gagged the soldier's mouth with a piece of cloth torn from her clothes and stabbed the bayonet repeatedly into the soldier's heart.

After the Japanese soldier was dead, she observed the room.

"Hmmm... no one else is here," she thought to herself.

She looked outside. She saw there were two guards on duty. She looked around.

"Uhm... it seems safe now. Okay, time to escape," she said to herself.

She walked slowly out of the room. With a seductive gait, she approached the two Japanese soldiers on guard. With graceful steps, she seduced the two Japanese soldiers.

"Handsome, need some warmth?" Shirley teased, drying her eyes.

Shirley clung coquettishly, arousing the lust of the two Japanese soldiers. It turned out that Shirley's efforts were successful. They invited Shirley into the guard post to satisfy their depraved desires.

When they were off guard, Shirley quickly killed the two guards and fled. Gunshots were heard as Shirley killed the Japanese soldiers.

After her actions, Shirley immediately ran into the forest. She managed to seize a rifle to defend herself.

"Hitori no shūjin ga nigeta. Sā sā," said a Japanese soldier.

("A prisoner has escaped. Let's go after her.")

They chased Shirley into the forest. Shirley immediately hid in the bushes. She tried not to make a sound so as not to be caught by the Japanese soldiers.

They searched the forest for a long time, but they did not find Shirley.

"Kare wa dokoheikuno? Kare wa dore kurai hayaku hashitta ka," said a Japanese soldier.

("Where did she go? How fast did she run?")

They continued to search the forest. However, after some time, they finally returned. Shirley breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly someone hit the back of her neck, and she fainted.

The next morning, she woke up in a hut. Apparently, she had been captured by robbers and was raped again. This time, the same robbers from Indonesia raped her.

Because she fought back, Shirley was finally killed with the bayonet she had brought from the Japanese military barracks. The robber immediately threw Shirley's body into a river.

Time went on. Right after August 9, 1945, after two cities in Japan were hit by atomic bombs, Japan surrendered unconditionally. Indonesia became independent, and the villa was finally

**Puncak, January 3, 1955**

One night, a hunter was looking for wild boars. He went into the forest, but he did not find anything.

Because he was tired, he, who had initially intended to hunt, accidentally found a villa that was still in good condition. He was surprised to see the villa was empty. Finally, he dared to enter it.

"Uhm... Strange. All the furniture is still complete," he said to himself.

He entered the villa and finally found a document. The ownership document of the villa.

"Wow. There's a treasure. Uhm... Okay. I'd better take care of this villa," he said to himself.

Long story short, after hunting that night, Tomo's life changed since he started taking care of the villa. He who had initially lived a modest life, his economic life slowly improved.

With diligence, he cleared the bushes at the villa and took care of the old building again. After it was deemed beautiful, Tomo brought his whole family to live in the villa.

"Dad, this villa is beautiful," said Surti, his wife.

"Yes, Mom. Come on, let's go inside," Tomo invited.

They initially lived peacefully in the villa. However, after a few days, strange things began to happen in the villa. Tomo, who felt uneasy, finally looked for a wise man. That day, a kiai (Islamic scholar) came to visit.

"Mr. Tomo, it seems this disturbance comes from that mirror," he said, pointing to a mirror.

Tomo observed it. It turned out there were drops of blood. He tried to clean the blood, but he could not.

"Sir, let's move this mirror to the warehouse," said the Ulama (Islamic scholar).

Tomo immediately moved the mirror to the warehouse. The Ulama took a black cloth and prayed over it. After that, he covered the mirror.

In front of the warehouse, the Ulama planted four stakes. He read a prayer for a moment.

"Alright, Mr. Tomo. This villa can now be inhabited. My message is, do not pull out these stakes, let alone open the curtain covering the mirror," said the Ulama.

Tomo understood. The Ulama finally left. From that moment on, Tomo and his family's life was peaceful.

Apparently, Tomo's business instincts reappeared. After he rented a place to open a grocery store, Tomo finally decided to rent out the villa next to his residence.

**Puncak, December 2, 1969**

Four years, Tomo's family achieved success. Tomo, who was old, enjoyed his old age happily. In his old age, he now lived with Victor.

"Dad, our villa is getting more and more visited by people. Thank God, our income is increasing," said Victor.

"Thank God, son. Oh yes, since there are many empty rooms in this villa, what if we rent this villa out too?" Tomo asked Victor.

Victor thought for a moment. He then agreed with Tomo's proposal. The next day, the villa where they lived was also rented out.

**Puncak, October 23, 1989**

The business that Tomo's family started grew more and more each year. After Tomo passed away, the villa was passed down to Victor. Besides renting out the villa, Victor also had other companies.

The villa business was initially running smoothly. However, a guest accidentally saw the old mirror in the warehouse. He opened the black curtain that covered the mirror.

"Hmmm... This mirror seems old. And, it's still good," he said.

At first, nothing happened. But suddenly the guest and a villa servant disappeared. His family was very worried. Victor immediately came to the location and he found the old warehouse and the stakes in front of the warehouse had been pulled out.

"Oh no! Damn it! I think I have to call a wise man," said Victor.

Together with Mang Ujang, Victor tried to solve the problem. Finally, the guest and the villa servant were successfully rescued. The wise man once again put a fence around the mirror.

"It seems we have to do something about this mirror," said the wise man.

Victor thought. Finally, he knew there was a small room in the main villa. Victor and Mang Ujang immediately brought the mirror there, and immediately locked the door of the room.

It was a bright morning in Jakarta—bustling as always with people navigating their daily routines. Among them was Andre, the son of a successful businessman, heading to the office to lead his team. But, something felt off.

Midway through his morning tasks, Andre stumbled upon a peculiar envelope. What made it strange wasn’t just its age—it was the sender’s name: Victor, his uncle, who had passed away a year ago.

“Wait... Uncle Victor? But he died last year. How is this even possible?”

Andre peeled open the envelope. Inside was a letter, dated exactly one year ago. The paper was yellowed, fragile—clearly aged. Tucked within was a photograph of a striking villa, grand and serene.

“Uncle Victor owned a villa in Puncak? I’ve never heard about this. And... that’s my name in his handwriting.”

Puzzled, Andre slid the letter and photo back into the envelope and placed it on his desk.

Just then, his two close friends, Frans and Reza, dropped by. They weren’t just friends—they were longtime collaborators and fellow adventurers.

“Andre, long time!” Reza greeted, pulling him into a hug.

“Yeah! It’s been what—a year? The project we worked on really paid off,” Andre replied, beaming.

Andre turned to Frans, his college buddy and trusted lawyer.

“Frans, man... you're looking more macho every time I see you,” he teased, giving him a hug.

“Appreciate that, bro,” Frans chuckled.

The three settled into Andre’s office. But Reza’s eyes kept drifting to the envelope on the desk. Then, he spotted the villa photo.

“Hey... is that a villa?” Reza asked. “It looks amazing. We were thinking of planning a trip. Why not go there?”

Andre hesitated. “Villa? I mean... yeah, but I don’t know much about it.”

Frans chimed in. “Let us see. Don’t keep secrets—we’ll find out soon anyway.”

Reluctantly, Andre handed over the letter. Frans read it slowly, his brow furrowing.

“How could this letter be sent now... after a year?”

Reza took a closer look at the photo and smiled faintly.

“I recognize that place. Villa Roses. It’s in Puncak—surrounded by rose gardens. I’ve driven past it before.”

Andre scratched his head. “I didn’t mean to keep this quiet, but... maybe we go check it out next week?”

Frans grinned. “So it’s settled? Road trip?”

“Sure,” Andre agreed. “Bring your girlfriends?”

“Absolutely. Rachel’s been craving a vacation,” Frans said.

“Cool. We’ll meet at your place, then head out,” Andre concluded.

Their conversation shifted to trip planning, laughter echoing as they reminisced about their college antics.

Meanwhile, at a mall, Ersa was shopping.

She was browsing through clothes, trying to decide what to buy. While shopping, Ersa was startled by the sound of her phone ringing. She quickly grabbed it and saw that it was Andre calling her. She answered the call.

"Yes, Babe. What is it?" Ersa asked while still looking at a dress.

"Babe, do you want to go on vacation next week? Let’s go to a villa. What do you think?" asked Andre over the phone.

Ersa was surprised.

"Babe, do you really have a villa? How come I didn’t know about it?"

Andre chuckled.

"Hehehe... I’m confused myself. I’ve never even been there..."

Ersa grew more curious.

"Ah, you. Are you being serious? Don’t prank me again like last time," she said with a little laugh.

Andre laughed for a moment, then continued,

"Babe, this time I’m serious. You remember Uncle Victor, right?"

Ersa was startled.

"Uncle Victor? Didn’t he pass away last year?" she asked, frowning.

Andre replied,

"Yeah. Uncle Victor had a villa, and now I’ve been given that villa…"

Ersa paused for a moment. Then she smiled.

"Okay, Babe. I’m in. Yay, we’re finally going on vacation!"

"Alright then. We’ll be going with Frans and Reza. They’re bringing their girlfriends too," said Andre.

"Uhm… that sounds fun. I haven’t seen Rachel and Vero in a while either. Okay, Babe. I’ll keep shopping first. Let’s meet for lunch later," said Ersa.

"Okay, Babe. I’ll keep you posted. See ya," said Andre as he ended the call.

Ersa put her phone into the small bag she was carrying and continued shopping.

Before she knew it, it was already midday when Ersa finished her shopping. She waited for Andre in front of the mall. Not long after, Andre arrived. Ersa got into Andre’s car and they headed straight to a restaurant.

Once they arrived, Ersa and Andre sat down at a table. They ordered food, and after the waiter left, they began to chat.

"Andre, are you really serious about taking me on vacation next week?" Ersa asked.

"Yes, Er. Honestly, I don’t know much about the villa. Here’s a photo of it."

Andre pulled out a photo from his pocket and handed it to Ersa. She looked at it.

"Uhm... the villa is big and looks nice. Two villas on a wide piece of land. Seems interesting," said Ersa with a smile.

"We're going next week with Frans, Reza, Rachel, and Vero," said Andre.

"Okay. I’m in," Ersa said with a sweet smile.

Their conversation paused for a moment as the waiter brought their food and set it on the table. After serving, the waiter left again. The two of them enjoyed their lunch.

Meanwhile, Frans was working on a case.

He was studying a client’s case carefully, reading the case file thoroughly. After finishing, he spoke to his client.

"Uhm… okay. This case is relatively minor. When’s the trial?" Frans asked.

"The trial is actually the day after tomorrow, but it got postponed to next week. It’s the first hearing," the client said.

"Uhm… okay. I can’t take it, because I’ll be on vacation next week. How about I refer you to a colleague of mine? He’s just as capable," said Frans.

The client thought for a moment and consulted with his relative. Eventually, they agreed. Frans called his colleague. The call took a while. After finishing, he handed over the case file to the client.

"Sir, my colleague Mr. Rizqy happens to be available. Here’s his address. You can go meet him directly. I’ve already informed him," said Frans.

"Uhm… okay. Thank you, Sir," said the client, shaking hands and then leaving Frans’s office.

After the client left, Frans went back to reviewing the remaining case files before his vacation.

Time passed, and soon it was late afternoon.

Reza was spending time with Vero at a park. They were sitting on a bench. Vero affectionately embraced Reza, who was sitting beside her.

"Vero, I want to take you on a vacation," Reza said sweetly.

"Oh yeah? Vacation where?" asked Vero.

"To the highlands. My friend Andre happens to have a nice villa. What do you think?" asked Reza.

Vero thought for a moment and gave a slight smile.

"Uhm… sure. You know the area, right? You go to the highlands a lot," she said.

"Of course. I know it well. The villa’s old, but the view is great. There’s a big rose garden," Reza replied.

"Okay. I’m in. Sounds like a great idea," said Vero with a sweet smile.

They gazed at each other and smiled. As they snuggled, they enjoyed the beauty of the sunset. Vero lovingly held Reza and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Vero, you look so beautiful this evening," said Reza.

"You’re such a smooth talker…" Vero replied with a sweet smile.

"I mean it, love," said Reza as he gently stroked Vero’s hair.

Vero smiled, enjoying Reza’s gentle touch.

In her heart, Vero said, "Frans, I will try to forget you. I’m happy with Reza now."

"Vero, I love you so much. I want to propose to you after our vacation," said Reza.

Vero stayed silent and just smiled. When a drink vendor came by, Reza bought them drinks. As they continued to enjoy the beautiful evening, they sipped their drinks and occasionally joked and laughed together.

That evening,

Andre passed a mysterious letter to his father over dinner.

“Dad, I found this at the office today. Do you remember Uncle Victor?”

Andre’s father took the letter, his brow furrowing.

“Yes... I do. Back then, your grandfather had a villa. I wasn’t married to your mother yet. Victor inherited it after Grandfather passed.”

“But Dad... how come I never knew about it?”

“Victor tried to sell it years ago, but nobody wanted it. No one rented it either. It’s just been sitting vacant all this time—even though it’s beautiful inside.”

Andre nodded slowly, understanding why the villa had remained a forgotten memory.

Meanwhile, at a cozy cafe, Frans and Rachel sat together, finishing dinner.

“Chel, how about a getaway next week? Just us, and the gang. I’ll drive.”

“Hmm… a trip? Sure. Where to?”

“Puncak. We’ll stay at Andre’s villa.”

“A villa?” Rachel smiled. “Okay, count me in.”

“Vero and Ersa are joining too. It’ll be fun.”

They exchanged smiles. Frans took Rachel’s hand gently.

‘Rachel, I care about you deeply. I want to propose soon.”

“Frans… I’d love that.”

He brought out a necklace and placed it around her neck. Rachel's eyes glimmered.

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“Anything for your smile,” Frans replied warmly.

A week passed.

That morning, at Frans’s house, the group gathered—Reza with Vero, Andre with Ersa, and Rachel carrying supplies.

“All packed?” Reza asked.

“Yes, Mr. Driver…” Frans quipped.

“Hah, never boring with you,” Reza laughed.

They loaded the minibus and set off for Puncak. After three hours, they arrived at Villa Roses: a quiet compound with two buildings, cared for by Mang Ujang and Bu Siti.

“You must be Andre?” asked Mang Ujang.

“Yes. I’m Uncle Victor’s nephew.”

“I’m Ujang. My wife, Siti, handles the cleaning—I care for the garden.”

Inside the villa, Mang Ujang pointed out a door hidden behind a massive wardrobe—padlocked and nailed shut.

“What's behind that door?” Andre asked.

“I don’t know. It’s been sealed since I got here.”

“But why?”

“Your uncle forbade anyone from opening it. Please… just let it be.”

Andre hesitated, curiosity tugging at him. But he finally nodded and rejoined the others.

“There are two villas—Frans, Reza, and I’ll take this one. Chel, Vero, and Ersa, you’re next door,” Andre said, handing over the key.

“Got it, honey,” Ersa replied.

In the villa, while Andre quietly contemplated the locked room, Frans tapped his shoulder.

“Earth to Andre. What’s up?”

“Uhm… nothing,” Andre said, snapping out of his thoughts.

Frans played his guitar. Rachel requested a song. Ersa clapped, impressed. But Vero wasn’t smiling.

“Why does it always have to be Rachel…” Vero murmured inwardly, hiding her jealousy.

As Frans sang, Vero heard something—a faint voice whispering her name.

“Sa… did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“A woman’s voice. Calling me.”

Ersa looked puzzled. Rachel joined in, concerned.

“We’re the only women here,” Rachel said.

“Exactly… but the voice felt unfamiliar,” Vero replied.

“Let’s just enjoy the vacation,” Rachel suggested gently.

Later, the group explored the lush grounds.

Frans and Rachel took selfies. Andre and Ersa strolled hand-in-hand. Meanwhile, Reza and Vero lagged behind, speaking quietly.

“Reza… something’s not right.”

“Why, what happened?”

“I saw a woman in my room—our age, just staring coldly at me. But she wasn’t a staff member.”

“Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?”

“No. It felt real…”

Reza gently hugged Vero, trying to comfort her.

“You’re not alone. We’ve got each other.”

They rejoined the group.

“Reza, Vero—why so late?” Andre asked.

“Vero forgot her phone,” Reza fibbed smoothly.

They continued their walk. Afterward, lunch was waiting on the dining table—though something seemed… off.

“Wait, how is lunch already served?” Andre whispered.

“Maybe Ujang and Siti came back,” Ersa reasoned.

“Don’t get spooked,” Frans chuckled.

Vero opened her mouth to speak—but was quickly cut off.

“Honey, not now,” Reza said softly.

“Let’s not ruin the moment,” Rachel added.

And so, they ate together. Smiles filled the room—but Vero couldn’t shake the sense that something beyond the walls was quietly watching.

Rachel was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Reza, who had just finished eating, approached Vero and Rachel. He was starting to get curious about Vero's behavior.

"Honey, what's really wrong?" asked Reza.

"Reza, I want to go home. This villa isn't right... I'm scared," Vero said in a soft voice.

"Oh, come on... we just got here this morning, and you already want to go home? Stop it... don't sulk anymore. It makes me look bad in front of our friends. Besides, you have your friends here, Ersa and Rachel. Come on, we're only here for two days..." Reza replied, slightly annoyed.

Rachel put her arm around Vero, calming her down. "Yes, Vero. Just relax here... Ersa and I are here," Rachel chimed in.

Vero fell silent. She took a deep breath and finally nodded reluctantly. In the end, Vero rejoined her friends in the living room of the main villa. Apparently, everyone had finished lunch. When Mrs. Siti arrived to cook lunch, she was surprised to see the pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen.

"Oh my, why are there so many dirty dishes? I haven't even cooked lunch yet?" she wondered to herself.

Mrs. Siti paused for a moment. She just shook her head. However, she quickly dismissed the unsettling thought.

"Ah, maybe they bought food from outside. Well, I'll just take care of these dirty dishes," she thought.

Finally, Mrs. Siti started washing the dirty dishes in the kitchen, and afterward, she began cleaning the villa's yard. In the living room, the six of them were chatting and joking around. Frans was telling the story of how he first met Rachel.

Rachel laughed, remembering the funny incident of her first meeting with Frans. Reza didn't want to be left out. He told the story of when he first met Vero. Vero remained silent, but in her heart, she felt jealous of Rachel.

"I was hoping for Frans's love, but he chose Rachel instead," she said to herself.

Vero forced a smile to hide her jealousy. While they were in the living room, Mrs. Siti brought drinks for Andre and his friends.

"Mrs. Siti, thank you so much. The food earlier was delicious, and it was ready right when we arrived," Andre said to Mrs. Siti.

For a moment, Mrs. Siti was speechless.

"Oh dear... that food earlier... That means... who cooked that food?" she asked herself.

But Mrs. Siti tried to keep Andre and his friends calm. She quickly composed herself.

"Oh, yes, son. Earlier... uhm... I happened to come by, and you all weren't here. So, while waiting for you, I cooked lunch," Mrs. Siti said, feeling a little nervous.

Andre nodded. Mrs. Siti just smiled. "Son, please have some tea," she said in a friendly tone.

"Yes, Mrs. Siti. Thank you..." Andre replied with a sweet smile.

Mrs. Siti quickly left. While Andre and his friends were in the living room, Mrs. Siti kept thinking about what had just happened.

"How could there be food? I haven't even cooked yet..." she thought.

After Mrs. Siti left, Andre and his friends were still engrossed in conversation in the living room.

As dusk began to fall, they decided to have dinner in the villa's yard. In the middle of the villa, there was a kind of gazebo. They had dinner there with an open-air feel. Occasionally, they looked affectionate with their respective partners.

"Wow, the atmosphere in this villa is so comfortable," said Frans.

"Yes, it feels like a romantic dinner," said Reza, lovingly putting his arm around Vero.

However, Vero was so jealous seeing Frans affectionately feeding Rachel. In her heart, Vero said, "Damn it! Why did Frans have to choose Rachel?"

Ersa playfully took pictures of Frans's and Reza's affectionate moments.

"Hey, what if tomorrow we have a competition to see who's the most romantic? Frans versus Reza," Ersa joked.

They burst out laughing. After finishing dinner, they remained gathered in the gazebo. They talked and joked late into the night.

After it was almost midnight, the six of them went inside the villa. The women were in the adjacent villa, while the men were in the main villa. Frans, Andre, and Reza went to their own rooms. They soon fell asleep, while Andre was still not sleepy. He posted an affectionate photo of himself on Instagram.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Yes, just a moment..." Andre said without any suspicion.

Andre opened his bedroom door. He was surprised to see a beautiful woman bringing him snacks. "Excuse me... who are you?"

"I'm Dewi, the daughter of the servant in this villa..." said Dewi.

"Oh, I'm Andre. The owner of this villa. Thank you, but... what about my friends?" Andre asked.

"I've already brought some to your friends. Now, I'm bringing this especially for you, the owner of the villa," Dewi said with a sweet smile.

Andre smiled sweetly. "Wow, thank you. Nice to meet you, Dewi."

"You're welcome. Oh, yes, uhm... I'll be leaving now, Sir. Good night," Dewi said with a sweet smile.

Andre smiled sweetly. He placed the dish on the table in his room. However, he then noticed a small, mysterious antique mirror on his table.

"Uhm... this must be Dewi's," Andre thought.

Andre was about to return the mirror, but Dewi was nowhere to be seen. He closed his bedroom door and lay back down. He smiled, admiring Dewi's beauty.

"Dewi, she's so beautiful. But... no! I already have Ersa, and I promised to stay faithful to Ersa," Andre thought.

Andre looked at the mirror. He wondered how such a small, antique mirror ended up in his room. Andre still thought it belonged to Dewi, the relative of Mang Ujang and Mrs. Siti.

"Uhm... I'll just ask Mrs. Siti about it tomorrow, maybe she can return it to Dewi," he thought.

Andre placed the old mirror on the table, then ate the snacks. After eating a little, Andre started to feel sleepy and finally dozed off.

In the middle of the night, in the villa where Ersa was staying, Vero tried to fall asleep. Ersa and Rachel were already fast asleep. Vero kept trying to close her eyes, even though she continued to hear strange noises and terrifying whispers.

"Vero... come here, child. Come here..."

The hoarse and flat voice kept ringing in her ears.

Vero tried to cover her ears with a pillow, but the voice was still clear. After trying hard, Vero finally began to drift off. However, she woke up again when she heard a banging on her bedroom door.

"Damn it!! Who is that?!" Vero grumbled.

Weakly, she walked towards the door that was being banged on. She opened her bedroom door, and Vero's eyes widened again, because there was no one there.

"Strange, how come there's no one here?" she thought.

"Hey!! Who was banging on the door just now?! So rude!!" Vero yelled into the empty space.

Vero closed her bedroom door again and went straight to bed. She closed her eyes again. However, she felt that she was not lying alone. She opened her eyes, and to her shock, she saw a woman lying next to her. Her face was pale, and her eyes were bulging.

"AHHH.... A GHOST!!" screamed Vero, who immediately jumped up and spontaneously ran towards the door.

The ghost kept crawling towards her. Vero was so panicked that she felt weak. Vero could only scream.

"HELP!!... HELP!!... GO AWAY!!! DON'T BOTHER ME!!" Vero threw whatever objects were near her out of fear, causing the room to become chaotic.

Meanwhile,

Ersa, whose room was next to Vero's, woke up hearing Vero's screams and cries.

"Geez, Vero... why is she screaming in the middle of the night?" Ersa grumbled to herself.

Ersa walked, half-asleep, to Vero's room. Ersa was shocked to hear the commotion.

Ersa immediately opened the door.

"Vero!! What are you doing?" Ersa asked, bewildered.

Vero turned to Ersa. She immediately ran and hugged Ersa. Vero cried in Ersa's arms.

"Ersa... there's a ghost here. I'm scared..." said Vero, crying in Ersa's embrace.

"Sssh... sh... sh..., calm down, Vero. I'm here now," Ersa said comfortingly.

"Ersa, stay with me while I sleep..." Vero pleaded, still crying.

Ersa gently stroked Vero's hair.

"Yes, Vero. I'll stay with you..." said Ersa.

"Come on, let's go to my room. We'll sleep in my room..." she continued, inviting Vero.

Ersa took Vero's hand and led her to her room. Vero was terrified. Ersa gave Vero a drink before bed. After Vero calmed down, they both lay down on the bed. Vero, who was still hearing voices, covered her ears with a pillow. An hour later, she fell asleep.

The next morning,

Vero seemed quieter. Her cheerfulness was gone. Rachel and Ersa, who had just returned from their morning run, were puzzled by Vero's unusual behavior.

"Vero, you look like you didn't get enough sleep, why?" asked Ersa.

"I don't know, Er. I was disturbed last night. I heard strange noises..." said Vero.

Ersa was bewildered. "Huh? But you slept with me last night, did you still hear those noises?"

"Yes, Ersa... I still heard them. I only fell asleep for an hour..." said Vero.

"Vero... you shouldn't think about it..." said Rachel.

"I can't! I want to ignore it... but it keeps getting louder..." Vero said in a high-pitched voice.

Vero once again stared at a spot in the corner of the villa. Vero screamed. "Kyaa!!!...."

Vero shot up from her seat and ran into the room. She covered her eyes with a pillow and cried. Ersa and Rachel followed Vero.

Ersa hugged Vero to calm her down. "Vero, what's wrong? What did you see?"

"Ersa... I saw a ghost..." said Vero.

"A ghost? What kind of ghost at this time of the morning?" asked Ersa.

"There was... there was a headless ghost..." said Vero.

"There, there, Vero. Calm down. There's nothing there..." said Rachel.

Not long after, Reza came to invite Vero, Rachel, and Ersa for breakfast. "Come on, let's have breakfast. After this, we'll go for a walk..." Reza invited.

"Okay, Rez. Just a minute. Vero is crying. She couldn't sleep last night..." said Ersa.

Reza was surprised. "Why?"

Ersa finally explained. "Reza, last night I saw Vero pacing in and out of her room. She seemed terrified. She said she heard strange noises... and just now she said she saw a ghost...."

Reza was puzzled. "A ghost? This early in the morning?"

"Yes. I'm also wondering why Vero keeps seeing apparitions here," asked Rachel.

Reza approached the three of them.

"Ersa, Rachel, you go to the main villa. I'll talk to Vero," said Reza.

Ersa released her hug and walked with Rachel. Reza sat next to Vero, who was still crying. Reza hugged her and gently stroked her hair.

"Reza, let's go home... I'm scared here," said Vero, crying in Reza's arms.

"Vero, calm down. You need to calm down, okay? I'll be here to protect you..." Reza said in a gentle tone.

"But, Reza... I'm scared," Vero said, terrified.

"Sssh... calm down, honey. I'll protect you. I'll protect you from anything that bothers you," said Reza.

Vero was still crying. Reza continued to persuade her. "Come on, honey. Let's join the others. We'll go for a walk later...."

Vero fell silent. Her crying began to subside.

"Come on, let's have breakfast. Let's join the others," Reza invited.

Vero just nodded. She wiped away her remaining tears and tried to smile at Reza. The two of them immediately went to the other villa to join the others. Upon arriving at the main villa, they had breakfast together.