After the incident with Dewi and the promise of community unity, the atmosphere around Grandma's house became much more peaceful. Every morning, Shanum saw members of the coastal community coming to the house to work with their families managing the gardens and rice fields. Dewi herself often came to share her knowledge and stories about the past they had gone through together.
However, that happiness was disrupted when a wealthy man named Raden Surya Wijaya—also known as the Rice Master who controlled most of the agricultural land in the area—came to visit his grandmother's house. The man, who was about forty-five years old, came bearing many expensive gifts, such as authentic batik cloth from Solo, gold jewelry, and packages of high-quality rice from his farm.
"What is Raden's intention in coming here?" asked the grandmother with a wary look on her face. She already knew who Raden Surya was and that he was known for collecting young wives to be his fourth or fifth wife.
Raden Surya smiled broadly and looked at Shanum, who was sitting in the corner of the room. "Raden Ayu, I come with good intentions. I have seen your beautiful granddaughter and am captivated by her beauty and strong personality. I want to ask for her hand in marriage to be my fifth wife. I will give her everything she needs—a big house, lots of money, and a comfortable life."
Shanum immediately stood up, her face red with anger. "No, Raden! I refuse categorically. I will never want to be anyone's fifth wife. I have my own dreams and the person I love, even if not everyone can see it."
Raden Surya's face, which had been full of smiles, immediately turned red with anger. "You dare to reject me, little girl? I am the strongest and richest man in this area. No one dares to reject me!"
"We appreciate your visit, Raden, but our granddaughter has the right to choose her own life," said the grandmother in a firm but polite voice. "Please go home, Raden, and respect her decision."
With a face full of anger, Raden Surya stood up and stomped out of the house. "You will regret rejecting me, Shanum Asmara! I will make you feel what happens when someone angers me!"
After he left, Denar appeared with a worried look on his face. "I don't like the aura that comes from that man. He's not just a rich, arrogant man—I feel that he has a connection to dark magic that is far stronger than one can imagine."
"We must be careful, child," said the grandmother, frowning. "Raden Surya is known to have connections with black shamans from outside the area. He won't take being rejected like that lying down."
That night, Shanum couldn't sleep well. She felt a bone-chilling cold spreading throughout the room, even though the doors and windows were tightly closed. The light from the candle she had lit began to turn black, and strange shadows began to appear on the walls of the room.
Suddenly, a large figure with a face glowing like burning embers appeared in the middle of the room. Behind him stood Raden Surya with a cynical smile on his face. "Look what you get for rejecting me, Shanum! This is my servant who has the power to destroy anyone who dares to oppose me!"
The large figure let out a piercing scream and raised its large clawed hand towards Shanum. Before it could attack, Denar appeared quickly and formed a strong golden shield in front of Shanum. "Don't you dare touch her!" Denar shouted with a powerful voice.
However, this time, the attack from the figure was much stronger than expected. Denar's shield began to shake and showed signs of breaking. Shanum immediately took the silver necklace and began to recite the prayer her grandmother had taught her. A silvery light shone brightly from the necklace, helping to strengthen Denar's shield.
Meanwhile, the grandmother, sensing the strong negative energy, immediately came to Shanum's room with various herbs and occult tools. She scattered turmeric and lime around the room, slightly distracting the large figure. "We must work together, Shanum! Use the power of love and kindness within you to defeat this dark force!"
Raden Surya saw that his attack had failed and began to chant a spell in a loud, terrifying voice. The huge figure began to grow even larger and more terrifying, with eyes that burned like fire and a mouth full of sharp teeth. He attacked again with even greater force, causing Denar's shield to crack.
"You will not win, Shanum!" shouted Raden Surya with a voice full of joy. "I will make you surrender and become mine!"
Shanum felt his strength beginning to wane, but he did not want to give up. He remembered everything he had learned from his grandmother and the love he had for Denar. With confidence, she took the container of Unifying Water, which had been strengthened with a new potion, and poured it toward the giant figure while reciting a prayer in a strong, clear voice.
A blinding white light appeared where the water touched the giant figure. A resounding explosion was heard, and the figure began to shrink rapidly. Raden Surya was shocked and tried to control the situation, but the power of love and kindness emitted by Shanum was too strong for him.
"What's happening? Why isn't my power working?" shouted Raden Surya in a voice full of fear.
"Because your power comes from hatred and greed," replied Shanum in a calm but confident voice.
With a cry of anger and fear, Raden Surya tried to escape. But before he could leave, Dewi appeared with several members of the coastal community. "You won't be able to escape, Raden Surya. You have used dark powers to hurt innocent people, and now it's time for you to pay for your actions!"
Dewi and the community members used their powers to envelop Raden Surya in a strong white energy, preventing him from escaping or using his supernatural powers again. "We will hand you over to the authorities and make sure that you will never be able to hurt anyone else again," said Dewi in a firm voice.
After Raden Surya was taken away by the community members, Denar approached Shanum and looked at her with eyes full of love and admiration. "You are amazing, Shanum. You have shown that the power of love and kindness truly cannot be defeated by any dark power."
Shanum felt the warmth coming from Denar and felt happy. She knew that even though there would still be challenges in the future, with the support of her grandmother, Dewi, the community, and especially Denar, she would be able to face them with strength.
The next day, news of the incident with Raden Surya spread quickly throughout the area. People began to appreciate Shanum and her family even more, and increasingly supported the unification of the two communities that had once been enemies.
Her grandmother came to Shanum with a cheerful face and brought a small wooden box. "I have something to give you, dear. This is an ancient recipe that can give hope to the relationship between the supernatural world and the real world. Maybe someday, you and Denar can be together physically as you have dreamed."
Shanum carefully took the wooden box and looked at Denar standing beside her. She knew their journey of love was still long, but with this new hope, she was certain they would find a way to be together forever.