After passing through a beautiful flower corridor, Shanum arrived in front of a cave with a heart-shaped door made of white limestone that glowed under the moonlight. Around the cave entrance grew golden jasmine flowers that never wilted, and a refreshing, sweet scent filled the air. Yet beneath this beauty, she felt a very strong and mysterious energy vibration.
"When you enter, every step will test your love for Denar," a female guardian's voice sounded from behind her. "There is no turning back. You must complete all the trials or you will never be able to leave this place."
Shanum nodded without looking back. She took a deep breath, touched the silver necklace and sandalwood necklace she was wearing, then stepped into the cave. As her feet touched the cave floor, the door behind her slowly closed with a soft rumble, leaving her with no way to return.
Inside the cave, Shanum found a long corridor with walls covered in ancient paintings telling the love story of Sri Rahayu and Raden Kertarajasa. Each painting showed how they faced various obstacles and trials for their love, until they finally succeeded in creating the Eternal Love Water. As she walked forward, the paintings seemed to come alive and began to move, showing every detail of their ancestors' tale.
After walking for about ten minutes, the corridor opened into a large hall with an extremely high ceiling. In the center of the hall was a small pool with water that sparkled like gems, and around the pool stood three large pillars with mysterious symbols glowing in different colors—red, blue, and green.
Before she could approach the pool, a powerful and authoritative voice echoed from all directions. "WELCOME, SHANUM ASMARA. TO OBTAIN THE ETERNAL LOVE WATER, YOU MUST PASS THREE TRIALS THAT WILL TEST EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LOVE."
From behind the white mist that appeared around the hall, her ancestors, Sri Rahayu and Raden Kertarajasa, emerged with serious expressions. "We are the guardians of the trials within this cave," Sri Rahayu said in a melodious voice. "Each trial will test the sacrifice, loyalty, and truth of your love. If you fail any one trial, you will be forced to leave the cave and never return."
"You have only one day inside this cave," added Raden Kertarajasa. "After that, the door will open and you must leave, even if you have not completed all the trials."
Shanum nodded firmly. "I am ready to face all the trials. I will not give up until I obtain the Eternal Love Water to save Denar."
FIRST TRIAL: SACRIFICE
Sri Rahayu raised her hand toward the red pillar, which immediately blazed with extremely bright light. "The first trial is the trial of sacrifice. You must choose between saving Denar or saving your entire community, which is being attacked by the Shadow Army. You can only save one side—choose wisely."
Immediately after, the hall transformed into a vision of Shanum's village being attacked by the Shadow Army. She saw her grandmother, Dewi, and all community members fighting fiercely but beginning to be pushed back. On the other side, she saw Denar lying weak with his life almost gone. Sounds of painful screams and cries for help filled her ears.
Her heart felt as if it would split in two. If she chose to save her community, Denar would be gone forever. But if she chose Denar, everyone she loved in the village would be killed by the Shadow Army. The thought of making the wrong choice made her dizzy and want to cry.
But then she remembered her grandmother's words about true love—love that is not only for one person, but also for all those we care about. Shanum took a deep breath and looked firmly at both visions. "I will not choose one over the other. True love never forces us to choose between the people we love. I will find a way to save them both!"
As she spoke those words, her necklaces began to glow with silver and golden light that merged into one. She took out the potion her grandmother had given her and sprinkled it into the air while chanting the mantra she had been taught. Suddenly, the vision transformed back into the cave hall, and the red pillar glowed even brighter as golden light was added to it.
"You have passed the first trial well," Sri Rahayu said with a gentle smile. "You have proven that true love knows no bounds and always seeks ways to save all those we love."
SECOND TRIAL: LOYALTY
After that, the blue pillar began to glow with calm, deep light. Raden Kertarajasa raised his hand toward the pillar. "The second trial is the trial of loyalty. You will be faced with the choice of an easier life full of luxury with someone who can give you everything—except true love."
The hall transformed again into a vision of a magnificent mansion in Jakarta. Shanum saw herself wearing an expensive gown and standing beside a handsome, intelligent wealthy man. He was a prominent businessman who could help her farming dreams with unlimited capital. She saw the ease of life she could have—a large house, luxury cars, and the opportunity to help many people with the wealth she would possess.
But when the man took out an engagement ring and asked her to marry him, Shanum felt that her heart remained empty. She did not feel the love vibration she always felt when she was with Denar. Even though all the comforts of life were before her eyes, she knew nothing could replace the one she loved.
"Thank you for everything you have offered," Shanum said softly but firmly to the man. "But my heart already belongs to someone who has been through everything with me. The love we share cannot be bought with money or comfort. I will always be loyal to him, no matter what happens."
As she spoke those words, the vision transformed back into the cave hall. The blue pillar glowed brighter and merged with the light from the red pillar. Raden Kertarajasa nodded in approval. "You have proven that your loyalty to Denar cannot be shaken by anything. This is the mark of true and eternal love."
THIRD TRIAL: TRUTH
After successfully passing two trials, the green pillar began to glow with warm, refreshing light. Both of Shanum's ancestors stood together in front of the pillar. "The final trial is the trial of truth. You must face the truth about Denar's past that you have never known—a truth that may make you doubt your love for him."
Immediately after, a large screen appeared before Shanum, showing Denar's past that she had never seen. She learned that Denar was not just an ordinary spirit—he was the son of the Shadow Army's leader, who had been imprisoned hundreds of years ago. But because he disagreed with the dark power methods used by his father, he chose to rebel and help Shanum's ancestors to imprison the Shadow Army. As punishment, his father cursed him to become a spirit who could not interact with the real world until someone with true love could help him.
This truth surprised and confused Shanum a little. But after thinking for a moment, she smiled and shook her head. "A person's past does not determine who they are now. Denar has chosen the right path and fought for good, even if it meant opposing his own family. My love for him will never change because of that—instead, it will grow stronger as I come to appreciate the struggles he has been through."
As she spoke those words, all three pillars blazed with intense light and merged into a single dazzling glow. The pool in the center of the hall began to emit beautiful golden light, and the Eternal Love Water inside started to gently churn. Both of her ancestors approached her with proud expressions.
"You have passed all the trials exceptionally well, Shanum," Sri Rahayu said with an emotional voice. "You have proven that your love for Denar is true and eternal—love that can overcome any obstacle and any truth."
Raden Kertarajasa took a small golden jug and poured the Eternal Love Water into it. He handed the jug to Shanum. "Take this. This water will heal all of Denar's wounds and even strengthen the bond between you two. But remember, the power of love will only last if you always keep goodness and love in your hearts."
As Shanum accepted the jug, the door behind her began to slowly open. "Your time is up," both ancestors said together. "You must return to your village immediately. The Shadow Army has found a way to break through your grandmother's defenses. May you arrive in time."
Without further delay, Shanum ran out of the cave as fast as she could. When she exited, she found that the sun had begun to rise, signaling that one day had passed and only two days remained of the time her grandmother had given her.
On the way back, she felt the energy around her growing darker and full of hatred. Trees began to fall on their own, and the rumbling sound from the direction of the coast grew louder. She knew the situation in her village was critical and she had to reach there quickly.
Meanwhile, in Shanum's village, conditions were worsening. The Shadow Army had successfully broken through part of the defenses, and several community members had been seriously injured. Grandmother and Dewi used all their strength to keep Denar stable, but their energy was almost exhausted.
The Shadow Army's leader stood in front of the house with a disgusting sneer. "The time has come! Surrender and let us take what is ours! Or everyone you love will be killed!"
Grandmother stood with a very weak body but remained firm. "We will never surrender to dark power like you! We will fight until our last breath!"
At that same moment, Shanum emerged from behind the trees carrying the jug of Eternal Love Water, which glowed with brilliant light. "Don't you dare touch them!" she shouted with a powerful voice. Light from the jug spread in all directions, forcing the Shadow Army to step back as they felt burned by the light of goodness.
The Shadow Army's leader looked at Shanum with eyes full of anger and slight fear. "You shouldn't still be alive! How could you escape the Love Cave safely?"
Shanum did not answer. She ran quickly to Denar's side and poured the Eternal Love Water over the wound in his chest. Immediately after, dazzling golden light enveloped Denar's body. The golden blood flowing from his wound stopped, and the wound began to slowly close. Light returned to his eyes, and his body became warm like a normal human's.
A few moments later, Denar slowly opened his eyes and looked at Shanum's face, full of joy and happy tears. "My love... you did it," Denar whispered in a soft but strong voice. He raised his hand and gently touched Shanum's cheek, feeling the warmth he had longed for all this time.
The Shadow Army watched this with eyes full of fear. They felt the immense power of love emanating from Shanum and Denar's bodies—a power that could destroy all forms of negative energy. But their leader refused to give up and unleashed all his strength to attack.
"We will never be defeated!" he shouted in a voice full of rage. He took out his black bell and shook it with all his might, creating a very loud humming sound that made everyone feel dizzy.
But this time, Shanum and Denar stood together. They held each other's hands tightly, and merged silver and golden light emerged from their bodies. The light formed a very strong shield and began to strike back at the Shadow Army with incredible power.
"Your power comes from hatred and the desire for revenge," Shanum said in a strong, clear voice. "But our power comes from love and the desire to protect the people we love. The power of love will always defeat dark power!"