"Earthquake!" everyone screamed as they ran out of the house.
Some of the santri and the female dormitory supervisors who were helping continued reciting prayers together. They had already been warned that they might encounter strange phenomena caused by the jinn.
Meanwhile, on the road, the woman sent from the girls' dormitory smiled in relief. She had successfully distracted the jinn who had taken on the ustaz's face.
"Alhamdulillah, Laras. That jinn was really troublesome."
"Alhamdulillah. Could you see him, Ustazah?"
"InsyaAllah, I could. I deliberately tricked him so he wouldn't get suspicious."
The two women laughed together. But what they didn't realize was that Zahir was following them.
His body floated in the air right above the motorcycle. The distinctive scent of musk mixed with the rushing wind, brushing against their noses.
"Laras, hold on tight. I'm going to speed up so we can get there faster. This jinn is clouding our vision."
"Yes, Ustazah. May Allah protect us."
"Ameen. Recite Ayatul Kursi, Laras."
They rode beneath the dark shadow cast by Zahir's body. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew from the front, hitting the motorcycle. The vehicle seemed to be floating — its wheels were still spinning, but it wasn't moving forward.
"Astaghfirullahal adzim! Laras, stay focused on your prayers. We're being disturbed by the jinn," the middle-aged woman said, glancing at Laras's deathly pale face in the mirror.
"Astaghfirullah! Astaghfirullah! Astaghfirullah!"
Zahir smiled with satisfaction as he watched the two women begin to panic. He grew even more mischievous, blowing stronger winds at the motorcycle. The vehicle lifted higher, forcing the women to recite their prayers even louder.
"Laa haula wa laa quwwata illa billah!" both women cried out together.
Even though fear gripped their hearts, they tried their best to stay focused on their prayers. The motorcycle slowly descended and almost touched the road again, but Zahir lifted it once more with a small gust.
"Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!"
A man's voice suddenly rang out not far from the floating motorcycle. The vehicle tried to rise again but failed. The motorcycle finally landed safely on the road without any jolt.
"Alhamdulillah!" both women exclaimed.
Ustazah Aisyah quickly lowered the kickstand and helped Laras get off. They approached the man who had shouted the takbir.
"Assalamu'alaikum, Ustaz!"
It was none other than Ustaz Hamdan. Ustazah Aisyah was a trusted woman, which was why he had asked her to pick up Laras. She had deliberately pretended not to see Zahir to deceive the jinn.
"Wa'alaikumsalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh! Alhamdulillah, you're both safe," Ustaz Hamdan said.
"You insolent fool!" Zahir roared in anger as he saw the two women standing safely beside Ustaz Hamdan.
"You are not worthy of them. How embarrassing!" Ustaz Hamdan replied, further infuriating the jinn.
"I am the one she wants. Now that Raka is gone, I can take her away," Zahir snarled, his face turning red with rage.
The two women trembled as they saw two identical faces standing before them. However, Laras could clearly tell them apart — by the scent and the tasbih wrapped around one of their fingers.
"I'm getting confused. Their faces are the same, but the one next to us is the real Ustaz Hamdan, right?" Ustazah Aisyah asked.
"Yes, Ustazah," Laras replied with certainty.
Ustaz Hamdan, overhearing their conversation, smiled faintly.
"The real one can recite takbir and carries a tasbih that mentions the name of Allah, Ustazah," the sharp-eyed man with thick eyebrows explained.
Ustazah Aisyah nodded, understanding immediately.
"Hey, Zahir! If you don't leave us right now, I'll be forced to reveal your true face. How shameful — disguising yourself as me and oppressing two women."
"Go ahead and reveal it if you can!" Zahir challenged with a sneer. In his anger, his two sharp fangs unconsciously protruded.
The two women couldn't hide their shock when they saw the fangs. It was a horrifying sight. They couldn't even imagine how terrifying his full true form would be.
"That's still only a small part of his real face. The angrier he gets, the more his true appearance will be revealed. It's even more terrifying. If you can't handle it, it's better to cover your face and keep reciting zikr to Allah," Ustaz Hamdan said, his fingers steadily turning the tasbih beads.
"InsyaAllah, I want to see his real face, Ustaz," Laras replied, tilting her head upward as Zahir's body grew taller.
Meanwhile, Ustazah Aisyah didn't dare look anymore. She quickly moved the motorcycle farther away from the two men who were confronting each other.
"Ustaz, if we go to the pesantren now, will it be safe?" Ustazah Aisyah asked after moving the bike.
"Go ahead! I'll hold this jinn back if he tries to chase you."
"Excuse me, Ustaz. May I look for a moment? I want to see his real face," Laras said, still looking up at the towering figure.
"You may, but only briefly. Just so you know. You should head to the pesantren soon because the body will arrive shortly," Ustaz Hamdan said gently.
"Alright, Ustaz," Laras replied as she walked toward Ustazah Aisyah near the motorcycle.
Ustaz Hamdan smiled meaningfully, feeling happy that he could protect "Jamila" — the woman who had appeared in his dreams — from Zahir's harassment.
"You will never be able to claim my queen. She only wants me," Zahir growled, glaring at Ustaz Hamdan.
"Don't dream, Zahir! You are a creature that never sleeps. You don't deserve to dream beautifully, let alone make it reality. Look at your fangs — they're already out! Still dreaming of making her your queen?"
Hearing Ustaz Hamdan's words, Zahir touched his mouth. Only then did he realize that his true towering form — as tall as a coconut tree — was now fully visible to the three humans before him.
Ustaz Hamdan, who had intended to expose the jinn from the beginning, smiled in relief. His prayers and zikr had successfully stripped away Zahir's disguise.
Meanwhile, Laras was stunned by the jinn's words. She panicked because, as far as she knew, her womb had been cleansed when Kiai Jaffar defeated Zahir.
"Laras, just focus on your zikr and don't let Zahir's words affect you," Ustaz Hamdan said calmly, trying to steady her heart.
He knew the jinn was only trying to disturb her mind.
"Come here, Laras! Stay with me. Focus on praying and zikr. That's what kafir jinn do — mislead humans," Ustazah Aisyah said, helping Laras sit on the motorcycle.
Ustaz Hamdan no longer wanted to play games with Zahir for the sake of Laras's mental state. The young turbaned man immediately recited selected verses from the Qur'an and blew toward the giant figure's feet.
"Bismillahirrahmanirrahim! Laa haula wa laa quwwata illa billah!"
Suddenly, a huge flame erupted and rapidly spread across Zahir's entire body. The jinn had no time to dodge the swift attack.
"Feel that! My father was too gentle with you. He wanted you to repent, but you only grew more arrogant."
Zahir's body blazed fiercely. His skin began to peel and burn away bit by bit. What remained was a towering figure covered in burning fur.
His face was no less horrifying — bulging eyes that looked like they might pop out, supported by an enormous nose with two gaping nostrils emitting a foul stench.
Even more terrifying to the two women was his wide mouth with thick lips pulled back in a sneer, revealing rows of teeth like axe blades, decorated with two sharp fangs dripping with thick, foul-smelling blood. Zahir roared in agony, unable to move.
"Astaghfirullahal adzim! Is that his real face? Ya Allah!" Laras screamed hysterically.
Her body shook violently and she began to tremble. Ustaz Hamdan quickly ran over and covered her with his turban.
"Ustazah, please take her straight to the pesantren. If I'm not there yet, ask the other ustazah to treat her."
"Understood, Ustaz. We'll go now. Assalamu'alaikum."
"Wa'alaikumsalam Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh. Be careful."
Ustazah Aisyah quickly helped Laras onto the back seat and drove off, leaving the area.
Ustaz Hamdan stayed behind to deal with Zahir's burning body, which was now frozen in place, trapped by his prayers.
"Ouch! Ustaz, forgive me! It huuurts…!"
Zahir's agonizing screams pierced the air, but only Ustaz Hamdan could hear them — the jinn's powers had been neutralized by the prayers.
"Repent to Allah! So that your body doesn't burn to ashes," Ustaz Hamdan said firmly.
The sharp-nosed man had no intention of letting Zahir escape. The giant body was now completely engulfed in flames from head to toe, emitting a scorched stench. The jinn's wide mouth released smoke mixed with sparks, making it impossible for him to speak clearly.
"Us-taz… p-please… for-give… me!"
"I will not release you. Not until you truly repent and seek forgiveness from Allah."