At first, the disturbance was subtle, like a small ripple disturbing the surface of still water. Kai, with his keen senses, was the first to notice it.
The wind through the trees no longer carried a cheerful song, but a restless sigh. The usually calming gurgling of the river now sounded like faint whispers of fear.
Several ancient trees on the edge of the sacred forest, which had stood strong as silent witnesses to the island's history for centuries, suddenly fell for no apparent reason. The villagers attributed it to strong winds or the trees' age, but Kai sensed something else.
He felt pain and anger emanating from the remains of the fallen tree trunks, as if a bond had been forcibly severed.
"There's something strange about the trees falling," Kai muttered to himself, running his hand over the rough bark.
"It's not just the wind... there's pain here."
The forest animals began to exhibit strange behavior, too. The birds that usually chirp happily become quieter and more restless. Several deer are seen running aimlessly, their eyes flashing with unnatural fear.
Even wild animals like wild boars become more daring to approach the village, seeking protection from something more frightening in the forest.
"They're scared… all scared," Kai whispered, watching a herd of deer running frantically across the grassland.
"What's going on in the forest?"
To Kai, the whispers of the forest spirits grew louder and clearer. They conveyed a deep sense of dread, images of darkness creeping up from beneath the earth, and of a "sleeping snake" that was beginning to stir restlessly.
Their words were not in human language, but rather strong emotional vibrations, terrifying images, and an undeniable sense of danger.
"Darkness… from beneath the ground? The sleeping snake… moving?" Kai whispered, trying to make sense of the cryptic message.
"What does this mean?"
The villagers began to feel the impact directly. Crops decreased for no apparent reason. Some fishermen went out to sea and returned with a small catch, as if the sea was also feeling the same anxiety.
"Why are there so few fish?" complained an old fisherman on the pier.
"It's like someone chased them out of the sea."
The nights became quieter and more eerie, filled with strange sounds from the direction of the forest that had never been heard before.
"What's that sound? Like... a roar," whispered a mother while hugging her child tightly inside the house.
"I don't like that sound."
The night was eerily silent at the edge of the sacred forest.The crescent moon hung pale in the sky filled with stars that seemed to blink restlessly.
On the border between the village and the dense trees, Kai sat cross-legged on the roots of a large banyan tree.His eyes were closed, his forehead wrinkled in concentration.
He tried to focus his hearing, beyond the sound of crickets and the whistling of the night wind, to catch the deeper whispers of the forest.
Tonight, the restlessness of the spirits felt stronger than before. No longer faint sighs, but repeated groans of fear. Kai felt their emotions like waves crashing against his heart.
The pain of the fallen trees, the anger of the invasion of the loggers, and the deep fear of something rising from beneath the earth.
Suddenly, a subtle vibration was felt beneath the ground where Kai sat. It was not a strong earthquake, just a brief but strange jolt, as if there was a large creature moving in the depths.
At the same time, the low rumbling sound that had only been faintly heard for the past few nights, now sounded clearer and more threatening.
The sound was like the muffled roar of a very large ancient beast.
Kai opened his eyes in surprise. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
He knew that the Guardian was increasingly disturbed. The prophecy of the elders rang in his mind.
From the darkness of the forest, a shadowy figure emerged. It was the chief elder, Granny Ino.
The wrinkles on her face looked deeper in the moonlight. Her usually calm eyes now radiated great worry.
"Kai," Granny Ino greeted in a hoarse voice,
"Do you feel it too?"
Kai nodded without saying a word. He didn't need to explain what he was feeling.
Granny Ino, as one of the oldest guardians of tradition, had a higher sensitivity than the other villagers, although not as deep as Kai.
"The sign is getting clearer," Granny Ino continued, approaching and sitting beside Kai.
"The gray fog is getting thicker in the morning. The rumbling sounds are getting more frequent. Some hunters have seen night birds gathering in unusual numbers above the sacred forest."
Grandma Ino took a deep breath. "The legend… I'm afraid it's true. The Guardian is angry. And his anger could destroy us all."
Kai stared at the pitch-black forest. He felt the fear of the spirits, and for the first time, he felt a little fear in himself. The power of the ancient dragon must be very powerful.
"Granny," Kai said finally, his voice low but determined,
"there must be a way to stop it. The legend must also contain a way to appease the Guardian."
Grandma Ino looked at Kai with mixed hope and doubt.
"Perhaps, my grandson. But that knowledge has been lost in time. Only fragments remain in the memories of the elders."
"We must find those fragments, Granny," Kai said with conviction.
"We must speak to the elders on the other islands. Perhaps they hold the lost part of the story."
Grandma Ino paused for a moment, looking at Kai's face, which looked so young yet so full of responsibility.
"The journey will be dangerous, Kai. The seas are hostile, and not everyone will believe your 'language' with the forest."
"I know, Granny," Kai replied.
"But I can't just sit back and wait for disaster to strike. The forest is my home, and the spirits are my friends. I must try it."
Grandma Ino reached out her wrinkled hand and held Kai's tightly.
"I will speak to the elders of the village. We will gather all the knowledge we have. There may be a first clue that can help you."
****
The elders began to gather, trying to find an explanation in the ancient lore and stories.
"This is a bad sign," said Grandma Ino in a worried voice.
"Nature is unstable."
One of the legends they often mentioned was about the Ancient Dragon of Seram Island.
"Remember the legend of the Guardian at down there," said Elder Baras in a serious tone.
It is said that deep in the earth of this island, a giant dragon sleeps, guarding the balance of nature.
"It is not an evil creature," said Grandma Ino,
"but an ancient entity whose power is directly connected to the life of the island."
Legend has it that this dragon has been in deep sleep for centuries, maintaining harmony between land, sea, and sky.
However, if its slumber is disturbed by human greed or a severe imbalance in nature, it will awaken in a rage and its devastating power could destroy the entire archipelago.
"Small earthquakes… changes in animals… dark energy… all of these signs are there," Elder Baras said anxiously.
Signs of its awakening included small earthquakes, strange changes in flora and fauna, and the appearance of dark energy that disrupted the spiritual balance.
Some elders believed that the arrival of logging companies and the resulting destruction of the forest had disturbed the dragon's slumber.
"They are tearing at the heart of the island," Elder Baras growled.
The fallen ancient trees were thought to be the island's "heart veins" that had been severed, awakening the rage of the ancient creature beneath.
"We must stop them before it's too late!" Granny Ino cried urgently.
Kai listened to these stories with a pounding heart. His vision of a terrifying silhouette beneath the island seemed to fit the legends of the Ancient Dragon.
"So… everything I felt… was true," Kai whispered.
He knew that this was more than just a natural disturbance. The island and everything on it was in danger.
And he, with his supposedly strange abilities, might be the only hope of calming the "sleeping snake" before its rage destroys everything.
"I have to do something," Kai resolved to himself.