In the thick, suffocating gray fog, Kai picked up his bamboo flute again. The air felt heavy and the smell of sulfur stung his nose, making his eyes sting.
He played a part of "Song of Harmony" that he believed was closely related to the calmness of the earth. The notes he played sounded deep and vibrating, as if coming from the bowels of the earth itself, trying to imitate the steady and strong rhythm of the earth's heart.
He imagined himself like ancient trees that were sturdy and rooted deep in the ground, he channeled the peaceful and calming energy of the earth through his flute, hoping to calm the anger that felt so close.
"Cough... this smell is too strong, Kai," Luka said in a worried tone, his voice choked in the fog.
"And this roar... what exactly is going on down there? Like... there is something very big down there."
Kai continued to play his flute, even though his fingers felt a little shaky. He tried to keep his cool, focusing on the melody that flowed.
"This must be the effect of what happened in my hometown, Luka. The earth felt it too." Kai answered softly.
"We have to calm her down. I hope this 'Harmony Song' can reach the core of the problem." Kai tried to convince his friend or rather convince himself.
"Are you sure you can do it, Kai?" Luka asked, his expression showing deep anxiety.
"The voice… is getting louder."
Kai nodded, although doubt crossed his mind.
"I have to be sure, Luka. We have no other choice."
Slowly, as if listening to Kai's plea through his vibrating music, the fog began to thin a little, revealing the faint silhouette of their boat.
The rumbling of the earth slowly subsided, no longer shaking the boat violently, giving them a little room to breathe and see the direction they had to go.
"Look, Luka!" Kai exclaimed in relief, pointing to the fog that was starting to clear.
"This is working quite well…"
Luka took a deep breath, easing the tension in his shoulders. "Thank goodness… for a moment I thought the earth was going to swallow us."
As the fog began to clear, revealing a deceptively bright blue sky, another danger awaited them.
Suddenly, right in front of the boat, the water began to swirl uncontrollably, forming a large whirlpool that gaped like a giant mouth and was ready to swallow them.
Their small boat jerked, spinning faster and faster, swaying amidst the tremendous force of nature. The wood of the boat creaked under the pressure, threatening to be dragged into the endless depths.
"Kai! There's a big whirlpool in front of us!" Luka shouted in panic, her eyes round as she saw the turbulent water getting closer.
"Hold on tight, Luka!" Kai shouted.
He tried hard to control the rudder oar that felt light and helpless. However, the power of the vortex was too great, and their boat continued to spin uncontrollably.
In desperation, with his heart pounding, Kai decided to play the melody of "Song of Harmony" again. This time, he chose the part that he thought was most in harmony with the element of water.
The notes flowed like a calm river, even though his own body felt panicked, he tried to imitate the rhythm of the waves that were soft and calming in the midst of this chaos.
He imagined himself one with the water, feeling its flexibility and strength, searching for a gap in the raging vortex, and sending harmonic vibrations through every breath that flowed through his flute.
"We're going to drown, Kai! Do something!" Luka roared, holding on to the side of the boat, his face pale.
Kai closed his eyes for a moment, focusing all his energy on the melody he was playing. A soft light seemed to radiate from the bamboo flute in his hand, growing brighter as the harmonious notes filled the air.
The light touched the surface of the turbulent water around them, as if trying to embrace and calm the ferocity of the vortex.
Miraculously, the power of the vortex gradually weakened, its rotation slowed, and finally disappeared completely, leaving the sea still turbulent but no longer threatening.
Their boat swayed for a moment before finally regaining its stability.
Luka, who had been holding on to the side of the boat, let out a sigh of relief.
"That… that was terrible, Kai. I thought this was the end for us. How could you stop it? The light from your flute…" Luka asked in a trembling voice.
Kai opened his eyes, gazing at the water that was now calm, though the waves were still moving restlessly.
"Water has its own language. We just need to listen to it and respond with harmony… and with a little help from this ancient power." He looked at the flute in his hand with reverence.
After Kai put the flute down, Luka still looked amazed.
"The language of the universe?… You can actually speak to them, Kai. With your music? Amazing."
Kai smiled tiredly but relieved. "Not me, Luka. But the 'Song of Harmony'. It is a language understood by all living things, all the elements of nature. We just need to learn to listen and respond with a sincere heart."
Every obstacle they faced during this return voyage was not only a grueling physical test, but also a test of Kai's deep understanding of the true meaning of the "Song of Harmony".
He learned that melody was not just a series of beautiful notes, but a universal language that could be understood by the entire universe, a powerful way to communicate with all the elements and living things in it.
After leaving the bamboo island that held ancient melodies and natural resonances, Kai and Luka embarked on a sea journey that seemed to stretch beyond days.
For almost two weeks they struggled with waves that were sometimes friendly, sometimes raging like the Guardian's emotional outburst that felt stronger with every stroke of the oar.
Luka coughed occasionally, the salty seawater that had hit his face some time ago still stung.
"How long have we been sailing, Kai?" Luka asked one afternoon, staring at the seemingly endless horizon.
Kai sighed, stopping his paddling for a moment. "Almost two weeks, Luka. But we must not give up. Every stroke brings us closer to our destination."
This journey that drained our energy and emotions ultimately strengthened their determination and belief that the lost harmony could still be restored.
In the middle of the silent night, under the twinkling of countless stars, Kai often played his flute, rehearsing every note of the "Song of Harmony", as if preparing himself for the moment to come.
Luka, though tired, always listened attentively, occasionally giving a small nod of approval.
"That melody… feels soothing," Luka whispered one night, after Kai had finished a particularly gentle-sounding passage.
"You've really got it, Kai."
Kai looked up at the stars. "I hope this melody can also calm the anger that is happening there, Luka."
After weeks of braving the turbulent seas and facing various strange events, the silhouette of the home island finally appeared on the horizon.
A muffled cry escaped Luka's lips. "There it is… the island is in sight!" his eyes sparkled with hope.
Kai, who had been rowing tirelessly, stopped his movements for a moment and stared at the island that was slowly getting closer. A faint smile adorned his face, great hope planted in his heart.
"Finally," Kai whispered, his eyes filled with tears.
"We're almost there, Luka."
"I hope we're not too late," Luka replied, his expression showing deep anxiety behind his hope.
However, their hopes immediately shrank, replaced by cold horror, as their boat drew closer.
The forests along the coast looked withered and bare, the lush green color that was once known had faded, replaced by sad grays and browns.
The trees that once towered majestically now looked like fragile skeletons. The pungent smell of death and sulfur hung thick in the air, piercing their noses and replacing the fresh smell of the sea and fertile soil that they had always longed for.
"No..." Luka whispered softly, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"What happened here, Kai?"
Kai fell silent, his eyes scanning the devastated coastline. The expression on his face that had once been full of hope had now turned into a blank stare, full of deep sadness and worry.
He rowed again with stiff, expressionless movements, bringing their boat closer to the beach that had once been bustling and full of life.
As the keel of Kai's boat kissed the sand that was now covered in a fine layer of ash, a suffocating silence greeted them.
There was no sound of the cheerful crashing waves, no melodious chirping of birds, only a heavy, oppressive silence, as if nature itself was holding its breath in sadness.
Kai and Luka exchanged glances, and in their eyes, they shared the same horror at the sight before them.
"This… this is worse than we imagined," Kai finally said, his raspy voice so low that it was almost inaudible in the tense silence.
Nodding slowly, Luka felt tears welling up in her eyes. The sight of Kai's dead land hometown made her feel the pain too.
"What… what should we do now, Kai?" she asked in a choked voice.
Kai took a deep breath, his eyes staring blankly at the once green forest. He took a deep breath, trying to gather his strength.
"We have to… we have to get to the temple, Luka. The 'Song of Harmony' is the only way…"