In the middle of Kai and Luka's journey across the turbulent ocean in their small sailboat, heading to the Spice Island which was currently in a bad state.
The sky above them suddenly turned gray, as if a cloud of sorrow was following them from a distance. The wind blew hard carrying a faint smell of sulfur, reminding Kai of the bad omen in his hometown.
Suddenly, an unusual wave rocked their boat, as if the sea felt the same anger.
A distant but terrifying roar tore through the silence of the sea, a sound Kai had never heard before, but his instincts told him that the Guardian's rage on the island must be getting worse.
Luka, who was holding the steering oar, looked at Kai worriedly.
"Do you feel it too, Kai? Something is wrong on the island."
Kai nodded, his heart clenching at the thought of the horror that might be happening in his home. He remembered Grandma Ino's story about the Guardian's rage if his sleep was disturbed.
***
The sky above the once calm Spice Island suddenly turned gray, as if a cloud of mourning hung over it. The wind blew hard carrying the faint smell of sulfur, a bad omen that had never been felt before.
Suddenly, the earth shook violently, making the villagers stagger out of their homes in panic.
A terrible roar echoed from the direction of the sacred forest, a sound they had never heard before, but their ancient instincts knew that the Guardian had awakened in his anger.
Trees began to fall, the ground cracked, and fear gripped every heart. In the midst of the chaos, Rani, Kai's mother, was seen standing strong even though tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"Bima... what is this? What happened to our island?" Rani whispered anxiously to her husband.
Beside her stood Bima, Kai's father, a strong and respected man, his face full of worry but also determination. In front of them walked the village elders, including Grandma Ino and Elder Baras.
"We have to do something," Bima shouted loudly amidst the roar.
"He's angry... very angry. We must try to calm him down."
Granny Ino, her voice trembling but full of authority, chimed in.
"This is the wrath of the Guardian. We have neglected to maintain the balance. Now we must beg for forgiveness."
Rani gripped Bima's arm tightly, her eyes looking anxiously at the sacred forest.
"But we are only human, huh. What can we do when faced with the Guardian's anger?"
"We are the descendants of this island, Rani," Bima answered in a voice full of conviction.
"The blood of our ancestors flows within us. We may not have the strength of the elders, but we have respect and love for this land."
Rani nodded, her tears flowing even more but her determination strengthening.
Together with the elders, Bima and Rani walked towards the edge of the sacred forest, where a purplish red light began to radiate eerily.
They brought simple offerings of fruits and flowers, trying to show their peaceful intentions.
"O great Guardian, protector of the ancestral land! We come with sincere hearts, not as enemies. We only want to understand why Your anger is so blazing..." an elder exclaimed in a trembling but respectful voice, raising his hands in a plea.
"You do not understand! This wound is too deep for your sweet words!" the Guardian's voice echoed, though its form was unclear.
The dragon's roar answered them, louder and more terrifying than before. The earth shook even more violently, and the trees around them began to burn.
Rani closed her eyes, feeling a piercing fear as she witnessed the Guardian's terrible rage.
Bima and the elders continued to try to speak, to plead, to remind them of the harmony that once existed. However, the Guardian's anger seemed unstoppable.
"O Guardian, hear us! We are your descendants! Do not destroy us!" Elder Baras exclaimed in a trembling but pleading voice.
"Pease remember the peaceful past! Remember our agreement!" another elder replied in a pleading tone.
However, the Guardian's anger seemed unstoppable.
"You have betrayed the treaty! You have defiled the peace! Now feel my wrath!" the dragon roared again, its voice seeming to tear the sky.
The roar seemed to directly fill their minds, a sound transmission without physical vibrations, cold and threatening. The purplish red light grew brighter, and the dragon's roar seemed to tear the sky.
Suddenly, flames erupted from the sacred forest, forcing everyone to retreat in panic.
Rani did not retreat from the danger.
But she and Bima, along with Granny Ino and the other elders, remained standing at the edge of the sacred forest, facing the Guardian's fury.
Bima and the other elders raised their hands, begging the Guardian to give the villagers time to escape to a safer place beyond the hill.
With a trembling but determined voice, Granny Ino began to chant ancient mantras, trying to calm the dragon's anger with words passed down through the generations.
"O Guardian of the Ancestral Lands whom we respect! In this critical moment, we beg for Your mercy. Give us time to distance ourselves from Your wrath, for the safety of our fellow humans!" Bima shouted in a hopeful tone amidst the thunderous roar of the dragon.
The Guardian's roar subsided slightly, as if attracted by Granny Ino's spell or influenced by Kai's father's plea.
However, the purplish red light in the sacred forest continued to burn, and tension still gripped the air.
"Maybe... maybe he heard us," Rani whispered, gripping Bima's hand tightly.
"Don't get your hopes up, Rani," Bima replied softly, his eyes never leaving the turbulent forest.
"His anger is too deep."
"We have to go! Now!" shouted one of the elders, pulling the other elder's arm.
Slowly, one by one, the other elders and Granny Ino began to retreat, urging the villagers to leave immediately.
"Quick! Don't let his anger turn on us!" shouted Elder Baras anxiously.
Only Kai's father and mother remained at the front line, standing side by side with worried but undaunted faces.
They continued to speak to the Guardian, begging and reminding them of the peace that once existed, trying to buy as much time as possible so that every villager had a chance to survive.
"Remember when we lived side by side in peace, Guardian! Remember the offerings we always gave!" shouted Bima in a high voice.
"We are the children and grandchildren of this land! Do not destroy us in your anger!" said Rani with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Flames erupted again from the sacred forest, getting closer to Kai's father and mother. They hugged each other tightly, resigned but full of love, continuing to convey their pleas to the Guardian.
"We've done everything we can, Bima," Rani whispered, her voice shaking.
"No! We can't let it!" Bima cried, trying to stay upright even as the flames drew closer.
"Bima... this is not the dragon we know! He is blinded by rage! There is nothing we can do here!" Rani sobbed, pulling desperately at her husband's arm.
"No, Rani. As long as we are still standing, there is still hope," Bima replied, embracing his wife even tighter.
It was at this critical moment that the legend of how to calm the Guardian who was sleeping on another island flashed more clearly in the minds of the few villagers who had managed to get away...
A faint hope emerged amidst the despair.
"Maybe Kai... maybe he can do something," muttered a villager who ran away from the flames.