Chapter 2: Song from the Supernatural Realm
Night slowly fell on Kendeng village. Oil lamps began to light up on the verandas of wooden houses, and the sound of crickets filled the air. However, Wira, the young man who had returned from the forest this afternoon, could not close his eyes.
The face of the woman in the green kebaya was imprinted in his mind, as if written with light behind his eyelids.He tried to calm himself down.
His mother looked at him anxiously from the kitchen, observing her son's changing behavior since he came home from Alas Purwo.
"Did you see anything in the forest, son?" his mother asked softly as she offered him a glass of warm ginger water.Wira lowered his head.
He wanted to tell a story, but his words evaporated.That night, when all the villagers were asleep, Wira sat alone on the veranda. The wind from the east brought the scent of forest flowers—jasmine and ylang-ylang, fragrant but suffocating.
Then a voice was heard. Soft, echoing like a voice from a dream: an old Javanese song , sung in a melancholy tone that pierced the heart.
"Whoever forgets a promise, the love he has abandoned...My longing has become lonely, you disappeared without saying goodbye...
"Wira stood up. His body shivered, not because of fear, but because the song felt like a calling from the soul. He knew the voice came from the direction of the forest.And as if pulled by an inexplicable force, Wira stepped forward. He walked through the thin night fog, past fields and gardens, until he arrived at the border of Alas Purwo.The forest was different that night. It was not dark, but bright with moonlight reflecting off the leaves. In the distance, between the roots and the big trees, the woman's figure reappeared. She stood beside a small spring, combing her hair with a silver comb."I knew you would come," he said, as if reading her mind."Who are you really?" asked Wira, his voice choked."I am called many names.
But if you really want to know, my name is... Tenggirang."Wira approached slowly.
"Why did you appear before me?" Tenggirang lowered his head, his face looking sad.
"Because you heard my song. Because your heart is not yet closed by the world.
"A moment of silence."Alas Purwo is not just any place, Wira. This is the boundary between two worlds—the real and the supernatural. I am not human like you. I am bound to this land. But my soul thirsts for human stories, for a love that I cannot have."Wira didn't fully understand, but he could feel the sadness behind every word.
"I don't care who you are. All I know is, I want to know you."Tenggirang smiled faintly. "You should be careful saying that in this land. Love that grows in the supernatural world can be a curse.
"As if in response, the wind swirled around them. Leaves fell for no reason. From a distance, a cry could be heard—not human, but not animal either.Tenggirang stood up. "I have to go.""Don't!" Wira called out, but the woman's body began to fade, turning into green smoke that dissolved into the mist.All that was left was the scent of ylang-ylang and a small silver comb lying on the ground.The next day, Wira brought the comb to the house of Ki Ranu, a village elder known to have spiritual knowledge.
Ki Ranu greeted him with a sharp gaze."This comb is no ordinary item," he said, turning it over. "It belongs to a forest guardian spirit. Her name is Neng Tenggirang. She used to be human, the daughter of a hermit, but because of a betrayal of love and an ancestral curse, she turned into the supernatural guardian of Alas Purwo."Wira was silent.
The story sounded like a childhood legend, but now it was so real to him."If you continue to approach her, your fate could change. You could disappear like other young men before you, who fell in love with spirits," Ki Ranu continued."But I can't forget her, Ki," Wira lowered his head. "Every night I hear her song. And every morning, I miss something I never had."Ki Ranu took a deep breath. "Then, get ready. Because love for a creature like him is not only a test of the heart, but a test of the soul."The next night, Wira returned to the edge of the forest. This time he brought a small offering—ylang-ylang flowers, water from seven springs, and a song that he sang softly.It didn't take long. The mist parted, and Tenggirang emerged, this time with a more peaceful face."I don't want to hurt you, Wira," he said."Then why do you keep calling me with your song?""Because I'm alone."Wira looked into the woman's eyes. In them, he saw a vast forest, a long night, and an unfinished love."I'm not here to ask.
I just want to accompany you. If the world can't accept us, let us create our own world amidst these boundaries."Tenggirang shed tears. For the first time in hundreds of years, he felt alive again.On the border between the human and supernatural worlds, an impossible love begins to take root.And that night, the song that echoed from the forest no longer sounded sad. It became a symphony of hope.