Morning came without bringing any peace.
Fog still hung low over the trees when Andi opened his eyes. He hadn’t slept all night. Every time he tried to close his eyes, the black shadow returned to his thoughts.
A tall, faceless figure.
An orange fire floating in the air.
And a name that had appeared on the page of Surya’s book.
ANDI.
Surya’s book still lay on the table, covered with the black cloth Uncle Wirya had given him before leaving to work in the garden.
Andi didn’t dare open it again.
But his father’s name kept circling through his mind.
1987.
That year was too far back for Andi to remember. He hadn’t even been born yet.
And yet, for some reason, just seeing those numbers sent a chill creeping down his back.
Who had his father been before Andi was born?
Why was his name written in Surya’s book?
And why was Uncle Wirya so afraid to talk about it?
The questions gave him no chance to calm down.
Near noon, footsteps sounded in the yard.
Uncle Wirya had come back from the garden.
His clothes were covered in dirt. An old hoe rested against his shoulder. But he looked more tired than usual.
Andi had been waiting for him.
As soon as his uncle set down the hoe, Andi asked, “Did my father know Surya?”
Uncle Wirya stopped.
His hand still gripped the handle of the hoe.
“I told you not to open that book.”
“But Dad’s name is in it.”
His uncle fell silent.
Andi stepped closer.
“Who was Surya, really?”
“Someone you should’ve forgotten by now.”
“How can I forget someone I never even knew?”
Uncle Wirya turned away.
“What happened in 1987?”
“That was a long time ago.”
“Exactly. If it was so long ago, why are you still afraid?”
Uncle Wirya looked outside.
In the distance, Repo Hutan seemed peaceful. The trees stood still beneath the sunlight.
But that peace felt false.
“Because some things don’t end just because time passes.”
Andi picked up the book, still covered in black cloth.
He set it down in front of his uncle.
“Have you ever seen that fire?”
Uncle Wirya stared at the book.
Then he nodded.
“When?”
“The same night the forest burned.”
Andi fell silent.
“So it’s true? The forest burned once?”
“Yes.”
“Because of that fire?”
Uncle Wirya didn’t answer.
Andi continued, “And the shadow?”
Uncle Wirya closed his eyes.
“It was there.”
That one word made Andi’s chest feel heavy.
“So what actually happened?”
Uncle Wirya pulled out a chair and sat down.
For a while, he only stared at the floor.
“We were young back then.”
“We?”
“Me, Surya, your father, and a few others.”
Andi held his breath.
“You all went into the forest?”
Uncle Wirya nodded.
“Why?”
“We wanted to prove something.”
“What?”
“That the stories about the fire were only legends.”
Andi fell silent.
“So you found the fire?”
Uncle Wirya looked at him.
“Worse.”
“What?”
“We summoned it.”
The room suddenly felt colder.
Andi stared at his uncle in disbelief.
“You… summoned it?”
“Surya found something in the forest. An old stone with the same symbol you saw on Darto’s hand.”
Andi looked at his own hand.
“The fire symbol?”
“Yes.”
“What did you do?”
Uncle Wirya lowered his head.
“We did something no human should ever do.”
Andi wanted to ask more, but Uncle Wirya raised a hand.
“That’s enough.”
“But, Uncle—”
“Enough, Andi.”
This time, his voice wasn’t angry.
It was pleading.
Andi finally fell silent.
Uncle Wirya picked up the book.
“One day, you’ll know.”
“When?”
“When the time comes.”
“How will I know when it’s time?”
Uncle Wirya stared at him for a long moment.
“When the forest starts calling your name.”
Andi felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
“And if that happens?”
Uncle Wirya gripped the book tighter.
“Don’t answer.”
“Why?”
“Because the moment you answer, it’ll know you heard it.”
Andi looked at his uncle.
“Who is it?”
Uncle Wirya shook his head.
“Don’t give it a name.”
Then he stood and carried the book back to his room.
The bedroom door closed.
Andi stood alone in the living room.
For the first time, he understood that Uncle Wirya hadn’t spent all those years keeping just a secret.
He’d been keeping a mistake.
A mistake that might have been waiting decades to return.
Night fell.
Andi tried to go to bed early.
He turned off the light and lay facing away from the window.
But around midnight, he heard a voice outside.
Faint.
Very quiet.
“Andi…”
His eyes flew open.
He didn’t move.
The voice came again.
“Andi…”
It sounded exactly like a person calling from far away.
Andi covered his ears.
He remembered his uncle’s warning.
Don’t answer.
The voice came again.
This time, it was closer.
“Andi…”
Then another voice followed.
Deeper.
Heavier.
“Surya…”
Andi froze.
A few seconds later, it called another name.
“Wiryana…”
Uncle Wirya.
Andi got out of bed.
From his uncle’s room came the sound of something falling.
Crash!
“Uncle?”
There was no answer.
Andi opened his bedroom door a crack.
The hallway was dark.
He was almost out the door when the voice from the forest sounded again.
“Andi…”
This time, it wasn’t just calling.
It was as if someone were standing right outside the house.
Waiting for an answer.
Andi closed the door again.
That night, he realized one thing.
His uncle wasn’t simply afraid of the forest.
He was afraid of something they had once done inside it.
And that something…
hadn’t forgotten them after all.