<H1>CHAPTER 1<H1> <br/><p><i>Tesso Nilo.</i> </p> <br/> <p>No one knew where that rainforest got its name. Unlike the Kerinci region, which had become the subject of a territorial conflict between the Sriwijaya Commonwealth and the Minangkabau Republic, its name came from Tamil—the four-petaled Kurinji flower that grew only in the mountains.</p> <p>One of the protected forests in the Grand Malay Sultanate, part of the jungle range in the Bukit Barisan stretching across the island of Sumatera, Tesso Nilo was rich in rock formations, diverse flora and fauna, and beautiful panoramas that could be seen far in every direction.</p> <p>After exploring the slope as far as they could climb, Awang and his wife started ascending from the foot of the hill, while Awang was lost in his own thoughts.</p> <p>Struggling through the tall undergrowth on the hillside, his instincts told him that someone or something was watching him from behind. He had climbed nearly a hundred meters, but the feeling hadn't lessened since he first followed the path overgrown with brush.</p> <p>The feeling became unbearable, but he kept climbing toward the summit like a proper hiker. Kuntum wouldn't understand if he suddenly gave up halfway, and he couldn't possibly blame her.</p> <p>This paranoia had been part of his life ever since the accident, and sensing danger lurking behind him now would only annoy his wife—or worse.</p> <p>A faint rustling behind him drew his attention. His heart suddenly leaped as a burst of adrenaline shot through him. Kuntum would have clearly seen his fear and anxiety if she hadn't been so busy fighting her way through the waist-high grass and undergrowth on that damned hillside.</p> <p>The pounding in his chest only made him panic more. He was gasping for breath, and his back ached.</p> <p>"Honey! How about we take a short break?" he called desperately. But Kuntum kept crawling farther upward, disappearing behind a large rock as if avoiding his question.</p> <p>She must have heard him, he thought. His wife was only a few meters away.</p> <p>"Kuntum!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, nearly falling when he lost his balance. Suddenly, the brownish hair crowning that beautiful, sweat-soaked face poked out from behind the rock. Her eyes glared irritably at him through the undergrowth teeming with insects.</p> <p>Awang felt itchy just looking at his slender wife's body covered in grass.</p> <p>"We're almost at the top." Kuntum was telling the truth.</p> <p>"I... I know," Awang stammered, trying to hide his panic. "I just need to rest for a moment."</p> <p>But he knew Kuntum had seen him. Kuntum had become very familiar with the signs of his paranoia. Even a brief glimpse of his wide, startled eyes was already a telltale sign she knew all too well.</p> <p>Suddenly, a many-legged animal the size of a small truck shot along his arm, and the ticklish sensation sent him into uncontrollable chaos. Before he could calm himself, Awang struck at his arms and legs with all his strength as he crawled, feeling as if the damn creature were exploring his entire body.</p> <p>The ground beneath his feet gave way, sending him sliding downhill without resistance. He felt the damned insect heading toward his brain as he struggled in vain to find something to hold on to.</p> <p>But then the earth and grass that had supported his feet as he crawled upward disappeared, leaving open air beneath his frantic efforts to stop his slide. Within seconds, he fell onto the rocky cliff thirty meters below Kuntum. His skull slammed mercilessly into the rock and cracked as his body landed on a narrow ledge.</p> <p>The ledge had saved his life, if it could be called that, considering how far they had crawled up from below.</p> <p>He was unconscious for quite some time, but long enough for him to find Kuntum's hysterical face hovering over him when he came to. Pain swallowed his thoughts as he tried to understand what had just happened.</p> <p>This wasn't good. The pain was excruciating. He needed to sleep if he wanted to escape it. Drowsiness swept over him, and he began to close his eyes.</p> <p>Kuntum grabbed his shoulder and shook him hard. The pain multiplied, shooting far beyond his tolerance.</p>