One night, under the dim moonlight that filtered through the dense foliage, Kai closed his eyes and played soft notes on his bamboo flute.
He sat leaning against the trunk of a giant bamboo tree, the surface of which was carved with mysterious spiral symbols, just like the ones he had seen on the temple altar.
Suddenly, a vision came into his mind, this time much clearer and more real than before.
Before him, the figure of the female spirit danced with stunningly graceful movements.
Kai was captivated by the details of the movements—the smooth curves of her body, the gentle swaying of her hands, and how the spirit focused her energy through the flute in her hands and flowed it throughout her body.
'So it's like this…', Kai thought to himself.
His eyes were fixated on how the soft light radiated from the flute in the spirit's hands, 'the energy of nature… flowing through the melody…'.
He also saw clearly how the elements of nature—the sparkling water in the crystal vessel, and the flowers in full bloom—were arranged around the spirit, not just decorations, but an integral part of the ritual.
The vision gradually faded, leaving Kai with a feeling that was hard to describe. He opened his eyes, looking at Luka who had been watching him anxiously.
"So that's how it is," Kai said softly, his eyes sparkling with understanding.
"The Harmony Chant… it's not just about notes and movements."
Luka approached, asking in a worried tone, "What's wrong, Kai? You look… different. Did you see something?"
Kai answered with a dreamy gaze, "I saw her again, Luka. That female spirit. And this time… everything felt so clear. I saw how she moved, how she focused her energy through the flute and her body."
Luka frowned in confusion. "Concentrating energy? What do you mean?"
"I understand now," Kai replied, ignoring Luka's question.
"It's about connecting ourselves fully to the spirit of nature that surrounds us. We must use the elements as intermediaries, as bridges, and most importantly, we must radiate a sincere intention—a deep desire to restore the lost balance."
Luka nodded, recognizing the seriousness in Kai's words.
"So what must we do now?" he asked. Kai looked Luka straight in the eye.
"We must return," he said with burning determination.
"We must return to the Spice Islands. It is there, where nature has begun to suffer and suffer, that we must play the true 'Song of Harmony.' We will use this ancient bamboo flute and let the resonance of the elements we have gathered help us."
Luka nodded, her gaze shifting to a woven basket nearby.
Inside lay several sparkling crystals, small bottles of water that seemed to glow, and a cluster of strange flowers that still looked fresh even though they had been picked so long ago.
"Hopefully the elements we've gained from this island will help," he said.
Kai stared at the bamboo flute in his hand, its spiral carvings pulsing gently beneath his fingers.
"This bamboo island has given us more than just the flute and these elements," he said quietly.
"Remember the vision I had near the shrine altar?"
Luka nodded. "You saw the female spirit dancing… and using the elements."
"That's right," Kai said.
"And the shrine… inside it is a mural depicting the 'Song of Harmony.' The mural suggests that this flute is just one part of a larger ritual. There are other artifacts, scattered throughout the archipelago, whose resonance is needed to restore true balance."
Luka frowned. "So, the flute and these elements…?"
"This is the first step, Luka," Kai replied gravely.
"The guardian spirit of the shrine warned me. He said that this flute has the power to calm a small portion of the disturbance, enough to buy the village a little time... but it is not a permanent solution. Without the other artifacts, the Guardian's anger will continue to grow."
"A difficult journey awaits us," Luka replied, though his eyes shone with conviction.
"This is not our final test, Luka," Kai said, gripping his flute tightly.
"But for now, this is our only hope to save my homeland, the spice islands. Until we can collect all the artifacts." Kai looked at Luka.
They nodded at each other, sharing a silent determination, before finally preparing for the challenging voyage.
The voyage back to the island where Kai came from turned out to be much harder than they had imagined.
The initially calm and friendly sea slowly turned into an arena of battle between the hopes they brought with them and the fury of nature that felt increasingly restless, as if feeling the Guardian's pain.
Ever since they left the calm bamboo island, the sky above their small boat seemed to be filled with anxiety.
The seabirds that usually flew happily with definite movements now circled without a clear direction. Their usually noisy cries sounded more like anxious and warning wails.
Kai felt a strong vibration of fear from the direction of the birds, as if they could feel the increasingly dense negative aura approaching their home island.
The blowing wind no longer brought refreshing coolness. Instead, the wind felt heavy and brought soft, heartbreaking whispers, as if they were groans of pain from a suffering forest.
Luka looked up at the sky with a frown on his forehead. "Look at the birds, Kai. Something's wrong."
Kai nodded, responding without taking his eyes off the gray sky.
"They feel what we feel, Luka. Nature's restlessness is getting worse."
This incident was quite a mental attack on them, trying to plant doubts and bad feelings that haunted them.
Kai had to fight against the anxiety that began to grip his heart, reminding himself of the noble purpose they carried.
The silent night under the thin crescent moon brought a more real terror.
While Kai was on guard, he felt a strange vibration coming from under the boat. He woke Luka with a gentle touch on his shoulders.
"What's wrong, Kai?" Luka asked in a hoarse voice typical of someone who had just woken up.
"Shhh," Kai motioned for Luka to remain silent.
Cautiously, the two of them peered out into the inky blackness of the sea. In the depths, they saw a giant silhouette moving at incredible speed.
Its shape was unlike any sea creature they had ever seen—longer and more sinuous, with faint light occasionally emanating from its body.
Kai's fear reached its peak. His primal instincts screamed danger. He reached for his bamboo flute with trembling hands.
"Maybe… maybe this is one of the guardians of the sea," Kai whispered.
He took a deep breath and began to play the first notes of "Song of Harmony." He tried to convey respect and a desire for peaceful coexistence toward the mysterious creature.
In his mind, he imagined himself as an inseparable part of the ocean, feeling its every current and sending calm vibrations through the melody he played.
Slowly, the giant silhouette slowed down. It circled their boat a few times, as if observing curiously, before finally disappearing back into the dark depths of the sea.
Kai felt immense mental exhaustion after that tense interaction, but at the same time, he also felt a growing belief in his heart that his "singing" truly had power.
"What… what was that?" Luka asked in a choked voice, still shaken by the horrific sight.
Kai let out a sigh of relief. "I don't know for sure, but I think… I think the singing made him understand."
The next day, the atmosphere turned ominous. A thick, gray fog suddenly enveloped them, bringing with it the pungent smell of sulfur, making it hard to breathe.
The low rumbling sound coming from the bowels of the earth grew louder and closer, making their boat vibrate violently and shaking Kai to the core.
The roar felt like suppressed anger, a real threat from the Guardian who was increasingly disturbed by the disturbances on his home island.