Gaharu wood fairy (the origin of the fragrance of Gaharu wood)

  Once upon a time in a distant country, there was a peaceful and quiet village, the village was surrounded by a very dense sacred wilderness. However, there was one sacred wilderness location that was very sacred to the local people, namely the sacred wilderness in the direction of the rising sun, for tens of thousands of years, maybe even hundreds of thousands of years, not a single villager around or even a villager in the country dared to go to that sacred wilderness, they held the sacred wilderness very sacred, because since thousands of years ago, the sacred wilderness every morning and evening blew a fragrant fragrant smell to the villages near the village, the fragrant smell was very fragrant even though it was only for a few moments every morning and evening. Once upon a time there was a group of people who were curious to know what the source of the fragrant fragrant smell was. They dared to enter the sacred wilderness area of ??the rising sun. But none of them returned, after that there were very powerful people who also tried to enter the sacred wilderness, but until now their fate is unknown, from the conversations of the people around from year to year, if people who enter the sacred wilderness and do not return, it is believed that they have been eaten by the guardian of the sacred wilderness of the rising sun. But actually in the sacred wilderness of the rising sun the atmosphere is almost the same as other sacred wilderness, besides being inhabited by various sacred wilderness animals, in the sacred wilderness of the rising sun there are also many very large trees, the width of the trunk is more than five meters. But there is one special tree in the sacred wilderness of the rising sun, in one very large tree, there lives a fairy who has been there for thousands of years, the fairy is very fragrant, she comes out of the tree in the morning and evening. Because through the rays of the morning sun the fairy gets food from nirvana, as well as in the afternoon. The fragrant fragrant smell was smelled when the fairy came out of the tree trunk where she lived, then her body was exposed to the sunlight, the wind carried the fragrance of the fairy's body, to the surrounding villages near the sacred wilderness. That is why the residents of the villages around the sacred wilderness only smelled the fragrance from within the sacred wilderness of the rising sun in the morning and evening.

  One morning covered in thick fog on the treetops, the fine rain that had fallen since dawn had not yet subsided. In the cold and wet air, a young man walked slowly with several of his buffaloes, along the path on the edge of the sacred wilderness of the rising sun.

  The young man's name was Sagah. Since the age of five, he had been an orphan. Both of his parents had migrated and never returned. Since then, Sagah has been raised by his grandfather and grandmother. However, their togetherness did not last long. A few years later, Sagah's grandmother passed away, followed shortly after by his grandfather. Since then, Sagah has lived alone in the village.

  Sagah's days are filled with herding buffaloes—some inherited from his grandfather, the rest belong to neighbors who entrusted them to Sagah. That is his routine from morning to evening, every day. That morning, Sagah endured the cold by wearing a simple robe made of leaf sheets—similar to teak leaves—glued together with small sticks like ribs. Although simple, it was the only protection for his body when the rain came. After tethering his buffaloes one by one in the meadow, Sagah hurried to a small hut inherited from his grandfather. The hut stood next to a large rock on the edge of a river. Not far from there, flowing clear water that leads to the main river located quite far from where he herds.

  After taking off his leaf robe outside the hut, he took some dry logs on the para-pars hanging above the horizons of his hut, after taking some logs, he took the equipment he usually used to light a fire, not long after smoke began to billow from inside the Sagah hut, he began to place some cassava stalks on the edge of the fire, after making sure everything could be left, he turned to look at his buffaloes.

  The sound of the swishing water flowing in the creek echoed with the sound of fine raindrops on the leaves and roof of the hut made of grass stalks, adding to the atmosphere this morning so peaceful and calm. A thin mist covered the valley, hiding the peaks of the hills that usually looked majestic. The fragrant smell of wet soil and fresh leaves filled the air.

  Sagah observed his herd of animals one by one, suddenly he was shocked to find out that one of his herds was not in its place or missing, in a panic he broke through the steps out of the hut, towards the place where he tied his buffalo, and indeed he had one buffalo missing. He looked around hoping that his buffalo was still around the grass, but unfortunately that hope was dashed when he counted his buffaloes again and he did not find one more buffalo, with a feeling of panic, he noticed the footprints of his buffalo leaving the grass field, and the footprints headed towards the Sunrise Forest. Because of the panic and responsibility for the loss of one of his buffaloes, the fear of entering the sacred wilderness of the Sunrise which was sacred to the surrounding community slowly faded, he continued to follow the footsteps of his buffalo brother and without realizing it he began to enter the sacred wilderness of the Sunrise, he continued to go inside. Not far had he stepped into the sacred wilderness, suddenly the atmosphere changed drastically. an atmosphere that was very different from the bad weather outside the sacred wilderness where he left his buffalo.

  It was as if there was another world hidden behind the dense trees. The forest—which the locals called the Rising Sun Forest—offered a view that was very different from where Sagah had previously tethered his buffaloes.

  Outside the sacred wilderness, the horizon was still gray and cloudy. The light rain that had fallen since last night had not stopped, and the cold air pierced to the bone. However, when Sagah stepped into the sacred wilderness, everything changed suddenly—as if he had just crossed the boundary between the real world and the other world.

  The sunlight warmly illuminated every corner of the sacred wilderness, penetrating the gaps between the leaves without a single drop of water falling from the horizon. The air inside the sacred wilderness was much warmer and fresher, carrying the pleasant scent of wet soil. The sounds of nature sounded clear and rhythmic—the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, and the soft moans of unusual sacred wilderness creatures.

  Sagah walked slowly, his then sweeping his surroundings with curiosity and caution. Several animals passed him, but they showed no fear or wariness. A horse, a sun bear, and a wolf passed by him—as if Sagah were nothing more than a shadow worth noticing. But these animals were clearly not ordinary creatures. Their body colors were far from ordinary. Their skin shimmered in soft shades of predominantly pearly white, interspersed with pale blue, purple, and gold. And most strikingly—each of them had a pair of wings attached to their backs.

  Not feathered wings like those of birds or swans. Their wings were more like a natural extension of their own bodies—textured like skin, but faintly glowing, pulsating subtly as if alive.

  Sagah stood there for a moment, fascinated and confused. Then stared wide-eyed at the strange creatures he had never seen before in his life. Their forms resembled animals, but were too foreign to recognize—as if they came from another world. Although they did not look ferocious, Sagah still kept his distance. Curiosity fought with his alert instincts.

  He took a deep breath, calming himself. Then, without much thought, he walked back, continuing his search for his beloved buffalo. From his mouth came distinctive calls, the calls he usually used when calling the buffalo. But there was no response. There was only a flock of small birds that suddenly flew in panic, flapping their wings as if they were trying to get away from something invisible.

  Sagah continued walking, still calling out the same call, hoping that his buffalo would appear from behind the bushes or tall trees. But the sacred wilderness of the Rising Sun seemed to have swallowed the animal whole. No trace. No sound.

  The further he entered the sacred wilderness, a strange yet calming fragrant smell began to fill the air. The scent infiltrated his nose, vaguely reminding him of a newly risen morning, or a slowly sinking dusk.

  "This scent... like the scent of morning and evening," Sagah muttered softly, his voice almost drowned out by the rustle of the wind among the leaves. He continued his steps again

  "Where did that one buffalo go?" he muttered again, frustration starting to creep in. As if his one buffalo had been swallowed whole by this sacred wilderness of the rising sun.

  After so long walking through the sacred wilderness full of countless wonders and oddities, Sagah's hopes began to fade. His steps felt increasingly heavy and unsteady, his enthusiasm to find his buffaloes slowly fading. Physical exhaustion and confusion began to erode his determination.

  From a distance, Sagah stared at a towering tree, so large and old, as if it had stood there for hundreds of years. Its branches stretched wide and lushly in all directions, creating a wide shade. Under the tree, there was a stretch of grass growing lushly as tall as an adult's span, looking so dense and soft with a warm yellowish green color. Without hesitation, Sagah walked slowly towards the tree. The closer he got, Sagah felt the fragrant fragrant smell that was initially faint now felt stronger, creeping into his nose—a scent he couldn't describe, like a mixture of flowers, and something he had never smelled before. The deeper he inhaled, the more he felt a strange, calm, and soft sense of peace and happiness envelop him.

  When he finally arrived under the shade of the towering giant tree, Sagah immediately lay down on the grass. He took a deep breath. The soft grass was like nature's prima donna, and the calming scent of the trees made his body and mind dissolve into a sense of peace. "Hmm..." he sighed softly as he closed his eyes. "In my entire life... this is the first time I've felt something like this."

  He was silent for a moment, letting the wind caress his face, letting the scent wash his tired soul.

  "In my entire life, this is the first time I've felt peace like this," Sagah whispered softly, closing his eyes to fully enjoy this magical moment. An idea suddenly crossed his mind. "I want to stay here. I'll build a house in this place," he muttered again, lulled by the magic of the sacred wilderness of the rising sun.

  But suddenly he was startled and woke up, as if he remembered something. "Wow!!,. My buffalo, it seems like I left them a long time ago" whispered Sagah suddenly waking up, realizing the fate of his buffalo that he had tied in the grass near the creek outside the sacred wilderness.

  He then stood up and walked away from the place, When he had only taken a few steps away from the tree, suddenly his steps stopped and he turned back towards the tree, for a moment he thought while looking at the towering giant tree trunk, "I have to take a little of that bark to put in my bedroom, so that my room smells as fragrant as this tree" Sagah whispered to himself, then aimed at the part of the tree that seemed like a branch that had been broken for a long time, then approached the tree trunk, after the distance was very close, he took out a kind of machete that was hanging from his waist, he peeled the part of the tree that he had noticed earlier, the part that had turned black like a rotting or rejuvenated branch, Sagah hurriedly peeled the bark of that part, until it was as wide as a tray, after finishing peeling the part of the bark that he wanted, he hugged the bark, then broke through the steps leaving the tree trunk with the bottom part that had been peeled off. Sagah continued to break through the dense Sunrise Forest. His breath was short, but his steps did not slow down. He no longer cared about the strange whispers that drifted from behind the trees, or the strange lights that danced on the leaves. All that filled his mind was one thing: how were his buffaloes that were tied up out there?

  The faster he broke through the steps, the faint boundaries of the sacred wilderness and the grasslands where he tied his livestock were visible in the distance. A hope burned in his chest. However, every time he reduced his running speed, or even stopped to look left and right

  The view outside the sacred wilderness suddenly disappeared. Only the silent greenery remained, the lush and cool sacred wilderness that seemed to never end.

  The Sunrise Forest seemed to play with the perception of time and space. Sagah understood that speed was the key to getting out of the sacred wilderness, for a moment he was silent as if planning something, Iya glanced at the bark in his arms as if it was one of the encouragements to immediately get out of the sacred wilderness. He took a deep breath and hugged the bark tightly then immediately broke through the steps as fast as he could, his gaze straight ahead, he continued to break through the steps, the scenery outside the sacred wilderness became clearer as he broke through the steps, the closer the grass outside the sacred wilderness appeared, the more his enthusiasm to immediately get out of the sacred wilderness burned, and finally with a final jump he seemed to be thrown out of the sacred wilderness of the rising sun, his body floating several meters above the air as he crossed the border between the sacred wilderness of the rising sun and the outside world where he came from, finally his body landed on the wet, muddy grass.

  He woke up instantly, his breath hitching. Then his gaze swept over his buffaloes one by one. Strangely, everything looked as if time had never moved since he left that place to enter the Sunrise Forest. Even the buffalo that had been lost now looked calm, tied in its original place, as if it had never gone anywhere.

  "This... this was when I was just about to head to the hut," Sagah muttered, confused. He frowned, trying to remember. "I thought I had been gone for more than half a day, but...?", Sagah stopped the word-kadesak.

  The sky remained gray. The drizzle was still falling slowly, creating a pungent earthy fragrant smell. There was no sign of the rain stopping. Sagah stood frozen. Time seemed to circle, turning back to the starting point. Then, slowly, his hands felt his stomach and chest—looking for something that should not have been lost so easily.

  “Where’s the bark… the bark?!” he exclaimed in panic.

  He turned around quickly, sweeping the muddy ground with his hands. And there it was, the bark—just lying there behind him. He let out a sigh of relief, then bent down to pick it up.

  But something was odd.

  The bark wasn’t wet at all. Even though it was clearly stuck to the wet mud and was being hit by fine raindrops. Even stranger, from between the gaps, a soft light seemed to glow faintly, almost invisible if not looked at closely. The light felt warm on his fingers.

  With trembling hands, Sagah lifted it and brought it close to his nose. The scent… was still the same. A sharp yet calming fragrance, not the slightest bit different, like when he was still in the Sunrise Forest—the place he had just passed, or… maybe he hadn’t really left yet?

  Suddenly, the wind blew softly, as if whispering in his ear. He turned his head spontaneously, but there was no one there. Only the sacred wilderness, fine raindrops, and silence. However, as he looked towards the trees in the distance, then caught something. A shadow. Thin. Almost invisible. But Sagah knew he had not seen it wrong. The shadow stood on the edge of the sacred wilderness, silent, as if watching him. Then slowly, the shadow faded—like mist swallowed by the morning light.

  His heart beat fast. But strangely, it was not fear that he felt. Instead... a kind of calling. An unfinished bond.

  With a piece of bark that felt warm in his grasp, Sagah walked slowly towards his wooden hut. The drizzle was still falling, wetting the leaves and the blackened soil. The wind carried soft whispers from the sacred wilderness.

  Upon arriving at the hut, Sagah stored the bark in the safest place in the hut. Then, like every other day, he returned to his routine. Not far from where he tethered his buffaloes, there was a fairly large garden. There grew various plants—tubers, vegetables, and spices—that supported his life. It was in the garden that Sagah's days were spent in friendly silence. Towards evening, he bathed his buffaloes one by one on the banks of a calm flowing river. The water was clear and cool, sometimes filled with small ripples when the feet buffalo stirred the mud. After he finished, he herded them back into the pen, locking the bamboo fence with a rattan rope knot.

  That afternoon, something felt different.

  With some taro in hand and some fish that he caught in the river, Sagah walked home. He tucked the bark neatly into his shirt. He didn't know for sure why that afternoon felt odd... or special. But in his silence, he knew—something had changed. Maybe it was because of the bark, which had a faint but calming fragrant smell, as if whispering a secret.

  When he arrived home, Sagah went straight to the kitchen at the back of his house. The kitchen looked dirty and messy, some abandoned cooking utensils had not been cleaned, as well as the wooden floor that looked very dirty from hardened soil sticking everywhere.

  He put the taro on the wooden table, then hung the fresh fish near the pile of firewood. After that, he washed his feet and hands with water from the jug, and splashed his face.

  Then he entered the room, inside the room was not much different from the situation in the kitchen

  Very messy, items and cloths scattered everywhere. There, he sat for a moment on his bed, taking out the bark from under his clothes. Carefully, he tucked it under the pillow. Only after that, he returned to the kitchen to continue his afternoon activities towards evening: lighting the stove and preparing his dinner—as if everything was going as usual.

  But it wasn't.

  In the midst of his busyness in the kitchen, Sagah's nose suddenly caught a very familiar fragrant smell—a fragrant fragrant smell that always enveloped the village every morning and evening. Usually, he didn't think too much about it. "It's time," he muttered to himself. But this time, the fragrant smell felt different. Thicker. Closer. As if the source was in his own house.

  His hand stopped. He looked around the kitchen, trying to find the source of the fragrant smell. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Once. Twice. Three times. The knock sounded hasty.

  Quickly, Sagah stepped to the front of the house. As soon as the door was opened, he found several people standing in front of him. Among them were Pak Daro—his own uncle—and Layuk, his childhood friend. Their faces looked worried, but more than that, they looked curious.

  "Uncle? What's wrong? It's unusual for you to come this late at night," Sagah insisted, trying to hide his anxiety.

  "Yes, Sagah," replied Pak Daro while sniffing slowly towards the inside of the house. "We came here because of that scent... it seems to be coming from your house."

  "That's right, Sagah," added Layuk. "We who were passing by on the hill earlier could smell the scent from there. It's very strong."

  Several other people who had come along just nodded in agreement.

  "What did you bring from the garden earlier?" pressed Pak Daro while squinting. "Since you came home, your house has suddenly become very fragrant."

  Sagah swallowed, trying to stay calm. "As usual, Uncle. I only brought taro and some small fish."

  Uncle Daro was still not satisfied. "Or... did you go somewhere else this afternoon?" "I'm busy in the garden, Uncle," Sagah replied quickly. "Still have to look after the buffaloes. Including Uncle's buffaloes, right?"

  There was silence for a moment. Only the sound of crickets could be heard in the distance. Finally, Pak Daro nodded slowly.

  "Okay, it's almost night. Let's go home first."

  One by one they left, down the path in front of Sagah's house. Once they were out of sight, Sagah closed the door slowly and breathed a sigh of relief. His heart was still beating fast. He couldn't tell the truth. He knew that if Uncle Daro knew about the bark, he could pressure him... or even take it by force.

  From the front room, Sagah walked quickly to his room. He pulled the pillow carefully.

  Sure enough.

  Dots of colorful light twinkled on a piece of bark he had hidden. The light danced slowly, forming a shadowy silhouette. From a broken branch in the bark, a vague figure slowly emerged—like a spirit, or perhaps the shadow of a creature not from this world.

  The creature floated for a moment... then disappeared into thin air, without a sound, without a trace.

  Sagah was silent, then's eyes widened in amazement. But strangely, there was no fear inside him. Instead, there was a warm silence, and a deep curiosity. What exactly was that bark? And what was the meaning of the figure that had just appeared before him?

  The night was getting late. That night, when Sagah could not close his eyes. He just lay in bed, staring at the horizons of the room full of spider webs hanging like thin curtains of the night. Every now and then, then glanced to the side of the bed, where he had placed the piece of bark—an object that he had deliberately taken this morning in the Sunrise Forest. Since the strange flash of light disappeared, his mind had been restless. The bark looked ordinary. Nothing more than the remains of a tree trunk. In the middle, there was a blackened broken branch, like an old scar. On the other side, brittle skin fragments stuck to the fresh layer, as if old and new skin were intertwined. Sagah rose slowly. He sat on the bed and grabbed the bark, then turned it over in the dim light of the oil lamp. There was no strange light, no magical vibrations, just a silence that was getting thicker. But there was something... something that made him unable to ignore it. "Hmmm... why do I feel like there's something in this thing?" he muttered softly, as he lay back down. His hand was still holding the bark as if holding onto an unfinished curiosity. Not long after, the then slowly closed. He fell into a deep sleep—too tired to keep pushing. However, the night was not completely calm. From the darkest corner of the room, a figure appeared without a sound. Her silhouette was faint, as if made of living mist. Not long after, the figure slowly turned into a beautiful young woman with a stunning face, wearing a pink dress combined with an elegant ivory yellow color. Her body shone in the darkness of the night, but the light was not dazzling. He approached, stood by the bed, and looked at Sagah's face with an indescribable look—a mixture of curiosity and caution. The figure then seemed to fly, his body felt very light flying here and there, he went to the living room, then headed to the front room, along the old wooden floor that still looked sturdy, even though it looked dull and dusty. Then he went into the kitchen, touched several objects as if he wanted to fix something, then returned to the room. And before dawn broke the darkness, the figure just disappeared—dissolved with the piercing cold and the whispers of the night that never slept. That morning, Sagah woke up from his deep sleep. As usual, he rubbed his eyes with a face still heavy with sleepiness, The fragrant fragrant smell like yesterday afternoon reappeared this morning, the whole house felt very fragrant, Sagah sat on the edge of his bed with his eyes half closed, then after that he walked to the kitchen to prepare breakfast before going to the buffalo pen and his field. While walking towards the kitchen he tried to find the source of the fragrant fragrant smell, However, once his consciousness fully recovered, he was stunned. There was something different. The kitchen that was usually messy and full of leftover activities from the previous day, now looked very clean and shiny. The floor that was usually dirty was now shiny, the kitchen utensils were neatly arranged as if they had never been used before, truly like they were new.

  With hurried steps and a breath that began to feel nervous, Sagah stepped into the front room. Again, an unusual sight greeted him. The entire room was perfectly arranged. Items that were usually scattered were now neatly arranged in their respective places. There was no dust, no mess—only a calm and order that was foreign to the house. Several old, worn tables in the room now looked like they had been newly varnished. Even the curtains that had not been touched by water for a long time now looked clean and fluttered gently in the morning breeze.

  Sagah stood frozen. Confused and amazed. Who could do all this in one night?,

  With a heart that began to be filled with a mixture of fear and curiosity, he entered his room. And the miracle continued. His room was not only clean, but looked like a noble's bed: neat, fragrant, and covered with thick, soft cloth, far from usual.

  He sat on the edge of the bed. Then stared at the clean horizons of the room, without a single strand of spider web hanging there. Silence reigned in the room. Slowly, he turned his gaze around the room, the empty then, trying to understand what was happening. In the hanging silence, his lips trembled as he muttered softly,

  "Is this the work of my parents' spirits...? Or maybe the work of my grandfather and grandmother's spirits?"

  A small smile appeared on his face, a smile full of emotion and longing that had been suppressed for a long time.

  "They're still looking after me, it seems," he whispered softly. His previously gloomy face now looked radiant. There was a warm glow in the then—a glow that had never appeared since the departure of his loved ones. With renewed vigor, Sagah prepared to herd the buffalo and cultivate the fields. He took his equipment and stepped out of the house. A smile adorned his face, a strange yet beautiful smile—not because it was forced, but because it came from the depths of his heart. His steps felt light, full of enthusiasm, so different from usual.

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  Several residents who passed him on the street looked at him with a puzzled look. One of them, Petu, greeted him with a frown.

  “Hey, Sagah! Yesterday afternoon and this morning… there was something strange with your house, huh?” he asked suspiciously.

  Sagah raised an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised. “What’s wrong with my house?”

  Petu replied quickly, “A fragrant fragrant smell. Since yesterday afternoon, until this morning, the fragrance could be smelled from the direction of your house. It can still be felt now.”

  Off guard, another resident joined in, “Yes, Sagah. I can feel it too. The fragrance comes from the direction of your house.” Sagah just chuckled. “Maybe the wind direction is changing, so it’s as if the source of the fragrant smell is from my house,” he said with a smile.

  “Never mind… I’ll go to the buffalo pen first,” he continued, still smiling cheerfully. He walked away, leaving Petu and Lengah still standing still, jostling in silence. The fragrant smell was real. And for some reason, it made anyone who kissed it feel at peace.

  “How strange,” Petu muttered, following Sagah’s cheerful figure as he walked down the hill towards his buffalo pen. “What’s wrong with him this morning?” he asked, turning to Lengah who was standing beside him. “Maybe his buffalo is going to give birth to tenths,” Lengah replied with a light laugh. Petu smiled a little too, but his expression soon turned serious. “But… yes, there’s something different about Sagah today. Usually, every morning his face is always gloomy. He walks slowly, as if he has no zest for life.”

  Lengah fell silent. They both stared at Sagah’s back as it slowly disappeared behind the bend in the small road. “Since his grandfather and grandmother died, he never smiled anymore. His face is always sad… like he’s carrying a heavy burden that he can’t let go of,” Petu continued softly, as if speaking to the morning wind that blew gently around them.

  “It would be great if he could smile again, like before… when his Grandpa and Grandma were still around,” Lengah whispered as he walked with Petu towards the field.

  Meanwhile, Sagah continued walking towards his buffalo pen. From a distance, he stared at the figure of someone who seemed to be waiting for him. The closer he got, the clearer the face became. As Sagah recognized who it was, his smile widened. He immediately quickened his pace.

  “Uncle Daro! Have you been here for a while?” Sagah greeted cheerfully as he arrived in front of his uncle.

  “I just arrived too, Sagah. But it’s unusual for you to come to the pen a bit late,” replied Uncle Daro as he patted his nephew’s shoulder.

  “Yes, Uncle. Yesterday I was very tired. It rained heavily all day, and one of Uncle’s buffaloes got loose. I looked for it for quite a while… but I finally found it,” Sagah explained as he started to open the pen door. “After that I went straight back to the field, afraid that my work would be neglected.”

  Uncle Daro nodded, but his gaze contained deep worry. “But you’re okay, right, Sagah?”

  “Yes, Uncle. As you can see for yourself, I’m fine,” Sagah replied with a smile. His hands kept working, opening the wooden bars of the cage one by one.

  “Okay then,” Uncle Daro finally said, a little relieved. “If anything happens, come to Uncle’s house quickly, okay?” Sagah nodded as he continued to work. “How are the buffaloes, Uncle? Are they all healthy?”

  “Just look at them yourself,” said Sagah, pointing into the pen. “They are all healthy and fat.”

  Uncle Daro smiled in satisfaction as he looked at the condition of the animals. “Thank God. Okay, Uncle, continue working now,” he said as he walked away.

  Sagah stood still, watching his uncle leave. He continued to stare until Uncle Daro’s figure disappeared behind the weeds and wild trees on the hills.

  As usual, Sagah continued his work with great patience. One by one, his buffaloes were taken out of the pen, then he herded them towards the expanse of green grass where they usually grazed.

  After all the buffaloes were busy grazing, Sagah walked slowly to his wooden hut. He stood there, looking at the animals while letting his thoughts wander. Memories of the strange events that had happened since yesterday until this morning filled his mind again.

  He was still confused, unable to piece together the series of events that came one after another. Everything felt strange—the buffalo he thought was lost, the unexpected journey into the sacred wilderness of the Rising Sun, and the strange bark he brought home. The bark gave off a sharp, mournful fragrant smell, wafting from inside his house.

  Not only that. Last night, he stared at the strange beads of light glowing around the house. And this morning, when he woke up, his house had changed drastically. Clean. Neat. As if there was an invisible hand tidying everything up. The mournful fragrant smell of the bark still hung in the air, adding a magical impression to the atmosphere this morning.

  However, life went on.

  Like the previous days, Sagah returned to his routine—a job that never made him bored or tired. He did everything diligently and attentively. Maybe that was the reason why Uncle Daro entrusted some of his buffaloes to be herded by Sagah.

  Today's weather was clear. The sky was clear without clouds, even so the blowing wind still felt cool and cold on the skin. With such sunny weather, Sagah was able to finish his work in the fields faster than usual, and return home before the sun sank to the west.

  That afternoon, when the sun began to lean to the west, Sagah had just finished herding his buffaloes back to the pen. With a cheerful heart and a tired body, he walked home. However, when he arrived at the yard, his steps stopped. Then stared wide-eyed in amazement. The yard that was usually filled with wild grass and scattered branches, now looked completely changed—neat, clean, and even looked like a garden that had been lovingly cared for. There was not a single weed, no sign of dry leaves or broken branches. Sagah stood still, his heart filled with great urgency.

  "Is this the work of my grandfather and grandmother's spirits again?" he whispered to himself, half afraid, half confused.

  He didn't even dare to step into his own yard. Then swept every corner of the yard that now felt foreign but beautiful. It turned out, he was not alone. Some of his neighbors were also standing near the fence, watching Sagah's yard with curious gazes. “Sagah, when did you do all this?” shouted Todi, one of his peers who was standing at the front.

  Sagah took a breath, then replied in a firm voice, “This morning, before the sun rose. I couldn’t sleep, so I thought it would be better to clean the yard.”

  However, from the looks on their faces, it was clear that the reply was not immediately convincing.

  “Alone? There’s no way you did all this alone. Who helped you?” Nono pressed suspiciously, pointing to the yard that now looked perfect.

  “Yes, No... this morning three of my family members from the next village stopped by. They helped for a while, but they went back,” replied Sagah. This time his tone sounded a little nervous.

  “I see...” Todi muttered, still looking hesitant.

  Without waiting any longer, Sagah hurriedly excused himself, “Well, I’ll go in first... there’s still a lot to do inside.” He immediately stepped quickly into the house, leaving his neighbors still standing in the yard, looking at each other, with the jostling hanging in their minds.

  With a turbulent mind, Sagah hurriedly opened the kitchen door and stepped inside. He was still standing, leaning on the wooden pole near the fireplace. "Who did all this? Who?... Who?" he muttered, in a confused tone, as if his mind was not yet able to put together the logic of what he had just seen.

  His gaze then fell on the dining table. There, a wide, bright blue cloth was spread, with fine white lace on each edge of the cloth, covering the entire surface of the table. The cloth seemed to be hiding something behind it. Slowly, Sagah approached. He did not immediately pull the cloth. Instead, he circled the table once, as if trying to understand the situation from all angles. After that, he stopped, standing still on the left side of the table.

  "What is this? It seems... there is a cooking fragrant smell from behind this cloth," he muttered, while scratching his chin which was not actually itchy. The fragrant smell became more and more tempting, making his stomach, which had been empty for a long time, rebel loudly.

  Finally, with slow movements and full of curiosity, Sagah lifted the cloth covering it. And again, he was surprised.

  "Who is this?!" he screamed, his eyes wide in disbelief. "Aaaaachrrrrggg!!" he shouted in frustration, between anger, confusion, and... hunger.

  He felt like he was being toyed with. However, behind that annoyance, the hunger that gripped his stomach was more urgent to be dealt with immediately. "Hey! Whoever you are, or whoever you guys are who did this... thank you!! I'm hungry!!" he shouted loudly, as if he was talking to the air. Without thinking, Sagah began to eat one by one the dishes on the table. All of the food was familiar to him—special dishes that were usually served at big parties in the village. Special foods that he rarely enjoyed in everyday life.

  He ate with gusto, like someone who had just returned from a long journey without food. It had been a long time since he had touched food this special.

  After his stomach was full and his curiosity had subsided a bit, Sagah stepped into the room. He dropped his body onto the bed, leaning his full back on the worn mat. Drowsiness came like a wave, irresistible. It didn't take long for the then to close and he fell asleep, sinking into a deep and peaceful sleep.

  As usual, while in his small hut to watch over his buffaloes, Sagah enjoyed the tranquility of nature around him. From the direction of the river, a stunningly beautiful woman appeared who seemed to be very familiar with him. In her arms, she carried several pieces of taro that had just been washed. Drops of water were still dripping from the skin of the taro, falling on her white and clean feet.

  Seeing that the woman seemed to have difficulty carrying all the taro, Sagah immediately got up and rushed to her. He took some of the burden that the woman was carrying with a quick but gentle movement.

  "Gaharu, why didn't you call me earlier?" Sagah whispered in an anxious tone, while taking some taro from Gaharu's embrace.

  Gaharu carved a smile as soft as the moonlight, warm and calm. "It's okay, I can carry it myself to the hut," he insisted, although in the end he let Sagah take all the taro from his arms.

  They then walked side by side along the small path that was slightly uphill towards the hut on top of a small hill. The dusk air began to descend, creating a warm silence between them.

  Arriving at the hut, Sagah went straight to the clay stove where the water in the pot was almost boiling. Carefully, she put the taro one by one into the pot, then adjusted the position of the firewood underneath. She blew the flame slowly using a long bamboo stick that resembled a bamboo flute, making smoke rise thinly into the air.

  Gaharu, who had been watching her with a loving smile, approached slowly. He hugged Sagah from behind, warm and calm. In that silence, both of them looked so happy, as if the world belonged only to the two of them.

  "Sagah," Gaharu whispered softly, his voice soft but full of meaning, "will you take care of me... until we grow old?"

  Hearing that, Sagah fell silent for a moment. Then, she stood up straight, pulling Gaharu's hand to stand with her. Then stared deeply at the woman he loved.

  "Never mind growing old," he whispered softly, but with conviction. "Even until the end of the world, I will still take care of you."

  He then hugged Gaharu tightly, burying his face in her fragrant hair, soothing like the scent of soil after the first rain. In that embrace, it was as if time stopped for a moment.

  However, a small explosion from the boiling water in the pot brought Sagah back to her senses. She immediately released her hug, then took out some wood from the stove to reduce the fire, so that the water in the pot would not overflow and wet the stove.

  While waiting for the taro to cook, the two of them sat relaxing in front of the hut, watching the livestock grazing quietly. Gaharu leaned her head affectionately on Sagah's shoulder. The wind played with her long hair, occasionally covering part of her beautiful face. Sagah's heart was beating fast, filled with an overflow of love and happiness that he had never felt from a woman. So far, not a single village girl had been willing to glance at him. Gently and lovingly, Sagah stroked Gaharu's hair, as if time had stopped and he did not want to move from that beautiful moment.

  Faintly, from a distance, Sagah's ears caught the sound of a rooster crowing. As time went on, the sound got closer and closer, until it felt very disturbing. Sagah gasped woke up, intending to chase away the rooster crowing right near his ear. However, as soon as the then opened, he found himself surrounded by the thick darkness of the night. Sagah took a deep breath. It turned out that the happiness earlier was just a dream. Even so, the remnants of those flowery feelings still felt real. He carved a smile as soft as the bitter moonlight alone. "Gaharu?" he whispered softly. "Who is Gaharu, and where is he?" he continued again, full of urgency. He moved towards the kitchen, taking a sip of water to wet his dry throat. Then, his steps were directed towards the kitchen door, reaching for a machete hanging nearby. With a machete in hand, Sagah stepped out, towards his yard. He trimmed several tree branches that were stretching wildly into the yard. Diligently, he tidied up the trees that grew around his house, combing every branch and twig that looked irregular. Without realizing it, dawn began to break, coloring the horizon with shades of orange and yellow. Life in the village slowly began to stir again. Nono, Todi, and several of Sagah's neighbors passed by her house, greeting her with pleasantries. "Sagah... you're so diligent, no wonder your yard is like a flower garden," Nono joked as he passed by. "Yes, No', to make it look more beautiful," Sagah replied with a faint smile. "Are you getting married, Sagah?" Todi replied, his tone full of temptation. However, this time Sagah chose not to respond. She only watched the backs of her two neighbors as they moved further away down the road in front of her house.

  After she was done, Sagah collected the twigs and leaves she had pruned, then threw them into the not-too-steep valley behind her house.

  The days passed so quickly. It had been nine days since Sagah brought home a strange piece of bark from the sacred wilderness. Since then, strange things began to decorate her life. Every time she came home from the fields, there was always a warm meal neatly served on the dining table. Her house was always clean, fragrant, and arranged as if invisible hands were working flawlessly.

  Never once was anyone seen coming to help, but the miracle kept repeating itself, day after day.

  One morning, when Sagah had just left for his buffalo pen, several neighbors driven by curiosity snuck into his house. They were suspicious, feeling that Sagah was hiding something. Moreover, since the distinctive fragrant smell of the Rising Sun Forest began to be smelled from his house, the strangeness felt even more real. Every afternoon, sounds of activity could be heard from the kitchen—the sound of footsteps, the clatter of cooking utensils—but no one was ever seen.

  When they entered, the house was... too neat, too clean, too fragrant. But the most surprising thing: they couldn't touch anything. Every object was like a shadow—real, but empty. Like touching the air.

  Rumors spread. Stories about the strangeness in Sagah's house became the talk of the village.

  Some residents finally dared to push him directly. But Sagah only smiled and said that all of it was just the result of his hard work. But deep down, he knew: something was not right. There was a presence that was invisible, but real.

  The most disturbing urgency was one: Who was Gaharu? The figure of a woman who appeared in his dreams almost every night, so real, so familiar… like a lover he had known for a long time, even though only in the realm of dreams.

  On the ninth day, Sagah came home earlier than usual. There was a restlessness that he could not contain. There was a determination that grew silently in his heart.

  With hurried steps, he entered the yard and went straight to the kitchen. He was stunned.

  The food had been served on the table. It had not been covered with a cloth as usual. What made his heart beat faster: all the dishes were still hot, emitting thin steam that danced in the air, as if they had just been cooked.

  He stared out the window. The twilight slowly crept down the horizon. His gaze hardened.

  It was time.

  The next morning, even before the sun had fully risen, Sagah was already in the pen. He herded his buffaloes to the grassland, then waited in the small hut. He waited for midday, when the strange activities in his house usually began—according to the stories of the neighbors.

  Towards noon, Sagah approached his house again. He hid behind the bushes, observing every corner of the house.

  At first, there was nothing. The house seemed quiet. There was no sound from the kitchen as people had said.

  He almost gave up. "I'd better go back to the fields," he muttered softly.

  But after walking a few meters, he stopped. His instincts screamed. He peeked again... and sure enough. From the gap in the window, he saw a woman walking from the room to the kitchen. Not long after, sounds began to be heard: the clink of equipment, the rustle of footsteps. Just like people had told him.

  Sagah froze. His heart was beating fast. His hands were cold. He was afraid. Afraid of taking the wrong step, afraid of regretting it for the rest of his life if this was just a dream.

  But that face... Gaharu's face.

  "Could it be... that's her?" he whispered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

  He took a deep breath, then slowly crept into the yard. When he reached the kitchen door, he strengthened his heart—and broke it open.

  Inside, stood a woman. Her face was exactly like in his dream.

  “Gaharu?!” he exclaimed in disbelief.

  The woman turned and smiled softly, as if she had been waiting for him for a long time. “Why did you just come?” she demanded, while still busy in the kitchen.

  “So... you really are Gaharu?” Sagah demanded, trembling.

  “Yes, I am Gaharu,” she replied, looking deeply at Sagah.

  Sagah still stood stiffly. “Your face... I’m afraid this is just another dream,” she demanded in a trembling voice.

  Gaharu approached, holding Sagah’s hand gently. “Does this feel like a dream?” she whispered.

  Sagah didn’t reply. Her hands were shaking violently.

  “You’re not dreaming, Sagah. This is real. I’ve been waiting,” Gaharu whispered calmly.

  “Waiting?” Sagah repeated, confused.

  “Yes. Since the first day those dreams came to you.”

  He poured water into a clay cup, then handed it to Sagah. He sat down and said, “I will tell you everything. But promise… this is only for you. If you break it—”

  “What will happen if I break it?”

  “You will return to your old life. The eleventh day will be the beginning and the end. You will never be able to meet me again, ever.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I have chosen you. You are the best. You are my soulmate.”

  Sagah took a deep breath. “Whatever you tell me today, I will guard it as if I were guarding my own life.”

  Hearing that, Gaharu carved a smile as soft as the moonlight and held Sagah’s hand tighter. “I trust you. But don’t disappoint me… Don’t make a fatal mistake.”

  “I promise,” Sagah replied softly, with eyes starting to get wet.

  At the dining table, Gaharu began to tell his story.

  He had observed Sagah for a long time, since his teenage years in the fields. When Sagah grew into a mature and honest man, Gaharu knew—he was the one he had been waiting for. He was the one who caused the buffaloes to get lost, so that Sagah entered the Sunrise Forest. He was the one who whispered the instructions to collect the bark—Gaharu’s home for hundreds of thousands of years.

  He was the guardian fairy of the sacred wilderness. He protected the sacred wilderness from the greedy, who wanted to cut down the fragrant trees. Those who violated it were cursed. And the curse could not be prevented, even by him.

  “Why did you choose me?” Sagah demanded.

  “Because you are the only one who entered the sacred wilderness without ambition. Even when I sent strange animals to attract your attention, you did not disturb them.”

  “Hey… those animals, you sent them?” Sagah demanded, wide-eyed,

  “Yes, all of that was me,” Gaharu replied, carving a smile as soft as the soft moonlight.

  Sagah stood up and took a deep breath and walked towards the door as if looking for fresh air. In front of the door he took another deep breath, then after that he turned to Gaharu who was still sitting near the dining table, as if waiting for Sagah's final words, "Gaharu, how about shall we get married?” Sagah insisted firmly, “Yes I will, but you must remember, never tell anyone about my origins,” Gaharu said looking at Sagah with full hope, “No Gaharu, even until I die I will not tell anyone about your origins,” Sagah whispered promising again.

  Finally Sagah contacted the village head and asked to be married to Gaharu. He said that Gaharu was the child of his distant relative in the village across who had been betrothed when he was little. Gaharu was also like him living alone without both parents, siblings, let alone grandparents.

  And finally the wedding day of Gaharu and Sagah arrived, they got married quite simply, only attended by neighbors and a few people, after getting married they lived like a married couple in general, every morning they both went out to the fields and returned in the afternoon.

  “Sagah, I am a fairy I cannot give you children, do you mind?” whispered Gaharu approaching Sagah when they had just finished dinner,

  “I know you are a fairy, and I don’t mind if we don’t have children, and I won’t look for another woman just to have children” replied Sagah while holding his wife’s hands tightly. Hearing Saga’s words just now, Gaharu became even happier, he convinced himself again that he was not the wrong person to find his life partner.

  However, out there many were jealous of Sagah, because his wife’s stunning beauty was much more stunning than the village flowers in the village, the old and young men had just laid eyes on a woman as stunning as Gaharu, her skin was clean white, her hair was long and black, making all the men in the village want to have a wife like Gaharu.

  Day after day Gaharu and Sagah lived with love and happiness, not once did they sound noisy or quarrelsome. Until one night when they were just about to sleep, from the front they heard the sound of someone knocking on the door of their house, "Sagah!!... Sagah, are you asleep!!" the person's voice knocked on the door of Sagah's house.

  "Who's that?" Gaharu demanded, surprised, because it was unusual for someone to come knocking on their door at night like this, "You wait here for a moment, I'll come to them," whispered Sagah, then rushed out, leaving Gaharu alone in the room.

  Sagah stepped into the front room, then opened the door, “eh Sagah Sorry to disturb you at night” whispered Todi politely, “yeah what’s up Di’ why did you guys come so late” replied Sagah in an unhappy tone, “we wanted to let you know, in two days we have a whispering party, a harvest party” continued Nono, “yeah you have to come Sagah, because how many times have you never come to the harvest party” whispered Todi coaxing Sagah, “I’ll try later my wife and I will come” replied Sagah, “yeah you have to, come, we’ll pick you up later” whispered Todi, “yeah.. yeah okay” replied Sagah again. Hearing Sagah’s reply they were very happy, as if their purpose in coming there was just to wait for Sagah and his wife’s availability to come to the whispering harvest party. They then said goodbye and left Sagah’s house, “Sagah went back in to meet his wife, “what’s up, why did we chat for so long?” Gaharu insisted, “ooh they invited us to the whispering party for the harvest party in two days” Sagah replied looking at his wife’s face, “do we have to come?” Gaharu insisted, “yeah let’s just come, I’ve been to harvest parties many times and never come” Sagah replied carving a smile as soft as the moonlight, “okay let’s just come” Gaharu replied, and after that there was no more conversation, until they fell asleep at night.

  And finally the awaited day arrived, in the morning Sagah prepared the offerings they brought to the Harvest Party, Gaharu cooked several types of food, while Todi, Nono and several other people had come several times to remind Sagah not to be late, “why did they have to come several times to remind us?” Gaharu urged, suspicious of Todi and his friends, "let's think positively, maybe they really hope we come, because since my grandfather and grandmother left, I have never joined them again," replied Sagah, trying to think positively. In the afternoon, the person came again, and fortunately Sagah and Gaharu were ready. "Come on!!.. Sagah, it's time, let's go," said Nono when he came to Sagah's house and looked at Sagah and Gaharu who were ready. Their eyes were all very fascinated. with the stunning beauty of Gaharu that afternoon, there was a pause their gazes were all focused on Gaharu, Sagah hurriedly stood in front of his wife, "hey..hey. why are you guys looking at my wife like that!" shouted Sagah, "your wife is so stunningly beautiful Sagah, does she still have a younger sibling or older sibling?" asked one of them, "no longer there, my wife is an only child like me, and is alone like me too" replied Sagah sounding annoyed. Seeing the behavior of those people, Gaharu immediately covered his head with a shawl, so that his face was only faintly visible. “Come on..come on, let’s go now” Sagah continued, “Sagah, you and your wife walk in front, you guard me from behind” whispered Nono, “oh no, you guys walk in front, let me and my wife walk behind following you” whispered Sagah, hearing Sagah’s reply just now, they looked at each other as if they were discussing in silence, “Okay then, we walk in front, you two follow from behind” said Todi, and immediately walked. They walked side by side towards the open field where the whispers of the harvest party were often held. When they arrived there, the atmosphere was already quite lively, each person brought their belongings to the front, to be distributed again to the others in a moment. Not long after, the harvest party had begun, they played traditional musical instruments, both wind instruments and percussion instruments such as drums and others. They began to distribute the food that they had previously collected in front, some began to dance to the music, some were already seen very drunk. Nono and Todi and some other people came to bring Sagah their village's special drink, they then drank it together, Sagah did not know that they had an evil plan behind all their kindness. That night Sagah drank a lot, because for how many years Sagah had never come to the harvest party, even after several years of marriage Sagah had only just come to the harvest party. Sagah began to lose control, her speech began to become slurred, looking at that Gaharu immediately carried her and invited her home, "Sagah, you've drunk too much, let's go home" said Gaharu who was starting to worry about her husband's condition, "Don't worry honey, I'm fine, we'll be home soon" replied Sagah who was already looking unsteady, "Yes Gaharu, you go home later, we'll take you again, we'll carry Sagah back to your house" whispered Nono who apparently had not drunk a single sip of the drink, they deliberately made Sagah very drunk. "Come on.. Sagah, let's wash your face so that your drunkenness will lessen", Todi invited then carried Sagah, followed by Gaharu from behind but was stopped by Todi, "Gaharu, you just wait here" Todi whispered to stop Gaharu. Finally they took Sagah away in a drunken state, after staring at the distance Gaharu was already quite far from them. Finally they carried out their evil plan, Todi, Nono and several other people who were jealous of the stunning beauty of Sagah's wife, dug up all of Gaharu's secrets, and in a drunken state, Sagah revealed all the secrets about his wife who turned out to be a fairy from a fragrant tree, in the sacred wilderness of the rising sun, he said that Gaharu was a fairy figure. that was why they could not have children, even though they had been married for a long time, they had been married for five harvests (5 years) but they did not have children, because his wife was a fairy. When all that was whispered by Sagah, suddenly a very bright flash of lightning came from the horizon and then followed by a very loud booming sound. Gaharu knew that what he had been worried about had happened, he rushed to where Sagah and his friends were, With tears on his face, Gaharu came to Sagah, he without saying anything, he scratched while shaking his coconut, “Gaharu… I’m sorry!” Sagah shouted, reaching towards Gaharu’s feet, but Gaharu didn’t want to be touched by Sagah anymore, he tried to avoid Sagah, “Gaharu, my dear wife… forgive me, I won’t repeat all this” Sagah coaxed again while crawling trying to reach Gaharu’s feet, he didn’t care about the dozens of people around him who were watching him, while Gaharu’s body began to emit light dots, and Sagah knew what that sign was, he screamed and struggled, “Gaharu… don’t Gaharu… don’t leave me”, Sagah’s voice struggled and begged. But Gaharu didn’t care anymore. The light dots increasingly swarmed his body, many approached to get Gaharu but they were all thrown very far when they tried to approach Gaharu. After the dots of light had formed a circle and covered almost the body of Gaharu, Faintly came out of Gaharu's back Wings, after the wings were completely out of his back... the light got brighter, illuminating the field where the party was held.. after the light got brighter.. suddenly Gaharu disappeared with the light, and suddenly the atmosphere became silent, Sagah shouted calling his wife, .. "Gaharu!!!!!, forgive me, don't leave me alone again Gaharu" Sagah's voice struggled until it was short of breath. He then took the horse that was tied to a tree on the edge of the field, he immediately took it and immediately directed the horse towards his house, it seemed that his drunkenness suddenly disappeared knowing that his wife had disappeared, he rode the horse very fast, until finally he arrived home, when he arrived in front of his house, everything was back to normal, the dirty and messy yard, like an unkempt house, he immediately went into his room looking for Gaharu bark, but the bark was gone, the condition inside his house was also messy and shabby like when he had not brought the bark to his house. He cried again, calling his wife, then he went to the yard of his house which had returned to being dirty and shabby as before. There he called out to his wife again, but all he found was emptiness, Gaharu was no longer there, he had disappeared who knows where.

  Not long after, many people flocked to his house trying to calm Sagah who was almost crazy after being left by Gaharu, The village elders tried to advise him, but it didn't work, finally the greatest shaman in the village gave him a potion that finally made him unconscious, until morning arrived.

  The next morning, when he regained consciousness, he immediately called his wife's name, "Gaharu .. where is my wife, last night I was just dreaming right?" he whispered looking around his bed, but no one was there, he looked for the piece of bark again but it was gone. He then stood up, staggering out of the house, he walked towards the sacred wilderness of the rising sun, after half a day he staggered he finally arrived at the Sunrise Forest. But the atmosphere in the sacred wilderness of Sunrise was no longer like when he first entered. With his hoarse voice he called out to his wife, finally he arrived at the towering giant tree where he took the bark, but the tree seemed to have lost its magic, or the tree no longer had any magic, now the tree was nothing more than an ordinary tree, Sagah hit the tree trunk while calling out to his wife, but the Gaharu had disappeared who knows where, the tree was still fragrant, but it was no longer as fragrant as before, the fragrance was only around the tree.

  Since then, many villagers in the village have come to the tree and peeled its bark and then taken it home, although the tree still emits a very small amount of fragrance, but the enthusiasm of the residents is very great to come to the Gaharu tree, even to the point of stabbing the tree trunk with hot iron hoping that the Gaharu Per will come out, to the point that the tree trunk has dozens or even hundreds of hot iron stab marks.

  Because of his extreme heartache, Sagah committed suicide by hanging his body on the trunk of the Gaharu tree.

  Note: Don't promise just to get what you want, but promise with a sense of responsibility and full commitment to the promise that has been whispered.