PROLOG

In the heart of the daunting Bornean jungle, Tamanak moved with heightened vigilance. His bare feet tread lightly on the wet leaves, almost silently. The forest, which often provided a sense of safety, now felt foreign. Tonight... something was disturbing the usual balance he sensed, an unsettling disruption in the stillness of the night.

"This isn't like usual," he thought cautiously. His fingers tightly gripped a wooden spear, trying to dispel the unsettling feeling that haunted him. Tamanak's sharp eyes caught an unusual trail in the muddy ground—large footprints, much bigger than any human feet he had ever seen, and deeper, as if something very heavy had stepped there.

He crouched down, his fingers touching the edge of the tracks. The marks were still fresh, perhaps no more than a few hours old. "This isn't an animal's footprint... but it's not human either," he murmured to himself, his voice almost drowned by the rustling of leaves stirred by the night wind.

Tension coiled around Tamanak's heart, but his curiosity drove him more strongly. "Could this be a sign from the forest deity?" he wondered, recalling the dark tales often told by the village elders. The forest deities, they said, could appear in various forms, some of which were far from benevolent. Perhaps this was a sign of something more frightening than he could imagine.

He decided to return to the village and inform the elders. With quick yet cautious steps, Tamanak turned around. The fog thickened, shrinking like invisible hands creeping around his legs, as if trying to pull him back into the darkness.

In the midst of a small village surrounded by towering trees, Tamanak stood anxiously in front of the longhouse where the elders gathered. A crackling campfire cast eerie shadows on the wise and worried faces of the elderly.

Elder Damar, an elderly man with long white hair and piercing eyes, listened intently to Tamanak's account. Occasionally, his face would crease, reflecting deep uncertainty and fear.

"Large footprints... bigger than human, not from any known animal..." Damar repeated, his voice raspy like an old tree creaking in the wind. *"This is a bad omen, Tamanak. An omen from something not of our world."

"Elder, could this be a sign from the forest deity? Is this something we should be worried about?" Tamanak asked seriously, his voice trembling with fear that could not be concealed.

Damar fell silent, thinking for a moment before replying. "Forest deities do not leave tracks like this. This... this is something else. Something older and darker than the deities we worship."

Doubt enveloped them all. What had Tamanak really seen in the forest?

Yet Tamanak could not shake his curiosity. Too many unanswered questions. The night grew later, and he knew that sleep would be impossible. He had to return to the forest, to learn more.

"Elder, allow me to investigate further. I cannot leave this unresolved," Tamanak finally said, his tone a mix of determination and uncertainty.

Damar nodded, though doubt lingered in his gaze. "Go, Tamanak. But be careful. Do not let yourself get lost among the shadows."

Tamanak ventured back into the darkness of the forest, carrying a small torch in his hand. The fog grew denser, suffocating. Each step felt heavier, as if the forest itself was resisting his presence. The large footprints he had found earlier led him to a place he had never imagined—ancient ruins made of black stone, hidden behind dense foliage.

The structure looked old, very old, with strange and frightening carvings on its surface. No one knew who had built it or when. The carvings were not from the Dayak culture or any culture known to Tamanak.

Fear mingled with curiosity. What had Tamanak discovered? Was this truly a "sign"? Or was it something much bigger, something he had never imagined before?

**An eerie sound was heard, like whispers coming from within the ruins, filled with hisses that made his blood run cold. Tamanak stopped, holding his breath. He knew that the next step could change everything.**

And with one decisive step, Tamanak entered the ruins, leaving the shadows of the forest behind, moving into the revealed darkness—darkness that might never end.