Pre-Story: The Record of Giri Growong

Giri Growong, a forest-enveloped gorge located in the southern reaches of East Java. Its canopy is woven from towering rainforest trees, creating a lush green sea that hides the eternal, sunless land below. A thick, sweet scent of damp soil and greenery lingers in the air as if waiting for someone to pass by. Down there, in the land abandoned by the sunlight, the silents are louder than any noise.

Despite the vast sea of trees, there is only one place where people are allowed to bid their livings. That place is Jagawana Village. The village sits near the mouth of the gorge, in which its farmlands spread on one of the valleys.

It is a small, secluded place where life runs slow and unassuming. No asphalt road reaches the village—only a narrow macadam trail stretching from the main road to the woods. Even electricity itself is still a scarcity there, for a reason, since the village must remain silent after the night descends.

Most villagers never leave the village in their entire life, or even in the life before.

It was late summer when a legion of airsoft players held a competition near the gorge. The villagers, yearning for a reprieve from their monotonous cycle, were enthusiastic.

For a secluded Jagawana Village, the event was not only for entertainment but also for a rare economics momentum. From small families peddling boiled peanuts to the outsiders to farmers selling their products harvested from the valley, everyone celebrated the festivities.

As per Javanese old covenant, a perfect black ‘cemani’ chicken was beheaded; its blood was dried upon a stone slab to seal the good-fate of the event. However, someone, something, broke the old-oath, glaring at the silents.

This is a story of Nadia, a high schooler competing in the airsoft competition. Once the night had fallen upon Giri Growong, her team entered the woods to go to the outskirt of Jagawana. It was a competition category called ‘Night March.’

At the same time, a death-plague began to erupt in the village. A mother beheaded her children. A monkey gave birth to human-faced younglings. A young girl jumped into the waterfall, chasing her end.

Gotten caught in the crossfire, Nadia had to escape before * * * * *.