The Hollow God of Semarung

Deep in the forgotten jungles of Semarung, where no satellite signal dares to linger, there is a whispered myth passed down by trembling lips of the village elders: the tale of Raksha Naya, the Hollow God.

According to legend, Raksha Naya was once a guardian spirit — a divine protector carved from teak and bone by the ancient shamans. It watched over the villagers, bringing rain during drought, and silence during war. But as the centuries passed, so did belief. The people turned their back on old ways, trading offerings for cell towers and prayers for profits. The sacred shrine decayed, and the forest swallowed its remains.

But gods do not forget.

And hollow gods, abandoned, become hungry.

In the year 2023, a young anthropology student named Mira from Jakarta arrived in Semarung, hoping to document local folklore for her thesis. She was drawn by a single, cryptic passage in an old Javanese text:

“Beware the one who watches with no eyes, for it sees through silence. The Hollow God remembers.”

The villagers were reluctant to speak. At night, they locked their doors tight, and the sound of wooden chimes echoed through the fog — a desperate warning.

Mira found the overgrown path that led to the forgotten shrine. A grotesque statue stood waiting, its face eroded smooth, its eye sockets yawning voids. Around it, the forest was unnaturally still. No birds. No wind. Just breathless waiting.

That night, Mira began to dream. Not in images — but in feelings. Cold. Claustrophobia. The sensation of being watched from inside your own skin.

Then came the whisper:

"You looked at me. Now I see through you."

Each morning, Mira awoke weaker, her reflection a fraction dimmer, her voice hollow. Her recordings turned to static. Her shadow sometimes lingered longer than her body.

She tried to flee, but every path circled back to the shrine. Time bled. Days folded. The villagers wept when they saw her pale form standing outside their homes — eyes blank, mouth whispering chants in a dead language.

She had become the next vessel of Raksha Naya.

Now, they say the Hollow God moves again, riding inside the forgotten. Searching for new eyes. New hosts. New believers.

And if you're reading this, ask yourself:

Did you just hear that whisper behind you?