The Devil’s Voice
In a quiet village nestled at the edge of an ancient forest, people lived in fear of a place they called the Forbidden Jungle. No one dared step into its shadows. Whispers told of a devil that tricked the eyes and ears of anyone who entered — showing them things that were never real.
Years ago, a humble woodcutter ventured into that jungle to fetch firewood… and never came back.
His daughter, a teenage girl named Hiyainu, was left behind with questions that haunted her day and night. As the seasons passed, she started to dream — not once, but repeatedly — of her father standing in the misty woods, calling her name. “I am waiting for you, my daughter… come find me.”
No one believed her. The villagers only warned, “Those who enter the jungle do not return.”
But Hiyainu could no longer bear the uncertainty. One evening, she approached Bogen, a quiet boy from the neighborhood with whom she rarely spoke. Despite the distance between them, she asked for his help in finding her father.
The villagers were furious. “It’s cursed!” they cried. “A boy and a girl together in the jungle? Both of you will be devoured by the devil!”
With no other option and no support from the village, Hiyainu decided to go alone.
But as she entered the dense forest, Bogen—though reluctant—could not let her risk her life. He followed.
Inside the jungle, the air grew thick and the trees seemed to whisper. Strange shadows danced in the corner of their eyes. Bogen, sensing the danger, warned her:
“This forest can trick you. Don’t believe anything you see. Don’t listen to anything you hear.”
Not long after, Bogen heard a voice.
“My son… Bogen…”
It was his mother’s voice, weeping somewhere in the distance. Panic-stricken, he ran toward the sound and found her — or at least, something that looked like her — crying beneath a tree. But something felt wrong.
Her feet weren’t touching the ground.
Realizing it was a trap, Bogen stepped back in horror. The illusion vanished.
Hiyainu had seen it all. It confirmed everything: the devil’s power was real.
As night approached, Bogen pleaded, “We have to leave before darkness falls, or we may not survive.”
But Hiyainu refused. “I won’t go home without my father.”
Left with no choice, Bogen walked away. But guilt weighed heavily on his heart. A few steps away, he turned back and returned to keep her company for the night.
In the middle of the night, Hiyainu awoke to a familiar voice.
“Help me… it’s me, your father…”
Without hesitation, she ran into the forest.
Bogen followed but lost track of her.
As Hiyainu wandered deeper, a mysterious woman dressed in black emerged from the trees. Her face was pale, her eyes filled with secrets. She spoke softly:
“That boy you came with — he tried to kill your father. Your father escaped but never made it back.”
Hiyainu was stunned.
The woman led her to a hidden place, showing her a few of her father’s belongings — his shawl, his axe, and the amulet he always wore.
Tears welled in her eyes. “He’s alive… I know he is.”
Meanwhile, Bogen searched desperately for Hiyainu. Eventually, he found her.
But the girl’s face had changed — now filled with mistrust.
“You tried to kill my father,” she accused him.
“I won’t go with you.”
“No!” Bogen cried. “The devil is tricking you — just like it tried with me!”
But Hiyainu stood firm. Angry and heartbroken, Bogen left once more.
As he made his way out of the woods, he met the mysterious woman. Her eyes now burned with fury.
“You ruined everything. You will die too.”
Just then, a scream echoed through the forest — Hiyainu’s voice.
Bogen ran toward it, but the woman vanished into the dark.
Elsewhere, Hiyainu had followed her father’s voice into an abandoned hut. She heard him crying inside.
But Bogen, too, heard Hiyainu’s voice from the same hut.
He rushed inside — only to find it empty.
Inside the same hut, Hiyainu saw a man attacking her father. In terror, she grabbed a knife and stabbed the stranger.
And in a horrifying twist — the illusion broke.
It wasn’t a stranger.
It was Bogen.
Blood pooled beneath him. Hiyainu stood frozen. Then — footsteps.
The girl ran into the woods, disappearing into the darkness.
When the villagers arrived at dawn for a rescue, they found Bogen wounded, barely alive.
But Hiyainu was never seen again.
Where did Hiyainu go?
No one knows. Some say the devil took her. Others believe she became a spirit of the forest herself — waiting for her father in the place where reality and illusion blur forever.