The lake had always been quiet, too quiet for something that large. Locals called it Danau Hitam, the Black Lake. They said it had no bottom, that it swallowed sound. Ardi never believed in those stories until the night he fell in.
He was fishing alone, the sky heavy with rain. His boat rocked in the middle of the lake, and the water seemed to move with a pulse of its own. Then came the voice. Soft. Beautiful. A woman’s voice humming from beneath the surface. He leaned closer, trying to see where it came from. The next moment, the boat tipped.
Cold. Endless cold. He sank deeper, and through the murk, he saw her. Pale skin, long black hair floating around her face like seaweed. Her eyes glowed faintly green. She smiled, and the water around her shimmered.
“You came to me,” she said, her voice like water slipping through fingers. “You’ve been calling for me without knowing.”
He couldn’t speak. The pressure crushed his chest. He tried to swim up, but she circled him. Her fingers brushed his cheek.
“I can free you,” she whispered. “No pain, no fear. Give me your soul, and you will breathe again.”
Her words echoed in his head. He felt his lungs burn, his body thrash against the darkness. She smiled again, wider this time, revealing teeth that were sharp and black.
“Choose, Ardi.”
He screamed, the bubbles breaking around his face, and everything went black.
They found his boat two days later, empty but dry inside. The villagers said the lake was calm that day, too calm again. At night, people walking near the shore said they heard humming. Some swore they saw a figure beneath the surface, pale and still, her hair flowing in circles.
Sometimes, the water would ripple even when there was no wind. And if you listened closely, you could hear her voice, soft and slow, calling out a name.
Always the same name.
Ardi.
They say she never lets go once you answer her. She waits for you to return, whispering promises of peace, of release, of freedom. But what she takes, she never gives back.
At Danau Hitam, the water does not forgive. It only collects.
