Being trapped in a deadly fantasy land is the last thing I expected the moment I asked ma'am Sanchez for a special project. If I only knew, if only I knew these things would happen to me, I would just let her fail me, then ask mom to go to school and rant at her. My eyes still feel heavy and swollen from all the crying last night. I sniffed the snot running down my nose, then took a sip of the sinigang broth Mayari handed me. She was sitting at the side, quietly reading the book she'd found on the floor earlier. Tss, careful with that, girl, might end up sucking you in too.
Hiraya walked in, puffing on another cigarette. Seriously, were her lungs made of iron?
"Oh, how are you? Is Wan tasty?" she asked.
"Huh?" I replied.
Her expressions turned serious. "Where do you think did, I got that meat?" this bitch.
"Mayari has already told me about that prank." I said while sipping the broth, "She told me while handing the bowl. Said you'll probably do the same to me." I have no time for this kindda shits.
She rolled her eyes and gave Mayari an irritated look while murmuring, "Bitch..." She pouted like a child. She sat at one of the stools. When she noticed what Mayari was reading, she raised her eyebrow.
Even I turned my attention to the book she's reading. It's not the same one that brought me here. It is red, and on the front, the written characters looked familiar to me, but I could not read them.
"That's Baybayin right?" I uttered.
"That's Kulitan, idiot," Hiraya interjected. The audacity of this bitch? She returned her attention to Mayari, "So, you can read Kulitan?"
Mayari, still glued to the book, answered, "Yes, elder Jubal taught me how." She turned the page, "That's back when I was still six." Then she looked upon the book's cover again, and then she whispered, "Penibatan na ning Teya" wait...
Hiraya saw how my expression shifted and asked, "Are you Kapampangan?" I nodded. She smirked and noted, "Well that explains the accent."
I stood up, my curiosity is eating me alive, well… that too, besides the fact that I don't even really know what's happening. "What is Teya? Tundun? and also, what is this world!?"
Hiraya lit a new ciggy and explained, "Teya is the planet," she blew out smoke, "And Tundun is one of the four kingdoms that exist after Ma-I's collapse thousands of years ago." Wow, did that just not explain anything!?
"Wait, Ma-i?"
"A great empire that once spanned the whole continent where the four kingdoms of Pailah, Binuangan, Puliran, and Tundun are. This was also the empire where these four kingdoms came from." Mayari explained further.
Mayari proceeded to tell me the tale of how the world of Teya began according to the book. Something about a goddess named Kan-lao… yeah, I remembered that back in my world, Kan-laon's a volcano. And then she continued how Kan-laon created two more gods out of loneliness. Kaptan, the sky god, and Magwayen, the sea goddess.
Mayari closed the book, then sighed—as if the whole explanation had drained the life out of her. She flipped it open once again now, at the middle and smirked.
"Minokawa…" she whispered.
I leaned in to see what part she was reading. There was a drawing of a massive, burning bird… a phoenix! And it was devouring a bleeding moon.
"Wait…" Mayari said. "This is wrong... the tale here is a little different from what I was taught in the palace…" Confusion and doubt were written across her face. "The palace books say that when Minokawa swallowed the fourth moon, it simply vanished."
She looked back down at the pages. "But in your copy… Haliya killed it?"
Hiraya smiled, visibly amused by Mayari's reaction. "There's a lot you still don't know about this planet's real history, Princess." She stood and walked toward the entrance of the tent. Pulling the flap open, she let the sunlight spill inside. "There were many who hungered for the remaining moons… the Arimaonga, the Tambanokano, and most of all… the Bakunawa."
I noticed the shift in Hiraya's eyes when she said that. I heard that one before. Our teacher in World Religion mentioned it to us when he briefly tackled religion in the Philippines before the Spaniards came. If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Sales described it as a sea serpent that desired to eat the moon.
"All of them wanted to devour the moon… or to be exact, all of them wanted to kill Bulan," Hiraya added. "But among them, only the Bakunawa had the courage to stand against Kaptan…"
"Kaptan? The god of the heavens? First-born of Lord Kan-Laon?" Mayari asked, seeking clarity.
"Yes… Wasn't that taught to you?"
"N–no…" Mayari replied.
Hiraya turned back to us. "The Bakunawa—" She didn't get to finish, because a voice suddenly screamed from outside:
"TEACHER!!! OOII!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!! I CAN'T FIND THE ENTRANCE!!"
It sounded like Wan. Hiraya let out a long sigh and stepped outside to drag him in. Mayari and I both froze when he came into view. He had a sharp, well-defined nose, warm chocolate-brown eyes, and of course, that unmistakable silver hair…
But more than anything, most his wounds were gone. Every cut he'd taken last night was almost wiped clean, like they never happened. He was carrying meat, vegetables, and bundles of firewood.
"That panawag spell you put on the tent was way too strong, hahaha… even I couldn't see where the entrance was," Wan said with a grin as he set everything down.
"Has anyone seen you?" Hiraya inquired.
"Nope. Though there are lots of Tunduvan soldiers searching the forest." Wan replied, collapsing onto the floor like a child who had just finished playing.
"How's Nilad?" Mayari chimed in. "Have you heard anything about the current situation on the palace?"
Wan looked up and—good lord, this pig—started picking his nose right in front of us. "Nothing much… but something slowed me down earlier…" he said, rolling his booger into a tiny ball and flicking it outside. A shiver of disgust crawled all over my body. "They hanged some people at the Plaza earlier… babaylans…"
When Mayari heard Wan's words, I noticed her breathing slowed for a moment. Then her voice cracked. "Hey… are you okay?" I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She slowly shrugged my hand off.
"Wan… did they suffer?" she asked.
"Hhhmm, from what I saw, one of them had their neck snapped…" FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WAN!? Does this man not understand basic human emotion!?
I heard Mayari's teeth grinding. Her face flushed red. Tears spilled down her cheeks. "THOSE ANIMALS!!! THOSE FUCKING SONS OF BITCHES!!!" My ears almost bled—not from the volume, but from how she crisply fired those curses. "That fucking Yizmael!"
"Oi, is your friend okay?" Wan asked me. Even Hiraya looked shocked at Mayari's notorious mouth.
"That animal…" Mayari's eyes blazed. "He couldn't execute Babaylan Rikardo before because he didn't have enough evidence to present… My father was also the one who stops Yizmael from doing everything he wants… but now…"
"Oi oi, chill down…" Wan tried.
She ignored him completely. "THAT SON OF THE BIGGEST FUCKING— I SWEAR I'LL MAKE HIM PA— wait…" Mayari suddenly stopped.
"You know, for a maginoo, you swear dirtier than I do," Wan muttered. Mayari's eyes sharpened; she clearly thought of something else.
She stood and faced Hiraya, who had been watching her whole emotional breakdown with all the enthusiasm of a cat staring at laundry. "Lady Hiraya… can you accompany me to the Capitol?"
"Nope," Hiraya answered instantly, not even pretending to think. "What you want to do is dangerous."
"I know," Mayari said, eyes sharp and serious. "Don't worry… no one will recognize me."
"Hhhhmmm, to tell you the truth, I'm just too lazy to go out," Hiraya replied, shaking her head and pointing her lips toward Wan. "Take my idiot student instead."
"Oi, hold on, why me!? I just got here!"
Mayari went straight to him, bent down, and held his hands. "P-please, Wan… there's something I need to do…" Damn. Mayari really knows how to work people. Wan's face turned red as she held his hands like begging for something... well she is, but still.
Wan sighed hard, got to his feet, and slung his arnis across his back.
"Fine, fine… let's go…"
Mayari smiled and bowed before him. "Thank you, Wan."
Wan tore his gaze away, flustered. "O-okay, okay, let's go."
"But wait, I have to do something first." She stood and stepped out of the tent.
Half an hour later, an old man walked inside. I shot to my feet, and Wan instantly reached for his arnis.
"OI, WHO ARE YOU, OLD MAN!?" Wan barked. I scanned the room, looking for anything I could grab as a weapon.
"Hahahahaha!" the old man laughed loudly— Wait, wait…
"Mayari!?" I blurted out. This bitch.
"I told you, no one will recognize me." A wooden ashtray suddenly flew across the room and hit Wan square on the head.
BAAGG! "OW!"
We turned toward the culprit, and oh shit. Hiraya stood there, looking both irritated and disappointed. "You dimwit! You didn't even notice her Nu signature!?" she yelled.
Wan scratched his head and muttered something about forgetting, which only made Hiraya angrier. She rushed him and began stomping on him—body, face, everything.
Gosh… and I thought my teachers were brutal… While Hiraya was beating Wan into a lesson he would never forget, Mayari approached me and told me to stay behind with Hiraya.
And I was like—girl, that's the best idea you've had since we met. After all the madness I went through in your capital, I'm not going back there. No thanks.
_________________________________________________________
For now, we leave Given behind and follow this unlikely duo. The two stepped out of the tent together and began their walk toward the Nilad. The young princess's face made her thoughts plain, the weight of what she needed to do sat heavily on her.
They entered once more into the heart of the forest, and it was immediately clear that the trees here were taller than those they had left behind. Their branches formed something like rooftops overhead, blocking the harsh light of midday. The rustle of leaves filled the air each time the wind swept through, a steady whisper accompanying their every step.
They crossed paths with several unit of Tundun soldiers, but thanks to Wan, they managed to avoid every single one. After hours of trekking, Mayari although tired, couldn't help glancing his way. He looked about her age. Her eyes drifted to his deep brown gaze, then down to the metal Pira clasped around his wrist.
"Wan, when did you start wearing that Pira?" Mayari asked as they neared the mouth of the forest.
"Hhhmmm, I've had this on ever since I gained consciousness," Wan replied.
Confusion crept across Mayari's face. "You mean… you've been wearing that since you were a child?"
"To be honest, I really dunno. All I remember is that by the time I was seven, these were already on me." They paused for a moment. Mayari was out of breath again. This had happened at least three times since they left the tent.
Wan leaned against a tree and continued, "Besides that, I don't remember anything before the day I met Teacher."
"Huh?" Mayari's brows furrowed as she eased herself down beside him. "You mean… you have no memories from before you were seven?"
"Yup. My very first memory is Teacher trying to force-feed me while her whole body was covered in bandages and bruises," Wan clarified, only making things even more confusing for Mayari. Still, she pushed the thought to the back of her mind for now.
A few minutes later, she stood up again, forcing herself to walk despite the throbbing pain in her feet after hours of travel. It was around 5:30 when the two finally reached the capitol. Mayari was drenched in sweat, while Wan looked as relaxed as ever, as if he hadn't just walked more than fifteen kilometers.
Making things even worse for Mayari was the thick layer of makeup she'd put on for her disguise. She now wore a blue shirt, pants and straw sandals, matching those worn by Wan and many other timawa across Ma-i.
"Oi, you, okay?" Wan asked.
"Yes… I'm fine…" Mayari answered between breaths.
"Want me to carry you?" Wan joked.
"Are you nuts!?" Mayari snapped back immediately.
"So fussy…" Wan muttered under his breath.
"What did you say!?"
"Nothing. I said let's go."
Unlike the quieter towns of Tundun, Nilad was a restless beast, crowded, breathing, loud. Most of the buildings towered three floors high, carved from solid stone. Vendors lined every corner and alley, hawking all sorts of goods: vegetables, kitchen tools, clothes, charms, and trinkets nobody really needed but somehow still bought.
Many of the traders were humans, but a good number were kalanget, three-foot-tall humanoids with sharp ears and snow-white hair, darting between stalls with surprising agility.
Mayari kept glancing around, eyes sharp and restless as she scanned every corner of the Capitol. Wan trailed behind her, hands laced behind his head like he was out for a casual stroll instead of sneaking through a guarded city.
"Oi, princess, where are we even going?" Wan murmured.
"Shhh. Just follow my lead," Mayari whispered back. "And stop calling me princess while we're here. What do you think this disguise is for?"
Wan raised his brows and muttered, "Oookkaayyy…"
Mayari murmured something under her breath, too soft for Wan to catch. Wan, suddenly became busy shooing away a dragonfly that had decided his nose was prime real estate.
"Here," she whispered. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward a cozy-looking hotel with a painted wooden sign that read "El Casa de Hermosa".
Inside, the two were greeted by a polished marble floor gleaming under lantern light, and massive round columns rising toward an ornate ceiling. Wan immediately flopped into one of the cushioned chairs, stretching his legs out as if he owned the place. Mayari, keeping her disguise intact, strode straight to the receptionist.
She cleared her throat—once, twice—then rasped out, "Good evening to you lady…" Her voice scraped like sand on stone, weary and frayed. Even her eyes sagged with exhaustion.
"Good evening, sir," the young woman replied with a bright, polite smile. "How can I help you? Do you need room?"
"Ahhh… ahh, eh… how do I even begin…" Mayari fidgeted in front of the receptionist, pretending to be confused. Her voice trembled, her eyes darting away as if drowning in shame. "The truth is, I'm looking for my daughter…"
The receptionist tilted her head, brows pinching together. "I'm sorry, sir, but… could you clarify what you mean?"
"I–I am Artemio Ricaforte…" Mayari stammered, then pointed at Wan, who, at that exact moment, was standing beneath the chandelier, staring up at it like he'd never seen electricity in his life. "That boy… he's, my nephew. Someone told me my daughter ran off… and this is where she eloped with her lover…" She looked straight into the receptionist's eyes, voice quivering. "Child… may I know if she's here?"
The receptionist frowned, not out of annoyance but sympathy. "Oh… I'm really sorry, sir… but I'm not allowed to reveal who our guests are."
Mayari lowered her head and let out a soft, pitiful sob. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I… I see, I see…" she said, her voice cracking under the weight of her own sorrow.
Wan was now completely absorbed in the show. The chandelier forgotten. This was way more entertaining.
"I really do want to help you," the receptionist added gently, "but I really can't break the rules…"
"It's alright, dear… none of this is your fault…" Mayari murmured, turning away slowly, her shoulders trembling, perfectly embodying the role of a tragic old father. "I just wanted to see her… before I…" She didn't finish.
She had barely taken three slow, defeated steps when— "W–wait, sir!"
Mayari stopped mid-step, a smile crept on her face. "Hmmm?"
"Ah… maybe this will work…" The receptionist leaned in, lowering her voice. "I'll check if your daughter is here. If she is, I'll visit her room later during my break and tell her to meet you outside."
Mayari's eyes lit up with manufactured hope. "R–really? But… what if you lose your job?"
"Don't worry, sir. I'll be careful," she reassured him with a smile.
"Thank you, young lady! Truly, thank you."
"What is your daughter's name, sir?"
"Anita Ricaforte…"
The receptionist quickly scanned the guest list. Then she scanned it again. And again. After a moment, she shook her head gently.
"I'm very sorry, sir… but your daughter isn't listed here."
Mayari didn't answer immediately. Her eyes weren't even on the receptionist anymore, she seemed to be staring past her, as if noticing something else entirely.
"Sir…?" the receptionist asked softly. "Sir, are you alright?"
"H–huh? Ah. Are you sure she isn't there, dear?"
"Yes, sir. I'm sure."
"Maybe try looking under her lover's name. Mariano Dimaguiba… that's his name."
The receptionist checked again, scrolling down slowly, carefully. Then she sighed. "I'm sorry, sir… still not on the list. If you'd like, you can—"
The receptionist didn't finish, as a dragonfly suddenly flew right across Mayari's face.
"It's fine miss…" Mayari murmured. She straightened her posture just slightly, offering the receptionist a weary smile. "I don't want your job put at risk… I'll just wait outside, if ever."
The receptionist bowed her head gratefully. Mayari tipped her chin at Wan, and he immediately jumped into character, slipping an arm under hers as if helping an old man walk.
Once they were far enough from the lobby's warm lamplight, Wan finally let go and asked, "Okay, what was that all about?"
Mayari stopped walking. "Is anyone following us?" she asked quietly.
"None," Wan replied without hesitation.
Her voice shifted, no more tremble, no more theatrics. This was her real tone, sharp as a freshly honed blade. "Wan, I need you to do something for me."
Wan crossed his arms, frowning. "Oi-Oi, Look, I know you're a princess here, but I'm not Tundunvan. And besides, I'm starving. And when I'm hungry, NO ONE gets to boss me around."
"After this," Mayari said calmly, "I'll take care of your dinner."
"What do you need me to do, Princess?" he asked, suddenly filled with determination.
Mayari handed him a sealed letter. On the envelope was a drawn symbol: an open book with two crossed swords behind it. "By now, he can't be far," she said. "Wan, I want you to find a carriage with this symbol on its door. Deliver this letter to the man inside. Quietly."
Wan blinked, his brain clearly wandering to whatever dinner reward he pictured. Mayari caught the vacant look and raised a brow. She asked Wan if he understood her. Wan repeated the instructions back to her—word for word—earning a satisfied nod.
"Start with the side streets where there are fewer people," Mayari added. "Most likely, the carriage will pass through there. After you give him the letter, meet me at that place."
She pointed toward a large panciteria bustling at the corner. A grin stretched across Wan's face. "Nice, okay. Let me take care of it."
He tucked the letter into the sash on his waist and sprinted off. Mayari watched him go. The boy moved like some cat born acrobat, leaping lightly onto a rooftop, then another, his steps silent as falling dust. Within seconds, he vanished into the city's tangle of roofs and shadows.
The moonlight flickered across him in brief flashes as he darted between buildings. From a higher perch, he spotted the marked carriage rolling toward a grand mansion, its polished frame gleaming faintly under the streetlamps.
Wan crouched low, body coiled like a slinky. As the carriage slowed over a road hump, he made his move. In one fluid motion, he dropped from a second-floor balcony, twisting midair, landing silently into the moving carriage as if gravity itself had stepped aside to let him through.
The man inside gasped. He opened his mouth to shout for the two guards at the out in front. However, Wan's hand clamped over his lips before a sound could escape. Wan's eyes were calm. Almost playful. Like he'd simply hopped in to say hello.
Outside, the world kept moving, the carriage wheels clattering, horses snorting, the mansion gates drawing nearer. Completely unaware of the silent intruder hidden within.
"Good evening, Ginoong Kuyo…" Wan whispered, calm. "This one's for you." He slipped the letter into the elder's hand.
Before Kuyo could even react, Wan had already slipped out of the carriage as gracefully as he had entered—silent, swift, invisible.
Meanwhile, Mayari waited at the panciteria. She'd chosen the dimmest corner, her disguise still in place. Not a single guard inside the shop had any idea that the fugitive princess they were hunting was sitting just a few tables away, calmly pretending to be an elderly man having dinner.
When Wan entered, he was greeted by a wave of aromas, pancit bihon sizzling on a hot wok, sisig crackling on a metal plate, steam rising like a fragrant ghost from bowls of soup.
"Damn, that smells good…" he muttered, eyes shining. The moment he spotted Mayari, he plopped onto the bamboo chair across from her.
"Oi," Wan announced as he settled in, "Job's done."
"You look hungry," Mayari said with a small smile. "Go ahead. Order whatever you want."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Wan barked triumphantly.
The server rushed over, and Wan excitedly pointed at nearly everything on the menu: menudo, kaldereta, pancit guisado, sinigang, pritong manok. The table quickly filled with dishes, steam swirling upward like incense in a shrine.
Wan wasted no time. He dove into the food with unashamed enthusiasm. While he ate like a starving wolf, Mayari found herself watching him—his ease, his simplicity, the strange comfort he radiated. Her lips tugged upward, not quite realizing she was smiling.
"Oi, what's that look for?" Wan muttered through a mouthful of chicken.
"H–huh?" Mayari snapped out of her daze.
"You know… that stare you're giving me is kinda weird," Wan said in a low voice, leaning in. "Plus, you're disguised as some old man. People might think I'm into, you know… seniors."
Mayari flushed beneath the layers of makeup and swiftly changed the subject. "Ah—no, I just… I wanted to ask you something."
"What?"
"Why did you help us?"
"Hmmm… no special reason," Wan replied casually. "One of the guards grabbed my pouch. Then I heard you scream." He slurped his soup like it was nothing. "So, that's that."
"That's it?" Mayari asked, stunned.
"Yep. Oh, right… I wonder how red-head is doing now?" Wan added. "Think he's still alive?"
Mayari shook her head slowly, realizing that the only reason she was still breathing was because Wan had lost a pouch. Night deepened, and so did her thoughts.
"Oi, you okay?" Wan asked, gulping down water.
"Yeah," she replied quietly.
While chewing, Wan couldn't hold his curiosity any longer. "So what really happened at the hotel earlier?"
Mayari smiled, sat up a bit straighter, and began to explain. Then she sang softly under her breath—her voice low, melodic, ancient:
"O Dalikamata, hear my plea,
Grant me a thousand mirrored eyes to see,
Let them watch in the name of your starlit decree."
A faint green glow pulsed at the tip of Mayari's index finger, and from that light, a dragonfly materialized, its wings shimmering. It fluttered around them, gliding past steaming bowls and chattering patrons.
"Oh… okay, so what's this supposed to be?" Wan asked, leaning in.
Mayari gently put her finger on his forehead. "See?"
Wan blinked, then grinned widely. "Hahaha, nice!"
"This dragonfly was summoned by my Nu…" Mayari said, though her breathing grew heavier. "Whatever it sees, hears, or smells, I sense it too."
"Alright, alright… gets— I mean, I understand." Wan nodded. "But what does that have to do with what you did back at the inn?"
Mayari released the spell, the dragonfly dissolving into thin air. Sweat dotted her brow. "It was obvious, wasn't it? Everything I said to that woman at the front desk was made up." She drew a deep breath. "I did it to confirm if Elder Kuyo was still somewhere in the Capitol by checking if he checked out of the hotel… but I can't control the dragonfly if I'm too far away."
"Ooohh, so that's why we needed to go inside."
"Exactly. And it would've been suspicious if we just sat there waiting for nothing…"
"So, you created a reason for them to keep us inside."
"Right. And when I finally located Elder Kuyo's private room…" Mayari shook her head, recalling the sight. "His towel was still damp and unfolded. His tea was half-full and still steaming."
She took a sip of water, trying to steady her breath. "So, tell me... what does that suggest?"
Wan leaned back, thinking aloud. "Hmm… if his towel was still wet, he probably just finished bathing. And his tea is still hot, and the towel wasn't folded… that means he had to leave in a hurry?"
A smile curved across Mayari's lips. "Correct. Just like the other elders, Elder Kuyo is precise, orderly. There's no way he'd leave his things like that unless something urgent happened. And because his tea was still warm, it means we just missed him…"
She lifted her cup, staring at her trembling hand. "Fuck this…" she muttered. "It was just a simple incantation… and I nearly fainted."
Wan finished the last of his meal, then asked what came next. Mayari told him they needed to wait until midnight within sight of the Nilad.
After he finally finished eating, the two made their way to a hill at the city's edge. From the top, the Capitol glowed in the distance, lanterns burning like rows of golden stars. The wind was cool, fragrant with night-blooming flowers, brushing past them in soft waves.
Ten minutes before midnight, a figure in a black cloak approached from the treeline. Wan felt it instantly. His muscles tightened. He reached for his arnis, drawing them in a smooth motion.
Mayari raised a hand. "Lower your weapons."
Wan hesitated, watching the cloaked figure advance. Mayari stepped forward, removed her disguise, and bowed her head.
"Good evening," she greeted the newcomer, her voice steady despite the tension threading the air.