The night sky covers the Capitol as Mayari and Wan wait on top of the hill. Wan lay down as he stared completely in a trance towards the full moon. Meanwhile, Mayari starts pacing back and forth, waiting for someone. Her hands clutched tightly around her elbows as beads of sweat began to race one by one down her forehead.
"Oi, do you wanna poop?" Wan asked as he noticed the young princess' pacing.
The moonlight highlighted the flush spreading across Mayari's cheeks. "Hah!? Y–you idiot, of course not!!!" she snapped, voice raised in flustered denial. Wan simply shrugged and lay back down.
Ten more minutes had passed, and Wan felt something that made him stand up. Mayari asked Wan what was wrong. Wan gestured for her to be silent. Slowly, Wan took his arnis and pointed it at a shadowy man approaching them. He's wearing a dark hood that covers his face. Mayari squinted her eyes and smiled. She gestured at Wan to lay down his arnis.
"Good evening Elder Kuyo." Mayari bowed in respect.
The man removed his hood and bowed deeper at Mayari. "I'm glad to see you again, your highness." Kuyo let the stream of tears flow through his cheeks. "I'm so glad you are safe, Princess Mayari!" he dug deeper in his bow and apologized for his perceived incompetence in protecting her. "My hands were tied by the process my lady." He added.
Mayari grasped Kuyo's shoulders gently. "Don't worry, Lakay. I understand your situation." Moonlight washed over Kuyo's silver-white hair and warm brown skin, revealing the lines etched by decades of service to Tundun. His face carried the quiet exhaustion of a man who had given far too much for far too long.
"By the way… did you bring what I asked for?" Mayari asked.
Kuyo raised his head, and from the satchel at his side, he retrieved four scrolls made from interlinked strips of bamboo. "Yes, Princess, these are the documents you requested regarding Penumbra and Dagohoy's faction."
Mayari smiled faintly and accepted them. After securing the scrolls, she asked Kuyo about the theory she had written in the letter Wan delivered earlier. The old man breathed deeply before answering, turning his gaze toward Nilad. The cold wind swept through the hilltop, stirring his long silver-white hair like a banner under moonlight.
"Hhhmmm… to be honest," Kuyo began, "your theory holds weight, Princess." He faced her again, his expression somber. "But all of it remains circumstantial…"
"But there's a high chance I'm right, isn't there!?" Wan heard the desperation... no, the weight, behind every word that left Mayari's mouth.
Kuyo stepped closer, resting a steady hand on her shoulder. "Princess," he said gently, "calm yourself." His eyes searched hers, firm yet compassionate. "I know you are only sixteen… but remember what I told you, Princess Mayari. You must learn to speak with wisdom, and decide with even greater care."
Mayari's fists tightened again, her breathing growing heavier by the moment. "Princess," Kuyo said softly, "you are intelligent. The most intelligent student I've ever taught. But remember this, wisdom is not the same as intelligence."
Mayari inhaled several times, slowly, grounding herself. When her breathing finally steadied, she looked at Kuyo and whispered, "I understand, Elder… thank you."
The old man smiled gently and continued, "Thank Kan-laon… now then, let's return to your theory—" He stopped. Mayari's complexion had turned pale, sweat beading down her temples.
"Princess… are you alright?" Kuyo asked urgently. Wan immediately stood and caught her before she collapsed.
"Oi oi, what happened to you?"
"I—I'm fine…" Mayari answered weakly. "It's because of the incantation I used earlier."
She leaned back against a tree, forcing her breath to steady. "If that's the case… then there is a strong possibility that bastard Yizmael was involved in my father's death. He and Aslon both." Her teeth ground together. "Those animals will do anything to control Tundun."
Wan couldn't hold back his curiosity anymore. "Wait, wait, isn't this Yizmael already the Governor-General here in Tundun? Doesn't that mean he already controls Tundun?"
Kuyo answered quickly, "It is not that simple, young man." A strong wind swept through the hilltop once again, as clouds slowly drifted in, covering the moon.
"The Empire uses Governors-General to oversee their colonies," Mayari explained, still catching her breath. "They also make sure Iberia's laws are enforced properly."
Wan handed her water, and she drank before continuing. "Even so, the Governor-General's power is limited. He cannot interfere with a Datu's decisions unless they violate Iberian law."
Mayari turned her gaze toward Nilad, the heart of Tundun. "Iberia calls this the Pax Imperium."
"Hhmm… let me guess," Wan said. "They made this Pax Imperium to keep their conquered lands quiet, right?"
"Correct. To pacify the colonies, they gave us an illusion of freedom," Mayari clarified.
Kuyo nodded proudly, like a teacher pleased with his student's insight. "In short, according to the princess's theory… there are two people who stand to gain the most from the Datu's sudden death: Yizmael and Aslon."
Mayari cut in. "Yizmael will support Aslon so he can make one of his sons the new Datu—most likely Sula. And once Sula becomes Datu, Yizmael can manipulate him easily from the shadows."
She forced herself to stand straighter. "I know Sula. Unlike his father, he's respectful and but gentle-hearted…"
Wan, still digesting everything, muttered, "Damn… I didn't know real-life politics was this complicated…"
Mayari allowed a faint smile. "There's still so much you don't see, Wan…"
As their conversation continued, a group of men crept toward them from a distance. Quiet, like lions waiting for the perfect moment to swallow their prey whole. They moved with deliberate softness, but Wan's heightened senses caught them instantly.
He didn't warn the others. Instead, he pretended not to notice, letting his body settle into stillness while his instincts coiled like a spring. Let them think they had the element of surprise.
The atmosphere grew heavier atop the forested hill. The only sound was the whisper of leaves brushing against one another and the branches of trees dancing. Slowly, the clouds peeled away from the moon, bathing the clearing in pale light.
A man in black signaled to the shadows around him. All of them wore matching garments—armor made from the hide of a lolong, a six-legged giant crocodile feared across Tundun.
Their orders were clear: capture Princess Mayari alive.
They moved in, tightening into a circle so escape was impossible. Just as the moon slipped behind the clouds again, their leader gave a quick hand gesture. Two men burst out from behind Mayari and Kuyo.
Wan's lips curved into a grin. He drew his arnis and leaped silent as a cat, fast as a falling star. Two sharp blows to the back of their necks, and both attackers crumpled to the ground.
The others faltered at his sudden counterattack. Kuyo pulled Mayari behind him, shielding her. Mayari, still reeling, steadied her breath and scanned the area with her eyes.
"Be careful, Wan…" she murmured. "Seems like they're a unit…" She crouched beside one of the unconscious men. "These bastards aren't Iberian soldiers. Or Tundun's either. Their uniforms don't match."
Wan nodded, his gaze sweeping the tree line. "How many should we expect?"
"Looks like a full hunting unit… probably ten. Plus, these two fuckers you put to sleep." Wan chuckled when he heard the word "sleep". She then moved to grab Wan's arm and pulled him behind a larger tree to gain even a sliver of cover.
Then a man emerged from the tall grass. An ikugan, his long, black tail wrapped around his waist like a belt. His sharp eyes studied Wan, calculating how the boy had sensed their ambush. His gaze drifted to his fallen men, then he smiled faintly and sheathed his kampilan.
The man shifted his attention to Mayari. "Good evening to you, Lord Mayari," he said with a courteous nod. "I am Epi Saldua… a Tagakolekta."
"Oh, and?" Wan cut in, unimpressed.
"And?" Epi smirked. "Lord Mayari is now considered a fugitive." He pointed casually at Kuyo. "Based on my investigation, the young princess is close to Elder Kuyo… so we've been shadowing him for days."
"So, you're bounty hunters," Mayari said.
"Pingpong. Correct," Epi replied smoothly.
"Hhhmm… bounty hunters…" Wan muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on his arnis.
Epi's gaze flicked back to Wan. "I saw what you did, boy." He extended a hand as if offering a handshake. "You put to sleep two of my men in a heartbeat."
Resting his hands on his hips, Epi looked almost… entertained.
Then, in a softer, temptingly friendly tone, he said:
"Would be a shame if you end up in prison just for protecting a fugitive maginoo…"
His smile sharpened. "Why not join my crew instead?"
Then, like an experienced salesman, Epi continued, "We're a group of trackers known as Laksamana. Surely, you've heard the name—"
He never finished his pitch. Because Wan, like a lunatic who suddenly remembered the punchline of a cosmic joke, burst into laughter.
"He… hehehe… hehehaha… AHA… AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter roared across the hilltop, drowning out even the wind. Confusion washed over the Laksamana. Epi's brows knitted in irritation.
"Is something funny about what I said?" Epi asked.
"Hahahaha—nothing, nothing at all…" Wan wiped tears from his eyes. Then he looked at Epi.
Then something shifted. Epi felt the hair on the back of his neck stand. A reflex he honed after years of hunting fugitives. Some of his men even took a step back, swallowing hard. Wan's smile stretched wider.
With a monotonous tone, Wan asked, "Who told you I put them to sleep?"
Epi's eyes widened. A chill crawled up his spine.
"I made sure," Wan said softly, still smiling, "that their spines shattered exactly the way I wanted."
"Ca - captain… he's dead… Mako is dead…" One of Epi's men knelt beside his fallen comrade, fingers on a pulseless wrist. The realization hit them like winter wind.
Fear.
Then rage.
"SON OF A BITCH YOU LUNATIC!!" Epi roared. "Everyone—ATTACK!"
All nine remaining hunters charged toward Wan in unison. Wan stepped forward to meet them, still smiling. His breathing was calm and serene He adjusted his footing. Leaned in. And launched himself forward.
The first hunter reached him. In a single, ruthless stroke, Wan struck the man's head. The body hit the ground, twitching. A second later, a scream tore from the man's throat as he felt the soft part of his brain shift beneath his cracked skull.
The remaining eight froze.
"Oi…" Wan said lightly. "Why'd you stop?" He took one step forward. They all took one step back. Another hunter lunged at him. Wan slipped aside with frightening ease, jumped upward, and brought his arnis down in a brutal arc like a fan.
The man blocked, exactly as Wan knew he would. Which left his ribs wide open. Wan's arnis slammed into his side. A sickening crack echoed. The man collapsed, clutching at a ribcage that no longer resembled a ribcage at all.
From the treeline, Mayari and Kuyo watched—speechless. Mayari's heart pounded. She had only seen Wan fight once before, but this… this was on a different plane entirely. A dance of violence. Terrifying, yet beautiful in its efficiency.
Beside her, Kuyo's eyes were fixed on Wan. "Princess… who is that boy?" he whispered.
One by one, the hunters fell. Until only a few remained. One of them, desperate and unseen, began crawling behind Mayari. The young princess didn't notice, her eyes glued to Wan's brutal choreography. The hunter slipped from behind a tree, reaching out to grab her, but a loud 'CRACK' echoed. Wan's arnis slammed straight into the man's forehead. His skull shattered like pottery. The body dropped at Mayari's feet.
Wan, panting but grinning like a man savoring every drop of chaos, called out: "If I were you, I'd start thinking of a way to take me down first."
He was clearly enjoying himself. In barely three minutes, he had already taken down everyone except two baylan bounty-hunters and Epi. The remaining hunters trembled, their resolve thinning like frayed rope.
Epi's expression darkened. He nodded toward the two baylan at his flanks.
They moved into formation, one on Wan's left, the other on his right, and began their panawag chant:
"Hounds of Likalibutan, hear our plea!
Bind our foe where they belong!
With binding shackles, fierce and strong!"
A golden chain wrapped in red light tore through the air and coiled around Wan's wrists, pulling them apart. Epi smirked and strode toward Wan.
"Don't bother struggling, boy. Those chains are made of Nu…" He grabbed a handful of Wan's hair, yanking his head up. "No matter how strong you are, you won't break them." He clicked his tongue. "Hmm… so you can use Nu too, judging by the Pira metals on your wrists. What a waste."
Epi stepped back and drew his kampilan, which then shifted and reshaped itself into a revolver glowing a deep, sinister violet.
"I'm a baylan as well," he said proudly. "Guhit is the path the gods granted me."
He pressed the cold muzzle to Wan's forehead. Wan strained against the glowing chains, every muscle in his body tensing like braided steel… but the Nu-forged bindings refused to yield. As Epi continued his smug lecture, something deep inside Wan stirred.
A vision flickered in his mind:
Three figures, two men and one woman, bloodied, exhausted, yet smiling down at him as he lay dying. Then another image. An old, muscularly built man, opening his mouth to speak-
But reality dragged Wan back. The revolver pressed harder against his forehead. Epi's finger tightened on the trigger... And then—
"AAARRGGG, SHIT!!!"
Epi staggered back, clutching his bleeding forehead. He spun toward Mayari. She stood with a stone in hand… and another stone already loaded and ready in the other, just in case the first one missed. Blinded for a heartbeat, Epi's vision swam— Exactly the opening Wan needed.
Wan's foot shot up, striking Epi squarely where it hurt most. Epi's soul left his body for a moment. His eyes rolled back, his world tilted sideways, as he collapsed to his knees, silently questioning every ancestor who ever allowed him to be born into this fate. He crumpled, trembling on the ground—alive, unfortunately for him.
Wan flicked one of his arnis upward with his foot, sending it flying like a spear toward the baylan on the left. It struck him clean on the forehead, breaking his focus and shattering the panawag spell instantly.
The golden chains on his left evaporated. Wan whirled, delivering a brutal spinning kick to the neck of the remaining baylan. The man dropped like a sack of stones. Desperate, Epi crawled toward the revolver he'd lost. But Wan was faster.
A sharp kick sent the weapon skidding deep into the grass. Wan crouched beside him and seized him by the throat, lifting him. His smile spread across his face.
"How does it feel?" Wan hissed. His grip tightened. "How does it feel to be restrained?"
Epi clawed at his hands, choking, terrified as Wan tightened his fingers more. Mayari watched, frozen, her heart racing as she saw Wan's fierce expression. The calm, happy-go-lucky companion she'd known seemed to vanish, replaced by something that looked like a wrathful demon. For a moment, she wondered if this was even the same Wan, she'd been with earlier. Epi's legs flailed on the ground as he tried to free himself, his hands clawing desperately at Wan's iron grip around his neck.
Mayari swallowed, steadying herself before calling out to him. "Let him go, Wan! I need him alive."
Wan's gaze shifted to her, and he reluctantly released his grip, letting Epi crumple to the ground, gasping for air. Mayari walked toward the bodies lying on the ground. Then she found something and murmured, "This will do…"
She took out her dagger. Wan noticed the trembling in her hand, the tight clench in her jaw. He sighed, stood, and walked toward her.
"I'll do it," he said, taking her hand. Their bare hands touched, calming her slightly.
"What do you want me to do?"
"T - take his ear…"
Wan frowned, not at the task itself, but at trying to understand her plan. Still, he bent down and did what she asked, then handed her the severed ear. Mayari removed the earring from it and replaced it with her own. One of the last pairs her father had given her.
She steadied herself and approached Epi.
"If you want money, here."
She handed him the ear with her earring attached.
"Tell those bastards in the palace that you killed Mayari after a bloody fight."
She took a deep breath. "Show them this ear as proof. Tell them you couldn't retrieve my whole body because a short-haired woman arrived and stopped you."
Epi stared into her eyes, trying to decipher her intention. "Once you get the money, leave Tundun and never show yourself to me again. Because if you do, I won't stop him next time."
Epi swallowed hard and nodded quickly. He wrapped the ear in cloth and fled. Mayari tried to stand, but her knees suddenly gave out. Before she could fall, Wan caught her immediately. Kuyo approached her too, trying to catch her.
"Princess, what's your plan? They'll find out soon that your death isn't real…" Kuyo asked
"I know…" she answered weakly as Wan helped her sit down. "I just need a few days without heavy surveillance so I can escape the Capitol."
"I'm sorry, princess… because of me—"
She cut him off. "It's alright. What happened actually worked in my favor. The Capitol isn't safe for me… Elder Kuyo, you will be my eyes inside the palace and the Capitol."
Kuyo bowed with quiet respect. "Thank you for your trust, Princess." He stepped toward Wan next, clasping the boy's hand in a firm grip as he locked eyes with him.
"Boy, promise me you'll protect the princess."
Wan shifted awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Hah… ahhh, yeah, yeah—fine."
Kuyo bids them farewell, tightening his cloak before turning toward the winding path back to Nilad. Mayari stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"Elder, be careful," she said, the worry slipping through her steady tone. "If bounty hunters were already tracking me, they might still be nearby."
Kuyo offered her a reassuring smile, the kind born from decades of danger and diplomacy. "Don't worry Princess Mayari, I might be old. But I'm also a baylan remember? If anything, you shouldbe the one to take care. The Capitol is no place for carelessness now." He gave them one last nod before disappearing into the trees, his silhouette swallowed by the shifting shadows.
With that, Mayari and Wan began their journey back to camp. As they walked, Wan noticed Mayari's movements growing sluggish, her shoulders drooping, her steps faltering. She didn't complain, but exhaustion clung to her like a second skin.
Without warning, Wan stepped beside her and lifted her onto his back in one swift motion.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing!?" Mayari yelped, immediately flustered as warmth rushed to her cheeks. "Put me down!"
She squirmed angrily, but Wan only tightened his hold. "Relax," he said with a teasing smirk. "We move faster like this. And honestly? I'm already starving again and kinda sleepy. I want to get back already." He chuckled softly, "Also… you don't really have a choice," and though she tried to protest again, her resistance faded.
As they moved through the moonlit forest, Wan felt the warmth of her breathing near his ear, the soft weight of her small frame settling onto his back. Her grip on his shoulders slowly loosened, as if trusting him came naturally. Mayari, despite herself, allowed a tiny smile. She felt strangely safe.
"You know," Wan murmured, "you're not as heavy as I thought."
"Oh wow," she replied, her tone light and teasing, "is that supposed to be a compliment? I'm tiny... why would you expect me to be heavy?"
"So grumpy," Wan muttered, amused. He tilted his head just slightly to catch a glimpse of her eyes reflecting the moonlight. For a heartbeat, they locked eyes. Wan's chest tightened unexpectedly. Mayari quickly looked away, her cheeks flushed again.
A few minutes later, Wan realized she had fallen asleep. When they reached the tent, he lowered her gently onto the bed. He pulled a blanket over her, careful not to wake her. Nearby, Given was already asleep, shirt riding up, belly exposed, mouth hanging open.
"How was your little getaway?" Hiraya asked while lighting a cigarette. Wan grabbed a rag and wiped the blood from his arnis.
"Not bad," he answered with a faint smile. "Mayari's… well, she's interesting."
He glanced at her sleeping figure, a soft, almost protective expression crossing his face.
"She's a paradox," he whispered.
"Paradox?" Hiraya tilted her head and laughed. "Reading again, aren't you?"
"Yup… both strong and fragile at the same time."
He set his arnis down and stepped outside. Under the open sky, Wan breathed in deeply, the cold forest air filling his lungs. The scent of wild citronella floated gently between the trees. He climbed onto a sturdy branch of a tall tree and settled there.
Sleep tugged at him slowly. But before drifting off, he stared up at the moon, full, bright, haunting.
And like a ghost slipping through the cracks of his consciousness, unfamiliar faces surfaced in his mind again. Three wounded people—two men, one woman—smiling down at him. And then an older man, strong, rugged, started to speak before the vision shattered.
It always happened when he looked at the full moon. He didn't even notice the single tear that escaped and slid down his cheek before he finally drifted into sleep.