The weeks following the summit were a blur.
Interviews. Appearances. Requests from creature communities worldwide wanting to replicate Dumaguete's success.
Glad was exhausted, overwhelmed, and happier than she'd ever been.
"You need to rest," Ariel insisted as she stumbled through yet another video call.
"Can't. Malaysia wants to start their own community center. They need advice."
"They need you to sleep. You're 173. You're not young anymore."
"I'm timeless."
"You're stubborn."
But even Glad had limits.
Three months after the summit, she finally collapsed—not dramatically, just... stopped. Sat down. Couldn't get up.
"Burnout," Kim diagnosed. "You've been running at full speed for over a year. Your body—supernatural or not—needs a break."
"I can't stop. There's too much to do."
"There will always be too much to do. That's not the point." Kim sat beside her. "Glad, you built something incredible. But if you destroy yourself maintaining it, what was the point?"
Glad looked at her hands. At the wings she'd hidden for so long. At the life she'd accidentally created.
"What do I do?"
"You delegate. Trust your team. Take a vacation."
"A vacation? Where?"
"Somewhere without cameras. Without interviews. Without expectations."
Ariel appeared, holding a brochure. "I have an idea."
The brochure read: "Siquijor Supernatural Retreat—Healing, Meditation, and Blood Spritzers. Disconnect to Reconnect."
"A creature spa?"
"A creature spa. One week. Just us. And Anino."
Anino, hearing his name, looked up with interest.
"A spa," Glad repeated. "For creatures."
"Hot springs that don't burn sensitive skin. Meditation led by ancient engkanto. Meals prepared by a chef who understands dietary restrictions." Ariel smiled. "You deserve this."
Glad looked at the brochure. At Ariel. At Anino.
"One week?"
"One week."
"With no phones?"
"Rigen will handle emergencies."
She took a deep breath.
"Okay. Let's do it."
The creature community threw them a going-away party that lasted two days.
Then, finally, Glad, Ariel, and Anino departed for Siquijor.
For the first time in over a year, Glad wasn't "the Manananggal who went viral."
She was just Glad.
Flying over the sea with the being she loved and the cat who'd saved her life.
It was perfect.