Mermaid Blues: Beasts, Giants and Spirits

The Sun and Three Moons

It is already three o'clock in the afternoon.

Gilhameer, who is lying on a table, is fast asleep inside the laboratory room. On a table beside the one he was on, there is Kendrick who is also asleep. Meanwhile, a howl from the outside suddenly opened Gilhameer's eyes. He immediately got up as he caught his breath. He slowly turned his head to the right. He saw Kendrick lying on a table. There's a towel covering his topless body. He immediately approached him - worrying about what might have happened to him.

"Ken!" He shook him gently. "Kendrick!"

Luckily, he responded.

"Hmmm...I am still sleepy. Wake me up later," he moaned.

"Oh...Thank God!"

Gilhameer was happy to hear that he was fine and well. Ken rolled to his left. The towel that was covering him unveiled something that made Gilhameer shocked. Kendrick's shoulder is cleaned up. His wounds were miraculously gone but left some marks. Gilhameer realized this when he checked his body. He's supposed to be bleeding. He's supposed to be scabbing or aching in pain. Instead, wound marks are the ones on his skin.

"How is this possible?" the poker-faced Gilhameer got terrified.

He scanned around the room but no one was there. He got puzzled and intrigued. He was wondering who might be the one who brought them there and who was the one responsible for healing Kendrick and him.

***Blue Water***



"Welcome to our humble headquarters, Mr. Lawstein," Cielo welcomes the Australian investigator Jonathan Lawstein. "It's been a long time. How can we help you?"

Mr. Lawstein took a seat on a chair next to Gaston's desk. "Where are the others?"

"I am sorry, Sir. But we are busy working today. I am the one available," Cielo replied.

"Okay. Then, let's get to the point..." he said. "I came here because our intelligence got information about the man whom you call Sebastian Ramirez."

Gaston nodded. "I see...," he responded with surprise.

Mr. Lawstein gave him a folder containing information about Sebastian Ramirez. He placed it on the table. Cielo took it and he began to read the files in it. Everything is compiled in there, his photos from childhood to the last time he was sighted. His birth certificate, his ID card, the names he used to survive, and others.

"His real name is Gabriel Fernandez Sanchez. He's forty-five years old. He was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. He studied paleontology in his college years but he departed. Instead, he joined a terrorist group at the age of twenty-one. According to sources, he became an adviser to various leaders of terrorist organizations around the Middle East. He's been off of the radar for twelve years. We thought he died at the hands of the military two years ago. Until we got his image from your agency yesterday."

"He is a universal threat too?" Cielo reacted in shock. "Damn it! How does he know about supernatural events? First, we have Gaddo, and now you are saying we allowed a terrorist to come into the country."

"That guy has come by so many names: Christopher Martial, Harry Rodriguez, Thomas Schneider, and more. Right now, our latest information about him is that he goes by the name Sebastian Ramirez."

"And his family?" he asked.

Mr. Lawstein gently shook his head with disappointment. "Sadly, we didn't get any. They say he abandoned them right after they found out he was a terrorist."

"How does he know about the reality on the other side? What made him know about hunting Lignodons?"

"I don't know, son," he said. "He's neither a Lignodon nor a supernatural being. His family doesn't even believe in werewolves or chupacabras. But the CIA and the UN are suspecting something," he informed.

"Suspecting what?" Cielo brought his eyebrows together.

"The supernatural investigators, spies, and the secret soldiers... they all have the same observations. Some oligarchs are leaking knowledge about the other side (other reality)."

Cielo gulped. He got nervous about what Mr. Lawstein said, "Damn it!"

"That's why I was telling you that the others should be here too so that you can all hear the news."

"Don't worry, Sir. We will try our best to stop whatever they are planning to do," he said.

"I hope so. Because if they did something that could destroy this reality and the other side. We will be doomed. If ever they expose the existence of my kind and yours, there will be war," he warned. "For now, I suggest that you should work with our supernatural investigators from America."

"I....I'll tell my colleagues," he replied with uncertainty. "I can't say 'yes' to you until I inform them. Please understand."

"I am waiting for your decisions," he said. "For now, I am hoping you have found a solution to stop the collision phenomenon around the world."

:::::::::::::

It's almost ten minutes passed. Ana is now unconscious. The temperature of the entire building is getting warmer and warmer as the air gets drained. Agatha is now sure that she is now dead.

However...Gaddo, Gabriel, and Agatha got frightened when they noticed a bright ball of light floating above them. It came at high speed like a meteor. It landed in the second-floor corridor where Ana is. Immediately, the bright light went straight to Laboratory Room C.

Bang! The door got crushed before the light. As the door broke down, it went in. It found Ana lying on the floor. It found her breathless. The miniature sun transformed into a hybrid wolf-lion beast, a spirit known as Saint Elmo's flames, otherwise known as Santelmo. From its mouth, it released a small bubble. It slowly blows the bubble away from it. The bubble gently floats away from the spirit, then it pops out. The bubble transformed into Seline.

"Ana?" she got worried. She crouched down and stretched her hands towards Ana. Then, a bubble appeared in her hands. It inflates larger and larger until it envelopes the girls. The bubble became a breathing dome for the two, providing them with oxygen. The other use of the bubble she created was to heal Ana from any injury she got. Her power has the ability to heal Ana's lungs and heart, and other organs that are affected by the area being lack of oxygen.

Seline is very happy to meet Ana for the first time in person. But in that situation, she is frightened and afraid of Ana. She is afraid that Ana might not be going to recover despite her healing magic. That time should not be the right time to meet her at all. It is so devastating.

The burning spirit is watching Seline performing her magic. It is quietly staring at the bright light emitted by her hands...

::::::::::::::::

Gilhameer is still inside the laboratory room in the Acosta-Monte Building, the building right next to the UPA building. Kendrick is still resting on the table. Gilhameer moved close to the window to get a peek at what was happening outside. He is holding a phone next to his ear. He is having an ongoing call with Benjie.

"Hello, big brother?" Gilhameer spoke.

"Why are you calling through my brother's phone?" Benjie wonders as he replies.

"I am sorry, big brother, but you need to come here. Right now," he informs. "There's something that happened to Kendrick and I need to get him to the hospital."

"What? Why? What happened to Ken?" Benjie suddenly got worried.

"The hunters are after us," he said. The tone of his voice shows his desperation.

"What! Where are you?" he asked as he got alarmed. "I am already in the parking lot. Tell me where you are."

"The parking lot?" Gilhameer reacted with fright. "Don't go there! Please, they are everywhere there! Hide!"

On the other hand, Benjie looked around right after Gilhameer informed him to stay away and hide. He looked but there was no single hunter around. There are only ordinary people roaming around the area- the students, the parents, and other visitors. He couldn't see anyone staring at him like prey. It is just another ordinary day that he is seeing. There is no threat to be seen.

"I don't see any threat," he said.

"That's where they almost killed us," Gilhameer replied. "Kendrick almost lost his life because they attacked us there."

"Okay, where are you?" he asked. "Don't worry, I'm gonna be there, okay? I'll come to save you! Just stay in there."

"We are stuck inside a laboratory in the Acosta building. Kendrick is still with me. I hope no one will find us here."

And so, Benjie immediately hangs up and runs toward the plaza. The plaza is the only way for him to get to the Acosta-Monte building faster. However, both Benjie and Gilhameer are not aware that they are in different places. Gilhameer and Kendrick are sent to Mark's dimension, a space created by Mark's power. It explains why there are no other students besides them in it. While Benjie is in the true reality, which explains why there are no hunters lying on the ground dead or alive. It also explains why he doesn't see any blood spills or damaged cars around him.

:::::::::

Kendrick woke up from his sleep. He gasped as he got up from the table. Gilhameer, who was standing next to the window, got startled.

"Ken," he calls with a whisper. He went to him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. What happened?" he replied. "Why are we here?"

"I have no idea," he said. "Thank God we are not dead."

"What is happening?" he asked.

Gilhameer shushed. "Keep quiet."

Then, Kendrick noticed something behind Gilhameer. He got terrified. He is looking at a wall of glass-like material appearing behind Gilhameer. The wall of glass looks like a wall made of shattered glass put together.

"What?" Gilhameer wondered as he looked at the reaction on Ken's face.

Ken points at the strange thing. Gilhameer turned away to look. To his surprise, he is looking at a wall made up of shards of crystal or glass put together. It is crackling as it grows wider and wider, from just a small floating square to a human-sized rectangular wall.

They get more frightened when they see a hand suddenly come out of it. They both moved away in horror. Then, they can see a head sticking out too. They realized it was a girl who was crossing through the wall. The girl successfully got inside the room. The wall disappeared.

"Grace?" Gilhameer shockingly recognized the girl.

"Gilhameer?" she was also surprised. "You are the one I keep on hearing here? I thought it was a ghost."

"How did you...? How did...?" Gilhameer stutters as he points at her.

"Ummm...why are you naked?" she said. She averts her eyes. Thank goodness Gilhameer is wearing a lab gown and Kendrick is covering his waist down with a towel.

"Are you a witch or something?" Kendrick counters. "How did you do that?"

"I have no idea," she answers. "I have a feeling that something is wrong happening around the school, so I did that without thinking."

"What are you?" Gilhameer said.

Before she could answer, they got interrupted when the moon dog phased through the door and went inside the laboratory. Mark had sensed someone intruded into his domain. And so, he quickly detected the intruder and went in there.

Gilhameer, Grace, and Ken froze. They are just looking at it in fear. Grace gulped and he looked at Gilhameer. She could tell that they were also shaking in fear.

"What is that?" she asked. But Gilhameer didn't respond.

"Awooo!" the moon dog howled. The howl is so loud it can also be heard outside the building. Agatha, Gabriel, and Gaddo heard the howl. They are standing in the plaza celebrating the killing of a mermaid. They immediately looked at the building next to the UPA. "The Rosales is there," Gaddo got excited.

Seline and Saint Elmo's flame heard the howl too. Seline looked at the Santelmo. She's beginning to wonder what is happening outside right now. Then, Ana raised her hand and grabbed Seline's wrist. With a soft word, she told her this: "Grace...She's...She's here..."

::::::::

The moon dog created a portal on the ceiling. It looks like a black hole. Benjie fell down from the portal. He fell and landed on the floor facing down.

"Ouch!" he groans. Then, he immediately got up.

"Kuya!" Kendrick calls.

"Kendrick? Why are you naked?" he was surprised.

The spirit slowly moves forward to Grace. Immediately, before the moon dog can go any further, she lowers herself and slams the floor. Then, the floor immediately turns into crystal. The crystal floor pulled them down like quicksand. The crystal floor turns out to be a portal created by Grace to transfer Benjie, Gilhameer, and Kendrick to the real world.

"Run!" Grace told them. "Runaway from here. Quick!"

"What about you?" Gilhameer said.

"I have to go back," she replied.

"What! Are you crazy? That alien-creature-like thing can crush you," Gilhameer protests.

"I have to..." she insists.

"I am telling you---"

"Someone's calling me there. I need to save her," she replies. Then, she closed her eyes to concentrate. After ten hard inhales and exhales, she turned into a crystal, phasing in and out of reality. "You must go or else they'll find you here," she said. She disappeared, completely went away from the reality the boys are at.

:::::::::::::

Grace is now in the dimension. She is inside the empty laboratory again. She looks around from side to side to make sure she's the only one in the room. She noticed that the white spirit was gone. After confirming that the space is safe, she slowly walks towards the door. She makes sure that she won't make a sound.

She is now outside the laboratory. She looks to her left, then to her right. There was no one in the hallway. She turns to her right so that she will head in that direction. But then, there were three people coming toward her. She widened her eyes in fright. She turned away and headed to the left side of the hallway instead. But the moon dog appeared before her. She immediately stopped. She moves back a little. She glanced at the back and she could see two men pointing their guns at her, and a woman in the middle. She is stuck in the middle.

She stretches out her hands to the sides. The left hand to Gaddo, Gabriel, and Agatha. And the right hand is facing Mark. Agatha immediately stretched her hand forward. Immediately, Grace feels like her brain is shaking. She suddenly becomes light-headed. She raises her hands to touch her temples. She moves back to the wall. Her vision is becoming blurry. She lowers herself slowly.

"Now!" Agatha gave her signal.

Gaddo and Gabriel pull the trigger of their guns. BANG! BANG! BANG! A loud sound is heard continuously throughout the school. A few seconds later, they stop shooting her. They are now expecting to see a dead body lying on the floor.

"What the f**k!" Gaddo reacts in anger and dismay when he sees her still alive. No bullets had penetrated her skin.

Grace is sitting on the floor while leaning her back against the wall. She still feels light-headed. There was no single bullet that landed on her. Despite experiencing double visions, she can tell that there is a bright thing hovering next to her. However, she can't tell what it is because of her condition right now. She can only see brightness.

Gaddo, Gabriel, Agatha, and Mark can see the bright object clearly. It was a bubble appeared in the middle. The bubble popped immediately as it disappeared. Ana, whose hands are stretched to her sides, appeared in front of Grace. The hands are sparkling with electricity. Immediately, a telekinetic wave bursts through her which carries Gaddo, Gabriel, Agatha, and Mark away. Another bubble came hovering over Ana's head. It contained Seline. The bubble dropped into the floor and turned into a human being. And so, after Ana's retaliation, she and Seline immediately checked on Grace.

"Are you okay?" Seline asked as she went to her. Grace immediately hugs her. Seline hugs her back to comfort her. Ana came and she also hugged them.

Mark recovered immediately from the attack. He stood up. But the Santelmo immediately tackled him. The Santelmo's strength is enough to throw him out of the corridor and down to the ground.

After she recovered from her light-headedness because of Agatha's magic, Grace gathers all the moisture in the air to create a dome of crystallized water. One by one, shards of water appear in the air and they gather together to surround the girls. The dome is complete. It rotates like a planet. Grace, Ana, and Seline are enveloped by it. A few seconds later, it shines for a second and disappears along with the girls.

::::::::::::::

The Moon Dog and Saint Elmo's flame are facing each other. They are at the center of the plaza. They are glaring at each other as they growl.

The moon dog approached Santelmo. He bit the neck and swung his head and released the burning creature. As a result, Saint Elmo's flame is thrown into the air. It landed on the basketball court.

The Santelmo stood up. "Arrr!" it growled while looking at the moon dog in the distance. The Moon Dog suddenly vanished. Then, a second later, it appeared before Saint Elmo's flame. Instead of making an attack, it spoke.

"It is almost over," Mark said.

The Santelmo doesn't reply. Instead, it increases its temperature to threateningly hot. The moon wolf hopped back to avoid being damaged by the solar spirit flares it emits.

"If you continue doing that, the more this dimension crumbles rapidly," he warns. "We are still in the location where most students are. If you wipe my magic out, surely, the people playing on this basketball court will die because of you."

The Santelmo reflects on what the enemy has said. It looks around, left to right, right to left. He looked around and the surroundings were beginning to turn into smoke. The surroundings are beginning to disappear.

"I see. You caused this," Saint Elmo's flame finally spoke. Its voice is the same as that of a male human. He turns down his power to prevent the rapid dissipation of Mark's dimension. Moreover, he trusts what Mark said. Mark is right, even if they are in a different dimension, they are still in the exact location where the real basketball court is. Unleashing a heatwave can burn the people around once the dimension dissipates.

Mark turned away. He runs away at high speed. He left the Santelmo in there. The Santelmo is quite amazed by Mark's speed. He watches him run like a meteor in the sky. After seeing Mark disappear on the horizon, the Santelmo turns away and heads in the opposite direction.

The illusion of the school Mark has created is now ninety percent dissipated. Agatha still has the time to transport Gaddo and Gabriel to another place far away from school. She chanted. Ad punctum, sicut sagitta.

On the other hand, Mark transported all the remaining hunters in the parking lot to the other place. He picks them up one by one for less than five minutes before his dimension could entirely dissipate.