The Moonlight Daughters

The Forewarning

For some reason, Ceres was brought to a place. He was unfamiliar with it. He was never been in there.

"Where am I?" he asked himself as he looked around.

He can see trees, mostly pine trees, and huge rocks scattered around, the earth was covered by pine needles. He looked at the sky to familiarize the place. He swore that he never had been there before.

"Hello?" He yelled. "Hello!"

No one was responding.

"Where the heck am I?" He looked at his hands. "Am I dreaming?" he asked himself. He gently slapped his cheeks so that he would wake up just in case he was just in a dream.

"Bullshark!" he reacted when he realized that slapping himself didn't work.

Then he slowly took a step away from where he stood. He took another step. The rock next to him caught his attention. He stepped closer to it. The rock was about as high as his shoulders. He turned to look around. He realized that the rocks, which he thought were randomly scattered, are circling him. He began to wonder. He looked down to the ground. He realized that he was not stepping on the soil but the floor of small rocks covered in thick layers of pine needles. He began to figure out everything that he sees, touches, everything that he gathered. He faced the rock next to him. He wiped away the leaves and dirt that settled on its surface. He was further intrigued. He discovered a tiny hole in it. It seemed like it has a shape and he suspected there's something inserted in there before.

He approached the other rocks. He cleaned each of their surfaces before he examined them. Just like the first rock, they all have the same small shallow hole, but their shapes vary.

"What is this?"

Then, he suddenly heard a voice. He got startled when he heard it. He was uncertain where'd it came from but he was sure he heard something. A voice of a man, yelling, he seemed like he's in pain, in anger, and in desperation. He began to concentrate all his senses to his ears. As the yelling voice got closer and closer, his heart raced faster in panic. A few moments later, the surrounding was silent again. He can no longer hear him.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" he shouted. Hoping that the unknown man would hear him.

"Hello!"

Yet, nothing responded. But meanwhile...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He heard a sudden scream. But that time it was a voice of a girl.

"HAH!" he got frightened.

"HELP!" she kept on calling.

"Seline?" he immediately recognized the voice.

"Seline!" He immediately ran away and look for the person who was screaming for help.

"Seline? Where are you?" He shouted.

"HELP!" the girl responded.

"Where are you!" he shouted once more.

But she repeated the same word.

"I'm coming!"

He was trying his best to track where she was. He tried to transform but nothing happened. He tried once more but he failed.

"What is wrong with you?" he yelled.

He heard another of her scream. He was now certain that it was coming from the direction to the west. And so, he headed there. Seline screamed once more. He was so sure that the path he took was right. And he can hear that he was almost there.

"Seline?" He immediately called when he arrived. He stopped in an area where it was vacant. It was only surrounded by trees and bushes. He found no Seline. Instead, he got surprised when he got surprised by a burning wolf. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at it. The wolf looks so familiar.

"You..." Then he checked his hands."You're me."

Clouds are slowly covering the sky. The wolf slowly stepped closer towards him. It wasn't growling nor making any sound. It was quiet. Ceres suddenly got nervous.

"Where am I...? Where are we?" he asked.

The beast immediately answered. Its voice sounds the same as Ceres.

"In the future."

"Future? As in 'future' future?"

"It's coming, Ceres..." It whispered against Ceres' ear.

"Who's coming?" he asked, puzzled.

"You will see this place soon..." it told him. "Keep an eye on the mermaids."

The rain started to pour. As the lightning flashes. Both Ceres and the burning wolf disappeared.

Ceres immediately opened his eyes. He lifted up his body. He was breathing heavily for an unknown reason. He looked around. He was inside the library at the napping section. He realized that fell asleep all that time.

"Is it just a dream?" he asked himself.

He looked at his hand. And he began to reminisce the moment when he was in that dream. He felt that he was transferred to another reality.

****

They are half-way to Sagada, Cainnick fell asleep on his seat. He was wearing his headphones, listening to music. Benjie was driving, keeping quiet.

A few minutes later, a sudden person went into the middle of the road. Benjie saw the stranger which had surprised him. And so, he immediately turned his maneuver to rotate the car. The tires screech as the car tries to U-turn. Their car was about to ram him, but thankfully the car managed to turn back. Benjie stepped on the brake after the car turned. The back of the car was facing the stranger. The distance between the back of the car and the person was almost a foot away.

Cainick got startled as he woke up when Benjie was still turning the car. Moreover, he forgot to fasten his seat belt so he was joggled on his seat. After Benjie stopped the car, Cain immediately asked his big brother what happened.

"I almost rammed someone," he panted. His eyes widened. He was terrified.

He immediately opened the car door then he got down. He headed towards the man. The man's reaction seemed nothing at all. He doesn't seem terrified or frightened. He was staring at Benjie. And so, Benjie began to wonder.

"Are you, okay?" he asked as he walks closer to him.

The man smiled.

"It's okay, I am fine," he responded.

Benjie apologized.

"Are you sure you are alright?"

The man smiled again. He responded by nodding.

"Is there anything painful?"

"There is no pain alright. I just want you to hit me."

Benjie's suddenly got suspicious.

"Why are you here, in the middle of the road?" he asked. "It's good that there are a few cars passing by."

"Just an advantage," the man replied.

Without any warning, he grabbed Benjie's neck. He tightened his grip to choke him.

Benjie immediately grabbed the stranger's wrist then he immediately threw the stranger's hand away from his neck. After that, Benjie kicked the stranger's balls. When the stranger bent down in pain, Benjie hit his face with an uppercut.

"Cain!" He quickly turned around to check on Cainnick.

He was too late. Cannick was outside the car. He was standing there, with a man behind him-wrapping his right arm around Cainnick's neck and he held a gun on Cain's temple. Behind them were four more men.

"Cain!" He was about to run towards them but the stranger behind halted him.

"Op-op-ops!" He warned. He drew out his gun.

"Don't move! Or else, my men over there will kill him."

Benjie froze.

"Raise your hands. Now!" he ordered.

And so, Benjie raised them up.

"Turn around."

Benjie obeyed. He turned around to face him. He gulped deeply as he felt the tension going through his body.

The stranger walked closer to him. He immediately punched Benjie's left cheek.

"Kuya!" Cainnick yelled.

"'For the pain that you have given to me awhile ago."

"Who are you?" Benjie asked.

"Bartolome. At your service," he answered. "Just call me 'Balto'."

"Now, I ask you next..."

He delivered another punch, that time it was against Benjie's belly.

Cain was trying to shake himself to break free from the grasp of the man who held him.

"Where is the shard?" Balto asked.

Benjie remained coughing, spitting out the blood. He placed his hands on his belly as he recovers from the pain.

****

Grace was at her three 'o clock class. That class was also the time when Sherdel will be her classmate. As usual, she was sitting on a chair right next to the window at the last row on the fourth column. She was wearing earplugs as she listened to music. She was staring at the place outside the window.

The students were waiting for the teacher to come. Moreover, their numbers weren't complete yet. Some are still coming in. Sherdel wasn't in the room either. Moreover, it was still five minutes before class.

Sherdel appeared at the doorway. He stood there for a while so that he could check if the seat next to Grace's was vacant.

"Hi Sherdie!" a gay classmate greeted with a flirting accent. He was sitting at the end of the first column next to the door. "Come, sit next to me" he suggested.

"No thanks," he responded. Then he entered and heading towards the seat near Grace.

"Sherdel. Sit here instead," told a girl.

"No, he's more comfortable here next to me," the other girl said.

Yet, Sherdel silently passed through while ignoring their calls.

Grace looked at her phone to check the time. It was already three. And so, she gently put off her earplugs, coiled them around her palm.

She paused coiling when she saw Sherdel coming towards the spot next to where she was at. She was already aware that he'll be taking the seat beside her.

"Hi," she greeted when he settled down.

He smiled at her. She also smiled back at him.

"Woooooooooohhhh!" Gregory yelled as he enters the room. Everyone got startled when they heard him. Everyone's attention was on him.

"Congrats!" he pointed to Sherdel.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Sherdel.

"What's this addict's problem now?" Sherdel muttered.

"I see, the reason why these girls are talking to you is that you broke up with Alexa?"

"You are happy because of that?" Sherdel further asked.

"Yeah. You know...you know...?"Gregory irritatingly said.

"You really are crazy," Sherdel creased his forehead, trying to follow what he was trying to say.

"...You are now free. Then, I heard that you have already found a replacement."

The students began to murmur. They were intrigued about the news Gregory had shared.

Sherdel sighed then he rolled his eyes.

"You really are bugging me, even my personal life. May I ask you which one of us is worse? Is it someone who broke up with his girlfriend before looking for another girl or someone who has three girlfriends at the same time?"

Gregory smirked.

"Just judge yourself before me, okay? So that you are not going embarrass yourself ."

"Correct," they reacted.

Grace Joy was trying to hold her laugh. Gregory scanned everyone in the room. He felt a little abashed. He quietly approached the seat next to the teacher's table.

****

Aurora, the old babaylan, was handling two of the keys in her hands. She examines them as she watches them glow.

"We now know that the shards can find themselves," Daya said.

"Can we just destroy them?" Danny asked. He was standing in front of Aurora. Beside him was Daya who was also curious.

"I doubt it. These stones are cursed," she responded.

"Even if we could...Dionysus will surely kill you."

"Nah! He will not. He doesn't know we have the stones," Danny replied.

"Except for Benjie..." Daya complained. "I have a hunch that my father knew that Benjie have this one."

"But the stone is with us now so..." Danny said.

"But if they got caught and we happened to destroy these --?" Aurora stated.

"--I am sure father will let Benjie live but he will kill Cain to torture Benjie for the rest of his life," Daya continued.

"It will be a very painful torture that will stain his life forever,'" Aurora said.

"Benjie and his little brother are coming here. We have nothing to worry about. They'll be safe here," Danny said.

Daya sighed. Somehow those words came from Danny's mouth lighten up the weight on her chest. She looked down then she crossed her arms across her chest.

"The problem is...I still don't get why my father is doing this?"

"Maybe he is just crazy," he responded. "Whatever his reasons, he will never going to run away from his crimes."

He clenched his fist. He scowled in anger. And reminiscing the moments when he and Wendel witnessed the death of their father and the background of burning houses and screaming noises.

"I have a theory though..." the old lady stood up. She got tired of sitting.

"In order to destroy the keys, we need the people responsible for creating them."

"What do you mean?" Daya asked.

"You see, mermaids are the ones who created these shards with their magic. And mermaids are the ones who can destroy what they created."

"Even if that is true, the mermaids who created the keys are dead," Danny doubted.

"Not if they have replacements," she said.

"Once the mermaids chosen by a sacred place dies. That sacred place will be going to chose other new guardians to protect it. Especially now that the place is being threatened to be invaded."

"Invaded by my Dad," Daya said.

"Or maybe not just Dionysus," Lola Aurora said.

"I believe that the mermaids chosen today are somewhere within the Cordilleras" she added.

****

At the headquarters of the Association...

The man who visited Benjie awhile back had entered the office where he and the other four leaders always gather. He found that the three of the leaders went out, the foreigner who happens to be one of them was the only one who was waiting for him.

"So? How's Benjie? Captain Seth," the foreigner asked.

"Well, he is as stubborn as he is."

"I know that," the foreigner nodded. "But tell me what happened?"

"Did you successfully helped them escape in the middle of their way to Sagada?"

"Nope," he answered.

"What?" he got disappointed.

"Seth. But why? We were supposed to save them."

"My men were about to save them but I realized that I can't. It is because I wanted to make him see that he needs the Association."

"What are you planning to do?"

"I was thinking that I'll let the Idarugans take them. In that way, Benjie and his little brother, and themselves will be going to lead us to their secret hide out."

"You have a spy to follow them," the foreigner realized.

"Have you forgotten that in my troupe, I have one Moon Cruiser?"

"I see," the foreigner nod. "But whatever this is...that you are going to do. Make sure that it will work because if it won't... Benjie will be at risk. And we can't get what we wanted from him if he's already dead."

"Don't worry," he told him like he was so certain.

Then the foreigner rushed towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Seth asked.

"To have some rest like anybody else who was not in this room."

Then he shut the door.