The Moon Symphony

Overreacted

Long ago, the Diwata were living peacefully in every abundant forest in Orient Seas. They were followers of the Morning Goddess, Hanan. As an oath to the Goddess, they protect the forest and maintain its balance.

The Morning Dew tribe was considered as one of the most successful tribes from the Diwata. The evildoers also feared them if they trespass in the forest. They also helped those people who are in need, and they prevent the famine from happening.

One common trait to all the Diwata was their ability to control the forces of nature and their wings. The wings give off this golden dust, and rumors spread that they were healing skills.

Many of them attempted to win favors from the Diwata, but most failed because of their hidden agenda. After a few years living in harmony, everything changed when the Evil Lord army attacked. The enemies raided the forest, and one by one, the tribes perished. Some of them survived the attack from the enemy. They decided to hide their presence. The remaining Diwata did not know that the evil forces will hunt them again since they control nature. Hoping that at least one of them will survive, they hid the young Diwata in safety.

As soon as the young man opened his eyes, the enemies destroyed everything, his beloved hometown. He decided not to go out of the forest and promised to protect the place from those who will harm them. He once heard a tale where those who passed away can travel to the afterworld. With the Moon Goddess herself or the Chosen of the Moon, they can reach their final destination.

The child decided to wait for the time when the Chosen of the Moon will appear.

'Is it the Heralds of Darkness that attacked the tribes a long time ago?" I asked.

I saw that Makisig was surprised by my question.

"How do you know about them?"

"We have encountered them several times already. Starting from Amihan and another one at Bulan. I saw their group up close too when I was stabilizing my spirit energy at the moon temple." I explained.

"It's true that they are on the move again. I can feel that nature is in fear. The seal is weakening already." Makisig said.

"Yes, that's what the Moon Goddess told me when I received my blessing."

"A late bloomer?" Makisig asked.

"Yes, after I encountered an accident, when I woke up, I received my blessings from her."

"So that time that the earth whispered to me was real," Makisig said.

I nodded my head.

"Again, thank you, Chosen of the Moon, for granting my wish. I know that you have an ongoing mission, but you still chose to help a stranger like me."

"It's okay, Makisig. You can call me Ayari. Somehow being called a chosen one is embarrassing." I chuckled.

"Okay, Ayari. Thank you so much." Makisig smiled.

I was surprised by what happened next. Makisig grabbed my hand and kissed it, but I immediately moved my hand away.

I heard someone cleared his throat. When I looked around, it was Apo. He hurriedly left when he saw what happened.

"Makisig, I'm sorry, but I was surprised by what you did."

"I'm sorry too, Ayari. It's one of the customs of the Diwata that if you want to thank someone sincerely, you should kiss their hands as a sign of gratitude." He explained.

"Okay, thank you for telling me."

I don't know why but I suddenly felt uneasy after what happened moments ago. I stood up and bowed my head at Makisig. I told him that I will rest. Makisig nodded his head and told me to go to one of the rooms.

I hurriedly walked, and one by one, I checked the rooms. I don't know why, but I need to talk with Apo to clear things out. Maybe, I just imagine things, but I can feel that Apo annoyed by what he saw.

He was nowhere to be seen. Where did he go?

Anan noticed that I was in a hurry. I asked him if he saw Apo. Luckily, he saw him going to the room on the other end of the hall. That's the last room that I did not check.

After hearing that, I went to the room. I knocked, but no one was answering. I tried again, but it was no use.

"Hey, Apo? Are you in there?" I asked.

He is still not answering.

I knocked again, but it was no use. Just when I was about to leave, I heard the doorknob clicked.

I opened the door, and I saw Apo was sitting on the bed, looking at me. His expression cannot be explained. He looked at me with pain from his eyes. What should I do?

I closed the door and sat beside him. We stayed there for some minutes, and none of us attempted to talk. I can feel the air getting heavier, so I decided to make the first move.

"Apo, are you okay?" I asked and looked at him.

He did not answer my question. He remained silent.

"You can tell me if something is bothering you," I said and reached out for his hand.

It's the same—no response from Apo.

"Apo, what you saw earlier outside, Makisig told me that what he did was a gesture of gratitude. He wanted to thank me, and it was the custom of Diwata." I explained and held his hand tightly.

Again, Apo decided not to answer.

"Maybe I should go so that you can rest," I said and stood up.

I was about to leave when he pulled me back to sit down on the bed. I felt my heartbeat rising. We stayed silent for another minute.

Then, I was surprised by what Apo did. He pulled me close to him and hugged me tightly. My blood started rushing to my face and ears. I can feel the tingling sensation from his gesture. I hugged him back and rubbed his back.

"Are you okay, Apo. Go ahead. You can tell what's bothering you."

"I'm sorry, Yari, I overreacted." He said.

I felt his warm breath on my neck.

"I'm sorry too, Apo. I'm sorry if I did not notice and made you feel that way."

Wait, what am I saying?

"Don't be sorry. I should be the one apologizing for my actions." He said.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for telling me, Apo."

"So, are we good now?" I asked.

"Yes."