I tried to bask in the warmth that emanated from Diwata's glow, but it might have been too intense that it transformed into a numbing sensation that felt hollow and cold. All of my body shivered from the rays of the almost blinding light, devoid of warmth and gentleness.

That is, all of my body, except one—my left hand felt surprisingly snug, held tightly and kept alive by a hand whose owner I have yet to know. I reciprocated the person's tight grip, and I felt their thumb moving against my knuckles, stroking them, melting all my worries away.

Diwata's glow started to dim, but the voices around me started to get louder, from hushed tones to synchronous, repeated chanting of the Tanglawan anthem. They say it was Diwata herself who has written it. No wonder it was cringe.

Tanglawan ay pinili

Diwata'y nagkandili

Pasakit ay nawaglit

Ngiti'y handog ng Langit

Of course, dumb me chose this as the time to look around to see whose hand it is that was holding my hand, but it was too late. The darkness that was once again creeping around us only allowed me to see outlines of his face, but I recognize him all too well. I stifled a laugh at the irony of it, as I would never have thought that the person I considered a pest just a few moments ago will now be my solace in this ghastly place.

Kalibutan once again turned pitch black, and I found myself gripping his hand more tightly for reassurance, which he indeed gave through the strokes of his thumb. The voices kept chanting the anthem, and I knew I had to join in to not draw attention to the Tanggulaw that might be watching, waiting intently for any mistake we might commit.

Eventually, the Halls of Kalibutan lit up once again, and we returned to an empty hall where the participants were all cramped together. However, instead of an empty aisle with red carpet, I saw a table that stretched from the front row until the back, filled with foodstuff I only got to know from the books I read in Hulmandayan and the teachings of our Hulo. The smell of food filled the air, and I felt my stomach grumble at the thought of possibly eating or drinking anything other than Taiyou.

I tried reaching my hand towards the food, half-expecting them to only be tricks of the light as were Diwata and all that transpired earlier, but I found myself feeling the warmth and the hard, powdery feeling of one of the circular brown food stacked in a ceramic container they refer to as plates in the older times. The circular food has cracks and smaller, darker brown, irregularly shaped pieces peppering it, and I had to guess that this was what they referred to as cookies back then.

"My dear young Tanglawos," started AIRA, whose voice once again filled the hall, making me flinch and pull my hand away instinctively from the table. I looked around, wary if anyone saw, and felt relieved that they were as engrossed to looking into the table as was I just earlier. Well, anyone, except the guy who was holding my hand, whose face was so contorted from trying hard not to laugh.

I rolled my eyes at him but squeezed his hands gently, nonetheless. I am happy he was just the one who saw what I did, which was not really that hard, considering he somehow had his eyes on me. But I have learned to trust that he would not be snitching on me and will just laugh it off.

"Food has always been a problem for us. That's why the Diwani has designed the Taiyou together with JUICE, Co. for your sustenance. But every Lakipan, the Diwani makes sure to prepare this feast just for you!"

I heard loud gasps as soon as AIRA finished her speech, and I could feel everyone's excitement within the chatters whose sound filled the hall.

"Eat now with your heart's content before we proceed to your long-awaited moment to receive your Exorbit!"

I took a deep breath and braced myself for another round of endless clapping, but it did not happen. Instead, I got pushed around by other participants that were away from the aisle, all of them eager to get a bite of real food. I swear I would have lost my balance if it were not for the nameless guy who was still holding my hand, now pulling me closer to him.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest as I grew closer to him, and I felt his heart beating in almost the same rhythm as mine. Our hearts were beating so fast and in sync, as if they were in a race on which one was faster.

"You know, I read about something like this that they did before back in the day," the nameless guy whispered in my ear, which was quite a feat, considering the noise in the background that made it hard to hear him.

"Oh, yeah?" I whispered back, returning him the favor of having the difficulty to hear what I was saying through the noise.

"People in the death row back then were given a chance to request food as their last meal before their execution," he said, still in a whisper.

"So you're saying that this is our last meal and Lakipan is our execution, huh?" I teased, also still in a whisper.

"I didn't say that," he chuckled.

"As you say so," I whispered back, stifling a laugh.

I mindlessly swayed my hand that was laced with his upon saying that, and I saw him look at it in horror.

"Oh, your hand. Sorry, I didn't really mean to," he said with a crestfallen face as he immediately pulled away.

"Oh, no, no. It's okay," I answered as gently as I can, trying to ease his discomfort. "I'm actually thankful for the gesture."

He let out a sigh of relief at what I said.

"I just figured that you'll be scared. It really felt like we were alone earlier," he started, his hand now rubbing the back of his neck. "And I also didn't want you to get hurt by the commotion with the food. I mean, I don't blame them because this is a great opportunity, but still."

"Yeah, I understand. Don't sweat about it now," I answered, smiling, still trying to ease his embarrassment and get him to warm up to me again.

"I just figured you'll snap at me for holding your hand without consent. You weren't exactly kind when I first talked to you," he said, his eyes now twinkling with mischief.

"To be fair, you were laughing at me like I'm a joke the first time you saw me, when there wasn't even anything to laugh about," I pouted.

In response, he laughed, and said, "Hey, I'm sorry, but the sight of you drinking a day's worth of Taiyou and sipping it directly from the refill pouch was really funny."

"But why? It was easier that way," I retorted.

"Yes, but it was meant to be placed in juicers at home to also control the portion. So I find you drinking it really funny," he started, which made me pout more. "Really funny and cute."

I felt hot on my face as blood rushed through it. I fanned my face with my two hands in response while he continued to laugh.

"Why are you here in the corner and not eating to your heart's content, my dear young Tanglawos?" a sweet voice behind me said, interrupting our moment of bliss. I turned around and saw that it was AIRA who was smiling through her teeth, but without her smile extending through her eyes. "Don't you like the food we prepared for you?"

"Oh n-no, i-it's not like that," the nameless guy that I am with stammered. "We just figured we'll let them eat first until they're full, instead of trying to fight over them for food."

I just nodded in agreement, shifting my focus to how AIRA was both here and not here, a mere projection of light made to look like a person. Her three-dimensional body was flawlessly designed, a woman who looked ethereal with her doe-shaped eyes, aquiline nose, and heart-shaped lips etched in her perfectly proportioned oval face. Her skin bore no scar or blemish, but I am unsure if it was really the case, for I could perfectly make out the outlines of the people eating behind her the more I look at her.

"But you might not get a taste of the food if you just stand here. There might not be any leftovers," she pressed, her smile waning.

"It's okay, we trust that the Diwani prepared enough," I answered firmly.

"Suit yourself," AIRA snapped, her cold expression sending shivers down my spine. She vanished in an instant, and returned to view at the farthest end of the table, the one that can be considered the front side.

The nameless guy just looked at me with his eyes wide and his lips in a gape, probably in awe that I stood up for us against AIRA or in disbelief that I stupidly went against an authoritative figure, an action that could land me in jail. I could really appreciate the former.

"My dear young Tanglawos," AIRA started again, losing the coldness she has shown me earlier. She returned to the sweet, benevolent image she was consistently trying to project. "We will now proceed to the focus of our ceremony, the time where you will receive your Exorbit!"

There was a pause from the other participants, who seem to not yet want to move away from what they were eating. I started clapping, not just to mock their stunned faces, but to also try to be on AIRA's good side and make her forget what transpired between us earlier. The other participants followed suit, and we continued clapping until AIRA cleared her throat.

"You may continue enjoying the food as much as you like while waiting for your turn in Lakipan's main event," AIRA said, which received no claps as everyone once again proceeded to fight over the food on the table.

"But for now, we shall start with the only participant whose birthdate falls exactly in the midpoint day and time of the Gregorian calendar year. Hers is the last birthdate included per batch of Lakipan participant. This is a rare occurrence, and she might prove herself to be as special as her birthdate is in the future."

All the participants at the table stopped eating, eager to know who the special participant was. I did not get to look around to see who it was, for two androgynous people with shaved heads, black eyewear, and tall, lean bodies covered in full black bodysuit appeared out of nowhere on my either side.

They locked their arms around mine, making my feet dangle a few inches off the ground. I looked at the nameless guy who kept me company, and he had his arms reached out and was telling them I did nothing wrong. I just shook my head for fear that they will grab at him too, and it seemed that he understood as he stopped his indignant cries, but his face was still etched with worry.

We reached the far end of the hall near to where AIRA was, and I felt the entire room shift focus from trying to look for the special participant to look at me, a troublemaker who was being dragged away by the Tanggulaw. Then I saw AIRA look at me and flash her creepy, toothy smile that does not reach her eyes. She gestured for the Tanggulaw to put me down and reached out her arms in my direction.

I looked into the Tanggulaw to try to make sense of what was going on, but their faces were unreadable. Instead, they gave me a slight nudge that was far from gentle, forcing me to walk towards AIRA.

"Happy birthday, our dearest special Tanglawo," AIRA said in my direction, still in full smiles and arms still reaching out towards me. "Let's show her our support as she becomes the first one to receive her Exorbit for this year's Lakipan!"

Cheers erupted in the Halls of Kalibutan, but it was short-lived as the participants returned to having their share of the feast. I tried to locate my nameless guy, and he was still there at the back, not joining in the craze on the food at the table. Although I could no longer see his face, I fixed my gaze on him, comforting myself with the idea that he might also be doing the same.

The next thing I knew, I was instructed to kneel in front of the frenzied participants minding their own business as they grapple against each other in getting their preferred food. A Tanggulaw once again appeared, this time with a lady with soft features stretched out from the very tight bun that fixed her hair, dressed in all white like all Healers do. She pushed a metal cart with all sorts of contraptions organized on top of it. She then stopped a few steps away from my side then anchored her metal card, while the Tanggulaw continued to walk until they reached my back.

"Hi, nameless Tanglawo, I'm Dihas, the Healer that will give you your Exorbit. Nice to meet you, and may the algorithm favor you, just as your birth favored you," she whispered, all while preparing for the procedure that she will be doing.

"Before everything, Dihas, our Healer for today's ceremony, will ensure that everything is done in sanitary conditions," AIRA said as Dihas moved with blind efficiency. Dihas pumped an alcohol from a bottle to wash her hands and donned a plastic apron and blue latex gloves.

"Dihas will then tie a tourniquet made of rubber to this young Tanglawo's arm, to make her vein pop, allowing Dihas to more easily locate the vein and draw blood from her using our sterile needle," AIRA continued, as Dihas did as she said and more. "Of course, we need to collect your blood before injecting your Exorbit, so we can learn more about you and know everything about you, helping us take care of you."

I winced at the thought of a needle piercing through my veins and extracting my blood, and the idea of them having ready access to everything about me. What if they lose control and get more blood than what was necessary? What if I lose all my blood in the process? What if they use my information against me? Most importantly, am I allowed to opt out of this?

I might have thought that out loud, for I saw Dihas's eyes widen and her face seemingly lose its blood after I thought about it. She leaned a little bit too close to me while waiting for my blood to flow through around five tubes, and whispered, "Don't you dare try to say no if you still want to retain what little freedom you have now, or, worse, if you still want to live."

Once she has already collected my blood, she placed a bandage on the extraction spot and moved away. I felt a bit dizzy after what she did, unsure if it was because of my lost blood or her warning. I look at Dihas and she looked tense, and it seems like she knows more than what she lets on, but I do not want to press her any longer.

"Next, we'll have all the collected blood samples placed safely in our transport box with a built-in cooling system and secure settings for safekeeping during travel here from the Halls of Kalibutan to the central MediCORE laboratory for processing."

As if this was her cue, Dihas moved a few steps back upon hearing these words and the Tanggulaw behind me inched towards her. Another Healer then appeared, but with no Tanggulaw accompanying her. Like Dihas, her hair was fixed in the same bun, a little bit loose but still well-kept. Her features were sterner and prouder than Dihas's, but I recognize her—she was the one I overheard talking to her daughter about also hopefully being a Healer, like the rest of their family. How can she let her own daughter go through this?

It was almost as if she answered my question when she took my blood samples and almost toppled them over, but Dihas held her hands in time to stabilize her hold. I swear I saw her shot Dihas with a menacing look, as if wanting Dihas to back off. I might be wrong, but I think she chose to be here to hold some power despite her incompetence, while the better, more competent Dihas did not, and was forced to go through this as some sort of punishment.

"Finally, you, my dear young Tanglawos, will receive your Exorbit, a microchip implanted through your central nervous system, that allows us to look out for you and give you ready assistance when necessary. Plus, it also allows you more access to other Tanglawos and our other services!"

I saw the other participants stop eating and stare at the vial containing a thick, colorless concoction that the other Healer held out for everyone to see. Kalibutan was filled with ooh's and ahh's once more, and the hall erupted with synchronous claps and cheers of "Long live Diwata and the whole Diwani for taking care of us!"

After a while, AIRA finally motioned for the cheering to stop, visibly pleased for the show of appreciation.

"We carefully designed the Exorbit and spliced them into pieces, packing them into small, membrane-bound vesicles called exosomes, infused through a formulation especially blended for the safer and less painful way of doing so."

Another round of cheers and a show of appreciation to Diwata and the Diwani occurred, which was once again only finished when AIRA decided to do so.

"These exosomes will travel through your bloodstream and specifically target your central nervous system to deliver the spliced pieces of Exorbit. Once they cross the blood-brain barrier, the Exorbit pieces will come together, taking in its final form and function."

With this, the other Healer passed on the Exorbit vial to Dihas. Dihas then removed my red armband, pulled the sleeve of my shirt upward, and cleaned my left arm with a cotton dipped in alcohol. She then collected the Exorbit serum from the vial using a syringe, then injected it around my biceps.

I felt a sharp, throbbing pain in the injection site, which traveled upwards to my temples, where the pain increased in intensity. The pain was so unbearable that I was unable to hold off my cries, and I dropped to the ground and writhed in pain.

"This is a normal reaction from the Exorbit crossing over your organ systems. Worry not, for this will pass! Soon, you will no longer be a nameless Tanglawo and will be transferred over to Hulmusayan to contribute to the greatness of our land!"

I continued writhing in pain for what felt like an eternity, as AIRA continuously tells the audience not to worry. Painless, my ass.

Finally, the waves of pain stopped tormenting me, and I felt compelled to stand up and vomit words that are not my own, and I am not even sure where they came from.

"My name is Pinta Banaag, and I will be of service to the land of Tanglawan as a future Keeper."

Upon saying these words, I felt myself fighting over staying conscious, with the audience blurring and their claps and cheers feeling more distant. I kept at it for a while, with dark spots further blocking my vision, until suddenly, everything turned black.