SAGE'S POV

"Ashburn in all its glory!" Geo said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

We stood on a massive, rocky platform. Its surface was overgrown with wildflowers tangled in vines that looked strangely withered, yet alive. The trees surrounding us loomed tall, their canopies a surreal, deep shade of purple. Beyond the ledge, a waterfall cascaded into the depths, glimmering like liquid silver under the moonlight.

"No way..." My voice trailed off. I was lost for words; the sheer scale of it was breathtaking.

Lumingon sa akin si Geo habang karga si Teddy. They both looked just as thrilled as I felt.

"Nakita mo 'yon?" aniya, sabay turo niya sa tabi ko. Sinundan ko ito ng tingin.

May isang istrukturang gawa sa sinaunang bato ang nakatayo mismo sa gitna ng platform. It looked weathered by time, etched with faint, glowing inscriptions that pulsed softly.

"This," he said with a proud smirk, lumapit siya sa bagay at ipinatong niya ang kanyang siko sa tuktok nito. "Is a Waystone."

I took a hesitant step closer, my eyes narrowing. "A Waystone?"

Tumango si Geo nang may pananabik. "The scroll we used earlier? Dito 'yun naka-connect." He rapped his knuckles against the stone, producing a soft but clear ting sound. "Ang Waystone ay isang checkpoint para sa isang specific na location. Yung scroll na ginagamit natin kanina, yun ang nagsisilbing ticket—sort of like our ride, pero instead na magco-commute tayo, the system is pure teleportation."

Lumapit ako, matamang nakatitig sa kumikinang na mga rune na nakaukit sa bato. "Ibig mong sabihin... kung wala ito rito, hindi tayo makakapag-teleport?"

"Exactly!" He spread his arms wide. "Thanks to the Waystones, we don't end up lost in the middle of nowhere... unless, of course, you mess up the incantation."

I went silent for a moment, processing his words. A fixed teleportation system. Checkpoints that allow for instant travel. That meant Ashburn had an entire infrastructure built around this...

Napaka-advanced naman nito.

"Anyway," Geo continued, brushing the lingering magickal dust off his cloak. "Tara na. Nasa entrance pa lang kasi tayo."

Umuna siya sa paglakad at sumunod ako. At the far end of the platform, a rocky path extended further into the purple-hued unknown. Habang tinatahak namin ang daan, hindi pa rin napigilan ni Geo ang pag-explain.

"Ashburn's territory is technically part of Earth," he said, rubbing the top of Teddy's head. "Pero dahil isa itong realm, it's not exactly easy to stumble into. If someone tries to wander in without access, maliligaw lang sila. You need the right 'key' to get inside."

I frowned. "What about leaving? Are scrolls required for that, too?"

"Some use them, since there are designated Waystones outside the realm as well," he explained. "But others prefer a more traditional journey. That's why we have the great ships."

I glanced at him skeptically. "Just... ships?"

"Yep!" Geo grinned, kicking a loose stone down the path. "But our pier isn't ordinary! The docks are hidden—it's rare for an outsider to even know they exist. We have trusted witches guarding the harbor at all times."

He looked back at me over his shoulder. "Not to mention, the realm is protected by magickally reinforced borders. Very few people ever find their way to our world by accident."

I turned the information over in my head. Isolated. Controlled access. Fixed entry points. The only way in or out was through Waystones or hidden docks.

"In a sense," I muttered, "this place is more secluded than any other part of Earth."

"You can say that," natatawa niyang tugon. "See? That's what makes Ashburn special!"

Pagkaraan ng ilang minuto, the dense treeline began to thin. My eyes widened as massive structures finally came into view.

"Dito na tayo?" marahang tanong ko, at napanganga dahil sa nakikita.

Towering buildings lined the streets, their architecture reminiscent of grand European designs. Colorful fairy lights draped from the trees, casting a soft, enchanting glow over the cobblestone roads. The most striking detail was the color palette—nearly every building was accented with vibrant reds, deep purples, and clean white.

And people. Ugh. There were so many of them.

I looked away, secretly hoping that somehow, in all this crowd, they wouldn't notice me.

"WELCOME!"

Napaigtad ako sa lakas na pagbati ni Geo. I turned to glare at him, but he was grinning too widely to care.

"Welcome to Ashburn, Sythria!" he declared proudly. Out of nowhere, he grabbed my hand and began dragging me into the thick of the crowd.

What the—

"G-geo! Dahan-dahan lang naman!" I yelped, nearly colliding with a passerby. The streets were packed—people laughing, chatting, and celebrating—making it impossible for me to find any room to maneuver.

"Ayyyy! Nakalimutan ko nga pala," he laughed, barely breaking his stride. "May festival ngayon!"

He stopped so abruptly my momentum nearly sent me crashing into his back.

"Ow!" I scowled, yanking my hand free from his grip.

"LOOK OVER THERE!"

Sinundan ko ang direksyon ng kanyang nakaturo na daliri. Doon, sa gitna ng plasa, nakatayo ang isang malaking estatwang bato ng isang babae.

I took a hesitant step toward it, my eyes tracing every detail. She was surrounded by various kinds of flowers, their petals swaying gently in the breeze. The statue stood tall and graceful, possessing an undeniable presence like a reigning goddess watching over her land. The glow of the moon above cast a flaring halo around her head, giving her an almost divine appearance.

Her expression was serene yet powerful. One palm was raised as if she were in the middle of casting a spell, while the other held an intricately designed book.

The sight of her sent a cold shiver down my spine.

"Sino siya?" tanong ko kay Geo.

I glanced down at her feet. The woman stood over a bundle of wilted flowers carved into the stone, half-swallowed by swirling clouds beneath her. Sa paanan ng estatwa ay isang plake na kumikinang sa ilalim ng liwanag ng buwan. Its inscription aged yet unyielding, read:

'PRISCILLA HYPATIA'

The Hand that Woke Miracles

With her hand, a plague was cured.

With her will, witches are born.

In her wake, miracles never slept.

The words gleamed beneath her towering figure as if they pulsed with the miracles themselves... a silent testament to who she was.

Sa sandaling ito, parang bumagal ang oras. Unti-unting lumabo ang lahat ng nakapaligid sa akin maliban sa kanya. The longer I stared into her stone eyes, the heavier the air became.

Nakakasakal. Parang nagkaroon ng buhay ang kanyang mga mata... nanatiling nakapako ito sa akin.

"Sythria!"

Halos mapatalon ako sa gulat dahil sa mapanirang boses ng katabi ko. Before I knew it, I had stumbled into someone else. I turned quickly.

"Oof–sorry—"

The words died in my throat. I felt a sudden, heavy awkwardness as my eyes met the person I'd bumped into.

It was a woman wearing a black veil.

She stood unnervingly still, her gaze locked onto mine. Her unblinking eyes seemed to stare right through me, pulling the very breath from my lungs with their piercing intensity. Nanlalambot ang mga tuhod ko. My instincts are screaming at me to move, to look away—pero...

Hindi ko talaga kaya.

I swallowed hard and took a small step back. "S-sorry Miss..."

The woman didn't react. Walang nagbago sa galaw niya. Na animo'y kasing tulad ng anino na ayaw mawala.

A light touch on my shoulder startled me. "Ano?" Sandali kong binalingan si Geo at ibinalik ang tingin ko sa babae ngunit wala na ito.

Ipiniling ni Geo ang kanyang ulo. "Nakatulala ka."

I let out a heavy sigh, and shook my head. "Nakita mo ba 'yon?"

He blinked. "You mean the statue?"

Eh? Did he really not see—?

"The statue in front of you is named Priscilla," magsasalita pa sana ako kaso inunahan na niya ako. "Siya ang kauna-unahang witch dito sa Ashburn."

I looked back at the towering stone figure. "Parang progenitor?"

He nodded, his eyes shining. "The Mother of all Witches."

I glanced back at her. Para talaga kaming nakipag-harapan sa kanya ngayon kahit bato lang 'to.

"She's the woman who cured the plague in Ashburn centuries ago," Geo explained, gesturing to the base. "The people built this as a tribute."

Plague? My eyes drifted back to the wilted flowers beneath her feet.

So, Ashburn had its own dark history. I looked up at the moon. Remind me to read about that, too.

"Today, August 13th, marks the end of the plague," Geo said. "That's why we have the festival—to celebrate, to pray, and to make sure it never happens again. We honor Priscilla, hoping she'll keep protecting this land."

Now, the offerings of candles, flowers, and gems around the statue made sense. People were even praying at the base of the platform, their silent pleas suggesting a deep fear of history repeating itself.

"Anyway!" masiglang saad ni Geo, he was grinning ear to ear. "May mga tindahan dito na kailangan mong makita dito sa Capital! Tara, tour kita!"

Napakurap ako sa kanya nang may bigla akong maalala na ikinaabala ko.

"Teka—" mabilis na puna ko. "I didn't say goodbye to Auntie Asia!"

The guilt crept in late, like an ache in my ribs after running too far. Hindi ko pa nga pala nasabi kay Auntie na aalis ako tapos pagala-gala lang ako kasama ang taong hindi ko naman kilala?! She's definitely worried—she probably thinks I've been kidnapped. Given she works as a private investigator, she isn't going to take this lightly. I could already imagine her risking everything to find me.

Panigurado namang magtatagal ako dito eh, and I hadn't brought anything with me except... the strange things from my mother's box.

Patay.

"Well... on the bright side, you didn't say goodbye to your laundry. It's probably haunted now." pabirong sabi ni Geo.

Great! Way to cheer me up!

"P-pwede ba tayong bumalik?" I asked, biting my lip. "Lagot talaga ako kay Auntie... and I don't even have my things."

Geo giggled. "Too bad. Isang scroll lang ang meron ako at nagamit na natin 'yon kanina." He patted my shoulder. "Don't worry about those problems right now. We'll deal with that later."

Later? Just like that?!

"B-but—"

"Laaaater! I-enjoy muna natin ang festival! My treat!"

Before I could react, he had already grabbed my hand and dragged me away from the statue.

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

As the night stretched on, Geo and I walked through the bustling streets of the Capital of Ashburn.

Habang sabay kaming naglalakad ay hindi ko mapigilang mamangha sa paligid. The ambiance of this place felt more enchanting than any fantasy novel I'd ever read. Some of the stalls were selling glowing gems, while others displayed strange trinkets and desserts I had never seen before. The buildings looked as if they had been frozen in time—massive, exquisite, and ancient.

Geo hummed a tune beside me, effortlessly balancing an absurd amount of honey-flavored candies in his arms. Teddy was busy following him, clutching a jar of honey as well.

"For Teddy!" he said cheerfully, tossing an unwrapped candy into Teddy's mouth.

Huminto siya sa paglalakad at tiningnan ako. "May gusto ka pa bang bilhin? Libre ko na! Consider it a grand welcome gift from your very cool escort." He winked.

"Nope." I answered flatly. "I'm full."

Geo had already spent an unreasonable amount of money on me, and he was so stubbornly happy about it that arguing felt useless. Eventually, I just gave up and let him.

Earlier, we had tried some eccentric festival foods, watched people dance to the music, and walked through a confetti-filled plaza. Ilang oras na rin ang nakalipas pero hindi pa rin naubusan ng mapag-usapan si Geo. At some point, I stopped following whatever he was saying, just letting his words fill the space while I observed him.

Was he trying to earn my trust?

The more time I spent with him, the more I could see that maybe he wasn't the "bad guy" here. But the longer I stared at him?

Naiirita lang ako.

I knew better than to judge people at face value. Just because he acted harmless didn't mean I'd let my guard down. I needed to stay sharp. Observe. And figure out his real motives.

After all, he brought me to this world; I owed it to myself to be careful. He knew more about this place than I did.

I shook my head and took a deep breath."Hindi mo ba talaga sasabihin?" tanong ko.

"Ang alin?" he asked, munching on a honey-glazed donut.

"Whoever sent you on a mission para sunduin ako."

Ngumuso siya bago umiling. "I don't know."

Tsk.

"But you said 'them.' That alone implies you know someone," giit ko. "What's that supposed to mean? Your mom? Some aged evil sorcerer? Spit it out."

He rolled his eyes and groaned. "Sythria naman. Hindi nga ako ang pwedeng sumagot sa tanong mo." He shrugged, taking another bite of his food. "I'm just doing my job. Cut me some slack. Will you?"

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "So part of your job is to stay silent?" I pushed.

Imbes na sumagot sa tanong ko, inirapan niya lang ako. Aba! The nerve of this guy!

"I wouldn't say that they force me to. Wala lang talaga ako sa lugar para sabihin kung ano ang nalalaman ko."

I frowned, my shoulders dropping as I realized that no matter how hard I tried to get a confession, it was useless. I glanced at him, keeping my voice casual. "Now that I'm here... where exactly are you taking me?"

"Doon kay old ma—"

Geo suddenly froze mid-sentence. Bigla niyang nabitawan ang dala-dala niyang mga kendi. Even Teddy, who had been happily enjoying his honey, went still. Dilat na dilat ang kanilang mga mata at halos malalag ang panga na parang nakakita ng multo.

Nalilito kong sinusundan kung saan sila nakatingin. I only then realized that the crowd was thinning out. My breath hitched when I noticed the thick, looming forest ahead of us.

"Geo?" I asked cautiously, my stomach twisting with unease.

Pero hindi siya sumagot. Instead, nilapat niya ang kanyang kamay sa lupa. His once playful energy ay napalitan ng pagkabigla.

"No freaking way." he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing. "Alam ko itong nararamdaman ko sa lupa..."

I was about to ask what he meant when a blood-curdling scream echoed from the distance.