“Why?...” Calla murmured as tears fell from her eyes.

Triggs didn’t know what exactly Calla learned from her memories, but seeing Calla’s sorrowful face, he understood it was depressing.

But before Grace and Triggs could even ask the details of the memory, Calla voluntarily narrated everything she experienced.

After hearing everything, Triggs couldn’t say a word, all he could do was rub Calla’s back and sympathize with her in silence.

Grace’s motherly nature told her to hug the mourning Calla; in her embrace she consoled the crying lady, treating her like her daughter, “I feel you. Dear. I feel you…”

With a voice cracked by the continuous weeping, Calla pondered mournfully, “Why?... Why did she tell me to go away? Am I really a bad friend.”

“Oh, dear, please don’t interpret it that way. I’m positive that wasn’t the case,” Grace said to comfort Calla.

Calla's mind and heart were in chaos; she was deeply upset. Speculations flooded her thoughts, as if she was forcing herself to find reasonable explanations for her painful memories. “M… Maybe she was angry that I hurt those kids. I really shouldn’t have done that.”

“Or maybe she was just scared…” Triggs replied.

Triggs had a different intention, but Calla seemed to misinterpret his words.

Calla cried louder. “That’s even worse! Huhu!!!”

Instantly feeling guilty, Triggs panicked as he explained himself, “No, no! That’s not what I meant… You were just kids back then, so maybe she was just shocked by what you did. Or - or… Maybe she was just forced to follow her mother… again, maybe she was afraid.”

The explanation didn’t help at all; the lady just kept on crying.

However, Grace seemed to agree with Triggs. “You know, dear…” she said to Calla. After a pause of hesitation, she continued, “...What he said was true: fear is such a powerful emotion. It can lead us to do things we never intended. I’m sure your best friend was just acting out of fear.”

“You… You think so?” Calla mumbled while wiping her tears.

“Yes, dear,” Grace answered confidently. Abruptly, her expression changed; her eyes dilated, as if something suddenly slipped in her memory. She continued her next words murmuring, “I’m very sure she didn’t mean to hurt you…”

“There you are!” Their conversation was cut when another elder came. It was the west elder, Lhorrie. Her arms were crossed and her face showed disappointment. “I’ve been looking for you. We’re already done with that Paranormal Investigator,” she muttered to Grace.

“Oh goodness, I completely lost track of time!” Grace expressed.

“We're just about to get on with our Full Moon Ceremony. Polo and Ardo have been waiting for ages already. So will you please hurry up?”

“Well then…” Grace stood up, preparing to return to the Tabernacle. “Sorry. I have to go now, kiddos. Let’s just continue our conversation if we have time later.”

“No worries po, Tita Grace,” Triggs replied.

The 2 elders were about to leave, when Grace said something out of the blue, “Fear can make us lose the very things we fear to lose. So always let love guide you, not fear.”

“Uhm…” Triggs didn’t know what to say. He was caught off guard by the heavy statement.

“See you later, kiddos…”

“See you po.”

With Grace leading the way, the 2 elders departed. Walking away, Lhorrie gave the 2 youngsters a final cautious stare, making Triggs nervy.

Since the elders left, Calla remained silent. Her aura displayed a reminiscence of sadness, as she repeatedly snuffled and wiped her eyes with her hands.

Triggs was becoming uncomfortable with the heavy air. He wasn’t even sure what to do to comfort his friend. But he tried to initiate a conversation anyway, “Calla, uhm… about…”

“Maybe you’re right, Triggs,” Calla uttered just before Triggs could finish his words.

“Hmm?”

“Maybe Mae-Mae was just afraid to be scolded by her mother. That’s why she asked me to leave,” Calla said with a wispy voice. “I felt it in my memories… I believe she really didn’t mean to do that.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“I also choose to believe that,” Triggs replied.

“I’m sorry if I overreacted right away. I’m such a crybaby…”

Triggs consoled Calla, “No, you don’t need to be sorry. You were just sad and confused. Your reactions were valid.”

“Aww… You’re very understanding, Triggs,” Calla responded, trying to force a smile from her still-gloomy face.

“How are you feeling now? Did the revelations help you at all?” Triggs asked.

“Honestly, it made me sadder. Especially when I learned what happened to my Mama,” Calla answered. She was getting emotional again, “My poor Mama, she sacrificed herself to protect me…”

“I’m very sorry…” were the only words Triggs could say.

“It’s okay…” Calla responded. Then, she started spouting something out of her character, “I hope those people already regret what they did to my Mama, or else…”

Triggs was alarmed by the lingering spite in Calla’s voice; it was his first time seeing Calla like that. He became worried, so he tried to divert the topic, “Uhm - Yeah!... So, what is your next step now? Do you plan to meet Mae-Mae again? You know… to clear things out.”

In Triggs’ relief, Calla’s tone changed again, as if the malice was instantly erased from her body.

“Uhm… I don’t know… The memories shown to me were still incomplete; some parts still confused me. I didn’t even learn where my hometown was.”

“Like what Tita Grace said, the Words depended on your willingness. Maybe your mind just showed you what you needed to see.”

“Well… my head hurts when I try to think about it more,” Calla stated. “Maybe I’ll just think about it later.”

Triggs, somewhat, agreed. “Yes, I think getting some rest is the best thing to do, for now.”

“Uhm-hmm!” Calla’s response. Her aura was a tad better now. Although her eyes were still swollen, her lifted eyebrows and the small smile on her face signified her bettering mood. “What is it now, Triggs?” she suddenly asked.

Confused, Triggs replied, “Sorry?”

“We went here because you wanted to talk about something, you silly!”

“Oh, of course!… I almost forgot it…” Triggs uttered with embarrassment. “Yeah - about that… Earlier, something weird happened to me.”

“Really? What is it?”

Unsure, Triggs answered, “I don’t know… I might have used a Word.”

“WOAH!!! YOU USED A WORD!?” Calla asked. Excitement could be seen in her eyes.

“No, no… I’m not sure yet. That’s why I want to ask you because you were the last person I saw before I passed out,” Triggs said.

“Can you tell me more about what happened?”

“My mind was hazy that time, I can't recall everything. It was that strange phenomenon again - the lake was talking to me and told me to use these certain Words…”

“WOAH!!! And then!?”

“When I chanted the Words, a powerful stream burst out of the lake and bombarded the Sigbins.”

“That’s so cool!!!”

“Are you sure it was not you?”

“Uhm… no? Half of the Sigbins were already dead when we came,” Calla answered. “And what are the Words you used, by the way?”

Triggs held his chin, trying to recall the exact Words. “I think it was AQUA PRIMAFORMA.”

“Nope, I don’t know those Words. Now I’m sure that it was not me,” Calla confirmed. “Maybe you made Ate Panee happy when you helped save Her Domain, and She blessed you with those Words as a reward!” she speculated, just the thought of it made her ecstatic. “We’re ‘Panee-Buddies’ now!”

Triggs was still in doubt. “Maybe?...”

Lae came into the scene, together with Toby. Both of them were donning expressionless faces, as if they were there to say something important.

However, Calla was still excited. She greeted Lae, “Lae! Triggs just learned to use a Word!!”

“No. I still need to confirm it,” Triggs quickly followed. “Well… it’ll be cool if it really was me…” he murmured.

Now, Lae was also confused. “What are you two talking about?”

“Back on the bay, I might have used a Word to annihilate the Sigbins,” Triggs answered.

“Oh, you mean that powerful water attack? I thought it was Calla,” Lae replied. “Cause you know… ‘water’...”

Calla denied, “No. I already told Triggs that it was not me.”

“Well, it's great if you've finally used a Word. It'll be a big achievement and it will be useful for our future missions,” Lae stated. “If you have doubts about that, it’s best to ask Lola Vega about it.”

Calla agreed. “That’s right! Lola Vega could give you an answer. She can ask Ate Panee Herself.”

“Yes. But before that, you need to see something,” Lae said to Triggs.

Toby added, “It’s the ‘information’ we were talking about.”

“I see…” Triggs replied.

…

…

…

…

Triggs, Calla, Lae, and Toby went to the other side of the courtyard. The area was filled with thick, lush fruiting trees, and the plants appeared well-tended, as shown by their organized planting.

Monty was there, sneaking Macopa Fruits into his mouth. Staring at him with a dissatisfied face was another young man from the Children of the Moon.

This young man has a stubby frame. His arms and torso were leaned by labor. Dyed platinum blonde, his hair contrasts boldly with his tanned skin and dark eyes. The short, tousled strands stand up in an unkempt yet charming manner. His skin has a youthful, sun-kissed glow, with a hint of freckles adding character to his face.

A few feet away, there seemed to be a discussion happening. Otto, Zaine, and Eddy were standing in a circle. All of them, with serious faces, were staring at a large rectangular wooden box in front of them.

“Hey!! You can’t just eat their fruits like that!!” the young man yelled at Monty.

“What? I can’t hear you over the crunchiness of this fruit in my mouth,” Monty teased.

“Damn you!!!”

“Come on, Kairo. They’re our visitors. Just let it be this time,” Toby said to the young man as they arrived at the scene.

“No! How many times do I have to tell you? Plants have consciousness too. They might sulk if you just pluck their fruits!” Kairo argued.

“Psh! What a weirdo,” Monty blabbered while munching another fruit.

“Seriously!? How old is this guy!?”

And just like that, Monty got heated up with Kairo’s question. “Old enough to see your grandpa die of stroke!” he mocked. “Why do you even care about these plants so much, anyway!?”

“I’m the quartermaster of this place! Of course, I’ll take care of these plants with all my life! Those fruits will be our offering for Bulan!”

“You think I care?”

“Okay, okay, please stop it now, Man,” Otto said to Monty. “That’s not the right behavior for a visitor.”

“No! This gal is getting on my nerves!”

“Tch!”

“Monty, stop it.” This time, it was Lae. She gave Monty a serious leer. Although her anger was restrained, her expression was enough to stop Monty’s shenanigans.

“Alright, Ms. Principal, I’ll stop it now,” Monty said. “But I expect an apology later from this gal.”

“Huh!? What!? Why would I!?” Kairo blabbered. “And why do you keep calling me a ‘gal’?”

“Wait, are you not?...”

“Ah - eh… Can we go on to our discussion now? Hehe…” Triggs said to avoid the argument to heat up again.

“Uhm, yes… We wanted to show you this…” Tobys stated as he went to open the rectangular box.

Inside the box was a fresh corpse of a Sigbin.

Toby lifted the creature’s left hind leg, exposing its shaved belly. “After a month of battling these creatures, we discovered something…”

Triggs examined the Sigbin's belly closely and noticed a peculiar mark on the creature. The mark appeared to be embossed on its skin, almost as if it had been heat-pressed. It consisted of a circular outline with a cloud-shaped symbol inside.

“Turns out, this is more complicated than we thought,” Eddy said.