“Uhm… How do I use Words?” Calla asked herself. “Hmm…… If I want to use a specific magical move, I just say the right Words to activate it…”

“I see… So, Words are like triggers to activate a specific magic spell. You can trigger a spell by saying the right Words?”

“Uh-hmm! But you should also remember that some magical moves require certain conditions for it to activate,” Calla emphasized.

“Conditions?”

“Yup! Just like Kuya Otto – he needs to offer booze to Kuya Dhan first. As for me, I have different Words that need different conditions… for example…” Calla started demonstrating.

She opened her palm upward and chanted, “PARTUM AQUA!”

A small Water Ball formed above Calla’s palm.

“To create this Water Ball, I needed to use a small amount of energy from my body,” Calla explained. Then, she chanted again, “AQUA VERBERARE!”

Suddenly, the Water Ball flew across the field like a bullet.

“This certain magical move allows water to move at high speed. It can’t activate if there’s no water around, so I needed to create Water by using the first Words. I also used a small amount of energy to use it.”

“Ohh... So it's like a Combo Spell? It won't activate unless certain conditions are met.”

“Combo Spell?” Calla wondered.

“Ahh – No! Nevermind! Please continue!”

Calla nodded her head. “Now, I’ll show you another magical move.” She aimed her hands at the sky and chanted, “AQUAM INFERE!”

Water balls formed around Calla and instantly flew into the sky. After the move, visible sweat drops began forming on Calla’s face.

“The move I used was like a 2-in-1. It formed Water Balls and instantly threw them just by chanting specific Words. However, it needed greater energy for it to activate.”

“I get it now…”

“Again, these conditions only apply to me and Ate Panee. I don’t know if it works the same for others.”

“It’s okay, Calla.”

“Oh, and remember this: whenever you use a Word, you're also communicating with the Giyas!”

“Uhm… can you explain further?”

“When you use a Word, it’s like you’re asking them to do something for you. You need to be clear with your intentions or else the Giyas won’t give power to your Words.”

“I think I understand what you mean now…”

“That’s why there are cases when the magical move won’t take effect even though you use the Words. It’s important to have a deep connection to the Giya who gave you the Word.”

“Okay… I’ll take note of that.”

“I remember when I was trying to build the Water Sphere in Ate Panee’s Domain, Lola Bonging was so strict—she forced me to learn strange phrases to use in my prayers. But it really helped me connect more with Ate Panee. Praying showed my dedication and eagerness to perform the magic, and in the end, She allowed me to create a Water Sphere.”

“That’s nice…” Triggs commented. “So, to sum it up, Words are like triggers for the Giyas to help you do the magic. Some conditions need to be met and you must be very eager and your intention should be clear for it to activate…”

“Yup! That’s how I understand it…” Calla replied. “Sorry if it’s confusing…”

“Nah, it’s okay, Calla. I got the gist of it.”

Calla let out a warm smile, she’s still excited about Triggs’ newfound power. “Yaaaay! We’re ‘Panee-buddies’ now!!”

“Yeah. Hehe. Thanks.”

As they continued their celebration, a Portal suddenly appeared in the middle of the Garden. A swirl of energy formed, shimmering with a spectrum of colors, and out stepped a young woman. Her face was serious, her demeanor radiating a weighty aura that contrasted sharply with Calla’s sunny energy.

“Lae! You’re back!” Calla greeted the serious woman. Excitedly, she approached Lae. “Lae! It’s confirmed! Triggs can use Words now!”

“That’s great,” Lae replied. Her tone didn’t change; it was still heavy, laden with the seriousness of whatever mission she had been on. Calla's excitement seemed to bounce off her like light off a shield.

“I’m currently teaching him how to use it properly,” Calla said while walking back to Triggs and the others. “Ooh! I have an idea! Why don’t you help me with my ‘Word Mentoring’? I’m sure Triggs will learn more from you!”

“Sorry, Calla. But we don’t have time for that,” Lae answered. Now, they had returned to the spot where Triggs was.

“Hey, Lae,” Triggs greeted. “How’s the mission going? I heard you went back to the Moon Temple with Mang Eddy.”

Lae sighed, her serious expression deepening. “We talked with the Followers of Bulan about the Ultimatum Situation. Well… I kind of expected it already - they didn’t take it well.”

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“What do you mean?”

“They're really furious about this and think the conditions are unreasonable. They said if the people in the Barangay storm the Temple, they'll have to take some 'desperate measures',” Lae explained. “I didn’t ask much about the ‘desperate measure’, but it’s obvious that it is something we need to prevent.”

“Welp… That’s not good,” Triggs’ comments. “If that happens, it won’t be good for both sides.”

Lae and Calla agreed by nodding their heads.

“So... Do we have a plan for it now? What are our next steps?”

Lae replied with another question, “Are you free for the rest of the day, Triggs?”

“Uhm… Yes?” Triggs answered. “I mean, there’s not much else to do besides figuring out how to use my new Words properly.”

“Good,” Lae replied. Then she explained, “Mang Eddy already gave me some details about Elijah. He mentioned that their family is hard to track because they frequently change residences. But with the information he provided and Ate Kloe's help, I think we might have a possible location to find him.”

“So... you're telling me we're going to that ‘possible location’ later?” Triggs asked.

“Yes,” Lae answered straightly. “As soon as possible,” she added. “If we're able to find him later, and hopefully he can give us information about the source of the monsters, we can continue our investigation into the main problem itself tomorrow. Afterward, once we have solid information about the main root of the crisis, we can finally put an end to all of this.”

“Wow.. that’s one very ‘laid-out plan’,” Triggs commented.

Lae nodded her head. “If we follow this plan strictly and on schedule, everything will be done before the Ultimatum ends.”

“I see…”

“You better prepare now, Triggs. I just need to pack a few things that I need, and then we'll be leaving right away.” Lae stated. “You’ll be coming too, Calla.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Calla replied like an attentive soldier.

“Uhm… Can Claire come too?” Triggs inquired.

“No. I don’t think she would be of much use there,” Lae answered frankly. “Also, we're heading into a residential area—there will be too many people, and it'll be noisy. It won't be good for her.”

“Okay…” Triggs replied. He leaned closer to the timid lady and whispered, “I’m sorry, Claire.”

“It’s okay, Kuya Triggs. I understand. Hehe,” Claire uttered with a forced smile, there’s a hint of sadness in her tone.

“Where are we going, by the way?” Triggs asked Lae.

“Legazpi City. In Albay.”

…

…

…

“OPERBA!”

Coming out of the Portal, Triggs, Lae, and Calla found themselves in a confined space. The air reeked a distinct pungent smell and the floor gave off an odor that resembled chemical cleaning substances.

“In the ladies’ restroom? Really?” Triggs muttered as they packed themselves inside a narrow cubicle.

“Well, it's not like we can get out of the Portal in the middle of the streets. We should, of course, be discreet,” Lae argued with a soft voice.

Triggs didn’t contest any further; he just sighed.

“Calla, you go out first,” Lae commanded. “Make sure the area is clear before we get out of here.”

“Aye-Aye!”

Like a special forces scout, Calla cautiously walked out of the cubicle. She scanned every corner of the restroom, ensuring no one was around before signaling her friends.

“Coast is clear, fellow soldiers!”

After hearing the signal, Lae and Triggs immediately exited the cubicle.

Without further ado, they walked toward the exit door. As they stepped out of the restroom, they were immediately greeted by awkward stares and confused glances. It turned out they were inside a local fast-food restaurant.

It was a busy day, and there were a lot of customers, making the situation extremely embarrassing for the trio.

“Shit… This is so awkward…” Triggs murmured with a bowed head.

“D… Don’t mind them. J - Just keep moving forward,” Lae said. She was trying her best to be nonchalant, but the stutter in her voice gave her away.

Meanwhile, “Hello, people! This is not what you think it is. Hehe. No, we weren’t doing anything weird in the bathroom. We were just talking about our secrets. Hehe.” Calla said to every person they walked past

“Geez, Calla. You’re just making it more awkward,” Triggs muttered.

Navigating through the sea of people, Triggs heard various chatterings and mumblings — all of them judgmental. He even overheard one customer say, "Shit! What a lucky guy!”

Triggs felt incredibly embarrassed. At that moment, he wished a random black hole would appear and swallow him alive.

After minutes of hell, the trio finally made it outside the restaurant.

Triggs let out a big sigh of relief. “Damn, that was the most embarrassing moment of my life!”

Lae blamed herself for the situation, “I apologize for that. That’s a miscalculation on my part.”

“Nah, it’s okay. The situation’s kinda funny though,” Triggs replied to console Lae, then he followed it with a laugh.

“That’s true!” Calla affirmed, she also giggled.

“By the way, where to go next?” Triggs asked.

Without answering the question, Lae brought out a palm-sized disc-shaped item from her pouch.

The item looked mystical, with strange engravings in the center. At intervals, blue energy pulsed from the middle of the disc, spreading outward toward the edges.

Curious, Triggs asked, “What’s that?”

“This is an artifact Ate Kloe gave me. It's like a navigation device—or a detector,” Lae answered.

“Cool…”

Lae added, “Ate Kloe has already marked the location with energy. This artifact detects that energy, and as we get closer to the location, the pulsations will increase.”

“I see…”

“According to the information we have, Elijah’s house is near the Public Market. So, that's our next destination. We'll ask people there for further directions.”

“Understood!” Triggs replied.

The trio headed off to their next destination after that.

…

After minutes of traveling, they finally reached the Public Market. The place was buzzing with workers and customers alike. The noise of vendors competing for buyers echoed throughout the area.

Lae approached a lady bystander to ask for directions. “Hello po! May we ask where Balintawak Street is?”

The lady pointed her hand towards the street just across from the Public Market. “That whole passage — that’s Balintawak Street.”

“Salamat po! [Thank you!],” Lae thanked the bystander. “By the way, Ate... Do you happen to know a person named Elijah Santos?”

“Nope. Never heard,” the lady answered.

“Ohh… Okay. By the way, thanks again, Ate!”

The trio waved goodbye to the generous lady.

“Well, we have our directions now,” Lae said. She glanced at the artifact and noticed that the pulsation intervals had become faster. “We’re getting close,” she whispered.

“Off we go!!” Calla uttered as they headed in the direction given by the lady.

As they walked through the street, Lae noticed that Triggs had been silent since they last talked with the lady. “Hey! Are you okay? You’re zoning out.”

“After hearing Elijah’s surname, something just clicked in my mind.”

“‘Santos’, hmm? Did it remind you of someone?”

“Yes, a certain someone I had a bad experience with,” Triggs replied in a displeased tone.

“Well, 'Santos' is a pretty common name in the Philippines, so don't stress too much about it... Just saying...”

“Welp, you’re right…” Triggs agreed. “Anyway, do you have a plan for how we'll talk to Elijah? Are we just going to ask him directly what we need? Do you think he'll be that cooperative?”

“Actually, no. Mang Eddy told me that Elijah’s father is a bit grumpy; he doesn’t want to talk about anything mystical or esoteric, especially about his son's 'abilities'.” Lae said. “That’s why we need to hide our true identities again. We'll pretend to be students conducting a survey for our thesis.”

“Uhm… okay…” Triggs replied.

Suddenly, as they walked in front of a specific house, the artifact's pulsations became wild.

“I think we’re here,” Lae announced.

The house resembled Kapitan Mario's in Mt. Iriga; the architectural design was modern, and it was barricaded by a high wall and a metal gate. However, this one was a bit smaller, the lot narrower, and it blended in with the other houses in the area.

One thing was certain, though: the family living in the house belonged to the above-average economic class.

Lae rang the doorbell.

DING-DONG!!! DING-DONG!!! DING-DONG!!!

After a few more presses, someone finally responded inside.

“Honey!? Can you please check who it is!?” It was the voice of a woman, and from the sound of it, she was asking her husband to check the gate.

No reply came from the husband. Instead, the sound of a door opening behind the tall concrete wall was heard.

Footsteps trailed, growing louder as they approached the opaque metal gate.

CREEEEEK!!

The gate opened, and the person who stepped outside shocked Triggs to his core. The incredibly high hairline, the droopy eyelids, the crooked nose, and the very stern look — it couldn't be mistaken. It was Triggs' Literature teacher, the very professor who had caused his suspension.

“M-Mr. Santos!?”