Jorge’s forced itself to open at a sound. The early sunlight from the windows stung his vision, since he chose the bed next to the balcony. But processing that sound in his ears, he did not move. He did not dare to disturb what he was hearing. In a two bedroom room, Mister Gyeong and Seung-Hyeok took one of the beds, and Jorge and Tvuj took the other. Jorge heard Tvuj sobbing.

He decided to close his eyes until the rest of them woke up.

“Yosh, let’s begin our search!” Tvuj threw her arm up into the air. As the elevator dinged for the ground floor the four of them walked out onto the lobby. “We’re staying as one group, if I remember, right?”

“Yes, and you are too vociferous in the morning’s hour.”

Tvuj stopped and grinned. “You guys are way too gloomy. We’re going to find them, as long as Hojun used a sahar spell yesterday I’m sure I can find her.”

Jorge stayed silent while Borja jumped on his shoulder and meowed. Just like he thought, maybe she was emulating someone. No wonder why he had a weird feeling from her, that her smile wasn’t real. It was different from Hojun’s, and different from his mother’s smile that seared into his memory. Alejandro once told him about what they mean.

The brick houses stood rigid as they towered over like walls. As gloomy as the gray painted buildings, a few people flocked the streets. An eerie air felt unwelcoming to a Kamao that stepped foot in the Bakalitos’ turf. But for the Piyesta de Kadayawan, even Lungsod ng Laguna Sagar opted to try and be festive.

While sauntering in the streets, the huge lake, Laguna Sagar, fit into the entire horizon. Jorge had seen it in photos and billboards, but it was beautiful up close.

“Get your parols here! Parols!” A parol vendor called out from his stand. The neon lanterns caught Mister Gyeong and Seung-Hyeok’s eyes.

“Parols?”

“He makes lanterns, or parols.” Jorge answered, recalling the starry disks hanging over the streetlamps in the Luzokapital. “According to Khoitan beliefs, they symbolize the star of Al-Muqadsa shining over the holy city.”

The parols were lanterns made of capiz shells, papaya, and metal in various symmetric patterns. To the parolero, he must’ve practiced his craft for years in order to keep the pointed stars consistent within the circular frames.

“You seem knowledgeable in the Piyesta de Kadayawan. Do you perhaps celebrate it?” Mister Gyeong stopped to ask him. Jorge’s mind flashed to the past and back.

“No, I will never celebrate the Piyesta… I just know about it as a citizen of Buhanggilog.”

As they followed Tvuj around, it became clear that her sahar detections skills were not accurate. Sometimes she encountered a food vendor using a spell to aid their cooking, other times she led them down an empty alley. The more they came up empty handed, the quieter Tvuj got. Just a while back, she was raring to go, but now?

“Miss Tvuj, are you sure that m’lady would go to this town, even?” Seung-Hyeok’s face went pale, as the four of them stood in front of the door to a residential building on the second floor. Borja hissed at the door, hearing the sound of rustling from the inside.

“Have patience, Seung-Hyeok.” Jorge looked at him and placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. “This is our only lead on finding Hojun.”

The three of them watched as Jorge grasped the metal door knocker. Tvuj’s gaze aimed at the ground. “Well… I’m sorry that I couldn’t be of any help if we don’t find her.”

He had to do it. He knocked on the door, and instantly Borja jumped off his shoulder. Barking dogs howled from the other side and drowned out the faint footsteps. The door opened ajar.

“Yes?” A woman’s voice was heard.

“Uh…” Jorge scratched his head. Maybe it was another dead end again. “Sorry po. We were looking for someone.”

As he began to turn around, the woman asked again. “Who are you looking for, sir?”

“A princess by the name of Hojun, with brown hair and one braided cornrow. Have you perhaps seen a fair lady by that account?” Mister Gyeong stepped in, clenching his hand to his chest.

The woman stepped back, gasping at the imagery sparked in her head. A moment passed before she regained her composure. “You’re not Oksidentanos, right?”

“How dare you label us as-”

“We're not Oksidentanos, ma’am.” Mister Gyeong covered Seung-Hyeok’s mouth. The woman breathed a sigh of relief, fully opening the door. The pets growled at Borja, while she explained herself.

“The truth is, I’ve seen a person by your description. Ate Hojun, and Kuya Suruj stayed in our house for the night yesterday.”

Jorge’s eyes sparkled. “They were here?!”

“Really?!” Tvuj’s sudden caprice bounced her to Jorge’s shoulder.

“For what reason were they here?” Mister Gyeong kept his composure, while the woman looked around.

“I’ll tell you inside. Come, come. My name is Tala.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

As they entered, there was a feisty lola from down the hall. Tvuj and Jorge mano’d her, bringing the elder’s hand to their heads out of respect. The grandma seemed way too enthusiastic, putting on a monologue about the Buhang youth.

Tala explained how Hojun and Suruj arrived at their house seeking a balikbayan box. Apparently they had took all day to travel to Lungsod ng Laguna Sagar, so Tala offered them their guest room.

“Ate Hojun tried to lift the balikbayan box with a spell but,” She motioned with her hands, “But her leg collapsed and injured her knee.”

So that’s how Tvuj found this place, Jorge began to piece it together. “What was the importance of the balikbayan box?”

“It was a package Alejandro left for them, I think.”

“Alejandro?... But Alejandro is…”

“Wait, what?”

Tala and the lola were unprepared for the truth that hit them hard like a hammer. They could only stare helplessly at each other while Jorge and them broke the news. Alejandro’s cousin, Tala Pérez and the lola withdrew from the conversation.

Jorge wondered why Hojun and Suruj never told them. Were they trying to save face? Or simply they forgot about his death?

“Get out,” Tala formed her words with tears, “If Alejandro is gone then we don’t have any business with you. Please leave!...”

Just as quick as they entered, the four of them were escorted out of Tala’s house. As they stood there in vain, nobody said anything. If anything, they had gained nothing. Jorge knew that Alejandro was important to everyone. Important to him. He squatted on the floor, watching Borja flicker his tail. He could’ve said that Alejandro was his mentor, but he had no excuse for bringing it up to them.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Seung-Hyeok broke the silence, standing next to Jorge. Jorge looked up at him.

“Huh?”

“I mean… That man on the train, Alejandro, he was like a father figure to you, right?” Seung-Hyeok scratched his head, leaning his back against the wall.

Jorge returned to stare ahead at the empty street. “Yeah, I guess you can say that.”

“I think understand, a bit. What it feels like to loose someone you look up to.”

“...” Gloom showed on Jorge’s face. “What do you understand?”

“When I lost that person, I was lost. Not until Her Royal Highness saved me.”

Jorge flashed back to when he first met Hojun in that alley. At that time, she seemed so amazing, dazzling. And her kindness knew no bounds. However Mister Gyeong told him her life was anything but amazing. Jorge wanted to know about her more.

“She saved you?”

“Yes. She saved me from when I was at my lowest. So in order to make sure I protect her, the one I look up to, I am her guard,” he said, and extended out a hand to Jorge. “Perhaps if you look up to her too, then I will place my faith in you to protect Her Royal Highness.”

A couple seconds passed before Jorge processed what Seung-Hyeok had said. He chuckled a bit. “What was that monologue supposed to mean?”

“Eh? I just poured out my feelings, and this is how you treat it?” Hojun’s guard pulled Jorge up from the ground. That hostility he felt from him now, seemed to dissipate. “Come, Miss Tvuj. We will find Her Royal Highness.”

“Me?” She turned her head, alarmed at her own name.

“We know that Her Royal Highness is somewhere in this town, so why don’t we split up?”

With that, they split at the street’s junction. Mister Gyeong and Seung-Hyeok, Jorge and Tvuj. The girl remained quiet the entire time, as if contemplating something. Jorge’s feet began to hurt, as they cramped up in his ankles. The sun wavered in the dimming sky. He knew it was dangerous, since they were in Bakal turf.

“So this is the real you, huh.” Jorge blurted out without much thinking, stretching his hands up in the air.

Tvuj turned her head. “Eh? I do believe that I’ve been acting like myself. Haven’t I?”

She nudged his shoulder, to which he noticed the sudden change in behavior. Just seconds ago she did not speak a word.

“Not really… It’s like you’re being someone else. You seem naturally quiet, I think.”

“That’s… Well I can’t hide it anymore. Yeah, I like being quiet.”

Silence walked alongside them, letting the atmosphere of the sunset sink in. Jorge couldn’t help but look at Laguna Sagar ahead of them, the gleaming sunlight reflecting off its waters. “If you like being quiet, then isn’t it tiring of your persona you put up?”

“It’s not a persona,” She immediately interrupted him, before glancing away. Tvuj took a deep breath. “We… Back in the finale Dineh Kazaàd, Suruj and I were muqatil. It’s a long story, but there was a person whom he was close to.”

The Dineh Kazaàd… He didn’t expect to hear that come up. After the tournament was overthrown, it threw Buhanggilog into chaos. Antonio Tovar, the leader of the country, resigned. Suruj’s name was etched as a symbol of Buhanggilog, although no one even knew who he was.

“Mouka Toqemur. She was a best friend of mine, and a best friend to him. Suruj really cared for her, so I figured if I just emulated her personality, then maybe he’ll notice me.” She pouted, and pulled a ‘hmph!’. Multiple caprices in one day… This was unexpected.

“So, what of you and Mouka Toqemur?”

“... She’s no longer in this world.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I know she’s in a better place. Up in the stars.” Tvuj stretched her hand up into the sky, “Suruj knows me for a longer time than her yet she earned hid number one spot. I guess I’m a bit jealous…”

Jorge stopped walking, and was taken aback. “I never knew a guy like Suruj could even make a friend.”

“He acts like an edgy, emo guy like you said, but once you know him he can be really nice. When we both escaped together from an Al-Wa boat, he asked me if I’d ever been to a beach. I said no, and then you know what he said?” Tvuj giggled, as if remembering a bittersweet memory. “He said we should go to a beach when everything’s over. Even though he showed hatred towards Al-Wa a few hours before that.”

“So he’s that type of guy, huh.”

“Yup. And I’m going to find him, no matter what.”

As they approached an intersection, something caught Jorge’s eye. A guy in a silver shemagh. Jorge’s voice seemed to tighten before gargling his words. He could only point.

“Suruj-”

“Huh? Where?”

Jorge’s fingers saw Suruj exit from a storeroomesque building. He appeared to be in angst, with his face tense.

“He walked into the alley! Tvuj, go get Mister Gyeong and Seung-Hyeok!” Jorge prepared to run forward, as Tvuj nodded. She turned around and dashed the other way. Talk about coincidences. His exhausted feet dragged Jorge over to the alley where Suruj turned, bringing him to a panting stop. Borja didn’t catch up in time.

“Suruj! Is that you?!” Jorge placed his hand on the wall, panting. The Buhang stopped walking, his back facing him.

“... You’re the person that’s close to Hojun, correct?” His question echoed. Jorge didn’t know how to answer, but instead told him how everyone was searching for her. Yet, Jorge felt something was wrong. Suruj never turned his back, and stood silently after his question. Cautiously, Jorge took out Alejandro’s gauntlets and slid them slyly into his hands. As soon as he looked back up, the world turned black.