Lights of different hues alternately sparkled across the venue. The playful beats of the music resonated loudly. The crowd danced through the rhythm as they flaunt their rich suits and jewelleries that glitter effortlessly. Aroma of different spices wafted through the air. And, as if to agree with their spirit, the moon glowed clearly.

In the middle of talking to his guests, Ferdinand Marsus saw his head of the Presidential Security Group rushing straight to him. His eyebrows quivered a bit. He left instruction not to disturb him, so what was the man’s problem?

“Mr. President, I apologize for interrupting you, but we need to head back to the Malacañang Palace. It’s a matter of security,” the man said. The other agents are forming a line, securing their way out of the compound.

“I don’t want to hear any of it right now, Delfin. I’m in a middle of a very important celebration. Surely, it can wait. Right?” President Marsus smiled at the man. He dabbed his wife Marie’s hands, showing how busy he was now.

It was his surprise party for her 63rd birthday. The country’s inflation was constantly rising and a food crisis was happening. Yet here he was, giving his wife a day to remember. He, however, did not care what the others say, only of his own family.

“Sir, something disconnected our communications and satellites. It could be a pre-emptive attack from China. The Secretary of National Defense requested to meet with you immediately… Please Mr. president, we need to secure you and your family first!” the man shouted. Perhaps, knowing that he overreacted, he took a step back, but his eyes remained pressing.

The liveliness of the night vanished. The crowd remained breathless. Some dropped their glasses, some grasped. But all turned their eyes on the president, waiting for him to speak.

Despite their decades of dispute, no one of them ever believed that China would strike them now. Their Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States of America, the most powerful country in the world, almost guaranteed it in their minds. But now, the realization that it was truly possible hit them.

Ferdinand jolted slightly, and his eyes widened. His palms were getting sweated up. The fear was slowly setting in. But the voice of Delfin brought him back to reality.

“Please, Mr. President. Let us do our job.”

He hurriedly stood, took Marie’s hands, and travelled the line that his men created.

The surrounding people, who were looking at them before, erupted in panic. Some were even trampled on by the people who were looking after themselves. It was every man for himself.

When they reached an open field area, an S-70 Blackhawk helicopter stood there, ready to take off at any moment. They flew at the vast expanse of the Luzon, the biggest among the islands of the Philippines. The fine contours of its coasts were almost wholly visible — so fine that it might seem like God had carved it himself. Beyond the horizon, the great stretches of Sierra Madre Mountains calmly slept. Tales had sung that it formed because of Sierra, who loved her two kids, that protected them against the mighty winds. Maybe that was why it resembled a person laying on her side.

Just then, the sprawling megacity of Metro Manila came into their view. It comprised 16 cities and one municipality. Three train systems connecting the whole megacity traced the outline of the area. The rugged roads where millions of passengers passed every day were, as usual, full of cars that never seemed to move at all. Medium-rise buildings along with occasional skyscrapers composed the sea of structures so densely built. Obstructing the view were the small houses of informal settlers that dotted the landscape.

Those informal settlers that resonated with poverty were a serious problem for the nation. Some said those were the reminder of the true state of the country. One that the previous leaders promised to solve, but none succeeded. Perhaps it was because of the corruption of the government, the culture of the Filipinos, or the enormous debts incurred during the dictator’s martial law.

The helicopter hovered and landed at a neoclassical building. The walls were reminiscent that of a white moonstone. Its Spanish colonial windows had seen plenty a wars and revolutions. Halls of it were the testament for the governor generals and Philippine presidents that had lived there. It was the Malacañang Palace, the resident and office of the most powerful man in the country.

Armored personnel carriers of the Philippine Army were stationed in every corner of its walls. Short-ranged air defenses were set at the perimeter. Soldiers were running around, hurrying to their designated defensive positions. Shouts of commands can be heard from the vice commander of the 45th Infantry “Gallant” Battalion, the young Major Raul Astrea — the rumored executioner. Some said he was the president’s favorite, the favored one. In just 4 years of service, he was raised from the rank of 2nd lieutenant to major — an unprecedented promotion.

Delfin Lorenz, the Secretary of National Defense, and other cabinet members were there in the bunker when the leader of the nation arrived. The previous presidents built it under the Malacañang Palace for times of disaster. The only noteworthy feature of it was the giant map of the Philippines hanging in its center and the various communication systems that surround the entire room. Ferdinand took the seat that was noticeably higher than the rest and eyed his cabinet members.

Standing at attention, Delfin spoke first. “Mr. President, just an hour ago, all our communications networks went offline except radio transmissions. We immediately send an aircraft for reconnaissance of our EEZ. And… they did not find lands that were supposed to be Taiwan and Indonesia. Instead, an unknown territory was located just 380 km in the south of Sulu Islands.”

Murmurs dominated the room. All of them expected that the disruption in their networks was an attack by their enemy. The Chinese Coast Guard and Navy frequented the disputed islands of the West Philippine Sea. There was also a huge mobilization of their army just across the Taiwan Straight. Many experts said that it was a good time for an invasion since the United States, the Philippines’ only ally, was busy with the war in Ukraine. Therefore, the cabinet members had been afraid of an attack, but now, something unknown had struck them. They felt as if it was even grimmer than an invasion.

“T-that’s impossible. What exactly is going on?” asked Ferdinand.

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“Sir, we tried to communicate with other countries with radio transmissions, but none answered. It is also confirmed that the cause why our communications are down was because we cannot connect to any satellites, even our own. There were no records of cyber attacks. Our meteorologists reported that the wind direction changed. And so does our climate. Couple that with the unknown land, as odd as it sounds, I believe that this is not on our world.” Silence filled the room. All eyes were on the president.

Mystified by the straight-out-of-fiction event, he asked, “you’re saying that the entire country was just magically transferred to another world!?”

“That is the most likely, Mr. President. Even I can’t believe it. We already raised the alert level of our armed forces in case something happened.”

Ferdinand held his chin and looked at the map in the bunker. His thoughts were jumbled. His father had always stressed how disappointed at him for his dull wittedness. But to be fair, all his cabinet members were just as shocked as him.

The next ten minutes passed with them arguing with each other if what the Secretary of National Defence said was true or should they put him in a mental ward immediately.

“But, Mr. president, whether or not Secretary Lorenz is sane, if these unknown lands appeared on our south, we should at least send a scout plane to them. If it is the airspace of another nation, then let’s just claim innocence,” said a woman in the prime of old age. She was the national security advisor, Claire Carnas.

“Yes, investigate the unknown lands… Secretary Gazmin, do you have something to say?” He just wanted to rest for now, but the views on how to approach the unknown clashed again. There will be no end to it soon, he thought.

Ferdinand, seeing the mess his cabinet had become, slammed the conference table. “Gentlemen! There is no time to argue with each other now. This is an extremely delicate situation. We need time to think.” He looked around.

The secretaries were nodding, they already wore worn out faces.

“We can present no solutions today. We are all caught up to something we did not expect. For now, let us send a plane in there to see what those lands are. I will now adjourn the meeting. Your respective agencies will need you,” said the president. He walked out of the bunker immediately and headed to the master bedroom where the first lady, Marie, was waiting.

The cabinet members sighed at their boss’ reaction, but none was surprised. They took a deep sigh and went to their respective offices.

----------------------------------------

It was indeed true. The country was transported to another world. In just two weeks, the people had felt the effects of it. They did not know yet what specifically happened, but many had panicked, especially when they lost access to the internet.

There were also protests that sprung around the country. They had shouted for stable food supply, transportation, electricity, and even the resignation of the president. The prices of goods went up. Cars became rare and electricity only came in schedule. Those who roamed around the streets and begged for the now gold-priced bread became increasingly plain in sight.

The Philippines had been reliant on other nations for food. The main staple of the Filipinos, rice, was even being imported overseas. The meat, salt, sugar, and other essentials as well. For the last decades, farmers and farming lands were becoming less and less. Perhaps to support the growing population, apartments and condominiums had taken over what was previously crop-producing lands. People looked down on Agriculture, and society associated it with poverty.

The electricity of the country itself was imported from China. Now that their neighbor was gone, their limited grid lines that produced power would have to endure the entire nation’s consumption. It was a headache for the president and everyone.

When Ferdinand watched the news on the television, his face grew grim. He remembered what his father had experienced — when millions of people rallied in the streets of EDSA to fight the dictator. Of course, he did not want to meet the same fate. He was lost in thought until someone knocked.

After the president gave his permission, Secretary Lorenz entered his office. “Mr. President, good morning. I hope you are doing well.”

“I am doing well at ignoring them,” he said, glancing at the television. “Is the mission report done?”

Secretary Lorenz handed a stack of papers. On its top was a stamped confidential seal.

“Yes, sir. Here is the full report of the reconnaissance mission.”

After sending a reconnaissance aircraft to patrol the unknown lands, they also sent a squad of special forces to know the intricacies of the New Landers — the new term they used for those living in the “new lands.” The soldiers were told to wear civilian clothes and blend with them.

“Hmmm… medieval castles, huh? And magic. Are our agents drunk or something? Have you checked for their mental stability?”

“I don’t believe so, sir. They are among our finest. The psychologists also said there was nothing abnormal with them. Except for what they saw… “

The report took a while. Generals had not believed what the agents said initially. When the stories were consistent and the medical results were normal, the higher ups acknowledged it reluctantly. No one had thought that they would find themselves transported to a world that resembled a fantasy world.

Marsus skimmed through the file until something caught his attention. “It looks like their technology was that of a medieval Europe. They use bows and swords… and staves? We can easily conquer them with guns, right?”

“I’m afraid not right now, Mr. President. We do not have the personnel for an offensive war. Our guns, ammos, and bombs are all limited. We do not even produce any aerial bombs; we get them from overseas before. There is also what their ‘magic’ is capable of.”

“So, you’re saying we need to befriend them, then?”

“I don’t know about that, Mr. President. I am not well-versed in diplomacy. But we could probably win a battle or two or even four. Anymore than that would put a strain on our supplies. So, sir, we must avoid a full invasion. At least, until we are ready to do so.”

Ferdinand continued to read the report, dismissing the matter.

Information of all kinds was there: the land being ruled by a monarchy called the Kingdom of Rovell. A stern man known as King Regulus Julius III was its king, but its power decentralized like that of the feudalism. Some agents had even reported that their peasants regarded the nobles with animosity. When he turned to another page, something had caught his eye.

“They produce large amounts of wheat, corn… Our current food supply is only for 3 months. And they also have ore and coal… This seems to be favorable to us?”

The president sighed and smiled a bit after. It was an extremely delectable proposition. If they had more food, the ongoing hunger would have been less severe. The country also was also in need of ores as the government ramped up building additional infrastructure needed to be more self-sufficient, and coal to power such constructions.

The secretary of the national defense looked at him with disbelief. He seemed to not like where was this going. “Like I said, Mr. President, we can’t really afford a war right now…”

“They have what we need, and without it, we will fall into crisis. Not just a crisis; we might even fall as a society. Millions will die, I’m sure — our heads included. It is as simple as that. We must risk something if we have any chance of surviving at all. The security advisor is a brilliant strategist, and I know you too as well; I’m sure the two of you could come up with a plan to get what we need without a full invasion.”

The president stood. He walked closer to the secretary and grasped his shoulder. “And I’m sure that the congress does not need to know about this plan. Not right now, nor tomorrow, nor forever. When you report to them, tell them what they wanted to hear, but not this. I can trust you, right Mr. Lorenz? Aren’t you a soldier? It is, for the sake of our country, the flag you swore to.”

The secretary stood there in silence. Ferdinand went back to his desk and ordered his aide to bring him more coffee, which was now a luxury.

The television played in the background. Citizens were in a panic when they saw that the prices of virtually anything rose by enormous leaps. There were even riots at supermarkets when wealthy people tried to buy excessive supplies of food.

“I-I understand this duty… Mr. President, I will contact the security advisor as soon as possible,” he said after a moment too long. Caught in a precarious situation, he bit his lips and bowed at the man before him.

Ferdinand took a sip of his coffee as he saw the shadow of his Secretary of Defense appeared smaller and smaller. At the back of his mind, he thought, why would something like this have to happen in his term?