The cold night wind sang a lullaby through the palm trees making their leaves sway in reminiscence of the waves crashing to the rocks. It was this same chilling breeze that woke up the boy lying on the soft ground. It took him a moment to realize where he was for he barely remembered anything apart from the cliff, the fall and finally he remembered plunging into the sea's cold embrace, yet he was on cold, dry land.
The boy stood up and wandered the unknown land to look for clues on where he was and unsure if the waves have carried him far away from his balangay. With no definite direction in mind he decided to climbed the highest part of the land to give him a better view. As slowly as he climbed the hill so did the stench of brine ceased to sting his nose.
He frequently gazed at the night sky looking at the stars and mused how the absence of the moon gave these tiny pearls a much more beautiful glow but still left them with a tinge of loneliness. The boy felt that he was getting closer to the top but he also felt he was not alone in this place. He heard a faint melody outside of the song of the trees and as he went on the melody grew louder and clearer. The boy quickened his pace as he felt the beat of the metallic brass drums and the whistle of the flute beckoning him where to go.
Upon reaching the peak the boy stared in wonder and disbelief at the scene that greeted him. Tiny creatures who gave off a faint green glow filled the clearing on top of the hill, playing music while some dance and swayed to the beat. They produced a strange sound as if they were singing and it echoed all around like humming children and the middle of them all was a man playing the flute while wearing a silvery silk dress and hair so long that it sprawled on the ground. The boy thought that the man was a babaylan for why else would a man wear clothes suited for a woman.
The boy, curious as he was and yearning for answers, took his first step but the moment his toes took its first step on the cold dry soil he felt a cold shiver run up his spine but it was not the cold wind that urged this reflex but instead the dozens of pairs of faintly glowing spheres staring at him from the heads of the little creatures around. One by one the odd creatures slowly faded and vanished leaving no proof of their existence but a tiny sound akin to a ringing of a chime. Once the chorus of bells was over the boy was left in silence with the man in the silk dress.
"How unfortunate. It seems you scared the kapres away... it's not nice to sneak up on others you know." The man turned around to face the boy and gave him a friendly smile.
"Kapres?! Those little things were kapres?" The boy blurted in a mixture of shock and confusion but kept his voice down. "I thought kapres were large hairy monsters living on trees, a-and smoked tobaccos?"
"Hmm, darkness and a little bit of fear can change how a man see his surroundings." The man said with a hearty chuckle "But to be fair, those were just the young ones. It would take them a couple more years before they grow and resemble the kapres you've seen. Anyhow, I believe it should be time for introductions."
"Oh, my apologies. My name is..." The boy felt uneasy for such a simple question it seems he could not come up with an answer.
"What is the problem, child? Do you not know who you are?" The man asked but it was a question that was not looking for an answer and for a moment he sound as if he was teasing.
"I know who I-"
"But do you know which one you want to be."
"What do you mean?"
"Are you the boy who ventured out to the sea yearning for recognition and acceptance or are you the one who ebbed back wearing the guise of another?"
"H-how did you know that?"
"I have been watching your kind for a very long time and you along with them. I've seen your struggle to gain the datu's approval and I've seen the loss of your friend." The boy saw something in the man's eyes while he spoke but it was neither grief nor pity, strangely it seemed to be guilt.
