HISTORIA

ACT 1. PAGE 7: STAR IN THE MORNING SKY

Del blinked twice and stared into the hallway when the melody stopped.

Melody? what melody?

Hallway? what hallway?

He blinked the third time and saw his father, Katipunan. His aunt, Urduja and his uncles, Llanera and Pio, stood by his bed. Where was his mother? Why'd she leave when his father is in such a state?

Staring at his father's face, he noticed the disturbed but strong expression he held as he was being treated. Urduja took whatever shards they had left in the wooden bowl and reattached them to Katipunan's limbs. Though, it was obvious there weren't enough shards to replace all of his arms and legs, they had to leave it to Katipunan to regenerate his body parts.

Before he knew it, the melody had already disappeared. Like a dream passing through his head and then out while he was still awake. What did it sound like? What was the instrument?

He couldn't remember.

As Llanera was chanting prayers under his breath, Pio watched his sister reassemble their brother's body. Del blinked in confusion and looked around. He took note of the lack of people, but that wasn't his greatest concern. His biggest worry though is: When did I... get here?

No, Del. The right question is: Why weren't you here before?

Urduja feels another presence in the room. She looks at the door and nearly screams.

"D-Del! Why are you here?!"

She asks, worrying as she immediately stops tending to Katipunan and goes to Del. She kneels down to his height and tries to conceal her worried face behind a serious stare.

"Del, you're not supposed to be here... and it's too early for you to be awake!"

Llanera perked up and turned around to see Del standing at the doorway. He blinked, confused until he realized that- hey, you're not supposed to be here. But...

Pio, who hasn't been listening, looked over to where his sister was. Upon seeing Del, he raised a brow. Huh, that's strange, how'd he get here so quietly? He swore the door never opened an inch.

Del looked to the side to see his father's face again, and frowned. Urduja noticed and immediately covered Del's eyes.

"H-Hey! Let's go downstairs together and wait for your mother, okay?" She says, picking Del up and carrying him in her arms as she opens the door.

The young boy nods hesitantly at his aunt, before laying his head down on her shoulder, left with his own worrying thoughts. As Urduja closes the door behind her, Llanera and Pio are left with the broken, half assembled body of Katipunan, who had gone back to sleep.

Llanera sighs and decides to take over Urduja's job for her. Pio watches the hesitant man pick up the shards and observe them, trying to see which part fit which limb. Pio couldn't help but notice his expression and ask:

"Hey... you good?" Llanera stays silent for a while. Now Pio was worried.

"Nothing, it's just..." Llanera starts, staring at the door where Del and Urduja had just exited out of.

"I could've sworn I heard... this strange melody."

"..."

The Maharlikan warriors gathered around the large, open hut. It lacked walls and stood on wooden pillars so that the people could see their human datu, Lapulapu, sitting in the middle with his closest assistants. One of them being Magdiwang, who came to replace Katipunan and see what the unpredictable datu planned for them.

One of the warriors cleared his throat audibly, "Sir, is... is there anything we need to take note of at this time?"

"..."