Miss Historian and Her Lady Guide (The Love We Found)

Murmurs of Time

Cebu was a city alive with history, its streets a blend of the old and the new. Spanish colonial architecture stood alongside modern high-rises, and the scent of grilled fish and fresh mangoes mingled with the diesel fumes of jeepneys rumbling past. Roxan and Dana navigated through the bustling streets, their senses overwhelmed by the sounds and sights of this new place.

"This place is incredible," Dana said, her eyes wide with wonder as they walked past colorful markets and centuries-old churches. "So much history, so many stories."

Roxan nodded, her eyes scanning every detail. "And somewhere in all this... María and Isabel's story is waiting for us to find it."

They had started their search at the Museo Sugbo, Cebu's provincial museum housed in a former jail from the Spanish era. The cool, stone walls and dim lighting seemed to hold onto the past, as if the very air carried whispers from centuries ago. Dana had convinced one of the museum's curators, an elderly man with kind eyes, to let them look through some old records that weren't on display.

They sat at a small table in the back room, surrounded by piles of documents and faded photographs. Roxan carefully leafed through a stack of yellowing papers, her fingers tracing the lines of ink that told stories of people long gone. Dana, meanwhile, flipped through old shipping logs and ledgers, her brow furrowed in concentration.

After an hour of searching, Roxan paused, a slight frown on her face. "It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," she muttered. "What if there's nothing here?"

Dana glanced at her and gave a reassuring smile. "There's always something," she replied. "Even if it's not what we expect."

Just as Roxan was about to reply, she caught sight of a small, folded piece of paper wedged between two larger documents. Her heart quickened as she gently pried it free, unfolding it carefully. The paper was thin, almost translucent with age, and the writing was faded but legible.

"It's a letter," she whispered, holding it up for Dana to see.

Dana leaned closer, her eyes scanning the page. "What does it say?"

Roxan began to read aloud, her voice low but filled with emotion:

---

**August 5, 1873**

*Dearest Ana,*

*We have arrived in Cebu safely, but our hearts are still heavy with the fear of discovery. We have found refuge in a small house near the port, but we must remain vigilant. María's father has not given up his search for us, and I fear that every stranger we see might be someone sent to bring us back.*

*But despite the danger, María and I are resolute. Our love has given us the courage to face whatever may come. We dream of finding a place where we can live without fear, where we can simply be ourselves. Until then, we must remain hidden, waiting for the right moment to make our escape.*

*Pray for us, dear Ana. Pray that we find peace.*

*With love, Isabel*

---

Roxan's voice trembled as she finished the letter. "They made it here," she whispered. "They found a place to hide... but they were still being hunted."

Dana's eyes shone with determination. "We need to find out where that house is. If we can find it, we might discover what happened to them after this."

Roxan nodded, feeling the urgency in her veins. "We need to speak to someone who knows the local history, someone who might have heard stories passed down through generations."

They decided to head to the nearby Basilica del Santo Niño, one of Cebu's oldest and most revered churches, where they hoped to find someone with knowledge of the area's past. The basilica was a grand structure with whitewashed walls and a red-tiled roof, its courtyard bustling with devotees and tourists.