CHAPTER 7: THE FATHER AND THE SON

"Okay old man, I had enough of this wizardly bullshit. I'm gonna ask you again, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?"

I still don't get it why do I feel that I already saw this guy.

"I'm Bathala, the creator of everything." He said

"ok, prove it"

I've seen worse, things like this are not new to me.

"If you're really God himself, then prove it. Multiply bread, re-fill my cup, do miracles, or change to Morgan Freeman. That's what you do right?"

...

"HAHAHAHAHAHHA"

What's so funny? I wasn't trying to be funny or anything. I was trying to make him do miracles cause man I'll still accept him if he's one of those 3 wizard guys but the fact that he told me he's God himself, that's some serious shit.

"Anak, I'm not that guy. I mean is I'm that guy but not really that guy, you know what I mean?"

"So, you're not a god?"

"I am THE God."

"No angels?"

"None."

"No Heaven?"

"There is a heaven, but we don't call it that way."

"So you're God but not the God we know?"

"Enough questions, just grab my hand. You people complicate things."

He's right though.

"There's no way I'm gonna grab –"

The old guy grabbed my hand and in an instant, I saw EVERYTHING.

From the birth and death of life, feelings, construction and destruction, natural disasters, planets, black holes, exploding stars, universes, heaven, and lost souls.

This is not my perspective, this is his. I don't know how but I saw everything through his eyes.

Then I heard a voice.

"Anak"

The moment I opened my eyes, it's still the same old man but with a lot of tattoos and one hell of a physique. Wait a second, this is the same guy who stopped me from glowing.

It's really him, he really is Bathala.

THIS IS INSANE, SO THOSE DWARVES AREN'T LYING?!

But more importantly, what is this place?

Clouds, just clouds, OH SHIT AM I DEAD??

Anyway, it feels fascinating that my feet are touching the clouds and it's satisfyingly warm.

I lay down and every inch of my body feels like being hugged by cotton candy. Soft, very soft.

So this what it feels like to be in heaven, no wonder Bathala doesn't visit Earth.

And suddenly there's hair on my shoulders. Tried to remove it's stuck on my head.

Bathala created a mirror out of nowhere and it's still me, in a different body.

"woah, I look like Lapu-lapu."

With the gold-glowing bandana and this weird cloth on my crotch. Not to mention the glowing tattoos all over my body, I kinda like an eagle being drawn all over my back but this is sweet.

I feel like I'm a new man

Then he just flew me away to outer space like that one scene from Doctor Strange.

I was flying and turning and flying while closing my eyes, it's getting warmer and warmer. I was getting close to the sun.

"HOLY SHIT OKAY MAN YOU WIN JUST DON'T BURN ME ALIVE OH SHIT BATHALA MAKE IT STOP PLEASE NO NO NO!!!"

I stopped, I'm in the sun.

I'm not burning or anything and it's not even hot in here. Those scientists are making a fool out of me.

I'm still hesitant to touch the floor because this is literally hell in outer space.

Then I fell, Bathala is making fun of me.

And just like that, I'm standing on the sun. that big light bulb on the sky that burns everything on Earth, yeah I'm stepping on it.

"One small step for Paul, One giant leap for mankind."

Beat that Armstrong.

"Having fun in the sun?"

Yeah, he's still smiling, he's making fun of me.

"This is you Paul or should I say, Apolaki, you are the God of the Sun. Whatever the light touches are your domain."

I swear I already heard that before, I couldn't remember.

But looking at all these stars and planets, the fact that he's protecting all of this is just wow.

"You need to protect your domain and that's why I bought you here. The three deities told me you won't believe a single word they said so it's my turn to explain everything."

"Anak, the end of all life in this universe is coming and I need you to stop it. I need you to gather your siblings and the other gods, it's time for you to lead."

Woa- woa Woah, this is already bigger than life situation BUT THIS? No way.

"you're literally God himself, you can make life with a sway of a finger, you can make planets just by breathing, why just erase him with a snap?"

"you made those gods, you made me, why not just call them yourself and let them fight."

I'm literally teaching Bathala himself, and my dad calls me a failure.

Beat that dad.

"The universe needs someone to control the balance and that's my job. Some will die and that will lead to opportunities for the newcomers. It's also my responsibility to protect others since I send the gods back to Earth and I didn't do it for no reason. If I leave my responsibility to get them, the balance will rumble which leads to universal suffering. I may be powerful but I'm too old for this and that's why I want you or your sister to replace me."

SISTER!? I have a sister??

This went 0 to 1,000,000 in a minute and I didn't sign up for any of this. I feel weak, my heart is beating up so fast I can't breathe properly. This is insane.

"I don't want any part of this. All of this is your responsibility. You created it and you have to take care of it. Why not create something that can stop that thing?"

"I already did and I'm talking to him."

"How about the other gods? I suppose the others are stronger than me?"

"If they were stronger than you, do you think I'll come to get you myself and beg to do something for me? No. I blessed you with the strongest and brightest thing this universe has to offer and that makes you the strongest of them all. If you don't lead them, all will die including you."

I suddenly remembered that vision where we're all getting eaten by a giant snake, is that what he's talking about?

My hands are shivering, my skin is getting numb and we're in the sun. the irony.

"I know you're the creator and everything but I'm going to decline, this is too much for me to handle. I screw up now and then and assigning me to save everyone is pure genocide. If all will die then be it, this world is screwed up anyway."

I never felt so patient while talking to someone in my entire life, maybe it's the life and death topic? I don't know.

"Okay, guess I don't have a choice. Unite the Gods and tell your sister Mayari to lead them and I'll give you whatever you want. Money, girls, you name it."

Music to my ears.

"wait, my sister Mayari?"

"she's one of your three sisters. The God of the Moon. If you don't want to replace me then I'll give my title to her, She's worthy of it."

"So let me get this straight, all I have to do is find the other gods and tell that Mayari girl to lead them to war?"

"exactly"

"Ready my Trillion dollars, I'll do it."

Ferrari, here I come.

"so, how do I know where to find them? And how do I know if their Gods?"

"the three deities know their locations."

And with a snap, he sent us back to that exact spot in Bohol. Talk about a lousy trip.

"oh and I was wondering, how do you actually make people in the first place? Are we monkeys or something?"

...

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

Luckily, he's Bathala or I'm gonna punch that beard out of his face. He really laughed because of my curiosity. I ain't afraid of him.

"I did it with a snap of my fingers."

He literally can do anything with a snap, Thanos would be very proud.

"Last question, among all the parents in the universe, why did you pick a lousy family to raise me?"

"it –"

The Deities arrived at the scene and man I hate seeing their faces.

"I'm sorry to ruin your conversation but we have a team to assemble, Paul, Let's go."

Said the plant bender. What's his name again?

"Maybe you'll get your answer some other time. If you need me, I'm just upstairs. Goodluck anak"

"HEY, I NEED TO KNOW WHY!"

And just like that, he's gone.

I could've had a happier life if he chose another family.

"so Paul, Do you know where to start?"

"Bathala mentioned that I have a sister, I think that was Ma-"

"OH YES MAYA! OMG, I MISS HER SO MUCH." Lakanbini replied

These guys know everyone huh, this shouldn't be a problem.

"uuhh Yeah her, okay let's go see my sis."

Billionaire life, I'm coming.

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<Meanwhile, Maya is crying in the bathroom of their school. Glowing and makes everything float in the air like crazy.>