24 Chapter 21:The Anointed One

Her vision became bleaker and bleaker as the light diminished by the hour. Calista has been scrubbing the floor for the past four hours, and she hasn't stopped since. The bloodstains were now fading from the mossy floor to her delight. She was exhausted when she decided to rest by sitting on the dry part of the mossy ground near Sulad's entrance.

The small streaks fo light danced above the wet floor and murky river, creating an illusion of snake-like apparitions swimming in the water. Calista was not bothered by the scene, not anymore at least.

It has been a few months already since she had stayed in the underworld. As time passed, her fears were already fading as fast as the light cycles of Sulad. She had been through overwhelming and mind-numbing experiences that now is just a distant past. The longer she stayed in Sulad, the more her emotions were beginning to slough off, and the more she thought about it, the more numb her feelings had become.

It could be that the underworld is a place where everything dies, and that includes human emotions. She realized that no matter how harrowing her experiences might have, she can shake it off thoroughly. She hopes that it is. She doesn't want to admit to the idea that it might just be her mind becoming more and more inhuman.

Her break has passed. The lack of lighting had made Calista act fast. She scrubbed the rest of the stain until the pink-tinged floor turned pale. Calista's sweat dripped like rain, and she was catching her breath.

Moments later, Tagahatid came out from the dark hallways and called her.

" Lady Calista, the Master, wants to see you," he said.

"I will be there in a moment." She replied while scrubbing the floor.

"Not a minute more," Tagahatid approached her, " The Master wants you-"

"Now." Sidapa emerges from the shadowy door, " I want you to join me."

Calista dropped the brush and rushed towards Sidapa. The death god greeted her by extending his hand in a stop gesture. Confused, Calista halted and stood from where she was.

"Not an inch closer," he sniffed the air, " You stink! Please, wash before reporting to me. I'll be in my throne room." Sidapa then vanished into the dark corridors of his kingdom.

Calista was confused. She looked at Tagahatid with her eyes prying to get some answers. Tagahatid said nothing; instead, he reached out his cold hand to Calista so she could stand. It was a good gesture, she thought. Tagahatid then guided her back to the hallway.

The hallway was darker. Calista cannot find the streaks of white light peering from the canopy. She wandered blindingly in the dark, being guided by her mentor. Finally, he stopped and opened the door to her room.

" The hallway way was darker than usual," she said.

" The moon has shied away," Tagahatid explains, " It's a New Moon."

She nodded and went straight to her room, where she freshened up. Calista scrubbed her skin hard. That was a habit of hers, mostly after she does anything strenuous. She tried to look at her arms, expecting to find pinkish streaks of scratched skin. Instead, everything went back to grey.

The color became too depressing for her, seeing only grey lines over a shade of pale white. After the cold shower, she went straight to her dresser to be greeted by a strange-looking dress laid on her bed.

The dress had pearls and gems adorned on it, but it wasn't heavy. It was lighter and more comfortable than Calista thought. Adjacent to the dress was a folded paper that she picked up. She opened the folded paper and realized it was a letter.

Dearest Lady Calista,

I hope you liked the dress I have chosen for you. It will look good on you, and I know it would. It fits today's occasion. Kindly wear the clothing already and come to the throne room soon and not a minute more.

Calista got entranced by such beautiful handwriting. It looked like a font generated by a computer. The strokes' consistency and the cursive style added with extra curls made it look like a proper invitation that she usually gets during weddings and anniversaries.

I just said not a minute more, and here you are, staring at my letter.

The words suddenly appeared on the paper.

Calista threw it back to the bed and hastily wore the dress before grooming herself in front of her wall's small mirror. After that, she hurriedly opened her door where Tagahatid greeted her. She got escorted to the throne room, where Sidapa awaited bored on his throne.

" Took your time," Sidapa said.

She bowed deeply to apologize for her tardiness. She hesitantly walks towards the throne. She feared what her Master Sidapa might do to her for her offense. Surprisingly, he silently nodded and met her at the stairs to his throne.

" You look ravishing." Sidapa complemented.

" T-tthank you, Lord Sidapa." her voice trembled. She knows that she is walking a fine line, and she doesn't want to cross it.

" Relax, Lady Calista." he took her hand and kissed it, " Take a compliment, Lady Calista. Take it well."

Calista stood there, speechless and in shock. She felt her blood rushing towards her face, and her ears became hot. She shied her face away to avoid Sidapa from noticing her tomato-colored complexion. She cannot look at her Master in the eye, not after that unsolicited kiss and copious amount of compliments.

Calista composed herself even if her mind riveted away from reality. She gave a faint smile to her Master, which pleased him. Sidapa gestured his arm right beside Calista, inviting her to wrap her arms around his.

She never felt this way before, not since her Senior Prom; even then, she thought it was just a ruse. Not wanting to embarrass her Master and suffer his wrath, she obliged.

Sidapa looked happy and content at the moment. He snapped his fingers, and in front of them, a door appeared. He opened the door, and they went inside together. The lights from the other side of the portal were blinding to Calista. She squinted her eyes before entering the other side.

Two days later

Calista woke up in her room, still dumbfounded to what she witnessed two nights prior. She recalled her experience, which she can only describe as otherworldly. She knows everything that has happened to her recently could be described as that. But this one was unique, mainly because she got her vision back to normal for that brief moment.

She remembered the place on the other side of the door. It had gigantic black structures that had roots intertwined around them. The infrastructures looked like houses. She saw living people inside of them, cheering them as they walked through their city.

Their roads were made from cobblestones accented with beautiful black shiny stones in between each rock. The stones emit an ethereal glow that illuminated the road with a pulsating light.

She recalled walking by some other monolith buildings that looked crooked and some zigzag like an abstract painting. Both were very beautiful as it glistens from the glowing orbs that seemed to be the mysterious place's light source.

The locals she met wore old clothing, which she could only describe as the Colonial fashion of the 17th-18th century. Their faces were comely with European features. Tall and well-built people with blonde to silver-colored hair. Long and perfectly shaped noses with lips, supple and red.

But there was something different about them that she cannot shake off her mind. Even if it had a beautiful shade of blue to green, their eyes seemed to be lifeless. It never sparkled when it hit the glowing lights.

She remembered Sidapa whispering to her to never partake in any food or drink they offer. It was strange advice coming from her Master but, she agreed. Later during the feast, they were provided wines and food that were delectable, even by its looks! Big pieces of meat were roasted meat and fowl, sauce-based foods, soup, and strange-looking fruits.

It was an assault to the senses with the aroma and food presentation, but her Master never tried to eat or drink anything from the table. He just sat there and talked with the host, who seemed to be okay with it.

Later that evening, after they went back to Sulad, She took some courage and asked Sidapa.

" Why haven't you eaten the food, Master?"

"Well, it did look delicious! But, I know it's bland," he explained. " I need some salt in my food" He winked at her.

"Where were we before?" she asked again.

Sidapa sighed with an exhausted look on his face.

" There are things best left unanswered," he said, " Don't ruin the night Lady Calista, too many questions could spoil my festive mood." he nodded his head and left her in the throne room.

Her reminiscing got interrupted with Tagahatid calling out to her from the outside of her room. She quickly got up from the bed and opened the door, and was greeted by his shadowy mentor.

" Did you have a good night's sleep?" Tagahatid asked monotonously.

" Yes, I did," she replied, yawning.

" Good. Meet me at the docks after you…" Tagahatid looks at her head to toe as if judging her, "...freshen up."

She nods before closing her door. Calista got annoyed with Tagahatid. Something is infuriating about him, and it could because he is mocking her. It may be attributed to his ghastly constitution or the fact that he is emotionless as he can be judgemental at times.

She shook that notion off and started her day with a simple breakfast of pandesal magically appearing every day by her nightstand. She then proceeded over to the docks, where Tagahatid was waiting for her.

Tagahatid was standing at the docks with his paddle on hand. He greeted Calista again and instructed her to clean the light posts of the place. He specifically told her never to clean the light post located at the docks' far left corner. When asked about it, he dismissed the question and sternly rebutted never to ask why.

She nodded in agreement.

Tagahatid currently has errands today after some thorough instructions, he left. Calista was all alone in the docks again. Suddenly a looming sense of dread crept again into her mind. She felt as if she was being watched. She looked around and saw nobody else but her.

" Hello?!" her voice echoed on the docks, " Is any else around?"

She felt dumb doing it but, she wanted to make sure nobody was around. Still, it didn't help in calming her down. She took a deep breath and mustered up all the courage to get on with her work. She sang hummed songs to entertain herself while working on such a laborious task.

She cleaned the posts scrubbing off grime and muck. At times she scraped sticky dirt that stubbornly stuck itself in the wooden standings. She checked the lights if they had adequate oils and refilled some that had less as instructed to her.

Afternoon came and she was starving and tired. She decided to rest by the post located at the east end of the dock. She unpacked her lunch which was given to her by Tagahatid. It was a simple yet filling hot meal of soup and rice.

After eating and putting her food basket to the side, she counted the docks' light posts. There was no other past time at that place. There were no radios, books that she could read, or any other entertainment form connected to the Living World.

Her mind drifted after counting to 68. She missed the Living World! She missed her room, her photobooks, the food, and the people. She wondered if Mae is still hooked to that Korean drama she cannot stop talking about when she was still alive or Dex's non-stop banter with her when it comes to the best place in the Philippines that they must travel to.

" Siquijor! It had to be Siquijor!" she recalled him saying.

Her blissful daydream was interrupted by a massive splash on the surface of the water. The water rippled violently as if an enormous thing just dropped on it. Calista's fears surfaced again as she noticed a pair of glowing spheres slowly rising from the water's surface. She stood in fear as the spheres became increasingly larger and larger as it rose above the surface. The spheres were already as big as a human head when it stopped rising.

Calista notices a dark slit in the center of one of the spheres. She looked at it intently, mesmerized and afraid from its beautiful glow. Her body then starts to move closer to the edge of the river, as if the spheres were calling to her.

She took a step more when she realized the spheres looked as if attached to something. She stood still again, hesitating to walk another step until she can be sure of what it is. She looked again, and then it blinked.

That's when she realized it was attached to a head of a hulking beast lurking in the murky depths. Her fears came true! Someone or something was indeed stalking her this whole time. The mere thought of it sends shivers down her spine.

She snapped out of it and ran fast towards the dock's entrance. A fog then starts to envelop the dock. It covered the pathway like a thick white blanket making it difficult for Calista to see. She stopped and looked at the white-colored chaos engulfing the port. She hears another splash in the distance, but this time, there was audible water crashing sound, like something swimming towards her.

Calista ran through the thick fog in a panic only to be met by a mysterious figure lurking in the opaque white gas. Calista got startled by the silhouette that she stumbles on the ground.

" Don't be afraid, my child." a familiar voice echoes, " It is I."

" Who are you?" Calista's voice trembles uncontrollably.

The figure began to take shape. Calista saw the figure took the form of a beautiful woman dressed in a white gown adorned with gems and seashells that contrasted her shiny brown skin. She cannot describe the woman's face, although it was otherworldly beautiful. She had tattoos all over her arms and feet, and her hair fell smoothly to her waist.

Her fears turned into awe as she sees such a great presence in front of her. She still doesn't know who she is, but her aura was comforting like a mother. Then, she remembers!

" Are you the voice from my head?" she asks, " Mama...Guayan?"

The woman nods and greets her, " Hello, Chosen One."

" Chosen One?" Calista asks.

" Haven't I told you before?", she answers her with a question, " You will dethrone Sidapa and lead Sulad to its prosperity?"

Calista recalled that conversation but thought nothing of it.

"Well, then rise my Dear, and take my hand." Mama Guayan reached out her hand to Calista.

Calista reached for Mama Guayan's hand and felt a strange warmth all over her body. It's as if she was alive again. Calista took Mama Guayan's hand and felt a jolt of electricity running to her body. A bright glowing light emanating from their hands. She felt a burning sensation on the right arm, the one she used to reach out to Mama Guayan. It was as if some invisible needles started prickling her.

Finally, the pain subsided along with the glowing light. Calista looked at her hand to find a strange-looking tattoo of weird whirling symbols. It looked like waves forming a circle around one another.

" Calista, you are now my Anointed One!" declares Mama Guayan, " I will seek you out soon, but for now, keep this one to yourself." she hugs Calista tightly as she fades along with the fog.

" Calista?!" a voice broke from the fading blanket of white. It was Sidapa's voice sounding distressed.

She looked around, trying to find her Master, but she was not able to. Instead, she got greeted by a snout she was hugging all along. It was massive that she could hear it breathe.

She stumbles from being surprised at what she saw. It was a gigantic crocodile overshadowing her, bellowing at her. Staring at her with its glowing eyes and slowly opening its massive maw, ready to devour her.