27 Chapter 24: The Lights That Guide You Home

Calista has a lot of thought going on her mind right now. She can name a few, like the incident with Buaya and the other one with Mama Guayan. Her mind is thrown into chaos. Why do a lot of bad things happen to her? It's not a question, she knows fully well why it is, but she is too afraid to face the reality. The answer to that age of question, what is going on with Calista Andres?

She walks along the gloomy hallway leading to her room. The light is still bleak and the black and gray contrast that she sees did not exactly help. Even if it has been more than a few months now, Calista is still having a lot of difficulties with adjusting to her restrictive vision. No shades of colors, everything is a big canvas of hue. At the very least, she can walk now without putting her arms out like trying to reach for something. That was a big achievement for her!

She reached her room and immediately opened the door. She sat on her bed, exhausted from everything that has happened to her. An Anointed one, A katabang, or anything else in between that, it made her head spin just by thinking about it.

She lays down on her bed looking at the vast white space of her ceiling. She looks at the nothingness and sorts her thought trying to put some sanity to the unexplainable experience she had. As her mind went deeper to every memory she had that day, the more her consciousness fades. Soon, the white-colored ceiling slowly dims to black.

" Calista," a familiar voice came calling. " Calista, where are you, my child?"

" Calista" the voice called again.

Calista opened her eyes and saw herself in the old room at her grandmother's house. Everything was the same. The smell of coconut oil filled the air, the old comfortable bed made of old wood and the huge sliding windows with capiz shells made her feel back at home again.

The old dresser and the mirror that hung by the wall are there like guarding sentinels watching the small-spaced castle she called her room. She went to the mirror and saw her young self with puffy eyes and disheveled hair.

" Calista…" the voice called again, it was of her Lola Pape. " Calista, apo…"

Her Lola's gentle voice had always been reassuring and warm. She fixed herself, clumsily combing her hair and putting her favorite butterfly hair clip on. She looked for her pair of slippers that were missing at that time.

It took her another minute to realize that they were hidden below the bed. She reached for them, squeezing her little body into the small space under the bed until she reached the pair.

She quickly opened the door and saw nothing. It was pitch black darkness. There was no anything at all. Suddenly she realized a cold sensation blowing gently down her back as a sense of dread slowly envelops her like a snake putting pressure on its prey. She ran back and hid under the bed leaving the door open.

She cannot take her eyes away from the shadow. It was as if it was calling her. She wanted not to step any further, but her body resisted her protest and still went closer to the swirling shadow in front of her.

Just mere inches near the door, a pale, skinny hand reached out of the shadows and all she can do was scream.

She woke up screaming and gasping for air. Huge beads of sweat came rolling her forehead, dripping to her face. She wiped it dry by the back of her hand and reached for a glass of water at the pitcher on her nightstand.

The water quenched her parched throat and calmed her nerves. She sat on her bed staring at the floor contemplating her dream. She convinced herself that it was nothing but a bad dream, a nightmare, and nothing more. But she cannot shake the feeling of how real it was to her. The vividness of the dream looked like it was a part of her memory. The thought of it made her head throb in pain. She laid back in bed trying to breathe and hoping her headache subsides before evening comes.

" Lady Hiraya!" Tagahatid called before knocking four times. " Are you there?"

"Yeah. Come in!" she answered.

Tagahatid entered the door with a rolled paper in his hand. He stood at the foot of Calista's bed and shook his head.

" Lady Hiraya, are you going to lay down there all day?" Tagahatid asked.

Although monotonous, Calista could feel his annoyance and sarcasm with that single question. She sat up and gave Tagahatid a bummed look. Her head still pounded in pain but, she chose to ignore it.

" Are you ready to learn?' Tagahatid queried.

There are a lot of questions running through her mind. The thoughts about getting another name or the fact that some of the other alagads looked at her with a hint of jealousy was plaguing her. Tagahatid looked at her intently, waiting to hear an answer from her.

She decides to part it for now, like what her Master told her to. The last thing she wants is Sidapa having one of his fits. She sighs, massages her temples, and silently nods to Tagahatid.

He nods back to her and begins to unroll the paper and shows it to Calista. Tagahatid started their lesson with his signature monotonous voice.

Calista learns that the festival known as Pinagsukdan is a yearly ritual done in Dacungcahoy. Both humans and enchanted creatures gather at the foot of the sacred balete tree where their young ones are being held to the tree and measured by Sidapa by marking the trunk with a special ceremonial knife.

" So, basically, Master only has to measure their height right?" she asks.

Tagahatid scoffs at her, " If it were only that simple, he wouldn't have to effort himself doing that."

That confused Calista even more.

" The reason he measures them in the sacred tree is to record their age of ripening," Tagahatid explains.

" Age of ripe--"

" Age of their death," he answers Calista before she can finish the sentence.

Calista shuts up after that. The concept of fate and death became more complicated to her from what she already learned in the Living World. She believes that humans create their destiny and free will is the tool to make that choice.

But with this new knowledge, she starts to question everything she had learned when she was alive. A cold chill rushed down her spine as she unravels what could be the reason she is currently in Sulad. Could it be possible she was fated to be there? Did her Master Sidapa had to do with her passing? Or could it be her mysterious guide, Mama Guayan, be the one who leads her there?

As Tagahatid continued his lecture about the ceremony, Calista's mind drifted further away from it. Her thoughts brought her to dreadful suspicions about her part in the grand scheme of things. Is she truly part of it? Or is she a puppet to be manipulated for some god's game. Whatever it is, she is determined to find out.

" Lady Hiraya? Lady Hiraya?" Tagahatid calls her out, " Are you still listening?"

Calista, deep in her thoughts is unable to hear her mentor's call. Tagahatid calls her once more, but to no avail. The annoyed mentor put his bony hand on Calista's shoulder and shakes her hard.

"Whoaaaaa!!!" Calista exclaims, " W-what are you doing?!" she stands on her bed screaming at Tagahatid.

" You weren't listening, Lady Hi--"

" I was!"

" Very well, where do lead the sacrifices?"

" Wh-," she got confused. " What do you mean?"

Tagahatid sighed, " Go ahead, answer it," he mockingly commands.

"Sacrifices?" she asks, " But, you never mentioned that!" she expresses her disdain.

The door suddenly opens and another figure stood in the doorway. Tagahatid and Calista's attention was suddenly shifted there.

" My apologies for intruding," the figure moved inside revealing herself as the alagad from the third quadrant of Panamparan.

" Paraluman, is it too early?" Tagahatid remarks.

" Early?" she asks, " This is late already, good Sir. A lady needs time to groom." she explains.

" But she needs to learn about the ceremony." Tagahatid objects.

" You can do that later," she says dryly.

" I would like to stay here so I can teach her while you dress her up." he rebuts.

" NO! NO! NO!" both Calista and Paraluman chorused on his audacity.

" Do that, and I will tell Master Sidapa how you want to try to indignify his precious katabang!" Paraluman threatens Tagahatid.

Tagahatid bows and exits Calista's room. Although she cannot see their faces, she knows Tagahatid left the room livid.

" Lady Hiraya," Paraluman says, " I will be attending you for your grooming today." she bows.

Paraluman's voice is sweet and gentle, but Calista feels there's something more to it. There was something hidden in that shadowy face and jovial voice.

Paraluman instructed Calista to strip down, so she can help her wash. Calista got flustered by the suggestion, she insisted on washing herself but the alagad was adamant of doing it. The katabang had no choice but to agree with the alagad.

She scrubs Calista's back with her soft and dainty fingers. The way Paraluman does it is both praiseworthy and awe-inspiring. Calista has been to many spas during her lifetime, but she never felt such a delicate touch. It was enough for her to forget her worries and doze off.

Then she was awakened by the ice-cold water that Paraluman pours on her. She shivered and stiffened in the cold water.

" Come on, Lady Hiraya let's get you dry," Paraluman says in her sweet voice.

After patting Calista dry with her towel, she then assists her in wearing the ceremonial marlota and jewels that came along with it. She endowed her with sweet-smelling oils before doing the katabang's hair.

Calista notices how silent Paraluman was while attending to her. She tries to strike a conversation with her groomer. She asks her about what it was like working in the quadrants. Paraluman happily responded about the importance of her role in making sure the souls have a wonderful experience while passing through Sulad.

She brags about how she transforms them into walking works of art by giving them makeovers. She's very enthusiastic in detailing how she can make anyone beautiful by her magical touch and how she gets often praised by their Master for such work.

" I love how he looks at me when he praises me," she says, " It feels surreal."

Calista felt like how Paraluman was dolling over their Master. But she just kept it to herself. She gave a faint smile to Paraluman in the mirror. But Paraluman didn't take it kindly. Her jovial expression suddenly turns somber and the room was left in awkward silence.

Paraluman finished her hair and placed a diadem made from jewel-crusted animal bones tied together with Sulad's twigs. Calista doesn't look like herself when she looked in the mirror. She looked otherworldly, and even if she can only see black and grey colors, she knew how colorful and beautiful that outfit truly was.

She turned to Paraluman smiling and thanking her for her wonderful artistry. The alagad bowed to her and approached her.

" You're not worthy," she said as she came closer to Calista's ear. " It should have been me."

Calista stood dumb-founded not knowing what to say. Paraluman bowed again before exiting her room. The confused Calista finished her get-up with earrings designed like leaves. She looked at the mirror again, still confused as to what happened with Paraluman earlier when Tagahatid intrudes again.

" Are you ready, Lady Hiraya?" he asks.

" I am," she replies.

"Follow me," says Tagahatid.

She followed Tagahatid to the throne room where their Master, Sidapa was waiting.

" You look unearthly!" exclaims Sidapa as he approached Calista.

He roams around her, inspecting every bit of detail with his piercing eyes that made Calista insecure. After doing so Sidapa nods in approval. He smiled in content and proceeds to open the portal. Sidapa entered first, then stretched his arm reach Calista. She bowed at him before taking his hand and enter the portal.

The portal got them to a pitch-black hallway. She cannot see anything.

" It's dark," she says without thinking.

" I know, but just you wait," he answered.

Light spheres suddenly appear out of nowhere. It started in a faint and timid glow before shining like little stars lighting the way. The spheres have a variety of colors, from shades of blue to yellow to red and some white. It danced around them before advancing to the hallway.

" See, lights!" he shouts proudly.

" They're beautiful!" Calista looked at them in amazement.

" Well, not as beautiful as you, Lady Hiraya," he answers.

Calista could feel her face warming up as blood rushes to her face. She looks at him but unfortunately, can't make of his face. And even if she can see his ceremonial attire, it was still vague to her.

" Lady Haliya." Sidapa broke her train of thought, "These lights will guide you home to Sulad. Follow these lights as you guide the sacrifices to the kingdom."

" W-what sacrifices?"

Sidapa looks at her baffled face.