Chapter 2: The Echoes of the Past

The next day began like any other. Morning light streamed through the thin curtains of Jeff’s bedroom, casting soft shadows on the walls as the hum of the bustling town filtered in from outside. The faint sound of tricycles and vendors setting up their stalls mixed with the chirping of birds, creating the familiar rhythm of life in San Isidro. Yet, for Jeff, everything felt different now.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, he couldn’t stop thinking about the stone they had encountered the day before—the strange warmth it radiated, the carvings that seemed to whisper forgotten truths. He absentmindedly ran his fingers through his hair, the image of the stone pulsing in his mind. His dreams had been filled with fragments of visions, flashes of faces and places he couldn’t recognize, but somehow felt deeply connected to.

Jeff shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He had to focus. School was waiting, and he had to at least try to go through the motions of a normal day.

He dressed quickly, grabbed his backpack, and headed downstairs. The scent of freshly cooked breakfast greeted him as he entered the kitchen, where his mother was busy at the stove, humming a tune.

"Good morning, Ma," Jeff said, sliding into a chair at the small wooden table. He tried to sound normal, like everything was fine.

“Morning, anak,” his mother replied with a smile, turning to place a plate of eggs and longganisa in front of him. “You look a little tired. Everything okay?”

Jeff hesitated, his thoughts swirling. He wanted to tell her about the strange stone, the visions, the eerie feeling that something was about to change. But how could he explain any of it without sounding crazy?

“I’m fine,” he said instead, forcing a smile. “Just didn’t sleep well.”

She studied him for a moment, concern flickering in her eyes, but nodded. “Make sure to get some rest tonight. School’s important, but so is your health.”

He nodded, taking a bite of his food. The familiar comfort of home, the warm breakfast, and his mother’s steady presence helped ground him, even if just for a moment.

After finishing, Jeff grabbed his bag and headed out the door, waving goodbye. The crisp morning air hit his face as he stepped into the street, the noise of the town waking up filling the space around him. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something monumental had shifted, like a door had been opened that couldn’t be closed.

As he made his way to school, Amihan appeared at his side, her energy as bright as ever. She gave him a wide grin as she walked alongside him, her curls bouncing in the breeze.

“Morning!” she chirped. “Did you sleep as terribly as I did?”

Jeff glanced at her, surprised. “What do you mean?”

“That stone!” she exclaimed, her voice lowering slightly as they passed a group of students. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had these weird dreams… like I was seeing things that weren’t mine. It felt so real.”

Jeff’s heart skipped a beat. So it wasn’t just him. The strange connection he felt wasn’t a figment of his imagination. “I had the same thing. Visions, or… I don’t know, something.”

Amihan’s eyes widened. “See? I knew something was up! We have to go back to the clearing after school. There’s definitely something going on.”

Jeff nodded, his unease settling deeper. “Yeah, we do.”

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The day dragged on, each lesson blurring together as Jeff’s mind wandered back to the stone, to the dreams, to the questions that only seemed to multiply the more he thought about them. By the time the last bell rang, he felt more anxious than ever.

Amihan was waiting for him at the gate, her face lit with excitement. "Ready?"

“Yeah,” Jeff muttered, following her out of the school grounds and back toward the forest clearing where the stone stood. His heartbeat quickened with every step, the anticipation of what they might find gnawing at him.

They reached the spot just as the sun began its slow descent, casting long shadows through the trees. The stone stood where they had left it, ancient and unmoved, yet alive with a presence that seemed even stronger than before. Jeff approached cautiously, his pulse thudding in his ears.

As he reached out to touch the stone, a surge of energy shot through his fingers, electrifying yet oddly familiar. Images flooded his mind again—this time sharper, more vivid. He saw a vast landscape, not of this world, with mountains that pierced the sky and rivers that shimmered like molten gold. Figures walked the land—tall, powerful beings with eyes glowing like stars. He felt their strength, their wisdom, and their connection to him.

"Do you see that?" Amihan’s voice broke through the vision. She stood beside him, her hand also touching the stone, her face pale but determined. “This isn’t just any stone, Jeff.”

Before he could respond, the ground beneath them trembled, a low rumble echoing through the trees. Jeff’s heart raced as the stone began to glow softly, the carvings lighting up with an otherworldly blue hue. The whispers returned, louder now, though Jeff still couldn’t make out the words. But one thing was clear: the stone was waking up.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light engulfed them both, and Jeff felt himself being pulled away—away from the forest, away from the world he knew. The sensation was overwhelming, like being swept up in a current he couldn’t fight.

When the light faded, they were no longer in San Isidro.

Jeff blinked, his vision slowly adjusting to their new surroundings. They stood on the edge of a vast, sprawling field, but this was no ordinary place. The sky above them shimmered with hues of purple and blue, and towering structures unlike anything from the human world rose in the distance. Strange, ethereal creatures floated through the air, their forms shifting like mist.

“Where… are we?” Amihan whispered, her voice trembling.

Jeff didn’t know. But as the whispers in his mind grew louder, he realized this was no dream.

This was another realm.

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