Gem of Realms: The Portal of Cebu

Chapter 1: The Whispering Library

The rain came without warning.

Felicita Reyes huddled under the thin canopy outside the old library building, watching as fat droplets splattered against the concrete. She hugged her arms around her chest and sighed. Of all the places to get stuck during her last week of senior high school, it had to be this one — the least-visited, most-haunted building on campus.

She glanced at her phone. No signal. Again.

Cebu High School of the Archangels had been built during the Spanish colonial era, its stone walls dark with moss and secrets. The library, tucked into the back of the sprawling campus, had long since been abandoned for a newer, air-conditioned facility with rows of iMacs and free Wi-Fi. But Felicita, ever the honors student and unlucky volunteer, had been asked to help clean the old archives for the school’s upcoming anniversary.

“Just for an hour,” her adviser had said. “Organize the old books. Take some photos. Make a TikTok or something.”

She didn’t have the heart to say no. Especially since this meant bonus points in Filipino.

Felicita pulled open the creaking wooden doors and stepped inside. Dust greeted her like a fog. The air was thick with the scent of old paper, varnished wood, and something else — metallic, faintly sweet.

The library was bigger than it looked from the outside. Rows of ancient bookshelves loomed like silent sentinels, their spines faded to illegibility. A massive stained-glass window cast colored shadows onto the cracked marble floor. Lightning flashed outside, illuminating strange carvings along the archways — baybayin symbols, if she wasn’t mistaken.

She moved slowly, her damp sneakers squeaking slightly as she walked toward the back wall. There was a roped-off section, hidden behind a collapsed shelf. It looked like no one had touched it in decades.

Curiosity stirred in her chest.

Felicita stepped over the rope and pushed aside the fallen wood. Behind it was a narrow staircase spiraling downward into darkness. A small brass sign read:

Silid ng mga Nalimutang Alaala

Room of Forgotten Memories

A chill skated down her spine.

Of course she should turn around. Of course she should stay within sight of the door. But her feet betrayed her better judgment. Step by step, she descended into the shadows, phone flashlight held high.

The air grew colder, denser, as if the walls remembered every secret ever whispered in them.

At the bottom of the stairs was a wooden door carved with intricate patterns — sun rays, waves, and what looked like a jewelry necklace etched in the center. Felicita reached out. The moment her fingers touched the doorknob, it clicked open.

Inside was a small chamber no bigger than a classroom. The walls were lined with ancient shelves filled with scrolls, books bound in animal hide, and relics that belonged in museums. A glowing map of the Philippine islands covered the ceiling, with certain places marked in red.

But what drew her attention was the pedestal in the middle.

A single necklace lay atop it.

Gold and intricate, the chain held a oval pendant no bigger than a coin, set with a crimson gem that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.

Felicita stepped forward, heart hammering.

The gem called to her.

She didn’t know why. Maybe it was the way it shimmered under her light, or how the air buzzed the closer she got. Without thinking, she reached out — and a sharp pain lanced her finger.

“Ack!”

She jerked back. A paper cut? No — it was the chain. It had bitten her.

A drop of blood landed on the gem.

The world exploded in light.

Colors surged around her — gold, violet, deep scarlet — wrapping her in a cyclone of warmth and vibration. Her body lifted from the ground as the gem glowed brighter and brighter, until everything around her vanished into whiteness.

She landed with a thud on soft grass.

The silence was deafening.

Felicita blinked up at the sky, dazed. It was a rich, golden hue, with two suns visible above. Her breath caught in her throat.

This... was not Cebu.

She sat up quickly, panic blooming. Rolling hills stretched before her, dotted with strange fruit trees. The air smelled of guava and cinnamon. In the distance, she saw something glittering — a giant palasyo atop a mountain, its roofs made of gold leaf and blue glass.

“What the hell…”

She patted herself. Everything was intact — clothes, backpack, phone — and the necklace now lay warm against her chest. The gem had stopped glowing, but a new shimmer danced across its surface.

Her phone vibrated.

She yanked it out, hopeful for a signal — but instead, her lock screen displayed something new:

> THE WONDROUS MARKET OF ALL THINGS

➤ Welcome, New User.

➤ Connected: [1 Magical Relic Detected]

➤ Credits: 50 grams of gold equivalent

“What is this? A… store?”

There were categories:

•Food & Water

•Weapons

•Clothing

•Medicine

•Luxury

•Summon Services

Felicita tapped Food & Water. Instantly, hundreds of items appeared — from arroz caldo to Japanese ramen, bottled water to mountain dew.

She selected “Bottled Water – Cold – x1.”

The moment she hit Buy, a soft pop sounded.

A chilled bottle of water appeared at her feet.

Her jaw dropped.

She ordered again, just to see — this time, a pair of boots. They appeared in seconds, perfectly her size.

“This is impossible…”

She stared at the necklace. Was it… connected to the store?

The screen blinked again.

> You may trade valuables for more credits.

➤ Scan item to trade.

She pulled out a small bracelet from her bag — a birthday gift from her Lola, made of antique gold.

The gem glowed.

> Bracelet scanned. Value: 8 grams gold. Add to credits?

Reluctantly, she agreed. The credits ticked up.

A shopping platform… tied to a magical portal… that accepted real gold?

Her head spun.

A rustle in the bushes made her jump.

She spun around, grabbing a rock. But instead of a creature, a young man stepped out — lean, dark-skinned, wearing loose armor made of bamboo and leather. His long hair was tied in a warrior's knot, and across his chest was a sash of woven red and gold.

He held a spear but didn’t raise it.

“You are not of this land,” he said, eyes narrowing. “Who summoned you here, dalagang banyaga?”

Felicita took a breath. “I… I don’t know. I touched a necklace and — I think I opened a portal.”

He frowned. “That relic is forbidden. Only those chosen by the spirits may wield it.”

“Well, I didn’t ask for any of this!” she snapped.

They stared at each other, tense silence thickening.

Then his gaze flicked to the pendant on her chest.

“Your blood awakened it,” he muttered. “Then perhaps… you are the one.”

“The one for what?”

Before he could answer, a sharp howl echoed through the hills.

The young man’s face paled.

“Too late. They’ve found you.”