Chapter 2: The Necklace’s Secret

The forest swallowed them whole.

Branches whipped past Felicita’s face as she sprinted after the strange warrior through the thick undergrowth. Her heart thundered like a drumbeat in her ears. Behind them, guttural snarls echoed—unnatural, animalistic. She didn’t dare look back.

“What are those things?” she gasped, stumbling over a root.

“Mga Itim na Alon,” the warrior said grimly. “Shadow beasts—creations of the dark babaylan. They guard the portal zones. They must have sensed the relic activate.”

“So this happens a lot? People falling out of magical portals?”

“No,” he said, glancing back at her. “You are the first in over a hundred years.”

Felicita didn’t know whether to feel honored or terrified.

They burst into a clearing, where the trees gave way to a wide riverbank. A narrow wooden boat sat moored in the shallows.

“Get in!” the warrior shouted.

She didn’t hesitate. They jumped aboard, and he shoved the boat off with a pole. It glided smoothly onto the river just as a shriek pierced the air behind them.

Felicita turned.

The shadow beasts had reached the clearing—hulking figures of smoke and sinew, with long claws and eyes like burning coals. One lunged, but the boat had drifted just far enough. It landed in the water with a hiss, recoiling as if scalded.

Felicita collapsed onto the wooden floor, gasping.

“Water repels them,” the warrior said, still tense. “We’ll be safe for now.”

“Who are you?” she asked, between breaths.

“My name is Amihan. Datu of the Southern Wind Tribe.” He stood tall, his gaze sharp and assessing. “And you are?”

“Felicita Reyes. Student of—well, I was a student in Cebu. In my world.”

Amihan’s expression didn’t change, but something in his posture shifted—less suspicion, more curiosity.

“You come from the Parallel Bayan,” he said, almost in awe.

“You mean… my world?”

“Yes. The realm where people ride metal dragons, where light dances in square boxes, and the sky is filled with voices.”

Felicita blinked. “You mean… airplanes, smartphones, and… radio?”

He nodded. “Our seers told legends. That one day, a dalagang banyaga would arrive from the other Philippines—bearing a relic, with power to awaken the sleeping islands.”

Felicita sat up, the weight of the necklace heavy against her collarbone. She touched the gem, which had cooled since their escape.

“I didn’t choose this,” she muttered. “I found it in my school’s basement. I didn’t even mean to activate it.”

“Blood awakens what destiny hides,” Amihan said cryptically. “Come. We’ll reach my village before sunset.”

The boat drifted with the current, cutting through the river like a silver blade. The jungle buzzed around them—bright birds called from above, and unseen creatures rustled in the trees. Despite her exhaustion, Felicita’s mind raced.

None of this made sense.

Parallel worlds? Shadow beasts? A necklace that linked to a magic online store?

She pulled out her phone, half-expecting it to be dead. Instead, the same strange app was open:

> THE WONDROUS MARKET OF ALL THINGS

➤ Welcome, Felicita Reyes.

➤ Current Credits: 58 grams gold

➤ Items available: 49,823

She scrolled through the categories again. Food, weapons, gadgets… Even tools and modern clothes. She tapped the Information tab.

> The Necklace of Realms

➤ Forged by the Original Babaylans to bridge the Parallel Bayan and the Realm of the Hari.

➤ Can transmute physical gold, gems, and rare items into purchasing credit.

➤ Delivery of items is instant, via dimensional fold.

➤ Wielder is marked by destiny to restore the balance between realms.

She stared.

“It really is magical,” she whispered.

Amihan, watching her from the front of the boat, raised an eyebrow. “Your relic speaks to you?”

Felicita nodded. “It’s like an app. A… palengke. I can buy almost anything—food, weapons, medicine. They appear instantly.”

“Show me.”

She hesitated. “Okay… watch.”

She tapped “Food & Water” and selected “Banana Cue – Fresh.” One click.

Pop!

A warm stick of golden caramelized bananas materialized on the boat floor.

Amihan jolted back, staring wide-eyed. “That’s… that’s anito magic.”

She handed him the banana cue. He took it, stunned, then took a bite.

His eyes widened. “What is this divine food?!”

Felicita laughed. “Street food. Want more?”

By the time they reached the village, Amihan had finished three banana cues and a can of Sprite. He burped, looked sheepish, and offered her the last bite.

Amihan’s village was nestled between two hills, where bamboo houses stood on stilts above cool grass. Children ran barefoot, laughing. Women pounded rice in large stone mortars while men carved spears and wove baskets. Everyone wore woven clothing dyed in rich earth tones.

When they saw Felicita, silence fell.

“Who is she?” someone whispered.

“Is that the relic?”

“She bears the light!”

Amihan raised a hand. “This is Felicita Reyes. From the Parallel Bayan. The relic chose her.”

A ripple of awe passed through the villagers. An old woman stepped forward—stooped but dignified, with silver hair braided down to her waist and a staff carved with ancient glyphs.

“Babailan Langit,” Amihan said respectfully.

The old woman’s eyes met Felicita’s.

“You are not the first to come through the gate,” Langit said. “But you may be the last.”

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Felicita said. “Why me? Why now?”

Langit gestured for her to sit on a woven mat beside the fire pit. The villagers gathered in a loose circle, watching in silence.

“The necklace you wear,” Langit began, “was forged by the three greatest babaylan in our history. It was meant to bridge two worlds—the one that followed the path of machines… and ours, which stayed rooted in spirit and tradition.”

“Why would they want to connect the two?”

“Because both paths are incomplete. One loses its soul. The other, its strength. Together, they could restore balance.”

Langit picked up a bowl of water and whispered over it. A glow spread across the surface, revealing a shifting image—three glowing relics floating above the Philippine islands.

“Long ago, our realm was in harmony,” Langit continued. “Until the shadow rose. A dark babaylan, once a healer of the people, fell to greed and chaos. She called herself Yla. She corrupted the beasts of the forest, poisoned the rivers, and fractured the throne.”

“Yla…” Felicita repeated. “I’ve heard that name.”

“She seeks the relic you carry,” Langit said, voice hardening. “Because it is the key to unlocking the others.”

“The others?”

Langit nodded. “Three sacred relics, hidden across the archipelago. Each tied to one of the ancient virtues: Katotohanan, Katwiran, at Kalinaw. Only when all are gathered can the necklace open the final portal—your way home.”

Felicita stared at the water bowl, where the glowing gems danced above distant mountains and seas.

“I have to… collect all three?”

Langit’s eyes gleamed. “Or the balance between worlds will collapse. And both will fall.”

That night, as the village slept, Felicita sat under a canopy of stars. The necklace lay warm against her chest, pulsing softly like a heartbeat.

She should be panicking. Crying, even.

But strangely, she wasn’t.

A part of her—deep and quiet—had always longed for more. More than schoolwork, exams, group projects. More than grades and late-night cram sessions. Something bigger. Something real.

She just didn’t expect it to come in the form of ancient prophecy and magical shipping.

Footsteps approached.

Amihan sat beside her, tossing a carved mango slice in his mouth.

“You did well today,” he said. “They trust you.”

“I’m not sure I trust myself,” she replied. “I still don’t know if I’m dreaming.”

“You’re not.”

A long silence stretched between them.

“Will you help me?” she asked softly. “With the relics?”

“I swore an oath to protect the realm,” he said. “And now, you are part of its fate. So yes.”

She smiled faintly.

From her phone, a soft chime echoed.

> New Quest Added: The Three Relics of Harmony