"This is..." Sancho's hands are shaking as he slowly pulls out the contents of the chest.
"Aren't those the things that humans always face and hold every day? The one with moving pictures and funky sounds, it makes? You humans love to keep tapping on it."
"Yeah... It's a phone."
Sancho expected to see a book, a booklet, or anything of some sort that involves what he usually knows about Albularyos. Instead of seeing those things, inside was a phone, a smartphone to be exact. But seeing a phone on the mysterious chest just caused him to be more confused than ever.
But a phone is not on his expectations to be there.
Inside the chest are two same model of phones. What is interesting about these phones is because they don't have the usual brand that he knows about. It's like the cheap knockoff phones sold in shady stores sold for cheap prices while promoting as some sort of great phone model.
Before he pick them up, Sancho noticed a voice recorder next to the two phones. It was an old voice recorder, similar to those voice recorders he have seen in spy movies or those with detectives and stuff that needed those props. He never thought he would see one there.
Since the voice recorder is not that complicated, he turned it on and saw two records inside. Those two are the only content of the recorder. Since it was lumped inside the box, that also means the recordings inside is a necessary thing, right?
Before he can select play on the recording, Arcana returned. The Lambana that helped Sancho quickly hid on Sancho's breast pocket, even though Arcana can only see silhouettes of spirits and ghosts.
"Have you opened the chest, brother?" Arcana asked as she put down the tray containing snacks and juice.
"Yeah. Inside were two brandless phones and a recorder with two voice records inside. I was about to listen to it when you returned," Sancho answered, showing the voice recorder on Arcana.
"This is an old voice recorder. Didn't know Lolo Juan had something like this in his possession!"
"You know this, Sis?"
"Yeah. I have frequently seen these on journalists and news reporters. It is quite well known to be used by them until they resorted to using their phones nowadays. You can still see these kind of model from time to time but its pretty rare nowadays. Anyways, how about you play the recording now? Let's listen what it was about to say."
Sancho nodded and selected the first recording and hit the play button, allowing the recording to ring to life.
"Ahem, hello there Sancho and Arcana. I bet you two are confused right now how I predicted it would be you two who will be listening to this recording? It's because the chest you opened are only possible to be opened by the two of you. Anyone else will not be able to do so and would only be able to see but not open it whether they have the skills or not.
Let's cut to the chase. By the time you hear this recording, I would be long gone in this world and I left behind multiple mysteries that might have been confusing the two of you. Don't worry, I will answer all of them.
Remember when I adopted the two of you and brought you two to my property? I already told you two that I will be giving the inheritance to the two of you since I don't have long to live. You two might have perceived it as I am dying due to old age. But in reality, it is because I have predicted my own death in the hands of someone. Of course, I have no idea who it was but it wasn't the two of you so I am quite sure of that.
Anyways, I also predicted that I will not be able to transfer my knowledge directly to any of the two of you because of this. But based on my prediction, this is a good decision as the transfer would have harmed you in the process, not sure how it would do though."
Sancho remembered what Gustavo said before he killed Lolo Juan and how he was spared in the process. He was spared because he hasn't learned anything nor has he practiced the same things his Lolo Juan does. Arcana also got saved in the process since she didn't participate as well, making her trully safe as well. So even that was predicted by Lolo Juan?
"By the time I finished recording this, Sancho was the only one who agreed with doing the first step which means Sancho accepted the task of inheriting my job as an Albularyo. But I can also bet that Arcana is also willing to become one now that I have died huh? Don't worry, even you Arcana would also receive the teachings that I would be giving Sancho. But for now, this is for the activation of the two phones.
By now, you two are confused as to what these two phones really are, right? And how you two also noticed these two phones are something that are not part of the branded phones you two should have known? Well that's because these two phones are made by sorcery and magic. I asked my Engkanto friends to create these two phones for the purpose of preserving knowledge.
Now, these phones are unusable until a certain rite is performed but that can wait for now. I will explain first what is the main purpose of these phones. These phones does not have the access to the regular functions a regular phone has. These phones are served as a guide, a phone that will teach you the fundamentals of the spiritual world and the world of the unknown. These phones are also the keeper of my rituals, my incantations and all of the records of what I know about the basics of being an albularyo. In short, they are the "booklets" that stores my knowledge.
I also thought leaving booklets behind, but considering that the generation of people nowadays uses their phones, why not use that medium to do the same? It would also be easier for the two of you to understand it better.
Now, before we move on, I have to tell you that you two can fully trust Zandro. He is what you call my twin in a sense. The only reason Zandro looks younger than me is because he is an Engkanto...while I am a human. Treat him as your second Grandfather in a sense as he is also the one who made the phones.
"What?! Mr. Zandro was actually an engkanto?!" Arcana was flabbergasted.
"Yeah. But we can discuss that later, Arcana. Let's continue listening."
"Now, as I said before, the phone will not have the basic capabilities a regular phone would have like messaging and calling others. It also doesn't have the capability to connect to the internet which was intended as there is a chance the knowledge inside will spread outside the world. I prefer if it is contained in one place.
What it can do though is store information, give information stored inside and give guidance to the two of you. It is designed that way so that the two of you can slowly but surely become the Albularyos I want you two to be."
Now, with all of this done, if you two wanted to proceed and become full pledged Albularyos, the next recording will teach the two of you how to activate the phone. Perform the rite.