⚔️ Chapter 27: A Heart in the Dark
Erik's Point of View
The midday heat in Plaridel gently caressed my skin, while the whispers of the people in the market were thick with apprehension.
"Did you hear? The Spaniards have sent even more soldiers into the forests of Bulacan to hunt down the terrorists," a vendor murmured to Georgia as I organized the baskets of vegetables at our stall.
Five days had passed since Georgia and I started working, and our daily rhythm had settled into a routine—selling in the morning, cooking in the afternoon, and resting at night. Yet, as I laid the fish on the table, my mind wandered, restless with the thought of my true mission in that town.
Hiyas, the mystical nature spirit, brought me here for a purpose I couldn't fully grasp. She said I needed to guide Hustisya, the acclaimed hero of Plaridel, to correct his path.
But how could I possibly do that? Hustisya was dead set on his course of action—ready to kill Spaniards to save Filipinos. I saw his fierce determination to protect his countrymen, but I also felt the anger raging in his heart.
I was afraid that if I confronted him to reason with him again, it would surely lead to a fight, and he might see me as an enemy.
My mind was a tangled mess, unsure where to begin and how to end this. My situation was incredibly complicated. As I arranged the fish, my hands moved instinctively, but my heart was heavy with doubt.
A sudden, forceful slap on my back snapped me out of my deep reverie, making me bend slightly forward.
"Erik, what's on your mind now? Come on, let's go home and cook!" Georgia said, her smile full of vitality but tinged with teasing. Her eyes sparkled under the sun, and despite my fatigue, her cheerfulness prompted a smile from me.
"Alright, alright," I replied, waiting for her to go ahead as I packed the remaining goods. As we walked home, I worried about Lola Maria.
"Did she eat breakfast? We left her alone this morning," I said, a hint of concern in my voice.
"Lola? She's fine. But thank you for worrying," Georgia answered, her tone soft with gratitude. Our steps fell in sync, and for the first time, I noticed how comfortable we had become with each other.
On our way, I stopped in front of a small roadside shop, its display of pots, plates, and kitchenware neatly arranged. "Georgia, let's buy some supplies for the house," I said, my voice confident.
"What? I don't have any money, Erik!" she protested, her eyes wide with surprise. "Do we really need those?"
"I'll pay," I said, pulling her inside the store. "We need proper kitchenware. The stuff we have is practically falling apart."
When we arrived home, Lola Maria was stunned by the new pots, plates, and utensils we carried. "My goodness, Erik! Where did you get the money for all this?" she asked, clutching a shiny pot as if it were a treasure.
Georgia tattled on her grandmother, laughing but with a trace of exasperation. "Lola, Erik wouldn't listen! He insisted on buying them!"
"New is better, Lola," I explained, smiling despite Georgia's sharp look. "I use them too, so it's only right that I pay."
I invited Georgia to cook with me, and she agreed; despite her grumbling over my actions, her smile returned as we headed to the kitchen.
As we prepped the ingredients in the new pots, Lolo, Georgia's grandfather, came in for a drink of water. I noticed the exhaustion on his face, his hands scratched and bruised. "Lolo, are you alright?" I asked, concern in my voice.
"I'm fine, my boy," he replied, but I noticed his strained smile. "I was just fixing the roof. The rainy season is coming, and it's full of holes. We get wet when it rains."
When Lolo left, I quickly took my wallet from my bag and handed Georgia a bundle of money. "Georgia, use this for the roof," I said.
She gasped, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Erik, no! I won't take that!" she protested, pushing my hand back.
"Georgia, I know ten thousand isn't a lot to fix the house, but it will help. I'll work again to earn more," I explained.
She lightly hit my head with the ladle, just enough to startle me. "That's not the point, Erik!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in irritation. "You've spent enough on the new supplies! I don't need your money!"
I couldn't understand why she was refusing. "But you need this! I know it's not enough, but—"
"You don't have to do everything for us!" she cut in, her eyes blazing. "It's enough that we have food and you're helping us. Don't add to it!"
Truthfully, this was the first time I had held such a large amount of money, and I didn't know what to do with it. Hiyas told me I should spend it all while in Plaridel, so I wanted to help Georgia's family, but she felt like she was taking advantage of my kindness, and I knew that was what she wanted to avoid.
"I don't think you're abusing me," I said, trying to reason with her calmly. "We work and cook together. For me, it's alright to do this."
But she grew angrier. "I can't accept that, Erik! I won't take your help, no matter what you say!" she shouted, storming off to the living room and leaving me confused.
That afternoon, while we were resting, I noticed workers outside delivering roofing materials, wood, and nails.
Lolo Pedro was talking to them; I had joined him earlier to secretly purchase the supplies. I went out to join their conversation.
When Georgia saw me, she yelled, "Erik! What is this? I told you not to spend your money on fixing the roof!"
I just smiled, despite her anger. "Georgia, we've already paid. They can't return these to the hardware store," I said, handing her the receipt. "Just let it go. This is for you and Lola."
She approached, her face flushed with anger. "I won't allow you to squander your money, Erik! Stop spending on us!" she screamed, her voice trembling, as if demanding an answer.
"Georgia, calm down," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder. "This is for us; there's nothing wrong with it. Let me help."
That night, after dinner, we rested in the living room, but when I was alone, what was happening kept popping into my mind, my thoughts restless about what to do next.
My mission was to guide Hustisya, but I had no idea how to approach him. If he was determined to kill Spaniards, how could I convince him to change the path he was taking?
I was growing comfortable in that place, especially since I was earning money and Georgia's family was kind to me, but I also thought it was wrong to stay in this house; I was supposed to be pretending to be a vendor, but I felt like I was just letting my days pass by here in Plaridel.
After a few minutes, I made my decision. I left the house, went to a dark alley, and there, in the shadow of the night, I transformed into Ifugao.
My clothes changed—my simple shirt became the Ifugao attire. That night, I wanted to find Hustisya, to talk to him, despite knowing he couldn't listen to what I wanted.
I tirelessly searched Plaridel for Hustisya, my steps swift but silent. Until I found myself at a large mansion at the end of town, the home of a wealthy Spaniard.
The silence was chilling—no lights, no noise. My heart pounded as I felt a dark presence, like the one I felt from Alfredo, and it was coming from inside.
Using my strength, I leaped high over the tall fence and landed gently on the grass. There, I saw the guards lying unconscious, their clothes torn.
My heart beat faster because I knew something was wrong in that place. I quietly walked inside the mansion, passing the bodies of the guards.
Inside, Spaniards lay sprawled on the floor, bloody and desperately pleading for help. Their eyes were full of fear; some had wounds from gunshots.
In the darkened hallway, I saw Hustisya—her pink hair shimmering, her red cape like blood in the dark, enveloped in red energy. She held a sword, pointed at a Spaniard kneeling on the floor.
"Hustisya, stop this!" I shouted, raising my gun and firing at the sword she held to make her drop it. The sound of the impact echoed, and the blade clattered on the floor.
Hustisya instantly turned to me, her eyes burning with fury. "Don't interfere, Ifugao!" she screamed, her voice like thunder. "These Spaniards must die for their crimes!"
"That's not the way to punish them!" I protested, but before I could say more, she used her telekinesis to throw a sofa at me.
The force was so strong it almost sent me flying, piercing through the mansion wall until I plummeted into the grass outside.
Hustisya followed outside, her every step radiating intense energy due to her rage.
"I warned you before, but you ignored my plea not to interfere. You will pay for disregarding my warning!" she yelled, launching her attack.
Her punches and kicks were so fast I could barely keep up. I blocked some with my arms, but it was nearly impossible to match her speed.
She levitated a gun from the floor, pointed it at me, and fired. The bullet hit my thigh, but I was neither hurt nor fazed, because the power granted by my fairy protects me from bullets.
As an Envoy protected by a fairy, nothing can wound me except objects that possess the power of a fairy, and it seems Hustisya doesn't know this.
"Hustisya, just listen to me!" I shouted, but she continued her attack, using telekinesis to bind me with ropes. They tightened around my arms and legs to stop me from moving, and she slammed me onto the ground.
I felt pain in my body because the ropes were enveloped in Hustisya's energy, but I couldn't give up. With sheer physical strength, I snapped the ropes, my arms trembling with the effort.
In a swift motion, I grabbed Hustisya's arm and threw her down onto the ground.
She gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "How did you grab me?" she screamed.
I realized at that moment that her spiritual-like power failed to protect her. I also noticed—my physical attack could hurt her just like a normal envoy.
"Hustisya, stop the killing! It's not too late!" I shouted, my voice brave in desperation.
She just laughed at this with a mocking tone. "And if I don't agree, what? What can you do?" she asked mockingly. "You can't stop me, Ifugao!" she boldly stated, releasing red energy.
"We don't have to fight. Please, listen to me," I pleaded.
"No! You listen to me, Ifugao!" she bellowed. "These Spanish demons must pay for their sins, and you, for interfering with my goals, are now counted among my enemies!" she said angrily.
She rushed toward me again, delivering a powerful punch to my face that sent me sprawling to the ground; I felt the pain in my cheek from what she did.
I realized that her physical attacks could also hurt me, despite my fairy's protection. Unlike the normal police and criminals I usually fight, I was now feeling pain from my opponent's attack, so I knew this was no longer a simple fight I was facing.
We continued to fight, exchanging blows, neither willing to surrender. Unmindful of the damage we were causing to the surroundings, the grass around us was also ruined, and every fall to the ground only spurred us to rise and fight again.
As the battle raged, police sirens echoed in the distance, forcing both of us to stop. We knew we couldn't be caught there. We jumped back to put distance between us. Before escaping, Hustisya warned,
"Don't show yourself to me again, Ifugao. I won't let you disrupt my mission to deliver true justice for the Filipinos of Plaridel!"
I knew Hustisya was serious about what she said, but I answered her boldly. "I won't give up, Hustisya. I'll do everything to stop you; as long as you're on the wrong path, I won't stop trying to save you!"
She vanished into the darkness like air, leaving me standing, my body tired but my heart resolute. I knew this fight was only the beginning for both of us.
End of Chapter.