Chapter Text
The forest was quiet. No nantang or palulukan could be heard; it was as if they were all holding their breath simultaneously. The air hung heavy with a strange anticipation, and deep within a hidden cavern, a faint ripple disturbed the stillness of a glowing pool.
She stirred, her body weightless, cradled by the cool, luminous water. A shiver ran down her spine as her skin registered the temperature—a chill that clung to her like the mist curling above the surface. Her chest tightened before her lungs expanded sharply, drawing in a breath that felt both foreign and instinctive.
Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was the ceiling above her—glowing vines draped like threads of light, intertwined with jagged crystalline formations that pulsed faintly in rhythm with the pool. The sight was mesmerizing, but something deeper pulled at her. She blinked, her vision sharpening as awareness dawned.
Slowly, she lowered her gaze. The movement felt strange, deliberate, as though she were learning how to command her own body. She stared at her hands, water dripping from her slender fingers, each droplet catching the faint light before falling back into the pool. Her palms were smooth, her skin pale blueish with faint iridescent patterns glimmering under the water's glow.
Her legs shifted next, the cold water brushing against her thighs as she became acutely aware of every sensation. Her toes flexed instinctively, causing ripples to spread across the surface. It felt… new. Everything felt new, from the texture of the rock beneath her fingertips as she steadied herself to the soft ache in her muscles, as if they were waking up alongside her.
She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the steady thrum of her heartbeat—a sound so intimate yet utterly unfamiliar. Her mind remained a blank slate, save for one thought. No, not a thought—a voice. Faint and soft, like the rustle of leaves in the wind.
'Move.
Stand.
You must begin.'
Her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came. She obeyed the whisper instead, her hands trembling as she pushed herself up. Her reflection shimmered in the pool beneath her, distorted yet undeniably hers. Who was she? What was she?
The whisper faded, leaving her alone with the cold air on her damp skin and the soft glow of bioluminescence guiding her first, tentative steps into the unknown.