ตอน 36: The Return

When the stars lined up themselves to ascend the skies, the heaven seemed to have started brewing something...

"I feel a change of wind..."

Sitting loosely below her residence, the Shaman solemnly whispers while looking at the sky.

The breeze of the open wind came like a foreboding warning.

And when she looked up...

The moon gradually shifted from crescent to Fullmoon in a blink.

She opened and closed her eyes several times to view the sky, but as if all she had seen was a lie, the moon shifted again abruptly into nothingness...

The Moon suddenly vanished!

"What is happening?!" The Shaman stood up from her seat as she confirmed with her inspecting eyes the changes that are happening above the skies.

"How did the phase of the moon suddenly changed?"

...

Still up and awake, Miguel who is standing while leaning at the windows is deep in thought.

"It'll be hard to sneak this time." Heaving a sigh, he cast a gloomy whisper, alone in his room.

Not knowing the changes that occurred above the sky.

Then after some contemplations and staring blankly at a distance, Miguel yawned...

He felt sleepy all of a sudden, tired from cleaning the whole residence of the Saman.

So he decided to sleep early and as he prepared his sleeping mat made from woven silk, he lied down and closed his eyes.

Then, it happened!

The Moon shifted to New Moon...

The sleepy Miguel had no idea of what is next to happen.

...

Meanwhile, in the dark space...

A kid who seemed to look like Argus gradually got tired from screaming and decided to sit down quietly.

Unable to feel anything, any tiredness or hunger he just sat there contemplating many things.

Then suddenly his entire being glowed a blue light, similar to that crackling thunder he witnessed not too long ago.

And is speaking about time, he felt like it was an eternity.

He wondered how long he had been sitting but noticing the blue light that is gradually consuming him, he did not bother to even think of anything.

He was just reminded of Miguel and that strange place he had been and other peculiarities from the testimony of Miguel due to the blue light he is seeing.

Little did he know, that the light he was unbothered about was the start of his adventures and future things that are about to come...

"At this point... I can't really be bothered by anything anymore! Does this light gonna take me somewhere?"

"Perhaps, I was truly a bad kid and ended up in hell?"

He muttered alone, questioning the blue light as if it was his friend.

Then his sight was blinded with incandescent blue light.

...

When Argus had awoken from his senses...

He was greeted by the morning sun and the empty room which was unfamiliar to him.

Slowly opening his eyes, he quietly sat up." And when he saw the place he immediately stood up.

"What?!"

"What is this place?" Noticing the opened windows, he went there to examine it.

"This seems to be a hut..."

"Hmmm what bizarre things are happening again?"

And it took him a few minutes to realize...

That he had returned!

"This must be... my home?!"

"I have returned!" Screaming atop of his lungs, he jumped from joy and he even got a tiny snot in his nose.

His yelling gradually attracted the attention of the guards.

Especially the two suspicious guards including that scrawny one as they immediately went to check.

"You! What are you doing?!"

Sternly voiced by the scrawny guard, below the ground from the window's entrance.

Delighted by the presence of these guards Argus went close to the windows and then he loudly proclaimed.

"Your Ranoan have returned!"

Hearing Argus' words the two guards broke out into a sudden laugh.

"HAHAHA Did you heard that brother? This stupid brat thought he was still that Ranoan, he must've just awoken from a dream!"

Argus' brows knitted closely and turned into an ugly frown.

"What do you mean?"

"HAHAHA" Then the two guards stopped laughing, they just stared at Argus in a mocking yet pitying eyes as they repeatedly shake their eyes.

"We are thankful for what you did last time, but do not be mistaken! We are still suspicious of you!"

And with that, the two guards left Argus alone.

"Hey! Where are you going? I am still speaking with the two of you!"

Argus yelped but to no avail, the two guards returned to their post as if nothing happened.

Then as if he was defeated, Argus sat down quietly.

"Is this another dream?"

"Am I being punished as that blue light takes me to different places?"

Uttering this words, Argus' then suddenly felt a pang of pain at the back of his head.

He felt unconscious as a flurry of information had invaded his mind.

...

A few minutes had passed and Argus blinkingly opens his eyes...

"So that's how it is..." Scratching his head, he stood up and slowly arranged his sleeping mat.

"That old man is not a lie and those peculiar things I saw had truly happened..."

"Now, I am just a pathetic Slave, an Alipin!"

His misunderstandings were now cleared.

Trying his hard to accept the reality of things...

Argus came to a conclusion and learned the events that transpired during his absence.

It still did not sit right with him, however, he began readying himself to greet the day.

He exited his room and was greeted with a smile by his two fellow Sulgos.

He did not feel a mood for any greeting as he just casually replied with a slight nod.

The two stared at the departing back of Argus.

Then, Aryan broke the silence.

"Argus! Where are you going? Are you up to sneak out again?"

Faced with this question, Argus turned back his head to reply.

But as he did so, he found himself suddenly dumbfounded by the two.

"Waah so pretty..." He unconsciously uttered, while facing the two.

And when the two heard Argus' words they instantly turned their heads at the ground.

"You! you... only knew how to flirt! Hmph." Toto's sister, Aryan went outside hurriedly while stomping her feet.

"We are tasked to participate in the morning ritual by Wagu Atubang. The Saman would probably wake up late before noon, so you..." Hesitantly inviting him, Amaya bashfully continued.

"You come this way..." And with that, Amaya also hurriedly paced herself outside the Hut.

After being dazed for a while, Argus shook his head.

"After some Hell, this is heaven?" His lips curled up as he also proceeded to walk outside.

"Thanks, Miguel, I will forever remember your story and your name."

"From now on, I'll continue your journey as the rightful owner of this body."

Mumbling a vow like a chant, Argus marked this day as the day of his return.

Little did he knew, that it was the start of an epic Veiled Saga, with Miguel that later he would soon come to call...

His One True Sworn Brother!