Athea watched from a distance, pretending to listen to her parents, but her focus was on the gathering crowd outside. The villagers stood in a tense circle, whispering among themselves. Alejandro was at the center, waving his hands wildly as he recounted his story. A barangay councilor, stern-faced, stood nearby, listening with his arms crossed.
Alejandro (frantic, animated): I'm telling you, I saw it with my own eyes! This... thing—it was no animal, no human either! I swung my machete at it, and the blade just shattered like it hit stone!
Villager 1 (doubtful): A shattered machete? Are you sure it wasn't just dull? Maybe you hit a rock or something?
Alejandro (shaking his head, voice rising): I know what I saw! It wasn't a rock, it was a demon! It had horns, glowing horns, and something like a circle—like a halo—hovering above its head. I've never seen anything like it before!
Villager 2 (worried): What if he's telling the truth? If it's a demon, we need to be prepared. It could be dangerous.
Villager 3 (scoffing): Or maybe Alejandro just had too much to drink last night. You know how those stories go. A few shadows and suddenly it's the end of the world.
Barangay Councilor (raising his hand, serious): Enough. We need to take this seriously, even if we're unsure. Alejandro is one of us. If he says he saw something strange, then we'll look into it. The forest has always been unpredictable, but we've never had something like this. We'll send a group to investigate and make sure it's safe. No one's going into the woods alone until we know more.
Alejandro (pleading): I'm telling you, it's dangerous! It looked right at me like it didn't even care. If we don't act fast, it could come to the village. It could hurt us!
Villager 4 (nodding, concerned): Maybe we should hold a meeting tonight. We need to decide what to do. If there's a demon out there, we have to protect our families.
The barangay councilor nodded in agreement.
Barangay Councilor (firm): We'll discuss it further tonight. For now, no one goes into the forest unless absolutely necessary. And if anyone sees anything unusual, report it immediately.
Athea's heart raced. She knew they were all wrong about Rei. He wasn't a demon, at least not the kind they were afraid of. But now, the entire village was on alert. If they found him, they'd try to hurt him for sure.
Father (grumbling): You see? The whole village is spooked now. Best you stay close to home, Athea. No wandering off today, understood?
Athea nodded, her mind already spinning with ways to sneak out. She couldn't let them find Rei. She had to warn him, and she had to keep her promise.
Athea glanced nervously at her parents as the conversation swirled around Alejandro's story. She tugged at her mother's sleeve, trying to sound casual.
Athea (curious): What's going on? Why is everyone talking like that?
Mother (concerned): Alejandro claims he saw something in the woods yesterday. Something he says is a demon. Some of the villagers are curious, while others don't believe him. But either way, it's causing quite the stir.
Father (frowning): He says it broke his machete, shattered it clean when he tried to defend himself. Now everyone's on edge.
As her parents talked, Athea's thoughts drifted away from the village chatter. Rei's face flashed in her mind, the way he had looked at her when she promised to return. Her heart clenched with worry. What if the villagers went looking for him? What if they found him? Would he think she'd broken her promise?
Athea (thinking, worried): Rei... I hope you're okay. I promised you I'd come back. Please don't think I forgot about you. You're my first friend...
She bit her lip, anxiety bubbling in her chest. Athea couldn't bear the thought of Rei believing she abandoned him, especially now when everyone thought he was dangerous. She needed to find a way to warn him, to tell him she hadn't broken her promise. But how?
Father (noticing Athea's distraction): Athea? You listening?
Athea (startled, nodding quickly): Yeah, I'm listening...
But her mind was somewhere else, racing through ideas. She had to protect Rei, no matter what.
Athea (thinking, dramatically worried): Oh no, Rei! What if you think I've forgotten about you? What if you're sitting there, waiting all alone, thinking I broke my promise? I can't let that happen! You're my first friend, and I promised! I have to get to you... somehow...
Athea put her hands on her chin, her face scrunching up as if deep in thought. Her lips pursed, eyes narrowed, and she muttered something to herself, lost in her own world.
Her father (curious, amused): What are you doing there, little missy?
Athea (startled, flustered): Huh? Oh, uh... nothing! Just... thinking!
Her father chuckled at her expression, shaking his head.
Her father (teasing): You've got that "plotting something" face again. Should I be worried?
Athea (nervous, but trying to play it cool): Me? Plotting? Never!
Athea put her hands on her chin, her face scrunching up as if deep in thought. Her lips pursed, eyes narrowed, and she muttered something to herself, lost in her own world.
Her father (curious, amused): What are you doing there, little missy?
Athea (startled, flustered): Huh? Oh, uh... nothing! Just... thinking!
Her father chuckled at her expression, shaking his head.
Her father (teasing): You've got that "plotting something" face again. Should I be worried?
Athea (nervous, but trying to play it cool): Me? Plotting? Never!
Athea started her chores with her sleeves rolled up, determined to finish as quickly as possible. She first grabbed the broom and darted from room to room, sweeping up dust and dirt with a speed that surprised even herself. Her mother peeked into the room, raising an eyebrow.
Mother (curious): You're sweeping like you're on a mission, Athea.
Athea (smiling, trying not to seem too eager): Just, uh, thought I'd get it done quickly today, that's all!
She moved on to the firewood, stacking the logs with practiced hands. Every now and then, she paused, glancing toward the window, where the forest was just barely visible in the distance. Her thoughts drifted to Rei, waiting by the boulder.