Kanlaon vanished infront of her and Elise heard Pandaki's awkward laugh.
"He is rude," he said. "Please understand his behavior-- he's only doing his job as a deity of time."
"Oh, you don't have to apologize," Elise frantically said. "I already expected this to happen so it's fine."
Pandaki sighed deeply, "But even so, fighting Laon is a bad idea. She is a supreme creator deity of the Visayans, her power is on par with Bathala from Luzon and Magbabayà from Mindanao. Plus, that mountain teems with evil spirits—restless souls of dead hikers. Even with your high spiritual power, you are a soul, prone to being influenced by the evil spirits lurking there. You'll be little more than prey for the Aswangs"
"It will be fine..." Elise assured him, then she looked away and hesitated. "I guess?"
The void suddenly turned static and the white fragments are starting to fade away piece by piece.
"Looks like our connection is... bzzzzzt... breaking."
Even Pandaki's voice is becoming muffled inside her head.
"Remember... bzzzt... my... bzzzt... warning--"
When Elise woke up from the void, she gasped for air. The brightness of the vision lingered in her eyes as she tried to adjust. She was back in the hospital, but something felt off. Her body felt colder than usual.
She glanced down and saw her own lifeless body.
"AGHHH!!"
"Quiet, Elise Guttierez. You'll see those things from now on, so endure it." Si-Dapa reprimanded and stood up from his seat.
?!
She saw his form change from the last time she saw him. Now, she's seeing her husband's adult form worn by the god of death himself.
Despite her overwhelming fear of Si-Dapa's new form, she forgot about it when she remembered her son.
"Wait... where's Jasper?" she asked and scrambled to see her son's hospital bed.
There she only saw an empty bed with crimson red streaks on the bedsheets.
"W-where is my son? What happened to him?" Her voice cracked as she tried to touch the blood on the fabric, but she could no longer feel it, it was as if her sense of touch was long gone when she became a ghost.
"The medical personnel already took his body to the morgue. He suffered severe hemoptysis while you were not here." Si-Dapa explained. "It's already 8 in the evening so he's probably inside the freezer by now, waiting to be cremated."
"No, I meant his soul. You said you're the god of death right?" She smiled at Si-Dapa, hoping her son was just outside the door waiting for her. "I want to hug him. Now, where is he?" she asked the god again.
She glanced at the twin swords Si-Dapa was holding, it was as if she felt a familiar presence emanating from those pitch-black swords, somewhat reacting to the words she said earlier.
Then, her attention went back to the god. "Si-Dapa, where is he?" her voice became more desperate.
But Si-Dapa just looked away and handed her the two black swords he was holding. "His soul... is in here," he muttered quietly. "I granted him his wish. He doesn't want to go with me to the afterlife, he wishes to be with you forever, even if it means serving you as your familiar."
Elise's heart stopped when Si-Dapa told her those words, and then with shaking hands, she accepted the swords. But the swords felt heavy for some reason, she could not assume that the child whom she loved so much was reduced to a mere tool used to kill people and monsters.
Elise's hands trembled as she gripped the twin swords, their weight pressing down on her like the world itself. Her voice cracked as she faced Si-Dapa.
"Turn him back," she demanded, her tone raw and desperate.
"I can't," Si-Dapa replied, his voice calm but firm.
"Turn him back right now!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed to her knees. The swords grew heavier in her grasp, their chilling presence unbearable.
'Mom...'
Elise froze. The voice was faint, yet unmistakable.
'It's me.'
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "This isn't real. You can't be—"
'It's real, Mom,' Jasper's voice interrupted, steady but filled with emotion. 'I asked Mr. Si-Dapa to do this. I was dying anyway, and I didn't want to leave you alone.'
Her tears fell harder, and her grip on the swords tightened. "You didn't have to do this, Jasper. You could've... you could've rested in peace."
'I couldn't leave you to face this alone,' he replied gently. 'At least this way, I can stay by your side. For a little longer.'
Elise's chest ached as her son's words echoed in her mind. She lifted the swords and clutched them to her heart, trembling.
"You deserved better than this," she whispered through her sobs.
'I did this because I love you, Mom. Let me help you now, just like you've always helped me.'
She sat frozen, tears streaming down her face, holding onto the only piece of her son she had left.
"When you're ready, tell me what they said," Si-Dapa said, his voice less harsh now, though his regal posture remained unyielding. "The gods of second chances and time—what did they offer you?"
"Pandaki, the god of second chances, agreed to my decision to turn back time to make amends with James. Kanlaon, the god of time, however..."
"He didn't agree?" Si-Dapa asked, eyebrow raised.
"No."
Si-Dapa clicked his tongue. "Now, that's a problem."
"Knowing that grump, who always sticks by the rules. I already expected him to say that."
Elise's mouth twitched when she heard him say that.
'Aren't you the same as him?' she spoke within her mind.
'Pfft...' Jasper stifled a laugh.
Elise faked a cough and continued to answer Si-Dapa's question. "As you guessed, Kanlaon is as stubborn as a mule. He wants me to prove that I am worthy enough to be your Reaper."
"How?"
"By challenging the Diwata of Mt. Kanlaon to a duel. And if I defeat her, then he'll permit me to go back to the past."
"What?!" Si-Dapa raised his voice, clearly surprised.
His golden crown gleamed fiercely, and his long hair whipped around, responding to the anger building within him. "That cunning bastard. Seems like I'll have to teach that punk a lesson or two."
"Is Diwata Laon really that strong?" Elise asked curiously.
'According to my Filipino teacher when she taught us about the Philippine myths, every tribe in the country has its gods and goddesses. Therefore, there are chances where gods from other tribes have the same power as Bathala from the Tagalog.'
"In short, Kanlaon gave you an impossible task. He never intended to bring you back to the past." Si-Dapa continued Jasper's explanation.
"No way!"
"Wait, no—there might be a way to defeat her. Laon takes immense pride in defending her territory. If we can infiltrate the mountain and reach its peak within a day, she might acknowledge you. The chances are slim, but it's worth trying." Si-Dapa paused, his gaze shifting to Jasper, still in sword form. "I don't know why, but that brat has an unusual amount of spiritual power in his soul. If Jasper can revert to his human form, the two of you might stand a chance against the monsters and obstacles that will undoubtedly block your path."
Si-Dapa smiled slyly, clearly pleased with his plan. "Defeating someone isn't always about sheer power or brute force. Maybe that's what Kanlaon meant when he proposed that deal."
'That idea is quite plausible,' Jasper said. ' He must want to see if Mother has the strength to defeat the monsters and guide the souls safely to the afterlife—like a grim reaper would.'
"So that means I just fight my way to the top, right?" Elise grinned, cracking her knuckles. "I'm all fired up!"
Jasper sighed from within his sword form. 'Mom, stop imitating Natsu. You're making me cringe.'
Elise froze at her son's words, then shot the black sword a deadpan glare. "Hey! Don't insult my childhood nostalgia."
The two burst into laughter, their banter filling the air, while Si-Dapa silently watched them from the side, clearly lost.
Maybe I should visit Apolaki and ask about someone named Natsu, Si-Dapa mused, stroking his chin.
If anyone could fill him up about human trends these days, it would be the revered god of wisdom, Apolaki.
But he decided that he should schedule that for later. Today, he should focus on ensuring Elise's success and investigate the incident that happened 25 years ago.