It has been three days since we found ourselves on the island that we now know as Hiraya. The inhabitants that we meet are oddly friendly. Instead of throwing us into some kind of dungeon, they ushered us to a dwelling that serves as their hospital, whose outside walls are made of stone. The inside and upper floors are mainly hardwood, and the roof is made of terracotta—a red and orange-colored clay. It has a couple of rooms since it is the residence of their doctors and healers, which they call Babaylans. Five of those rooms are used by those that need intensive care. Currently, our room is the only occupied room by the patients.

"Where are you going?" Migo asks as I search for the wooden slippers that the inhabitants lined up for us. They call it bakya and are made primarily of lightwood, with its upper portion made of abaca fiber.

"Outside," I answer as I finally reach it and happily fit my feet in. It's been a while since I last saw a bakya and an even longer time since I last used one. Probably, I was in elementary school when it came back to fashion. However, most of those that I am familiar with have plastic straps rather than natural abaca fiber.

"You're allowed to go outside this place?"

I turn to look at Migo. During the night or when there are only the three of us in the room, we discuss what we know of Hiraya. Everything about the island is reminiscent of an ancient Filipino community, and Migo loses his mind over it. I mean, there are babaylans, maharlikas, ancient clothes, and footwear. They even built houses the same as those we saw in museums. Did the explosion send us back in time? The other explanation is, we may be in a TV reality show, which is more far-fetched than the other reason.

Besides, none of us were wounded that day on Hiraya's shore. After that explosion from our machine, I doubt anyone would come out unscathed. Aian even suggested that maybe we are dead already, and this place is in a parallel world like those famous isekai animations.

"I'm going with her," Aian answers and sits on the bed beside me.

Migo looks at both of us. "Are you leaving me here alone?"

"Yes," we both answer.

The babaylans nursed both Aian and me back to health. There are still bruises here and there, but generally, we are fine and can explore around the area. Well, not really, because the only place the island leader allowed us to visit is the outer area of the island. We are not even allowed to step outside the island's fortress.

"You realize that this place is near the warrior's area? You know, those bulging, almost naked men we saw days ago?"

"We know, Migo. As a matter of fact, Jade and I visited them already. They're not the type who's gonna hurt an injured person, at least, not all of them."

"Not—ah!" he groans.

We all turn our attention to the babaylan who's dabbing herbs and ointments on Migo's bruises and wounds.

"Does it still hurt?" Mayumi asks, sounding apologetic.

Migo shakes his head, though it is apparent that he's in pain. But other than the injuries, I am sure he is enjoying the attention from the female babaylans, especially if the babaylan in question is as beautiful as Mayumi. She has this long, black, straight hair, almond eyes, lips that are always ready to smile, and a curvaceous body. And since babaylans wear wrap-around skirts and tight-fitted tops, I have no doubts that Migo considers his hospitalization as the most incredible day of his life.

"I think you'll be back to health before the next feast," Mayumi says with a winning smile. "You'd be there, right?"

"Yes," Migo answers. "I'll find you there," he adds, and winks at her.

Mayumi giggles, and Migo is evidently happy. It's seldom that girls would find him funny and not creepy.

"Your friends will be there too. You will have no time for me. They've been befriending the warriors."

Well, she's right. We need to, at least, have a single friend on the island if our purpose is to find out where and when we are. Then, suddenly, there's a knock. We look at the door and see a man wearing a reddish shirt reaching slightly below the waist and a loose, knee-length trousers.

"Good morning," the man comes closer and bows a little at us. "I am Laya, one of the warriors of Hiraya."

Mayumi pauses, bows at Laya, and continues with wrapping bandages on Migo's arm, which was dislocated because of the sea creature's constriction on him.

I stand up and mimic Mayumi's bow. Aian follows suit.

"I heard that yesterday afternoon, you requested to explore the island?" the warrior named Laya asks.

"Yes," I answer. "Aian and I are well enough to walk around. It's to acclimatize ourselves to the island."

"Can it wait before you are fully healed?"

"We are doing nothing anyway so we decided that maybe we can explore while we can."

"With your permission, of course," Aian adds.

There's a pause, then Laya says, "That's why I am here. The Rajah allowed you to explore but under my supervision."

"Thank you."

I want to complain because it feels like we are prisoners, just in favorable conditions. However, Aian said we are lucky enough that the inhabitants did not put us in prison, so it's better to observe before we do anything rash.

Once outside the babaylan's residence, I take in my surroundings. There's a stone path going to the quarters of the warriors. This time, we do not turn towards it, and instead, Laya turns left towards the fortress. We follow him. Besides, that's the place we ask permission to go to.

"How was the Babaylan's treatment of you so far?" Laya asks, breaking the thirty minute silence.

"Rosa has been kind," I answer, referring to the old babaylan who instructs the younger Babaylans. But, unfortunately, she's also the reason that Migo's fantasy of lovely, selfless babaylans was broken. Heck, he doesn't even know that there are male babaylans dressed up as females. Maybe someday, I'll point them out to him. But, in the meantime, he can enjoy Mayumi's presence.

"Did your chieftain talk about punishment for killing that sea creature?" Aian asks.

"Chieftain? You mean the Rajah?"

We nod.

"And for a sea creature, you mean the bakasi?"

We nod again while noting that a bakasi, hence, a saltwater eel, almost killed the three of us. At least, that's what I know of bakasi from Cebu. However, those delicacy eels do not grow to that size, and the color is wrong, and the way it slithers on sand is also a mistake. For God's sake, eels are not amphibious. It sounds like a sick joke.

"No, there's no punishment." Laya continues, "In fact, that day, we were out of the kuta to hunt for it. It's the start of Ulalen. Bakasi usually appears during this buan. You actually save us time and effort."

Aian and I look at each other. Some terms are familiar, some are not, but we content ourselves to ask only one question.

"Ulalen?" I ask.

Laya looks questioningly at us, and I know I mess up. Maybe, I should've asked what kuta or buan is.

"Ulalen is the season we prepare our seedling for the planting season."

That's another end of the conversation. As I think of a new topic, I look around the residential area outside the warrior's and babaylan's residence. From what we observe so far, the Rajah's abode is on the inner island. The babaylans residence where we stay is in the southern middle part of Hiraya. And as we walk, the changes in the surroundings are a giveaway that we are probably at the outer part. More nipa huts are built, and domestic animal cages are also allowed in the area.

Aian elbows me. "What?" I whisper.

"Ask more."

Yes, I'm trying, but there is nothing that comes to mind.

"Is there work we can do? To help?" Aian blurts out.

"Well, you successfully hunted a bakasi with just the three of you, so maybe, being one of the kawals will be a nice fit."

I groan. Another unfamiliar term. "As warriors? Do you accept women?" I ask instead.

"Why not?" Laya shrugs. "She's the one who plunged that kris into the bakasi's eye."

I'm getting annoyed by the minute. I'm not sure if this Laya is intentionally using Hiraya's terminology just to annoy me.

"Well, how can the three of us apply?"

"Only the three of you? How about the other two?"

"They're not with us," I interject.

"If you say so."

Then, that's it again. Somehow, I feel like I'm the one who was ending the conversation. Frustrated, I scratch myself and think of anything that I can talk about. It's always been easy for me to find a starter topic with other people. However, this time, I depend on the taciturn-to-others Aian.

"Here we are," Laya says, interrupting my thoughts.

What's in front of me is a nature-made fortress that reaches up to twenty to thirty meters. There are ladders on it that are connected to the watchtowers. The fortress expands to my right and left, which suggests that aside from the entrance in front of me, there are very few entrances from the shoreline to the island proper, which explains why no people are bathing at sea. But well, if something like a bakasi prowls at the beach, who in their right mind would frolic at it?

I walk towards the entrance, but Laya stops me. "Be careful," he warns. "The entrance is laden with traps. A single step and you'll be riddled with holes."

To prove his case, he points at the top of the fortress and either side of the entrance, at the stand of the watchtower. Two Hiraya warriors have their bows at the ready, and they are looking at us.

I pale at the realization. So that bakasi actually saved us?