The Moonlight Daughters

School for the Elite

Mrs. Naia Rovero enters the room inside the office of Mr. Tony Alhibbing. Mr. Tony immediately got shocked when he saw a familiar face enter the room. He stopped what he is doing. He was putting some files in his drawer.

"Naia," he immediately said her name grumpily.

"Hi! Big brother," she replied gutsily. She grabbed the right side of her waist.

"I see. You came back," he said unwelcomingly. "Why won't you stay in the US a little longer? Oh, no. I mean you should be in there forever."

"Hmm." She scuffed. "Mock all you want. But you can't ignore the inevitable, brother."

"About what?"

"About your company's destruction," she answered.

"Ahh..." He nodded, unconvinced by her threat. "It was not my first time hearing those words from you. Are you sure?" he mocked.

"Wait and see. I already have a plan. Let's see if you can fight my secret weapon."

"Bring it on, sister," he challenged. "Do you think I am bothered by your threats?" he said.

Naia smiled. "Soon. You'll see it. But now enjoy your company while it lasts."

Tony didn't respond anymore. He just looked at her sternly. He wonders if she's serious about her threat or if she's just making him tremble or something. Naia smiled back at him. As if she's rubbing confidence against his rough grumpy stare.

:::::::

At the school's parking lot...

A baby face-looking guy hopped out of the car. His big brother came out from the driver's seat afterward.

The little brother was about to walk away to the grass area but his big brother halted him.

"Cainnick. wait..." the big brother called.

Cainnick, the little brother came closer.

"Remember to be careful. There will be a chance that you will meet 'Lignodons' like you here in this school. Whatever happens, act normal, don't do something reckless," he advised.

Cainnick smiled.

"Kuya, don't worry about me. I am already in college. I know what to do," he said. "I can take care of myself now. Just trust me."

He raised his hands forward as he showed him his thumbs up.

His cute big brother gently nodded. He bit his lips for a while reflecting on what Cainnick had said.

"Kuya..." he was about to say something but he suddenly smelled something strange. His big brother sensed that too. Cainnick immediately turned to his left while the elder one turned his head to the right to trace where the scent had come from.

They could tell that there's a person who can shift shape near them. But because a lot of people were passing by, they couldn't determine which of them the scent came from.

They looked at each other with serious looks on their faces.

"Just be careful."

Cainnick took a deep breath.

"Okay!" He optimistically said.

****

Four subjects had passed. Grace Joy was already sick of introducing herself from one class to another. Every room she had gone are really different from what she had expected. Mr. Anthony Alhibbing was right, the school he had built is what every Filipino student had dreamed of. Each room she had gone to is wide enough to fit at least sixty-five to eighty students but the students who occupy there are less than thirty. Which leaves a wide space at the back part. The seats aren't ordinary armchairs but each armchair has a wooden deck that can be folded up or down that serves as a cover to its small storage 'box'. She thinks that she's at an American school because of that. The walls of each room had been painted. Which are inspired by traditional Cordilleran Cultures.

At the terrace of the third floor of the main building, Grace Joy was heading for the stairs going down in order to search for the UPA Building. It's where her next class will be held.

She went to a building that she wasn't familiar with. It's standing tall behind the main building. She had no idea whether she's at UPA or not. She arrived at its first floor wherein she was standing in a corridor. She felt lost and tensed since she knew that she was already late. And so, she tried to approach some person who was walking in that corridor.

The first person she approached was a girl who was looking for something in her locker.

"Ummm... excuse me po..."Grace Joy got nervous.

The girl seemed she didn't hear her.

"Excuse me po... May I ask something?" She said. Still, she didn't answer.

"Excuse me po..." she asked for the third time. The girl finally managed to hear her. She rolled her eyes when she turned around to face Grace Joy.

"Yes?" she asked as she drew a fake smile on her face.

" May I ask if this is the UPA Building? I think I am lost and late." She responds.

Instead of telling her the right answer, she said something that Grace Joy didn't expect.

"First of all, I am not the person who answers questions from lost students like you," She responded.

Grace Joy widened her eyes because of her rude answer.

"Ha?"Grace Joy was surprised.

"Second of all. You do not have the right to disturb me while I am looking for something in my locker. Can you please find what you are looking for yourself since I don't care if you are late because of your stupidity?"

Grace Joy couldn't speak up because of all the words the girl spit out to her. She felt so embarrassed.

"And third. Who are you?" She rolled her eyes and she turned away. Grace Joy bit her lips while she nods slowly as she watched the girl walking away.

"Ouch," she said afterward.

Grace Joy resumed looking for someone who could answer her questions right.

As she walks along, she saw a cute-looking guy approaching. She didn't know the stranger was Cainnick. As Cainnick walks closer and closer and about to cross paths with her, Cainnick suddenly felt something odd from his body. He felt the feeling of being lightheaded and he felt that his five senses were getting stronger and stronger. He stopped for a while and he tried to compose himself.

"What the hell?" he told himself as he creased his forehead, wondering what was happening to him.

The sensation had reached its c****x when Grace passed through. His eyes turned brown, his hairs all over his skin stood up, his nose detected scent from the sea, his ears hummed loud inside his mind.

Grace completely passed over. Cainninck slowly felt that the sensation was getting lifted. Cainnick turned back to see the girl who passed by. He saw her walking away. He began to suspect whether she was the one who gave him the chills or it was in his genetics.

"Kakaiba (Unbelievable)," Cainnick said before he turned around and resumed walking.

****

"So... you're saying that they are here in Baguio to find the missing land of gold?" Mr. Benjie Romero, Cainnick's big brother asked. He crossed his arms on his chest while watching Daya and her brother-in-law sipping their coffee while they are sitting down on the wooden chairs.

" That's right," Danny answered as he gently nods his head.

"And I think you are one of those persons who are on my father's list," Daya told Benjie.

"The 'key'. You know where your family hid it, right?" Danny asked.

Benjie bit his lips and started to think.

"All I know is that my father has the three. He didn't obtain the other two yet," Daya told him.

"One of those two are yours," Danny pointed at Benjie.

****

"Excuse me po." Grace Joy approached a group of girls who were talking and giggling at the corner.

That time, the girls got quiet then they faced her. They sneered at her. Grace Joy suddenly felt another creepy feeling from them. In her mind, she's going to regret that she chose them to ask for directions.

They circled her. Then they looked at her up and down, from head to toe. Grace Joy suddenly felt nervous and afraid. She held her head down while letting them scan her. The girls looked at each other and they chuckled softly. One of them rolled her eyes and scuffed. She appears to be the leader or something like that.

"Poor." She said. "Let's go girls. We don't talk to poor."

"Yeah," they seconded with their very irritating sassy tone. And then they walked away.

"What's their problem?" she asked herself.

****

In a spacious room with thirty-nine students and a teacher who was lecturing for ten minutes...

Someone gently pulled the door open as it creaks. The teacher halted and she focused her eyes on the person who was about to enter. The students were also curious to see who was it.

The students murmured right after they finally see Sherdel stepping in.

"You're late Mr. Sherdelino," the teacher said.

"Sorry ma'am," he said with a faint voice. He immediately headed toward the seat located at the back part of the third row.

"Ops! Ops!" the teacher told him to halt.

"Ugh," he rolled his eyes. He stopped and then he about-faced.

"Po?" he asked.

"Would you mind introducing yourself to the class?" she complained.

Sherdel looked around and he saw that everyone murmurs while looking at him. Seemed like everybody in the room know who he is. Still, he has no choice but to do it.

"Hi...I am..."

Suddenly, he heard a faint laugh coming from a familiar person. He looked to his right and he saw Gregory sneering like a killer.

Sherdel sighed in frustration.

****

"Don't try to ask those girls again. I am telling you," A girl said as she was walking to Grace Joy.

"What do want to ask?" she smiled.

Grace Joy smiled back.

"I think I'm lost. I just want to find where the UPA Building is."

The girl smiled...

"That's where I am going." She answered. "I'll accompany you there."

Grace Joy thanked her. She was glad that finally, someone who has a good heart had finally answered her simple question.

"By the way, I am Ana," she introduced herself.

"Grace Joy." She smiled.

"Nice to meet you," Ana said then they shook each other's hands.

****

Ten minutes later, Sherdel finally managed to sit down. The teacher resumed her lecture. The students continued to do what they were doing. Most of them were bored, not focused, and sleepy. Sherdel was one of them. And so, he decided to text his girlfriend.

"Hi, Babe!"

"Hi, Babe! Why? I'm still in the middle of the class."

"I'm just bored. "

"But babe!"

"Can I speak with you?"

"What is it? I am busy right now..."

"Is that so? I am bored. I just want someone to talk to."

"I am really sorry, Babe. Talk to you later?"

Then...

"Oh...there is another late student!" the teacher suddenly said.

The students focused their eyes on the student who just entered. Even Sherdel took his eyes off the phone and look at the one the teacher was talking about.

To his surprise, a girl with such a familiar face, who was standing in front of the students and standing beside the teacher was the one whom he awkwardly met last March. He couldn't believe that he will meet her again. He couldn't believe that months had passed but he still remembers the face of the strange girl...whose name is Grace Joy.