The ash had thinned, and at last the sun broke through, pale and weak but enough to bathe the land in light. The villagers stepped cautiously from the cave, their eyes blinking against the brightness.
The world was changed. Trees stood stripped of leaves, their branches gray with ash. The huts were buried, roofs collapsed beneath the weight of dust. The sea, once blue, was dark and sluggish, its waves heavy with soot.
Children gasped at the sight, clutching their mothers' hands. Timmy whispered, "It doesn't look like our home anymore."
Cindy nodded, tears in her eyes. "It looks like another world."
But Lira stood still, thumb pressed against her lips, listening. The wind curled around her ears, soft and steady: Light returns. Begin again. Do not despair.
She removed her thumb, her voice calm. "The wind says we must rebuild. The light has returned, and so must we."
The villagers bowed their heads, hope flickering in their eyes. Elder Ramos raised his staff. "Then we will begin again. With her guidance, we will rise from the ashes."
And so, under the pale sun, the people of Kalumbayan began to clear the ruins. Ash was swept away, bamboo poles gathered, nets repaired. Slowly, life returned to the broken village.