Chapter 42
Nille woke up lying on a human-sized bed. For a moment, he didn't move.
Something about it felt… strange. Too grounded. Too real for a place that should not fully obey physical rules. Slowly, he sat up, his body expecting pain, but none came. His wounds were gone, carefully treated and wrapped in clean cloth. He was shirtless, his breathing steady, his strength restored just enough for clarity.
His eyes moved across the room.
It was entirely made of wood, smooth, polished, and warm in tone. The structure felt natural, almost alive, as if it had grown into shape rather than being built. The ceiling stood at around two meters, modest but comfortable, supported by thick wooden beams carved with faint, flowing patterns that resembled vines or old script.
The bed beneath him was wide, more spacious than necessary, covered in woven fabrics that carried subtle designs of nature, leaves, rivers, and shifting wind lines. Nearby stood a low wooden table where his clothes had been neatly folded.
The room was illuminated by candles placed along the walls, but they gave off no heat. Their flames were steady, almost too perfect, casting a soft golden glow that reached every corner without flicker. It was light without burn.
Not natural.
Not ordinary.
Nille exhaled quietly.
"…It's a magical artifact."
"It is," a voice answered.
"Something similar to the scarf you are using… but this one is very special."
Nille turned his head.
Standing a short distance away was a woman.
She was striking, not in an overwhelming way, but in a quiet, commanding presence. There was something familiar in her features, something that reminded him immediately of Lakan.
Nille straightened slightly.
"Greetings… Maruha Dalisay. I was sent here by your brother..."
"I know," she interrupted calmly, before he could finish.
"My steward already informed me. She took the liberty of replying to my brother's letter."
She paused, her gaze lowering for a brief moment, not in weakness, but in acknowledgment.
"Please forgive my steward on my behalf," Maruha continued, her voice measured. "She took an unnecessary risk. I did not intend to place the burden of my clan's problems onto others."
Her eyes returned to Nille, steady and direct.
"But circumstances…" she added quietly, "have a way of forcing decisions we would rather not make."
She walked toward the table and gently placed his scarf back beside his folded clothes, her movements controlled and deliberate.
Maruha Dalisay stood tall, around six feet, her posture straight and composed. Her appearance carried both elegance and strength. Her long dark hair fell smoothly behind her, partially tied with simple ornaments made of wood and faintly glowing threads. Her eyes were sharp, observant, carrying the weight of someone who had seen both leadership and loss.
She wore layered garments that blended tradition and function, a flowing upper cloth draped over one shoulder, paired with fitted inner wear that allowed movement. The fabric carried subtle patterns resembling nature and old symbols, woven with faint luminescence that hinted at enchantment. Despite its beauty, her attire was not decorative, it was practical, made for someone who leads, not someone who watches.
Her presence felt similar to Lakan's.
But where Lakan carried calm guidance,
Maruha carried quiet authority.
She faced Nille again, her expression steady, unreadable but not hostile.
"You arrived at the right time," she said simply.
"Please don't take this the wrong way," Maruha said, her tone calm but firm, "but my brother and I… see the world differently. We both believe in living peacefully among humans, we are simple beings in that sense, and he honors the laws given to us."
She paused, her gaze drifting slightly, as if weighing her next words.
"But our paths divide beyond that."
Nille didn't interrupt. He simply listened, a faint, understanding smile resting on his face. He knew enough of Encantos to recognize the weight behind her words, the pride, the history, the quiet complexities that shaped their choices.
Maruha continued.
"I built my clan to be… self-contained. Secular, in a way. I chose to keep us among our own kind." Her voice remained steady, but something beneath it hardened. "My brother prefers unity, camaraderie with other Encanto races. I do not."
A brief silence followed.
"My decision is not without reason."
Her eyes lowered slightly.
"My husband believed as Lakan does. He trusted others… believed in cooperation beyond our kind." A small pause. "He died because of it."
The room felt heavier.
"That was enough for me."
She straightened again, her composure returning as if the memory had been carefully sealed away.
"Two months ago, a Pilandok came to us," she continued. "He hid his true form behind illusion, presenting himself as one of the fair folk. He claimed his home had been destroyed, lost to human expansion. He asked for refuge."
Nille's expression didn't change, but his attention sharpened.
"I accepted him," Maruha said simply. "I saw no reason not to."
Her tone shifted, subtle, but clear.
"Then Urto Dimas arrived."
She glanced briefly toward the direction of the courtyard, as if the memory still lingered there.
"He came bearing gifts. Words of peace. Gestures of goodwill." A quiet breath left her. "By the time I understood what he truly was… it was already too late."
Silence settled between them.
Nille understood why she was telling him this.
It wasn't justification.
It was respect.
Among beings like them, sharing truth, especially failure, was not weakness. It was acknowledgment. A way of honoring the one who had stepped into their crisis without obligation.
Maruha met his gaze once more.
"This is the situation you walked into," she said.
Not as an apology.
But as truth.
Nille shifted slightly, preparing to stand, but the strain in his body made the movement slower than intended.
Maruha stepped forward and extended her arm to assist him.
He saw it.
And gently declined.
"I know your customs," Nille said quietly. "For you to offer your hand like that… it is not a simple gesture."
Maruha paused.
Among her kind, that gesture carried weight. It was not merely help, it was acknowledgment. Equality. A silent acceptance that the one being helped stood on the same ground as her. More than that, it was a step toward something deeper, toward kinship, toward being regarded as part of one's inner circle.
Family.
Nille lowered his gaze slightly, not out of submission, but out of respect.
"I won't refuse your kindness," he added, "but I can't accept it like that."
He adjusted himself and slowly sat back down instead, choosing to remain where he was.
"I just need to rest."
Maruha studied him in silence.
Then, slowly, she withdrew her hand.
Understanding formed, but not entirely correctly.
The title Lingkod Kamatayan was not something given lightly. It came from those who had witnessed him, those who had survived encounters that others had not. Remnants of Encantos who had seen what he could do… and lived long enough to speak of it.
To her, his refusal carried another meaning.
She assumed he was protecting them.
Keeping distance so that whatever forces, grudges, or unseen enemies followed him would not find their way to her clan. That he was drawing a line, not out of rejection, but out of caution.
It was a reasonable conclusion.
But it was wrong.
Nille's reason was far simpler, and far more personal.
He did not want to belong.
Not like that.
There was only one person he had ever truly considered family.
Granny Amparo.
That place in his life was not something he gave easily, nor something he allowed others to step into without choice. He understood what family meant, not just connection, but responsibility, permanence, and the weight of shared fate.
And if he were to build one again…
It would be on his own terms.
Not by circumstance. Not by gratitude. Not by silent agreement.
But by choice.
So he remained where he was, resting, quiet, and distant in a way that was not cold, but deliberate.
Accepting her respect.
But not crossing beyond it.
Nille finally stepped down from the bed.
His movements were steady now, though still careful. The bandages wrapped around his torso and arms remained in place, clean and tight against his skin. Without a word, he walked toward the table where his clothes had been neatly arranged.
Maruha had already taken a seat across from it.
She poured tea into a cup with quiet precision, her posture composed, her attention deliberately focused elsewhere. She did not watch him as he reached for his shirt and turned slightly to put it on. Her restraint was intentional, respectful, controlled, and without unnecessary curiosity toward the scars that marked his body.
The soft sound of liquid filling the cup broke the silence.
"My daughters," Maruha said calmly, as if speaking of something distant, "Lualhati and Tala… wish to meet their savior."
She paused briefly, setting the teapot down.
"But from what I can tell…" she continued, her tone thoughtful rather than critical, "you are not the type to hold onto gratitude… nor to seek satisfaction from being acknowledged."
Her gaze lifted slightly, though not directly at him.
"And yet," she added, almost faintly, "you are… unfortunately, the kind of man my eldest would choose."
A small breath followed.
"Though… you are mortal."
Nille finished adjusting his shirt and allowed a small, quiet smile to form.
"Thank you," he said simply. "For your honesty… and your kindness."
He took a seat across from her, accepting the tea without ceremony.
"I didn't come here for gratitude," he continued. "This situation… just happened to land in front of me. And I chose to respond."
His tone was calm, matter-of-fact.
"But I did speak with Lakan before coming here."
Maruha listened.
"I asked him," Nille said, "if any of your kind were willing to settle in my land."
That caught her attention, not outwardly, but enough to shift her focus fully to him.
"I plan to leave the area for some time," he explained. "Travel. Possibly study… if I can pass and enter a foreign academy."
He took a small sip of tea before continuing.
"So I don't want the place to become abandoned… or neglected."
His eyes met hers, steady.
"I need someone to watch over it. Not as forgotten land… but as something maintained."
A brief pause.
"I thought your people might be suited for that."
He leaned back slightly, relaxed despite everything that had happened.
"You can take human form. You understand both worlds."
Then, more directly:
"I'm looking for someone to act as a steward."
Not a request born from desperation.
But a decision made with intention.
After a few minutes, Nille turned toward Maruha and offered a proper greeting, formal, composed, and deliberate. It was not exaggerated, nor careless. It was the kind of gesture given with awareness of who stood before him.
Maruha smiled.
There was a quiet satisfaction in her expression, a rare softness that came from recognition. A shaman without arrogance… one who did not act carelessly even in unfamiliar territory. He understood where he stood, before the matriarch of a clan, and carried himself accordingly.
Much like when he had met Lakan Dalisay.
She inclined her head slightly, accepting his gesture with equal grace.
"Sit," she said, motioning calmly toward the table. "Have some tea."
Nille obeyed without hesitation.
Maruha poured another cup, placing it before him.
"We have matters to discuss," she added. "And I suspect my brother will arrive soon… once he hears what has happened here."
Nille nodded, taking the cup but not drinking immediately.
For a moment, silence settled again, not empty, but thoughtful.
Then he spoke.
"There's something I've noticed," Nille said. "Something… different."
Maruha's eyes shifted toward him, attentive.
"Among shamans," he continued, "we're taught to interact with spirits, to borrow, to negotiate, or sometimes to force outcomes."
A brief pause.
"But what I saw here… what you've built… it doesn't follow that pattern. because from what i know the ir are many different realm connected to te human reality, one is the mirror realm, the outer realm , and this place"
Maruha leaned back slightly, listening.
"Your domain, is not like the mirror realm, you are not living inside the refection of the human made structure, when i entered the domain were your brother was living their home was still connected and reflecting man made structures like buildings the concrete pillar and other parts of the complex , mostly underground like the underwound basement and parking lots "
Maruha nodded slightly, seeing that he was following, then continued patiently, shaping the idea into something simpler.
"It's similar to that," she said, calm and precise. "Let me put it in human terms so you can understand."
She set her cup down lightly on the table.
"Imagine reality like an aquarium. When you stand in front of it, you only see what is directly facing you. Its shape, its height, its width, you assume that is everything."
Her fingers traced a small invisible rectangle in the air.
"But what you are actually seeing is only the surface view. Just the front layer."
Nille listened closely, his expression steady.
Maruha continued.
"When you change your angle, you realize it is not flat. The aquarium extends farther than you first believed. The coral you thought was small in front is actually part of a much larger structure—connected, layered, stretching far deeper and wider than what your first perspective allowed you to perceive."
She leaned slightly forward, her voice lowering just a fraction.
"You mistake visibility for totality."
A pause.
"Most people do."
Nille's eyes shifted slightly, processing the comparison.
Then Maruha gave the final piece.
"It is like an iceberg."
She looked at him directly now.
"What you see above the surface is only a fraction of what exists. Small, visible, understandable."
Her tone remained calm, but firm.
"But underneath…"
She tapped the table once, softly.
"…is where the true mass is. The structure that actually determines its stability, its movement, its danger."
Silence settled for a moment.
Then Nille finally exhaled.
"…Ah," he said quietly.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"It's similar to an iceberg."
Maruha gave a faint, approving smile but did not interrupt.
Nille leaned back slightly, understanding settling deeper.
"So what I'm seeing in most systems… is just the surface layer."
He paused.
"And the real structure… is hidden underneath."
Maruha nodded once.
"Exactly."
Her eyes remained on him.
"And most conflicts," she added, "are decided by what people fail to see beneath the surface."
Maruha lifted her cup, and elegantly took a sip of the tea, while still focus on Nille.
Maruha's expression remained calm as she continued, refining the explanation so it would sit clearly in Nille's understanding.
"If you intend to travel… to study… then you will encounter more of this," she said.
She set her cup down gently.
"There are realms structured according to what surrounds them. Some appear like a hazy mist wrapped in darkness. Others resemble forests, gardens, or layered landscapes that shift depending on perception."
Her eyes lifted slightly, as if recalling distant knowledge.
"But those are mirror realms. They are limited. They reflect, they adapt, but they are still powered by the residents within them. Their existence depends on what is inside sustaining them."
Nille listened without interrupting.
Maruha continued, her tone becoming more precise.
"The outer realms are different. They are not reflections. They are complete worlds on their own. They do not simply mirror what is seen from the outside, they exist independently, with their own structure, laws, and flow of power."
Nille tilted his head slightly.
"…You're talking like Biringan Island."
A faint shift passed through Maruha's expression, recognition.
"Ah," she said softly. "So you have heard of it."
She nodded once.
"Yes. That is a good example of an outer realm interacting with human perception."
Then she added, more thoughtfully:
"And it is not the only one. There are others recorded in human and spiritual history—Atlantis, Shambhala, El Dorado… places like those. Names that persist because people have brushed against their existence, even if they do not fully understand what they saw."
Nille remained focused.
Maruha leaned slightly forward.
"In our case," she said, "this place is different again."
She gestured subtly around them.
"It exists within a cave system. But its entrance is not physical in the ordinary sense. It can only be perceived by those with high spiritual awareness."
A brief pause.
"When someone enters, they do not see stone and darkness. They see what their perception allows them to interpret."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"In your case, what you saw first was a large wooden mansion. That is because the domain has expanded over time."
She continued calmly.
"When my clan was only four, the structure was small. Simple. But as we grew, now eighteen of our kind—the domain adapted. It expanded to accommodate us."
Nille's eyes narrowed slightly in understanding.
Maruha gave a small, almost practical nod.
"It is not just space," she said. "It is structure responding to presence."
Then she added, finishing the thought:
"Different systems… require different forms of energy to sustain themselves. Nothing in these realms exists without cost. Even stability has a price, it is just paid in ways most people do not notice."
She looked at him over the rim of her cup.
"Which is why understanding the structure beneath what you see… matters more than what appears on the surface."
"As you can see," Maruha continued, her tone steady and unhurried, "we do not need to downsize our form here."
She rested her hands lightly around her cup.
"It is because we chose to remain in this physical appearance. Our domain is still relatively untouched, unscarred by large-scale human development."
Her gaze lifted slightly, as if measuring the balance between worlds.
"The humans who do enter this area… they abide by the laws of nature while they are here. In return, they benefit from it as well."
She paused for a moment, then added more softly:
"It is a mutual arrangement. Not forced. Not imposed. Simply understood."
Her eyes returned to Nille.
"That is why this place remains stable."
The scarf stirred slightly at Nille's shoulder before speaking, its tone calm but layered with something deeper than ordinary awareness.
His land, and all surrounding it, will benefit from Kinabalu's presence, it stated.
Maruha's gaze shifted subtly toward it.
"…Kinabalu?" she repeated, then looked back at Nille. Maruha confirmed he was the person that was at the center of the spreading rumors about the writhing worm that filers and spread nutrients into a fertile and farmable land it dwells on ,when she look at the scarf around Nille neck , as it move slightly and its tread were connecting to his torn upper clothing and was mending it.
Maruha utter on her own " huh! its somewhat sentient and active, but how" as she recall based on her father memory its dormant and lost most of its ability to function properly , even if this was the only time she was seen it .
"Where did you get that scarf?"
Nille adjusted it lightly, unconcerned by her attention.
"My great-grandmother gave it to me," he said. "Even she didn't really understand what it was. She just… kept it."
Maruha fell quiet for a moment.
Not in doubt, but in recognition.
"That aligns with something I once heard from my father," she said slowly, as if recalling a fragment buried in distant memory. "When I was younger… he mentioned two celestial fabrics. Objects created not as weapons or ornaments, but as stewards."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing inward.
"They were meant to assist the two ancient elders, Uph Madac and Abo Natac. Beings said to reside at the two corners of the Earth, serving as guardians of the Sun and the Moon."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"The cloths were meant to help them manage the mortal realm during the earliest age… long before modern systems of spirit governance existed."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"But something happened. The records about that event were never fully preserved."
A faint tension lingered in her expression.
"All that remains is fragmented knowledge. One of the celestial cloths survived, the Celestial Moon Fleece. and that's one of the six"
She looked directly at the scarf now.
"But it was no longer whole. It was cut into pieces and redistributed to those who still have favor with the Infinito. Six great ancient spirits were said to have received fragments."
A pause.
"But once divided, its original function degraded. It was no longer recognized as a complete steward system. Over time, it was dismissed, seen as a weakened artifact, no longer relevant compared to the newly appointed Seven Great Spirits."
Maruha exhaled softly, almost in disbelief.
"To think one of those fragments still exists…"
Her gaze returned to Nille.
"And not only exists, but is active."
A rare flicker of surprise crossed her composed expression.
"The last recorded being known to have worn one of its pieces was Becca."
She fell silent for a moment longer, studying the scarf with renewed interest.
"…I did not expect to encounter something like this in my lifetime."
Nille had just finished his tea when he was about to speak again.
"Becca"
The words never left his mouth.
The door opened.
Lualhati stepped inside.
She paused immediately upon entry, lowering her head slightly in respect. "Forgive me for intruding," she said calmly. "I did not formally request permission to enter."
Her tone shifted, urgency breaking through her composure.
"But Urto Dimas has truly lost his mind."
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before continuing.
"He keeps shouting 'Tenebrae Primitivae' over and over again."
The name lingered in the air, foreign, heavy, unsettling in a way that suggested it carried more meaning than sound alone.
Lualhati lifted her gaze toward Nille.
"I wanted to see Him."
Her expression softened slightly, but her eyes remained focused. as he clear knew and recall the young man, hunting and facing Urto Dimans guard and minions head on.
"The one who defeated both the Sarangay… and Urto Dimas."
Maruha did not interrupt. She simply observed her daughter's presence with quiet understanding.
Lualhati stepped further into the room, stopping at a respectful distance.
"I have the ability to glimpse the fate of others," she explained. "Not always clearly… and not always willingly."
Her hand tightened slightly at her side.
"But you are different."
She looked directly at Nille now.
"For the first time… I cannot see anything."
A brief silence followed.
Even the atmosphere in the room seemed to settle differently around that admission.
Lualhati exhaled slowly.
"The moment I try to look into your fate… it disappears. Like something is blocking it from being observed."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"And that only happens in very rare cases."
She held his gaze.
Nille stood from his seat.
He adjusted his posture, then offered a simple, respectful introduction, nothing grand, nothing exaggerated. Just clear presence and acknowledgment of those in front of him.
"I am Nille," he said calmly. "I came here in response to Lakan Dalisay's request."
As he finished speaking, his eyes briefly met Lualhati's.
Something shifted.
For a moment, her usual energy, her sharpness, her outspoken nature, the restless spark she was known for, softened completely.
Then she smiled.
But it wasn't the casual, playful smile others might expect from her. It was composed. Elegant. Almost refined in a way that contrasted sharply with everything Maruha had described about her personality.
Her posture changed subtly too. Her shoulders relaxed, her stance became balanced, and even her gaze carried a kind of calm dignity that hadn't been there before.
She looked… like a proper Fairy of old tradition.
Maruha noticed immediately.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying her daughter with quiet curiosity.
That wasn't her usual behavior.
Lualhati didn't act based on sentiment alone. She calculated, observed, and moved according to what she could gain or understand. That was her nature.
So what had she seen?
What had changed her expression so suddenly?
Lualhati's smile lingered just a moment longer before she spoke softly.
"…So this is him."
But she did not explain further.
Not yet.
Nille, meanwhile, had already turned part of his attention away from her.
His interest remained anchored elsewhere, on fragments of information that still lingered in his mind. The mention of Becca. The celestial cloth. The scattered references to ancient spirits and lost records.
There were no proper texts about them. No structured documentation. Only fragments—broken accounts, half-remembered histories, and rare mentions buried deep in spiritual lore.
He looked back toward Maruha briefly.
"There's still something I don't understand," Nille said quietly.
His tone wasn't urgent, just focused.
"This Becca… and the other records you mentioned earlier…"
He paused slightly.
"They don't exist in any formal archive I've seen. Only fragments. Almost like they were intentionally removed or never fully recorded."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"Why would something that significant be left incomplete?"