SIDAPA “THAT bear must be its mother. She was just trying to protect her young!” Libulan defended. That said, the bear that almost attacked Libulan and me was very anxious. But she chose to display a brave front in order to hide the presence of her little one. I stopped using my powers and didn’t do anything that would agitate the mother bear anymore. When she realized that I was no longer a threat, she went back to her baby and they took off. After that, Libulan came running to me and hugged me. “I thought you were going to leave me alone for good,” he cried. “Huh?” I frowned. “Libulan, you’re—” “Do you hate me, Sidapa?” he asked, and lifted his head up to me. He was teary eyed. “I don’t hate you,” I replied but he wasn’t convinced. “Then why do you always try to push me away? Am I an eyesore to you?” he added, and his tears fell down. “I wasn’t,” I denied. “You did! You always did!” he insisted. “I can’t understand your actions. You’re a mystery to me, Sidapa. But even so, I

SIDAPA “APPARENTLY, Gods need love, too. That’s why some of us marry other fellow Gods or Goddesses,” Libulan informed. “I am the offspring of *Lihangin and *Lidagat,” he revealed. “Some say that Gods were forbidden to have children with mortals because it might bring chaos between the existence of the two species. But I had no idea that having an intimate relationship with the same sex was a taboo,” he said with a sad expression. “Sidapa… Do you really think that it’s a sin for us to love each other? Because I see nothing wrong with it.” I tucked some of Libulan’s hair strands at the back of his left ear. It gave me a good view of his beautiful face. The delicate look in his eyes had a calming effect on me. His sweet demeanor was something I wanted to protect at all cost. His soft and silly expressions and his funny mood swings brightened up my evenings. He unlocked these desires that I never knew I had, and made me yearn for more. “Libulan, look into my eyes,” I instructed him, an

SIDAPA I WAITED for two days, but still there was no sign of Libulan ever coming back. I ought to trust him and his words. And I will still do until he comes back, I thought to myself while I sent a group of souls that went to Magwayen’s realm. All of them committed mass suicide this morning. Apparently, they were a little group of individuals that wanted to receive divine powers from the Gods and they thought that sacrificing their own lives would grant their wish. After I was done, I decided to go to the Balete tree. I touched some of its overgrown hanging branches as I recalled that night. This tree was where Libulan and I made love. Until now, I could still vividly remember his sweet moans and loving voice each time he yearned for my name. Then I saw that piece of cloth from his robe that got torn apart when I undressed him. It got tangled on a twig with a sharp edge. We both laughed when that happened and after that he told me that he would leave that torn piece to me. I forgo

SIDAPA “SIDAPA!” Libulan shouted and bawled his eyes out. I was in turmoil, but he was suffering the most. He reached his hand out between the bars and wailed when he couldn’t even go by my side. “Stop this, please! I beg you! Don’t do this! You are not a bad person, my beloved! Stop punishing yourself!” While I was distracted by Libulan, Kaptan took that chance. It was already too late when I tried to block his attack. He had already pierced his right arm into my chest. Everything happened so fast that I wasn’t able to even think about it. I coughed out some blood and gasped for air. When I looked at Libulan again, he was screaming at the top of his lungs and crying so hard but I heard no sound coming out from him. “I gave you the chance to back out and I could have given you time to repent, but you chose this, Sidapa,” Kaptan said to me in a low voice. There was no anger in his tone, just pure abhorrence. He was revolted at the fact that Libulan and I chose to love each other desp

SIDAPA “FOUND it!” I exclaimed when I finally had the core in my grip. I clasped it within my palm and carefully pulled it out. The screaming grew louder as the core was forcefully removed from its proper place. I knew the consequences, the risks, but none of them mattered to me now. If I was a sinner from the very beginning, then I would continue being one for my Libulan. The instant the core exited the trunk, the thousand year old tree began to deteriorate. All the lifelines I had carved on its magnificent surface flashed a blinding light, causing me to shut my eyes. My machete that was still stuck to the trunk melted and became a black substance. The tree absorbed that substance. The tree itself started to rot away. The dead branches fell off first, and the live ones were forced to detach from the wood. The ground made a rumbling sound, as if it was aching to open up and send everything from the above straight to hell. It was a horrifying sight to see. Then suddenly, the portal