The Rise of the Legendary Santhigar

Chapter 9: The Lost Sister

Zoriel was gasping for air when he woke up.

He jolted upright in panic, but immediately groaned and fell back as a sharp pain pierced his head.

It felt like his skull was being split in two.

That same high-pitched ringing filled his ears again—just like the moment before he lost consciousness.

“Zoriel?”

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

Once he managed to steady his breathing, he slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was Lily, fluttering around in front of him.

“Zoriel! You’re awake!” she said excitedly.

Zoriel frowned.

The last thing he remembered was talking to the Kapre.

“Where am I?” he asked. “Where’s the Kapre? Where are Jessa and Alfred?!”

He tried to sit up again but his head still felt too heavy.

“Don’t get up yet, Zoriel. You’re still weak.”

Zoriel turned to his side when he heard another familiar voice.

His eyes widened when he saw the woman sitting beside him.

It was Zenaida. His sister.

“Zen? You’re here!” he said, disbelief in his voice.

He was maybe ten years old the last time he saw his older sister.

She was only fifteen then, but she chose to leave them—abandoning both him and their father.

After that, he never heard from her again.

He wouldn’t have even recognized her if it weren’t for the striking resemblance they still shared.

Zenaida smirked.

“What? Surprised to see your sister?”

Zoriel forced himself upright.

“What happened to you? Where have you been? Why didn’t you contact me? Didn’t you know when Dad died? Why didn’t you show up?” he asked, one question after another.

Zenaida raised both her hands in defense.

“Whoa! Hold up! That’s a lot of questions,” she said. “I understand your confusion and frustration. But right now, what’s more important is for you to answer me—why did I find you in front of my house?”

Zoriel frowned.

He looked around and realized he was indeed in an unfamiliar place.

It was a small room. Judging by the walls, it looked like he was in a bamboo house.

A nipa hut.

The design was simple, but the space felt clean and welcoming.

“I… don’t know.”

He glanced at Lily, who was still flying around.

He signaled to her, his expression full of questions.

“Before you get too shocked, yes. I can see that little thing flying in front of you,” Zenaida said casually.

Zoriel turned back to his sister.

“You can see her?” he asked, stunned.

Zenaida nodded. “Yes. And I know her name. She’s Lily.”

Zoriel looked at Lily in confusion.

“Ahm, yes, Zoriel,” Lily said. “Actually, she’s the one I came to find. She was the one who told me where you were. And I already knew you needed help… especially with the problems you’re having with your wife.”

Zoriel didn’t know how to feel about what he just heard.

“W-What? You mean… Zenaida was the reason you came to me?” he asked Lily.

She nodded.

“Yes. As soon as I arrived in the mortal world, Zenaida was the first person I saw. She’s an Albularyo, Zoriel. She’s the one I mentioned who could help train you to become a Santhigar.”

Zoriel was completely lost.

His sister—who never believed their grandfather’s stories—was now a practicing Albularyo.

“How?”

Zenaida smiled and stood up from her seat.

“It’s a long story. But I think you should eat first—then you can tell me what’s been happening to you. I’ll leave you here for now.”

Before Zoriel could say another word, Zenaida was already walking out of the room.

He still couldn’t fully process everything he had just learned.

His sister… was an Albularyo.

And more than that, she could see Lily.

That, at least, gave him a strange sense of relief—proof that he wasn’t crazy.

That someone else could actually see her, too.

But first things first—he needed to figure out how he ended up here.

“Lily. How did I end up here?” he asked his tiny friend.

Lily fluttered over and landed gently on his leg.

“I don’t know either, Zoriel. When Zenaida and I stepped out, we just found you lying in her yard. We were supposed to meet up with you after we talked. What happened? I thought you were going to meet Jessa? How did you end up here?”

Zoriel buried his face in his hands and shook his head.

He didn’t know how to answer her either.

He was just as confused as she was.

But with everything that had happened—and the flood of new revelations hitting him all at once—he knew one thing for sure:

He had no choice but to face them.