There was a snitch in her childhood. A little girl she thought to be her closes confidante but of course, as a nine-year-old kid, your childhood friend would feel like the closest person you’ll ever have minus your parents.

It was a passing comment. Nothing about it was a solid concept to Monica as she said it. To add to the fact that it’s the first ever pink bag that she’d willingly accept in her five years of going to school, it was a big deal!

Emotions are high!

“I kinda like feeling girly,” she mutters.

The bag is a cheap knock-off bought by her mother over at a random stall in the palengke that she had to haggle so they could afford. The character is one of those animal anime ones she’d see whenever she’d watch on the television of her neighbor from the window.

“But you’re a girl.” Her best friend, Princess, points out.

“Yeah, but like, I prefer being a tomboy than a girl.”

Monica would reminisce this scene, forever engraved at the back of her eyelids whenever she closed her eyes, and swore that nothing about what she’d said was wrong.

But of course, she was smarter than the folks in the squatter area. An intelligence she tried her best to hide because it isn’t easy to make friends, and the word tomboy doesn’t even mean lesbian! Or that being a lesbian makes you want to be transgender.

That doesn’t matter when the community she resides in sees not the distinction but rather the commonality of being non-conforming.

There’s a look in Princess’s eyes as Monica admits this. A look that had her pedaling her statement back.

“Of course, the bag makes me feel girly now! I’m not saying I think I’m not. I just, I just feel like… a little bit… never mind.”

Heart racing, palms sweating. Monica left that conversation, honestly forgetting she fumbled because Princess and her were talking about a different topic at that point.

That is until she got back home.

SHUT IT!

Monica ran towards the beautiful woman who’s now skimming over her papers, ignoring the flash of memory. For a moment her jaws clenches but much like her feet moving forward, she moved pass the memory as well.

She pulls the woman into a hug.

The lady tenses at the gesture.

“What’s your name?” asks Monica.

“What?”

“Your name–––” Dreams are a curious little thing. Monica vows that she’s been hyper-aware of hers most of the time, so this is nothing but a normal occurrence for her. “Y’know what, never mind. I’m getting rosy vibes from you. I’ll call you Roussie.”

“It’s Truscott.”

Ignoring Truscott’s words, Monica took a deep breath. “I’m not ready to acknowledge whatever this is. I just got in trouble ‘cause of it but you being the first woman in my dream feels right.”

With a huge grin on her face, she turns around and dashes for the edge of the terrace, leaping up the marbled railings before bellowing.

“I hope I see you again!”

>><<>><< 

Down below, three soldiers checked up on the fallen soldier filled with arrows. Despite the blood loss, he manages to point towards the balcony to which a blue Nerie fell as they turned their heads.

Gray groans, "why me?"

He pushes himself to his back and notices the three soldiers dashing towards him. Leo and Feravis anticipate their enemies with a loaded crossbow aimed low and a greatsword ready to swing.

A soldier swiftly pulls open the door while another rushes in.

The soldier ducks low, aiming his short sword at Gray. Feravis releases his arrow, but it deflects from the soldier's leather armor. The soldier slashes diagonally through Gray’s chest, slicing in deep; he fell backwards, unconscious.

Blood gushing out of his chest, painting his discounted armor and the flowy tunic he wore underneath.

A second soldier rushes in, sword in hand and ready to strike.

When, from above, they heard a maniacal laughter.

All of them look up to see Lady Sunniva, in her sleeping robe, jump off her terrace, arms and feet wide apart like a starfish as she falls on the 600-foot drop of a cliff.

The soldier about to attack stops on his tracks, eyes bulging, before turning around.

"Miss Odette! The Lady Glasse has jumped!" He rushed upstairs.

A third soldier follows suit as they crowd the staircase with their bodies. Odette hears the noise from below as she finishes asking if Lady Sunniva's okay, moves towards the window at the end of the hallway near her lady's room to see her plummeting down the cliffside.

Feeling the moment slowed, her feet scurried to Sunniva's room opening it with a strong gust of wind. Only to see a tanned toned woman with short brunette hair transitioning into an ashy ombre at the edge, rushing out the terrace.

Foot on the edge of the railings, Truscott pushes downward in an attempt to catch Sunniva, but she swerves by instinct. Truscott, now falling in front of her, has no choice but to open her parachute.

Gray started coughing more blood.

Jaws clenched, Leo ignores the falling screams of Sunniva, marching towards his wounded comrade. With his quick wit, he gave a small prayer to The Conqueror, his hands glowing that gentle lilac shine once more, but it travelled to his feet as he lightly kicks the heal to Gray.

Risking getting hit by the soldier with them, Leo throws himself over the ledge with one hand to intercept Sunniva. The edge of the blade cuts a loc of his hair.

He manages to latch onto Lady Sunniva but with both his hands occupied, he couldn't open his parachute.

"Fer!" He chokes, as the fall nears.

Feravis leans out the marbled railings, with a quick scan, he leaps forward.

Arms stretched, grabbing Leo’s ‘schute open. Leo feels the tug of the wind slowing his fall, he notices Feravis opening his parachute and not his own.

His eyes widened, in confusion, worry, and a bit of anger when he saw his friend’s continued fast descent.

“Let me go!” Monica struggles but soon finds comfort around the hug. She stills, heart conflicted by two warring desires. “This is unfair!”

The Glasse Soldier, not realizing that Gray has stabilized, chooses to rush to the ground floor, alerting other soldiers of the lady's kidnapping. The other clamoring soldiers followed right after. When most of the soldiers descended, except for the groaning soldier that Feravis filled full of arrows.

 Gray with his wounds partially healed and no longer bleeding, leaned over the balcony railings and fell. Opening his parachute only to realize there's only two open below him and Feravis is descending at a rapid speed.

Thankfully Truscott was way ahead, in terms of descending order, of the martyr-wanna-be and with her sleight of hand, pulled Feravis’s parachute for him. They landed with Truscott first followed by Feravis, then Monica still hugging Leo, and lastly Gray with his bloodied attire and broken leather armor.

“My ego is battered, bruised. Hold not mine visage!” Gray whines. “I do not look presentable to the world.”

He promptly opens his backpack for a fresh set of clothes. Leo taps Sunniva after the lady didn’t let go, even after they landed.

Questions are forming in his head but that is not the matter at hand. He grabs her by the knees, carrying her over his shoulders. Sunniva is taller than him but that didn’t matter at all.

Truscott tried to look over the cliff for any signs of soldiers following them, but some dust fell on her eyes, and she couldn’t see a thing.

Feravis walks over to her, “great job! That was awesome. How’d you even get her to jump?”

“I didn’t,” Truscott frowns.

Leo holds a hand for Truscott, guiding her on the rocks. “Let’s quickly find a place to hide before they look for us.”

“You still got the job done.” Gray replies, ruffling her hair.

On the terrace, from where Monica jumped, stood Odette looking over their route. Her voice resonated in the air and informed her people from below their every movement.

In front of the gate, soldiers are sent out as soon as they arrive. Multiple archers are sent out. Her eyes are glued on how they carried Lady Sunniva forward until they hug the edge of the cliff and she can no longer see them from where she is.

The band of infiltrators trudge the rocky terrain, a bit impeded by the unstable foothold and not making much progress. Gray falling slightly behind and whining about it under his breath. Truscott’s thick soles aren’t hindered at all.

“We can’t stay in the open like this.” Leo says. “They’re likely immobilizin’ a search party already.”

Feravis offered to help look for places to hide in but even with that, it took them a while and the most Truscott could find is a small carved hole on the side of the cliff probably from the waves hitting it repeatedly. It couldn’t hide anyone

Monica tried to listen for footsteps, following the vibe of the current scenario. It was exciting yet despite being a part of this scene, she kept herself apart by staying silent.

“Can you find anything bigger, darling?” Gray comments. “Not to insult anyone, but one of us chose to be big.”

Monica couldn’t help the chortle escape her.

There was a pause in the group.

Feravis steps back, tilting his head to give her a curious look to which Monica tried her best to smoothen to unbothered.

“I ain’t the one who got hurt in the end,” Leo replies.

He scans the surroundings but as expected, it’s only a long line of jagged rocks that stretches for miles with nowhere to hide. A couple of hallowed out sticks drifting from the gulf but that’s not enough to camouflage themselves, Leo thought.

Without a better option, they pushed forward.

Monica’s gaze drifts towards the water, craving a different sensation. Anything but the cold salty air hitting her skin. The wind feels nice but its assault on her skin is jarring.

She mutters, “what if we hide in the waters?”

“So, you can drown us? No thanks.” Truscott answered for the group.

“Okay? I’m helping you guys’ out.”

Leo silences everyone, weighing the option between staying in the open or hiding in the waters. Sure, it isn’t feasible, they couldn’t possibly stay submerged for long periods of time but the alternative being that they are vulnerable without cover isn’t appealing either.

Remembering the floating sticks, he dumps Monica on Feravis.

“Hey, you big fuck!” Monica groans but didn’t fight against being tossed.

“I am not putting that thing in my mouth,” Gray says. He crosses his arms, daring not to touch the stick Leo’s offering.

“Either that or you drown.”

All four jump into the water, with sticks on their mouths to breathe. Monica, though cooperative, was trusted by neither one of the party members thus she was dragged into the water.

It was cold and prickling but way better than the breeze assaulting Monica and tossing her hair every which way.

Under the sea, with this view of the light filtering through the water, her red hair floats like a mermaid. She gazes, watching it’s innocent beauty. A small smile on her lips.

Of course, it must be a dream!

Bubbles escapes her mouth as she giggled with excitement, from the corner of her eyes she notices an entrance that goes underneath the land. Where it goes, she wouldn’t have a clue, but she sees it.

She turns to whoever is nearest, Truscott. Catching her attention, Monica points towards the cave. Despite this, Truscott doesn’t understand her flailing arms.

Not wanting for the charade to continue, Monica pushes herself upwards, slipping past Truscott and almost being caught by Gray. Feravis acted the fastest as he propelled himself upward, knowing he wouldn't be able to outmaneuver her.

They both break for the water surface.

“I don’t wanna use this on you.” Feravis says ominously, pointing his watered crossbow.

Monica stares, pondering if being shot by one would be painful enough to wake her. “I was trying to say I found a cave entrance but by all means.”

He lowers his crossbow, wondering if Monica was sarcastic. He saw no facade on her face, but there was disappointment when Feravis no longer pointed the weapon at her. He, for sure, doesn’t know why that is; he’s getting the wrong idea anyways.

“Uhm,” he floats, “lead the way, I guess.”

As they descended back in the waters, on the edge of the cliffs arrived the Glasse Archers. They scan the area for immediate leads and see bubbles from where Feravis descended from. Leo looks at Feravis, signaling them to swim forward but he signals them to follow him instead.

They swam down a couple of feet below, discarding the sticks, with Monica pointing to a cave opening on the shaded area that the sunlight couldn’t shine on.

It’s not easily noticeable, Leo thought.

Truscott looks at everyone, it’s a trap!

How much longer do I have to hold my breath?! Gray was on the verge of tears.

Monica enters first, not really minding the distrust. Feravis decides to put his trust on her and followed. Gray, who couldn’t hold his breath anymore, enters after. Then Truscott and lastly Leo. When Monica emerges on the other side, she sees this small cave littered with rocks.

“Holy shit.” She exhales, giggling and excited. Her heart just started thumping from the short exercise she just did, and her worries are drowned by the small adventure she went through. “I didn’t think it’d be a cave.”

“What were you expecting when you dragged us here then?!” Gray gasps, pulling himself up using Feravis who just emerged from the water.  “More water?”

“A couple of air pockets.”

“What are you planning?” Truscott burst out of the water, grabbing Monica’s night garb by the neck.

Blinking a couple of times, she leaned forward, kissing Truscott on the forehead. “Wow. Being tall has his perks huh?”

When one has gazed upon a view a dozen or million times before, one change can make it uncanny. One small change that would have you wondering why the view is off. Everyone stares, dumbfounded, at Monica’s demeanor, unable to rationalize why something is off.

She scrambled up the water, her sheer attire clinging to her toned body, leaving nothing to the imagination while she marches around the cave in childlike curiosity.

Leo emerged finally, her butt being the first he sees. Blinking a couple times, he coughs and looks away. Only to find her friends watching Monica with mouths agape.

“Have ya’ll no shame?” says the man, rushing out the water to hand Monica his spare clothes.

“Oh? Thanks.”

Two words.

Just two words and Leopold realizes why they were gawking.