DISBELIEF

She awoke, her eyes fluttering open to the sight of the ceiling. "Sponge, oh thank the gods, you're alright," a voice beside her spoke, prompting her to turn her head cautiously. Her eyes strained, attempting to discern the figure before her. A circular object brushed her face, granting her sight at last.

"Perla," she uttered, pushing herself up and sitting upright. Perla's hands supported her under the arms, assisting her. There was a dull ache in her leg, but overall, she sensed nothing broken physically—perhaps her heart, yes. "Sponge—your home… your tribe was killed," Perla murmured, her hands fidgeting nervously, her expression one of fear.

Sponge's gaze flickered, looking away. "Mom?" she inquired, waiting, yearning for a reassuring 'she's alive.' Instead, silence greeted her. "You're the only one alive," Perla disclosed, her voice soft as Sponge turned to face her. "Oh," she exhaled, blinking slowly, her eyes heavy, as if ablaze. Yet no tears emerged.

She had never been one to shed tears, not even in her youth. But now, she wished she could, to express her sorrow, her anger, her—

Perla laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I found you at the back of your house, almost near the shore… And I found this," she mentioned, gesturing towards the dresser nearby, retrieving something. It was her axe, and—was that a roll of gauze?

Sponge extended her hand, touching the axe, her heart heavy with the absence of the other one. Her gaze shifted towards the gauze, raising an eyebrow at Perla. "This came with you, your leg was already wrapped by somebody, and—I think they left this," Perla murmured as Sponge accepted the gauze from her, examining it closely.

It seemed to almost glow. "It's a—" Sponge began, a realization dawning. "It's a magic gauze, embedded with something that accelerates healing," Perla concluded as Sponge removed the thick blanket from her legs and inspected the wound on her leg. "How long have I been asleep?" Sponge inquired, swinging her legs over the bed, rolling her ankles, and lowering her feet onto the cold floor—briefly wincing.

"Just two days," Perla responded, letting out a small yelp when Sponge swiftly rose to her feet, her leg pulsing slightly before the pain vanished. "Oh, will you please sit down? I swear you always do this to me," Perla implored, guiding Sponge to sit back down, easing her onto the pillow, retrieving the axe from Sponge's hand—and the magic gauze.

"I think—a god answered my prayers," Sponge muttered, refusing to hand the gauze, her grip tightening around it. She could sense its mystical properties healing her hand, the lingering ache dissipating. "A… god?" Perla whispered, lowering the axe against the wall, using it as support.

"Yes—they… saved me, they answered my prayers," Sponge mumbled, blinking. "I would have died there, those—colonizers had me, I was on the brink of death, Perla, and someone rescued me. It must be a god."

"Gods never manifest in our lands, how can that be?" Perla questioned, dragging a chair beside Sponge's bed, her hands clasped together, brows furrowed. Sponge eyed her. "You don't believe me."

Perla's eyes widened. "I-I do! I believe you, but your parents just died—"

"Out, get out," Sponge muttered, glaring at her as Perla wilted. "S-Sponge," she began, her voice trailing off. She rose, shutting her eyes and releasing a sigh.

"Don't force yourself to move much, I-I'll be back in an hour," Perla said before exiting the room.

Sponge observed the door closing, her fist clenching, nails digging into her palms. It wasn't until 30 minutes later that she decided to rise from her bed and left the house, limping slightly as she surveyed people bustling about, carrying baskets of carrots, some grasping wheat in their hands. "Sponge! You're awake," an elderly woman approached, tapping her cane on the ground as Sponge bowed out of respect, hands placed behind her back as she descended the stairs.

"Yes… I am— everyone is… is everyone moving out?" Sponge inquired, noticing children in tears, women hurrying about. She turned to the old woman—Adhika—who regarded her with a sorrowful smile.

"After your tribe was attacked, our men spread word to all the tribes. It won't be long before they arrive and claim our land as well. That's why we are relocating up the mountain," Adhika gestured with a trembling finger towards the mountain behind Sponge.

Sponge gazed at the imposing peak. "That's a volcano," she remarked, furrowing her brow before turning back to Adhika. Adhika simply nodded, smiling. "It is much safer; no colonizers will dare approach the volcanoes," Adhika explained as Sponge anxiously rolled the gauze in her hand, finding solace in its calming presence amidst the chaos in her mind.

"What if—what if it erupts?" Sponge questioned. "Then it erupts," Adhika replied, her eyes crinkling with a smile. Sponge stared at her, as if she had uttered something absurd—had she lost her mind? Why not reclaim the land with the help of the warrior tribe? Sponge pondered, blinking in confusion.

"You must be wondering why we don't seek aid from the warrior tribe? Sponge— their village… was the first to be pillaged," Adhika whispered, a bitter twist to her smile, causing Sponge to pale in realization.

"Of course, they're not brutes—they must have been aware of our land and orchestrated this attack beforehand. Striking our tribe, the one that mines the gold—the wealth of this land, and the warrior tribe to prevent us from retaliating," Sponge muttered, nibbling her thumb. She felt Adhika's hand on her arm, guiding it down, gently prying her thumb from her teeth. "Will you come with us? You are a skilled fighter, Sponge."

Sponge froze, a pulsing ache in her leg, memories of fire and screams flashing before her. She shook her head. "N-No, I'm no fighter, I'm an ore miner… a—a writer. The pen is my weapon… How can I fight?" Sponge queried, her voice barely above a whisper. "Adhika—no, Lola[1], how… paano ako lalaban? Hindi ko man lang nasagip ang inay at itay ko [2]," Sponge whispered, feeling Adhika's hand on her shoulder, then gently tousling her hair, a gesture both tender and familiar. Sponge closed her eyes and smiled.

"Then perhaps this is not the place for you," Adhika responded, her words simple yet stirring a sense of freedom within Sponge. "What do you mean by that?" Sponge's eyes opened, a glint of hope shining within them. "Our tribe may not be the right fit for you. We are farmers, or perhaps the other tribes are as well. You've always shown an interest in leaving the islands—" Adhika's words were interrupted by an enraged shout as someone approached them, footsteps heavy.

"Lola[1], stay away from her, she—and her cursed family are the reason why they discovered our lands!" a man bellowed, his large hands resting on Adhika's shoulder as he gently pushed her aside. Adhika scoffed loudly as Sponge fought the urge to roll her eyes, instead furrowing her brow. "What are you insinuating?" Sponge inquired, tilting her head. Her fist clenched, discreetly tucking the gauze into her pocket before crossing her arms.

"I swear, your family sails away from our land and returns almost every week. Who's to say your father never disclosed where our lands are? He's always been loose-lipped. Look at the mess we're in now," the man, Alab, declared, gesturing widely as men and women hurriedly packed their belongings.

Sponge scanned the bustling activity before fixing her gaze on Alab. "My father would never betray us," she retorted, teeth clenched as Alab chuckled dismissively. "Hah! How would you know? All you care about are those trivial books. And let's not overlook the fact that YOU're the sole survivor. Quite suspicious, wouldn't you say?" Alab smirked, only to receive a sharp slap on the shoulder from Adhika, making him yelp and recoil. 

"Alab! Why do you speak to Sponge in such a manner?" Adhika growled, her hand poised to strike again, halted only by Sponge's interjection.

Sponge scoffed, "Are you serious right now? I'm suspicious because I survived? That's your logic? Your mind must be so limited, only capable of suspicion at every turn," she retorted, laughing sarcastically. "Enough from both of you," Adhika cautioned. Alab advanced towards Sponge, their heights nearly equal, yet Sponge still managed to look down on him—it was almost comical how Alab, the tallest in their tribe, appeared dwarfed by a woman.

"Just because lola[1] here favors you, doesn't mean I won't question you!" Alab growled, jabbing a finger at Sponge, who chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Want to know why I'm alive? A god saved me! Can you believe it? I am chosen by a god," Sponge glared, forcefully pushing Alab's finger down, tempted to break it for good measure.

Alab recoiled, his eyes widening and brows lifting. "Oh, a god? Really? You're quite the comedian. Not only are you crazy, you're also delusio—Yeouch!" Alab yelped as Adhika seized his ear and pulled him away. "Boy, you are nothing but a pain in my ass!" Adhika grumbled in frustration as she hauled the man off. "Lola! Lola![1] I'm sorry!" Alab whimpered, his voice fading into the distance, leaving Sponge with a perpetual frown etched on her face.

Turning towards the volcano, Sponge's eyes narrowed. Perhaps this place was no longer meant for her.

—

"Do you really have to leave?" Perla inquired, heaving a large bag onto the boat and dropping it inside. Behind her, Sponge secured two axes on her thighs and sighed. "I don't belong here—besides, I need to find… them," she muttered as Perla turned to her. "Them, and by them, you mean—the god you're talking about," Perla probed, studying Sponge who averted her gaze, tightening her armor straps.

"Hm," Sponge hummed softly, before Perla approached and assisted her with the straps, deft and precise. "Even after all these years, Tito never managed to teach you how to strap on armors," Perla giggled, concealing her smile behind her hand as Sponge faced her. "I was never interested in any of these," Sponge murmured, observing as the dark metal of her chestplate gleamed.

The weight of the armor felt unfamiliar to her, slowing her movements. She had never worn armor before, with the exception of a chainmail when they sailed away from the land once, back when she was just a child. After that, her parents would always leave her behind.

"You know, you don't have to leave. I can punch Alab for you if you want," Perla huffed, forming a fist in front of Sponge. Sponge gazed at it, raising an eyebrow before chuckling and lowering it. "No need, I doubt you can punch through that mass of muscle. That's all he ever is—muscles with no brains," Sponge chuckled, heading towards her boat.

Perla sighed, clasping her hands together. "I'll miss you… will you ever come back?" she inquired. Sponge paused, her hand clenching and unclenching over the ropes before replying, "Maybe."

(***)

[1] Lola = Grandma

[2] paano ako lalaban? Hindi ko man lang nasagip ang inay at itay ko. = How can I fight? I couldn't even save my mom and my dad.

[3] Tito = Uncle