Though Cecilia knew that her mother was right, she shook her head and held on tighter, refusing to let go of her mother. "You need to be strong, Cee, you still need to find your father."
Cecilia slowly let go of Selina and nodded. She clenched her fists at the thought that her time with her was running out. "I promise, Mom, I will find Dad, and I will bring him here to Kaginhawaan."
"I know you will, darling, I know you will." With a heart that was both heavy and light at the same time, Selina turned around and began to descend the walkway. She stopped and turned around. "Captain…my daughter is the most precious gift I have ever received in my entire life. I don't know what the future brings for both of you, or how long that future will last. But please, don't test a mother's love." She took one more look at Cecilia and waved goodbye.
"Did…did your mother just threaten me?" Chris asked Cecilia with a dubious look on his face
Cecilia, wiping her tears and sniffling, just waved a finger at Chris and walked back towards her cabin.
It was nearly daybreak when all the passengers had disembarked. Chris sits in his captain's chair and scans through the system monitors. Bustamante approached him and handed him the pre-sail report.
"Captain…December 16, 2025, at 5:00 AM, the HV Twilight is ready to leave Port Kaginhawaan for Port Nasugbu. The weather is calm with light northeast winds and good visibility. The river is smooth, and the tides are favorable for sailing. The ship had full fuel, all safety equipment was checked, and the crew was prepared. The cargo was securely loaded. With everything in order, the HV Twilight is set to depart at 5:30 AM."
Chris looked at Bustamante's direction. "Why are you still here?"
Bustamante was dumbfounded by the captain's question, "Sir?"
Chris stood up and went to Bustamante. "You found your family; you even used the communications room to see them with your own eyes. You've done well in providing for them. I think it's time for you to rest."
"Captain… I don't understand. Am I no longer useful to the Twilight?" Bustamante asked, his voice an exhibition of surprise and sulking.
"Actually, it is the exact opposite, without you; I will be losing a good arm," Chris explained to his Chief Officer.
"Then why are you asking me to go, sir?" Bustamante's voice filled with sorrow.
"Because you had given the Twilight all you could. I was already a captain for sixty years, but when you came aboard, your knowledge surpassed what I knew, and keeping you here would be abusing you." Chris explained, "You were the closest person that I had to calling a friend, and I hate to lose you, but you had paid your dues and you deserve to move on."
Bustamante's trip trembled, but he managed to let out a smile. "I do need a vacation, I think, after one hundred and forty years, it's long overdue." He placed a hand on his captain's shoulders. "But I already waited this long, I can wait a little longer."
Chris let out a grin. "Then, back to your station...Chief Officer Bustamante."
Bustamante stood at attention. "Aye, Captain!" he replied with renewed vigor.
Chris sat back on the captain's chair, inspected the monitors on his panel, and issued the order to set sail. "All hands, we are about to clear port. Helmsman…Take her out!" The Twilight's twin propellers turned to life, churning the waters around it. The barge of the dead at first slowly crawled, gradually gaining speed until it was free of port.
A few hours into the journey, Chief Murillo inspected the area where they were captured. She looked to her right, as if looking for something. One could hear her grunts and hisses of annoyance. "Damn those demons," she cursed at the infernal creatures that attacked their ship. "It's already been days now."
She did not notice that Cecilia had approached her, humming, skipping, and doing hopscotch as she did. She stood quietly behind the Chief. When Murillo turned around and Cecilia's grinning mug greeted her, she let out a scream, "EEEEEeeeehhhh!"
Murillo clutched her chest and playfully slapped Cecilia on the shoulders. "You brat! If I were alive, you would have given me a heart attack!" Cecilia did not reply; instead, she just giggled. "Huh! You find what you did funny?"
Cecilia scratched her head, a sly smile playing on her lips. Instead of answering the Chief, she leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "I couldn't help but notice how many times you've been circling this place, Chief… What exactly are you searching for? Maybe I could help." Her eyes glittered with a challenge.
Murillo's gaze hardened, sharp and unyielding. "That's none of your concern," she snapped, voice cold as steel. "The Gold Bar is opening soon. Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Her glare pinned Cecilia in place, warning clear and uncompromising.
But Cecilia wasn't deterred. She stepped closer, voice soft but insistent, "Are you sure? Because I have a feeling I can find what you're really after." Her fingers twitched, brushing against something hidden beneath her sleeve.
Murillo waved her off dismissively, "I don't need your help. Just prepare for the opening." The motion was brusque, almost like shooing away a pesky insect.
Cecilia's lips curled into a knowing smirk as she nodded, then slowly, deliberately, she opened her palm. Hanging there, catching the dim light, was a delicate heart-shaped locket. It swung gently, almost hypnotically. Murillo's breath hitched. The deck seemed still.
"I think you lost more than you realize, Chief Murillo," Cecilia whispered, voice low and electric. "Or should I say… Chief Andrea Primo de Rivera?"
The name hung in the air like a thunderclap. Murillo's eyes widened in shock, her carefully constructed armor cracking under the weight of the revelation. The tension between them snapped taut, raw, dangerous, and utterly undeniable.