BEGINNING: The Legend of Lunaria and the Shattered Orb of Equinox
Before the arrival of foreign colonizers in the Philippines centuries ago, our ancestors had rich beliefs. One of these was the belief in Bathala.
According to belief, Bathala had three children: Apolaki, the god of the sun; Mayari, the goddess of the moon; and Hanan, the goddess of dawn.
When Bathala died, someone had to rule the universe.
Mayari believed in equal leadership, so she wanted to rule the night and let Apolaki rule the day. However, Apolaki didn't like this. He wanted to rule the universe alone because he believed he was more deserving—he thought the sun was more important than the moon. Meanwhile, Hanan was excluded from the choice. Her brief role between night and day was seen as a sign of her weakness.
Because of this, Mayari was forced to accept Apolaki's challenge of a duel to determine who had the right to their father's throne.
A great battle erupted in the sky between the sun and the moon.
During the fight, Apolaki struck Mayari's right eye, which awakened his compassion for his sister.
Filled with guilt over what he had done, Apolaki finally accepted Mayari's rule over the night.
This is also the believed reason why the moon's light is dimmer than the sun's—because the goddess has only one eye left.
"Is that the end, Teacher?" asked a student seated at the back.
"That's as far as the Myth of the Sun and Moon goes," replied the teacher with a smile on her lips.
The students' faces fell with disappointment.
"Aww…"
"But I have a part two version," added the teacher.
"Later on, Mayari built a kingdom on the moon. She created and established the magical kingdom of Lunaria, inhabited by the Lunari—extraordinary beings with dazzling, breathtaking appearances. Even the men were beautiful. They looked like living, speaking light.
To keep peace in Lunaria—between light and darkness—Mayari created the Orb of Equinox. It was forged from the ashes of Bathala, the light of the moon, and a fragment of the most powerful weapon in the universe, which was destroyed in a war between the ancient gods and goddesses: the Eclipse Blade. The orb was placed at the heart of the kingdom, where the moonlight flowed. It was protected by a light that only beings like Mayari could recognize.
For decades, Lunaria remained peaceful and balanced under Mayari's rule and the guidance of the orb. Eventually, she gave birth to her firstborn, Prince Florence.
The prince grew up with a kind heart toward their people, and so he was beloved by all. His coronation as the next ruler of Lunaria was already set—until one day, the Orb of Equinox was stolen, causing the kingdom's light to gradually fade.
In the following days, creatures of darkness attacked. Thousands of Lunari were slain—children, the elderly, warriors, and ordinary citizens.
The kingdom itself began to crack, signs of its impending collapse.
Mayari discovered that the one who took the Equinox was none other than her sister, Hanan. Hanan sought to destroy Lunaria and build a new empire under her rule. It turned out she had long desired to rule the universe. She had also been the one who manipulated Apolaki into challenging Mayari to a duel. She had hoped Apolaki would kill Mayari so she could take over the moon, but she failed.
Since then, she had planned many uprisings. She did everything she could to dethrone Mayari, but failed every time—until she found the heart of Lunaria, the Orb of Equinox. She stole it and used it to summon the creatures of darkness.
A battle erupted in the kingdom between the sisters. Mayari was deeply wounded, but she succeeded in retrieving the orb. However, she knew the battle wasn't over—Hanan had already awakened powerful beings of darkness, and in her current state, Mayari could not defeat them.
To save Lunaria and its remaining citizens, she made a heavy decision.
Using her remaining strength and power, even if it meant breaking the sacred laws of their world, she opened the Bridge of Nakar—a bridge that connects the moon to the human world. Before it closed, she forcibly cast Prince Florence through it, along with the Orb of Equinox, which split into three pieces when Hanan tried to absorb it with her power.
The last thing he heard was his mother's voice:
"Retrieve the orb and reopen the bridge. Save the light of Lunaria and the entire moon realm. Don't worry about me, my son."
And the last thing he saw was his mother, Mayari, being stabbed by her treacherous sister, Hanan."
—The teacher finished the story.
"And that's where the story ends. Class dismissed," she added before leaving the room with a smile on her face.
"What the heck, Ma'am didn't finish the story, it's hanging!" said one student to another.
"Better head home now. It's getting dark—you might get attacked by those creatures of darkness," replied the other with a grin. The two laughed.
At the back, a boy with a cold expression sat quietly. He showed no emotion. It was as if he was tired of life itself. The two students who had been talking earlier, now with their bags on, approached him.
"Ren, you okay? Let's hang out. A new bar opened near Marky's place. Come with us?"
"I have somewhere to go," the boy replied coldly before grabbing his bag and walking away.
He went to a secluded place, far from the city lights. His feet led him to a tree that seemed to hold a mysterious secret. It was a beautiful tree—huge, with sprawling branches and roots as thick as a person's body. But more than the branches and leaves, what truly added mystery to the tree were the tiny glowing fireflies that lit it up. It was a magical sight to behold. Adding to the wonder were the strange golden-yellow flowers that seemed to glow under the fireflies' light.
He sat down and leaned against the tree. From his spot, he could see the full, bright moon. After a few moments, tears began to fall from his eyes. Each sob was heavy. Each wipe of his hands on his face was filled with pain. The once emotionless boy was now overwhelmed with sadness.
Moments later, the surroundings darkened. Clouds covered the moon, and the rain began to fall. He stood up from where he sat. Just as he was about to leave, he heard rustling behind the tree. He remembered the teacher's story—about the creatures of darkness—and fear gripped him. Still, he gathered his courage and slowly turned around.
What he saw shocked him.
It wasn't an animal or a creature of darkness—it was a person.
A person, completely naked, unconscious, and covered in wounds.
Surrounded by hundreds of fireflies.
Note: This story was inspired by the myth of the sun and moon. I continued the tale and added new elements based on my own imagination.
Also, this is originally written in Filipino, I translated this with the help of an AI.
Thank you for reading!
–Apolaki