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Back home, we carefully laid the flags on the long dining table. Mama watched quietly while Papa Franz helped us unfold each one with care. The colors were faded in some places, but the designs were still clear. Bernadeth moved from one flag to another, studying every detail with intense focus.
We still did not fully understand how many there were or what each one meant. We only knew that they were important enough to be protected for a very long time. As Bernadeth examined the edge of one flag, she suddenly stopped.
Kuya… may something dito. she said, pointing at a small section of embroidery.
I leaned closer. Near the edge of the flag were tiny symbols stitched so carefully that they were almost invisible unless you looked very closely. At first they looked like simple decorations. But when Bernadeth traced them with her finger, a pattern began to form.
Parang mapa… she whispered.
She was right. The small embroidered marks seemed to form a rough map. And at the end of the path was a word that made both of us freeze for a moment: Cebu .
Cebu? Bakit Cebu? I asked, looking at Papa Franz.
Papa Franz was quiet for a while before answering. He explained that Enrico’s mother had family roots in Cebu. For years, some of the relatives had stayed there, away from the heavier history that remained in Luzon. It was possible that something else had been kept safely with them.
Bernadeth looked at the flags again, then at the two books we had found earlier. Her expression was a mix of excitement and seriousness.
Kuya, parang… hindi pa tapos. May susunod pa talaga. she said.
Oo, Bebe. At this time, parang Cebu na ang susunod na hakbang. I replied.
That night, as, I sat by the window looking out at the quiet street, I realized how far this search had already taken us. We started with two old books. Then a note. Then a password. Then these flags. And now, the trail was pointing us even farther from home. → story continues in Chapter 5 Live on September 13!
Every clue we followed gave us something new to carry. But it also gave us another question. And the biggest question now was waiting for us in Cebu.
— Josh
Updated September 5, 2026 from original written date September 8, 2021.
