Overview:

Drawn by their own reasons, Topher’s cousins—along with his friend and ‘big sister’ Roanne—venture into the cave where he insists his ‘Bud,’ the shooting star, has become trapped. Inside, they stumble upon something extraordinary: a magical, otherworldly board game. Meanwhile, back at the beach, their families begin to notice their absence, especially as a storm looms on the horizon. Unaware of the growing concern outside, Topher’s ‘rescue team’ opens The Star of Vis board game, unveiling its secrets—the rules, a cryptic prophecy, and seven intricate panels representing what the game calls the Seven Worlds.

Meanwhile, Allison came out of the girls’ restroom, reading a message from James on her phone:

We just finished lunch. I, my siblings—Benjamin, Michael, and Sophie—will be off to the cave later. We’ll join Topher, who found a prerelease brand-new board game. He’s on a mission to save his imaginary friend—a shooting star. Sent 1:15 pm.

After finishing his lunch, Topher said, “I’m going now, Ate Roanne.”

“Where are you going?” Roanne asked as the boy stood up.

“To save my little friend, of course,” Topher smiled.

“You mean the cave? But it’s dangerous for a boy like you to be out there,” Roanne warned.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Ate. I’m strong and brave,” Topher assured her.

“Most importantly, my Buddy needs me,” he added, his selflessness shining through.

“If there’s no stopping you, let me come with you,” Roanne offered.

“I can’t say no to that. All the help I can get counts for my friend,” Topher welcomed Roanne to his rescue mission.

Roanne quickly packed the banana leaves, crumbs, and leftovers into her basket.

“Take my hand and guide me to your little friend,” Roanne told Topher.

Topher hesitated, valuing his independence, but relented and took the teenage girl’s hand. It was his way of offering comfort and easing Roanne’s growing maternal concern. Together, they set off.

At the kiddie pool in the early afternoon, Carlisle was still searching for Topher.

“Where did that boy wander off to?” the butler muttered to himself.

“Looking for someone?” came a familiar voice from behind.

Carlisle turned around to find Morisette, the maid of the Sevillas, lounging suggestively on a bench in her black one-piece swimsuit.

“But you found me instead,” Morisette remarked seductively, peeking over her shades.

“Whoa,” Carlisle stammered, taken aback by the sight. “I’m just not used to seeing you like this,” he said, excusing himself.

Meanwhile, Allison came out of the girls’ restroom, reading a message from James on her phone:

We just finished lunch. I, my siblings—Benjamin, Michael, and Sophie—will be off to the cave later. We’ll join Topher, who found a prerelease brand-new board game. He’s on a mission to save his imaginary friend—a shooting star. Sent 1:15 pm.

“A prerelease, brand-new board game found inside a cave? This is gold for my struggling vlog channel!” Allison realized.

Back at the pool, Morisette had a plan.

“Care to help me with some lotion?” she asked, smirking.

“Oh my, how could I refuse?” Carlisle, ever the gentleman, obliged.

“But we have to be quick. I’m still on Topher’s trail,” Carlisle bargained.

“A quickie massage sounds just right,” Morisette agreed.

She turned to lie face down, and Carlisle sat beside her. He squeezed lotion into his palm and gently began rubbing it into her back. Morisette let out an ecstatic sigh, as if transported to heaven.

“Poor Morisette, so in love with that butler from the Kennedys. But this gives me the perfect distraction to sneak away,” Allison thought, slipping away from the girls’ restroom unnoticed.

At the guesthouse, in the living room, Martha and her daughter Mary sat on the floor, leaning against the couch, cross-stitching at the glass center table. In front of them was a cartoonish drawing of a family—Dad, Mom, three sons, and two daughters, the Pangilinans—printed on a gridded piece of bond paper. The picture was propped up on a light wooden holder.

Martha was carefully sewing x-shaped stitches into the tiled, grid-like pattern on the even-weave fabric, an Aida cloth, with its visible squares and holes. Mary mirrored her mother’s actions, working on the opposite side of the design.

“Nanay, am I doing this right?” Mary asked worriedly.

“You’re doing great, Anak. Be confident. As long as you follow the pattern faithfully, you’ll never get lost. It’s all in the counting,” Martha praised, sounding like the teacher she was.

“We started at ten in the morning, and it’s almost two o’clock. We’ll finish this by the end of the day, Nanay. But we’ve only done the shoulders of the family so far.”

“You should take your siesta so you can grow,” Martha told her.

“This is too engrossing, Nanay,” Mary replied, smiling.

“Alright, I’ll let it slide just this once,” Martha relented.

“When it’s finished, we’ll put it in a big frame, right?” Mary asked.

“Of course, Anak. Art always looks better in a frame,” Martha said with a smile.

James, Benjamin, Michael, Sophie, and their cousin Allison stood at the entrance to the cave. Michael checked Topher’s GPS location on his phone.

“He’s getting closer,” Michael announced.

“There he is!” Michael spotted Topher first.

“And he’s with Roanne from the icebreaker,” James said happily.

Topher and Roanne, hand in hand, joined the group.

“Ate Roanne, as I said before, I told my cousins about the cave,” Topher repeated to Roanne when he saw his cousins gathered.

Roanne quietly looked on.

“Since everyone’s here, we’re all set.” Allison pulled her phone and selfie stick from her shoulder bag.

“This is gonna be so exciting,” she said, attaching her phone to the selfie stick.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’ll be recording our little adventure for my vlog on YouTube. I hope that’s okay with everybody.” Allison asked for permission out of courtesy as she readied her phone.

“Everyone, brace yourselves. We’re going inside on a rescue mission,” Topher gallantly declared, leading the party into the cave.

“Hello everyone, my subscribers and dear viewers. This is Allison Sevilla once again. Today, my cousins and I are entering a cave. Our families are on vacation in Laiya, and we have one guest—Roanne, a family friend. This is so exciting! Have you ever heard of a board game left in a cave…?” Allison began her vlog, greeting her viewers with an impromptu introduction, quickly laying out the hook.

The party walked farther and farther down the path, away from the cave’s opening and the outside world.

Back at the Pangilinan clan’s guesthouse, in the dining room, Greg unwrapped suman (a Philippine sticky rice cake) from its leaves. Specifically, it was suman sa lihiya—glutinous rice soaked in lye water and coconut milk, then boiled. It was also called akap-akap because it was bundled in pairs. Greg sprinkled some latik—browned coconut curds—over the rice.

He sliced the square-shaped lihiya with his fork, dipped the bite-sized piece in latik, then stabbed it with the utensil before savoring it. He relished the rich coconut flavor and reached for another piece. His parents, Emily and Al, were eating snacks alongside him.

“Is it good, Greg?” Emily asked.

“So delicious, Inay,” Greg said, exaggerating his praise of the local specialty.

“It was a great idea to buy Florencia’s suman. Hers are the best in Lemery,” Al approved of the vendor’s goods.

“That’s why I always go to her for my kakanin—from biko to puto, sapin-sapin, and kutsinta, she has it all,” Emily spoke proudly of the vendor, who was also her close friend.

Meanwhile, on the patio, Ellie kneeled on the bench, resting her waist against the railing as she attentively checked the weather. The sky was dim and cloudy, and her face soured at the sight.

“We need to call the parents and get the kids inside—it’s about to rain,” Ellie said, looking at her husband Ansel, who was happily chatting with Ronald on the opposite bench.

Ansel nodded and began typing a message:

Ellie checked the weather, and it’s bad. Please bring the kids back to the guesthouse. Swimming in the pool while it’s raining might give them colds. If a storm hits, the waves from the shore could climb high, which would be dangerous. Best to keep the children safe. Sent 2:50 pm.

Ansel sent the message to Thalia to alert the Sevillas, then copied, pasted, and sent the same message to Selena for the Kennedys.

“I’ll go inside and let Martha and Greg know. Their sons—James, Benjamin, and Michael—and their daughter Sophie are still outdoors,” Ronald said, entering the guesthouse.

Thalia and her husband Eric returned to the kiddie pool, where they had left their daughter Allison with her maid, Morisette. Both were dripping wet, wrapped in towels. Eric wore an unbuttoned dark floral polo, his muscular dad-bod on display.

“Ansel texted, and we saw the weather—it’s about to rain,” Thalia said, explaining to Morisette why they had come back early.

Eric sat beside Thalia and asked, “Where’s Allison? You’re supposed to be looking after her.”

Morisette, seated across from the couple, froze. She fumbled for words. “Allison…is missing. I sent her messages, but she hasn’t replied.”

“What?!” Thalia was shocked, momentarily in disbelief.

“You lost our daughter? What happened?” Eric’s tone turned angry.

“Uh…I was getting a back massage from Carlisle—you know, the butler of the Kennedys. Allison asked for permission to go to the girls’ restroom, and after that, she just disappeared,” Morisette admitted nervously.

“So, you prioritized your love life over our daughter’s safety?” Thalia scolded. “I’ve supported your budding romance, but this? You’ve crossed the line.”

“If anything happens to Allison, I’ll fire you,” Eric threatened.

Morisette froze in fear as Allison’s parents scolded her by the pool.

Selena and Bill, husband and wife, walked together downslope, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“We managed to see three resthouses today. It’s good we started early at 9 a.m. It’s a shame the weather went bad; we could’ve checked the fourth one,” Selena said, reflecting on their day.

“We can still visit it. No worries, we’ll be in the Philippines for a week or so,” Bill said optimistically.

“Which one do you like best?” Selena asked.

“Well, the first one—it’s the best in terms of floor and lot size. It’s a big mansion with a vast green field. You know how Topher loves to run around,” Bill said.

“The second one has the best style and design. The tropical, Southeast Asian, authentically Filipino interior and exterior are amazing. Incorporating the country’s heritage into the modern home is a beautiful touch. Topher loves learning about different cultures and meeting people from all walks of life,” Bill continued, leaning toward that choice.

“If you ask me, I’d settle for the third one,” Selena chimed in.

“Are you sure? It’s the smallest,” Bill questioned.

“It’s still a big house. The smaller rooms are better for intimate family gatherings. I don’t need to search far to find you or Topher. We’d see each other more easily,” Selena explained.

At that moment, Carlisle appeared in front of the couple.

“Carlisle, you’re here,” Selena said, smiling. “But where’s Topher? He’s not with you.”

“I’m sorry, Madam. Your son wandered off, and I lost track of him,” Carlisle apologized.

“What do you mean?” Selena asked, confused.