Overview:

Love Fey (Allison) and Princess Ruana (Roanne) arrive at a woodworking village, where they uncover the mystery of the missing huntsmen. Their search leads them deep into the forest, where a Balete tree and eerie stone figures transport them to Medusa’s domain—Athena’s ruined temple, a place steeped in ancient curses.

Meanwhile, Spartan (Michael) and Captain McKinley (Benjamin) investigate the national library, only to find its quiet halls twisting into an impossible labyrinth of towering, shifting bookshelves. Navigating the surreal maze, they barely escape, only to emerge in the fabled Labyrinth of Crete, where the Minotaur lurks in the misty glow. From the shadows, Echidna watches it all unfold, her vision linked to the Oracle of Delphi’s power.

Slithering snakes with a gaze that turns to stone,

— The Seven Days Prophecy

Roanne wore a modest blouse and long skirt, while Allison sported a stylish bolero over a tube top and miniskirt. The two couldn’t have been more different—one simple and reserved, the other trendy and bold. As they walked through the village, they passed a workshop dedicated to woodworking—benches, tables, and chairs, along with bowls, condiment containers, sungkas (a Southeast Asian mancala game native to the Philippines), and even giant display spoons and forks.

Two middle-aged women also strolled past the workshop, which had a sign reading “Tito Bobi’s Shop.” Several workers were busy inside—one with a towel tied around his head, another with a towel slung over his shoulder. One wore a tank top, and another worked shirtless in denim pants. Roanne and Allison crossed paths with the two women.

“Good day, Ma’ams,” Roanne greeted them politely. “We don’t mean to interrupt, but we were wondering about the cases of the missing huntsmen in the forest.”

“Wait a minute, Iha,” one of the women, Greta, said suspiciously. “I don’t recognize you two. Are you just visiting the village?”

“Yes, we are. I’m Roanne, and this is my younger sister, Allison,” Roanne replied, introducing them as sisters.

“I don’t believe you. You’re tan, but your younger sister is light-skinned,” Greta remarked bluntly.

“Greta, stop it,” the other woman, Sari, interjected. “The huntsmen disappeared in the forest. The men from our village couldn’t resist going to investigate, since our livelihood depends on wood from the forest. More men went in after them, but none returned.” Sari shared the information earnestly.

“That’s why I told my husband, Roman, and our sons never to go near that cursed forest,” Greta chimed in, her tone full of gossip. “It started a few months ago. Even our barangay captain is baffled. We believe there’s a monster in that forest now.”

“Well, it’s nice to see your nosiness has some use, Aling Greta,” Allison quipped with a smirk.

“I don’t like your tone, little lady,” Greta snapped back.

“Greta, let it go,” Sari said, pulling her away. “Take care, girls.”

Once the women were out of earshot, Allison turned to Roanne with a sly grin. “Your idea to pose as sisters worked. I’ll give you that.”

“We got the intel we needed,” Roanne replied thoughtfully. “Next stop: the forest. Looks like that’s where our target is.”

Roanne and Allison stood at the edge of the forest, which loomed dense with tall, towering trees visible from the outside. After passing through the entrance, the thick canopy above made the atmosphere dark and mysterious. Without hesitation, Roanne reached beneath her blouse and pulled out her lavender seashell necklace.

“Aha-ha, aha-ha,” Roanne sang softly, her voice melodious. The seashell levitated, opening gently as it revealed the white pearl inside.

“Aha-ha, aha-ha,” she repeated, her second melody transforming the white pearl into the Moon Bell, which glowed with ripples of seafoam green and lavender light.

The Moon Bell hovered above Roanne, swirling mystical waters in periwinkle and aquamarine around her. The shimmering waters enveloped her, obscuring her form. When they finally dissipated, Roanne had transformed into her Sea Princess form, donning a flowing pastel gown with a long rod in her hand. The Moon Bell now rested at the top of the rod, completing her lunar scepter.

Princess Ruana (Roanne) and Love Fey (Allison), now in her magical girl form, wandered the forest for about half a day. They stopped for lunch, sharing a meal from the woven basket Ruana had brought along. Afterward, the pair rested, sitting on two rocks in the quiet, secluded forest.

“I want to share a little self-care routine of mine,” Love Fey said, feeling rather ‘generous’ toward Ruana.

She pulled out a large, ornate Rococo-style mirror. “To keep myself sane, I look in the mirror,” Love Fey continued dramatically. “To see my beautiful face,” she added with a sassy flair, giggling as she admired her reflection.

Ruana frowned slightly, watching the display of vanity.

So engrossed was Love Fey in her reflection that she lost her balance, slipping off the rock. “My beautiful face!” she cried out dramatically.

Ruana rushed to her side. “Are you hurt?” she asked, concerned.

“I’m fine, I think? My pretty face is still intact,” Love Fey sighed in relief, her head resting upside down on the ground.

Ruana glanced at her, dismayed by the ridiculousness of it all.

Princess Ruana (Roanne) and Love Fey (Allison) continued their search until they reached the heart of the forest. In the center stood a towering balete tree, its long strangler figs hanging ominously. Surrounding it were pale statues, seemingly frozen in place—what appeared to be huntsmen, scattered across the area. Some were nearby, while others stood farther away in random spots, their expressions frozen in terror.

“How did statues end up here? Statues in a forest? This isn’t a museum or a monument—seriously, what gives?” Love Fey remarked sassily, pointing out the absurdity of the scene.

“Could it be… ‘A gaze that turns you to stone,’ from the prophecy—Second Day. Think carefully, Allison,” Princess Ruana suggested, her tone serious.

“So, you’re implying these shale statues are the missing huntsmen?” Love Fey finally began to catch on.

“And if that’s the case, the other half of the phrase is ‘the slithering snakes,’” Love Fey added.

From the shadows of the shrubs, yellow-green eyes with slit pupils peeked through. A soft, sinister hissing sound filled the air.

“Did you hear that? Something feels wrong. Brace yourself, Allison,” Ruana warned, her eyes scanning the area.

Suddenly, dark snakes slithered rapidly across the grass, heading straight for them.

“Love Chains, Rising!” Love Fey cried, her long blonde hair lifting with magic.

A thin, glowing pink magical circle formed around them, and from the ground erupted vertical chains of red hearts, sparkling in pink light. The chains shot out, destroying the approaching snakes all at once. A shower of pink petals and fully-formed roses followed, falling over the dead, pale white corpses of the serpents. The snakes quickly dissolved, shredding into the air.

“Well, that was easy,” Love Fey said with a toss of her shiny blonde hair, her confidence radiating.

But just as they thought the danger had passed, the forest began to warp, shifting into the ruins of an ancient temple—the Temple of Athena.

The sun shone brightly in the clear sky above the ruins of the Temple of Athena. The Parthenon’s ceiling had been blown off, leaving only a massive boulder sitting in the center, obscuring what could have been the altar of the goddess. Much of the columns and pillars remained standing, though some had crumbled, scattering pieces across the marble floor.

“Allison, this is the dominion of the Greek monsters Benjamin warned us about. Each monster has a realm it values—one that’s important or associated with it,” Princess Ruana (Roanne) reminded Love Fey (Allison).

“I don’t care what dominion this monster has. I’ll finish it right here, right now,” Love Fey declared boldly, her usual sass in full swing.

Love Fey summoned an intricate heart wand, spinning it around her hand like a majorette, her movements flamboyant. She struck a pose, one arm bent sassily at her waist, lifting one leg while the other rested on her high heel. For a brief moment, the background around her turned into a technicolor swirl of pink, orange, and yellow before the display ended.

“Allison, we should think this through,” Ruana cautioned.

But Love Fey ignored her and dashed forward like she was running a marathon. She quickly climbed the massive boulder, finally spotting the monster: a woman with snakes for hair, dressed in a withered, dark green, torn dress that blended into the surroundings like camouflage. She stood before the colossal statue of Athena—the Goddess of Wisdom and War—who sat majestically on her divine throne. Medusa remained motionless, her gaze fixed on something unseen.

Is that Medusa? Love Fey thought, disgusted. Yikes, talk about an extreme bad hair day.

Love Fey swallowed her revulsion and focused. One of the snakes on Medusa’s head glanced in her direction, but it was too late. The magical girl raised her heart wand.

“Love-Me-O-Babe!” she cried, summoning a giant red heart above her wand. Love Fey struck a confident, sassy pose atop the boulder, which towered even higher than Athena herself.

The giant heart formed between Love Fey and Medusa, who turned at the sound of the shout. Medusa’s face, once beautiful and wet with tears, twisted into rage. Her eyes glowed white, and her features morphed into a hideous, scaled visage—the face of a woman scorned.

Let’s see if your petrifying gaze can get through my opaque heart, Love Fey smirked.

However, Medusa managed to catch a brief glimpse through the heart. Love Fey was shocked as her eyes locked with Medusa’s for a split second. In that moment, the giant heart, sparkling with pink light, crushed Medusa. Her form flashed in a burst of pink rays, as pink petals and roses were blown upward in a gust of wind. The radiant scene culminated in Medusa’s silhouette shattering into pieces. Her decapitated head hit the floor, lying amidst the petals and flowers, though the snakes on her head remained alive, hissing in fury.

“I did it!” Love Fey exclaimed triumphantly.

“What have you done, Allison?” Princess Ruana asked, appearing from behind the boulder.

“I’ve slain Medusa!” Love Fey beamed with pride, looking up at the statue of Athena.

But her victory was short-lived. Love Fey’s pupils turned to stone, the shale spreading across her face, down her arms, torso, and legs, until her entire body was encased in stone. Ruana looked on in shock and horror.

“No, Allison, no!” Ruana pleaded, her voice breaking.

Tears streaming down her face, Ruana’s hands glowed with ripples of seafoam green and lavender light. Healing waters swirled around Love Fey, washing over her petrified form, but nothing happened—the magical girl remained a statue.

In that moment, Ruana caught a glimpse of Medusa’s tragic memory.

“I will not forgive your transgression, maiden of my temple. I curse you: your hair shall become snakes. You will remain beautiful, but anyone who gazes upon you will see your hideous face. Men will fear you, and they will turn to stone. Let no one undo the curse of a goddess!” Athena’s voice thundered in Medusa’s mind.

Ruana turned to Medusa’s severed head on the floor. The snake woman’s dead eyes seemed to stare at her. Shrewdly, Ruana used the reflections in the puddles of rainwater on the floor to avoid the petrifying gaze. She swiftly summoned a sphere of periwinkle water, shimmering with aquamarine light, to envelop Medusa’s head. The indigo sphere glistened with pearly white as it sealed Medusa’s form, putting the scorned woman and her snakes into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I can feel your rage—all your anger. Betrayed by the goddess you once adored, the injustice you believed you suffered. You were lonely and shunned. But you did evil to so many innocent people, Ruana thought, her heart heavy with sympathy for Medusa.

Kneeling beside Love Fey’s statue, Ruana whispered, “I’m sorry, Allison. I failed to save you.” Tears streamed down her face. “I’m no match for the power and curse of a goddess,” she said, her voice filled with sorrow.

To her surprise, the temple suddenly shifted, warping back into the forest. Love Fey slipped from her grasp, fading from view. Ruana was left alone with Medusa’s head, still sealed within the water sphere, and the statues of the huntsmen standing by the balete tree. In the ruins, Love Fey remained, now a statue gazing up at Athena, standing in place of Medusa. Alone, the magical girl was forever enshrined. From a distance, the long green leaves bore dewdrops—or perhaps, tears.