The Pilgrimage Novels & Stories

This pilgrimage demanded isolation. The first village I reached resembled a painting from a child’s sketchbook—mud huts with intact thatched roofs, placed too neatly, too still. Strangely, every window had black cloth nailed across it. The smell of rot and stagnant water rolled through the air like a fog. A woman pounded millet beside a well, and I called to her. She didn’t turn. A man leaning against a goat pen chewed without blinking. No one spoke. My voice echoed back like it had entered a dead world, a ghost realm caught between life and memory.

“It is a place of miracles. You are in the church of Saint Francis of Assisi. This is also his resting place. It is a very holy place in our religion. People—humans and vampires alike—pilgrimage here, from thousands of miles away, just to be in this spot. Francis was the saint of animals, and he was also the saint of all living creatures outside of the human race—including our kind. It is said that miracles happen here. We are protected here by his energy. “You did not land here by accident,” he continued. “This place is a portal for you. It is a launching pad for you to begin your journey, your pilgrimage.” He turned and faced her. “What you still fail to see,” he said, “is that you are on

Reggie stood up in a rush. She needed to do something. She needed to get the hell out of this place. Chris was crazy if he thought just because he told her that she couldn’t escape, she was going to sit back and do nothing. A lot of feelings were coursing through her in that moment, but betrayal felt like the most prominent one of them all. She still couldn’t believe that her mum would do something so absurd as to agree to practically deliver her into the hands of someone who was basically a total stranger.

They recognized the fire within me, fueled by a mother's love and the promise of reunion. Amidst tearful goodbyes and whispered blessings, I set forth on my pilgrimage. The seer walked beside me, their presence a constant reminder of the weight of my mission. The path ahead was treacherous, winding through dense forests, across vast deserts, and over towering mountain ranges. But I pressed on, my resolve unwavering.

Some were dealing with or preparing for the unexpected loss of a loved one, and others were searching for their destined route on a road map previously unwritten. In the end, they all came out of it. While not unscathed–still forever and ever grateful for the lessons learned; Finding themselves, and one another. Hollis Bogard and Whitney York, along with everyone connected to them, turned out to be the ultimate proof of the famously beautiful statement “not all who wander are lost.”

Lalo pa ngayon na ako ang nangunguna sa ranking namin sa first year. "Magpapagising ka ba sa amin?" Tanong nito. Madalas namin iyong gawin lalo na kapag mayroong ganap dito sa seminaryo. May pilgrimage kasi bukas. Dahil medyo may kalayuan ang lugar na gaganapan ng pilgrimage, kailangan naming gumising ng mas maaga pa sa nakaugalian naming oras ng paggising. "Bahala na... Matulog ka na, Lazarus." Sambit ko sa kaniya.

The sight was incredibly satisfying. "You're finally here! Come on, let's go!" Shanine grabbed Phoebe's hand, and the three of us boarded the train together. When we bought the tickets, I had suggested getting cheaper ones so we could spend more money on the hotel and activities. The train we took was an old one. The entire journey was slow and shaky. The car was packed, especially since it was a holiday travel peak. None of us had reserved seats. Luckily, I reacted quickly enough and grabbed an empty one as soon as we boarded.