My Kabalan: My Memory, My Compass, My Centaur
Emma Joy Padilla, a successful OB-GYN in Manila, returns to her grandmother’s hometown of Panganiban, Bicol, to say goodbye after her lola’s passing. What was supposed to be a brief stay unravels the hidden threads of her past.
As a child, Emma once got lost in the forest and was rescued by a mysterious presence she could never fully remember. Two decades later, she meets Adrian—an admired botanist in town, helpful to everyone, warm, and quietly magnetic.
What Emma doesn’t know is that Adrian is Lakan, leader of the Kabalans, beings of folklore akin to centaurs who guard the balance of nature. He has loved her since that fateful day, but fear of rejection kept him hidden in human form.
When Emma discovers the truth by accident—witnessing his painful transformation—her world shatters. She flees, only to uncover through regression therapy in Baguio that she carries 20 percent diwata blood, a legacy from her grandmother Lotlot. Her memory becomes her compass, leading her back not just to Adrian but to her true identity.
Through heartbreak, rediscovery, and acceptance, Emma learns that love between worlds is possible when grounded in truth. Together, she and Adrian forge a life at the boundary of the human and elemental—healing others by day and guarding their small magical kingdom by night.