Long before Siquijor rose from the sea, Rayna Aninipa, the celestial guardian of light, watched over the heavens. She carried within her the aninipot—fireflies that glowed like tiny embers, bringing warmth and guidance to the lost.
When King Kihod sacrificed his underwater kingdom, raising Siquijor from the depths, Rayna descended to aid the survivors. The land was new, unfamiliar, and many wandered in darkness. Moved by their struggle, she released her fireflies across the island, ensuring that where the aninipot gathered, hope would follow.
But Lady Ingkanta, the banished sorceress, sought revenge. One night, she unleashed dark creatures to devour the fireflies and plunge the island into eternal night. Sensing the attack, Rayna summoned her full power, calling upon every aninipot to form a glowing storm that burned away the shadows. That night, the island blazed so brightly that it became known as Isla del Fuego, the Island of Fire.
Though Lady Ingkanta was weakened, Rayna remained. They say she no longer walks among mortals, but on certain nights, when the air hums with an unseen energy, a soft golden glow rises from the trees, flickering in patterns only the old souls can understand. Some believe it is a message, a whisper from the Firefly Queen, reminding those who listen that light is never truly lost—it simply waits in the darkness, ready to rise again.