The night deepened over Barangay Kapitan Pepe, a calm veil settling over its quiet streets. The air was thick with the kind of stillness that made even the faintest sounds carry. Inside his modest second-floor room, Jiro sat cross-legged on the floor, his body rigid with concentration. The faint glow of the mysterious scroll bathed the room in soft, golden light, highlighting the intensity etched on his face.
Energy swirled faintly around him, guided by his attempts to draw it toward his dantian. Despite his limited understanding, the scroll seemed to whisper instructions directly to his soul. Each breath, slow and deliberate, felt like a step closer to unlocking a hidden potential within.
Unbeknownst to him, danger crept ever closer.
The Aswang, a grotesque abomination of shadow and sinew, moved with a predatory silence. Its twisted form was both man and beast, its elongated limbs rippling with unnatural strength. As it slithered and crawled toward the house, its jagged claws scraped softly against the ground, leaving faint furrows in the dirt.
It stopped just at the edge of the property, its glowing ember-like eyes narrowing. The creature sniffed the air, its long, serpentine tongue flicking out like a serpent tasting its prey.
"This is the scent," it rasped, its voice guttural and dripping with malice. "The one who holds it… the scroll... and the fool who guards it."
Its mouth twisted into a grotesque grin, revealing jagged teeth. It crouched low, its muscles tensing, preparing for the kill.
But as it moved closer, something unexpected happened.
A faint, golden sigil etched into the ground surrounding the house began to shimmer. The ancient symbols, written in Baybayin script, flared to life, glowing with radiant energy. The Aswang froze mid-step, its expression twisting into one of confusion and rage.
"No... not them," it hissed, retreating slightly.
The sigil pulsed once, and the air grew heavy with heat and power. Suddenly, the ground erupted in flames, the fire spiraling upward with an almost sentient fury. From the fiery burst emerged a towering figure cloaked in shimmering heat. The deity's form was humanoid but otherworldly, its eyes burning with an inner fire that pierced the darkness. In one hand, it held a staff tipped with a crystal resembling a living flame, pulsing and crackling with searing energy.
The deity's voice boomed, reverberating like thunder across the neighborhood. "Ignorant creature. Did you truly believe you could trespass here unchallenged?"
The Aswang snarled but faltered, its bravado replaced by a flicker of fear. It hesitated, then lunged forward with a guttural roar, its claws aimed for the deity's throat. The speed of its attack was blinding, a blur of dark energy and muscle.
But the deity moved faster.
With a casual sweep of its staff, the air itself ignited, a wave of flames exploding outward. The fire roared as it raced toward the Aswang, forcing the creature to twist and leap sideways to avoid being engulfed. Despite its agility, the heat licked at its flesh, blackening the skin on its left side.
The Aswang screeched in pain, its glowing eyes narrowing in fury. It crouched low, circling the deity like a predator stalking its prey.
"You cannot stop us all," it hissed, its voice echoing unnaturally. "For every one of us you destroy, more will rise!"
The deity's eyes blazed brighter, its voice steady and unyielding. "Your kind has no place here. Your existence defiles this world, and your arrogance will be your undoing."
The Aswang roared again, its body morphing grotesquely as shadowy tendrils erupted from its back. The dark appendages lashed out toward the deity, moving with a serpentine grace. They struck with the force of a hurricane, the air around them distorting from their sheer speed.
But the deity stood firm.
Raising its staff high, the deity summoned a dome of fire that expanded outward. The tendrils struck the fiery barrier and disintegrated on contact, leaving trails of ash and smoke. The flames danced and swirled, as though alive, closing in on the Aswang with relentless determination.
Realizing it was outmatched, the creature hissed another incantation. The air around it grew heavy, and the shadows deepened, coalescing into a massive, swirling vortex. From the darkness, grotesque shapes emerged, echoes of other Aswangs, their distorted faces wailing in agony. The vortex surged forward, a maelstrom of chaos and despair.
The deity didn't flinch.
With a powerful thrust of its staff, a column of fire erupted skyward before slamming down like a hammer. The vortex and its nightmarish echoes were consumed instantly, the flames burning so hot they left the air shimmering.
The Aswang screeched in frustration, desperation evident in its every movement. It lunged one last time, its claws glowing with dark energy, aiming directly for the deity's heart.
The deity sidestepped with effortless grace, spinning its staff in a wide arc. A crescent-shaped wave of fire erupted from the weapon, striking the Aswang mid-air. The creature's scream was deafening as the flames consumed it, reducing its twisted form to ash in mere moments.
When the flames subsided, silence returned to Barangay Kapitan Pepe. The faint glow of the Baybayin sigil lingered for a moment before fading, leaving only charred earth where the battle had taken place.
From the rooftop, another figure emerged.
He was a man of striking presence, dressed in simple yet elegant garb. His robes were adorned with faint patterns that shimmered under the moonlight, and his movements radiated calm authority. He observed the scene below with a sharp, assessing gaze, his expression unreadable.
He nodded toward the deity, raising a hand in silent acknowledgment. The fiery figure inclined its head before dissipating into the air, its task complete.
The man lingered, his eyes fixed on Jiro's room. Through the window, he could see the faint golden glow of the scroll and the boy's silhouette as he remained lost in meditation. A flicker of curiosity crossed the man's face.
"He is unaware… for now," the man murmured, his voice barely audible. "But his destiny has been set. May the heavens guide him on the path he does not yet see."
With a final glance, the man leapt gracefully from the rooftop, his movements silent and fluid. In seconds, he disappeared into the night, leaving no trace of his presence.
Inside, Jiro let out a deep breath, his body tingling with a strange, newfound energy. He opened his eyes, marveling at the clarity of his surroundings. The scroll rested before him, its faint glow a testament to the journey he had just begun.
"I did it," he whispered, a small smile tugging at his lips. "It's real."
But outside, the scorched earth and lingering traces of divine power told a different story. The world Jiro had stumbled into was far more dangerous than he could imagine. Forces beyond his comprehension were already in motion, and the battle that had just unfolded was only the beginning.
I sat cross-legged on the floor of my room, my breath steady but my heart racing as I tried to focus. The faint golden glow of the scroll before me cast long shadows on the walls, making the room feel larger, more alive. The air around me was different, heavier, charged, as if it recognized that something extraordinary was taking place.
As I inhaled, I imagined energy flowing into me, like the scroll had instructed. At first, it felt ridiculous. How could something invisible, something I'd only read about in fiction, suddenly become real? But as I concentrated, something shifted.
Warmth blossomed in my chest, faint and fleeting at first. I thought I might've imagined it, but the feeling grew stronger with each breath, spreading like a gentle current through my body. My fingers tingled, my legs felt light, and there was this... hum. Not in the air, but deep inside me, as though my body had found a rhythm I didn't know it had.
I couldn't help but grin.
"This is it," I whispered. "This is real."
The more I focused, the more vivid the sensations became. It was like trying to drink from a river. An overwhelming flow of energy that I could barely control. It was intoxicating. Every inhale brought more warmth, more power, and my senses sharpened in response. The faint rustle of the curtains, the creak of the wooden beams, even the distant hum of a tricycle engine outside and it all felt amplified, like the world itself was unveiling secrets it had kept hidden.
But with the thrill came unease.
For every bit of excitement I felt, there was an undercurrent of fear, a whisper in the back of my mind reminding me that this wasn't normal. This wasn't safe.
I remembered the Aswang, the way it moved, the malice in its glowing eyes. If that thing had followed me here, then it wasn't just the scroll that was at risk. It was me. My family. Everyone around me.
What if this power wasn't enough? What if I failed?
The warmth in my chest flickered, as though responding to my doubt. I clenched my fists, shaking my head. No. I couldn't afford to think like that. The cultivator who had fought that creature had trusted me with this scroll. He had trusted me with something far greater than I understood, and if I gave in to fear now, then everything he sacrificed would've been for nothing.
I steadied my breathing again, forcing myself to focus. The warmth returned, stronger this time, coiling in my chest like a tightly wound spring. I could feel it now, a presence, a reservoir of energy waiting to be tapped.
"Qi," I said aloud, testing the word on my tongue. It felt foreign, yet natural, like it had always been a part of me.
The scroll's glow seemed to pulse in response, as if encouraging me. Its title, Divine Vessel Ascension Method, burned in my mind.
I could see the potential now, the strength beyond human limits, senses sharper than a blade, speed that could outpace the wind. But with that potential came a shadow of doubt. The scroll had chosen me, but why?
A memory of the Aswang's hiss echoed in my mind: "The fool who keeps it."
"Am I really ready for this?" I muttered, glancing at the scroll. The glowing symbols seemed to stare back at me, their meaning clear. There was no turning back.
I closed my eyes again, allowing the energy to flow freely. It was dangerous, yes, but the alternative ignorance, or weakness was far worse.
The warmth spread further now, reaching my fingertips and toes, filling me with a sense of completeness I had never known. The air around me felt alive, like it was moving with my breath, responding to my intent.
For a brief moment, I felt invincible.
But deep down, I knew this was just the beginning. The power coursing through me was only a fraction of what was possible. If I wanted to survive, I'd have to push further, harder. There was no room for hesitation.
"This is dangerous," I whispered, opening my eyes to stare at the glowing scroll. "But so is doing nothing."
My fists clenched, the faint hum of energy vibrating through my body. For the first time, I felt like I had control, not just over this newfound power, but over my life, my choices.
No one else could walk this path for me.
If the world was as dangerous as that fight had shown, then I needed to be ready. Not just to protect myself, but to protect everyone I cared about.
With that thought, I refocused on the scroll. Whatever challenges lay ahead, I wasn't going to back down. Not now. Not ever.