December 24, 2002 | PDF HQ, Manila City, Philippines
Captain Arthur Dela Cruz sat in deep thought in the meeting room of the Philippine Defense Force Headquarters. He and his fellow captains had been summoned by the Head Captain to discuss the deployment of troops to Bicol to eliminate the growing terrorist threat.
Yet, Dela Cruz's mind remained troubled by a warning given by a mysterious woman just two days ago. She had interrupted one of their meetings, her presence startling everyone.
"On Sunday, at exactly midnight, a red portal will appear over Manila. From it, creatures of darkness will emerge, devouring the souls of their victims," she had declared. But instead of heeding her words, they laughed, dismissed her as a madwoman, and showed her the door.
"Is there something wrong, Captain?" Lieutenant Lore Villanueva asked, her voice steady as she sat across from him.
Dela Cruz sighed and looked at her, replying, "Ah, nothing. Just thinking about our strategy for Bicol." He was trying to avoid revealing what was really on his mind. He knew his colleagues would be suspicious if he mentioned the woman's warning, especially since most had dismissed it as nonsense.
"Are you sure, Captain?" Villanueva's gaze was sharp, tinged with concern.
Dela Cruz met her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and gave a small smile. "Of course. Every decision we make is for the safety of the civilians. That's all I'm focused on."
But Villanueva wasn't convinced. In the world they had both grown up in, secrets were a luxury they could rarely afford, especially when missions demanded facing the truth, no matter how harsh. "Arthur, I know you," she said quietly but with confidence. "I can tell there's something you're keeping to yourself."
Dela Cruz forced another faint smile, turning his attention back to the papers spread in front of him. "Sometimes, not everything that crosses our minds needs to be shared," he replied in a more serious tone. "There are things better left unsaid."
Before Lieutenant Villanueva could respond, the door swung open, and the Head Captain strode in, his presence commanding the room. His gaze held a tension that heightened everyone's sense of unease.
"Good evening," he greeted, his eyes sweeping across the room, meeting each officer's gaze. "I won't waste time. We all know how serious the situation in Bicol is, and I want each of you to present your plans without delay."
Dela Cruz stood, gathered his papers, and began his presentation, but before he could go into detail, the sudden opening of the door interrupted him. A soldier entered, visibly agitated.
"We have an urgent report, sir," the soldier said, voice shaking. "There's been an anomaly detected in the Manila skies---a red light, and…"
"Impossible…" Dela Cruz murmured, feeling a sudden chill run through his body. The red light in the sky, the unnatural events---everything matched the woman's prediction exactly.
The other officers began murmuring among themselves, questioning Dela Cruz's apparent neglect.
Dela Cruz could only lower his head, humbled by the weight of the warning he had ignored. "A few days ago, Sir, a mysterious woman came to us with a warning…she spoke of a red portal opening in the sky over Manila, bringing creatures from the dark."
The Head Captain's breathing grew heavy, his face a mask of anger and worry. "And you ignored it?"
"S-Sir…" Dela Cruz's voice shook. "We thought it was madness. No one believed her."
Before he could finish, a loud alarm sounded throughout the headquarters. Everyone rose, scrambling into position. "Sir!" shouted another soldier from outside. "There are sightings of creatures---strange creatures, and they've started to attack!"
The Head Captain wasted no time. "Everyone, activate all defensive protocols in Manila. I want every soldier on the ground."
"Sir, yes, sir!" they responded, rushing out of the room.
As Dela Cruz hurried outside, he felt the weight of his mistake pressing down on him. Now, he would have to face his fear and stand firm in his duty.
At the stroke of midnight, with fireworks exploding in the distance, a crimson light enveloped Manila like a furious blaze. Moments later, a massive red portal opened in the sky, and from it poured forth creatures as if from the depths of hell---smoky gray beings with shadowed faces and glowing white eyes, fangs glistening, their gaze filled with the lust to kill.
One of the creatures descended swiftly onto a street filled with civilians. It lunged toward a trembling elderly woman, its sharp tongue extending to pierce her chest, sucking in her essence. Those around watched in horror as a faint white mist---the woman's soul---escaped her body. She let out a final scream of pain before collapsing, lifeless.
The other creatures followed, unleashing terror. A squadron of soldiers attempted to block them, armed and protected, but their bullets passed through the creatures' bodies as if through smoke.
One creature, larger than the others, bore three faces---one angry, one crying, one wearing a cruel smile. It turned to the soldiers, and in a flash, each face opened its mouth, drawing in a strong gust of wind. The soldiers clutched their heads in agony as their souls were drained, one by one, before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Screams and cries filled the air. Civilians tried to escape, but at every corner, more creatures lay in wait. Some of the monsters could disappear and reappear beside their prey, placing cold hands on their victims' foreheads, sucking out their souls in a manner that left their eyes pale and empty, devoid of life.
When Dela Cruz and his team reached Quiapo, the creatures immediately attacked them. They opened fire, but their bullets seemed useless.
"Sir! Our forces won't last," a soldier shouted, crouching behind a vehicle. "Our weapons…they're useless against them!"
A chilling laugh echoed around them as a unique creature appeared before them---humanoid, yet with dark skin, eyes glowing red, and bone-like adornments around its neck and arms. It grinned viciously, full of contempt.
"What's this?" the creature sneered in a low, menacing voice. "Is this your world's finest warriors?" It laughed and took a heavy step forward, glaring defiantly at Dela Cruz and his men.
"Who are you? Where are you from?!" Lieutenant Villanueva shouted.
"And why would I answer the questions of such lowly beings?" The creature raised its hand, and from the ground rose black smoke like death itself. "You are nothing… but sacrifices for the glory of our world."
Dela Cruz's soldiers exchanged tense looks. Even though they knew their guns were ineffective, they didn't back down, their hearts pounding with resolve.
"Ready yourselves!" Dela Cruz commanded, aiming his shotgun at the creature. His comrades nodded, displaying their loyalty and courage, a final chance to prove their worth as soldiers.
"Hmm…" the creature murmured, toying with the skulls around its neck. Each step it took deepened the soldiers' fear, but they didn't yield.
"Charge!" Dela Cruz shouted, and they lunged forward, a desperate assault against an enemy they couldn't wound.
Each gunshot passed harmlessly through the creature's body like fog. It laughed, halted in its tracks, raised its hand, and unleashed a powerful wave of black energy.
"Experience true terror!" its voice thundered as sharp tendrils of smoke speared into the soldiers' necks. One by one, they fell, faces pale as their souls were siphoned away.
"No…!" Dela Cruz cried as he watched his men fall around him.
The crushing weight of failure consumed him. He was a Captain; his duty was to protect his people---yet they perished before his eyes.
He turned and saw Lieutenant Villanueva, her expression fading, "A-Arthur…" she whispered as her last breath slipped away. She closed her eyes, then fell.
Overwhelmed with fury, Dela Cruz emptied his rounds into the creature. But when his bullets ran out, he felt its cold hand clutch his throat. "Now, you're next," it whispered.
Suddenly, a bright light flooded the area, forcing the creature to release him. "What's happening?" it demanded, bewildered.
A woman appeared before Dela Cruz, standing proud like a warrior from another realm. "Where's that courage you boasted of?" she asked the creature, her voice cold and seething with wrath.
"You shouldn't be here, woman," the creature spat, its red eyes glinting with anger.
But with a single gesture, the woman raised her hand, and the ground beneath the creature split open, pulling it down into a world of darkness. The creature screamed, thrashing, but it couldn't break free from the woman's power.
"Now, do you understand?" she asked Captain Dela Cruz, her tone icy.
"W-Who are you? What kind of magic is this?" Dela Cruz asked, stunned.
The woman lifted her gaze to the sky, noting that the screams had ceased and silence had fallen. "Good…" she murmured, knowing her allies must have prevailed elsewhere.
She approached Dela Cruz and met his eyes firmly. "I am Nuwa, a Shaman."