Year 1673, one of the strongest storms hit Philippines with its full force. Mountains caused landslides while the the coasts caused floods. People lost their lives, livelihood, homes, and loved ones. It was set in the record of Devadiña, written by one of the few who survived the storm. He was a Spanish Soldier. He was doing errands for the General when the storm came. With his quick thinking he immediately went to a secure ground. During the storm, his shelter crackled and it was ready to give out.
The storm raged on for a month, in which the first week had been okay. The following week became hell. His food rations were low, The low temperature made it hard for him to sleep on his mattress. He heard loud banging noises came from outside, only to find out it was humans who were swept by the strong winds. Some of them were mutilated, some of them were screaming for help, and he even saw dead people being crushed to death by flying objects. The horrors were enough to make him sick to the stomach. In his years of being a soldier, this kind of horror was a first time experience for him. As the days goes on, the stench of decaying flesh lingers from the outside. He couldn't count how many times he had vomitted. The fourth week, the storm got weaker and he got sick. The water had been contaminated as well as the air. There was no fresh and clean air nor water. A week before his rations were used up. He had no choice but to go outside and picked up the remnants of dead humans and ate them raw. He wanted to survive even if it means to eat decaying flesh. Tears stream down as he eat the human remnants. He doesn't know if the body he is eating was his colleague, fellow Spaniard or just a random person. His former white skin became yellow and black. His once bright eyes turned dull and lifeless.
In the middle of the day the storm stopped. He went outside to look for other survivors. However, what he saw was worse than before. Scattered bodies of both animal and human are all around. Broken buildings and uprooted trees. It gave him nightmares until his death. He even saw one of his colleagues impaled by a lamppost. The post was directly penetrated through his mouth. He even saw a shredded person. He couldn't bare the stench of decay and death. As he walks he got weaker and weaker until he collapsed.
He woke up, still in the same position. He was still weak. He foraged everything in his path adn found some food. Edible enough for him to last a month. He also found some survivors from the other side of the town. They planned to wait out for the next Galleon from Spain. They went to the coast where it should dock. On their journey food rapidly decreased until they resorted to cannibalism. They ate the weak ones. Silently killing them and eating them raw. As they arrived at the docking area, only five of them remained from which 15 were eaten and 5 died on the way. Their morale and hopes were low. They had waited for a week until the ship docked and this time there were only three of them. Devadiña was one of them, as they returned to spain to get medical help, the three of them never spoke of what they did during their hellish journey. Years after the incident the other two who survived killed themselves, due to the guilt they had felt and the nightmares they had experienced. Devadiña wrote all his experience on a blank book. He described all the horrors he had seen. The guilt and remorse for eating his fellow men, the haunting of his past. He had developed a trauma for rains. To the point that a light drizzle can make him tremble. Finishing up the book, he hanged himself. He was later found three days later by his children. One of them found the book and released it to the world. It was criticised for being a false story. Until the truth came out after three years of his death that the Ship who rescued them returned from the Philippines and described how horrific the place were when they arrived years ago. The book Record of Devadiña became a sensation after the truth came out. It depicted how a human becomes an animal if left no choice.
Riane who read the book shivered as he read the last words. His stomach was churning as he reads each word of the book. He hadn't thought that the Government had hid such a dark history for both Philippines and Spain. He shivered as he returned the book in a locked and hidden room of the largest and oldest library of the Philippines. As he got out of the library he went to the park to get his mind off this history. They hadn't learned this from his kindergarten to now. Now that he was getting his PhD in being a historian. He hadn't even had glimpse of it in his years. While thinking he bumped into his friend. "Oh Riane, ba't napatulala ka? (Oh Riane, why are you spacing out?)" His friend asked him with a hint of worry in his eyes. "It's nothing." Riane replied. His friend Alec already owned several companies, while he was still getting his PhD. They talked for a while until they decided to go home. Once he arrived at his house he opened the tv and the first thing he heard was, that there is a storm surge coming. Riane had a bad premonition. He quickly called Alec and told him to book a flight. Alec was confused at first but he heard Riane's urgent voice. Riane told him to book with the earliest flight. Which is in two hours. He told Alec to book it and go quickly. Alec compromised and swiftly went to the airport. With a rushed ticket on his hand he got in the plane. Alec was worried about Riane. "Where are you? The plane will go soon." Alec said. "I'll follow in a few days. Just go without me. Goodbye Alec. It was nice meeting you." Raine said before ending the call. He was thankful that his parents and siblings are in vacation to Switzerland. The flight that Alec took was the last flight before the airport was shut down due to the oncoming storm surge. According to the news, this typhoon is stronger than the Typhoon Yolanda. Three times stronger maybe more. People panicked and they mobbed the stores and supermarkets to buy as much as resources they need. Everything was emptied out. All of the stores and supermarkets were empty even their warehouses. Riane got enough supplies that could last him for a month. He went to the basement of his house and tightly shut the gates and doors. He also blocked anything that water could flow into. He went and got his ventilation working. His generator is ready to be used at any time. Everything that happened took a mere three days. Everyone shut themselves in their houses. The once bustling city became quiet. After Alec landed to Italy he called Riane. "What is going on? What the hell happened? Why did you not come with me?" Alec asked a barrage of questions to Riane. "First of all, after I got home after our walk, I saw news that there will be a typhoon. I had a bad feeling about it that's why I called you. My house is pretty far away from the airport. That's why I couldn't make it in time. I read a book. It was the Record of Devadiña." Riane answered. Alec was silent. "Do you know the Record of Devadiña?" Riane asked before Alec could answer. Alec was silent for a few minutes. Riane had a premonition. "You knew, a history so hidden that even a historian can't learn it. How did you know it?" Riane again said. "That record can only be learned by the elite or the direct descendants of the monarchs. I was both of them. Ever since I was a child they had taught me this history. It was believed that it can happen again. We never thought that it could happen this soon. We were all prepared for it. The goverment, the rich and the ones who are directly connected to it." Alec said in a whispering voice. "You could have told this to the public, to everyone. Why did you not? Why would they hide this from the public?" Riane asked weakly but he knew the answer. "It is to preserve our linesge and our money. Once the storm stops the economy would drop in which the allied countries would help in building up the economy again. In which 30% of it will go the building of economy and the rest will go to the pockets of the government and the rich or elite. I had no power to change their ways or their thoughts." Alec answered. "So you mean, the unfortunate people will die out while the rich and the government will benefit from it? Tell me is there something more I have to know about the record?" Riane asked again. "Yes. It breaks my heart to know this but I can't do anything. I have no power. The record was only the 90% of the real story. Actually the rich and the governing Spaniards who were in the Philippines at that time knew of the upcoming storm so they fled without telling anyone. After the storm they returned and mined as much as resources they could get and sold it to China. They took advantage of the absence of most people. The other survivors were captured as slaves and forced them to work. Due to softness of the dirt, it was easy to make mines but it was also easy to colapse. Many survivors were killed or buried alived in the mines. That's why Spain became rich after that storm."
Alec explained. "You son of a bitch. Fucking monsters." Riane spat out. "I can't believe that I befriended someone who is a monster." Riane said. "I am sorry Riane." Alec said in an apologetic tone. "Fuck you. Why did you not tell me!" Raine shouted while tears flowed down his eyes. "I am sorry." Was the only words Alec can say. "I hate you." Riane said. "Please don't. Please. I don't know if I can live without you." Alec pleaded but Riane ended the phone. Alec panicked as he tried to call Riane but his calls can't go through. He only learned minutes later that the signal in the Philippines were cut off. Everything went out completely shutting down the whole country. Alec paled, he knew that once everything went dark in the Philippines, no one can contact them from inside or outside. They can't get help from the neighbouring countries and the allied countries. And he was sure that all airports will not allow any flights to Philippines. He panicked. His only friend stuck in that helling typhoon. He only hoped that Riane will be safe. He contacted his parents but they refused to help him. He was out of ideas. For once in his life he cried. He wanted to save his dearest friend. But he can't do anything.