Around the streets in Tondo, Manila, a man is walking from side to side while humming a song with a wide smile on his face.
Holding a beer in his right hand, he moves it towards his lip, drinking its content; some of the liquid spilling from the corner of his lip.
The lamp posts begin to lose their light as a shadow figure travels at a high speed around him catching his attention. He stops moving and looks around him with tension in his eyes, seeing only the flickering lampposts and the dark areas.
In the blink of an eye, claws pierced through his flesh from behind. With a growl, the humongous man from behind him starts to open his mouth; his cheeks tear apart as his mouth expands rapidly.
He chomps the head of the drunken man and eats his whole body but leaves a piece of a left foot.
The humongous man chuckles, his right wrist letting out bones, flesh, and blood which forms his new right hand.
"Finally," he growled.
He crouches and jumps toward the sky. A shaking woman is standing in the alleyway while her eyes are fixated on the bloody scene.
Her body is trembling as her eyes are shaking but her eyes widen when she hears a voice behind her.
"You will live to tell what you've witnessed to those you cherish, and make them feel ashamed of you."
She closes her eyes for a second only feeling the presence of the man behind her, the source of her fear.
After a few minutes, she looks around; seeing the dark alleyway, and the few lampposts that brighten the road.
Her fear easily leaves her body, and she rests her hand on her chest as she regains her breathing. She looked around her one last time, seeing nothing but the darkness, and the broken lampposts which couldn't emit any light anymore.
Inside a warehouse, Fang puts down his large bag dripping with red fluids. He looks around him, seeing the yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.
He smiles wickedly while raising his arms in joy. "Eat, my children!"
Hence, wolves come out from the darkness. Fang feasts in delight upon the wolves tearing the bag, all of them ate all of the human flesh inside the bag.
The wolves separate, returning to their
A proud smile crawls on his lip. "There's more to come."
One by one, the body of the wolves grows larger with their muscles shaking involuntarily as their teeth sharpen, and then all of them howl at the ceiling.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel's eyes open. He looks around him, seeing the unfamiliar surroundings he's in.
He looks down and sees a mattress beneath his body, and he touches his head while shaking gently.
"What happened?" he flinched and groaned.
The door creaks and a woman enters the room. Her eyes are emerald, her brown hair is short framing her cone-shaped face. She's wearing a green robe more like a wizard robe.
She walks to the table beside the bed where Nathaniel is resting, and she gently puts the fruit basket on it as Nathaniel watches her every move.
He glares at her after remembering what she did to him in the library. "You were the one who slapped me."
She chuckles and looks at him. "Well, yes but I did that because I want you to remember me. As what I can see, it did work."
Nathaniel sighs. "Who on earth forgets the person that harmed them? Geez! I thought I did something wrong when you slap me."
"Eat up," she lent him an apple, "you will need to recover your energy."
"No rice?" Nathaniel asked.
"Rice?" she put the apple back in the basket.
She smiles a bit. "Well, I don't know how to cook but can you cook?"
Nathaniel scratches his cheek while looking up. "A workmate of mine taught me, so yes, I certainly can cook."
The sound of sliced pork being fired and tossed on the frying pan and the aroma of it fills the entire kitchen.
With the brown streak appearing on the pork, Nathaniel flips the pan; allowing the pork to rotate in mid-air.
He added a small cup of soy sauce and vinegar to the pork after the sliced onions were caramelized.
Inside the fridge, Nathaniel brings out a round container filled with brown sugar.
"Just what I need!" he closed the refrigerator.
Afterward, Nathaniel puts a serving of pork adobo in a round soup bowl and lifts it toward the table.
"LUNCH IS SERVE!" Nathaniel yelled.
She inhales deeply and looks at him. "You shouldn't cook, you're still healing."
"Shhh! I need this to harness my cooking skills." he used the large wooden spoon to scoop white rice, and put it on their plate.
"Just eat," he added with a slight smile on his face.
"I'm Anna, a member of the warriors," she said while slicing the pork with her spoon and fork.
"What exactly are warriors?" Nathaniel looked at her while chewing his food.
Anna looks at her plate. "Warriors protect this world from the monsters that are threatening to harm mankind."
"Protect mankind?" Nathaniel hummed.
He glances at her. "Humans are capable of using guns and bombs. They got good weapons against monsters."
Anna closes her eyes for a few seconds, and she looks at Nathaniel, thinking if she would get mad or not with his words.
She says, "Nathaniel."
He looks at her while gently chewing his food.
"They won't be able to handle those monsters even with bombs or weapons or whatever they will build to stop them."
She looks at the tissue roll on the table and tears some pieces for herself.
"Now that they are evolving like few animals."
A sensation crawls on his skin upon those words, and he turns his widening eyes beside him.
Seeing none, he turns his eyes back to Anna only to see her wiping the excess sauce from her lips.
"Evolving?" Nathaniel wondered.
Anna nods in agreement. "Monsters are not distinct from animals. Like all beings, monsters do evolve, and some become what the warriors are fighting against."
"They evolve, having a human body and they are now called 'Harbingers'." Anna clasped her hands and put her elbows on the table while settling her chin on her hands.
Nathaniel sees her eyes which are serious as she looks forward. He inhales deeply. "Are they a threat?"
"They are a threat to all mankind... I am alone, I don't have anyone to aid me in fighting against them," Anna looked down at her right palm, "It will take a moment before they find each other and slay mankind."
She slowly looks at him. "Are you willing to join me?"
He stays quiet and looks at the nearest window. He is aware of his decision, and that decision is what Anna understood easily by looking at his face for a long period.
"I guess you are not ready." she stood from the chair.
"What do you expect?" Nathaniel turned around, "To accept your invitation so eagerly without fearing for what's the outcome of doing it?"
"I have my own life too," Nathaniel clenched his hands and narrowed his eyes, "after what happened last night, it made me come to a realization that I am now involved in such a mess."
His fingers separate from folding but his narrowing eyes shake. "A mess that could end my life anytime."
In the abandoned warehouse, Fang turns around and a tall man appears.
His hair is dark and long, reaching his back. He is wearing a dark shirt partnered with brown pants, and a pair of dark shoes.
"Fang, it's time for you to make the decision."
"Decision?" Fang sneered, "I told you a thousand times, I won't join you. I want to work by myself."
He narrows his eyes. "Leave me alone before I come to your lair and tear you to shreds."