2025-06-09 23:57:32Zoriel felt like he was about to cry while sitting inside the jail cell.
No matter how much he tried to explain himself to the police, they still believed Jessa over him. They all lost consciousness that night—so why was he the only one here now? If anything, they were the ones who should be held accountable. After having him beaten up, they even tried to kill him. If it weren’t for the kapre that helped him, he was sure he wouldn’t be alive right now. Zoriel froze. He suddenly remembered the kapre. But his hope quickly faded when he realized it would be a terrible mistake to mention the creature. No one believes in those things anymore. They’d probably just think he was losing his mind. “Zoriel Del Cruz! Your lawyer is here!” Zoriel looked up and turned toward the sound of the voice outside the cell. His brows furrowed when he saw a man in a formal suit walking toward him. “Lawyer? I-I don’t have a lawyer,” Zoriel said, confused. The man stopped right in front of him. “Mr. Del Cruz. I’m Javier Sanchez. I’ll be your lawyer.” He extended his hand. Zoriel hesitated but eventually shook it. “Sorry, sir, but I had no idea I even had a lawyer.” Zoriel scratched his head. Javier smiled. “Don’t worry. Mayor Santiago was generous enough to assign one to you.” Zoriel froze again. He didn’t know whether to feel grateful or even more anxious after hearing that. Alfred himself had provided a lawyer after filing charges against him? “Please, we should talk in private.” Zoriel didn’t respond right away, but he followed as one of the police officers opened the cell door for him. He quietly walked behind Javier until they reached a small room where they could speak privately. Javier set down his briefcase on the table and looked at him. “Now, Mr. Del Cruz. Mr. Santiago is filing charges against you for attempted murder and sexual assault. You should understand—those are very serious accusations.” Zoriel’s jaw dropped. “What?! I didn’t do anything to them, sir! In fact, they were the ones who tried to kill me!” he protested. Javier let out a deep breath. “I understand. But Ms. Mendoza has submitted some evidence.” He opened his briefcase and pulled out an iPad, placing it on the table in front of Zoriel. “This is a video she submitted. As you can see, it shows you trying to touch her.” Zoriel watched the video. It was a bit blurry, but it clearly showed him hugging his ex-wife. Honestly, there didn’t seem to be anything criminal in that video—Jessa touched him. He couldn’t understand how that could be considered evidence. “And? I was just trying to stop her because I still needed to talk to her. That’s not wrong, is it?” Javier nodded slightly. “So, you’re saying you did touch her?” Zoriel swallowed. His mouth opened to say yes, but he quickly shut it again when something in Javier’s tone made him uneasy. “Mr. Del Cruz? This is crucial. I need you to be honest with me,” Javier said. He stood up and leaned over the table, touching it to get closer to Zoriel. “Did you try to touch Ms. Mendoza?” Zoriel’s mouth opened again. “W-What kind of question is that?” “Just answer it, Mr. Del Cruz. I can’t help you unless you speak to me.” Zoriel looked away. Something about the question didn’t sit right with him. “B-But—” Before he could say anything else, the door suddenly swung open. Both of them turned to look. Javier stood up, and the irritation was clear on his face. “Hey! We’re in the middle of something here!” he snapped. A man in a formal suit entered the room. He was older than both of them and looked far more authoritative. He walked up beside Zoriel. “This conversation is over. You can stop talking to him now, Mr. Del Cruz,” he said in a firm tone. Javier smirked. “And who are you to say that? I’m his lawyer!” The man raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Because I believe you’re one of Mr. Santiago’s lawyers.” He dropped a folder onto the table. Zoriel immediately picked it up and checked the contents. He swallowed hard when he saw the documents inside—this man was telling the truth. Javier Sanchez was one of Alfred’s lawyers.
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Chapter 32: The Medicine
Zoriel and the others couldn’t help but watch in awe as Zenaida worked with steady hands, blending the herbs with the luminous moonshade bloom. The flower’s sap glowed faintly as it dripped into a clean glass, the liquid catching the lamplight like liquid silver.“Take this. You need to drink it all—bottoms up,” Zenaida said, offering the glass to Agnes.Agnes hesitated, wrinkling her nose as she accepted it. She lifted it slightly, sniffing. Her lips parted nervously.“A-Are you sure this will help me?” she asked, uncertainty lacing her voice.From the corner of the kitchen doorway, Caloy scoffed dramatically.“Of course, Miss! Do you even know we almost got eaten by an aswang just to get that flower?” he exclaimed, throwing his arms up.Agnes lowered her gaze, embarrassed. Noticing her shame, Zoriel cleared his throat softly.“Don’t mind him. We took that flower for you—for your healing,” he said, his tone gentler.Agnes still hesitated, raising the glass closer to her lips. The liq
Chapter 31: The Manananggal
The place was eerily quiet. They could barely see their surroundings through the thick fog. The cold wind seeped into their bones, making every step feel heavier. With each footstep, the crunching sound beneath them made them flinch.“I-I think we should go back, man,” Caloy whispered, his voice trembling. His grip on Zoriel’s arm was tight, almost desperate.Zoriel swallowed hard, forcing himself to appear brave. But the truth was, he too felt uneasy—his earlier courage seemed to have evaporated the moment they stepped into this strange atmosphere.“We can’t leave. Agnes still needs our help!” Zoriel insisted, though his voice quivered.Caloy’s eyes welled up. He wasn’t used to situations like this, and his knees wouldn’t stop shaking.They both froze when they heard a faint flapping sound from above.“What was that?” Caloy asked, tightening his grip on Zoriel’s arm.Zoriel didn’t answer. Instead, he tilted his head upward, listening intently. The flapping grew louder, like a massive
Chapter 30: The Island
“What should we do?” Zoriel asked.They were all gathered in the living room, facing Agnes. Zenaida was busy grinding medicinal herbs in a small stone pounder. She kept pounding until the juices began to seep out. She said she would use it to help heal Agnes.“We need to remove that thing inside her,” Zenaida said, determination written all over her face as she continued to grind the herbs.Lily flew over and hovered in front of Agnes. “Zenaida's right, Zoriel. Besides... it looks like she’s about to give birth!”Zoriel’s brows furrowed. He looked at Agnes’s belly, which still appeared small—barely two months along, if that.“Her stomach’s still small. How can she be about to give birth?” he asked, confused.Both Caloy and Agnes turned to Zoriel at once.“What?! I-I’m about to give birth?!” Agnes asked in shock.“S-She’s really pregnant? How? Why is she giving birth already?” Caloy stammered, eyes wide.Zenaida stopped what she was doing and placed the stone bowl on the table.“When a
Chapter 29: The Unborn Child
They left Zoriel with the beautiful young woman in the small living room of their house. She sat there quietly, waiting patiently for what would happen next. Lily hovered in front of her, flitting through the air as if inspecting every inch of her. Meanwhile, the siblings were in the kitchen, speaking in hushed voices.It was just far enough that they could talk in private while still keeping an eye on the mysterious guest.“Where is she from?” Zenaida asked, her brows slightly furrowed.They spoke barely above a whisper, still watching the woman from the corner of their eyes.Zoriel shrugged. “I haven’t spoken to her much. I just walked her here.”“What did she say again?”“She’s looking for Lolo Santhel. And she said she got pregnant by a tikbalang.”Zenaida clenched her fists at the mention. She stared at the young woman—more specifically, at her belly.“I’ll check her,” she said.Zoriel nodded silently.Zenaida approached first. The girl turned to her and gave her a small, hesit
Chapter 28: Find
Zoriel spent a few more days resting. It was almost miraculous how quickly his wound was healing. There was something strange—something special—about the leaves Zenaida kept applying to it.It was only when he was finally able to stand that he realized the house they were staying in used to belong to his grandfather.The old wooden house was fairly large. Despite its age, it remained in good shape, with barely any damage. There were a few holes in the roof—after all, it was made of nipa and some parts had come loose—but the walls and the foundation were still strong. It was built on four sturdy stilts, raised above the ground, with a space underneath.To an outsider, it might look like someone still lived there. The area around the house was well-kept. Not a single weed could be found—only vibrant, colorful flowers filled the yard.“Did you find it already?” Zoriel asked Zenaida.They were having lunch. Caloy had cooked adobong sitaw, using the string beans he harvested from their yar
Chapter 27: The Coven
Zoriel groaned as a sharp pain pulsed through his side. He could still feel the sting of the claw that had pierced him—like it had gone all the way through to his core.He grunted softly and slowly opened his eyes.The first thing he saw was a ceiling made of woven nipa. The breeze from the sea carried a distinct scent that filled his nostrils. The quiet around him brought a strange sense of peace.“Zoriel! You’re awake!” said Lily.She popped into view so suddenly that Zoriel flinched and sank back into the mat. She giggled when she saw him wince.“Sorry! I’m just really happy you’re okay! I’ll go get Zenaida!”Zoriel exhaled and let her fly off without a word.He gently touched his side. He could feel a leaf placed over the wound and a cloth wrapped around his waist. He was wearing different clothes now.And then the memories from the night before returned—The Bruja.The fight.The voice.“Remember who you are.”He thought it had something to do with being the next Santhigar. But a
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