The three remaining inside the van screamed in pure horror. Blood coated the driver's seat, dripping onto the floor. Outside, their two dead companions were being torn apart and devoured by the monsters.
At the back, the two men spotted a chance to escape. The creatures were distracted—feeding. Fear made them reckless.
"Wait! Don't—!" Lilaya cried, but panic was louder than reason. They shoved past her and burst out the left door into the storm.
She was left behind, trembling, wide-eyed, as heavy rain hammered the metal roof. Her heart tightened watching her companions disappear into the darkness, knowing she might never see them again.
Lilaya dropped the seat, trying to make herself small. Her breath came fast and uneven. The van creaked under the weight of the storm. Then—through the roar of rain—she heard it.
A voice.
Low. Furious.
Not from outside.
Inside her skull.
She froze. It wasn't human.
Her eyes darted to the shattered window. Dark shapes moved through the downpour—monsters circling like shadows. Her two fleeing companions had already been spotted.
Two wak-wak shrieked as they descended, while four aswang sprinted after the men.
The two men ran blindly, splashing through puddles. The one behind stumbled, legs too weak from terror.
"H-help me!" he screamed.
But the man in front didn't slow. He looked back once, saw his friend fall—and kept running.
Lilaya watched from the van, horror twisting her stomach. Fear made people abandon each other, but she couldn't blame them. They all just wanted to live.
The fallen man scrambled up, but a wak-wak dropped from the sky, talons piercing flesh and bone.
He screamed—then thunder swallowed the sound. Blood spread, turning rainwater crimson.
The other man ran for his life, panting, but the second wak-wak swooped down, grabbing him by the shoulder and jerking him into the air. He thrashed, but the creature dropped him—only for another to catch him. And drop him again.
They played with him.
By the time his body hit the ground for the last time, he was limp and broken.
Back in the van, Lilaya clamped her hands over her mouth, struggling to keep quiet. Rain mixed with tears as the truth hit her—
She was alone.
And they were coming.
A shadow moved.
She turned her head—
And froze. The monsters were there.
One aswang stared directly at him. Panic surged, and he yanked the door open, bolting into the storm.
But another creature turned toward him. Four of them now—once human, but no longer. Claws jagged. Teeth like blades. Skin cracked like old bark.
Lilaya didn't know where she was going.
Her legs moved on instinct, carrying her into the forest park. Rain blurred her vision, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. Deep down, she already knew what hunted them.
Aswang.
Her feet splashed through mud and water. Behind her, six monsters chased, laughter mixing with the storm—hungry, eager, thrilled by her fear.
She raced into the forest park, swallowed by darkness. Solar lights flickered weakly, barely illuminating the pavement. Everywhere lay pieces of what used to be people—scattered flesh, torn limbs, severed feet.
Her chest burned. Her breaths were ragged. Her vision wavered.
She wasn't going to make it.
Ahead—a guardhouse. Door ajar. A tiny chance.
Lilaya stumbled toward it, legs shaking. Vasovagal syncope crept in—her body shutting down from terror and exhaustion.
Behind her, the aswang growled and giggled—closing in.
She fell, crashing onto the wet cement near the guardhouse door. One arm slipped inside, fingers brushing something cold. Her vision dimmed, but she managed to grip it.
A panabas.
Long and heavy, its blade curved like a crescent fang. Rust lined its spine, but the edge remained sharp. The wooden handle was worn smooth, wrapped in rattan. A tool for cutting bamboo… or flesh.
Rain dripped from the blade as consciousness slipped away. She clutched it like a lifeline.
The wak-wak circled above while four aswang crept closer. Their eyes locked onto her motionless body. Grins widened—anticipation thick and hungry.
One grabbed her foot, dragging her out of the guardhouse—
When Lilaya's hand snapped upward.
She gripped the panabas tight. The weapon's weight felt natural in her hand.
In one violent motion, she raised her arm and brought the blade down. The panabas carved into the eye of the aswang dragging her.
It shrieked, collapsing.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time," she said—voice calm, low, unfamiliar.
Her hair hid most of her face except for one cold, unblinking eye.
No fear.
Lilaya stood slowly, facing the six monsters with eerie stillness.
They hesitated.
One lunged.
She struck fast—cutting its shoulder. Blood sprayed across her face, mixing with rain.
Another creature attacked. She elbowed it, but it barely reacted and kicked her hard, knocking her down.
The monsters laughed.
Lilaya rose, wiping blood from her mouth.
"That's it?" she taunted.
Two aswang rushed.
She blocked one, but the impact numbed her arm. The other slammed into her back, sending her stumbling.
Above, the wak-wak circled eagerly, flapping against the storm.
Lilaya slashed again, hitting one aswang. But they were growing more excited, not less.
A claw raked across her ribs—deep and burning.
Pain exploded through her body.
Something yanked her hair back—an aswang whispering hot, rotten breath against her ear.
She elbowed it again. It didn't flinch.
Rain blinded her. Blood stung her eyes.
A wak-wak suddenly swooped down.
Talons clamped onto her wrist, lifting, twisting—trying to tear her arm off.
Lilaya screamed, nearly losing her grip on the panabas. She fought back, but the claws dug deeper, ripping skin.
The second wak-wak slammed her with its wings.
She dropped to one knee.
An aswang lunged.
Its fangs sank into her shoulder.
Her scream tore through the storm.
Her legs shook. Her arm numbed. She swung blindly but felt weaker—like her body was slipping away from her.
Another bite—her forearm this time.
Pressure. Bone cracking. Blood spilling.
The panabas slipped from her hand, clattering on the cement.
The wak-wak shrieked overhead while the aswang dragged her down—claws, teeth, kicks, chaos.
She tried to crawl toward the fallen blade.
Her fingertips brushed the handle—
Then a taloned foot slammed onto her back.
Lilaya gasped, rain flooding her mouth.
Her vision flickered—light, dark, light, dark.
Fuck… is this really it?
Did I come back early just to die here?
Her heartbeat slowed—distant, fading.
Her hand twitched toward the panabas one last time.
Everything dimmed.
The storm grew quiet.
The shadows tightened around her.
Her eyes slid shut—
as cold claws wrapped around her leg and dragged her helplessly into the waiting dark.
To be continued..