Tracking Marikit required resources Glad hadn't used since the Ibwa.
International creature networks activated. Department resources mobilized. Even Tita Hanya's Facebook page became an unexpected intelligence source—her followers spotted Marikit in three different cities simultaneously (impossible, but helpful for confusion).
"She's moving constantly," Kim reported. "Cebu, Bohol, Mindanao. Never staying in one place more than a day."
"She's looking for something," Amihan said thoughtfully. "Or someone."
Ariel's mother had become a valued advisor, her centuries of experience invaluable. "Marikit isn't just running. She's building something. An army? A network? We need to know what."
Maya provided clues. "She kept talking about 'the old ways.' About how modern creatures had gone soft. She wanted to restore something—power, fear, I don't know."
"The old ways." Glad's skin prickled. "Hunting. Killing. The way Manananggals used to live before medical blood."
"She wants to bring that back?"
"Maybe. Or use it as a rallying cry for dissatisfied creatures." Glad paced. "If she builds an army of traditionalists—creatures who miss the old ways—she could start a war."
"A war between creature factions," Luningning realized. "Not human vs. creature. Creature vs. creature."
"That's worse. Much worse."
The hunt intensified.
But Marikit remained elusive.
Waiting.
Watching.
Planning.