Chapter 17: Wrong Time, Right Psychiatrist 

The breach cracked wider, dark fog curling into the village like veins. The spirits poured in, snapping jaws, talons scraping the stone.

Suliyao’s hand twisted at his wrist. Skin split without blood, light bled out instead. The spear shaft slid free, solidifying as gayang locked into his grip. Polished rattan wrapping fit his palm, the iron-tipped base steady, blade gleaming.

He spun gayang, weight balanced perfectly, stance shifting low. Feet grounded, shoulder squared.

The first malignant entity lunged.

Suliyao moved fast. The spear cut upward in a clean arc, iron slicing through twisted limbs. Black smoke burst from the wound, the entity dissolving before its screech could fully rise.

Another followed. Then two more.

Suliyao’s back foot pivoted, knees bent. The spear reversed grip, butt-end cracking into the jaw of one, shattering bone. Without pause, the blade whipped sideways, carving through another’s torso. Shadows hissed, but were peeled apart cleanly under the strike.

With a single step forward, both arms locked firm gayang drove through a crawling entity’s skull. The spirit convulsed, light flared along the spear’s carvings, and the creature burned to nothing.

The breach pulsed behind him. More poured in.

Suliyao adjusted grip. His hand traced along the rattan wrapping, fingers brushing faint engraved symbols. His spear pulsed again, faint spiritual light rippling from the weapon’s tip to its base.

The next group lunged. He rotated sharply, the Gayang slicing with precision across two forms. Their ash scattered in the air.

A claw swiped at his ribs, he ducked, rolling forward, twisting the spear down mid-motion to strike the ground. A shockwave burst from the spear’s iron base, repelling the clustered shadows backward.

Suddenly, another burst of flaming light struck the incoming horde. The malevolent spirits and creatures of the dark disintegrated into ash as a lean man landed beside Suliyao.

He dusted off his vermillion long sleeve top, layered gold necklaces clinking faintly with the motion.

“I was gone for a few months, and look at the state of the village,” the man muttered, his eyes drifting toward Suliyao, though his hand extended forward. Intricate Baybayin symbols and a glowing seal bloomed mid-air, settling into the fractured barrier as the ground trembled faintly beneath their feet. “You even brought civilians.”

Suliyao stood still, gayang steady in hand, chest rising and falling quicker than usual.

Sweat rolled down his temple.

The other approached with careful steps, reaching out, spiritual energy flowing through his palm as it bridged into Suliyao. His brows knitted together in concern. For Suliyao, whose vessel for spiritual energy was immense, crafted from his unique make, it was rare to see fatigue.

Born of both human adaptability and the pulse of nature itself, Suliyao could weave nature and spiritual currents as naturally as breathing. To look this drained was alarming.

As the other’s hand hovered near his chest, his expression darkened further.

“Half your soul is missing,” he stated flatly.

Suliyao’s hand moved. He pointed at his chest [I’ll], he gestured a flat hand with palm facing sideways near his mouth, moving outward, [explain], he then flicked a hand toward the side with a small wave, [later.]

The man moved to another gesture, hand in a fist, thumb up, Suliyao placed it on his other flat palm and lifted both slightly toward him; [Help me,] Afterwards, his index finger up, pointing upward briefly, [first.]

The mentee’s gaze lingered on him, uncertain. Then came the sudden collapse of the barrier at Suliyao’s house. His head snapped toward the direction instantly, muscles coiled to run, but the other’s grip caught his sleeve.

Suliyao was tipped off. Before they could move, both of them froze as a massive surge of spiritual energy erupted in the distance.

The man’s shoulders tensed. Even he recoiled faintly at the oppressive force. “What… That was reckless. Did you take another student besides me?”

Suliyao’s pupils enlarged, pulse skipping. It was Silay’s energy. But uncontrolled, dangerously so. This wasn’t a skilled defense, it was an explosion that could burn him from the inside.

His hands raised again, signing with emphasis: [Fix the barrier. Find the one who breached it.]

The other huffed faintly, crossing his arms, “By myself?”

Suliyao’s head tilted, the corner of his lip twitching faintly. His hands moved again, teasing yet commanding: [You can’t?]

“I can,” the man grumbled, vanishing in a blur of movement, already weaving energy into the broken edges of the village.

Suliyao spun on his heel, gayang in hand, rushing toward his house.

* * *

Itel jolted awake, her body stiffened like breath had only just returned. She sat upright abruptly, shoulders aching, the sore weight of being carried and then carelessly dropped onto the old wooden chair still lingering in her muscles.

Who the flip carelessly abandoned me here?!

The room was dim, cold seeping through the cracks, with faint forest rustles whispering beyond the capiz windows.

Her gaze drifted downward, and her heartbeat staggered to a stop.

On the floor, crimson stains had dried into eerie markings. A circular formation, carved in what was undeniably oxidized blood. Dark edges meant it had been there a while now.

She barely lifted her head before her stomach twisted.

Silay lay there in another man’s lap, unconscious, his skin ghostly pale under the weak lamplight. Blood streaked from his nose, the sight painfully familiar.

Just like before, back in the hospital, when his life teetered at the edge after his strange run-in with Lirika.

Her breath quickened. Her eyes darted to another man, who she recognized was Li.

The other man sat nearby, knees drawn close, his hands trembling faintly as he pressed gauze to Silay’s palm. The wound looked deep, jagged, poorly treated in a rush.

Li’s expression was hollow, completely stripped of his usual sarcasm.

“What the hell happened here...” Itel rasped, throat dry, panic creeping into her voice.

Li finally looked at her, dark circles heavy under his eyes. His tone was flat, “You’re awake.”

Itel’s heart clenched tighter at the lack of emotion in his voice.

“Y-You— You stop acting like that. Silay…” Her voice cracked, her throat tight. “Silay’s alive, right…?”

Her question hung in the air, heavy and unanswered, her eyes flicked down to Silay’s motionless form as her stomach turned again.

Out of nowhere, the door burst open with startling force.

Suliyao stormed inside, footsteps rapid, shoulders tense, eyes scanning the scene. His presence, swift and alert, immediately drew Itel’s wide-eyed attention.

Li barely moved.

He sat by Silay’s side, still focused, wiping away the blood trickling from Silay’s nose. His hands moved automatically, like a well-rehearsed medic on autopilot.

Li reached for his own shirt hem, but paused. His fingers clenched the fabric as his gaze lingered on the stitched edges. The thought crossed his mind, Suliyao made this for them. Bloodstains would feel… wrong.

His eyes dropped to the mess around them. His jaw tightened.

Suliyao approached, more cautiously. His brows furrowed as his eyes found the faint shimmer separating him from the trio.

A barrier that Silay created not long ago after his spiritual energy exploded.

His fingertips hovered near its edge, testing it with a small, wary prod.

The air barely flickered.

It let him pass.

Relief flickered across his face as he stepped inside, retrieving his phone. Fingers typed quickly before turning the screen toward them:

(Please don’t be sad. Silay is alive.)

It was so bright that Itel needed to squint for a moment.

Li didn’t even glance up. His voice, still unnervingly level, replied, “I know.”

Suliyao’s hands moved again:

(His heart is beating too, and he’s breathing.)

Li read it, eyes distant. “I know,” he repeated softly, a bitter edge clinging to his words. “I’m a doctor.”

Itel’s lips quivered, some tension in her shoulders finally loosening. Her vision blurred with the sting of unshed tears. She exhaled shakily, Fanning her wet eyes drifting upward—

And froze.

Above them, tangled in the ceiling beams, a dark, contorted figure loomed. Its limbs are too thin, eyes gleaming like wet stones, sharp nails curling against the wood.

It was waiting, its twisted form coiled like a predator biding its moment.

Itel’s throat clenched with the urge to scream. She forced it down, hand trembling as she pointed upward, panic etched across her face.

Suliyao’s gaze snapped upward. His expression, grim.

With a flick of his wrist, the air shimmered with spiritual energy surging through him as an exorcist’s precision cut through the room. The malevolent creature screeched, its form unraveling into smoke and ash, scattering like dust.

Li didn’t even flinch.

He pressed two fingers gently against Silay’s pulse, brows furrowing.

“His heartbeat’s slower than normal,” Li muttered, voice low, eyes locked on Silay. “Breathing’s shallow too.”

His thumb brushed faint blood from Silay’s temple as the tension in the room refused to lift.

Suliyao raised his phone again, calm and unfazed:

(Please, hand him over.)

He angled the screen toward Li specifically.

“No.” The answer came quick, firm. Li’s arms tightened protectively around Silay. “I’m sorry… but no.”

Suliyao did not show any frustration on his face, nor anger. Nothing rippled through it. He calmly took his phone back and wrote again:

(Then hold him steady.)

Itel, who had been silent for a long while after the shock of seeing such a vile creature for the first time, choked out, “W-What’s wrong with Silay? And what was that above us?”

Suliyao had no time to explain.

Since Li was holding the man’s body, Suliyao felt quite awkward doing the next steps. This was the same thing he did after giving half of his soul to Silay.

First, he took off the gold chain from Silay’s neck and observed if his soul was damaged from protecting the man. To his surprise, it was well taken care of. Silay seemed to treasure the necklace.

Since they were heavily surrounded by a heavily pure barrier, Silay’s nose started bleeding again, and that’s where Suliyao needed to act fast.

Li was alarmed, stern as he reprimanded, “He’s having a nosebleed again. What are you doing? You’ve placed him in so much predicament—”

Suliyao reached for the man’s forehead. Suddenly, Li felt a cold wave pass through his mind, clearing his turmoil and raging emotions. His reckless eyes turned clear.

What was that? It instantly made him relax, as if a voice soothed his spirit.

Seeing the effect, Suliyao gently patted the man’s hair. He also looked at the woman, curiously watching them. She seemed too afraid to even say anything. Suliyao reached for her too and did the same.

Both Li and Itel looked at each other, surprised.

Suliyao Lipol was such a strange person.

Back on track, Suliyao immediately tried to straighten the chaotic spiritual energy that awakened in Silay’s body—one incompatible with such feats. Maybe his soul could tolerate it, but his vessel could not, and it would kill him sooner or later.

He touched Silay’s forehead, caressed softly down until his heart, and sealed the broken fragments of spiritual energy. Besides his eyes, he sealed other passages that would do the man harm.

Soon, Silay’s bleeding stopped.

He then blew a breath onto the Salingbobog pendant like a wish for guidance. With that, Suliyao brought back the necklace and carefully clasped it around the man’s neck.

After doing so, he collapsed towards Li, weakened and fatigued. Itel immediately came to catch him before he rolled off, as both of Li’s hands were occupied.

Now, both Suliyao and Silay were asleep in their arms.

Li blinked.

Itel blinked.

NOW WHAT?!

Before Itel and Li could even come to a conclusion, Suliyao’s poor house door opened for the nth time with a blag!

A man, with a sleeping teenager slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, announced his presence:

“My oh-so-great mentor who passed me his responsibilities, I have come back! The barrier is fixed. And I found the culprit—”

His sing-song announcement came to a halt when he saw the bloodied ground and the two people staring at him.

“Oh… wow,” he reacted. His eyes darted to unconscious Suliyao, then to the familiar scent of soul from Silay’s necklace. “So that’s where it went. Who is this man? Even him was willing to split his soul.”

Itel whispered to Li, “I can’t see his face. It’s too dark… but he sounds like he loves talking to himself.”

The unknown man approached, crouching down. Finally, his face was illuminated by the moonlight.

Itel gasped, “You!”

The man blinked, “Me?”

“You’re the psychiatrist I want to refer to Silay! Dr. Vasconcelos!”

Author’s Note:

Early reminder! Psychiatrists and Psychologists are different from each other. Still, Psychiatrists and psychologists often work together. 

Main Differences according to (yourhealthinmind.org):

Psychiatrists are medical doctors, psychologists are not.

Psychiatrists prescribe medication, psychologists can't.

Psychiatrists diagnose illness, manage treatment and provide a range of therapies for complex and serious mental illness (i.e. severe depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.)

Psychologists focus on providing psychotherapy (talk therapy) to help patients (i.e. behavioural problems, learning difficulties, depression and anxiety.)