The instrument is the heart, the strings are the very same, and the beat becomes a melody. The lullaby is an irony that won’t let your eyelids fall. It keeps you watching and listening—waiting for the next note to call.

But despite having the entire neighborhood within his embrace, Kris couldn’t pull in the other twin.

“This is pointless.” Kris lowered down the kudyapi.

Cielo groaned, and, “Don’t give up now. You can do it again.”

“And what? Waste my spiritual energy?”

Pauline followed, “Kris is right, captain. He’s been doing this for half an hour now.”

“Regardless, we can’t just quit.”

Yani turned his head at the previous lady’s home. “How about we ask her? Maybe she knows where the tiyanak lives.”

And after, they are all huddled up inside the anxious lady’s home. The entire place was dark from all the closed windows. No matter where they looked, they could see salt and garlic displayed for protection. 

The lady, in a lowered voice, said, “You really killed the tiyanak already?"

Rafael nodded his head. “Yes. I killed it myself, and it turned into dust.”

The lady held her chest, and sighed in relief. “What about the other one?”

Cielo spoke up. “That’s what we’re here for. Do you know where we could find it?”

The lady frowned, remembering a bitter memory. “I don’t advise you to go there.”

“Why?”

“Because the place must be cursed.”

Yani’s ear twitched upon hearing about curses. “What kind of curse?”

“Well… That house has always been filled with bad luck.”

2024

Maria is a 17 year-old girl who lived in Norzagaray her whole life. She’s blessed with grace and beauty, but it came with the price of being in the lowest part of the Caste. She had a poor upbringing, and her family always blamed her for it. Suddenly, she received news from her father.

“Maria, your mom and I are moving to Manila.”

Maria was baffled. She knew that she was simply a mistake by her parents from how often they slaved her around, and hit her. But, she didn’t expect to just be abandoned this way.

“‘Tay…? You’re leaving me alone? But I’m not even an adult yet. I don’t have a job.”

“You’re turning into one in a couple of months. You’ll be fine on your own.” Her father spoke in a dismissive tone.

“I can’t live alone!” She panicked.

“You won’t be alone. Mang Andres said he’ll marry you.”

“Mang Andres? ‘Tay, he’s already your age!”

“Marry him or die alone in this sick house. Your choice.”

2025

A year passed, and in the same house, Maria’s already an adult—married to Andres with help of her parents’ consent. And of course, her own consent squeezed out of her.

At one scene, Maria and Andres were simply eating dinner. The next scene, a hot soup from her cooked tinola landed on her face. “AH!” It stung her skin red, and her eyes burnt strong enough to blind the left.

“You call this food? You wasted my money on this?!” Andres tugged on her soaked hair. “I took you in for a proper wife, not a useless doll!” Then, Maria felt the already existing pain on her cheek double from a slap gifted by her husband.

“Stop! Please, I’m sorry! I’ll be better-”

And like any other day, Maria felt herself pulled in the bedroom—gifted by the worst present of all.

2026

A punishment. That’s what the growing lives in Maria’s belly should feel like. But, she didn’t want it to be that way. It wasn’t the children's fault that they had to come into this forsaken home. In a country where abortion is illegal, it’s not like she had any choice to prevent their misery. So, she decided to care for them tenderly—the way she never has been before.

It was night time, and Maria sang a lullaby for her babies. One of her favorite songs.

“Ili-ili tulog anay”

“Wala diri imong nanay”

“Kadto tienda bakal papay”

“Ili-ili tulog anay”

Maria used to sing these very words alone. Its lyrics reminded her of how her mom would never be home for her, so she had to be there for herself. Maria doesn’t fully understand why she decided to sing this to her own baby. But, it’s likely because she’s yet to see her young body as a mother.

Weeks Later

“AAH!” Maria, all alone in her bed, shouted at the top of her lungs. Bullets of sweat and tears anchored on her skin. And trickling down her inner thigh was a ruby liquid draining her life. Please, my babies. Come out already… Mama wants to see you two.

Just outside the bedroom door, her husband was drinking directly from a bottle of gin. “Be quiet! Don’t make me beat you up again.”

When the young girl heard this, she covered her mouth, then pushed out—wincing in agony. The pain from this act numbed all the other wounds Andres decorated her in. Life should be beautiful, but making one alone is only painful.

Maria felt two small bodies come out of her. And when she was about to look at her beloved children, her head fell on her pillow—and her eyes shut close—not even getting the chance to catch a glimpse of her only real family.

The bedroom was a witness of the massacre of three lives.

Or just one.

Crackling bones and sliding of organs came imminent.

Andres heard the sound. “What? You’re done now?” He lazily walked to the bedroom door with a bottle of alcohol still in his hand.

But when he opened the door, he was met with two bloody beings with sharp claws and teeth—holding their mother’s hands.

The twins turned their heads towards their father. And with deafening sobs, “MAMA!”

Before Andres could comprehend the situation, the twins jumped at him—ripping his neck off.

Present Day

The group passed through the unpaved road—planning to head to the cursed home. Yani, beside Kris, uttered, “She didn’t deserve that.”

Kris nodded. “No one does.”

“I’m glad that the lady back there buried her body away from Andres, though… I hope Maria is now at peace.”

“I don’t think so.”

Yani tilted his head.

Kris looked at the sky. “How can she be? When her babies turned that way? And even hurted innocent people?”

“When we killed the other twin, where did its soul go?”

“There are many possible answers. Reincarnation, heading to the spirit world, wandering souls… or simply vanish.”

A pause.

Yani didn’t want to keep the conversation going in that direction. Otherwise, he’d only keep being disappointed.

Then, “By the way, about the sixth sense.”

“What about it?”

“How come normal people can see the tiyanak even without a sixth sense?”

“Because the tiyanak is present in the tangible world. It’s a creature. The same goes for other monsters. The sixth sense is only needed for ghosts, spirits, and the manifestation of our spiritual energy.”

“I see… So what if I lose my sixth sense?”

“You still keep your powers, but you won’t be able to use them. After all, you can’t see it. That’s also how bugaw works.”

And finally, “We’re here.” Cielo spoke up.

They looked at the house, and the energy was definitely beyond depressing. It made Yani’s heart feel like it was being squeezed.

But just when they were about to proceed, three men got out of the house. They all wore a white long sleeve polo shirt and black pants. They seemed to be foreign from the country. The man at the center had blonde hair with blue eyes. And the men around him both had light brunette hair, and light brown eyes.

Cielo was confused. So, she was the first to step forward. “Excuse me? Who are you three?”

The three men observed Yani’s group. And when one of the brunettes’ eyes landed on Kris, he began chuckling, and whispered to the other brunette. “Look, an Asog. I can’t believe they’re real, man.”

The other brunette laughed in return, “These faggots are getting brave.”

Kris was triggered, and Yani felt offended—about to step forward and confront the foreigners. But, Cielo stopped him—not wanting any problems. She spoke up, “Again, who are you three?”

The blonde man in an unreadable expression spoke up. “Apologies for these two. They’re quite a pain in the neck.” He hit both of them on their napes. “I’m Chase Gilmore. We are all from the European Order of Exorcists. I’m their head missionary.” He raised his Bible. “We heard about the little demon in here, so we decided to help out.”

Cielo nodded—knowing about the recent missions of the said Order. Still, she had a serious expression on. “Alright then. I assume that you have taken care of the one in there?”

“Yes. And I assume that you have taken care of the other one?”

Cielo nodded.

“Alright, then we’re off now.” Chase pulled on the two brunettes, and they both kept on chuckling and looking back at Kris.

Yani gritted his teeth, and held Kris’s arm. Kris looked back at the latter, and shook his head. “It’s fine. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Yani took a deep breath, and nodded. His hand was still on Kris’s arm—using the latter as a way to prevent himself from fighting with the foreigners.