“Waah, I’m tired!” Isagani stretched his arms out while slumping on the training room couch of NCIP. His exhaustion embellished the coily strands of his hair—making it stick out through his bun. In order to negate its haphazard look, he decided to simply pull out his scrunchie and let it all fall on his shoulders.

“Please end my life.” Pauline uttered in a blank tone while refilling her coffee mug using the espresso machine.

Rafael, who was supposedly polishing his wavy sword, somehow ended up watering the indoor plants. Kris kicked his shin lightly. “That’s plastic, you moron.” 

“Ohh… No wonder it never dies.”

Cielo, for some unknown reason, is doing pilates in the middle of the timber flooring.

And Yani? Questioning why he’s even in the building. He and Kris had just finished their morning classes, and the pretty boy just took him here all of the sudden. No explanation. Just vibes.

“Uhm… What exactly are we supposed to do here?” Yani questioned while walking towards his classmate.

“They just finished their 24th mission of the week.”

“...24?!”

Kris nodded. “They’ve been very busy lately because of the disappearance of some albularyos. Without them guiding their local villages, evil kept on multiplying.”

Yani placed his fingers on his chin. “I see. But what does it have to do with me being here?”

“They need help in making a field report. Paperworks. For auditing.”

“Huh? But I’m not even a member.”

“You’ll be fine. Besides, higher-ups already know about you and your seventh sense?”

“Wait, really? Already?”

“Yeah. The Damage Control Division knows everything we do. After all, they clean up our mess and audit our performance.”

“I see. So they’re the guys that took the mambabarang then?”

“Correct”

“What exactly did they do?”

“Bugaw takes away a person’s sixth sense. As a result, their memories of using those powers change as well. The mambabarang developed false memories, and the damage control division made those false memories real.”

“What? So using their powers would just be like praying without tangible effects then?”

“Correct again.”

“But what if the person’s life revolved deeply in this?”

“Like the case of the mambabarang, I believe damage control gave her a new life as a farmer.”

“That’s… interesting.”

A pile of papers had been spread out onto the wooden floors—with them among it while sitting with legs crossed over. Yani felt his left eye twitching from all of the mess in front of him. “Kris, am I getting paid for this?”

“No.”

“Do I get anything in return?”

Kris faced him. “My face.”

Yani observed him. His delicate features. With his long eyelashes, pointed yet subtle nose, blushing lips, and perfect hairline. Hm, convincing. Wait what- Yani no! Yani shook his head, and growled. “Thanks for the great offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

“You sure?” Kris leaned in a bit closer.

You’re too close! Like a kettle about to burst, Yani felt his flustered levels rise up. But thankfully, Kris pulled away and fixed the papers. “I mean, you don’t have to help. I’m sorry for bothering you.” Kris said that ever so normally—simply casual. But what Yani saw was a whole different panel. The latter had crimson cheeks, saddened eyebrows, and teary eyes. 

Yani stole the papers from Kris. “No! No! I got this. I’m glad to help!” He chuckled to himself and began humming while reading through the files. Kris was surprised, grateful, and confused by the enthusiasm. “Uhm, thanks.”

Yani read the names on whom the documents were addressed to. Cielo Asuncion, Kris Baylan, Pauline de Leon, Isagani Montes, and Rafael Montes. Intrigued, he asked, “Are the maharlikas brothers?”

Kris looked at the two boys slumped on the couch on the other side of the scaled up training room. “No, they’re cousins.”

“I see. No wonder they look alike. How about the girls, are they related to anyone here?”

“In here, not really. But Cielo’s mom is the head of the Ifugao Division.”

After two hours of processing papers, Yani’s back faced the floor. “We’re done. All done… I’m done.” Kris could almost see his soul fly away.

Isagani, who was finally able to stand up, hovered over the exhausted teen. “Poor guy. You really have poor stamina, don’t ya?”

“Poor stamina? Remember how I hiked the mountains finely? I consistently do cardio, ok?” Yani clicked his tongue.

“But you’re always passed out in the car after missions.”

“Well, you guys made me use my seventh sense continuously! How would I not get exhausted?” He gritted his teeth.

“That’s poor spiritual stamina.”

“What even is that?”

Isagani looked at Kris. “That guy can spam his bugaw a hundred times a day. He’s a million times stronger than you.”

Yani immediately stood up from that. “Excuse me? No way! One time, I sent him flying when he tried to pin me down.”

“You got lucky.” Kris stood up as well. Then, his eyes went fierce. “And I went easy on you.”

“Oh, yeah? Are you challenging me, huh?!”

“So what if I am?”

Both of their grazes went on fire.

Isagani, the one and only instigator, raised both of his hands and stepped back.

Pauline, who saw the commotion beginning to unfold, raised her fist in the air and chanted with a blank expression, “Fight, fight, fight.”

Rafael’s sleepy eyes found daylight. “Yani, don’t hurt yourself…”

Cielo, who had just finished her personal pilates session, had her smile reach her eyes in a manner more mischievous than their previous enemies. “I smell… a spar?” She hurried to the scene. “Everyone, it’s time to watch a sparring session!”

Just like that, the papers in the room are set aside, the Tagalog division are on the sidelines with snacks and sodas in hand, and Yani and Kris are facing each other—ready to show who’s stronger.  Cielo allowed them to use a weapon, so Yani took a dull training kris with him. But Kris didn’t feel intimidated at all. The only thing he needed was his bamboo stick.

Cielo mediated, “Ready… GO!”

They both sprung forward. The metal and bamboo are now being tested for their strengths. Yani pushed harder, making Kris lower down. “I’m still stronger.”

Kris scoffed. “Stronger? My ass.” He kicked Yani’s shin—making the latter fall back. And when Yani’s balance was broken, he lunged another attack. Thankfully, Yani rolled to his side, and dodged it. Without wasting any time, he drove his sword towards the latter.

“Spirits, guide me.” Kris’s bamboo stick glowed in fury, and finally, he set Yani’s sword driving to the wall. Yani was about to use his own fists, but Kris quickly moved as well—having his stick on Yani’s throat. With a smirk, “Not so strong, huh?”

Cielo chimed, “Kris wins!” The rest of the team clapped.

Yani pouted. “But you cheated. You used your powers.”

“Cheated? You could’ve also used your powers.”

“What am I supposed to do? Give you herpes?”

Kris bonked his head with a karate chop. “Disgusting.”

Chuckling, Rafael entered the banter. “What Kris meant was using your skills as a mangkukulam as a tool.”

“But my spells are not designed for battle.”

“You could say that… But are you sure that you’re not only limiting yourself?”

Yani thought about Rafael’s words. Limit? “Are you suggesting something?”

“I’m not sure if it would work, but perhaps using curses.”

“But cursing takes a long time. I’d be dead by then.”

“Not all curses.”

Even Kris was curious. “This better not be a dumb idea.”

Rafael continued, “Some curses are unintentional, but they happen in an instant. People can’t really control it because they never intended harm to begin with. I’m suggesting… Usog.”

Yani did not expect that from Rafael. “Usog? That happens when you accidentally transfer dark energy to another person.”

“Exactly. So I wondered, what if you do it intentionally?”

Kris butted in. “That’s impossible. Dark energy is not something humans can control. Usog exists because people greet, admire, or respect others in good faith with so much excitement, that dark energy accidentally came with it too.”

Rafael nodded. “But doesn’t that make Yani best fit for the job? His stamina is bad because the noble part of his spiritual energy is low. If he let out all of that good energy…”

Yani followed, “Then I could cast usog intentionally.”

“Exactly!”

“Absolutely not.” Kris placed his hands on his hips—a habit coming from his displeasure. “We’re not meddling with dark arts.”

“Why not?” Rafael asked. “Dark does not equate to evil, Kris. Even if it is a taboo, it just so happens that dark arts are a bit more intense.”

“Yes, it is intense. So what if he loses control?”

“He’s been honing his dark energy for years as a mangkukulam. Besides, wouldn’t it be great to have another person who can fight in direct combat?”

Kris was almost convinced, but, “He’s not even a part of the Baylanes.”

“But did that stop you from taking him here? And on missions? You can’t ignore the fact that his special skill is helpful, and that we may ask for his help again.”

Yani chuckled, and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “What if I train the skill here? I think I know how to control it. I simply have to exhaust my noble energy, right?”

“And how would you do that?” Kris crossed his arms.

“By doing rituals with you guys!”

5:00PM

They are now all eating their miryenda or snacks after trying to help Yani train. Thus, the aforementioned man is now stuffing his mouth with rice balls from the bilo-bilo, and bananas from the turon. “Mh! So yummy! Thanks, kuya Raf!”

Rafael, who sparred with him the entire day, chuckled, “Refuel your energy. I think you’ll master it soon.”

“You’re the best, I swear.” Cielo chugged down a glass of soda. “We probably have dozens of missions next week too.”

Isagani groaned. “Again? Why are we so loaded lately?!”

Kris, cleanly eating his food, “Lost albularyos, remember?”

“Oh, right!”

Pauline finally shared her voice. “I’m glad that the exorcists are helping, though. We definitely can’t handle everything alone.”

Kris nodded in approval, but Yani seemed to think otherwise. “Those guys? But they’re a bunch of judgemental assholes.”

Kris rebutted, “But they’re quite principled. They properly follow their standards and procedures. They never leave traces too.”

“What? But they were bullying you!”

“I know. And that sucked. But setting that aside, I still admire their work ethics. I’d love to work with them in the future.”

Yani grumpily crossed his arms, unable to accept Kris’s opinions. I know you like rules and stuff, but those guys are NOT IT.