After they buried Sarah, no one wanted to speak.
The silence was heavy.
Even the surroundings seemed to mourn with them.
One by one, they stood up from the ground they had dug themselves.
Their hands were covered in mud.
Their eyes were red from crying.
"Let's go back…" Anton said softly.
No one objected.
They were completely exhausted.
Slowly, they walked back toward the old house—
except for Paolo.
He didn't move.
He stayed beside the fresh grave,
just staring at it.
As if waiting for Sarah to move… even though he knew she wouldn't.
"Sarah…" he whispered.
"Sorry… I couldn't save you…"
Slowly, he sat under a tree, just a few steps away from the grave.
He held his head.
He didn't know what to do.
He didn't know what to believe.
Until—
"Kuya…"
He turned his head.
And saw the child again.
Standing behind him.
"You again…" Paolo said softly.
"My name is Cindy," the child introduced herself.
"And you, what's your name?" she asked.
"Just call me Kuya Paolo," he replied.
"I'm happy I saw you again," Paolo said.
But—
The child didn't waste time.
"It has started moving."
Paolo frowned.
"Who?"
"The one with you," Cindy answered.
His heartbeat suddenly quickened.
"How do you know…?"
"Because that's how they are," the child said.
"They'll take you one by one."
Paolo felt a chill run through his body at Cindy's words.
"What do you mean…?"
"There will be another one who dies," Cindy said directly.
Silence.
The air felt heavy as the wind slowly moved around them.
"How do you know all this?" Paolo asked.
The child suddenly sat beside him.
"Did you know, Kuya… I used to live there," Cindy said, pointing at the old house.
"There?" Paolo repeated.
Cindy nodded.
"That's where my mom and dad were killed," she said, her voice filled with anger.
Paolo stayed quiet, listening, feeling pity for the child.
"How did the aswang come here?" Paolo asked.
"I don't know… all I know is that they suddenly appeared," Cindy answered.
"They killed everyone here… or turned them into their kind," she explained.
"Were your parents killed there too?" Paolo asked.
Cindy nodded.
"And I found out something else…" she said sadly.
"What is it?" Paolo asked curiously.
"My mother… was half aswang," she said softly.
"But she wasn't bad like the others," Cindy added.
"My father… he was a pure human," she said again.
Both of them took a deep breath.
"I thought I was the only one who lost someone… you went through something even worse," Paolo said as he gently rubbed Cindy's back.
"Where do you live now?" he asked.
Cindy didn't answer right away.
"Do you have someone with you?" Paolo asked again.
"Yes… I only live with my grandmother now," Cindy answered.
"Kuya…" Cindy called.
"What is it?" Paolo replied.
"Was the one who died… your girlfriend?" she asked.
Paolo took a deep breath.
"We were just friends…" he answered softly.
"Kuya…" Cindy called again, even softer this time.
Paolo looked at her.
"I'll say it again…" the child said.
"It has started moving."
"Soon… one of you will be gone again."
"No…" Paolo shook his head.
"We can't lose someone again…" he said, fear in his voice.
"Kuya, goodbye," Cindy said.
Paolo nodded.
"Take care, Cindy."
But before Cindy could fully leave, she stopped and handed Paolo a small bracelet. It had garlic tied into it.
"Kuya, here. So the aswang can't come near you," Cindy said.
"You must not lose this," she reminded him.
"Thank you, Cindy," Paolo said happily.
And the child ran off.
After Cindy left, Paolo stared at the bracelet in his hand. He looked at it for a moment before placing it inside his pocket.
Suddenly—
"Paolo!" Mara called.
"Come on, we need to leave," she said.
"Okay, I'm coming," Paolo replied.
After that, one by one, the group came out. Lianne, Ria, Dex, Jace, Anton, Nikki—and Mara with Paolo. They moved quickly because the sun was already setting. They needed to find their vehicle before it got completely dark.
On the other side, a creature was hiding behind a tree, silently watching their every move.
"Do you really think… you can escape?" it whispered.
"Buwahahaha…"
A deep, terrifying laugh escaped from the being as it slowly transformed into a human form.
As the group walked through the middle of the forest, they could feel the heaviness of the surroundings pressing down on them.
"Guys… are you sure this is the right way?" Jace asked while wiping sweat from his forehead, even though the air was cold.
"We don't have a choice," Anton replied. "We need to find the van before it gets dark."
"I don't even know if we've been walking in circles this whole time," Nikki complained, hugging herself.
"Something… really feels wrong here," Ria said softly while observing their surroundings.
"Ria, don't start with creepy thoughts," Dex replied, though he clearly looked nervous too.
"I'm not making it up," Ria said. "I feel like… something is following us."
Suddenly, they all fell silent.
Paolo stopped for a moment, still holding the pocket where the bracelet was.
"Paolo, are you okay?" Mara asked.
"Ah… yeah," he answered, but he couldn't look straight at them.
"You're still thinking about Sarah?" Lianne asked softly.
Paolo didn't answer immediately.
"Yes…" he said briefly. "But it's not just that…"
"What do you mean?" Anton asked.
Paolo shook his head.
"Nothing… just forget it."
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Cindy's words out of his mind.
It has started moving…
As they continued walking—
"Guys!" Jace suddenly shouted from the front.
"I found tracks here!"
"Tracks?" Dex asked, moving closer.
"Yeah… like tire marks!" Jace added.
"Our van…" Anton whispered.
A small hope suddenly rose in the group.
"Let's hurry!" Nikki said, suddenly energized.
But as they followed the tracks—
the wind weakened.
It felt like the whole surroundings had stopped.
"Why… did it suddenly get quiet?" Lianne whispered.
"Don't make noise," Ria said in a low voice.
One by one, they looked around.
"Anton…" Mara called.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"I feel like… we're not alone."
They all tightened their grip on each other and walked faster together.
"We're close," Dex said, forcing confidence.
"We better be," Jace replied. "I'm tired of being a horror main character."
"Nobody asked you," Nikki snapped, but she was nervous too.
Suddenly—
CRACK.
The sound of a branch snapping behind them.
Everyone froze.
"Guys…" Paolo whispered.
"Don't turn around…" Anton added.
But it was too late.
Slowly, Jace turned his head.
"Nothing's there…" he said, forcing a laugh. "I told you guys you're just overthinking—"
Before he could finish—
CRACK.
A closer sound.
And at the edge of the trees…
something moved.
"Run." Anton said quietly.
No one asked questions.
They all ran together through the forest, chasing the tire marks of the van, while darkness slowly crept behind them.
"Faster!" Mara shouted.
"I can't anymore!" Lianne gasped.
"Just a little more!" Dex shouted.
While running—
Paolo suddenly grabbed his pocket tightly.
"Cindy…" he whispered to himself.
And behind them, between the shadows—
a deep laughter echoed again.
"Buwahahaha…"
In the old woman's house, the atmosphere was quiet and heavy.
Cindy sat silently in a corner, looking sad. Meanwhile, her grandmother was busy making various items used to fight against the aswang—something she did every single day, as if it had already become their entire life.
Slowly, Cindy walked toward her grandmother.
"Grandma… someone will die again," Cindy said sadly.
The old woman paused for a moment from what she was doing.
"I know," the grandmother replied softly, her voice filled with sadness.
She took a deep breath before looking back at Cindy.
"My child, Cindy, I have somewhere to go," the grandmother said.
"Just eat… and make sure you sleep early."
Cindy nodded.
"Yes, Grandma…"
As Cindy watched her grandmother leave, the air suddenly turned cold.
She was already used to this feeling—the feeling that death was coming closer again.
Silently, she hugged herself.
"Mommy… Daddy…" she whispered softly into the air.
Ever since her parents died, she had been left alone to rely on her grandmother. They were the only ones left in what used to be a quiet place, slowly turning into a nest of horror. All their neighbors back then… one by one, they disappeared.
Some were never seen again. Some returned… but they were no longer the same.
That was why her grandmother prepared every single day—because they knew they were not just simply living in this place.
This was not normal.
There was something that devoured humans… and hid itself inside the bodies of others.
And now…
Cindy could feel it starting to move again.
While Cindy remained inside the house, her sense of danger grew deeper and heavier.
Far away… in the middle of the forest…
the nightmare for the remaining nine was still far from over.
In the middle of the forest, six of the remaining friends—Anton, Nikki, Dex, Jace, Mara, Paolo, and Lianne—were all out of breath.
They still couldn't find the van.
"Where are we?!" Jace shouted, nearly collapsing from exhaustion.
"I don't know anymore!" Nikki replied, her voice trembling.
"Just keep going!" Anton shouted, trying his best to keep everyone together.
But as they ran, they felt something strange.
It felt like they were going in circles.
Over and over again.
The same trees.
The same paths.
"Guys…" Mara said weakly. "This isn't normal…"
"I know," Dex replied, panting heavily. "It feels like… something is playing with us."
Suddenly, Paolo stopped.
"Wait…" he whispered.
Everyone halted.
"Why?" Nikki asked.
Paolo stayed silent, scanning their surroundings.
"We're here again…" he said quietly.
Jace's eyes widened.
"What?! Impossible!"
"The same trees…" Anton added, his voice turning cold.
A brief silence followed.
Then—
CRACK.
A loud sound of a branch snapping behind them.
Everyone turned around.
No one was there.
But they could feel it…
something was watching.
"Run again!" Anton shouted.
They all started running once more—faster this time, more desperate.
"This isn't just getting lost anymore!" Nikki shouted.
"I know!" Dex replied. "Something is following us!"
As they ran, the light around them slowly faded.
It was as if the sun was sinking faster than normal.
"Guys…" Jace panted. "Shouldn't the van be here by now?!"
"It should be!" Mara shouted.
"But it's not!" Paolo answered.
Suddenly—
Anton stopped.
"Wait…" he whispered.
"What now?!" Nikki shouted.
Anton pointed ahead.
"Light…"
All of them froze.
Between the trees—
a small light.
Like the headlights of a vehicle.
"The van…" Dex whispered.
"Finally!" Jace shouted.
They all looked at each other.
For the first time, there was hope.
But as they moved closer…
they didn't notice—
behind the trees…
shadows were moving in perfect sync with them.
Mimicking every step they took.
As if waiting for the perfect moment.
And as they slowly walked forward…
the van seemed to move farther away.
Farther…
and farther…