The Moonlight Assassin

An Unforgettable Surprise

It was heading to midnight. Miguel and his parents, Cristobal and Lorena, were heading back to their humble hut in Sitio Kabuwasan. When they reached their house, they found that it was in disarray: windows open, plants not in proper order, and the front door was left open. This made Miguel worry about his girlfriend Tabby.

"Tabby? Are you there?" he shouted. No one answered.

As they entered the house, they found their household also in disarray: plates and utensils scattered everywhere, food was spilled on the floor, and pieces of furniture were disarranged. 

"Where could Tabitha be?", asked Lorena, "I told her not to let anyone in unless it's her family."

"She did tell us that her family has headed to San Roque to meet you tomorrow, Miguel," told Cristobal, "Where could she be?"

"Well, well, well..." a deep, sultry female voice was heard on the back, "it looks like it's the Mangubat family...". All three of them turned their backs towards the woman who spoke. And to their surprise, it was the mangkukulam, Sylvia del Fierro.

"Madam Sylvia?! Why are you here, you evil woman!" shouted Miguel, as the family set their stance to set a fight with her.

"Hush, hush, everyone, put down your fists for a while," said Sylvia. "I'm not here to fight. But to tell you about the little girl Tabitha."

"Where did you take her?!" shouted Miguel, "You should know she is in great danger! The people of San Roque are chasing after her!"

 "My children are chasing after her as well, you silly man," told Sylvia, "and it's all because of you, Miguel Mangubat!" The witch went near Miguel and placed her index finger under Miguel's chin, assuming dominance over him.

The parents then blocked her way. 

"You don't have the right to harm our son!", told Cristobal.

"You won't have our only child, evil witch!", said Lorena.

"Your child?!", questioned Sylvia. "Come on, man! You found this kid in the ruins of Hacienda del Fierro! And you woman, your womb didn't even carry his fetus! I mean, my senses tell me you both are impotent, both of you barren! You can't bear children! Just basic logic! This is not your child!"

The revelation shocked Miguel, and confronted his parents. "You mean, all this time that I asked for a brother or sister, you can't give me one?! What kind of couple are you?"

"I apologize that we can't give you what you wished for. That's why we raised you to who you are now," told Cristobal, "to let you out of the dreadful lineage that is inside of you."

"I'm so sorry, anak," said Lorena, "You are all we have, an answer to our prayers to the God Almighty!"

"Damn your God!", Sylvia cursed, "Are you stupid enough to think you can raise a child of a manananggal that way?! My husband Salvador would've had an heir apparent to look forward to. But YOU MESSED IT!"

Sylvia placed her hands in front of both Cristobal and Lorena.

"Now, let your God answer THIS!", she shouted.

The witch released a powerful dark spell on the parents, shocking and incapacitating them.

"TATAY! NANAY! NO!!! STOP!!!", cried Miguel, begging for mercy.

"And what will you do now? Change into a manananggal and attack me? You wish! Full moon's yesterday, tough luck!", mocked Sylvia.

As Miguel witnessed the suffering of his loved ones, there was a person inside his mind who also witnessed the ordeal: Alexander del Fierro.

Alexander spoke to himself, "What is this I'm seeing? The woman who loved my father the second time is now making Miguel's family suffer! What is this feeling in me right now? I want to save them!"

Feeling a sense of obligation to take the Mangubat family away from harm, Alexander asked Miguel to take over.

"Miguel!", Alexander talked through Miguel's mind, "Don't ever let your father and mother die in her hands! Let me take over you!"

"Are you crazy?", questioned Miguel, "It's not a full moon!"

"Just let my strength be yours! Trust me!", demanded Alexander.

"Well then, go ahead," Miguel reluctantly agreed.

Miguel closed his eyes as Alexander took over consciousness. As his eyes opened, it glowed red. His muscles grew slightly larger, gaining some form of strength. There he confronted Sylvia.

"You won't make them die!" shouted Alexander as he pushed her away from Miguel's parents.

Sylvia fell on the floor, surprised at the sight of what seemed to be Miguel in her eyes.

She shouted, "Well, my child, don't you ever dare beat up the most powerful mangkukulam on earth!" Her arms pointed towards Miguel's chest, setting off a dark energy beam.

Unfortunately, the beam did not take down the man at all, and deflected towards her. She shielded herself but to no avail. Angered, she tried to set off her energy beams again, but it only made Miguel, or in actuality, Alexander, even stronger. His muscles grew larger, tightly outlining Miguel's shirt.

Then, Sylvia could only wrap her arms in pain. "Curse you, pathetic freak!", she shouted at Miguel. 

Questioning Alexander's motives, Miguel's consciousness, now at the back of his mind, began to ask him, "Alexander, why you had to do this?!"

"Remember when you were at Tabby's home weeks ago?", asked Alexander. "I don't know, but I felt this weird feeling inside of me. It was something redeeming, like a burden just lifted off of you."

"Do you mean you're turning into someone good?", asked Miguel.

"I guess so," Alexander said, "maybe it's that man telling me I'm not evil, I'm not a monster, and I'm someone special."

"Who's that man?", Miguel asked in curiosity.

"Jesus Christ," answered Alexander.

There, Miguel had flashbacks to that night in Unit 2120. He then remembered that Alexander prayed the sinner's prayer before he came back to his senses. It made Miguel even more optimistic.

Meanwhile, Tabby's heart pounded in her chest as she navigated the dark and winding paths of San Roque, desperately trying to escape the relentless pursuit of the manananggal horde led by Alice and Jeremy del Fierro, and the townsfolk of San Roque looking for her as the fugitive of the male manananggal she brought from Maharlika City. The night air was thick with an ominous energy, and fear clung to Tabby like a suffocating shroud.

As she sprinted through the narrow alleys and shadowy corners, the eerie sounds of wings flapping and unearthly whispers echoed behind her. Even the sound of pitchforks, bolos, and flaming torches scared her even more. The manananggal minions, their forms barely visible in the dim moonlight, their hunger for flesh and blood intensifying. At the same time, the search party of San Roque's citizens in their aim to neutralize her made it even more terrifying for Tabby to even set foot on the streets of the town center.

In her frantic escape, Tabby stumbled upon the inn where her family, Daddy Eli, Mommy Miriam, brother Bart, and sister Liza, were staying for the night. The door was slightly ajar, and a flicker of hope ignited within her. Without a moment's hesitation, she burst through the entrance, gasping for breath.

"Mom! Dad! Help!" Tabby cried out, her voice trembling with urgency.

The family, startled by Tabby's sudden arrival, rushed to her side. Pastor Kevin Francisco, with his discerning gaze, recognized the gravity of the situation.

"What's happening, Tabby?" Daddy Eli inquired, concern etched across his face.

"The Del Fierros, they're after me! They're monsters, Mom! Monsters! And the people here are also after me, Dad! I'm so scared! I'm so scared for my life, Dad! Pastor Kevin, help me!!!" Tabby stammered, tears streaming down her face.

Suddenly, the inn's tranquility shattered as murmurs and strange clanging sounds of wood and metal envelope around the inn. The darkened sky bore witness to the unfolding clash between good and evil. Tabby, with her family by her side, braced herself for the impending confrontation.