PROLOGUE
The rain fell relentlessly on Manila's dark streets, each dropping a whisper of the night's grim secret. Beneath the storm's fury, a sixteen-year-old girl stood silently, hidden in the shadows of a dimly lit alley. Her heart pounded as if trying to escape her chest, but her breath remained steady, her gaze fixed on the scene unfolding before her.
The chaos was palpable in the small, decrepit house on the edge of the alley. Shouts and the clatter of broken furniture punctuated the night, merging with the sound of shattering glass. The girl watched, paralyzed, as masked men ransacked the home, their voices harsh and guttural. Her family's screams cut through the night air, each cries a desperate plea for mercy that would never come.
The girl clutched her coat tightly around her, her fingers digging into the fabric as if it could shield her from the horror she was witnessing. Her eyes were wide, reflecting the flashes of violence. As the brutal scene unfolded, she struggled to suppress the urge to scream, her voice caught in her throat. A chilling realization dawned upon her one would ever know the truth, for she could not find the courage to speak, even as the terror consumed her.
When the house finally fell silent, the girl remained hidden in her corner, her mind numb with shock. The storm outside seemed to intensify as if echoing the tumultuous emotions inside her. The men left as suddenly as they had arrived, their mission complete. The rain continued to pour, masking the evidence of their crime and washing away any traces of their presence.
In the aftermath of the night's brutality, the girl emerged from her hiding place, her eyes empty and distant. The world had changed irrevocably, and she was now a silent witness to a horror that no one else would ever fully understand. As she stepped into the rain-soaked streets, she knew her life would never be the same. She would carry the weight of that night forever, a burden she could never share.
