Caecus

Chapter 1: A Silent Storm

The sky hung low over Manila, casting a gray shadow over the bustling streets. It was a typical day in the capital. Vendors shouted, jeepneys honked, and people hurried past each other, their lives entangled in a routine that had become second nature. Life moved at its usual pace, but under the surface, something was brewing—something dangerous and unseen.

Lucas Reyes stood at the edge of the plaza, watching the crowd. His eyes, sharp and focused, scanned the faces of the people moving like a restless tide. Most of them looked weary, carrying with them the weight of everyday struggles. They didn't know it yet, but they were about to be pulled into a storm much bigger than themselves. And Lucas knew he had to do something before it was too late.

He had been a journalist for nearly a decade now, covering political campaigns, government announcements, and the occasional scandal. But recently, something had shifted. It wasn’t just the usual corruption that seeped through the cracks of the system—it was deeper, more sinister. Politicians smiled on stage, shaking hands and kissing babies, but behind the curtains, their actions betrayed their promises. They had become masters of deception, weaving a web so thick that even the most vigilant citizens were blind to the truth.

Lucas clenched his fists as he remembered the most recent election. The candidate who won promised change, progress, and prosperity. But barely six months into his term, the cracks were already showing. Promises were broken, funds were mysteriously disappearing, and policies were being passed that favored only the powerful few. Worst of all, the people seemed unaware—or perhaps, unwilling to see.

“They’re thieves,” Lucas muttered to himself, staring down at his worn notebook. “Thieves and liars, hiding behind their titles and slogans.”

He had tried to expose them before. In his articles, he laid out the facts as clearly as he could, but it wasn’t enough. The people shrugged off his words as political noise, something to be ignored in the background of their daily grind. The government-controlled media buried his stories, while pro-government pundits ridiculed his efforts. It was as if an invisible hand was pulling the strings, ensuring that no one questioned the status quo.

But Lucas couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out. Something had to give.

As he walked through the plaza, he spotted an old woman selling newspapers at a small stand. Her face was lined with years of hardship, but her eyes sparkled with a resilience that belied her age. Lucas approached her and bought a copy of today’s edition. The headline blared: **“Government to Launch New Infrastructure Plan: A Brighter Future for the Philippines!”**

He grimaced.

“Another lie,” he said under his breath.

The old woman looked up at him, her voice soft but firm. “You don’t believe it?”

“No,” Lucas replied. “Do you?”

She gave a small shrug, her hands deftly folding papers. “It’s what they always say. I’ve lived through enough presidents to know that words are cheap.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “You don’t trust them?”

“I trust what I can see. And what I see is a country where the poor get poorer, and the rich get richer.”

Her words hung in the air like a challenge. Lucas felt a surge of hope. Maybe the people weren’t as blind as he thought. Maybe, just maybe, they were waiting for someone to give them the push they needed.

“Do you ever wonder why more people don’t say what you’re saying?” Lucas asked.

The old woman chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. “Because most of them are too busy surviving to think about it. And the ones who do? They’re too scared.”

Fear. Lucas knew it well. Fear of the government, fear of being labeled a troublemaker, fear of losing what little they had. It was a powerful tool, one that those in power wielded with expert precision.

But fear alone wasn’t enough to keep a nation in the dark. There was something else—something more insidious. It was the carefully crafted illusion of choice. Every few years, the people were given a ballot, told that their voice mattered, that they were choosing their leaders. But what they didn’t realize was that their choices had already been made for them long before the campaign posters went up.

Lucas felt a familiar rage simmering inside him. How many times had he tried to open people’s eyes, only to be met with indifference? How many times had he watched as the same corrupt figures were voted into power, again and again?

The old woman handed him his change, her fingers brushing against his hand. “What’s your name, young man?”

“Lucas. Lucas Reyes.”

She nodded. “Well, Lucas, if you really want people to listen, you’ll need more than just words. You’ll need to show them the truth.”

Lucas nodded, feeling the weight of her words. He had spent years trying to expose the lies with articles and reports, but maybe it wasn’t enough. Maybe it was time for something more drastic, something that couldn’t be ignored.

As he walked away from the stand, his mind raced with possibilities. The people of the Philippines were good-hearted, hardworking, and resilient—but they had been lulled into a state of complacency by a system designed to keep them blind. It was time to shake them awake, to tear down the curtain and reveal the thieves and dictators they had unknowingly empowered.

The storm was coming. And Lucas Reyes was determined to be the one to sound the alarm.