2008, Philippines
When the punisher raised his blade, the girl felt two hands move behind her to conceal her eyes and cover her screaming mouth.
“Huwag kang tumingin, close your eyes.” An old man's voice spoke to her as she covered her eyes from her father's death. The daughter gave up fighting, content to hear the swish and clang of a sword and the cries of the people alongside her father.
The man whispered in her ear once again. "Nataska," he whispered, still covering her eyes with his chilly hands. Paano niya nalaman ang pangalan ko?
"Who are you?" She asked, her voice muted since she knew she shouldn't yell. Even at a young age, Nataska was aware of what was happening to their community and to her father, and she knew that the last thing she should do was bring attention to herself for her own protection.
"Go to the south, Nataska," the old man said, ignoring her question. She felt the old man bend over her, his presence like a scorching fire in the middle of the frigid place. "Do not tell anyone; do not bring up this tragedy again. You'll get your revenge soon."
"Flee South," the old man said again, "seek the girl who wears a red cloak; she will help you have everything."
With that, the old man drew his hands away, allowing Nataska to open her eyes to the punisher dragging another man to his doom. Her father had vanished, leaving just a scarlet mark in the center of the stage and her father's lifeless and cold body, headless. She didn't shout, and she didn't cry; all she did was repeat the old man's words.
Run.
Run Nataska, run.
The combination of the weird old man's voice and the sound of the punisher's blade transformed an empty feeling in her chest into something else. Hatred. Determination. A desire for vengeance. A pledge to become the most powerful.
Nataska took a deep breath as she gazed to the south of their settlement.
She ran.
—
