🏆 Wattys 2024 Winner Special Prize (Catchiest Hook) Severino Cole Matias has one wish-to finally live a happy life. After a tragic event in his work, he decides to take a break from everything that once consumed him. Hoping to find peace and meaning again, he turns to faith. Believing that devotion can move even the most stubborn fate, he commits himself to completing all nine nights of Simbang Gabi, praying that his deepest wish might finally be granted. But on one quiet December dawn, beneath the glow of parol lights and the solemn hum of the Ama Namin, he meets her. A mysterious woman. Enchanting. Gentle. Unwilling to reveal who she truly is. Their connection begins with a simple touch of hands during prayer and slowly grows into something neither of them can ignore. Night after night, they talk, laugh, and begin to uncover pieces of each other. Yet whenever Severino asks about her identity, she gives him only one answer: He will know when the clock strikes midnight on December 25. As Christmas draws near, so does the truth. And when alas dose finally arrives, Severino must face a revelation that could either grant his wish... or shatter it completely. DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish, a combination of Tagalog & English. This story draws inspiration from the song "Alas Dose" by Cup of Joe.

[REVAMPED VERSION] At Kenjou University, a test appeared without warning. No one knew who created it. No one understood its purpose. Thousands tried. Only five passed. They became known as The Mystery Mavericks. Handpicked and pulled into a secret program, they are trained to think like detectives, to see what others cannot, and to uncover truths buried beneath lies. But inside the program, nothing feels like practice. The consequences feel real. And the more they solve, the more they realize something is wrong. The test was never meant to measure intelligence. It was meant to find them. Because somewhere within Kenjou University, a mystery is already unfolding. And this time, they are not just solving it. They are part of it. DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Tag-lish, a combination of Tagalog & English.