Narration: Fei

Hmm, Cebu. Very interesting city. Very much different from the cities back home. A mix of both old and new. Developed and impoverished. It does give his place more depth.

It is not only my first time in this city but also in this country. Too hot and humid for my liking. I hear since this is January the weather is not as bad as the summer. I could only imagine. But I guess this keeps me from feeling chilly all the time.

I’m just lucky that I’m not the type of undead that can decompose quickly. Apparently, the absorption of so much qi since my awakening has not only prevented necrosis; studies from AGON confirmed the different stages of my condition have completely altered the matter of my cells that it has become entirely metaplasmic.

Though known as a particular literary term in common speech for changes in pronunciations of words over time, the esoteric scientific community has adopted the word metaplasm as way to describe matter that has entered a liminal state that is not truly in sync with the natural laws of physics. Originally, it was referred to as ectoplasm, but there was lot of confusion about the term being used in a lot of phenomena related to the substance. Plus, there’s a fair amount of lingo that starts mixing up a lot of people, when they refer to terms like ectosis as opposed to exotosis or ectasis. It’s kinda amusing I’m thinking about this weird science, but I have been on this jeepney for 20 minutes, so I can at least relax and let my mind wander.

Speaking of which, riding on something like a jeepney is very interesting to me. Finn told me that many jeeps were left behind after World War 2 and many of the natives converted them into bus-like vehicles for transportation. Sure, they now make their own upgraded versions that look more like buses, but there’s a charm riding the classic versions. They can get creative with the paint and decal they use to customize them.

Eventually, I get off the jeepney, pay my fare, and I walk down the street to reach a checkpoint that I was instructed to go to. It has long been abandoned.

My injured arm is at least recovering quickly. Too bad my black hoodie was ruined. Gotta use this red one instead. I still had a small scar on my jaw but at least it should fade away in little time at all. My metaplasmic skin regenerates really fast. Sometimes, my curse has benefits.

As I walk, I can sense feelings of tension from all those passing by. A lot of undead have this ability to sense emotions. There’s a science to it, but I wouldn’t know much. I leave that to the experts. Too much to think about now.

It is natural for me to be shunned or ignored. They are probably assuming I was someone of a rather dark subculture, like some kind of hardcore goth. Being extremely pale with red eyes tends make people…unsettled. Because of what I look like, I didn’t hold it against them. In a way, it was better for me since it ensures my missions go uninterrupted.

Yeah....this is fine.

I sit at a bench nearby to check my smartphone looking for any updates from Finn. The message said: “They move after sundown.” Along with the message was a map of where to go and places of interest including an electronics store. My powers will do well there.

Despite the details, I still kinda wished he could be more specific with certain objectives here. People have been taken. Most people don’t think too much about the ramifications of trafficking people, but…..it’s a sore spot for me. Honestly, I don’t want to think too much about it, but I heard how the supernatural sectors of society utilizes such activities. Nonhumans traffic humans or vice versa, mostly for labor, experimentation, consumption whether for food or….other disgusting appetites.

Sometimes, other nonhumans traffic their own kind or a different sentient species. Being in AGON made me realize how humanity is not the only participants in this cruelty, which is why I need to know how we take this on.

While I read up on all this intel. a little girl sits on the bench next to me and plays with her phone. She takes a peek at me before quickly looking away. The mischievous type I could tell. She wears a white school uniform. Looks like she got out of class recently, as she still has her backpack. I take a quick glimpse at her before turning back to check for more messages.

She then speaks, “You are very white.”

I remain silent and try to ignore her.

“You also have funny eyes. I haven’t seen them red on black before.”

You’d think she would have better things to do.

“Do you like to use a lotta makeup? My mom does too. She is like a ghost,” she chuckles.

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Okay, what’s up with this girl?

Looking at her, I ask, “You like talking to random strangers?”

She nods, “It’s always fun to me. I get to learn a lotta stuff.”

“Do your parents approve?”

“I hardly see my mama and tatay,” she shrugs.

I thought about the term tatay for a moment before I reply, “Uh...I assume tatay is what they call father here?”

She nods again. “Of course, You must not be from around here. You look Chinese.”

I gave a slight smirk. “What gave it away?”

“You look like those kung fu guys from the movies I watch,” she said as she tried to imitate their movements.

I shake my head. “Well I can tell you, I don’t know how to do kung fu.”

The girl seems to become even more curious. “Really? I thought all Chinese people knew kung fu. I see their movies all the time. My favorite actor is Bruce Lee. He is awesome.”

I’ll admit it’s a bit ignorant but nonetheless personally amusing to me, so that comment gave me a chuckle. “Really? Do you like martial arts movies?”

“All the time. If I learn kung fu, I can fight my bullies off and protect my friends,” she said in a confident pose.

Hmmm, interesting. Even with a bullying problem, she has friends in school at least. I wasn’t so lucky in my school days. “Is bullying a big problem in your school?”

She pauses for a moment. “A bit but only because they think my family is...weird.”

I couldn’t help but be a bit curious about her now. The irony. “How so?”

She stops making eye contact. “I shouldn’t say. I don’t wanna get in trouble.”

I ponder for a moment. My gut instinct tells me there’s more to this than it seems. Perhaps, I can figure out something to make her more open about her life.

“How about I recommend some good movies about martial artists like Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen? Wait, wait! Or even better, maybe some martial arts films starring women like Michelle Yeoh or Zhang Ziyi. Yeoh is a particular inspiration of mine.”

She perks up. “There are movies starring fighting women?”

I try to match her energy. “Of course there are! I am surprised no one told you about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Very popular, and I like it has female leads. I used to binge watch wuxia movies all the time.”

The girl tries to repeat the title. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Sounds cool. I should check it out. You are alright...uh...what’s your name?”

“Well, I don’t really like giving out my name out but you can call me---”

“It’s okay. I know faces better than names,” she chuckles. Then her tone slightly changes to match the urgency of the matter. “I think my tatay is with some bad people. He says in debt to them. He said to my mama that he made a big mistake, so he has no choice but to at least pay it off by working for them. But also, I think these bad people are not just mean. They may be from the stories my mama used to tell me so I'd behave.”

I raise a brow, “Stories?”

The girl nods. “Yeah, they can change into any form they want, and their true forms are very scary. I remember peeking from my room, when they visited my parents’ home. They didn’t have the same kinda faces like you or me. My mama is very afraid for my tatay. She’s afraid they will hurt him and even us.”

I lean a little closer to the girl. “I can see why this information is so sensitive. You are brave to share it, but I have to ask. Why do you trust me with this knowledge?”

The girl twiddles her thumbs. “A lot of strangers I try to talk to ignore me or even tell me to go away. You are one of the few that gave me a chance to make me feel heard. I don’t think even among my friends I could really share it. Plus, not only do you look kind, but I can tell you're someone that likes to help people.”

I shrug. “I mean most people think I am scary. But you are right, I was sent here to help people. Perhaps, I can help you too. How would I know what he looks like or if he works in town?”

“Don’t worry. He tells me he works in Cebu at a TV workshop. So he’s not far,” she replies. “You can tell what my tatay looks like because my family say we have similar faces.”

TV workshop? The electronics store! That’s where one of the aswang bases is reported to be. That's quite a strike of fortune that he is located where I'm going, so I will have to be extra careful to make sure he doesn’t get hurt in my raid.

She adds. “You can also see a tattoo of a rose on his right arm. Come to think about it, I just noticed you have a tattoo near your eye.”

“Ah, this thing? The tattoo?” I point to my mark. But I lie about it. “It’s nothing. Just have it because it’s cool.” Hard to say what it is. More like a scar of the past.

“I think it’s cool too.” She checks her phone. “I have to go home now. It’s getting late. My mama will be mad if I take too long. It is nice talking to you. If you find my tatay or papa, tell him that mama and I want him home. We miss him.”

I smile at her and nod. “I will. Stay safe.”

The little girl gets up and gives me something. A simple watch. “Give this to him. I wanted to give him a gift even though he missed his own birthday party.”

“You can count on me.” I take the watch and nod.

The little girl smiles and skips away. Hmm...that encounter was strange, but it was very enlightening. Even pleasant, it reminds me of the days of my youth. Almost too good to be true. Some would say it could be a trap. But not everything has to be a dark conspiracy. Sometimes, kindness can lead to paths we do not expect.

I look at the watch. Looks simple enough. Not sure what the odds will be in finding her dad, even if I am going to the workshop. Regardless, I will take things in stride. I put my hood up and continue on my way.

Wonder what my mentor, Finn, is up to.