The cafe, aptly named "But First, Coffee," was buzzing with the steady hum of conversation, the clinking of mugs, and the occasional hiss of the espresso machine. Vincent and I entered, scanning the sea of people for the person who had been texting me. The smell of freshly brewed coffee mingled with faint traces of vanilla and caramel, a deceptively comforting ambiance for what was bound to be anything but ordinary.

I spotted her sitting in a corner booth. She was stunning a woman with sharp, elegant features, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders like waves of ink. Her confidence radiated even in the way she sipped her coffee, completely unfazed by the crowded surroundings. My gut told me this was her.

“Wow,” Vincent muttered under his breath as we approached the table. “If she’s the one who texted you, I hope she’s single.”

I shot him a glare, but he was already grinning, clearly amused by his own remark.

As we reached her table, she looked up, her piercing eyes locking onto mine. “Damien, right?” she said, her voice smooth and composed.

“Yes. And you must be...?”

“Lara. Lara Urbano,” she replied, gesturing for us to sit.

Vincent slid into the seat opposite her with a flourish, flashing his most charming smile. “Well, hello, Lara. I have to say, if I’d known the supernatural world included meeting someone as gorgeous as you, I’d have signed up sooner.”

Lara raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Charming,” she said flatly, turning her attention back to me. “I assume he’s your ‘plus one’?”

I sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. Lara, this is Vincent. He’s—”

“A ruggedly handsome man of many talents,” Vincent interrupted, extending his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Lara ignored the hand and dove straight into the conversation. “So, Damien, you said in your reply that you’ve seen things. Shadow things. I’m guessing that’s not just a metaphor.”

I leaned forward, lowering my voice. “Not a metaphor. I’ve been... dragged into something. The shadow world. I don’t even know how to describe it, but you seem to understand.”

Lara nodded slowly. “More than you know.”

Before she could continue, Vincent leaned in, resting his chin on his hand. “You know, Lara, your eyes remind me of something.”

“What?” she asked, visibly irritated.

“The stars. Specifically, the ones I’d get lost in if you’d agree to dinner.”

“Vincent, shut up,” I snapped, exasperated.

Lara rolled her eyes but finally cracked a small, reluctant smile. “Are you always this annoying?”

“Only when I’m awake,” Vincent quipped.

Lara turned back to me, ignoring him again. “I wasn’t sure if I should even come here today. But you seemed genuine. And after what I’ve been through, I figured it was worth the risk to talk to someone who might actually believe me.”

I nodded. “We believe you. Trust me. Whatever you’ve been through, it’s probably not far off from what I’ve seen.”

Lara leaned back in her seat, her gaze distant as she began her story. “It happened a few months ago. I was walking home late at night. I live in Quezon City, not exactly a quiet place, but this particular street was... off. The streetlights were dim, flickering like a bad horror movie. I thought maybe it was just a random blackout, but something felt wrong. The air felt heavy, like I was being watched.”

She paused, her fingers tightening around her coffee mug.

“I started hearing footsteps behind me. At first, I thought it was just some holdaper, you know? Someone trying to scare me into giving up my bag. But when I turned around, it wasn’t a person.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “It was a creature. Its face was twisted, almost human but not. And its tongue long and sharp, like a blade was flicking in the air as if it could taste my fear.”

Vincent’s usual smirk faded. “Holy... That’s... graphic.”

Lara shot him a look but continued. “I ran. I didn’t even think, I just ran and screamed. But no one came. No lights turned on, no doors opened. It was like I’d fallen into a void where no one could hear me. And then it caught me.”

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She closed her eyes, her voice trembling slightly. “Its claws raked across my shoulder, and I fell. I thought that was it and that I was going to die. The last thing I remember was it leaning over me, its tongue inches from my face. And then... darkness.”

“What happened next?” I asked, leaning forward.

“When I woke up, I was in some kind of cave,” Lara said, her voice steadier now. “It smelled like death. Bones were scattered everywhere there are human bones. I could hear someone screaming, but I couldn’t see them. It was pitch black, except for the faint glow of moonlight coming through cracks in the cave walls.”

She shuddered. “I thought I was done for. But then I heard something a commotion, like gunfire in the distance. The screams stopped. When I finally crawled toward the sound, I found the creature lying dead on the ground. It had a bullet wound in its head, and when I got closer, I saw this.”

Lara reached into her bag and pulled out a small, tarnished object. She placed it on the table, and Vincent and I leaned in to get a closer look.

It was a bullet, its tip silver and slightly deformed from impact.

“Silver?” I guessed, picking it up carefully.

Lara nodded. “It was lodged in the creature’s skull. Whoever shot it saved my life, but I never saw them. I just ran.”

Vincent whistled softly. “Well, that’s one hell of a story. And here I thought my worst date was bad.”

“Vincent, not now,” I said, pocketing the bullet. “Lara, thank you for sharing this. It matches up with a lot of what I’ve seen. This... shadow world I think it’s real. And it’s dangerous.”

She nodded solemnly. “I know. That’s why I reached out. Whatever’s going on, we need to figure it out before more people get hurt.”

“Agreed,” I said, glancing at Vincent, who was now making heart eyes at Lara. “And Vincent, please try to focus.”

“Focusing,” he said, sitting up straight. “But just for the record, I’m still free for dinner.”

Lara groaned, but this time she didn’t seem entirely annoyed.

Lara leaned forward, her expression darkening as she continued her story. "When I finally got out of that cave, I thought I’d be safe. But what I saw outside..." Her voice faltered, and she took a deep breath.

“It wasn’t anywhere I’d ever been before. The air was thick, stifling. The sky was this sickly red, like it was bleeding, and the ground...” She shook her head. “It was covered in corpses. Not human corpses at least, not entirely. There were these creatures everywhere, twisted and monstrous. Some of them were half-decayed, others looked like they’d been freshly killed. And the stench...” She broke off, clutching her stomach as if the memory itself was enough to make her sick.

Damien leaned in, his tone suddenly sharp. “The creature in the cave. Did it have a long tongue? Sharp claws? Almost bat-like features?”

Lara nodded slowly, her brow furrowed. “Yes. That’s exactly what it looked like.”

“That’s a tiktik,” Damien said grimly. “They’re a kind of aswang, a manananggal variant. Their tongue is used to suck the life out of their victims, usually pregnant women or those close to death.”

Lara shuddered, her hands tightening around her coffee cup. “I thought it was bad in the cave, but outside... it was like hell itself. I panicked. I cried. I screamed for help, even though I knew no one would hear me. And then, in the middle of all that despair, I saw something.”

“What was it?” Vincent asked, his usual humor absent for once.

“It was this... thing. A black, glowing... I don’t even know what to call it. A portal, maybe? It was just floating there, like it didn’t belong in that place. And for some reason, I felt drawn to it. Like it was my only way out.”

“What did you do?” Damien asked, though he already suspected the answer.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Lara said. “I ran to it and stepped through. The next thing I knew, I was back in Manila, in a dark alley. It was as if no time had passed, but everything felt... off. Like I wasn’t really back, even though I was.”

She paused, her gaze distant. “I went straight to the police station. I thought someone would help me, that they’d believe me. But they didn’t. They accused me of being crazy, told me to go home and sleep it off. One of them even laughed when I started crying.”

“Typical,” Damien muttered under his breath.

“So,” Lara continued, “I started posting online. Just small things at first, asking if anyone else had seen strange things or experienced... whatever it was I went through. And eventually, I started hearing from others. People who had their own stories. People like me, who’d been taken or attacked by these creatures and lived to tell the tale. That’s how I found you.”

Damien nodded, but before he could respond, Lara added, “There was one time, though, when I almost didn’t make it. It was after I started meeting these people, sharing stories. I’d gone to meet someone, a woman who claimed she’d been attacked by a kapre. On my way back, I ran into this man. At first, he seemed normal. Friendly, even. But then... he changed.”

“Changed how?” Vincent asked, his curiosity piqued.

“He wasn’t human,” Lara said, her voice trembling. “He was pretending to be. I could see it in his eyes, they went black, like pools of ink. And then he grabbed me.”

“What happened?” Damien pressed.

“I was lucky,” Lara said, her tone bitter. “Since then, I always carry an electric gun for protection, and I used it. He screamed like a banshee and let me go. I ran as fast as I could, not stopping until I reached a crowded area. That’s why I only meet people in places like this now. Places where there are witnesses.”

Vincent leaned back, a smirk returning to his face. “Smart move. Though I can’t blame the guy for pretending. If I were a creature of the shadows, I’d probably want to get close to you too.”

Lara glared at him, but Damien quickly interjected. “That’s horrifying. But it also confirms what I’ve been seeing and this isn’t random. These things are out there, blending in with us, and they’re getting bolder.”

Lara nodded. “That’s why I reached out. We can’t ignore this. Not anymore.”

Damien exchanged a look with Vincent, who shrugged. “Guess we’re in it now,” Damien said. “Together.”

Vincent raised his coffee cup in a mock toast. “To not dying horribly.”

Lara rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile that tugged at her lips. For a moment, the weight of their conversation lifted, replaced by a glimmer of camaraderie. But deep down, they all knew this was only the beginning.