The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm golden hue over the small town of San Isidro, where the rustling leaves whispered secrets of the past. The gentle breeze danced through the branches of the towering balete trees, their roots weaving a tapestry of shadows across the cobblestone streets. It was the kind of late afternoon that painted the world in hues of nostalgia, a perfect backdrop for a day that would soon alter the course of Jeff's life forever.

Jeff, a lanky seventeen-year-old with tousled black hair and bright brown eyes that sparkled with curiosity, walked home from school, his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder. He was just an ordinary boy, navigating the trials of teenage life, juggling homework, friendships, and the occasional crush. But as he trudged down the familiar path, the air around him felt charged with an energy he couldn't quite understand.

Today, however, something felt different. As he passed the local marketplace, the rich aromas of street food mingled in the air: sweet caramelized bananas, grilled skewers sizzling on open flames, and the unmistakable scent of freshly caught fish. Laughter echoed from the nearby park, where children chased each other in games of tag, their carefree giggles mingling with the calls of vendors hawking their wares. Jeff couldn’t help but smile, yet a nagging sense of unease lingered in the back of his mind.

“Hey, Jeff!” a voice called out, breaking him from his reverie. He turned to see his best friend, Amihan, a lively girl with cascading black curls and a perpetual spark in her green eyes. She was always a whirlwind of energy, effortlessly drawing attention wherever she went. Today, she was no different, wearing her usual bright smile and a vibrant yellow sundress that danced in the wind.

“Hey, Amihan!” Jeff replied, his voice brightening at her presence. “What’s up?”

“I just got back from the market. You have to try the new mango float! It’s amazing!” she exclaimed, bouncing on her heels, excitement radiating from her like the sunlight.

Jeff chuckled, his heart warming at her enthusiasm. “Maybe later. I still have some homework to finish.”

Amihan pouted playfully. “Homework can wait! Come on, just for a little while?”

He hesitated, glancing at the path leading home, where his textbooks awaited him with their unyielding demands. But the allure of laughter and freedom pulled at him, and he found himself nodding. “Okay, just for a bit.”

As they made their way toward the park, Jeff felt a strange sensation tickling at the back of his mind, like a distant echo. It was as if the trees themselves were whispering secrets he couldn’t quite grasp. The feeling intensified as they approached a small clearing where the sunlight broke through the canopy, illuminating a solitary, ancient-looking stone that stood defiantly in the center.

“Wow, what’s that?” Amihan asked, her eyes widening as she approached the stone, running her fingers over the intricate carvings etched into its surface.

Jeff felt a chill run down his spine. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen it before.”

The stone pulsed softly beneath their touch, a warmth radiating through the air as if it was alive. Suddenly, Jeff's heart raced as images flashed through his mind—a whirlwind of colors, shapes, and faces, fleeting yet vivid. He saw figures cloaked in flowing garments, their eyes glowing with ancient wisdom, and heard whispers of names long forgotten.

“Jeff, are you okay?” Amihan’s voice broke through the haze, her brow furrowing with concern. He blinked rapidly, the visions dissipating as quickly as they had come, leaving him feeling disoriented.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied, though he felt anything but fine. The weight of the stone’s presence lingered in his thoughts, tugging at the corners of his mind like an unsolved puzzle.

“Maybe it’s a historical marker or something,” Amihan suggested, her fascination evident as she crouched down to examine the base of the stone. “We should look it up later.”

“Yeah, good idea,” Jeff muttered, though his thoughts drifted to the strange sensation he had felt earlier. Was it just his imagination, or was there something more to this stone?

The two spent the next hour playing with friends and sharing laughter, but the stone remained at the back of Jeff’s mind, its significance weighing on him. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow across the sky, and the first stars began to twinkle in the twilight.

When he finally returned home, the feeling of unease clung to him like a second skin. He glanced back at the stone, now shrouded in darkness, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a soft light emanating from it, pulsing rhythmically like a heartbeat.

That night, Jeff lay in bed, the events of the day replaying in his mind. He tossed and turned, unable to shake the feeling that the stone had awakened something within him—something ancient and powerful. His dreams were filled with swirling shadows and echoes of laughter, the faces of the ancestors from his visions looming just beyond his reach.

When morning light finally broke through the window, Jeff awoke with a start, a mix of excitement and dread pooling in his stomach. As he prepared for the day ahead, he knew that everything was about to change. The whispers of destiny were growing louder, and he couldn’t ignore them any longer.

With a deep breath, he resolved to uncover the truth about his past, about the visions he saw when he touched the stone, about the blood of the Ancients flowing through his veins, and about the fate that awaited him. Little did he know, this journey would lead him to confront forces beyond his imagination, testing not just his strength, but his very identity as he ventured into a new world and a destiny he had yet to embrace.

**Characters**

Jeff

Amihan

The next day began like any other. Morning light streamed through the thin curtains of Jeff’s bedroom, casting soft shadows on the walls as the hum of the bustling town filtered in from outside. The faint sound of tricycles and vendors setting up their stalls mixed with the chirping of birds, creating the familiar rhythm of life in San Isidro. Yet, for Jeff, everything felt different now.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, he couldn’t stop thinking about the stone they had encountered the day before—the strange warmth it radiated, the carvings that seemed to whisper forgotten truths. He absentmindedly ran his fingers through his hair, the image of the stone pulsing in his mind. His dreams had been filled with fragments of visions, flashes of faces and places he couldn’t recognize, but somehow felt deeply connected to.

Jeff shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He had to focus. School was waiting, and he had to at least try to go through the motions of a normal day.

He dressed quickly, grabbed his backpack, and headed downstairs. The scent of freshly cooked breakfast greeted him as he entered the kitchen, where his mother was busy at the stove, humming a tune.

"Good morning, Ma," Jeff said, sliding into a chair at the small wooden table. He tried to sound normal, like everything was fine.

“Morning, anak,” his mother replied with a smile, turning to place a plate of eggs and longganisa in front of him. “You look a little tired. Everything okay?”

Jeff hesitated, his thoughts swirling. He wanted to tell her about the strange stone, the visions, the eerie feeling that something was about to change. But how could he explain any of it without sounding crazy?

“I’m fine,” he said instead, forcing a smile. “Just didn’t sleep well.”

She studied him for a moment, concern flickering in her eyes, but nodded. “Make sure to get some rest tonight. School’s important, but so is your health.”

He nodded, taking a bite of his food. The familiar comfort of home, the warm breakfast, and his mother’s steady presence helped ground him, even if just for a moment.

After finishing, Jeff grabbed his bag and headed out the door, waving goodbye. The crisp morning air hit his face as he stepped into the street, the noise of the town waking up filling the space around him. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something monumental had shifted, like a door had been opened that couldn’t be closed.

As he made his way to school, Amihan appeared at his side, her energy as bright as ever. She gave him a wide grin as she walked alongside him, her curls bouncing in the breeze.

“Morning!” she chirped. “Did you sleep as terribly as I did?”

Jeff glanced at her, surprised. “What do you mean?”

“That stone!” she exclaimed, her voice lowering slightly as they passed a group of students. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had these weird dreams… like I was seeing things that weren’t mine. It felt so real.”

Jeff’s heart skipped a beat. So it wasn’t just him. The strange connection he felt wasn’t a figment of his imagination. “I had the same thing. Visions, or… I don’t know, something.”

Amihan’s eyes widened. “See? I knew something was up! We have to go back to the clearing after school. There’s definitely something going on.”

Jeff nodded, his unease settling deeper. “Yeah, we do.”

---

The day dragged on, each lesson blurring together as Jeff’s mind wandered back to the stone, to the dreams, to the questions that only seemed to multiply the more he thought about them. By the time the last bell rang, he felt more anxious than ever.

Amihan was waiting for him at the gate, her face lit with excitement. "Ready?"

“Yeah,” Jeff muttered, following her out of the school grounds and back toward the forest clearing where the stone stood. His heartbeat quickened with every step, the anticipation of what they might find gnawing at him.

They reached the spot just as the sun began its slow descent, casting long shadows through the trees. The stone stood where they had left it, ancient and unmoved, yet alive with a presence that seemed even stronger than before. Jeff approached cautiously, his pulse thudding in his ears.

As he reached out to touch the stone, a surge of energy shot through his fingers, electrifying yet oddly familiar. Images flooded his mind again—this time sharper, more vivid. He saw a vast landscape, not of this world, with mountains that pierced the sky and rivers that shimmered like molten gold. Figures walked the land—tall, powerful beings with eyes glowing like stars. He felt their strength, their wisdom, and their connection to him.

"Do you see that?" Amihan’s voice broke through the vision. She stood beside him, her hand also touching the stone, her face pale but determined. “This isn’t just any stone, Jeff.”

Before he could respond, the ground beneath them trembled, a low rumble echoing through the trees. Jeff’s heart raced as the stone began to glow softly, the carvings lighting up with an otherworldly blue hue. The whispers returned, louder now, though Jeff still couldn’t make out the words. But one thing was clear: the stone was waking up.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light engulfed them both, and Jeff felt himself being pulled away—away from the forest, away from the world he knew. The sensation was overwhelming, like being swept up in a current he couldn’t fight.

When the light faded, they were no longer in San Isidro.

Jeff blinked, his vision slowly adjusting to their new surroundings. They stood on the edge of a vast, sprawling field, but this was no ordinary place. The sky above them shimmered with hues of purple and blue, and towering structures unlike anything from the human world rose in the distance. Strange, ethereal creatures floated through the air, their forms shifting like mist.

“Where… are we?” Amihan whispered, her voice trembling.

Jeff didn’t know. But as the whispers in his mind grew louder, he realized this was no dream.

This was another realm.

The air in this strange place was different—thicker, more charged. Jeff could feel the weight of it pressing against his skin, the invisible energy of this realm tingling along his nerves. Amihan stood beside him, her eyes wide, mouth slightly agape as she looked around at the impossible sights before them.

"What... what is this place?" Amihan whispered, her voice barely audible over the soft hum that filled the air, like a distant chant carried on the wind.

Jeff shook his head, still trying to process what had just happened. One moment, they were standing by the stone in the forest, and now… this. It was as if they had stepped through a door into a world beyond their understanding. Or rather, into another realm.

"I don’t know," Jeff said finally, though deep down, he knew. The visions, the stone, the whispers—they were all connected to this place. "But it feels familiar. Like I’ve been here before… in my dreams."

The land stretched out before them, vast and surreal. Jagged mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks lost in swirling clouds that glowed with an unnatural light. Strange flora grew in the fields—trees with silver bark and leaves that shimmered with every breeze, plants with luminous petals that seemed to pulse with life. The sky above was a deep violet, dotted with faint stars that gleamed even in the dim daylight.

“Do you hear that?” Amihan asked suddenly, her head turning slightly as if to catch a faint sound.

Jeff listened closely. At first, there was nothing but the soft hum in the air. But then he heard it—low, rhythmic, like the beating of a distant drum. It was subtle, almost hidden beneath the natural sounds of the realm, but there. Growing louder.

Before Jeff could respond, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. A faint vibration that quickly escalated into a rumbling quake. Amihan staggered, and Jeff reached out to steady her. The tremors intensified, and with a deep, earth-shaking crack, the land before them split open.

Out of the fissure emerged something huge—something ancient. At first, all Jeff could see was a mass of writhing, shadowy forms, but as they drew closer, they took shape: figures cloaked in darkness, towering and monstrous, their eyes glowing with malice. Their presence was overwhelming, like a nightmare made real.

“Run!” Amihan shouted, tugging at Jeff’s arm, panic in her voice.

But Jeff couldn’t move. The sight of these creatures rooted him in place\, his heart hammering in his chest. He had seen them before—in his dreams\, in the fragments of visions that had haunted him. These were the **Tagabulag**\, the shadow creatures\, and they were real.

The largest of the creatures stepped forward, its form shifting in the light, like smoke coiling through the air. It towered over them, easily twice the height of a man, with limbs that stretched impossibly long. Its eyes locked onto Jeff, burning with a strange, otherworldly intensity.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in Jeff’s mind—a voice that wasn’t his own, deep and resonant, filled with ancient power.

**“Blood of the Ancients... you do not belong here.”**

The creature lunged, its massive arm sweeping toward them. Jeff’s instincts kicked in, and he yanked Amihan backward just in time, the creature’s hand slamming into the ground where they had been standing. Dust and debris exploded into the air.

They turned and ran, their feet pounding against the ground as the shadow creatures gave chase. Jeff’s heart raced, his mind a whirlwind of fear and confusion. What was happening? How had they ended up in this place, and why were these monsters after them?

The drumbeat grew louder, reverberating through the air, as if the realm itself was responding to the chaos. The creatures were gaining on them, their heavy footfalls echoing behind them. Jeff knew they couldn’t outrun them for long.

Then, just as they reached the edge of a steep incline, a figure appeared in their path. Cloaked in shimmering light, the figure seemed to materialize out of nowhere, standing between them and the shadow creatures. For a split second, Jeff thought it might be another threat, but then he saw the figure’s eyes—calm, steady, and filled with purpose.

“Dakila?” Amihan gasped, recognizing the Seer from their town’s old legends, though he seemed more vibrant now, more… alive.

Without a word, Dakila raised his hand, and a wave of light shot out from his palm, blasting toward the creatures. The Tagabulag screeched as the light hit them, their forms dissolving into wisps of shadow and smoke. In moments, they were gone, leaving only the eerie silence of the realm behind.

Breathing hard, Jeff and Amihan stared at the Seer, their minds struggling to catch up with what had just happened. Dakila lowered his hand and turned to them, his expression calm but serious.

“You have crossed into a realm you were not yet ready to see,” Dakila said, his voice smooth and deep. “But the choice was not yours. The blood in your veins has called you here, Jeff.”

Jeff swallowed hard, his thoughts spinning. “What do you mean? Why… why am I here? What were those things?”

Dakila stepped closer, his gaze piercing. “The creatures you saw are from the ancient past, remnants of a time when the realms were not divided. They seek power—power that only those with the blood of the Ancients possess. That is why they hunt you.”

Jeff’s mind reeled. It was too much to take in. “But… I don’t understand any of this. Why me? What does my blood have to do with them?”

Dakila’s eyes softened. “You are a descendant of the first line of guardians, those who once protected the veil between the realms. Your blood carries the strength of the Ancients, and with it, the ability to maintain the balance between this realm and the human world.”

Jeff stared at him, the weight of the words sinking in. Guardians? Balance between realms? It all sounded impossible. And yet, standing here in this strange place, with creatures from nightmares chasing them, it was hard to deny.

Amihan, still catching her breath, stepped forward. “What happens now?”

Dakila gave a slight nod. “Now, Jeff must learn who he truly is. And that journey begins here, in this realm.”

Jeff looked out across the surreal landscape, the reality of his situation settling over him. Everything was about to change. He wasn’t just an ordinary kid from San Isidro anymore. He was something more—something tied to a legacy older than time.

But as the whispers from the stone echoed in his mind, he realized that accepting his destiny wouldn’t be easy. And whatever was waiting for him beyond this realm would test him in ways he couldn’t yet imagine.

**Additional Characters**

Dakila

Tagabulag