Chapter 3: The Veil of Reality

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

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