Chapter 1. Episode 2 Garlic and Chili

"We were chased out of our town because we're Aswang, and you didn't even say anything," Bryan said, as if harboring a grudge from long ago.

"Oh, shut up, Bry. We were kids then. What could I possibly have done at that age?" I retorted. We'd been close, like best friends, and I didn't understand the reason back then, but now I guessed it was our shared bloodline.

"The burger had garlic and chili," he stated flatly.

"I know," I smirked. I remembered not being able to handle chili and garlic back then. But I'd overcome that fear; that's how I discovered Aswang can eat garlic and chili with practice. I suffered immensely to overcome that.

"Alright, stop teasing, and let's get back to business," I said when he tried to goad me further.

"What year are you in?" I asked.

"I'm in first year, 1-C. How about you?" he replied.

"1-C. Tell me about this student council program," I said. It was better to have an ally and know things beforehand.

"The student council changes annually, as usual, but this university is different. They don't count votes; they count the people they can control. Each party candidate hunts for 'votes' and marks them—a special mark that targets the soul and weakens it if the contract is disobeyed. It's not a choice; once marked, you're bound, even if you don't want to be. You can't remove the mark yourself; only the one who placed it can. This program is approved by the dean, but with rules: no one should be hurt; students are guided and must protect themselves; and presidential candidates can't hunt; only their members and supporters can. There are two parties and one independent candidate; I don't have information on them," Bryan said, proving his knowledge. Nothing had changed; he was still a smart-alecky loner.

"Oh, so which party are you in?" I asked.

"Petter's," he said.

"Petter's the president, right?" I asked. Even if he'd called me an imbecile, I'd rather choose him.

"Yeah. It's getting late; the hunt lasts until 2 AM. You should go to your room. My roommate will be here soon," Bryan said, heading for the door. Interestingly, while the boys' and girls' dorms were separate, they weren't entirely off-limits to each other.

"Won't you walk me to my dorm?" I teased.

"Oh, shut up, Fel. Even back then, you were strong; now you've really grown up," he said, glancing at my breasts. Disgusting!

"Bry!" I said coldly. He'd been staring. Well, they were big… kinda.

"What?" Bryan should be feeling my temper by now. I'd known him since childhood, and he'd always had a crush on me. I just didn't know if that was still the case.

"Bryan!" someone shouted from behind. Her voice was familiar, yet I hadn't sensed her presence until she attacked. I dodged and slapped her head, sending her face-first to the floor. I really wanted to laugh at how pathetic she was. What was she, anyway? I didn't sense any Aswang connection; maybe she was from another race. This was the girl from earlier, my supposed roommate.

"Ahh, ry, ry! Help me!" She cried, drawing attention from other students.

Did she want an Oscar? I'd gladly give her reason to cry. I was about to hit her again when Bryan helped her, even carrying her bridal style back to his room. I could smell the bitchiness. Seeing his serious expression—I'd never seen him so serious before—I wondered about their relationship. Well, that's a given. I wanted to follow them.

"You should go. See you," he said coldly, shutting the door without looking back. I was stunned, shocked, and…sad? No, that wasn't right.

"Oh, shoot! I can't sleep in my room!" said a voice from the doorway. It was Bryan's roommate.

"Are they in a relationship?" I realized what I'd said too late. I shouldn't have cared.

"Hi, I'm Rey, Bryan's roommate. Jessa's my cousin. I guess it's my fault they met, and yeah, they're in a relationship," he said. Not very talkative, are we? I shouldn't be sad; I should be happy Bryan wasn't alone anymore.

"Okay," I said.

"Do you know anywhere I can sleep tonight?" Rey asked, about to leave.

"I just got here; I don't know anyone or anything," I blurted.

"Oh, you said that girl's your cousin? Well, she's my roommate," I added, realizing Bryan would spend the night with that bitch. I couldn't stand it.

"Can I take her place?" Rey asked with puppy eyes. As if I cared.

"Do whatever you want!" I said, walking away. When I looked back, he was gone. I guess he didn't like my response. I didn't care.

I was about to unlock my door when I felt his presence; his concealment was almost as good as mine.

"Where did you go? I thought you didn't want to be here; you weren't following me," I said flatly. I wasn't concerned; I wanted to know what he'd done.

"Well, I brought this!" he said, proudly showing me some beer.

"Are you going to drink all of that?" I asked. What a stupid question. Of course, he would.

"Yeah, we will," he said, entering the room as if I'd agreed to drink with him.

"No, we won't. You will. I'll be sleeping, and you'll do whatever you want, but don't be noisy," I said, locking the door. I cast a spell to prevent anyone from entering or leaving while I slept; this would prevent unnecessary problems. "Don't do anything funny; I won't hesitate to kill you. Your cousin already got a taste of that," I said seriously, emphasizing my words.

As I was about to enter my room, I heard him call from the lounge. "Aren't you going to ask me about Bryan or Jess?" he asked, having finished the beer. Not much of a drunkard, are you? I thought.

"I'll find out myself," I said emotionlessly.

"But I can tell you now," he replied. There's a lot going on in my life recently; I don't know if I can still manage on my own. I thought I'd have an ally in Bryan. It's not that I'm using him, but it's good to have someone, right? There's a limit to what I can do alone. In this society, which I think is more dangerous than the mortal world, I need connections, companions, and allies.

"Then tell me," I said, walking back to him and taking a beer from the table. "I'd appreciate it," I added, but I still needed to be careful; I didn't know who to trust. I guess I'll drink anyway.

"My cousin is like Madame Drash; she comes from both sides; she knows both black and white magic. I know you're new here, but you wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us, so I'll tell you everything. Jess and I come from the same lineage. Basically, she's okay, but the nasty thing is, she wants everything and anything, no matter the cost."

"Madame Drash is a chosen Divine Albularyo and Supreme Aswang. How are you guys related to her?" I asked, sensing the pleasant scent she emitted.

"Madame Drash is my grandmother," he whispered. "It's a secret, heehee ^_^! Don't tell anyone," he added. This idiot! How could he tell me so easily? Suspicious. I don't even sense divine power from him.

"I didn't inherit her divine blood, but her supreme status. The thing about Jessa is that she has the divine aura and is also a Supreme Aswang. In our race, she's known as the crowned princess; that's why her head's so big. It wasn't concerning at first, but then she started summoning demons to get what she wants," he said, completely exposing his weakness. I listened carefully.

"The thing earlier was the demon of lust; it's been possessing her for a while; she has full control. No one can resist it," he added.

"She's weak in combat if that's the case," I said; maybe that's why I'd defeated her with one strike.

"Yeah, you're right," he replied. "But she can also summon demons of war, chaos, or calamity. That would be worse. I need to be vigilant." A powerful Manggagaway.

"You said it's your fault Bryan and your cousin met? How?" I asked.

"Well, one time I didn't do what Jess wanted, so she went to my dorm and made a scene; that's where they met," he said, taking a sip of his beer.

"What can you do?" I asked, not wanting to know more about that scene; I'd ask Bryan myself.

"I'm a healer, but I can also curse; I'm an Aswang, after all," he said. Maybe he's a good fighter, too.

"What can you do?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing special. I'm just a useless Aswang, at the bottom rank ^_^! It's nothing to be proud of," I said meekly.

"Oh, c'mon, it's not so bad," he consoled me.

"Both my parents are at the lowest ranks in our race. It was worse when my mother was carrying me; they avoided eating human flesh, which made me weak. They only ate animal flesh," he said. He should realize that any Aswang who avoids human flesh loses 70% of their power, becoming a laughingstock among their peers. It's both good and bad to be underestimated. I looked at him and realized he'd been sleeping this whole time?! This idiot! I wanted to punch him; this bastard! How dare he sleep on me!

Tss!

It was dusk when I woke up. This university doesn't operate like the mortal world; everyone wakes at dusk—Albularyo, Diwata, Incanto, Aswang, or any other creature, good or bad. This is how we start our night.

"C'mon, open the door!" I heard an impatient shout outside my door before a knock.

"Really? You're going to start my night with this bullshit?!" I shouted back, kicking open my bedroom door. Of course, he couldn't open the entrance; I'd put a spell on it last night.

"I can't get out!" said the man, blushing? Why was he blushing? I didn't say anything, but I opened the room and kicked him out. As I returned to my bed, I saw my reflection in the mirror: I was only wearing my panties and a see-through bra. This is humiliating! So that's why he was blushing! That bastard! I couldn't sleep like this anymore; better start my night already.

"Did you have fun last night? My cousin's pretty beat up," said the bitchy voice from the door. Was she referring to the man I'd just kicked out?

"That's my line, fool," I responded. I'd given up on befriending her; she couldn't be my ally. "My best friend sure does feel good to be played with, huh?" I mocked her. Don't even try getting on my bad side, bitch; you don't stand a chance.

"Oh, yeah? He is so good!" she said flirtatiously, trying to sway me. I cast an ancient taming spell inherited from my ancestors; no one could resist it.

"PLOP!" I was surprised when she suddenly became unconscious and fell to the floor; a black shadow arose from her seven apertures; it must be the demon of lust possessing her.

"Bryan!?" I called out, seeing him in the hallway. I felt relieved that Jess no longer had the power to summon demons. This way, I'll have Bryan all to myself. It's selfish, but it'll benefit him, too.

"You're early," he said, acting cool as we walked. What did Jess want from him?

"Yeah, say… what's your relationship with Jessa Callaham?" I asked, unsure if I really wanted to know.

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