Sarah stayed on the laptop, fingers moving quickly as she replied to the client.
"Ma'am, can you tell us more about your situation?" she typed.
A few seconds passed. Then another reply came in.
She opened the form the woman had filled out earlier.
"Name: Leni Magdayao… age 34… location: Danao City," Sarah read aloud.
Gino let out a low whistle. "That's more than an hour from here."
"Closer to two with traffic," Cynthia added.
Sarah continued reading. "Single mother… pregnant…"
The room went quiet for a moment.
"…So this is for tomorrow, right?" Gino said, stretching his arms. "We can schedule-"
A chair scraped.
They all looked.
I was already up.
Grabbing my bag.
Pulling things out. Putting things in. Checking what I needed without even thinking about it.
"Anthony?" Gino frowned. "What are you doing?"
I didn't look at him.
"We're going."
"…Now?" he asked, confused.
That's when I finally looked up.
"Yeah. Now."
There was no hesitation in my voice.
But there was something else there too.
Something tight.
Something I couldn't fully hide.
Because this one…
I've heard about it before.
Not from the system.
From Lola Aurora.
Stories told in low voices.
Warnings disguised as bedtime tales.
Manananggal.
Even thinking about it made something crawl up my spine.
I exhaled slowly.
"We don't wait on this one."
They were still trying to process it.
So I moved.
"Millien," I called.
He hopped onto the table like he already knew what I was doing.
I glanced at him briefly.
"Tell them."
He crossed his tiny arms, serious.
"This is a critical case," he said. "If we delay, the human might not survive the night."
That did it.
Gino straightened immediately. "That bad?"
Millien nodded. "Worse if ignored."
Cynthia's expression shifted. "She's pregnant…"
Sarah didn't even hesitate. "Then we go."
That was it.
No more questions.
Alicia floated closer to me, looking curious. "Kuya, we're going out again?"
I crouched slightly and looked at her.
"You stay with Millien at all times," I told her firmly. "No wandering."
She nodded quickly. "I'll behave."
"Good."
We moved fast after that.
Gino grabbed his keys. Sarah shut down the laptop. Cynthia made a quick call.
Within minutes, we were in the car.
I took my usual seat at the back, bag on my lap.
As the engine started, I spoke.
"Message your parents."
Gino glanced at the mirror. "What do we say?"
"Group study," I said. "Club room. Exams coming up."
Sarah was already typing. "Done."
Gino nodded. "Same."
Cynthia was the last one.
She made a call instead.
We listened quietly as she spoke.
"Yes, Daddy… we'll be staying at school tonight… group study… yes… okay… I will… don't worry."
She ended the call and looked at us.
"They said to be careful," she said simply. "And not to be reckless."
Gino chuckled lightly. "Must be nice."
She ignored him.
The drive stretched longer than expected.
Traffic.
Turns.
Narrow roads.
The city slowly thinned out as we moved farther.
No one talked much.
Even Gino stayed quiet.
I leaned back slightly, staring out the window.
Every passing shadow felt heavier.
Every dark corner felt like it was watching.
"…You okay?" Sarah asked softly.
"Yeah," I said.
But I knew she didn't fully believe that.
After almost two hours, we finally reached the landmark the client mentioned.
Gino parked by the side of the road.
The sky was already dimming.
Almost six.
"Call her," I said.
Sarah dialed the number.
"…Ma'am? Yes, we're here."
A pause.
Then....
"There."
Across the road, a woman was waving at us.
Pregnant.
Very visibly.
We stepped out and crossed toward her.
She looked at us, really looked this time, and her brows furrowed slightly.
"…You're the ones from the website?"
I nodded. "Yes."
She looked surprised.
Probably expecting older people.
Professionals.
Not four college students.
But whatever doubt she had...
She swallowed it.
"Come," she said. "I'll take you to my house."
We followed.
The place was strange.
Technically still part of the city, but the houses were spaced unevenly. Some were proper. Others looked temporary.
Further in, I could already see clusters of tightly packed homes.
Illegal settlers, most likely.
As we walked, I studied her.
The way she held her belly.
The way she kept glancing around.
"…Ma'am," I spoke.
She looked at me. "Yes?"
"You should start wearing black shirts."
She blinked. "What?"
I kept my tone steady.
"It helps," I said. "Especially at night. It'll make you less noticeable."
She looked confused but nodded anyway. "I… I'll try."
Alicia floated beside her, eyes wide as she stared at the woman's belly.
"Kuya…" she whispered. "It's so big."
I ignored her.
Leni couldn't see her anyway.
We reached her house after a few minutes.
Simple.
Small.
But clean.
Nearby, I could already see more houses packed closely together.
Too close.
She opened the door and gestured inside.
"Please, sit."
We stepped in.
The air inside felt… normal.
For now.
She offered food almost immediately.
"I made dinner… please eat first."
Gino didn't hesitate. "Thank you."
We all sat down and ate.
Even in situations like this, no one says no to food.
Not when it's offered like that.
Halfway through, she looked at us again.
"…You're staying tonight?" she asked, unsure.
I met her gaze.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No sugarcoating.
Her grip on her clothes tightened slightly.
"…Is it really that dangerous?"
I didn't answer right away.
Because I didn't need to.
The system already did.
[HELP THE CLIENT SURVIVE THE NIGHT]
I set my utensils down and looked at her.
"It will come tonight," I said calmly. "So we stay."
Silence filled the room.
She nodded slowly.
"…Thank you."
I leaned back slightly, eyes already drifting toward the window.
The sky outside was darker now.
Night was settling in.
And something out there...
Was already waiting.