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crispinkreme

Jul 5, 2021

thera-daydreams

INDAY

± A Trese Fic ±

[Crispin/Basilio/Maliksi/Dominic x Skymaiden!Reader]

01: Noon at Ngayon (Link)

02: Ang Kambal na Anak ni Datu Talagbusao, Diyos ng Digmaan (Link)

03: Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Tikbalang (Link)

04: Ang Pinuno ng Mga Aswang (Link)

05: (✓) 06: ?

05: The Past Always Catches Up to the Present

⚠️‼ Warning ‼⚠️

Contains swearing and mentions of abuse, kidnapping, trauma, toxic former relationships, self-blame, and mental breakdowns. There's a lot to unpack in the 9K+ words of this angsty long-ass chapter, everyone. Not much comedy down there. Scroll with caution! 👇

"Are you going to keep stalking her account?" Alexandra asked the boys, exasperated (but she, too, was peering over the shoulders of the wind elementals alongside the tikbalang prince and the demigod brothers). She had to admit—you had great photos, even those that were clearly not shot in a studio. "It's been nearly twenty minutes! Also, do you guys even have IG accounts?"

"We're using Hannah's and Amie's," the three men answered, not taking their eyes off the screens.

"Para din discreet, bossing," Basilio grinned, liking those silly photos of you, your food for the day, or your pets. Heck, even if you posted a random image of your milktea, he'd be all over it. There was one photo where you were all bundled up like a penguin during winter in Japan. "'Luh, ang cute nito. May snow pala sa South Korea?"

"Japan 'yan, ulol. Tignan mo nang maayos ang flag. Isang red na bilog na nga lang 'yan namali mo pa," Crispin pointed out. He, on the other hand, favored those selfies of yours wherein you were mostly barefaced and those you took with your mom while traveling (how sweet; he's definitely a secret romantic and the type to harana you, reader). The older demigod also respected the fact that you were an avid supporter of so many good foundations, being a real advocate for various causes.

"Ooooooooohohoho, jackpot," Maliksi suddenly chuckled like an evil villain, finding a candid beach photo of you in a swimsuit (one-piece or two-piece, kayo na mag-imagine mga bestie), smiling wide as you befriended some island dogs and cats. "This one is definitely going into my favorites along with those gym pics." As usual, Maliksi was being a perverted himbo, yet he also delighted in those moments of yours being connected to Philippine kultura. He briefly wondered if you had any photos of you in traditional Filipiniana or local tribal designs (you actually did, he later found out, which was definitely more plus points to you in his book). Heck, you had a photo of you trying Yakan and Subanen weaving in your trip to Zamboanga and Sulu—the place where the myth of the biraddali originated. Admittedly, your attempt at weaving was not very good, but the Master Weaver there in the community appreciated your effort. In the more ancient days, your older sisters were much better in the art than you ever could hope to be. You were too irresponsible back then to listen to them (which you may have regretted a little; you lost the chance to learn ancestral weaving from your own family).

Back in the present day, Hannah rested her hand on her hip, staring at them in amusement, "I've liked a whole lot of her posts before, but I think she'll get suspicious if she finds out that my and Amie's accounts have liked posts from yeaaaars back."

"Fans kami ni ate girl but grabe kayo, ibang level," Amie laughed, clearly noticing that the boys had a crush on you (she couldn't blame them—she and Hannah have liked you the moment they started following your account; maybe it was a connection they didn't know about, because they were wind spirits and you being... well, a being from the skies). "Head over heels, 1000%! Does she even know you three like her?"

Alexandra scoffed, taking a swig of her alcoholic drink, "If they do, they'll have to get through me... and Hank."

"Tama ka diyan," Hank smirked, giving the younger men a dark, sadistic look that promised nothing but pain if they tried to hurt you.

"Sungit niyo, bossing," Crispin frowned.

"Oo nga," Maliksi and Basilio supplied, pouts on their respective faces. "Meanie."

Meanwhile, inside another booth in the Diabolical, the Reyna Manananggal was busy doing the same thing the troublemaking trio were doing: stalking your account—trying to learn more about your background and what you've done. She was impressed, to say the least. "Definitely worthy, see?" she confidently told the Prince of the Aswang, who was trying not to look at the glowing blue screen beside him (and failing to do so, especially when he spotted a photo of you in a party, all dolled-up with crimson lipstick and dressed in a skin-tight black dress with some black fishnet stockings).

"Hm," Dominic scoffed, hiding his interest. "Where the hell is that woman? It's already past twenty minutes. Twenty-three, to be exact. Antagal."

As if on cue, you came running down the stairs, hair still dripping wet with water droplets and a towel over your shoulders. You'd just hastily put on a pair of dark denim overalls over a pastel yellow shirt (wrinkled, sadly) and then your house tsinelas since you were in a hurry to not keep the aswang guests waiting even more.

"Okay, okay, I'm back. Sorry for the wait. Thanks for being patient," you greeted the people in the bar like you'd been rushing (which, you were). Compared to twenty-something minutes earlier when you were pissed and a tad smelly from your previous... impediments outside the Diabolical, you were fresh, clean, and in a much better mood now. You blinked at all of them, before giving a thumbs-up. "This is nice. Hindi kayo nagpatayan habang naliligo ako. Good job."

You smiled at the two lovely wind elementals who seemed to be good friends with the rest of the gang while you walked to where the aswang were seated. They waved back happily.

"Remind me to take a selfie with her later," Hannah whispered to Crispin.

"Me too. She seems nice both in social media and in person!" Amie squealed, fangirling.

You sat down inside the booth on the other end of where Regina and Dominic sat. The two bodyguards, Viatrix and Ursule, remained standing beside where the aswang leader was sitting. "Now do you know what you want?" Dominic interrogated, jumping straight to business. Once more, Regina nudged him on the side (like a mom who was trying to discreetly tell their son to be nice for the nth time).

You gave him an unfazed look, "Yes. Believe it or not, I have been reflecting on it for the past twenty minutes in the shower. Sabi niyo kahit ano, 'di ba?"

Regina enthusiastically nodded, "Mmhmm! Kahit ano, Inday, ibibigay namin sa'yo."

"Okay," you smiled, knowing what you were doing. You were amazed by your brain sometimes. Dominic, seeing the look on your face, suddenly got a bad feeling about the deal. "You know that miasma that killed the other manananggal and nearly did the same to you, Regina?"

"Yes. I remember clearly," the manananggal queen affirmed. "'Yung berdeng-itim na lason."

"Are you and Dominic aware that it is not only the manananggal and the aswang that are affected by it?" you added, head slightly tilted in question. At this, Alexandra and the twins—who were eavesdropping on the conversation—stiffened.

Dominic and Regina shared a look that clearly said their attention was piqued. Regina tapped her chin, "Huh. Is that so? We've heard rumors of other creatures being attacked, but no confirmations."

"Didn't expect it to be the same poison that attacked you, though," Dominic turned to Regina, now even more concerned. His gaze darted between you and his sister. "What's this got to do with how we'll pay our debt?"

"Well, do you know why those aswang attacked the manananggal and who they got the miasma from?" you inquired. Dominic paused, debating on whether or not to respond to your inquiry. It involved private matters about his angkan after all, but now that he's got confirmation of other tribes being attacked as well, this has escalated to another level.

Dominic sighed tiredly, suddenly looking a hundred years older, "... The aswang clans have been uneasy. Some of them do not like the way I've been running things and thus, we've been having cases of rebellions. It's normal for any leader, but this time, it wasn't. A lot of them have gone hunting way beyond the aswang market and the abortion clinic the angkan owns. They've resorted to online black market transactions." He rubbed his temples. "We may not be part of the Accords anymore but that does not mean we're mindless psychopaths who kill every human being we see. We have absolutely no idea where they got the miasma, though."

Immediately, your respect for the man grew. Outwardly, he looked like he didn't give a shit about anything, but now you could tell he truly cared about the welfare of his clan (and the rest of the Karit-an). He was pissy about a lot of things, but on the inside, he was just concerned (maybe somewhat paranoid, too, now that you remembered that it was him often arguing with Tito Anton in the past about the state of their affairs).

"In that case," you proposed, smiling. "Since both Team Trese and your clan are having difficulties finding the perpetrator, do you want to form an alliance?"

That silenced everyone in the bar even more; so much you could hear a pin drop with how quiet it was. The said Team Trese, who were definitely not aware of your plan, stared at you incredulously.

"Okay, yes, I am aware you guys have left the Accords years ago," you supplied, sensing the growing tension. "But rejoining the Accords is not necessarily what I'm asking for, even if you did say I could ask anything. Do you want to form an alliance with Team Trese?"

"... Team Trese?" Regina muttered cluelessly. "You mean Alexandra Trese and those demigods?"

"Uh-huh. That's... mainly them," you nodded, glancing at the people in question. Then your gaze flitted from Regina to Dominic, who didn't know how to react. Although, you could tell he thought the idea was outrageous.

"This is bullshit," the aswang leader snarled, indeed finding your proposition preposterous. He slammed his fist on the table as he stood up, cracking it (and making Hank huff: another thing to add to the list of repairs and replacements). "May rason kung bakit kami tumalikod sa Kasunduan. I refuse to work with the child of the prophecy and Talagbusao's offspring! Ask for something else, woman!"

You scratched your head, looking up at him without an ounce of fear, "But... I don't have anything else I can ask for right now." You weren't giving up on this; not when this could be the case where you could actually be of use to Team Trese. "And if we join forces, don't you think mas mabilis nating matatapos 'tong problemang 'to? Who knows what, when, and where else the miasma could attack?"

The aswang grumbled, sitting back down. Regina tapped her fingers on the table, thinking about it carefully, "She has a point, Dominic. A dozen of my manananggal sisters have died because of that rebel ambush. I nearly did, too. Another incident would do us no good."

A vein throbbed on Dominic's neck as he recalled the panic he felt seeing the warehouse floors with dead manananggal bodies. He was even more terrified when he couldn't find Regina's body anywhere.

"If you don't want to form an alliance with them... with Team Trese," you tried again. Becoming allies with the aswang would be beneficial not only to you and the Trese family, but to them, too. "Then form one with me. At least give me a chance to solve whatever is happening. Please."

"Well, I'll be happy to ally myself with you, Inday! You already were the moment you healed me. My brother can't make my decisions for my clan," Regina answered with a chuckle, taking your hands and clasping them in your own, starry-eyed at you. "The manananggal shall ally themselves with you, darling."

Irritated at his sister's extravagant declaration of loyalty, Dominic moped. "Before I even agree to that, what are you? And how were you even able to heal Regina?"

You blinked, "Huh. I thought the whole Karit-an knew already, given how much trouble the world has been giving me lately. They say word spreads fast, but okay, I'll show you." Clearing your throat, you allowed your hands to glow silver, as well as your eyes. Inky white markings crept up from your right palm, going up to the right side of your face. It couldn't be seen because of your clothes, but they were also present on your back and the entirety of your right leg.

Behind the booth, the rest of the Trese gang stared in awe as you finally showed the non-human side of yourself. Unlike the sons of Talagbusao who were clearly non-human even in their regular forms (as evidenced by their black scleras), you could mask yourself to look completely human, both in appearance and aura. It was only now that they felt that you were an otherworldy being (yes, Hank dropped his cigarette in shock despite already knowing you were a skymaiden). However, you let your wings remain hidden for now; they only needed a glimpse to believe, right?

Dominic recognized the ancient scripts and markings on your arm, "You... You're one of them. Isa kang biraddali." At his side, Viatrix and Ursule tensed; Regina was just amazed (you were glowy-glowy!).

A huge smile appeared on your face. "Mmhmm! I'm the last one amongst my sisters. I only found out about my heritage like, four years ago, when my mentor, the spirit of the rainbow, first appeared to me. Gabay... or that shapeshifting baby you saw earlier."

"I thought the last biraddali died eons ago," Regina pondered. "The stories got it all wrong, then."

You sweatdropped, "They did. They got a lot of it wrong, actually." You recalled the happy ending you never got. Smiling sadly, you reverted back into your human form. You hid the pain in your eyes as you reached your hand out towards the aswang leader, "But that's not the point. Now that I've shown you who I am, will you give me a chance and become allies with me?"

Dominic looked at your outstretched hand, still somewhat unsure. However, he relented, shaking your hand. Against his will, he remembered how soft and gentle your hands were when you cuddled him in his canine form; the exact opposite of his, sharp claws and all. Now, he found that your hand was so small compared to his very own. It was... cute, actually. "Fine. I shall ally with you for the time being, biraddali. We need to get to the bottom of this poison killing supernatural beings. For now, the debt of the aswang to you is repaid."

You beamed, squeezing his hand comfortingly, "Thank you for agreeing! I promise that you won't regret this!"

Dominic swallowed before retracting his hand from yours quickly, "Dapat lang. Siguraduhin mo 'yan, biraddali." He stood up, with Regina and the other aswang women following. "We'll take our leave now. Should another incident occur in my territory, someone will inform you—either myself or someone else."

"What about the aswang in the white van that tried to kidnap me? And a lot of other humans?" you asked worriedly. "Baka may pinaplano pa sila."

"I'll look into it and make sure that it does not happen again," Dominic assured you.

With that, he and his clanmates left the Diabolical. Pleased with yourself, you stood up and headed to where Alex and the others were. Alex flicked your forehead the moment you sat on the stool beside her.

"Ow!" you whined. "Para saan 'yun, 'Lex?"

"You didn't even inform any of us that you were planning on allying yourself with the aswang!" she scolded, crossing her arms. "What if they refused or tried to attack? Kung hindi ka dumating kanina, baka wala nang Diabolical ngayon."

"They were indebted to me!" you protested. "They wouldn't attack me. Besides, I can very much hold my own against them if they did try."

"I don't know if I can trust the aswang," Alexandra muttered, finishing her drink. "Not after what they did. They nearly killed my father and the rest of the family while I was in the Balete Tree."

"If you don't trust them, then trust me, Alex," you told her, eyes pleading. "They gave my proposal a chance, so the least we can do is do the same to them. Even just for this case." She was hesitant, but relented.

That was when you once more noticed the two taong hangin who've been around since you came back to the Diabolical. You waved at them, "Hi. We haven't met yet! I'm—"

"Y/N L/N, right?" the one with bangs excitedly said, coming up to you. "Omg, bestie, I'm like, a super huge fan mo! My name's Hannah!"

You blinked, "... Big... fan? Of me?"

"Yup! Ako pala si Amie!" the other one with the ponytail squealed. "Can I pretty please have your autograph? Pwede din ba makipag-selfie with you? Gosh, idol na idol kita! Your pics on IG are soooo good! Tunay na slaying bad bitch sa gabi pero pwede din maging soft girl sa umaga! Goals, am I right?"

You sweatdropped at her description, "Ah, IG. Haven't posted in a while, actually. I've been on a social media detox for a few months now."

The girls turned to the boys, who were holding shiny, accessorized phones that clearly weren't theirs, "See! We told you!"

Your eyes narrowed when you saw what was on the screen of the phones. The feed being shown was abnormally familiar to you. "Crispin? Basilio? Maliksi? Are you three—whoa, is that my account?"

Before they could answer, Alexandra and Hank snickered, "Yes. They were stalking you."

You took out your phone from your pocket and logged back into your account, finding that you had over a hundred new notifications from new likes on your old posts. You groaned, making the two boys look sheepish and another one smug.

"Hehe, sorry na, sweetheart," Maliksi grinned, not feeling sorry at all.

"Sanaooool nakalabas na ng Pilipinas," Basilio pouted, returning Amie's phone back to her. "I've never seen snow in my entire life. Gusto ko kayang mag-build ng snowman tulad ni Olaf." You giggled at his statement. Maybe one day you could bring these guys to somewhere with snow.

"Grabe ka din pala mag-adventure habang nagtatravel, Y/N," Crispin complimented. "Hindi ka natatakot mag-skydiving o mag-cliff jumping? 'Di ko nga gusto ang lagusan, 'yan pa."

At his comment, you laughed, "Crispin, galing ako sa langit. And I have wings, you know. Of course hindi ako matatakot mag-skydive o mag-cliff jump!"

"Ay, oo nga. Biraddali ka pala, hehe," he chuckled, giving the phone he was holding back to Hannah.

You turned back to the wind elementals, smiling, "It's nice to meet you, too. Hindi ko alam may... uh, fans ako. I only now noticed that my account blew up while I wasn't active anymore."

"Ay, 'wag kang mag-alala, siszt!" Amie assured you. "Longtime followers mo na kami!"

"Yeah!" Hannah nodded. "Ever since that pic of you in that club being the epitome of hot girl summer even years ago! Totally wasted from alcohol, but sexy as hell while dancing!"

You flushed red at the memory. That photo. You'd forgotten all about it now; that was like, five years ago when you were celebrating after passing your college finals. You weren't the type to get blackout drunk, but for that night, you let go for once and ended up scoring your entire barkada some drinks from very rich strangers. Your caption? Sugar daddies found, courtesy of yours truly.

"Hm, 'di namin 'yan nakita, ah," Alexandra teased. Beside her, Maliksi, Crispin, and Basilio were smirking.

"Bwiset kayo," you mumbled, humiliated. "I'll be scrolling down to delete that later."

"Too late," Maliksi chimed in on his own phone, showing everyone the photo. Hell, he created an account for this and already followed you. He chuckled, "Heh. Ikaw talaga, Y/N. You are a very naughty girl. Ang kalat mo pala."

"Holy shit, your hair was red in this!" Basilio exclaimed. Damn, you looked good in red hair and that lacey red dress you wore (sorry, little black dress). "Pwede pala 'yan sa college? Akala ko bawal."

"Those heels look like they can stab someone," Crispin noted, cheeks tinted slightly pink. You really could shift between the innocent girl next door to the simmering hot woman everyone wanted in the club. "Didn't know you were that type, Y/N."

Ears practically steaming, you turned to Hank, "Wala na akong dignidad. Give me the strongest drink you can make." Hank raised a brow, but complied, taking out a bottle of tequila to mix something up.

"Careful, Y/N. Baka pagkatapos mong uminom niyan, sumasayaw ka na tulad sa pic na 'to... not that I won't appreciate a free dance from you."

"Shut up, Maliksi."

"I never will."

You would never get knockout drunk again and embarrass yourself in front of these people.

The next weeks were spent with you accompanying Team Trese on their supernatural case investigations and occasionally, fighting off evil creatures and saving innocent humans from the clutches of the Underworld. Usually, the twins and Alex handled the more action-packed portion of the fights while you focused on healing victims and getting them away from the fight scene. When you did, however, engage in battle, you looked like a warrior goddess revived and frankly, badass as hell—as said by the twins themselves (you, on the other hand, still thought you were abog on the side of the street). Maliksi and the hangin babes would be with you guys sometimes, too (though Mal would often barge into the Trese residence during meal times to be one of the lucky ones to eat what you were cooking).

Aside from that, there wasn't anything very interesting happening. Your new aswang allies had actually been coming over consistently after your truce with them. You thought that it was Viatrix, Ursule, or even Regina who would visit more often under the orders of their leader, but it was actually Dominic himself who came by a lot. He wasn't as harsh and hotheaded as when you first met him, thankfully. Now he was quieter (and nicer, even). You'd started listening to his rants about the affairs of his clan and his sister being annoying (not like you couldn't; he's started to sneak on your bedroom balcony as a black cat or a black crow). If you thought Nuno was chismoso, you should hear Maliksi and Dominic gossiping to you about their angkan. That shit was juicy as hell. Never would you expect that (but eh, they were princes).

Dominic had located all the aswang who'd rebelled and got the situation under control, too, apparently. With your and Team Trese's assistance, not much damage was made. Numerous human hostages were rescued from the rebel aswang, as well. Strangely enough, the rising cases of supernatural attacks (both by supernatural beings and on supernatural beings) lessened significantly.

You may not have discovered yet the perpetrator to the poisonous miasma that almost killed Regina, but you assumed there would at least be more peace and less sleep-deprived nights from now on.

You were wrong and terribly mistaken.

The night after you all defeated the rebel aswang, everyone was celebrating (surprisingly not in a club or a bar), but a late-night, open-air samgyeopsal grill that was miraculously still open at this time of the night. Thus, the group had reserved two tables for the celebration. You didn't know how the seating arrangements came to be (probably courtesy of Gabay, Alex, and your new female friends, Regina, Hannah, and Amie), but now... you were stuck.

Stuck where? Inbetween four very ridiculously attractive inhuman men (kilig ka, girl?).

In front of you Dominic, grilling the pork belly strips that had just been brought by the server—yes, the aswang leader ate human food when it was tasty; samgyeopsal was a favorite of his, shockingly. Right beside him was Maliksi, who had taken it upon humself to cook the marinated, melt-in-your-mouth-looking beef slices. On your right was Basilio, who was munching on some spicy bulgogi, and on your left was Crispin, who was still slurping down the seafood ramyeon from earlier. You? You were awkwardly eating the fried kimchi rice in the middle of it all.

Those sneaky little freaks on the other table definitely planned it all. Regina smiled haughtily, leaning towards the others on her table, "I'm betting five of my designer bags that Inday will definitely become my future sister-in-law."

"As if," Hannah rolled her eyes. "I'm betting my money on either Crispin or Basilio."

"Like, duh, sila ang tamang choice for Y/N," Amie grinned. "They're perfect for one another!"

Regina gave them a half-disgusted look, "Not those two irresponsible demigods. And didn't you two date those twins back then?"

"Nah, they were just a one-night stand from that night Alexandra here offered them to us as our premyo in the karera against Maliksi," Amie responded nonchalantly, shrugging. "The long-term interest wasn't there. We found out we're more interested in those water people who frequent the Diabolical, instead."

"Tamang-tama ka diyan, girl," Hannah giggled. "The sirena I met a couple weeks before was pretty hot, too. What about you, Alexandra? Who do you think Inday will end up with?"

Alexandra hummed, grilling the meat on the pan, "It's none of my business, but from my experience, Maliksi is relentless in his pursuits... and is very competitive. Baka sa kanya mapapadpad si Y/N, as much as I disapprove of it."

Gabay—who was in the form of an older-looking androgynous, platinum-haired human because they wanted to eat, too—suddenly snorted, "Ako? Sa palagay ko magiging matandang dalaga 'yan si Inday."

"Huh? Why?" the women asked simultaneously. "She's got all the qualities of a great, desirable woman!"

"Oo nga, that's my student you're talking about, but she's got terrible luck when it comes to relationships. Abroad or not, they never even get past the six-month mark. Hindi niyo ba napansin that she's never posted anything about being with a guy or a girl?" Gabay pointed out, chopsticks in their hand.

"Hmm... you're right," Hannah realized. "But maybe she's just a very private person when it comes to relationships?"

"Yeah, baka 'yan ang rason, Gabay," Amie reasoned out.

Regina sighed longingly, "Can't imagine a woman as wonderful as her to be unable to attain a stable relationship. But I'm not judging. If she wishes to be single, then I respect that independence even more."

Gabay frowned, knowing what you'd been through. They all watched as Maliksi stuffed a beef strip wrapped in lettuce into your mouth (then a clearly jealous Basilio tried to feed you a giant spoonful of his bulgogi right after, resulting in you choking, with Dominic giving you some soju to swallow it down while Crispin patted your back comfortingly). Exhaling, Gabay shook their head, "She's just had a... bad experience in love, that's all. And she's afraid, I can tell. Or hesitant, even if I believe she deserves all the love in this world and more."

The women around Gabay could only wonder what happened to you for you to feel like that. They didn't know what really happened in the true backstory of the biraddali, after all.

You swallowed down what you'd been gagging on with the help of your beer, hearing Mal's and Basilio's profuse apologies. You raised one finger at them to shut them up, "Wait—just—tumahimik kayo! I'm okay. Okay, I'm okay." You inhaled deeply, feeling that there was something wrong. "I think I have to uh, sneeze out some rice in my airways. I'll... be right... back. Excuse me."

You stood up, rushing to the restroom, hearing Crispin scold his younger brother while Alex told off Maliksi for nearly killing you with food.

"Kayong dalawa, umayos kayo!" Alexandra chided, a little pissed. The two men in question had their heads bowed guiltily. "Kung mamatay ang best friend ko, lagot kayo sa'kin!" Dominic, even if he wasn't on good terms with the woman, agreed with her.

"I was five seconds away from doing the Heimlich on her," the aswang leader commented smugly, relishing in the fact that the tikbalang prince's and the demigod bunso's prides were knocked down a notch (Dominic - 1, Maliksi & Basilio - 0). The aswang would never admit it, but he was smug not only because of that but also because he'd started growing fond of you over the past weeks; you were the only one willing to listen to his rants and actually listen to his gossip. "You two should be more careful with Y/N."

Maliksi and Basilio only glared at him, knowing his real intentions. Crispin, not wanting to deal with this, just ate the meat Dominic and Maliksi had been cooking.

"Tangina, hoy! Ba't mo kinain lahat, pare!?" Maliksi cussed.

Dominic grumped, "That wasn't yours, you fool! You even ate my share."

"Bossing, si Kuya Crispin din, o! Nagnanakaw ng pagkain!" Ah, Basilio. Sumbongero talaga. Not much has changed since their childhood.

"Will you four behave and stop fighting?" came Alexandra's exasperated tone. "Papalabasin ko talaga kayo. Isa nalang! I'll have the girls help me drag you out."

Unfortunately, when you turned the corner, the restroom was locked and occupied. Damn, you had to get your snot out in public, then. You grumbled, looking for some tissue. When you did get the obstructions out of your airway by blowing them out onto a tissue, your shoulders sagged in relief. You turned on the faucet handle and started washing your hands to rid it of your nose... germs (ew). You hummed to yourself, making sure your hands bubbled and were lathered generously. Ooh, the soap in this restaurant smelled really nice. Cucumber and melon. You made a mental note to buy this scent the next time you went grocery shopping for the Trese residence.

Click!

Huh. The person in the bathroom must be done doing their thing. You turned around, seeing that the door to the comfort room was open and unlocked, as if it had never been used. That was weird. You didn't see or hear anyone get out. It had definitely been occupied when you first came, right? Chills ran down your spine. Somehow, in this enclosed space, you felt like there was someone watching you.

Leche. You'd killed monstrous creatures and creepy ghosts before but now, there was just something so wrong about the place; quite similar to previous haunted locations you'd gone to before. This time? Gabay wasn't with you. It was colder now. Almost freezing cold. There was also a ringing in your ears with how silent it had become; you couldn't hear the soft chatter of the other patrons in the restaurant nor the sizzling of hot meat on the pans. It was as if you were alone in this entire place. Separated from the rest of the team.

Something was definitely wrong.

Shrinking into yourself and speedily wiping your wet hands on your jeans, you closed your eyes, focusing on meditating and calming your jittery nerves. This wasn't the first time you'd gotten into a spooky situation. You just had to calm down and get out of the illusion.

"Hm."

It was a deep, baritone voice that spoke behind you. Smoky and rough, as if it hadn't been used for a long time. You flinched, feeling a frigid hand grip your arm tightly. Inday, do not open your eyes. You'd watched enough horror movies and experienced enough shit in this lifetime to know that doing that would be a mistake. But why on earth did this one voice speaking to you make you feel like the world was closing into you? Normally, you'd be able to attack whatever thing that was currently touching you. However, you found yourself unable to move a single muscle. Was it from fear? You were unsure.

The frigid hand on your arm became two, caressing your shoulders in a misleadingly loving touch.

"Mahal," it—he—whispered once more, directly beside your ear. You could practically feel someone breathing by it. And why was it calling you in such an endearing way? "Matagal nang hinihintay ng puso kong tapat na nagmamahal sa iyo na muling yakapin ka. Please, my love, open your eyes."

Was this a joke? Why? Why was this spirit affecting you this way? You refused to open your eyes, focusing on purifying your mind to get out of whatever illusion casted on you. Focus, Inday. Concentrate.

"This soul that has loved you so faithfully over the past millennia has endured suffering unlike no other in your long absence." Your jaw tightened. What did he just say? "Do you not recognize my voice? My touch? My words? Maawa ka naman sa akin, mahal. Let me hear the sound of your voice again now that we are... reunited."

This was impossible. It couldn't be—no, the moment you heard his voice, the deepest depths of your whole soul already knew who he was. Your entire being was simply denying the truth. Those sweet nothings into your ear coupled by the calloused, deathly-cold grip on your arms? You knew who it was.

"Sa unang sulyap ko pa lang ng iyong mukha ilang siglo na ang nakaraan, para akong nagayuma," he hummed, hands moving down to grasp your own, frozen in horror. He interlaced his fingers with yours. "That fateful day by the waterfalls, when you promised yourself to me, angel... I know it was love at first sight. Touching you again after all these years, it makes me weak. I cannot describe the joy I feel as of this moment."

And then those memories you'd intentionally locked away came rushing back alongside that all-too-familiar terror. You needed to get away from this man. Now. Yet, you felt like a deer in headlights in spite of how overactive your thoughts were right now. Tanga, Inday. Gumising ka. Kumilos ka! Umalis ka na dito!

"Huwag mong ikait sa akin ang iyong napakarilag na tingin, mahal." A tender kiss was planted on your collarbone, and you could feel a head of hair resting against your chest, listening to your rapidly pulsating heart. Despite the gesture, you felt disgust in the entirety of your being, knowing what he once did to you and your sisters. Bile crept up your throat, as it did when you were once haunted by nightmares of the face you couldn't remember. Nightmares of the very man holding you now.

"Hindi 'to totoo," you chanted to yourself, trembling.

"Hindi totoo?" the man holding you asked, his romantic tone becoming icy—warning. He gripped your arms so tight you thought the bones would break. "Don't try to fool yourself, beloved wife. Huwag kang magsinungaling sa sarili mo. I'm right here."

Matatamis man ang kanyang mga salita, alam mong isang halimaw ang lalaking 'to—you knew there was a monster in the once-human that practically held you hostage in his home countless moons ago.

"Open your eyes, angel." A hand took your chin, forcing it up. You hadn't realized your head had been bowing down. "You'll see that all of this is real, and that I have initiated my goal to take you as my bride once more."

The only way to find out if this was real was to open your eyes, right? And so you did. You found yourself staring into the mirror, dressed in your celestial robes of flowing silver silk and tulle. Your inky markings as a biraddali were present, too, and so was the man that plagued your dreams years ago. You two looked like the couple you were back then—husband and (forced) wife. Even your surroundings had switched back to that home he kept you in.

This man was the living equivalent of McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy, but much older and far less dreamy. He may have that dazzling smile and the wavy, curly locks women would want to run their hands through, but you knew for a fact that this man would drag you by the hair if he caught you doing something he disliked (yes, you were speaking from experience). Hell, you two met when he was spying on you and your sisters bathing in a lake. That said something about his personality, didn't it? Instant red flag, but you had no choice but to be stuck with him and become his wife since he'd hidden your wings away, leaving you powerless while your sisters managed to escape.

One thing was different from back then and when he killed your sisters, however. His eyes. Those cruel black irises had become an abominable shade yellow-green, splattered with specks of black—you suspected it was from whatever deal he made with Sitan. His beard, which had grown since the last time you even saw him, rested on your shoulder as he wrapped his arms around you. He had the nerve to touch you so freely after how he'd wronged you.

"By the heavens, I've waited too long to have you again," he whispered into your neck, planting another kiss on it.

That was your last straw.

You pulled away from him, slapping him hard enough to leave a burning mark on his cheek. Your hands were illuminated with a silver light, and his skin sizzled like a demon from the holy energy you'd amplified into the slap. All the rage from when he massacred your sisters pooled back into your veins.

"Putangina mong gago ka, Isagani!" you screeched madly, hot tears welling up in your eyes. You haven't been this enraged—with the true desire to kill—ever in this life. "Ang kapal-kapal ng mukha mo, showing your face to me after what you did! Hayop ka, don't you dare act like you did nothing!" Your tears streamed down your cheeks, the anguished wails of your siblings echoing in your ears. You could never forget. "Pinatay mo ang mga ate ko! Mga inosenteng nilalang na wala man lang ginawa sa'yo!"

Said man only smiled at you, as if his wounded cheek was nothing to him. As if the murders he committed were nothing to him. There was no ounce of guilt on his features as the wound on his face healed up very quickly. No, he wasn't sorry at all. You hated him. "Did you not enjoy my gifts to you, mahal? Didn't you say that you wanted to help the people in Manila, to heal the creatures that had been attacked? I gave you that exact opportunity!"

"Anong pinagsasabi mo!?"

The older man shrugged, casually leaning on the wall opposite to you, "Well, I just needed an opportunity to rise back from the depths of hell, love."

"'Wag mo akong tawaging mahal o love, bwiset ka!" you hissed.

He continued, not minding your interruption at all. "Those rebellious aswang really were desperate for power, weren't they? To the point that they were willing to summon a being who'd made a deal with the devil just for the freedom of being able to consume more human flesh and bone. An endless feast of human flesh and bone! Hell, they even killed their fellow aswang—the manananggal. The Underworld really has been in chaos lately, I observe. Supernatural creatures of Filipino mythology, dying here... and there... it's a shame you were able to save a lot of them. I wanted more death, but you stopped it. Still, I wouldn't expect anything less of my wife."

Your heart dropped into your stomach, "Ano...?"

Isagani lifted himself off the wall, leaning towards you. "So clueless, mahal. Don't you get it? Or are you still in denial, as always? Dati palang ang tigas ng ulo mo, ayaw makinig sa akin." He cupped your cheek, looking into your eyes. "Yes. It was me all along. That miasma you spend so much time extracting from victims? That's mine. That's from me, because of me. Sitan gifted me many powers. Pestilence is just one."

You clenched your fists, "... Bakit? Bakit mo 'to ginagawa?"

"Simple," he replied without a care in the world. "Two reasons: for attention and for revenge. You do recall that you left your husband all alone while you oh-so-joyfully reunited with your so-called innocent sisters." His eyes became dark; bitter and lethal. The miasma you'd familiarized yourself with materialized on the floor below his feet, making you gasp. "I know that they were the ones who whispered to the winds where your wings were. They were why you ran from me, when you were so close to finally loving me—"

"You took my freedom away from me! You almost broke me. Huwag mong ikutin ang kwento, Isagani!" you snarled, ripping his hand off your cheek. Yes, you nearly gave up your life as a biraddali for this man back then, but that was the Stockholm Syndrome talking. He acted all sweet to you but never ever let you out of the house without his permission or companionship. He never even let you see other people! "The myths already paint you as worthy. As a hero! You're not even close to that, you piece of shit."

"Ah," he murmured, sighing. Your eyes thinned into slits. "What do I have to do to convince you that my love for you is undying? All the attacks in Manila, they gave you a purpose, didn't they? I gave you the chance to use your biraddali powers. I've been watching over you when you stepped back into the Philippines one year ago. I awakened when you returned as a true biraddali. I was giving you what you want. Does that not deserve any thanks, angel?"

"Shove those thanks up your ass, you bastard. You poisoned so many people—killed them, even. For what? Your sick games?!" you barked back. There was so much emotion in your being that you couldn't comprehend it. All the words just automatically kept spewing out of your lips. "I will never be yours. Not in this life, not in any lifetime."

"You'll come around in time," he told you, very much assured of himself. "We'll end up together soon. I know it."

"Go to hell, Isagani."

"Already did, mahal. Just for you," he laughed, moving towards you again. "I'll see you in your dreams. Let's reminisce our time together as a married couple in your sleep, alright?"

"Don't fucking touch me!" you spat at him. He paused, then scoffed.

"Magiging akin ka muli, Y/N. I'm not letting you slip through my fingers again. We'll be together again and no one can stop me, not even death. You can't hide from me. I'll take you one way or another."

"Papatayin kita," you hissed. "I'll kill you myself with my own hands."

He grinned. You wanted to wipe it off his despicable face. "I know you will," were Isagani's strange final words before vanishing. When you blinked, you were back outside the restroom, the faucet still running and miraculously not flooding the entire sink.

You stared at your face in the mirror. It was clear you'd cried. A lot. You rubbed your face and splashed it with cold water, trying to mask it. It didn't work at all. Your eyes were swollen. Your nose was red. Overall, you felt shitty; you wanted to scrub off every trace of his touch from your skin. You felt filthy whenever that sociopath was around. His slimy personality was something else.

Other than that? There was searing grief and white-hot rage boiling in your chest. Why the hell did Isagani have to appear to you now of all times? The weight of the world was back on your shoulders after his revelation. So many people had died because Isagani was trying to prove his love to you. Fuck it, that wasn't love. It was madness. Knowing that it was helpless to try and fix your face, you headed back to your table, only to bump into Hannah and Amie when you turned the corner.

"Y/N?" they both asked. You quickly faced away from them, refusing to show your face.

"Are... you okay?" Amie inquired, concerned. "Did something happen?"

Hannah was trying to see your face, "We were getting worried. You've been gone for thirty minutes."

"Na food poisoning ka ba? We can talk to the manager if you wa—"

You shook your head, keeping your voice as stable as you could. It was a pretty bad attempt since your voice still very much sounded hoarse and shaky, "No, no. I'm... I'm good. 'Di niyo na kailangan gawin 'yan."

You rushed back to your table to grab your bag, hiding your face. Meanwhile, the other other occupants stared at you. Crispin was the first to speak up. "Uy, Y/N! Antagal mo sa CR, naano ka ba talaga nina Basilio at ni Mal?" His gaze zoomed in on your hidden face. "Y/N? Ba't mo tinatago ang mukha mo? Are—hey, are you crying?"

Damn your sniffling.

"No, I'm not," you denied, obviously lying. Perhaps Isagani was right in that aspect of you—there was a lot of denial going on.

Maliksi and Basilio became even guiltier than they were before, thinking they were why you took so long in the restroom and why you were crying.

"Shit, sorry Y/N, 'di namin sinasadyang mabulu—"

"Stop. It's not your fault," you cut them off curtly, reaching out your bag which was right in front of Dominic. "Gabay, we're leaving. Let's go." Unbeknownst to you, your long sleeves had ridden up, showing the aswang prince a glimpse of the new dark bruises you hadn't even noticed. Speedily, he snatched your hand, making you cringe out of soreness. Noticing this, he consequently made his hold far more careful and gentle. His words, though, were anything but that.

"Holy fuck, is this why you're crying!?" he scowled, standing up and slowly peeling up your sleeve. Indeed, there were more dark marks beginning to form from your recent encounter. His eyes narrowed—by your chin, a little above your neck, there were marks, too. You tried not to look at him in the eye, snatching your hand away from him and exiting the restaurant. The rest of them followed you out. Once outside, Gabay shapeshifted into a ball of light, stopping you from running away. They gave you a worried look.

"Y/N, sinong gumawa nito sa'yo?" Alexandra chased you, a deep frown on her normally-stoic face. It was only her whom you openly showed your face to. She stilled, knowing that look in your eyes. The last time she saw it was when you were first told you had to move back to the province; when you had to separate from one another.

It was the look of mixed anger, frustration, and helplessness.

"Bubugbugin namin ang tarantadong nanakit sa'yo!" the twins growled, already taking out their guns. Their masks materialized on their faces. There was an urge to kill in the air. Those marks on your skin were too deep—too many to be an accident.

"Saan ang putanginang 'yon, Y/N? Kami na bahala," Maliksi threatened. What motherfucker would even dare lay their hands on you? That one, he'd gladly stomp to death in his tikbalang form without any hesitation.

Dominic, surprisingly, defended you, too. "Tell us where they are. He or she. We can easily make it look like a suicide. If you want, we can also bury the body."

None of that helped. In fact, you became even more terrified not only for yourself, but for their safety, too. Isagani's miasma could kill any living being, including your friends, as powerful and glorious as they were.

"Alex... I can't. I can't do this," you broke down, shaking your head. "This—This is all my fault." You turned to a startled Regina, sobbing and covering your mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Ako ang dahilan kung bakit namatay ang mga kapatid mo. If I wasn't alive, they'd—they'd still be alive." You looked at your friends, lips wobbling. "And those other creatures... those who died from the miasma, it's because of me. I'm why they died."

"What are you talking about?" Regina's brows were furrowed in confusion. "It's not your fault."

"It is!" You swallowed the lump in your throat, turning to Gabay and trying to breathe. You couldn't help but cry to your mentor, pacing back and forth—running your hands through your hair and pulling them to feel somewhat grounded. "I remember his face now, Gabay. Everything he did to me and my sisters, klarong-klaro na ang mukha niya. Nakita ko siya kanina. He was there with me, watching me. He's back—no, he's always been here! He's been here all this time and he's why this miasma is poisoning the Underworld. This is all my fault. I should never have even... I can't think... here... I don't... I'm..." You couldn't see your guardian spirit's face since they were just a ball of light, but you knew that they knew who you were describing. Alexandra engulfed you into a hug, realizing that you were going into a full-blown panic attack; hyperventilating and about to faint.

Maliksi disappeared into the restaurant then reappeared with a paper bag. Alex brought it to your mouth, encouraging you to blow into it.

"Who's he?" the heir of the Armanaz herd asked, barely holding himself back from punching someone. Same went for the twin warchildren of Datu Talagbusao and a certain aswang leader. Even Regina, Hannah, and Amie were ready to smack a bitch (bastard, actually).

You lowered yourself down on the ground, crouching as you inhaled and exhaled into the paper bag with misty eyes. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Slow. Gabay didn't know whether or not to answer Maliksi's question for you. It was a sensitive topic, after all.

"Isagani. That's h-his n-name," you hiccuped inbetween breaths, wiping your closed eyes and your cheeks. "Siya ang l-lalaking nasa mitolohiya ng mga b-biraddali. The man who stole m-my wings and took me as his w-wife." You hated how you stuttered while you calmed down, but you needed to get this out of your system—him out of your system.

Everyone froze at your explanation. Hannah offered you an entire pack of tissue from her purse. You muttered some thanks, emptying your nostrils from all the mucus that had built up.

"But he never... he never b-became worthy," you grit your teeth. Calm down. Slow down. Speak. "It wasn't a happy ending. It... It wasn't even a fairy tale! That m-man... he was obsessive. Manipulative. Abusive. Without my wings, I was p-powerless. Trapped, with nowhere to go. But like in the stories, the wind spirits... t-they helped me receive m-my sisters' message," you gave a sad smile to Hannah and Amie, who now understood their connection to you. "I found my wings and escaped. B-But Isagani... he's insane. An absolute madman! He... he—"

You shook your head, crying into Alexandra's arms, unable to continue. Their heart clenched, seeing you, such a strong and fearless woman, broken into pieces like this. This time, it was Gabay who spoke on your behalf. "Isagani is the reason why Y/N is the last biraddali," they answered. "He eradicated the other six. Inday's ates were only able to transfer their powers to her with their dying breaths."

The rest of them gulped. Dominic asked what was on everyone's mind, "How can a mere human even kill a celestial maiden?"

"Isagani was no mere mortal when he killed the other biraddali, pinuno ng mga aswang," Gabay formally addressed him. "He'd made a deal with Sitan prior to the massacre. And yes, by Sitan, I mean the deity of Kasanaan." Gabay stared down at your traumatized form in sorrow. "It seems that he's returned to exact his revenge on his bride again for escaping him."

"That's why he's doing all this? Killing supernatural creatures? Revenge for Y/N just wanting to be free of him?" Alexandra clarified, incredulous. "And he's the one who has the gall to be vengeful?!"

"Baliw ata 'yang Isagani na 'yan," Basilio muttered. "Nge, Isagani ang pangalan pero mapapatay ko ata. Patawad nalang, Rizal. Hindi kami pwede magkaibigan."

Gabay sighed, "Apparently, killing people to get Inday's attention is his way of exacting his revenge and showing his... uh, love to her."

"Tarantadong 'yan," Crispin snarled.

Alexandra rubbed your back soothingly, "One thing's for sure for all of us. We have to be careful. We also have to start looking for this Isagani guy and find out what he's planning." She later on helped you heal your bruises—those godforsaken marks—with her own spells. She was angry beyond belief, too (just better at hiding it than the boys).

That night, in spite of your utter emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion, you didn't get a blink of sleep. Whenever you closed your eyes, you would see him. Hear him. Feel him, even. You despised it. Even in your sleep, you couldn't get some semblance of peace.

Days after that incident, none of you could still get a lead of where Isagani even was. You doubted you guys could find him—the man appeared to you that day in the restaurant without anyone else realizing. Dominic and Maliksi had started coming over to the Diabolical and the Trese residence nearly everyday now, but even with the help of their clans, no one had a clue where this Isagani was. The miasma attacks all over Manila had stopped, too, so you guys had no idea what to do. You even tried to get help from Captain Guerrero, but as you expected, he had no information to give.

"... Inday?" Hank gently tried to wake you up. You had been randomly dozing off all over the house as a result of your restless nights, trying to make up for lost sleep during the day. Today, you had fallen asleep standing up while trying to mop the floors, your hands still holding the mop itself. It was 10AM in the morning, with majority of the gang gathered to discuss Isagani's whereabouts.

They stared at you, who was clearly not okay. There were heavy, dark bags under your eyes now, deeping each day that passed. You'd even lost an unhealthy amount of weight from lack of proper rest. Alexandra insisted you lay down, but you were being stubborn with still helping around, so here you were, asleep while being upright.

"Kawawa naman si Y/N," Crispin frowned. He hated seeing the lively you—the you that would fight a snatcher and fight creatures so effortlessly—looking so... unalive. Gabay was on Alexandra's shoulder as a glowing dragonfly today.

"Oo nga," Basilio responded. He didn't like what was happening to you one bit. Once he and his kuya got his hands on Isagani, he'd make sure the man suffered a painful death.

"Even in her sleep, Isagani haunts her at night," Gabay shared to them. "It's rare these days that she gets actual quiet shuteye."

Maliksi stood up, "We should transfer her to her bed. She can't rest well like this."

"No updates on Isagani yet?" Alexandra asked Dominic, who was present. They may not be officially allies, but over the course of these past months, they'd grown to tolerate one another for your sake. Regina and his aswang bodyguards, however, were absent—doing their best to track down the scum that laid his filthy hands on you.

Before Maliksi could pick you up, your cellphone rang on the table, startling you awake and making your sleepy self lose your balance (you'd have fallen if the tikbalang didn't straighten you and catch the mop). Hank took it, checking the caller identification.

"Mama mo, Y/N," he said, blinking. "Ah, she's probably worried. Hindi ka na tumatawag sa kanya simula noong nakaraang linggo."

You rubbed your reddened eyes, "Could you put it on speakerphone?"

"Sure," he said, then sweatdropped. "Uhm... paano nga 'to gumagana?"

"Ang boomer mo naman, Hank," Crispin teased, making the older man hit his arm. Basilio took the phone, putting it on speakerphone.

You sat down on a chair beside Dominic, yawning, "Mama? Sorry matagal na akong 'di ako nakatawag. Medyo busy dito sa Maynila, eh. Andaming... nangyayari." You rested your head on the table, eyes drooping. Damn it. You just wanted to sleep. "Kumain ka na ba ng almusal?"

"As a matter of fact, hindi pa, mahal. I adore your concern." Pisteng yawa.

Your blood turned cold. The voice that was on speaker definitely was not your mom, nor was it a woman talking. Everybody else in the room instantly caught on to who was speaking and was on guard. You sat up straight, no longer feeling sleepy. The adrenaline was building up in your nerves the moment you heard him. If he was calling with your mom's number, then...?

"Alam mo bang nasisiyahan ako tuwing napakamapagmahal ang tinig ng boses mo? Ganito nalang sana tayo palagi. I miss your lips, angel," Isagani chuckled, amused. "At huwag ka nang magmaramot sa akin, mahal. Did you not enjoy seeing me in your dreams every night? It's nice to remember how we were as a married couple, hm? If you didn't escape, perhaps we could have even had our own little ones and—"

"Isagani." There was unadulterated dread in your gut right now, "Nasaan ang nanay ko? What did you do?"

"That's for me to know and for you and your little gang to find out, my love. Don't worry, my mother-in-law is perfectly safe in my hands... for now."

"Bullshit!" you shouted, glaring at the phone. "Ano ba, Isagani!? Leave her out of this!"

Alexandra and Maliksi could barely hold you back from crushing the phone (but they, too, could barely hold themselves back, as well). The bloodlust of Dominic and the kambal on the other end of the table could be felt by everyone, too. "Your mother is the one person who means the world to you, right, love? Hm. That should be me. Whatever should I do to solve this issue?" he teased.

Your face contorted into one of panic and despair, "Please, Isagani. Huwag mong dalhin si Mama sa problema natin. You want me? Fine. Fine! Take me instead, not her. You can have me! Just—huwag mong saktan si Mama, pakiusap lang, Isagani. Wala siyang kinalaman dito! Please, please don't do this."

"Hm. I like you saying please. Do it again." You clenched your eyes shut. Isagani was too sadistic and obsessive to even show some mercy. You prayed to Bathala that your mother was safe and sound. "Anyways, I want you to meet me at the address I'll text, dearest. Bring whoever you want. It doesn't matter. If you don't show up, however, you can expect miasma to spread in the most populated areas of Manila... as well as the major territories of the angkan. You know I don't make empty threats, love. I can cause annihilation everywhere I go. Kaya kong pumatay ng kung sino man, tao man o hindi. Don't disappoint me; I know how much you hate it when I'm angry."

"... Why? Why all this?" you whispered helplessly. You didn't know what to do anymore.

"Pinapakita ko lang ang pagmamahal ko sa'yo, mahal. Is that so wrong?" Anyone could tell that the man on the other end of the line was smiling. "It just shows I'd go to any length to be with you. If selling my soul to the devil wasn't enough, then maybe this will cement it. Hihintayin kita habangbuhay at sa susunod na buhay, Y/N." With that, the call was cut off.

You couldn't even physically cry anymore with how exhausted your body was.

(To be continued.)

± Author's Notes ±

Sorry for the long lack of updates! Got a writer's block and wasn't feeling the best the past few days... which I may or may not have channeled into this chapter (oops). Don't worry, I've already had an ending in mind from when I first wrote this—this story will be one of those which I actually will finish. Ooh, and yes, the bastard Isagani finally makes his appearance (but he's been making his moves even before he was introduced in the story, haha). McDreamy nga ang hitsura, pero other than that? He's practically Joe from the Netflix show YOU who'll murder people in the name of love. And yes, I attached three different links of his appearance because I couldn't choose on Artbreeder. 🔪

And yes, we love our mini-harem of supernatural men going all protective over Inday slash you. God, I wish Tumblr didn't have a 250-block limit. Oh well. They'll have their taste of beating up Isagani in the next chapter. ☺

Comments and constructive criticism are welcome (ya'll will probably rant at me because of how much pain there was in this chapter, go on). Hit those heart, reblog, and follow buttons for updates! Tell me if you want to be tagged in the next chapters; don't be shy, babes! Goodnight! I'm sorry, not sorry for the pain I've caused... because I cried writing this chapter, too. 😀

Taglist: @belladaises @binibiningbabaylan @4kodzuk3n @sparklingmallow @severuslovebot @holyshxtangel @marinac15 @space-flamingo @pippethealien @kashasenpai @disappointmentpastry @hornehlittleweeblet2 @seijohoe @monimiin @ibelievein2dmensupremacy @tinybonksharkcop @methehipster @banisuoh @genshin-idiot

crispinkreme

Hindi ako magaling sa mga reaction reaction keme na yan but I honestly enjoy reading this, before Crispin and Dominic would just summarize like every chapter para alam namin what's happening pero to read this as a whole. Shet! Gago, I feel like an artista, sinusundan niyo ba ako? Joke lang.

Inday, I promise you wouldn't feel hurt again. We will try our best for you. Tangina mo, Isagani. Pag gago, dapat sarili lang. Wag mo na damay ibang tao, palo ko sayo yung pana ko eh.

Alam ko na dapat ako literal na hayop dito, kasi hello! Tikbalang! Pero Isagani, iba ka. Ihahagis namin sayo si Alex eh. Go, Alex! We choose you HAHAHAHA

- Maliksi Armanaz, Prinsipe ng mga Tikbalang

#.Maliksi Takes Over #.Maliksi Fave #trese #trese netflix #crispin #basilio #maliksi #crispin x reader #dominic #trese x reader

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