Elric had been running for over fifteen minutes, lungs burning and heart thundering, when he finally slowed down. Just ahead, nestled in the middle of the dark forest, was a strange, pulsing yellow glow—brighter than any flashlight or lantern. It lit up the trees like a hidden treasure beckoning from another world.
Luckily, the glow wasn't far from his home, and it seemed he was the first to make it this far. That thought thrilled him… and terrified him.
What if the dragon's still there? What if it's not a dragon at all—just some weird gas leak? Or worse… a hallucination? I really need to stop watching fantasy movies before bed.
But there was only one way to find out.
No guts, no glory, he reminded himself, squaring his shoulders.
He began the descent down a slick, muddy hill. His cheap rubber slippers were nearly swallowed by the wet ground, and the cold wind whipped through his soaked blue t-shirt. Still, he pressed on.
Only the moonlight and faint starlight helped him navigate the slippery trail. But even with the rain and fog, the mysterious glow ahead felt… guiding. Like something was calling him.
Part of him imagined it was aliens. Another part, the hopeful dreamer in him, whispered dragons. Glowing forests, falling stars—this felt straight out of How to Train Your Dragon.
Please let it be a cool Night Fury, he thought, eyes wide with childish excitement.
As he got closer, Elric noticed something that made his heart stutter.
The trees—several of them—were broken or splintered. Thick branches lay scattered like debris from a storm. The ground was scarred with deep claw marks and scorched patches of earth. Even the boulders had cracks running through them as if something massive had slammed into them.
The air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt leaves and smoke.
"Whoa…" Elric whispered, stopping in his tracks. "Something serious went down here."
Despite the chill, sweat clung to his forehead. He shivered—not just from the cold, but from the realization that something powerful had touched down here recently. Still, curiosity burned stronger than fear.
His steps became more cautious, but he didn't stop. His instincts screamed run, but his dreams said keep going.
If I actually see a dragon, I could be the first human to make contact! Maybe even tame it!
Images flashed in his mind—news articles, interviews, being on TV with his Lola smiling proudly beside him. He could almost hear the applause, the government offering him rewards, scientists studying his discovery. Their lives could finally change.
"This is it," he muttered, eyes gleaming. "This is the moment."
He trudged on.
"This could solve everything. I just need to make it to that light…"
His voice trembled, but his steps didn't falter.
What Elric didn't realize, however, was that something else had already noticed him.
High above in the treetops, cloaked by shadow and fog, a pair of glowing red eyes tracked his every move. Wide, inhuman, and unblinking.
It moved with silent, eerie grace—massive bat-like wings flapping with grotesque rhythm. A low, wet sloshing sound accompanied its flight, like organs shifting inside a hollow drum.
Heeiiik… Heiiik… Heiiik…
The sound echoed faintly in the trees, nearly drowned out by the rain. A long, snake-like silhouette glided between branches—its form distorted by night and mist.
This wasn't a dragon.
It was something worse.
A Manananggal.
Its upper body floated, detached from the waist down, long tangled black hair clinging to its blood-slicked face. Its twisted smile revealed sharp, needle-like fangs dripping with crimson. Wriggling intestines trailed beneath it like cursed vines.
Its claws gleamed as it crept closer.
Elric, unaware of the nightmare stalking him, paused to glance up at the dark sky.
Thunder?
A low growl rumbled in the clouds.
"Seems like it's gonna pour hard tonight," he muttered. "I better hurry or I'll catch a cold."
He resumed walking toward the glowing clearing—each step bringing him closer to something far beyond his imagination… and closer to something that had already chosen him.