As soon as Kaliyah turned, a man was standing behind her.
It was JB.
Or at least—it wore his face.
His eyes were fixed on her, unblinking, stretched too wide in their sockets, as if they had forgotten how to close. There was no warmth in them, no recognition—only a cold, watching malice. He did not move. He did not breathe. He simply stood, silent and patient, like something waiting for permission to strike.
Its skin was unnaturally pale, almost translucent, as though no blood flowed beneath it. Worse still, there was no shadow cast behind it. The ground beneath its feet was empty—no imprint, no presence—like it did not truly exist in this world. Though it looked exactly like a real person, something deep in Kaliyah's spirit recoiled.
The courage and authority of God towards all beings is supreme.
God's righteousness cannot be overcome by wickedness of this world and by any evil spirit.
That's why God went down to earth to live as man and live by the ten commandments, to heal his people and to die for the sins of all humanity, that whosoever believes in him, Jesus, will be saved and will not perish.
Kaliyah pursed her lips and headed directly towards where her original brother was.
When she saw him standing behind the tree. A wave of relief washed over her and she smiled at her little brother.
Then the Holy Spirit whispered, clear and firm:
It is not JB.
Kaliyah's hair stood on end. A suffocating fear wrapped around her chest, squeezing the air from her lungs. Her knees threatened to buckle as her body screamed for her to run. But before terror could consume her, the Holy Spirit filled her with courage and spoke to her.
Do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you.
A warm, blinding light enveloped her, and the sun broke through the clouds, shining fiercely upon her form.
The thing wearing JB's face recoiled slightly.
Light divided the clearing—radiance on Kaliyah's side, and an unnatural darkness clinging to the Doppelganger, as though shadows were drawn to it. Its smile widened then, stretching too far, splitting its lips just enough to reveal teeth that looked sharp in the wrong places.
Kaliyah clenched her jaw. Her fear burned away, replaced by righteous fury and holy authority. Her eyes hardened as she stood firm.
"In the name of Jesus," she commanded, her voice unwavering, "I rebuke you, unclean spirit. I command you—do not appear before me ever again. "
The thing screamed.
Its body twisted violently, bones snapping with sickening cracks as its limbs bent in impossible directions. The face of JB warped, peeling back like a mask as darkness tore through it from the inside. Its shriek echoed through the forest—high, broken, and inhuman—as the power of God ripped it apart.
Then, just as suddenly, it was gone.
The air fell still.
Only the light remained.
Kaliyah made her way toward JB, following the rope they had tied earlier. He was leaning against a tree, brows drawn together, lips pressed tight, lost in thought as if replaying the moment over and over in his head.
At the soft rustle of leaves, he lifted his head. His eyes met hers, and he straightened immediately when he saw his sister approaching.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you," JB said, his voice low. Heat crept up his face as shame settled in his chest. He hated that he had frozen—hated that he had stood there while his sister was disrespected right in front of him.
"What's done is done. We cannot turn back time," Kaliyah said firmly.
She did not excuse what had happened, nor did she pretend it was acceptable. But she would not let resentment take root—not toward her brother, and not toward anyone else. God calls His people to forgive, and she chose obedience over bitterness.
"I've forgiven that person," she continued, her tone steady. "Holding on to anger will only poison us."
Revenge belongs to God alone.
Kaliyah lifted her gaze, resolve settling back into place.
"If they reject it," she said quietly, "then they reject it. But we are still called to speak the truth."
JB studied her expression and frowned. He could already imagine the whispers, the hostility, the way the village turned on those who disrupted the order of things.
"This won't be easy," he muttered.
"No," Kaliyah agreed. "It won't."
And somewhere between the trees and the fading light, it became clear that this choice—this calling—would not come without consequence.
Kaliyah's were unwavering and she resolutely said, "If we have to bear the consequences, then so be it, as it was said by the Lord Jesus Christ Matthew 10,
[21] "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. [22] You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." Kaliyah was resolute with the mission given. It is better to suffer on earth than to suffer in hell.
You wouldn't remember your suffering days on earth as it was written in Isaiah 65:17: "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind".
That's why Kaliyah was determined to spread the Word of God. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Do you know who that man who spoke to you is?" she asked, curiosity coloring her tone.
"His name is Roman… Manong Roman," JB replied, a shiver running down his spine at the mere mention. "He's been targeting several women in this village. I usually don't speak with him. From what people say, he engages in orgies and has affairs with married women."
The thought alone made JB feel disgusted and uneasy.
"What did the husbands do when they found out about their wives' adultery?" Kaliyah asked, genuinely wondering how women could risk such sin when a husband's jealousy cannot simply be bought or bribed away.
"The husbands were usually at the farms, tending to the land," JB explained thoughtfully. "But there was one time… an adultery got out of hand. The husband came back earlier than usual and caught his wife with the man. He killed both of them in his fury. Before the village chief could intervene, it was already done, and the husband fled."
Kaliyah bent down and began collecting mushrooms growing by the forest floor. As she worked, she spoke softly, quoting from Proverbs:
"Do not go near the house of an adulterous woman, lest you be ensnared by her and fall into temptation."