Kus Og, standing motionless in the middle of his room, stared at the final clue pinned to the wall—his father's picture. The weight of his realization pressed down on his chest. His father, Adlaw, the mayor of Maharlika City, was involved in the creation of the serum that caused the tragedy years ago.
Without a word, Kus Og moved to the side of his bed and knelt down. He reached underneath and retrieved a hidden compartment, pulling out a tightly folded bundle wrapped in dark cloth. When he unfurled it, it revealed a sleek black leather mask and a full-body suit—designed not just for disguise, but for stealth and resilience.
The mask, smooth and featureless, had only narrow slits for the eyes. Kus Og slipped it over his face, followed by the skin-tight suit that hugged his well-defined physique. He looked into the mirror; gone was the young prodigy of Maharlika. In his place stood a shadow, a silent warrior.
He opened his window. The full moon bathed him in silver light, reflecting softly off the black leather. Then, with practiced ease, he vaulted out into the night.
The city lights grew distant as Kus Og traveled by rooftop and shadow until he reached the ruins of the old research facility. The air was thick with dust, and the skeletal remains of the building loomed like a ghost of the past. Officially, the site was destroyed during a terrorist attack on Maharlika. But Kus Og knew there had to be more.
He scoured the rubble, searching for any trace of the serum's production. But the ruins yielded nothing—no files, no equipment, just silence and decay.
Then he heard it.
Three figures in cloaks approached from the far side of the rubble. Kus Og ducked behind a collapsed wall. The one in the center, taller than the others and moving with quiet authority, appeared to be the leader. He gestured to the figure on the right, whose soldier's build and the faint outline of a uniform beneath the cloak betrayed his identity.
Soldier: "It's here."
He moved a large slab of concrete, revealing a hidden elevator shaft beneath.
Leader: "You two, with me."
The soldier split off, walking in the opposite direction while the leader and the other cloaked figure descended into the shaft. Once the coast was clear, Kus Og slipped in behind them.
The basement was crumbling, but a faint corridor led deeper into the structure. The group had entered a reinforced chamber.
Man 1: "Master, what is this place?"
Leader: "A forgotten facility. This is where the serum was born. A secret project meant to solve the city's growing need for soldiers—giving lower-class citizens the power of the upper class."
He paced slowly, touching the broken furniture and charred consoles.
Leader: "But it was a curse. I can still hear their screams. The cries of the discarded."
He took a wilted flower from his cloak and placed it gently on a desk.
Leader: "Sister... The sun will now shine on our side."
He looked straight toward Kus Og's hiding spot.
Leader: "And darkness will be in yours…"
Before Kus Og could react, the soldier appeared behind him. A handkerchief soaked in chemicals was pressed to his face. His world blurred.
Darkness.
The next morning arrived bright and festive. Maharlika was alive with celebration—today was Lupig's eighteenth birthday. The city plaza was a sea of white and gold, draped with banners and alive with laughter. Tables overflowed with food, music blasted from speakers, and families danced in the streets.
Lupig, dressed in a sharp tuxedo, stepped out of the mansion and into the waiting car with his mother, Lana.
At the plaza, citizens waved and sang "Happy Birthday." Many were charmed by his presence; others, particularly from the upper classes, watched from a distance with quiet disdain.
At the center of the plaza, surrounded by members of the council, Adlaw stood with open arms.
Adlaw: "Lupig! Happy birthday, son!"
Lupig: "Thank you, Father."
They embraced warmly. Vice Mayor Lara approached next.
Lara: "Where's Kus Og?"
Lana: "Still at the mansion, I believe. He'll be here soon."
La Sina, a key council member and head of Maharlika's Science and Technology Department, joined the conversation.
Adlaw: "Mr. Sina wanted to discuss your research."
La: "Your work is astonishing. You synthesized the First Element with titanium?"
Lupig smiled.
Lupig: "It's only the beginning. I'm working on a formula to bond the element with any material."
La: "If you succeed, every object in the city could generate its own energy. Join us in the Science Department—we need minds like yours."
Lupig: "I'd be honored. With your help, we can achieve it."
Lupig began talking to all the council members.
As the party continued, Lana pulled Lupig aside.
Lana: "The maids checked—Kus Og isn't in his room."
Lupig: "Still holding a grudge? How childish."
Lana: "Please check on him."
Lupig nodded and informed his father before driving through the city. But no matter where he looked—parks, rooftops, favorite corners—Kus Og was nowhere.
Eventually, Lupig returned to the mansion and stepped into his brother's room. Something felt... wrong. His eyes landed on a painting. Kus Og never cared for art. Suspicious, he removed it—and found a board behind it.
Red strings connected photographs and documents. All paths led to the same central image.
Their father.
Lupig's heart raced. On Kus Og's laptop, he found the disk—the copy he had once given their father. Now it made sense.
Lupig knew that his father was involved with the production of the serum. But he never muttered a single word about it too anyone, even from his mother.
He sped toward the research facility ruins. Once there, he looked for the elevator shaft.
In the basement, he searched desperately. Nothing. He shouted his brother's name, but silence answered.
Frustrated, Lupig threw a rock at a wall.
Clank.
The sound was wrong.
He hurled another. Then another. The wall cracked and collapsed, revealing a hidden chamber. Dust swirled in the stale air. One green light glowed at the room's end.
He approached cautiously.
At the center stood a massive container filled with a glowing green serum. Inside, thick cords swirled like veins.
Lupig (thinking): "Twenty years ago, the Philippines launched the first invasion. They failed, but the world took notice. Everyone wants Maharlika. If Father made the serum, it must've been to prepare for war—to give the powerless a fighting chance."
Next to the container, a dusty frame lay face-down.
He turned it over—and froze.
A woman and a child.
He had never seen her. But something deep inside him stirred. His hands trembled.
Lupig: "So its you…"
Then the building began to rumble. Lights flickered. Dust rained from the ceiling.
A pillar crashed down, trapping him.
His phone rang.
Lupig smiled faintly.
Lupig: "Brother."
Kus Og: "Listen to me! The terrorists—they're attacking the plaza right now!"
Lupig: "Sorry, brother. I'm afraid I can't join the party. The old research facility's collapsing, and I'm trapped."
Kus Og: "What?! What are you doing there?!"
Lupig: "Following you, obviously. Listen. There's no time. The Sina Clan—they're part of this."
Connecting the dots of the secret information that his father gave and Kus Og's investigation. It led him to the conclusion that the Sina clan was the mule in the government.
Kus Og: "No! I'm coming for you!"
Lupig: "Don't. You have to stop the attack. You're the only one who can."
Kus Og: "Don't give up yet!"
Lupig: "Brother... I'm proud of you."
The ceiling gave way, crushing his body.
Silence.
Kus Og: "Lupig?! Noooo!!!!"
---
Kus Og arrived moments too late. The facility was in shambles. He dug through the debris, his fingers dirtied.
At the bottom, he found his brother—crushed, broken.
Kus Og: "Lupig... No... Brother!!!"
He cradled the lifeless body in his arms.