Beneath The Shadows

March 12, 2004From the dark corners of a recently visited cemetery, a movement could be heard. The stars of the night twinkled bright alongside the full moon that provided dimmed illumination for the silent recepients below. They made sure that no one was around to witness them, for they are not ready yet.Between the poorly maintained graves and the nearby large mounds of soil below large balete trees, they slowly revealed themselves. The appearances of some varied from one another, but most of them are complete reflection of the other--creatures birthed from the same family of monsters. Diverse as all of them could be, they possessed three things in nature.Sadism, hunger and malevolence.Like stringed marionettes manipulated by an inexperienced puppeteer, they walked forward. Each baby steps developing to a stable one as their physiology began to adapt in the new environment where they are born into.

His vision was illuminated in a bluish hue. The faces of his teammates were obscured behind polarized face visors connected to the brims of their helmets. His heart rate on the electrocardiogram bio monitor showed a quickened pulse, but Lukas thought that it was just the alcohol working magic in his system. All of them are tense, but Lukas managed to control himself in situations like these.However, he couldn't help but to wipe the barrel of his M4A1 with his gloved thumb involuntarily. Just like their weapons, his was blessed by the Outpost Chaplain before they march off to battle against the supernatural.He saw some of the rookies repeat actions, caused by pre-deployment anxieties. He could not blame them, operations like these made you worry about the future, whether you will survive or not, or what about the aspirations you wanted to pursue later in your life after your service. It made them fear for their lives, despite losing it once when they are ind

The truck sped across the muddy beaten path full of tire tracks from other vehicles. Lukas stared at the bright sky. Even if it was morning, the fact that the things they fight in the shadows existed made the world a dark one that no sunrise could ever illuminate. Back when he was living in ignorance, everything was colorful but when he was pulled into a battlezone where incarnated nightmares are the belligerents, everything just becomes black and white.And he thought that the Moro rebellion was dark enough. This conflict, simply known in the documents as the Shadow War, had made him see everything.He looked back down on the ground and waited as the truck shuddered and ground to a halt. They disembarked in a disciplined manner, with the first ones securing the perimeter for the other half, who were in the process of unloading.The truck then moved away to the designated extraction point so that it would not get caught in the crossfire in case the shooting star

He sat on the soft cushioned chair with Francis standing opposite him and the nurse, who constantly flash a friendly smile at the visiting personnel. It was rumored that some of the soldiers faked injuries just to see her. Most tried to court her, but all of them she turned down for some reason unknown. She treated everyone with respect and her caring voice alone was soothing to the core that every time the nurse speaks, it dulled the pain emanating from his bruised knuckle.The room was brighter than the corridor on the way to the clinic. The scent of antiseptics was stronger here, making Lukas think that the usual smell of the base originated from areas like these. If he recalls, there were a dozen clinic bays scattered across the installation. The corner beside Francis contained a marble counter where numerous medical equipment and medicine could be found. Above were cabinets also containing the same stuff. It was also noticeably colder here, maybe because the wall-typ

"Run, run!" He urged as they sprinted. The ground beneath them shook as the entity chased them. The hair on Lukas' neck stiffened as he felt the creature coming closer. His hyperactive imagination began to form images to create a picture of their pursuer.Ahead, he felt bad for Nurse Sala, who wasn't trained in these kinds of situation but fear made her quick and fast and it also gave her the strength to lift the man she was carrying. The entity let out another roar, urging them to run faster. Lukas turned once more, and just in time, the emergency lights activated to reveal its form.A red carapaced monster with a pair of large horns, sharp talons for hands and hooved feet. Beneath its armor was a muscular body in brown or black. Its red eyes glowed red and its mouth possessed a quartet of sharp mandibles like that of an insect's.It roared.Far ahead, the door to the armory could be seen, a green light illuminated above it. The nurse ded