"Lukas!" Francis called and his team turned, only for him to shout not to break the formation apart. "Wait, it's us!"
"I know it's you!" Lukas yelled back, still not turning. "We pissed the monster off! I suggest you duck before we--" another five minutes, "--now, now!"Francis hit the deck but some of the soldiers reacted a second too late and got hit in the chests. Another loud whimper and the sound of clattering."Who are the dumb fucks who didn't duck?!" Lukas yelled in irritation as the domed arcade above was now replaced with the regular ceiling commonly found with the previous floors, but the pillars still persisted.Another five minutes, they opened fire again. The pillars disappeared and the nondescript ordinary walls replaced it. The corridor beyond was still shrouded in liquidous shadow."Soldiers, I think the bastard was now in front of us." Lukas calmly said. "Take aim." He ordered.They turned and raised their rifles at its dirThey continued down the street. It was dark and quiet with only the distant noise of the battle taking place elsewhere could be heard. Lukas could hear his own breath as they traversed the road, paranoia slowly forming in his mind. He restrained his thoughts before it became a distraction until something urged him to stop.He raised his fist upwards and glanced from left to right. The storefronts around them looked weird. Of all the stores, one in particular was not barricaded. He studied it and noticed swirling darkness beneath, as if a black smog or a murky water filled it from the inside. He took two steps towards it when the glass that kept it from the outside world shattered, along with the other storefronts around and behind them.Elongated shadows streaked from the stores. Lukas noticed the white porcelain faces on the top of the six entities. He raised his aim and fired at the face of the entity near him.Three bursts and the face shattered. The entity i
The sun sets in the horizon. The streets were empty, not a single soul was seen in sight. Even the police who should be watching it were also absent, fearful of the fabricated contagious disease that the 6 AM news had broadcasted. In the side of the defenders, it was acceptable since they would just get in the way of things when this particular shadow war was waged. Even the so-called "Regular Infantry" that the soldiers of the paranormal combat units fond of using to reference their ordinary counterparts were also evacuated kilometers away.He envied the civilians, who only thought that this event was just simply caused by some infectious viral disease. Indeed, it was far better to live one's life in ignorance than bearing the burden of knowing about the existence of the creatures that prowls the night.He watched the sun sinks below the world. The scenery was symbolic, for the most part. Davao City, the would-be battle zone of a skirmish that should be fought in the
The horn of the Demon was laid on the top of a cloth. The Chaplain's Office was now restored in order and the furnishing's orientation was different than the last time when Lukas visited it. He watched as Father Mike sprinkled the horn with holy water while reciting a prayer of sanctification.Every droplet that made contact, the object sizzled. Geysers of smoke rose, as if it was a steaming hot object doused with cool water.After the blessing, Father Mike wrapped it again with the white cloth and handed it to Lukas. He nodded his thanks, the laced vial around his neck containing the eye moved slightly. Lukas was still getting used to his new necklace, which he couldn't wait to remove after this suicidal assault that they are about to undertake.Right after they walked out of the room, they encountered Major Veras outside."Lieutenant." Veras called sternly. "Come with me, we got a meeting.""Meeting?" Lukas asked."Remember the liaison off
Sergeant Nagar and Staff Sergeant Alice Abantay stood before the restrained Roberto Omar, who glanced at them with an impressed look in his eyes. Alice crossed her arms and asked."Why are you looking at us like that?""You two could make a good couple," he said. Nagar raised his butcher's knife without hesitation. "What? I meant that in a good way as possible.""No, I think it was something else entirely." Abantay replied. Lukas, and a new soldier from the cut-off team regularly attached to their unit, the newly promoted 2nd Lieutenant Yusuf Ibrahim, stood behind the observatory window with three other subordinates facilitating the room as usual. They quietly listened."You think?" Roberto asked. "I'm just kidding, yes. Because I am very impressed that you survived against my master that I am already convinced, you might win this against him.""How'd you know?" Alice asked, threatening to pull out her sidearm. She was suspicious that the Mambabara
After an hour of rest and submitting his paperwork to the Major, and to the High Command as an esoteric After-Action Report, Lukas dropped by the Clinic Bay to have his injuries checked. Lukas was laying with his stomach flat on the bed. It felt awkward but Nurse Sala instructed him to. There was no point in protesting since all he wanted was to get himself treated.The nurse came with her tools and pulled his shirt up to reveal his backside. She gasped upon seeing the contusions on his back muscles."I am inclined to recommend my superiors to put you under x-ray for any bones that might be out of place.""Don't sound like I'm gonna die." Lukas protested. "It's just a fall from a two-storey house.""Exactly!" She said. "Don't you hear yourself?""Just apply your guyabano leaves and be done with it." Lukas said sarcastically. "The Major needs to see me in an hour and I want to get this checked before he decides to send us into another operation."
It was good to be back.Lukas was exhausted. The previous operation had drained all of them both physically and mentally. All of them are quiet upon their return to Outpost Detachment Bravo and Lukas himself wasn't sure if the operation could be counted as a victory because of the casualties dealt on their part. If it was, it would have been a pyrrhic one.They have lost a lot, and to Lukas, he have lost his bestfriend whom he relied on many times, just as how he also relied on him. He swallowed, choking on the lump formed in his throat. For the most part, he couldn't feel anything but numbness in seemingly random intervals, because it would be sometimes replaced with the need to cry out loud as a form of mourning. As fast when it appeared, the urge would disappear, leaving him in numbness again.Maybe, his weeping could bring back something, but the dead will stay dead. There was nothing he could do.As the truck rolled to the garage, he immediately dise