Cana tugged at the hem of her blue sweater. We were wearing new disguises that the cultists shopped for us. It's the same old, tired, and tested plain jackets with caps. The only difference is the colors, the added facemasks, and the gun in my jeans' waistband.

  We were walking towards the checkpoint so the new disguises were required. Dr. Yap and the rest were convinced that Luca had his men surveilling the area. And I don't doubt them one bit.

  Walking past a barber shop, I saw its wall clock. It reads 11:32 AM. No wonder the streets were busy with people from all walks of life. We've been seeing workers, customers, and shop owners blasting OPM Music from their stalls lining the street.

  Just now, we passed by elementary students and their parents. At this time, they're probably on their way to school for their afternoon class. Distracted, I bumped into a person in front of me. I tried to apologize but the person was already down the street, standing in the queue for the jeepney loading zone.

  We jumped down the curb to cross the street, passing by a pares and mami vendor. His food cart was packed with customers. Mostly pedicab drivers. The meaty aroma of the broth alone explains its popularity.

  After safely crossing the road, I looked back. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No one seemed to be following us. Or give us any special attention. Or anything that would make me suspect that they are Luca's men. In front was a group of boys. High school students. They were laughing, pushing and shoving, while making fun of each other. The usual. We tried to steer clear of them but I saw one guy push his friend a little too hard, making him bump into Cana.

  "Sorry," the guy said. All their friends immediately apologized as well. I saw one guy smack the back of the head of the guy who pushed his friend, telling him to be more careful, as they walked away.

  "Are you okay?" Indigo asked Cana.

  "I'm fine," Cana said. Her cap was knocked askew, revealing most of her face. So I grabbed the bill of her cap and repositioned it so it makes it hard to see her face.

  "Come on," I said. When the adults saw everything was okay, we resumed walking.

  The checkpoint is up ahead. Suddenly, I felt anxious. The plan was to get us back to Biringan. Which isn't hard since all we have to do is show our faces to the guards on duty and they'll do the rest.

  The difficult part was when Major Coleman learned that these people with us were the cultists who attacked us yesterday morning.

  But at the moment, I'm more concerned about the new additions to the checkpoint. We have to cross the main road running horizontally to get to the checkpoint. But the main road is now closed with metal barricades. I just spot a military vehicle with some sort of machine gun mounted on top of its ceiling, operated by a soldier. I've seen it before, the first time Cana and I were brought here. But there are two of them now patrolling the closed road instead of just the one we saw a couple of weeks back.

  "Well, this is new," Cana said, looking down the metal barricade. It had a red, circular sign that read: DO NOT ENTER. Another addition to the already threatening signs on the wall.

  "Is it just me?" Indigo said. "Or are there more guards now?"

  I agreed. Major Coleman had doubled the precautions since the last time we were here. Which was just yesterday.

  Dr. Yap ordered everyone towards the street away the checkpoint, hiding us from the soldiers' view.

  "All right," Dr. Yap said. "Kids, give your guns to Grayson."

  I pulled out my gun tucked behind my back and handed it to Grayson who placed it inside the duffel bag.

  "Lose them," Dr. Yap said to Grayson when all the guns had been collected.

  I thought about how he would lose live firearms in the middle of the city so I was surprised to watch Grayson take the duffel bag of guns and dropped it in the large garbage bin near the apartment building we were standing by.

  "Is that safe?" Indigo said.

  "Looks pretty easy to find those," Cana said.

  "Not our problem," Dr. Yap said. "All right, let's go."

  We walked back towards the metal barricade.

  "Haunteds," Dr. Yap said. "Do your thing."

  I took a deep breath. I know these people won't hurt us, especially when they saw our faces, but the entire place doesn't really give a welcoming atmosphere. But still, we had to make contact.

  I placed my hand on the metal barricade. Suddenly, I've got all eyes on our group. A soldier was making his way down to us.

  "I'm going to have to ask you to back off," The soldier said. "Do you understand?"

  Cana removed her cap in response and stared at the soldier. Indigo and I followed suit. We watched the soldier's eyes pop in recognition, jumping from my face to Indigo's. Immediately, he operated the walkie-talkie clipped to his shoulder.

  "Major," the soldier said. "I've got eyes on the missing haunteds."

  "What?" Major Coleman voice garbled out of the machine.

  Indigo couldn't hold back my excitement. "Major, it's us!"

  "We found the historians," I added.

  "You know the drill," Major Coleman said.

  The guard removes the barricade. "Quickly now."

  The moment we are all in, the guard returned the barricade. We haunteds quickly went in. But the soldier stopped the cultists from entering.

  "Do you have any identification on you?" The soldier asked.

  "Yes, we do," Dr. Yap said. She then nodded at the rest of the cultists. They all gave her some form of ID, which Dr. Yap then handed to the soldier.

  "Follow me," the soldier said.

  As we walked, I watched the metal gates, waiting for them to swing open. But instead, the soldier led us to the small door next to it. Inside were metal detectors. We walked through one with no problems. We looked back to our companions as we waited but a soldier is barring their entry.

  "Civilians aren't allowed," the soldier said. "You'll have to wait here."

  We three haunted exchanged looks.

  Of course we knew civilians were not allowed inside. But we just thought that, maybe, posing as the historians who saved our lives, maybe there's some leeway...but apparently, that was just hopeful thinking.

  "Sir, the haunteds are safely inside the wall--" Cana jumped and grabbed the soldier's wrist down. "Major! You need to come here."

  The soldier, although surprised with Cana's action, kept his finger on the walkie-talkie.

  Indigo grabbed hold of the walkie-talkie with both hands. "Sir?" Indigo said. "Is this really how you're going to treat the people who saved us?"

  "We owed them our lives," I added. "If they're not allowed inside, then can they at least stay inside the guard's house?"

  "Control booth," the soldier corrected.

  "Whatever," I said.

  "Major, please," Cana said. "You have to meet them. They deserve such courtesy."

  There was silence on the other side. I looked at the cultists. At Reina. Who still remains silent and cooperative outside.

  The plan was the same as the cultists did with us. Tell the truth. But this time, we haunteds will be the one to break down the news. But only to Major Coleman.

  Because if one of these soldiers reported back to Major Coleman that our saviors are actually the cultists who attacked us yesterday, they would be shot dead where they stand. And I doubt we could stopped these soldiers, no matter how much we pleaded. But with Major Coleman present, we haunteds could present our case first, things would be different.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Best-case scenario? They'd be dragged away from us and thrown in another isolated, hidden place only Major Coleman would know, enduring who-knows-what interrogation techniques Major Coleman might employ to get information on the cult these people would have voluntarily give up. And even then, I have a feeling Major Coleman won't just send them home for cooperating.

  So if we don't convince Major Coleman to meet them with us present, then this would be the last time we would see each other.

  Finally, a voice broke through.

  "Very well," Major Coleman said. "I'm coming down. Trinidad?"

  "Sir," the soldier whose wrist we were now holding down replied.

  "Show them to the Control Booth."

  "Yes, Major."

  We haunteds breathe a sigh of relief and let go of the soldier. He then clipped back his walkie-talkie to his belt and look outside. "Let them in."

  They were still made to walk through the metal detector of course, but at least, the first hurdle in done.

  "Follow me," Trinidad said. He led us to the the air-conditioned, glass-enclosed building installed into the wall.

  "Wait here," he said. Then, he stood guard in front of the only door in the building.

  I looked around. It was a rectangular room. Aside from Trinidad standing in front of the door, there were 2 more on duty here. Adding to our group of 3 haunteds, 5 cultists and 1 priestess, the room is a bit crowded. And of course, there were limited seatings. Which were all occupied by the soldiers on duty, so the cultists sat on the floor.

  "I can't believe it," Cana said with relief. "We're back. We're finally back."

  "I can't believe you kids found your way back," one of the soldiers said. "All alone out there for 24 hours." We were never here during our stay in Biringan so we don't know who these two are.

  "We weren't alone," Cana immediately said.

  "These good people helped us," Indigo followed up.

  "Historians, huh?" Another one said. "Where'd you find them?"

  "Oh, it's a long story," Dr. Yap said. "And I'm sure Major Coleman has the same question so can we wait for him?"

  The soldiers just shrugged and went back to keeping watch outside.

  "I can't wait to see them again," Indigo whispered.

  "Me too," I said.

  After that, the soldiers on duty largely left us alone.

  With nothing to do, I read the poster on the wall. I wondered why such an important part of their security is a building made out of glass. There was a plaque on the wall. Written in it was the name on the company who made this building—Atlas. And the year it was built—2005, the year after the Dark Year. And the memorandum order by the then president, President Lorenzo Rizal, who ordered the construction of this booth and the entire shelter.

  I got to the part where it boasts of bulletproof, blast-resistant walls when the door opened.

  "Major Coleman!" We all cried out as he walked. We were like little kids rushing towards Santa in the mall during Christmas, ignoring the additional armed personnel he brought in with.

  "You did a great job," Major Coleman said. He was patting the heads of Cana and Indigo who immediately captured him in a hug. I was going to do the same but the girls beat me to it.

  Only then did Major Coleman bring attention to Indigo's bandage. "Are you okay?"

  "Uh-huh," Indigo said. Then she turned around. "All thanks to them."

  "I'm okay, too, by the way," I said to Major Coleman, making sure to wave with my bandaged hand. But his eyes was already fixed to the people behind me. I turned around to see that cultists were already standing up from the floor.

  A hand grabbed my shoulder, "Welcome back," Major Coleman said.

  "Nice to be back," I smiled to him. His massive hand started ruffling my hair. When he stopped, he turned his attention to our Good Samaritans.

  "I would like to personally thank you for helping these kids," Major Coleman said.

  "It was our pleasure," Dr. Yap said with an amiable smile.

  "Who wouldn't want to help kids?" Rustia said. "Especially kids like them who have a soft spot for history."

  Major Coleman returned the smile. "It must have been quite a handful, dealing with these kids unreasonable request out of nowhere while serving our country as a police?"

  "That's what you are, right?" Major Coleman said, scrolling down his tablet. "PO1 Rustia. So you dabble with history in your free time?"

  Here it is. The moment of truth. They did say that they do plan to reveal themselves to Major Coleman but I wonder how they plan on doing so. And more importantly, how Major Coleman will react.

  "Yes, sir," Rustia said. The smile still plastered on his face. "Bastillio has such a unique history that it would be harder to find Bastillians not interested in our own history, wouldn't you say?"

  "That is true," Major Coleman said. He was scrolling down a tablet. "So we have an ER doctor, an off-duty police officer, a nurse, a barangay kagawad..." He looked up. "So how did this meeting happen exactly? A group of kids who claimed to be haunteds went to you for help. And you didn't question it? You didn't see it strange that they were out and about in October? And what are you guys, just really good friends working in different sectors of society who just happens to be together at the time? Seems rather odd, wouldn't you say, Sarge?"

  "Extremely odd, sir," Sergeant Trinidad said.

  Major Coleman raised his hand that made all the armed soldiers around the cultists aim their assault rifles. Some opened their U.V. lights, creating a violet spotlight on Dr. Yap's area.

  The smile disappeared from the cultists' faces.

  Major Coleman had us three immediately sent out. But I yank my hand free from the sergeant's grip and ran in front of Major Coleman.

  "Major, listen," I said. "These people...they are—"

  "The cultists we'd been looking for all these years," Major Coleman finished.

  "Yes," I said. "But look, just listen to them."

  "Major, please," Cana said. "They have been taking care of us."

  "It's true, Major," Indigo added. "They put this on me," she said, pointing at the bandage on her forehead.

  "Major, there's a lot we need to talk about. Resealing the seal I opened is the least of our worries. And they can help us with that. We need them," I pleaded. "I flipped open the journal Rustia gave me and showed it to Major Coleman. "Look, they gave us this. It contains information of all the cult members, their full names, faces, and even addresses."

  Major Coleman took one look at the journal. "So you're using the kids as bait? To know the location of the other haunteds?"

  "That's what we thought too," Indigo said. "B-but...we were proven wrong."

  "Is that right?" Major Coleman said.

  "It is," Cana said. "We didn't trust them at first. And because of that we almost got killed by the new cult leader's men."

  Major Coleman's eyebrow raised. "A new cult leader, you say?"

  "It's a long story," I said. "A story you would want to make time to hear."

  "We survived only because these guys gave up their lives to protect us," Cana said. "Do not make the same mistakes as we do." She looked down. "We-we can't be the reason again for that..."

  "Are you asking me to trust these cultists?" Major Coleman said. "You seem to forget that they've killed your friends. And countless innocents."

  "Major, all this time, you've listened to me and my theories," I said. "All we ask is that you at least hear them out."

  I held Major Coleman's gaze, hoping that he'll listen to my undoubtedly idiotic request in his eyes. But then he brought his hand down.

  "Very well," Major Coleman said. He stepped forward to the cultist. "I will hear you. And that's it."

  "That's all we need," Dr. Yap said.

  "So Dr. Yap," Major Coleman said. "Convince me why I shouldn't order my men not to kill you now?"

  "Well for starters," Dr. Yap said, totally not flinching from the threat. "The new cult leader, Luca, has an army of Shade. And we're your only chance of stopping them. I believe you've been acquainted with them. When they attack one of your base?"

  "Indeed," Major Coleman said. "But now that we have this journal you so generously gave to these kids here," he said, waving the thing in their faces. "We can track down each and every one of you and make you confess. We have our ways. And our ways bring results. So I fail to see the need for your assistance."

  "Let's say you're right," Dr. Yap said. "Let's say that you manage to find each and every member of the cult thanks to the journal. And your methods did give you the result you wanted. Let's say you were able to stop the ritual and massacre the cultists down to the last man."

  "There's still that seal that needs to be closed, right?" She continued. "How do you plan on doing that without our help? With all the cultists dead? Surely, you don't mean to leave it as it is?"

  Major Coleman's face was unreadable. The room fell silent for a moment. The two just stared each other down.

  "From what I understand," Major Coleman said. "The children can still be used to open the remaining seals. What assurance do I have that this is not just some ploy to get to the haunteds?"

  "If the journal and us bringing three haunteds back to you safe and sound is not enough to convince you," Dr. Yap said. "Then I supposed you're just going to have to trust us."

  Major Coleman scoffed. "Trust you, huh? When you're already betraying your cult?"

  "We're not betraying the cult," Reina said. "The cult betrayed us."

  She and Dr. Yap took turns summarizing what they told us back at the penthouse. About the uprising of Luca, the murder of her grandfather and his loyalists, and how she and Dr. Yap managed to survive.

  "And there it is," Major Coleman said. "A dethroned monarch plotting to take back power. Just like any power-hungry scum that walked this earth."

  "We do not do this for power," Reina said. She didn't look offended by the insult. "We just wanted to do what's right."

  "What's right," Major Coleman said. "Is to not get involved with powers you cannot even begin to hope to understand. Making deals with beings beyond mortal comprehension. This knowledge is something humans shouldn't possess. Because this is what it leads to."

  "The old church was like that," Reina said. "Not us."

  "You don't get it, do you girlie?" Major Coleman said. "Just by learning the existence of this Azgarmoth, your founder opened up Pandora's box. And I'm afraid the lid does not go back on. I should know. You have no idea the amount of propaganda, the censorship our government and our neighboring allies had done to erase or at the very least cast doubt on the existence of the Shade while keeping the haunteds safe at the same time for the last 20 years. And still, the Shade persists. You persists."

  Reina looked down. Is she feeling shame? guilt? the way I did when I opened that seal? I can only guess...

  "Some of us didn't have a choice," Dr. Yap said. "She was born into the cult. A lot of the new generation were. We grew up believing we were doing good. And we were. There was never a problem until Luca's coup d'etat."

  "So long as this kind of knowledge is made available, there will always be ruthless people like Luca who will use it for personal goals, with no regard for the well-being of others, or in this situation, the whole world," Major Coleman said. "You thought you weren't doing any harm because you weren't killing kids? You were making deals with the devil. You were using his powers. You think that will not cost you?"

  "Azgarmoth's not the devil," Dr. Yap said. "But point taken."

  "No," Major Coleman said. "He's much worse."

  There was a lull in the conversation.

  "So where do we go from here?" Dr. Yap said. "Clearly, you won't trust us."

  "That is true," Major Coleman said. "But now I know your situation. How vital the kids are to your goal. That gives me the assurance you won't let any harm fall on them. At least not until you get what you want."

  Major Coleman extended his hand. "That, I can work with."

  Dr. Yap reached for it and shook it.

  "Since the haunteds are vital to your plans," Major Coleman said. "You must meet them."