Leni didn't last long after dinner.
I noticed it first.
The way her eyes kept blinking slower… her shoulders dropping… her hand resting protectively over her stomach like she was trying to stay awake but couldn't.
I stood up and walked over to her.
"You should sleep," I said quietly.
She looked up at me, already half-dazed. "But… what if-"
"We'll be here," I cut in. "We'll keep watch."
There was a small pause.
Then she nodded.
"…Thank you."
She didn't argue after that.
Just slowly made her way to her bed and lay down, one hand still over her stomach like instinct wouldn't let her fully relax.
Within minutes… she was out.
Too fast.
Too deep.
I didn't like that.
I stepped back and glanced at the others.
"Gino," I said.
He looked at me.
"Take turns resting. You won't be useful if you're half-asleep later."
He nodded. "Got it."
He turned to Sarah. "You should lie down for a bit."
Sarah hesitated. "I'm fine-"
"You're not," he said bluntly. "Rest."
She sighed, but didn't argue.
I glanced at Cynthia and nudged my head toward the room.
"You too."
She raised a brow. "Me too?"
"Yes."
She stared at me for a second.
Then sighed lightly. "…Fine."
They moved into Leni's room.
A few moments later, I followed just enough to check.
Both of them were on the floor, laying over a banig.
And it showed.
Cynthia shifted slightly. "This is… uncomfortable."
Sarah whispered back, "I think my back already hates me."
"It's too flat."
"It's too hard."
They both went quiet for a second.
Then...
"…Are you sleeping?"
"No."
"Same."
They both let out quiet, tired laughs.
Yeah.
No one was sleeping tonight.
I stepped back out.
Gino was leaning near the door, arms crossed, listening.
Millien and Alicia were nowhere in sight.
"…Where are they?" I muttered.
As if on cue, I felt it.
That faint shift.
I stepped outside.
There they were.
Alicia was floating around happily, dragging Millien along like this was some late-night game.
"Kuya! Look!" she called, spinning mid-air.
Millien just sighed. "This is not the time-"
"Inside," I said.
Both of them stopped.
Alicia blinked. "Why?"
"There's something out there," I said. "Something that will hurt the baby."
Her expression changed instantly.
"…I'll protect her," she said, serious now.
She didn't wait.
She passed through the wall and went straight inside.
Millien looked at me once, then followed.
"Focus," he muttered as he hopped onto my shoulder.
I nodded.
Then...
Midnight.
I didn't need a clock.
I felt it.
And then we heard it.
"Kik."
Sharp. Loud. Short.
It cut through the silence like something alive was watching.
Everyone inside froze.
Gino straightened immediately. "You heard that?"
"I did," I said.
"Stay quiet."
Another one.
"Kik."
But softer this time.
Gino tilted his head slightly, listening harder.
"…It's getting quieter," he whispered.
That made it worse.
Way worse.
Because that meant one thing.
"It's getting closer," I said under my breath.
My grip tightened. The loud sound means it's far away, but the fainter it gets, the closer it was.
"Millien."
"I hear it," he replied, voice low.
Inside the room, Alicia was already beside Leni, hovering protectively.
"I won't let anything hurt you," she whispered to the sleeping woman.
Even if Leni couldn't hear her.
Even if she didn't know.
Cynthia slowly sat up, eyes scanning the ceiling.
"…It's faint now," she said. "Barely there."
Sarah hugged her arms slightly. "I don't like this."
Neither did I.
Not one bit.
My hand moved.
The dagger formed instantly.
Cold.
Solid.
Real.
Gino noticed immediately. "…You're already ready?"
I didn't answer.
Because...
[READY TO ENGAGE IN 3…2…1]
BOOM.
The roof shook.
Not lightly.
Not subtly.
Something landing on it.
Hard.
The entire structure trembled for a second on how lightly it was made.
Sarah flinched. "What was that?!"
Cynthia grabbed onto her instinctively.
Gino stepped forward. "That wasn't small."
"No," I said.
"It wasn't."
And Leni?
Still asleep.
Not even stirring.
Sarah glanced at her, confused. "How is she not waking up?"
"She won't," I said.
They looked at me.
"That sound earlier?" I continued. "That 'kik'?"
They nodded.
"That's not the manananggal itself," I said. "It's a kikik."
Cynthia frowned slightly. "A what?"
"A bird," I said. "Around four feet. Think of it as… a scout."
The room went quiet.
"It comes first," I added. "Then the real one follows."
Cynthia's eyes widened slightly.
"…Wait," she said, voice tightening. "Does that mean-"
I already knew where her thoughts went.
"Kayla," she whispered.
I glanced at her.
"Our maid… she's pregnant…"
I sighed lightly. The maid that's now bearing the consequences of something she wasn't even the cause of it. Maricar did leave a proof of her possession.
"You can deal with that later," I said. "I'll have items in the store that can help."
She blinked. "…You're really thinking about business right now?"
I shrugged slightly.
"Business is business."
Gino let out a quiet breath. "You're unbelievable."
"Yeah," Sarah added softly. "You're joking… right?"
I didn't answer that.
Because even if I sounded calm...
Even if I made it sound normal...
My heartbeat wasn't.
It was loud.
Fast.
Heavy against my chest.
Because I knew exactly what was above us.
And this time...
It wasn't something I learned from the system.
It was something I grew up hearing about.
Something people whispered about.
Something that didn't just kill...
It hunted.
I tightened my grip on the dagger and looked up at the ceiling.
"…Come down already," I muttered.
Because the longer it stayed up there...
The worse this was going to get.