"Ully, we gotta go," Stella announced.

Ully's attention was occupied at the study table by gently wiping his camera gears. Like treating it as his own baby. Agad namang lumapit si Stella sa kanyang kaibigan. She was about to snatch the camera away from his hands but gladly, Ully had good reflexes and he took it away before she could. 

"Ano ba naman kasi! Kanina ka pa hindi makausap ng matino," iritadong usal niya sa kanyang kaibigan. Her face is far from being angelic that it usually is.

But Ully just gave him an innocent, worthless answered. "Wala naman ah!" he shrugged off. "Saka... ano, bakit ba kasi ang dami mong tanong?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. She puts her hands on her waist. "Alam mo kung anong nakita natin kanina Ully, right? That could support our project! Kailangan na natin gumawa ng move ngayon or else, we'll lose the opportunity para mailabas ito publicly!"

He shook his head, disagreeing with her. "It wasn't just that, Stella. There's more to it."

"Really? Spill it! I don't wanna be in the darkness of your thoughts, Ully."

He stood on his feet and picked up his camera. He walked right straight to the door. 

"Where are you going? Kinakausap kita?" tanong ni Stella.

He turned to see her. "Akala ko ba aalis na tayo? What are you waiting for?"

"Ay aba! Ewan ko sa 'yo, Ully!" she grabbed her handbag and they headed out of the room. "You know, you can't unsee what we have seen," she muttered. Napangisi na lamang si Ully sa usal nito.

Tuluyan namang umalis ang dalawa sa motel at tumungo sa kanilang sasakyan. Ully wasn't talking and Stella didn't bother if he's not speaking. Tahimik lamang silang dalawa sa biyahe hangga't sa marating nila ang meeting place na sinasabi ni Elius kanina nang bumisita ito. When they parked the car sa part na hindi gaanong visible sa ibang tao. Nagsimula naman silang maghintay kay Elius. Stella occupied herself looking around for possible odd things to see around.

She was just curious how did Ully manage to use the water on that creature who happened to be burned when it hits his skin. That's why Stella was so eager to know how did Ully find out about it—he just didn't bother to answer her questions and she ended up getting mad at him.

"I think he's finally here," Ully announced and Stella instantly looked out in the direction and then see an incoming car heading close to their direction. 

Elius parked his car next to their car. When Elius jumped out of his car, they noticed his outfit. He's wearing a black leather jacket him a black cap which made half of his face block from completely seeing it. When Elius finally reached their car, kinatok nito ang bintana at binaba ng dalawa ang bintana. 

"Why do I feel like somethings gonna go wrong?" Stella wondered.

Elius chuckled. "You don't have to worry about any danger. I believe it's safe to be around here at this moment. But let's go, I have to show you guys something."

"What is it?" Stella asked, her curiosity filled her thoughts.

"Follow me," Elius ordered.

Stella looked at Ully. "We'll do what he said. Just follow him," He cackled. She responded by rolling her eyes at him.

Naunang maglakad si Elius papunta sa main building ng Freymount Academy. Parang pinaglumaan na ng panahon ang structural design ng building dahil hindi na gano'n nakakaakit ng atensyon ang panlabas na histura nito. But when they stepped inside the building, the floor was in tiles, seemingly the hallway was cleaned before everyone went home and it's something they didn't expect to see in this town. Maayos naman pala sa loob, hindi lang na-maintain ang exterior designs ng building.

"I have a question," Stella said, turning her head around to see the hallway. "Why did you bring us here in the first place?" Stella asked.

"I'll tell you when we reach what was I saying."

"Okay, so what is it?"

"Can you just shut up for a minute, Stella?" Ully hissed, though lowering down his voice still echoed in the hallway. Elius looked at both of them a laughed a little.

"You know I can't do that, Ully. I'm a journalist and we never shut our mouth, you should know that."

"I was just your cameraman, Stella. I was never more than that."

She was shocked to hear that from him. What's with his sudden change of mood? Napauwang na lamang ang bibig niya, not sure how to respond to that. "H-How can you say that..." she stuttered, never imagined hearing those words from him would hurt her but still, Stella remained reluctant.

Elius noticed the fight between the two journalists. He sighed facing them and get a hold of them. "Please, I brought the two of you here for some reasons and that's not to fight with each other. Isipin niyo kung para saan itong ginagawa natin Bawal 'to pero dinala ko kayo rito. You guys know better, right?" he mocked Stella and but she kept stiffened on her feet. "Now, follow me."

This time sineryoso na nilang dalawa ang ginagawa nila. Stella and Ully followed Elius and set aside their issues with each other. Nagtataka lang si Stella kung saan nagbunga ang pagkakaasar ni Ully. 

Walking across the hallway, passing each door of every empty room. They didn't bother the feeling of someone might be following them. Binilisan na lamang nila ang kanilang paglalakad hangga't sa masabayan na si Elius sa paglalakad.

Hindi nagtagal ay huminto sa paglalakad si Elius. Stella and Ully noticed where they stopped at. They were still standing in the hallway, but Elius was looking straight into the trophy shelves placed in the right side of the hallway.

"What's with it, Elius?" Stella asked. "Are you gonna ever talk why we're here?"

He nodded, confirming her question. "Yes." And he looked at both of them. "I think both of you stepped into something more dangerous. And now that you're here, they know your smell now. And you just can't get away with it."

"Okay... stop with that. I'll write it down first," Stella said, jotting down some notes on her journal. "Please continue, Elius," she demanded.

"How does the trophy shelves count as a dangerous to us?" Ully asked.

"We'll get to that, kid," Elius said, removing his cap the shook his head then brushed his hair with his fingers. His face became much more visible to both of them and noticed the bruise on his eye. It was a black-eye. They were shocked seeing him like this. They do remembered he hasn't had it earlier. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing," he assured. "Let's just continue what we're talking about. Just like what I said, if you want to stay in the town, your lives will be in danger, but you know that risks already. So, I must say, you should all be careful at all times."

"Wait," Stella chided in. "Is this about what we have seen earlier?" she asked.

Elius narrowed his eyes. Somehow he only could think of one thing that Stella was talking about. "What you guys have seen?"

"A vampire," Ully stated. "For the second time around," Elius was never surprised about his confession, but then the surprise was plastered on Stella's face.

Sinuntok ni Stella si Ully sa braso. "Why didn't you even tell me?! Now I know what you've been hiding from me. Kaya pala galit-galitan ka ha. I thought we won't keep secrets from each other, huh? What's with all the talking kung hindi naman kayang panagutan?"

"I'm sorry Stels. I just had to..." Ully muttered.

"I won't take that reason," Stella retorted.

"Oh! Cut the crap guys," Elius chimed in, trying to break the tension between them. Para silang aso't pusa kung mag-away at hindi iyon nakakatulong sa ginagawa nila ngayon. Ayaw na ayaw pa naman Elius na may taong nag-aaway sa paligid niya. "Could you guys please listen to me first before you fight with each other?

Stella crossed her arms. Ully stepped away from her and walked closer to Elius.

"Do you want to know something or not?" Elius questioned.

"Of course, we wanted to," Stella said. "Talk now. I won't interfere and I hope he'll do the same," she smirked, but Ully didn't mind her annoying presence.

"Okay. As you said Ully, you both have seen a vampire, right? What does this vampire looked like? Is it a she or he?"

"The first one or the who attacked us earlier?"

"Okay, the first one then. Describe him."

"I don't know how to describe him, but his aura wasn't bringing any danger. Kung tutuusin pa nga ay binalalaan niya ako. I was scared at first, totoo naman iyon but he didn't harm me. And by the way, he's wearing a hoodie which hides his face but all I could see his eyes and those are glowing red."

Elius took a deep breath. "Good to know that you encounter him. He's not the enemy. Actually, he's a friend. He's someone i called the protector and the good one. Tell me about the second vampire."

"I'll tell you about it," Stella said, couldn't handle her silence. "He's intimidating. It brought so much fear in me and it's like he's gonna kill us for some reasons, but the good thing, Ully fight and scared him off with a water."

Elius patted his shoulder. "Wow! You did that, kid?" Ully proudly said. Ully nodded at him. "At least one of my advice came into a good benefit to your actions. Glad that I help," he continued. "Anyway, I'll tell you something about those creatures you have seen. The first one you have seen wasn't coming after any trouble but everyone's safety... and the other one, just came after the trouble."

"How did you know these vampires?"

Ilang saglit pa itong nanahimik bago nakuha ng dalawa ng hinihintay nilang sagot.

Tumango ito sa kanila. "But you got to stay away from the second one, he's no good. And Stella, you're not making up things, he's gonna kill you both."

"Why? Why us?"

Elius was restricting himself to speak about something more. "I can't tell you about it, Stella. I think you should be the one to know that answer. This town holds a lot of secrets, most of them was dark. That once you dive into it, the darkness won't let you out," he continued. "And in this shelf, they were after." He pointed to the trophy shelves and for the both of them, it is just like a normal trophy case to display school's winning achievements but on the other hand, it holds something that normal people wouldn't even get to know. "This glass holds a very powerful incantation made by a witch long before ago. Only a few know where it is. Me, the one who wears a hoodie. Aletheia and her boy."

"Aletheia?" Stella wondered.

"I mean, Alycia. Aletheia and Alycia's are the same person," Elius corrected.

"Why do I feel like I've heard that Alycia name before?" she said.

"She's no good to this day, but before, she was praised like a God. That's what she was back then," Elius said. "But following what I said, you can't run away from those vampires. Wherever you will go, they will come after you. They know who you are now and what you are, and to what I'm afraid of, they will use the both of you."

Both of them fell scared, trying to process all what Elius said. Maybe he was just making things up and trying to trick them, but if he's lying, he should've done more than that. Natawa na lamang si Stella at nabali ang seryosong usapan. Nangibabaw naman tahimik na hallway ang kanyang boses. Elius just looked at her, Ully rolled his eyes.

"If you're gonna tell a story, Elius. Iyong kapani-paniwala naman. Maybe we were just hallucinating earlier kaya gano'n ang nangyari kanina. So, we'll go home and just leave all the crap here."

"Do you think I'm joking and making it all up?" Elius furrowed his brow. "If you think what I'm trying to do were to make you feel like what, a fool... then what should I feel about that, huh? Bakit pa ako mag-aaksaya ng panahon para dalhin kayong dalawa dito sa Freymount Academy? You know what, to prove all of what I said, try to open the glass window and get that vial out if you can."

"What's with the vial?" Ully asked, he seems like interested more than Stella.

"Oh, I'll try it!" sigasig na sinabi ni Stella.

She stood in front of the glass window of the trophy shelves. She rolled up her shirt sleeves and put her hands on the glass and try to slide it open. When she noticed it has a lock, she picked the bobby pin from her hair and put it inside the lock.

"I don't think that's gonna work," Ully commented as he watched her struggled.

"Whatever Ully," she said. "I have seen this in movies and they do it without putting too much effort," Stella said and when she finally turned the lock open, she was about to slide the glass door but it was stuck. Pinilit niya pa ring itulak ito para mabuksan nang tuluyan at makuha ang tinutukoy ni Elius na vial. When she pounded hard on the glass window, it didn't shattered or broke, or leave any traces but on the other hand, she flew away from it. Lumipad si Stella sa kabilang dingding. Mabilis namang pinuntahan ni Ully ang kaibigan at hindi rin makapaniwala sa nasilayan niya. She loses her consciousness but she's still breathing and that made Elius and Ully feel okay.

"She won't believe e," Ully muttered. "What's with the glass though?"

"It has a magic only a witch can do and undone."

"And what the vial contains?"

"A virus," a voice came out of nowhere appeared. Mabilis namang napalingon ang dalawa sa paparating na lalaki. He removed his hood and coming from the light of the moon, his face was seen. "And it could wipe out the very existence of every human being and I don't want that to happen..." he said. "It's the last thing we wanted to happen. And now, I won't run again."

Hindi pa rin makapaniwala si Ully na makita ang mukha ng bampirang iyon. When he came into their direction, he picked up Stella, and in a whoosh, they have gone off.

"Where did he bring her?"

"You don't have to worry about her, she's safe..." Elius reassured him. "He's gonna take care of her... for now."

Is this how our big break gonna take? Putting ourselves in danger and works along with these oddly creatures?

And by the darkness, a howl was heard not far from them.