My name means "appealing" and "charismatic"—Makisig Kagiwa. But everyone calls me Maki, and I much prefer that.

If your name could determine what you'd become as an adult, my parents failed me terribly. It's not that I don't have appealing qualities, but I excel at being ordinary. Mediocre looks. Mediocre grades. Mediocre talents. I don't do badly at most things, but I don't perform extraordinarily either.

Do I hate myself for not living up to my name? Definitely not.

The truth is, I don't mind being a boring, average 15-year-old high school student. Being a typical teenager doesn't feel so bad at all. I enjoy my little corner where I can be alone without a care in the world. You don't have to notice me, and I'll be fine.

I don't seek attention. I don't need validation from others. I don't even care for honor. All I want is to live a happy, normal, and content life with my big brother.

My Kuya, Maginoo Kagiwa—or Jin, as everyone calls him—is the most amazing person in the world. Well, at least to me. His name means "gentleman," which perfectly describes him. If I'm the mediocre one, my brother is the complete opposite. He was good at everything he did since we were kids. He was always at the top of his class. He was popular at school for being so cool. And he excelled at almost every sport you could think of.

Aside from the odd names our parents gave us due to their obsession with pre-colonial culture, I don't share many similarities with my brother. I've always been the inferior sibling, and I knew people thought that made me feel bad. But not at all. I've always looked up to my big brother. I knew I could never be like him, but being with him was more than enough for me. He means the world to me, and he's the only family I know.

Our parents died in a car crash one rainy night several years ago. They were driving on a stormy road with my sick brother in the backseat, on the way to the hospital. Before they knew it, they were in a terrible accident that claimed their lives. But to everyone's surprise, my brother survived the crash without a scratch. To this day, I still wonder how he escaped death unscathed, but I'm just thankful that tragedy didn't take him from me.

I could never imagine what my life would have been like without him.

I cried a lot when our parents died. I was just a kid and knew so little. But my brother, who was just two years older than me, stood there with a hardened stare.

"Maki, don't cry. Everything will be alright," my brother said, smiling through the pain he was trying to hide. "I will always be here to protect you. I promise you that." He swore and embraced me, and that was all I needed to feel better.

He changed drastically after that. I knew the child in him had to grow up too soon for both of us. We were essentially orphans, and no other family wanted to take us in. Then, our drunk and irresponsible uncle—my mother's distant cousin—agreed to take care of us. But he only did so to spend the money our parents left behind, along with some funds from social services. We became his cash cows for a long time.

He never physically abused us, but he never genuinely cared for us either. Still, I'm grateful he took us in, so my brother and I wouldn't have to part ways or end up in an orphanage or foster care.

I would not have survived without my brother by my side, and for that, I owe him the life I have. I swore to myself I would do anything to protect him.

We stayed with our uncle for a while and left when we entered high school. My brother, being the amazing person he is, received a scholarship from one of the most prestigious schools in the country, the Maharlika Academy. It's also a boarding school, so he didn't have to stay with our uncle anymore. Two years later, I also left when I entered high school and started living on my own. And as you can probably guess, not being as great as my brother, I couldn't get into the same school. I settled for a regular high school, which is fine by me. My brother never missed visiting every school break and most weekends, so I never really felt alone.

It's been years since that tragic accident, but the rain still brings back sad memories. And right now, it couldn't be worse. It's the middle of the dry season, but it's been raining in the city for over a week now. Schools have suspended classes because of it. I wish there was something I could do at home, but I only have a few options. I've been lazily checking the TV and the internet for news, but it's the same old stories. If boredom could kill, I'd already be lying dead on the floor.

Right now, what's flashing on the screen is the mayor of Neomanila addressing the ongoing rain that's causing flooding in some parts of the city. Flooding has never been an issue since Neomanila became a highly modernized city, but these rains have proven otherwise.

"I guarantee everyone that everything is under control," the mayor declared with a confident look. "No amount of storm or disaster can break this city," he added reassuringly.

I trust the city can handle it. I knew everything would return to normal as soon as the rain stopped, so I wasn't concerned. Neomanila, being a hub of modern infrastructure and technological advancement, can quickly resolve a flooding problem without breaking a sweat.

I clicked the controller and changed the channel. After a couple more clicks, an interview with a conspiracy theorist about the Shadows—or Anino, as some locals call them—appeared on the screen.

"The Shadows are upon us, and they'll take over this city in no time. We'll all perish if we don't stop these monsters!" he cried exasperatedly, leaving the interviewer in shock.

Some people believe the Shadows are a group of criminals, while others think they're a vigilante group behind many unexplained phenomena in the city. Many allege that they thwart criminal syndicates and shady illegal activities, cause incidents that damage the city, save innocent civilians from near-death accidents, and instigate many other odd, inexplicable events. But none of this has proven true and remains nothing more than speculation.

Until now, no clear photos or videos on the internet have validated their existence. Most multimedia uploaded online have proven to be hoaxes, while some simply vanished for no reason. Some adults with too much time on their hands and a lot of bored kids are really into this kind of thing, like most boys in my class. But for me, it doesn't interest me at all. I just think they're nothing more than pranks by some crazy weirdo or just plain coincidences.

I changed the channel again, clicking the remote until I found something interesting. I don't really know what I want to watch, but it's a good way to kill time while waiting for the rain to stop.

Just when I thought another uneventful day of my boring life would slip by, a loud, insistent banging erupted from the front door, jerking me upright.

I stared at the door, my eyes wide open. My heart skipped a beat as I wondered who the unexpected visitor might be.

Author's Note:

Makisig — directly translates to 'appealing', 'attractive', or 'charismatic'.

Kuya — a term for 'big brother'.

Maginoo — means 'gentleman' and, to some extent, refers to royalty or the ruling class, the highest social class in ancient Philippines.

Maharlika — a term used to refer to the warrior class during the feudal times. They were freemen serving the Datu (King), providing him military support, and were considered to have a lower nobility status. They were all trained and equipped in the art of war and weaponry and served as the Datu's loyal vassals, prepared to answer his summons at any given time.

In modern society, the name has evolved and become synonymous with aristocracy or nobility, directly equivalent to a 'Noble Warrior'.

Anino — means 'shadow'.