The air around the villa was thick with tension as Alysa stood alone in the clearing, her heart pounding in her chest. Armando's dark form loomed before her, his silhouette rippling with shadows, his presence suffocating. The village was silent behind her, the villagers watching from the safety of their homes, paralyzed by fear. Alysa's eyes burned with a mix of defiance and dread as her memories flooded back—Armando was behind it all. He had orchestrated the chaos, manipulated the fear, and destroyed the protector that had once watched over them.
"I see you've finally remembered, child," Armando hissed, his voice a low, venomous rasp. His eyes glinted with malice, feeding off the terror that had gripped the village for so long. "You were all so easy to deceive."
Alysa clenched her fists, her body trembling not with fear, but with rage. "The kapre was trying to protect us," she said, her voice steady, though every word cut through her. "You... you killed him."
A wicked smile curled at the edge of Armando's lips. "He was weak. And now I have all the power I need," he growled, his form growing darker, more monstrous, as the shadows around him seemed to thicken and swirl. "The fear of the villagers has made me unstoppable."
The ground beneath Alysa trembled as Armando's power surged. Dark tendrils of shadow extended from his form, reaching toward her. But before they could touch her, a burst of light exploded in the distance. Alysa's heart leapt as she saw a familiar figure step into the clearing.
"Leandro!" Alysa gasped, her voice barely a whisper.
He moved with grace, his features sharp and determined, a shimmering aura surrounding him. His once gentle eyes were now fierce, burning with the same fire Alysa had come to trust. He stood between her and Armando, his voice calm but commanding. "You're not alone in this, Alysa."
Armando let out a guttural laugh, his voice dripping with disdain. "You think you can stop me, Leandro? You're no match for my power."
Leandro's expression remained calm, but there was a sadness in his gaze as he spoke. "You’ve taken enough, Armando. It ends now."
Without warning, Armando launched an attack, tendrils of darkness snaking through the air toward them. But Leandro countered with a wave of light, his power now fully unleashed. The two forces collided, sending shockwaves through the clearing, shaking the trees and rattling the villa.
Alysa watched in awe as Leandro fought, his movements precise, his energy radiant. But as the battle raged on, she realized something: Leandro wasn’t just defending her. He was protecting the land, the villa, and everything it stood for. The realization hit her like a weight on her chest—Leandro was an engkanto too.
Armando snarled, his form warping into something even darker, more grotesque. The shadows expanded, consuming everything in their path. Leandro’s light flickered under the overwhelming pressure. Armando's voice echoed through the darkness. "Your precious kapre is dead, Leandro! His protection is gone, and soon, you will be too!"
Alysa felt a surge of grief at Armando’s words, but then Leandro turned to her, his voice calm amidst the chaos. “Before he died, the kapre gave me his strength. He entrusted me to guard this land—to protect your family, your friends.” His gaze softened. “But I didn’t just do it for him. I did it for you.”
Tears filled Alysa’s eyes as she realized the weight of what Leandro had taken on. He was the villa’s last protector now, carrying the legacy of the kapre. But there was no time to dwell on it. Armando’s attack came again, fiercer than before, threatening to swallow them both.
Together, Alysa and Leandro fought back. She was no warrior, but with Leandro at her side, she found courage she didn’t know she had. She shouted at the villagers, urging them to let go of their fear, to stop feeding Armando’s strength. Slowly, the tide began to turn. The fear that had empowered Armando started to wane, and with it, his strength.
Leandro, with the kapre’s power coursing through him, unleashed one final, blinding strike. The light was so intense that it shattered the darkness, and with a deafening roar, Armando dissolved into nothingness, his form unraveling like smoke in the wind.
Silence fell over the clearing. The night air was still, save for the rustle of the trees. Leandro stood before Alysa, his breathing heavy, his face a mix of relief and sorrow.
“It’s over,” he whispered, but the victory felt bittersweet.
Alysa’s heart was heavy as she looked at him, the truth sinking in. “You’re not human,” she said, her voice trembling. “You’re… an engkanto.”
Leandro’s eyes softened, the glow around him dimming. “Yes, Alysa. I am. And I’ve always been.”
Alysa felt the weight of that revelation settle deep within her. She had fallen in love with him, but now she knew—he belonged to a world different from hers. A world she could never fully be a part of. Tears welled in her eyes as she reached out to him, but her hand faltered halfway, knowing that the divide between them was greater than she could bridge.
Leandro took a step closer, his hand gently cupping her cheek. “I will always protect you, Alysa. No matter where I am.”
She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch, her heart breaking. “But I can’t stay here,” she whispered. “This villa, it’s... it’s your world now.”
He nodded, understanding the sorrow in her voice. But before the weight of that realization could crush her, Leandro turned toward Lyka, who still lay weak inside the villa. With the kapre’s power now his, Leandro bent down, placing his hands over Lyka’s frail body. A soft, golden light spread from his fingers, and slowly, Lyka’s breathing steadied. Color returned to her cheeks. She opened her eyes, and for the first time in days, she smiled.
A few days later, Lyka was fully recovered, her laughter filling the villa once more. But Alysa couldn’t shake the melancholy that clung to her heart. The time had come for her and her friends to leave.
As they packed their things and prepared to go, Alysa stood alone at the edge of the villa’s grounds, staring out at the land that had been her ancestors'—the place where she had found true friends, faced true danger, and discovered the deepest parts of herself. But it was also the place where she had fallen in love with someone she could never truly be with.
Leandro appeared beside her, his presence calm but somber. “I’ll always be here, Alysa,” he said quietly.
She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “I know.”
With one last, lingering glance at the villa, Alysa turned to join her friends. As they walked away, the weight of the past few days settled over her, a bittersweet ache in her chest. She had lost something—someone—she hadn’t realized she couldn’t keep.
But she had gained something, too. A deep, unbreakable bond with the land of her ancestors. And though she was leaving, she knew a part of her heart would always remain here, in the place where she had met her true amigo.
As the villa disappeared from view, Alysa wiped away a tear, the bittersweet memories of the place filling her with a quiet sense of peace.
She had come looking for answers. She was leaving with more than she had ever expected.
And even though the future was uncertain, one thing was clear: she would never forget this place, or the love she had found within its haunted walls.