In the stillness of the night, while everyone else slept soundly, Tino quietly slipped out of the house. His heart raced, his mind overtaken by a single thought: I have to see her. I have to go to her. He muttered this like a mantra, his feet following the path to Corazon’s home as if drawn by an invisible force. Her image, beautiful and intoxicating, had completely consumed him. His breath came faster with every step he took.His mind echoed with her voice. The soft, sultry whispers that had seduced him, not just his body but his soul. He could see her—those smoldering eyes, the curves of her figure draped in shadowy mystery, the smile that promised forbidden delights. Tino had never felt such desire, such hunger, and now, nothing else mattered. His duties to the household, his uncle, and even his own dignity had vanished like mist. All he wanted was to be in her arms.As he approached her door, it was as though the entire world faded away. The crickets, the night breeze, the trees—a
Inside her dimly lit house, Corazon paced back and forth, her patience wearing thin. “What’s taking him so long?” she growled, her anger evident in her fiery gaze. “He should be here by now.” Tino was supposed to bring Leonora to her, and the delay gnawed at her, threatening to unravel her carefully laid plans.Frustrated, she stormed into the room where her altar stood—a chaotic display of candles, herbs, and dark trinkets. Corazon approached the altar, her fingers brushing over the items with reverence and desperation. “If he doesn’t come soon, I’ll summon him myself,” she muttered. She closed her eyes and began to chant, weaving words of power and darkness, hoping to draw Tino to her despite the distance.After finishing her incantation, she stood by the window, watching the night unfold, believing her powerful spell would call him to her, even if he were asleep. “Come to me, Tino,” she whispered, her heart racing with anticipation.Meanwhile, in Isabela’s house, a hushed conversat
Several days had passed, and Alice and Pedro still found themselves confined to the basement. The darkness, once foreboding, now felt almost like a cocoon for the relationship blossoming between them. Each day, Pedro’s affection for Alice became more apparent, and with every small act of care, Alice felt herself growing closer to him. He was gentle, thoughtful, and always attentive to her needs, something she had never experienced so intimately before.Pedro was busy altering clothes for Alice—something she would wear once they finally left their temporary hiding place. As he worked, Alice couldn’t help but steal glances at him. His Spanish Mestizo heritage was evident in his sharp, chiseled features. The soft light from the single bulb hanging in the room highlighted his strong jawline and the muscular contours of his body."It’s easy to fall in love with him," Alice thought, feeling her pulse quicken. Pedro had a quiet strength about him, making her feel safe despite the dangers out
Tino and Isabela trudged along the narrow pathway toward Leonida’s house, the trees on either side swaying gently in the breeze. Isabela wore a headscarf, carefully drawn around her face to conceal her identity as they walked. The path was familiar yet ominous; danger lurked everywhere. But thanks to her precautions, they managed to reach the house without encountering any problems.Instead of heading for the front door, they took a well-trodden path around to the back of the house. It was safer that way—more discreet. They reached the basement entrance, and Isabela knocked softly on the door.“Alice, Pedro, are you there?” Isabela called out quietly, careful not to let her voice carry too far outside. She strained to hear any response, her heart pounding with anxiety.After a moment, they heard movement inside, and then the sound of the lock being undone. Pedro opened the door cautiously, peering through the small gap before pulling it open fully. His eyes widened when he saw Tino st
“Isabela, Alice! I have news!” Lito burst through the door, breathless and wide-eyed.Alice, Isabela, and Pedro quickly gathered around him in the living room, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity.“What did you find out?” Alice asked eagerly.“There were a lot of prisoners transferred from Manila to Sakura Heiei,” Lito replied, trying to catch his breath.Sakura Heiei was a notorious Japanese camp and prison, formerly known as Fort McKinley, now Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.“Did you see the prisoners?” Alice pressed, her voice rising with urgency.“How many hours away from here?” Pedro chimed in almost simultaneously.“Yeah, how do we get there?” Isabela added, her brow furrowing in concern.Lito patiently answered their questions one by one. “I haven’t seen the prisoners, but I caught a glimpse, and I saw many American prisoners. Most of the Filipino prisoners were being forced into labor.” He turned to Alice, his voice filled with concern.“It would take about an hour
“What just happened?” Lito asked, his voice laced with confusion. “I thought we were just going to observe, why the sudden unplanned escape?”“Maybe because they got emotional when they saw their friends,” Isabela answered, her voice soft yet reflective, the weight of the situation sinking in.“Yes, that could be the only reason,” Alice added, her expression distant as her thoughts drifted to the memories of those left behind.Pedro, walking beside them, clenched his fists. “My poor brother,” he muttered, sadness clinging to his every word. His shoulders slumped with defeat, his eyes hollow as he trudged along the path back to Isabela’s house.Unbeknownst to them, deep within a dimly lit, cold room, Isagani and Johnson were enduring a fate far worse than death. They had been caught in their daring attempt to escape and were now prisoners—bound, gagged, and brutalized by Japanese soldiers. Every breath they took was a battle, every heartbeat a reminder of their suffering.“Tell us abou
First Lieutenant Kenshiro Katada hurried through the dense jungle, flanked by a handful of his loyal soldiers. The oppressive heat and the thick canopy of trees overhead created an atmosphere of suffocation, but nothing could deter him from his mission. His mind was racing, his heart pounding as they approached the isolated camp where two prisoners, Johnson and Isagani, were rumored to be held. He feared the worst.“I hope I’m not too late,” Kenshiro muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the sound of rustling leaves and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures.He had taken it upon himself to ensure Alice’s friends would survive, even if it meant risking his own life. He couldn’t bear the thought of failing her, of being the reason she might weep in despair. Alice—her face flashed before him, her captivating smile, the way her eyes seemed to hold the light of hope even in the darkest times. He intervened during an attempted sexual assault on Alice by one of his superiors
The morning sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the kitchen as everyone gathered for breakfast. Plates clattered gently, and the aroma of freshly cooked rice and vegetables filled the air. Despite the homey atmosphere, the tension in the room was palpable—everyone was preoccupied with thoughts of the dangerous mission ahead.After they finished eating, Isabela cleared her throat and looked across the table at her parents, Diego and Juanita. "Mother, Father, I need to tell you something."Diego set down his cup of coffee, giving her his full attention. "What is it, hija?" he asked.Isabela glanced at Alice and Pedro who sat quietly beside her. She took a deep breath. "We have a plan. We're going to save Johnson and Isagani, but... we need to go to Laguna first to ask for help from Pedro's father."Pedro nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "My father and brothers—they’re part of the guerrilla organization in Laguna," he admitted. "They can help us."Juani
Things would have been different if Alice had never time-traveled to the past.She knew that. Felt it in her bones.If she hadn’t gone back, Leonora would be on the brink of death by now—frail, isolated in the Philippines, her healing powers still locked away by Corazon’s curse.She would have never met her son. Never found the closure she deserved after years of torment.And Pedro… Pedro would have died alone in his apartment in California, the walls silent, no goodbye to his father, no final hugs from his siblings. Just emptiness.Alice thought about it often, late at night, when the world outside was quiet and her mind wouldn't let her rest.She had saved them. In a way. But the past was still unraveling in places she couldn’t reach.The only problem was, back in that stitched-together past she left behind, Leonora’s son still hadn’t returned. No letters. No word. Just silence, stretching for years like a wound that refused to heal.And Alice, she realized, knew almost nothing about
When they arrived in California in the early 1960s, they didn’t just cross an ocean, they crossed into an entirely new version of themselves. The paperwork was processed slowly, over weeks, and interviews and translations and signatures that Ramon didn’t understand but trusted Simon to guide.On one particular form, Ramon was asked his family name again. The immigration officer, tired and thick-accented himself, looked up and said, “Do you want to keep the old spelling? We can Anglicize it.”Ramon blinked. “Anglicize?”“Make it easier for Americans to pronounce,” the officer said, already halfway through typing.Simon looked at his father. “We can change it, if you want.”Ramon glanced at Marisa, at his sons, at Leonora who nodded once. A future was waiting, and it needed a name.“Taylor,” Ramon said. “We’ll be the Taylor family now.”The officer nodded and finished typing.And just like that, it was done.Pedro, legally became Peter Taylor.The name felt strange at first, like a suit
In the days after the wedding, after the time slip and the letter from Tomas, Alice finally began to breathe again.For the first time in years, the world felt like it was shifting under her feet, not because she was time-traveling but because she was finally grounded.And somehow, as all the loose ends of their wild, overlapping journeys began to settle, her mind and heart came full circle, back to Johnson.They had known each other since childhood. They were both stubborn, fiercely competitive, and raised on discipline and quick reflexes.They trained martial arts side by side, trained under the same instructors, and earned their belts on the same mats. As teenagers, they sparred in tournaments and sometimes walked home with matching bruises and matching trophies.They had always been close, even before magic and time travel turned Alice’s world into something only he could understand. Johnson has loved her since their childhood when everyone else thought Alice was weird and anti-s
The sound of laughter faded like a dream.For a moment, everything was light... Leonora’s arms wrapped around her, Pedro’s promise still echoing in the night air, the scent of sampaguita filling her lungs. The glow of lanterns, the feel of bare earth beneath her heels, it was all there.And then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.The lanterns became Edison bulbs. The laughter turned to modern chatter. The floral scent gave way to the sharp tang of city air and grilled skewers.Alice opened her eyes and blinked.She was back in Pasadena.Back in 2024.And... she was sitting on the same chair, beneath the same string of lights at Fernando and Odette’s wedding reception. Only seconds had passed for the people around her.Her champagne glass still sat on the table, full. Her plate of untouched food was still warm.The music continued playing, and no one seemed to have noticed her absence.No one except Johnson.He had turned just in time to see her blink strangely, her eyes suddenly gl
The church bells were still echoing faintly through the trees as guests made their way from the small church in Tipas to the reception at Ramon's house. The modest home had been transformed into a wedding wonderland: the entire front yard covered with strings of capiz lanterns, white curtains billowing gently in the afternoon breeze, and long tables lined with woven banig runners, fresh flowers, and candleholders fashioned from hollowed coconut shells.Children dashed under the tables, roosters crowed from behind the bamboo fence, and neighbors arrived bearing food wrapped in banana leaves, bowls of ice, and stories to share.A bamboo arch wrapped with palm fronds and sampaguita marked the entrance. The smell of roasting pork, fresh lumpia, and sweet coconut drifted in the air like a call to gather.Alice stood off to the side for a moment, taking it all in. Time travel had never felt quite this… alive.“I forgot how vivid it all was,” she whispered to herself, hands clasped tightly i
Days passed quietly in Johnson and Alice’s lives but not in the household of the Sanchez family.Odette sat on the wooden bench just outside her parents’ house, twisting the edge of her skirt with trembling fingers. Fernando stood beside her, tall, tense, eyes darting between her and the half-opened door where angry voices spilled out.“I still can’t believe this,” her mother was saying, for what felt like the hundredth time. “You’re pregnant? And he’s a foreigner?”Odette winced.“He’s not just some foreigner, Mom,” she said loudly, trying to stay composed. “I love him.”“You barely know him,” her father thundered from inside. “And you expect us to just smile and clap while you get married to someone who can’t even tell where he came from?”Odette squeezed Fernando’s hand. “Just let me talk to them.”After a few more minutes of raised voices and family tension, her parents finally came outside—her mother pursing her lips tightly, her father eyeing Fernando like he was the cause of ev
2024In the stillness of the night, Alice twisted under her sheets, a faint crease of worry etched between her brows. Her breath was uneven, caught somewhere between sleep and panic. The dream had returned—but this time, it was more vivid than ever.She was not in her room anymore. She was standing in a dimly lit alley that reeked of urine and old sweat. The air was heavy. Thick. The kind that clung to your skin and didn’t let go.And there was Leonora.Beautiful. Broken.She stood near the edge of the alley, barefoot, bruised, and trembling in a thin, torn dress. Her hair, once jet black and glossy, was now matted and dulled by grime and blood. Her eyes—those eyes Alice knew so well—were hollow. But they flickered, faintly, with something deep underneath: rage, shame, fear, and a sliver of hope that refused to die.Then Alice saw her.Corazon.Still alive.Still poisonous.She stood a few meters away, counting thick wads of pesos with one hand and holding a small ledger with the othe
Simon stood on the steps of the barracks, gripping the edge of the railing like it might steady his nerves. The sun was just breaking over the Clark Airfield compound, casting long shadows across the jeep parked near the mess hall. Nathan, wiping grease from his hands after an early inspection run, looked up with a furrowed brow.“You okay?” he asked. “You look like you just got drafted again.”Simon scratched the back of his head. “I need a favor.”Nathan narrowed his eyes. “Let me guess. It involves a girl.”Simon laughed nervously. “Yeah. Leonora.”“Figured. What is it?”“I want to go to Tipas. Not just to visit,” Simon said, standing straighter. “I want to meet her family. Do it the right way. Ask for their blessing.”Nathan raised his eyebrows. “So you’re going full ‘suitor from the provinces’ now?”Simon grinned. “Apparently there’s a whole tradition—harana, pamanhikan, everything. I’ve been reading, practicing my Tagalog... failing at it.”Nathan crossed his arms, smirking. “Yo
The early morning haze still lingered over the rice paddies when Pedro found Leonora barefoot in the field behind Ramon’s house, her hands cupped around a wounded kingfisher. Dew glistened on the leaves, catching the pale gold light of sunrise. Pedro watched as she whispered something under her breath. A soft glow flickered from her palms, and within seconds, the kingfisher’s wing straightened with a crack that sounded more like relief than pain.It chirped once, flapped its wings, and took off into the sky.“You could’ve told me you were leaving before dawn,” Pedro called out.Leonora glanced back with a faint smile. “You were still asleep. And you snore like a bull carabao.”Pedro scoffed, approaching with a lazy grin. “You’ve been hanging around Ramon too long. You’re starting to sound like family.”Leonora shrugged, brushing dirt from her skirt. “Maybe I am.”Their bond had shifted over the last few months—not romantic, not quite friendship either. Something rooted deeper. He was