After nearly an hour, Andrea Mercado stepped into the building, her white shirt neatly tucked into ripped jeans. A black bag swung at her side, gripped firmly in her right hand.

Raine lounged in her usual chair facing the kitchen, her gaze idly drifting over the room. Across from her, Zane sat at the dining table, typing into his grey laptop while the rain outside continued to flow.

A sharp knock sounded at the door-one quick rap followed by two more after a brief pause. Raine pulled it open to find Mrs. Nuñez standing on the threshold.

"Someone's looking for you downstairs," Mrs. Nuñez said.

"Is it the same woman who came before? The one you let in because she claimed to be a client?" Raine asked, her brow arched.

Mrs. Nuñez nodded. "It is. But I didn't let her in this time-just like you asked."

"In that case, thank you, Auntie," Raine replied with a small smile, her tone softening.

Mrs. Nuñez shrugged, her kind smile lingering. "Alright then, what should I do now? Common room?" she asked.

"There might be people listening in. Are both common rooms occupied?" Raine inquired.

"The one next to your usual entrance was empty last I checked," Mrs. Nuñez replied thoughtfully. "The bingo boys usually take over at night."

Raine glanced at Zane before nodding. "We'll use that room, then."

"Got it, dear. I'll let her know to head to the second door," Mrs. Nuñez said with a warm smile. Without another word, she turned down the hallway, took a right at the staircase, and disappeared downstairs.

Mrs. Nuñez opened the door and gestured to the young woman, who nodded and followed without hesitation.

The three gathered in the second common room near Apartment No. 222. The room's two long sofas faced each other along the walls, but they chose the empty four-seat wooden table set at the center. A brief silence settled over them as their eyes wandered to the golden Christmas lights, their warm glow reflecting off the leafy garlands draped over the staircase railing.

"Why?" Andrea asked, her voice cutting through the quiet.

"Why what?" Raine replied, turning her gaze towards her.

"Why bring me here?" Andrea pressed.

Raine feigned innocence, crossing one leg over the other with a casual air. "Oh, that. Last time you barged in here, I asked you to tell us the truth. Care to answer now?"

Andrea's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly composed herself, sitting straighter as she faced them. "Pardon me. I thought I already answered that," she said evenly.

"Not quite, I'm afraid," Raine replied. "Yes, we told you about Zane's two jobs and the cases we handle."

"And I told you the truth," Andrea countered smoothly. "The truth is that I want to join your crew. And here I am now-finally accepted."

Raine's gaze remained fixed on her, scanning her carefully, as though dissecting every detail. Zane, however, stayed silent, masking his disappointment. The sting of Andrea's indifference toward him mingled with the chaos of recent events still replaying in his mind.

"Ah," Andrea said suddenly, leaning forward with a sly smile. "I see now. This must be my initiation."

"Not an initiation, Ms. Mercado. In fact, there was no club acceptance or alliance to speak of," Raine said, her tone sharp yet composed. "I simply want you to tell me the truth."

Andrea's expression faltered, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face. "Mr. Nuñez, what is your... best friend... talking about?" she asked, her voice laced with growing unease.

Zane blinked, her words pulling him from his thoughts. For a moment, he wondered if Andrea had told Raine something before-perhaps about her engagement. He shifted uncomfortably, then admitted, "I... I don't know."

"First of all, you have a great expertise in Philippine history, culture, and beliefs," Raine began, her gaze steady. "You've got a deep understanding of supernatural beliefs, and you're even in a master's program for that field."

She paused, then leaned forward slightly. "Second, I have a question for you: What really happened that day when you and Zane were at the park? Why did you leave so abruptly?"

Andrea's expression shifted, but she quickly composed herself. "I told you it was an emergency. My mother got sick," she replied, her voice tightening. "What is this, Ms. De Verra? Are you interrogating me? Did you lie just to trap me here?"

Zane, still quiet up until then, spoke softly, his tone laced with a hint of frustration. "I thought you said on the phone that you knew why I asked you to be here."

"Which leads me to the third truth," Raine pressed. "What exactly happened to your mother?"

Andrea straightened. "I'm sorry, but that's confidential. Even doctors respect that," she replied coolly. "I could file a complaint for invasion of privacy-if I weren't your friend, of course. You wouldn't want to tarnish your shining career, would you, Ma'am?"

Raine ignored the veiled threat and leaned forward. "Fourth truth: If you're already engaged to someone-specifically, another teacher at a private college-why did you spend so much time with my personal assistant?"

Andrea held her head high, meeting Raine's gaze. "Why? I simply wanted him to be my friend," she said, her tone carefully controlled.

"A friend, huh?" Raine's voice sharpened, her eyes narrowing. "But I noticed something else-not love, not affection, but a deliberate attempt to gain his trust. Why is that, Ms. Mercado?"

Andrea froze, the questions swirling in her mind now a chaotic storm. Before she could respond, Raine continued, her words cutting like glass. "And then you showed up at our flat, disguised as someone you thought no one could recognize. You fooled Zane, but not me. You made one mistake-you kept your perfume."

Raine leaned back, her tone turning almost mocking. "Why go to such lengths for one man when you already have another?"

"Ms. De Verra, what are you talking-" Andrea started, her voice faltering.

"And now the fifth truth," Raine continued. "You were at the house of the victim, Ms. Amara Turner. When exactly were you there?"

Andrea hesitated briefly before answering, "Six days before she was reported dead from natural causes. Why?"

"Natural causes?" Zane interjected, his brow furrowed.

"That's what I heard on the news," Andrea replied. "At least, that's what the police were still trying to confirm."

Raine's gaze hardened. "Sixth truth: What happened when your student, Molly, tried to enter Ms. Turner's bedroom? Why did she stop?"

Andrea sighed, her shoulders stiffening. "I was waiting for Amara's approval on a new chapter I'd written-about a mambabarang character for our collaboration. But she rejected it outright and tore the paper into pieces," she admitted. "I was frustrated and just sat on the sofa in her living room while Molly tried to comfort me."

"And then...?" Raine prompted.

"Amara went to her bedroom and stayed there for several minutes," Andrea continued. "Molly got curious and decided to check on her. When she came back, she told me Amara was sitting on the floor, surrounded by books and scattered papers with pictures of supernatural beings. The room was a complete mess. After waiting a while longer and still not seeing her again, we left. That was the last time we spoke."

"So, she was genuinely terrified of that sort of thing," Zane remarked, his tone thoughtful. "I think I understand what might have happened to her."

"You do?" Andrea asked.

"I saw a strange creature," Zane began, his voice low. "Probably the one you mentioned at the restaurant-the one that can shapeshift into your greatest nightmares. She might've seen it too. I was lucky to escape. For a moment, I thought I'd die that night. Maybe, since she was alone in her house, that... thing overwhelmed her."

Andrea leaned forward, her intensity palpable. "Can you still see it? Where did you encounter it? Was it here, in this building?"

"Inside our apartment," Zane replied, his gaze distant. "Raine might've seen something similar when we visited your village in Sitio-" His words faltered, his expression tightening as fragmented memories began clouding his thoughts.

"Sitio Santa Clara? You've been there?" Andrea asked.

"We stayed at one of the houses there so that..." Zane began but hesitated, remembering the confidentiality of their mission. Quickly, he scrambled for a diversion. "We stayed to visit your village for a... research project we're both working on. We were lucky enough to have someone offer us a place to stay overnight. That's when we discovered there was a dead woman nearby-Amara."

"Maybe the creature attached itself to you and then transferred to your home," Andrea suggested, her concern breaking through. "Have you had a priest bless the place?"

"I vaguely remember telling myself to call a priest," Zane replied. "But... I can't recall if I ever did. My memory's all over the place-probably from the stress of all this."

Andrea sighed, her patience thinning. "I might accumulate my own stress after the tricks you two have pulled on me." She glanced at the clock. "Anything else? If not, may I excuse myself? I've got plenty to do."

"You're lucky we're not the police," Raine said. "They'd likely have far more questions for you."

Andrea shot Raine a quick, disappointed glance before rising from her seat and walking away.

"Andrea, wait," Zane called after her. She paused momentarily but didn't turn back. "I'm sorry... we're so sorry."

Without a word, Andrea left, her steps echoing faintly as silence settled between them.

A few moments passed before Zane broke it. "Well," he began, his tone somber. "You've upset her. We've lost a friend... a good one."

Raine remained unfazed as she stood, brushing off his comment. "She was only interested in you because you work with me."

"But you said she liked me, too," Zane said.

Raine paused at the staircase, glancing back over her shoulder. "She may have had feelings for you once, but it doesn't matter now-she's engaged," she replied.

"Wait," Zane called out as she turned to ascend the stairs. "Before you go, what was the outcome of that sacrifice you made?"

Raine kept walking, her footsteps deliberate.

Zane's voice grew louder. "Is Andrea that creature?!"

That stopped Raine in her tracks. Slowly, she turned to face him, her expression unreadable.

"Of course not," Raine replied. "For one, she's terrified of blood. I remember her mentioning her mother's surgery for a tumor. She didn't even visit because she couldn't handle the sight of it."

"You heard that?" Zane asked, eyebrows raised.

"She's been trying to stay close to me for quite some time," Raine answered.

"Have you ever thought," Zane pressed, "that maybe she just wanted to be your friend... a real friend?"

Raine opened her mouth to respond, but her voice faltered. "But..." she started, her heart pounding as doubt crept in. Unable to continue, she turned abruptly and hurried back towards the flat, leaving Zane alone in thought.

"Are you alright?" Zane asked, quickly standing to catch up with her.

Raine's eyes welled up, but she fought to hide it from him. The voices-those relentless screams and the chill of past memories-came rushing back. Panic gripped her as she sprinted to her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

"Raine!" Zane called, his voice filled with concern as he reached their flat. He searched every room, but eventually found himself at the door to her bedroom. "Raine, are you alright?" He paused, his gaze falling on the door, sensing the strange, unsettling look on her face when he had last seen her. It wasn't just sadness; it was pure anxiety, something deeper, something she hadn't shown him before.

Raine swallowed hard, hastily wiping away her tears, though they continued to fall. Outside, the rain pounded against the windows, sounding like the harsh rhythm of falling bullets. "I'm fine!" she called out, her voice quivering as she tried to calm herself.

"Raine, I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?" Zane asked, his voice full of regret. "I'm sorry."

He stood still for a moment, knowing better than to press her further. Anxiety was something he understood all too well, and sometimes, the best thing to do was to give space. Just as he turned to leave, his phone vibrated.

Glancing at the screen, he saw a message from an unknown number:

Noli Street, Saint Bartholomew Chapel, 5 in the afternoon.

Below the message was a single pink heart emoji.

A sense of unease settled over Zane as he read the message, wondering who could have sent it. Despite his doubts, he knew he needed to go. If it meant helping his new friend find some peace, he couldn't let fear stop him.

Hours passed, and Raine didn't emerge from her room-no food for lunch, no snacks, just an eerie silence hanging in the air.

"Raine, I'm heading out," Zane called gently, his voice quiet. "I'm going to visit a church to find a priest and get this flat blessed, to clear away the bad spirits." But there was no reply.

He sighed, stepping toward the door. "I'll be back later. If you get hungry, I bought some food from a nearby eatery earlier." With that, he cleared his throat, slipping both hands into the side pockets of his black jacket.

Zane stepped away from the flat, making his way downstairs. As he entered the common room, his aunt looked up, concern flickering in her eyes.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'll be heading to Noli Street, Auntie," Zane replied, trying to keep his tone light. "I'll be quick."

His aunt nodded, though her gaze lingered for a moment, as if sensing something more behind his words. But she didn't press him further, and he made his way out, the weight of the unknown still present on his mind.

After a quick tricycle ride, Zane finally arrived at his destination. The distant toll of a church bell echoed through the air, signaling the approach of evening. The sun was beginning its descent, casting a golden hue over the damp road, still wet from the rain that had just subsided. As he walked closer to the church, he merged with the crowd of people heading in for the six o'clock mass, all while keeping an eye out for whoever had texted him.

Just as he was about to step closer to the entrance, a hand suddenly covered his face, and he was yanked into the shadows. He tried to scream, but a towel was quickly shoved into his mouth, muffling his cries.

"You already had your time, Mister Nuñez," a woman's voice whispered coldly from behind him.

The towel was removed, and Zane, now facing her, turned his back to the voice, his heart racing as he tried to make sense of the sudden turn of events.

"Who the heck are-" Zane's words faltered as his gaze fell upon the woman. His eyes widened in recognition. The face before him was all too familiar-the woman who had once become a companion of them before. "Y-You?"

"What did you expect?" she replied with a cold smirk. "Surprised?"

Zane's pulse quickened as fear crept in. "What do you want?" he demanded, trying to steady his voice despite the growing unease.

"You need to be silenced," she answered. She brandished something in her hand, its metal glinting in the fading sunlight, sharp and deadly. "Just like those other six."

Zane's heart raced as she raised the weapon, its gleam catching the last rays of the sun. "It's time to say nighty night, Mr. Nuñez."