ᜀᜄᜒᜋᜆᜌᜓ(AGIMATAYO)

Adrian is at the barangay hall, talking to the barangay captain.

Adrian: "My name is Adrian Malinaw (temporary surname). We are aspiring journalists, and we want to feature your barangay community—what you do for a living and the notable aspects of Mt. Igcoron that will attract people to visit. We also want to highlight the kind of hospitality you can offer to locals and foreigners alike. Afterward, I will publish it on a promotional website to help make it known to the public."

Barangay Captain: "Well… the majority of the people here work in farming, primarily planting rice because of the land's rich soil. If we have a surplus of stock, we sell it outside to help the community develop. As for the mountain, you can ask the local guides who are responsible for taking care of it and guiding the hikers, since the mountain itself can be quite dangerous."

Adrian: "Have there been any significant incidents or notable events that have occurred here recently?"

Beads of sweat formed on the Barangay Captain's forehead, while the secretary visibly tensed, nearly stumbling at the question.

Barangay Captain: "Uh… nothing in particular, actually. I mean, if there's a conflict, we… uh, try to reconcile them here at the barangay."

Adrian met Ramel's and Elayna's gazes and gave them a nod, which the two silently returned with a nod.

Adrian remembered what Andaya had told them earlier that day about their roles in the mission.

Andaya: "Group 1 is Ramel, Elayna, and Adrian. Group 2 is Venus, Danilo, and Jake.

Group 1's focus is to gather rumors by posing as journalism students to make the locals trust you. Ramel, with your false tracking ability, you can tell if someone is lying.

Elayna, since your specialty is scouting, I assume you can hear a person's pulse, right?"

Elayna: "I can, sir—if I'm close to the target."

Andaya: "Good. The moment you sense that the person you're talking to is nervously lying—whether it's through their words, body language, or the way their pulse quickens—mark them with a Silent sticker. That sticker will allow us to track them without them even knowing it by doing that we can find the real culprit who's spread the rumors. If someone starts acting suspicious, hesitates too much, or avoids eye contact, there's a high chance they know something they shouldn't—especially if that person holds a position of power or influence. People in charge tend to know more than they let on. Don't hesitate. If you sense that unease, trust your instincts and mark them. We're not here to play games—we need solid information, and we need it fast. If we don't get ahead of this, we might not be able to save the people we're supposed to protect. And if that happens… their blood will be on our hands."

Ramel: "Would it really be that bad if they just denied the rumors?"

Andaya: "It's not about denying the rumors or accepting them as fact. The real problem is the spread of the rumors itself. In our world, full of supernatural beings, information isn't passed down through official reports or reliable sources—it's carried by whispers and fear. its hard to explain but Rumors are our only source of information. Now, let me ask you a question—how do rumors start?"

Ramel: "If a person sees something and tells it to someone else, and that person tells it to another person—that's how rumors start, right?"

Andaya: "If it's a normal rumor, you're correct. But if a rumor is based on the supernatural, it's a different story. You see, the moment someone interacts with a being considered an Aswang—a corrupted being—something far more sinister happens. That person's soul becomes cursed. It's not a curse that shackles their body or warps their mind—no, it's far more insidious. It's a curse that compels them to speak about what they saw, even if they are terrified to the core.

"And to make matters worse, the corruption doesn't stop there. If the rumor spreads, so does the curse. Anyone who hears the story—whether they believe it or not—becomes marked. And once you're marked, it's over. The Aswang will know where you are, where you're hiding—your gender, your personality, even the slightest changes in your emotions—they'll sense it all. There's no escaping it. The mark binds you to them, and no matter how far you run, they will find you."

"That's why we need to find the very first person who spread the rumor—only then can we trace the real culprit."

Danilo: "Wait… does that mean they already know we're here and why we've come?"

At the weight of the question, Andaya's gaze locked onto Venus. A flicker of tension passed between them before Venus finally spoke, her voice steady but laced with something deeper respect.

Venus: "No… because we are protected from any kind of curse."

Danilo: "Protected? By whom?"

A brief silence fell over them, thick with unspoken history. Then, Andaya exhaled, his voice dropping to a near whisper, carrying the weight of something ancient, something powerful.

Andaya:"By one of the founders of Agimatayo… the first Pato, Dakila—the Keeper of Secrets."