The coffee shop in downtown Cebu was nearly empty, save for the quiet hum of an old ceiling fan and the clinking of cups behind the counter. Amara sat at a corner table, her backpack—carrying the Veil—resting against her legs. She hadn't slept, her mind still haunted by the vision of the ruined Manila ruled by Cortez Industries.
She checked her phone. No Jun. No Kailan. Just the cryptic message from Cortez.
The bell above the shop door rang, and there he was. Elias Cortez strolled in with that same confident grin, dressed in a sharp navy suit as if he were attending a board meeting rather than a clandestine exchange.
"Amara," he greeted smoothly, sliding into the seat across from her. "I appreciate you agreeing to meet."
"You left me no choice," she said coldly. "What do you want?"
Cortez's eyes glinted. "I want what you found in that cave. The Veil. Do you know what kind of power you're holding? We could map time itself, rewrite history, shape the future—"
"You don't rewrite history!" Amara cut him off, slamming her hand on the table. "You don't understand. Every little change could destroy everything."
He leaned back, smirking. "Then you've already figured out what it does."
Amara's chest tightened. She had said too much.
The Veil, tucked inside her bag, began to hum faintly, as if sensing the tension. Cortez's sharp eyes flickered to her backpack.
"You brought it, didn't you?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "Let me see it."
"No," she said, standing quickly. "You can't—"
But Cortez was faster than she anticipated. He lunged across the table, grabbing the strap of her bag. "Then I'll take it."
As they struggled, the Veil erupted in blinding light. The world tilted, a thousand voices screaming through time.
---
When Amara opened her eyes, she was lying on warm sand. The smell of the sea was sharp and clean, untouched by modern pollution. She sat up, dazed. Around her were palm trees, bamboo huts, and figures dressed in pre-colonial attire. Men and women with intricate tattoos stared at her, holding spears.
"Where… are we?" Cortez's voice rasped. He was sprawled a few feet away, looking just as disoriented. His perfectly pressed suit was covered in sand.
Amara's blood ran cold. "We're in the Philippines… but hundreds of years ago."
The warriors began shouting in a language she recognized from her grandfather's stories—ancient Visayan dialects.
Kailan appeared between them, his form shimmering like sunlight on water. His face was tight with anger.
"You brought him here?" he thundered at Amara.
"I didn't mean to—"
"You broke the balance!" Kailan's voice shook the air. "Two from your time in this thread—it risks tearing the weave apart!"
Cortez stood, brushing sand from his sleeves, his eyes narrowing at the spirit. "Who—or what—is that?"
Kailan ignored him and turned to Amara. "You must return. Both of you. Now. Before this timeline fractures."
But Cortez's eyes were already roaming the village, taking in the gold ornaments, the warriors' weapons, and the untouched beauty of the world. "So it's true… this thing can take us anywhere in time. We can see it all, shape it all…"
"Stop!" Amara grabbed his arm. "You can't interfere. You'll destroy everything—your life, mine, this entire timeline!"
Cortez laughed, pulling his arm free. "Or I can fix history. Imagine—preventing colonization, rewriting our future to be greater, stronger."
"You don't get it! You're not a god!"
The villagers were approaching now, suspicious and wary. The chieftain's voice rang out, demanding to know who they were. Amara froze. She couldn't speak to them—not if she wanted to avoid changing anything.
Kailan's eyes burned. "If you so much as speak, the consequences will be irreversible. Do you understand, Amara?"
Before Amara could answer, Cortez took a step forward, raising his hand in greeting to the chieftain. "We come in peace—"
"No!" Amara shouted, reaching for him.
But it was too late. The moment Cortez's voice touched the timeline, the Veil screamed. The sky above them darkened, rippling like shattered glass. A fissure tore through the air, as if reality itself was cracking.
"Do you see what you've done?" Kailan's voice was cold, furious. "The thread is unraveling. Your time is collapsing."
Amara's vision blurred. She felt something pull at her chest, like her very existence was being erased.
"Hold on to me!" Kailan shouted. "Both of you!"
Cortez hesitated. "Why should I—"
"DO IT OR YOU DIE!" Amara screamed.
Cortez grabbed her hand, and Kailan's form wrapped around them both, pulling them through the rip in the air. The last thing Amara saw was the horrified faces of the villagers—and the flicker of the Veil in her mind, glowing angrily like a living thing.
to be continued...