Kenji's pen glided as he sketched in his notebook, his mind drifting away while the teacher spoke. As a child, Kenji had been fascinated by mythical creatures - specifically, Filipino mythology - and as he grew older, his fascination only deepened.
As he sketched, a thought occurred to him: "What if..." His pen hovered, "what if I could bring them to life?" A grin spread across his face as he envisioned it - a loyal army of mythical creatures, sworn to protect their master.
Unconsciously, Kenji began to sketch a hierarchical system. At the top, he wrote "Leader" - a title awaiting its occupant. Below it, he listed the names of various generals, each overseeing a distinct aspect of the mythical army. As he worked, flashes of memories flickered through his mind. Kenji felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere around him.
As he pants his friend, Alex noticed him and woke him up. "Hey Kenji are you ok?" Kenji regained his consciousness and started to calm down, "oh... yeah, I'm ok" he replied. "Let's go home classes are over" Alex said. "Ok let's go".
While walking out of the school, Alex chatted enthusiastically about her plans for the weekend, but Kenji's mind was elsewhere, still reeling from the flashes he saw earlier.
Once he arrived at his apartment, Kenji shook off the lingering fogginess. He headed to the kitchen to prepare a simple meal for himself. As he cooked, he thought about his homework, making a mental note to tackle it before relaxing.
After finishing his food and completing his homework, Kenji settled into the couch, becoming engrossed in the pages of his mythology book. The stories and legends described within its pages eerily echoed the strange glimpses he had seen earlier, but he dismissed the connection, attributing it to mere coincidence.
As the evening wore on, Kenji's eyelids grew heavy, and the book slowly slipped from his grasp. He drifted off to sleep, but his slumber was soon filled with visions of the mysterious flashes he had seen earlier. In his dreams, he found himself standing in a lush forest teeming with enchanting creatures. Dwendes scurried about, their small forms darting through the underbrush, while kapres lumbered through the trees, their rugged forms a testament to their ancient power.
As the vision unfolded, Kenji's gaze fell upon majestic boats, their towering hulls slicing through the turquoise waters. Armor-clad warriors stood proudly on the decks, their swords at the ready. Suddenly, the scene shifted, and Kenji grasped the significance of what he was witnessing: the Philippines, poised on the cusp of history, mere moments before the arrival of the Spanish colonizers.
As Kenji witnessed the scene unfold, a sense of unease settled over him. The encantos, once vibrant and thriving, began to fade away, one by one, as the foreign presence of the Spanish colonizers made its presence felt. The air grew thick with the acrid scent of smoke and gunpowder, and the sounds of battle echoed menacingly through the forests.
The devastating impact of the Spanish colonization was palpable. The forests, once teeming with life, were cleared to make way for development, destroying the habitats of the dwendes, kapres, and other anitos and encantos. As a result, their population dwindled dramatically. The native people, forced to abandon their ancient traditions, ceased to worship and pray to the anitos, weakening their powers and causing them to vanish, one by one, into the depths of oblivion.
Kenji's eyes snapped open, and he sat up with a jolt, his heart racing. "I remember it now," he exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of wonder and trepidation. "I was there, in the Philippines, during the Spanish colonization. I was one of the anitos, but my powers were weakening. I knew I would vanish if I didn't do something, so I used every last ounce of my power to hold on." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But it wasn't enough. I didn't vanish, but I was reincarnated. I've been reborn, and now I'm here, in this new life."