Three bullets. Three graves. Three names scratched out.
---
The air was thick with anticipation.
Manila's streets had never been quieter, but beneath that calm, a storm was brewing.
Maria stood on the rooftop of an old Intramuros building, the city sprawling beneath her like a living beast — its heart beating with secrets, danger, and hope.
She held the small wooden box tightly — the box that once belonged to Juan.
Inside were three bullets — the last message from La Sombra de Manila.
---
The Three Names
One by one, Maria read the names etched on the inside lid:
Sergio Castillo — the corrupt senator who sold the city's future for profit.
Felipe "El Lobo" Ramos — the drug lord who spread poison in every barangay.
Ricardo Vela — the police chief who turned his badge into a tool of fear.
Each name carried its own weight. Each name meant a mission — a reckoning.
---
A New Dawn
Maria felt the cold metal of the first bullet. She whispered Juan's words, now her creed:
"Justice is not mercy. It is balance."
She loaded the first bullet into the chamber, hearing the satisfying click.
Tonight was not just about revenge — it was about restoring hope to the city that had long been in shadows.
---
The Hunt Begins
In the dim backstreets of Tondo, a shadow moved swiftly — a barong-clad figure with black shades reflecting the flickering neon.
With a bolo strapped to her side and a pistol holstered, Maria was the ghost Juan always hoped she'd become.
One by one, their targets would fall — by blade, bullet, or the weight of their own sins.
The city would remember the price of betrayal.
---
The Legacy
As dawn crept over Manila Bay, Maria stood at the water's edge, the breeze carrying the salty scent of the sea.
She knew this was only the beginning.
Juan's final message was clear: La Sombra was more than one person — it was a movement, a force, a shadow that would never truly disappear.
And somewhere, deep in the city's heart, others were already rising.
---
End of Chapter 24 – Tres Balas
---
The saga of La Sombra de Manila closes… but the legend lives on.