The Shadow of the Sigbin
Ethan
My name is Ethan Salvador. My life is a blur of shifts; I spend my nights under the fluorescent lights of a BPO office and my mornings working part-time at a local pet shop. I live with my Lola, the woman who has been my world since I was a child.
"Good morning, Lola," I greeted her. She was already settled on the sofa, her eyes glued to her favorite morning show.
"Good morning, Apo," she replied, not breaking her gaze from the screen. "Your breakfast is ready. I've already eaten."
I sat down and started on my meal, the steam from the rice hitting my face. "Thanks, Lola. Is that Joanne? Your favorite?"
"Yes," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "She's so elegant. Imagine, she's in her fifties and still looks that beautiful." She finally looked over at me. "How is work, Apo?"
"So far, so good, Lola," I replied, though the night shift exhaustion was starting to tug at my eyelids.
On the TV, the news segment shifted. The anchors became animated as they announced the arrival of Baek-Hyun, the grandson of one of the wealthiest tycoons in the Philippines.
"Baek-Hyun? Who's that?" I muttered. Before I could process the image on the screen, my phone vibrated against the table. The name Jan flashed on the display.
I picked up immediately. "Hey, Mr. Sy, how are you?"
Meanwhile, the airport was a sea of chaos. Flashbulbs went off like lightning strikes as the press scrambled for a position. When the sliding doors finally hissed open, Baek-Hyun stepped out. He paused, slowly pulling off his sunglasses. The crowd surged forward, fans and photographers stumbling over one another just to catch a glimpse of the idol's face.
"It's been a long time, Philippines," he murmured, a practiced smile on his lips. "I missed you."
"Sir, this way. Your Halmeoni is waiting," a bodyguard urged, shielding him from the screaming fans and the constant click-click-click of shutters.
Once safely inside the tinted windows of the luxury car, the noise of the crowd faded into a dull hum. His grandmother sat in the back, her expression softening the moment she saw him.
"Hangug-eseo pilipin-eulo ganeun bihaeng-gineun annyeonghasibnikka?" she asked. (How was your flight from Korea?)
"Halmeoni!" Baek-Hyun exclaimed, leaning in to pull her into a tight embrace.
"Let's go," she said, patting his hand. "Your Harabeoji is waiting for you."
Baek-Hyun nodded, the weight of his family's expectations settling back onto his shoulders as the car pulled away.
The Coffee Shop
"There you are!" I called out, spotting Jan tucked away in a corner booth of the coffee shop.
"Thanks for coming, dude," Jan said, sliding a cup across the table toward me. "How are you? You have to try this—it's their new blend."
"Sure, looks good," I said, offering a small smile as I settled into the chair. The smell of roasted beans and the low hum of indie music always helped me shake off the post-shift fog.
"Anyway," I leaned in, getting straight to the point. "What was so important that it couldn't wait?"
Jan's expression turned serious, but his eyes were bright. "I want to invite you to my bachelor party."
I let out a slow breath, my thumb tracing the rim of my cup. "Jan, you know me. I'm not really a party person. And besides... I'm sure Kirby will be there." I looked him in the eye, my voice softening. "But thank you. Truly. Thank you for not treating me any differently just because I'm gay."
Jan didn't miss a beat. He leaned across the table, his expression firm. "Ethan, you're my friend. I don't care if you're gay, straight, or a literal alien from Mars. That's never going to change. So please? Come for me? Otherwise, Gabriela and I are going to have a massive sulk."
He pulled a ridiculous, exaggerated "pouty face" that made it impossible to stay annoyed.
"Alright, alright," I chuckled, holding up my hands in defeat. "I'll go. But I'm keeping my distance from Kirby."
"Deal," Jan grinned, extending a closed hand. "Fist bump?"
I tapped my knuckles against his with a grin.
"Here is your coffee, sir. Enjoy!"
I looked up as the barista set a fresh cup down. As our eyes met, he gave me a subtle, playful wink. I felt a slight flush creep up my neck but managed a polite, "Thanks!"
The moment the barista walked away, Jan nudged my arm, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Flirty!"
"What? I didn't do anything!" I protested, though I couldn't help but smile as the barista glanced back from the counter.
"Just don't forget—Tuesday night, okay?" Jan reminded me, his tone returning to his usual cheerful banter.
I gave him a nod, taking a long, warm sip of my coffee. Tuesday was going to be complicated, but at least I had Jan in my corner.
The Next Day
I was navigating the crowded aisles of the supermarket, checking items off my mental list, when I turned a corner too fast. Thud. I collided with a solid chest.
"Are you okay, bro?" the man asked, his voice steady.
I looked up, momentarily caught off guard by his sharp features. I managed a small smile. "Yeah, I'm okay."
He tilted his head, searching my face. "Hwasilhanikka? Gwaenchanh-a?"
I blinked. I had no idea what he just said, and the confusion made me awkward. Not wanting to stand there looking like an idiot, I gave a quick nod and hurried away.
He's Korean, I thought, my heart racing for no reason. Gosh, what is wrong with me? Why am I so flustered? I tried to shake it off and focused back on my groceries.
The Choi Mansion
The atmosphere at the dining table was heavy enough to choke on. Baek-Hyun's grandfather set his utensils down with a deliberate clatter.
"He must continue the legacy," the old man declared. "He is the first grandson of my firstborn. There is no other way."
"We understand that, but—" Baek-Hyun's grandmother started, her voice soft with worry.
"Wait, Harabeoji," Jin-Ae interrupted, her eyes defiant as she looked at her grandfather. "I can do it. I can handle the business."
Her grandparents traded a long, silent look. The silence said more than words ever could.
The Parking Lot
I was loading my groceries into the trunk of my car when a sharp scream pierced the air. My blood ran cold. I slammed the trunk shut and followed the sound, staying low behind the rows of parked vehicles.
I peered around the bumper of a large SUV and froze. A woman was being held by a man in a dark bonnet. He had a gun pressed firmly against her temple.
"Give me your phone, or I'll kill you!" the thief hissed.
I looked around for a weapon, but then I saw a familiar figure. It was the Korean guy from the grocery store. He didn't hesitate. He moved with a blurred speed, a precise kick connecting with the thief's side that sent the man crashing to the pavement, out cold.
But the moment the thief hit the ground, the "victim" didn't run. Instead, she swung a heavy object, striking the Korean guy across the back of the head.
It's a trap? I gasped, my heart hammering against my ribs. Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over me—a sharp ringing in my head, and then, the world became hyper-clear. My hearing shifted, picking up even the smallest sounds of the evening air.
I stepped backward, trying to remain silent as the Korean guy crumpled to the concrete.
"Stand up! I got him!" the woman barked. The "thief" groaned and climbed to his feet.
"Are you sure this is the one the boss wanted?" the man asked, rubbing his side.
"Yes," the woman sneered, looking down at the unconscious Baek-Hyun. "He's the grandson of the richest man in the country. Because of him, we're going to be set for life. His grandfather will pay anything to get this boy back."
A slow, rhythmic clapping sound echoed through the concrete parking lot, appearing to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"What was that?" the man stammered, his bravado vanishing as he gripped his weapon tighter.
"Show yourself! Who are you?" the woman shrieked, her eyes darting into the shadows.
"Your wishes are my command," a voice hissed. From the darkness, a figure emerged. He wore a mask that obscured his face, but it was the long, muscular tail wagging behind him that froze their blood.
The kidnappers recoiled, their voices trembling. "The... The Shadow?"
"Release that man," I warned, my voice dropping to a predatory growl. "Or you will experience my wrath."
The man let out a desperate cry and rushed at me, swinging a jagged knife. I didn't flinch. In an instant, I pulled my head low and triggered my inheritance; the world shimmered, and I vanished into thin air.
The Sy Mansion
"You must help your brother," the Grandfather said, his voice cold and ancient. He slid an old manuscript across the mahogany table toward Jin-Ae. "You must understand the blood that flows through our enemies. You must understand the Sigbin."
Jin-Ae looked at the sketches of the creature—a beast that resembled a hornless goat, walking backward with its head between its legs.
"The legends say they emerge at night to suck the blood from a victim's shadow," her grandfather explained. "They are invisible to the naked eye. Their ears are so large they can clap like human hands, and their tails... their tails are as flexible and deadly as a whip."
The Parking Lot
While invisible, I swung my tail with a crack like a gunshot. It acted as a whip, lashing across the kidnappers' legs and sending them sprawling. Before revealing myself, I had already dialed the police, leaving the line open so they could track the GPS.
The sound of sirens soon wailed in the distance. Blue and red lights flooded the parking lot just as the thieves scrambled to get back to their feet.
"STOP!" a police officer shouted, his service weapon drawn and leveled at the chaos.
The two thieves didn't hesitate; they dropped to their knees, hands high in the air. "We surrender! Please, just don't let that thing kill us!"
I stepped backward into the deepest shadows. In the blink of an eye, I allowed the invisibility to take hold again.
"Ethan?" the officer called out, his eyes searching the empty air where I had just been standing. He knew I was there, but the air remained still.
Medics rushed past him, heading straight for the unconscious Korean guy. They lifted him onto a stretcher, the shadows of the ambulance lights dancing over his pale, handsome face as they rushed him to the hospital.
TO BE CONTINUED...