In the remote barangay of Balangkayan, where the
banyan tree’s roots twist like serpents through
the earth, 19yearold Raffy Lao studies by
candlelight under the watchful eyes of his
strict father, a barangay councilman. His grades
are slipping; his dreams of college are fading.
Every night, he walks past the old shrine
beneath the banyan, where whispers drift on the
wind—whispers that call his name.
One evening, the air grows heavy with the scent
of incense and decay. A figure cloaked in
shadows appears, offering him a choice: pass his
exams and earn enough to leave the village, or
lose his soul to the aswang that dwells beneath
the tree. Raffy accepts, unaware the pact is not
with the spirit, but with the aswang itself—a
creature bound to the land and its secrets.
Weeks later, Raffy passes his exams with perfect
scores. But the banyan’s whispers grow louder,
and strange marks appear on his skin, symbols
only the elder women recognize. He begins to see
visions of the village’s past—of lovers who
defied the aswang, of those who tried to flee,
and of their fates: madness, death, or worse.
His growing power draws the attention of Liza
Delgado, a classmate from the city, whose family
owns the local rice mill. She sees in him
something more than a poor student—something
dangerous. Their attraction is electric, but it
is forbidden. Her father, the mayor, has long
warned her against wasting her future on someone
from the village.
When Raffy discovers Liza’s brother was once a
victim of the aswang’s curse, he tries to warn
her. But she refuses to believe him, accusing
him of lying to keep her close. The aswang feeds
on doubt, and Raffy’s heart begins to fracture.
On the eve of the town fiesta, the banyan tree
splits open, revealing the aswang’s true form—a
writhing mass of flesh and shadow. Raffy stands
at the center, torn between saving Liza and
breaking the pact. With one final act, he
sacrifices his chance at college, his future,
and his soul to seal the creature away.
The village returns to silence. The banyan tree
heals. Raffy vanishes. Liza finds a single
banyan leaf in her palm, marked with the same
symbols now gone from his skin. She holds it
close, wondering if love was worth the price.
