Originally Published in Ginger & Smoke Vol. 1 (An anthology reclaiming Filipino folklore mythology and fairy tales) October 31, 2025 Behind my eyelids, I meditate in colours. A gentle breath in and out; my diaphragm rising and falling with each exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. I start to detach my awareness from the overwhelming cacophony of modern life—cars backing up in driveways, trains screeching on metal tracks, the sounds of electricity buzzing in my apartment—an