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The Year of the Fire Horse (2026) is nearly upon us as we shed the last bits of skin from the Year of the Wood Snake (2025). The older I get, the more aware I am of the cycle of years. The decades have piled on and, taken as a whole, is a burden most heavy and overwhelming. To avoid such weight, discipline is needed in approaching the three tenses we exist in: the past, which provides the memories from which we learn and grow; the future, unknown and so easy to find despair in, and therefore must be faced with hope and determination if we are to go on; and the present, as in living as wholly as possible in it, and taken in moments, in scenes, in chapters.  

In stories. 

We are the stories we tell ourselves and each other. 

Eliza Victoria is an award-winning author writing horror, science fiction, fantasy, and everything in between. Her latest novel is Ascension, published by Penguin Random House Southeast Asia in 2024. Her other titles include Dwellers, which won the Philippine National Book Award for Best Novel; Wounded Little Gods; After Lambana (with artist Mervin Malonzo); Nightfall; Seventeen Prayers to the Many-Eyed Mother; and What Comes After. She has had stories and poetry published in various venues since 2007, most recently in The Best Asian Speculative Fiction, The Apex Book of World SF, Future SF, Multispecies Cities, and Asian Literature Project. She has won prizes in the Philippines’ top literary awards, including the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the National Book Award. You can visit her at elizavictoria.com.

by Eliza Victoria

Image by Maurice Engelen on Pexels. (All photos and videos on Pexels can be downloaded and used for free).

Before Teresa saw the woman in white, she was focused on converting the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius, wondering how much trouble she was in now. The sudden snowstorm had downed airplanes, stranded passengers, and killed people, but the Viejos still decided to gather outdoors in this horrible weather. One of the cousins was going to be proposed to, and the family was out in force, complete with electric lanterns, a bouquet of wildflowers, a Spotify playlist, and nephews hiding in the bushes with cameras to capture the magical moment. She tried to focus and advised an uncle, who was also Filipino but weirdly anti-immigrant, which Ed Sheeran song to play to celebrate her cousin’s engagement.

Carl Javier is a multifaceted leader at the intersection of ethics, storytelling, and innovation. Currently the Executive Director and Chief AI Ethicist of Data and AI Ethics PH, Carl advocates for the responsible and human-centered use of artificial intelligence in society. He is also a writer, certified Human-Centered Coach, and educator who teaches Creative Writing at the Ateneo de Manila University. Carl served as CEO of PumaPodcast, the Philippines’ pioneering podcast production company, where he led its growth into a globally recognized storytelling platform. With a career spanning journalism, academia, social enterprise, and publishing, Carl has contributed to meaningful impact through both creative and technical writing. His editorial leadership in relaunching Anino Comics helped launch a new wave of Filipino graphic storytelling, earning national literary awards and acclaim. An accomplished author, Carl has published books of fiction, essays, and poetry, and his work includes projects across print, broadcast, and multimedia platforms. He holds a BA in English Studies and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of the Philippines. Through his advocacy and artistry, Carl continues to shape conversations technology, culture, and ethics in the digital age. His story, “The Pound of Flesh Program“, is Philippine Genre Stories’ December feature.

by Carljoe Javier

Image by cottonbro studio on Pexels. (All photos and videos on Pexels can be downloaded and used for free).

RJ could always stand to lose a few pounds. That’s what he would joke about anyway.

Even at his healthiest and fittest, which was a good ten years behind him, there was a little bit of flab and just enough chubbiness in his cheeks to make him look like a giant baby. Try as he might, his body seemed to just be that way. He had friends who worked out less than him, ate more than him, and yet they looked more fit, more muscular. It was genes, now compounded with aging, which kept him round. It was those same things that, up until a few months ago, forced him to work out more and try to eat even healthier just to stay overweight and not tip into obesity.

So when Kahol appeared before him one night RJ considered the demon’s offer.