Candida, a prostitute in the Philippines, was known for her beauty and the strange rumors surrounding her. She supposedly died from a wasting disease, but rumors spread that she was a sorceress and could predict the future.
Years later, a young man named Tony, seeking wealth and power, visits Candida's grave. He believes that she can grant him his desires if he makes a pact with her. He offers her a handsome sacrifice, a beautiful woman, to appease her spirit.
However, as Tony waits for his wish to be granted, he becomes increasingly disturbed by the rituals he must perform. He is haunted by dreams and visions of Candida, and he begins to doubt the power of her magic.
Eventually, Tony discovers that Candida's magic was a fabrication, a story created by the people to explain her death. He realizes that the people, including himself, have been using her story to justify their own desires and ambitions.
The story ends with Tony feeling a sense of disillusionment and guilt for exploiting Candida's legacy. The reader is left to ponder the nature of magic, the power of stories, and the human tendency to create narratives to explain the unknown.