Chapter 9

"What happened to those people, Dad?" Naalimpungatan ako dahil sa isang pamilyar na boses. I can't open my eyes and the only thing that is left working are my ears. There's something inside me, telling me that I should pretend unconscious, plus I want to hear what they were talking about. I don't know what happened. Did I fell asleep?

"They were seen in a laboratory. Not just in a simple lab. Isang laboratoryo kung saan doon din makikita ang tungkol sa Fentanyl. They do not know how dangerous it is. That Fentanyl became liquid and in just one touch, there's a possibility that you'll be a monster." Shawn's father stated. Napasinghap ako ng palihim dahil sa aking narinig. What the hell? Hindi ko inaakalang magiging ganoon ka-delikado ang Fentanyl na sinasabi nila. But a question popped up into my mind. So, they are the mastermind of that deadly organization? Just fuck! It's confusing the hell out of me. Narinig ko pa ang kanilang pag-uusap kaya hindi ko muna inisip ang dapat isipin.

"Who killed them?" Shawn asked. That is also what I want to ask and thanks to Shawn.

"You are already aware that there's a laser in that building. The laser killed them," his dad answered. What should I do? Should I be skeptical? Should I feel apprehensive and avoid them? I know that they were connected in Peur Organization but I never thought that they're the mastermind. Shawn lied, Nathalie lied but I needed to be closer to them so I can get the informations that I need. I know that I have a lot of enemies but I'm willing to take the risk.

"Take good care of her, son. And especially Nathalie. She's the target," the headmaster said. My forehead furrowed in astonishment.

"What do you mean, dad?" Shawn asked back.

"I saw a man in black yesterday. I don't know how did he enter in this University but his target is to kill Nathalie. He thinks that we are not loyal to him," sabi naman ng Papa ni Shawn. What does he mean? May iba pang kalaban?

"I have to go. I need to clean the mess," pagpapaalam ng Headmaster. I don't know his name so he's still unknown to me. I heard him walked away and the door open sign that I am alone with Shawn right now.

"I know that you are awake. Open your eyes. Stop overthinking, It's nonsense, it doesn't help," I know that he's talking to me so, I have no choice but to obey. I slowly open my eyes and it flew where Shawn sitting beside me. He's looking at me intently. Nahiya naman ako kaya agad akong napalingon sa kung saan ako. We're in the clinic and I don't know what happened to me. "You passed out after you cried. You fear dead and if you won't fight it, monsters will run after you," he said. Nagtaka naman ako sa sinabi niya. What the hell is he talking about? Me? Afraid of death or being dead? The fuck. I am just being sad for those who died.

"What do you mean?" I asked him with full of confusion.

"You will know soon. You can ask me whatever bothers you," he informed me. I rolled my eyes but I still want to ask, it might alleviate my suspicion.

"What's with that laboratory? What's with the Fentanyl. Fentanyl is just part of Peur Organization, right?" I asked him while looking at him again. I saw him nodded.

"Yes, it's part of the Organization, but dad was looking for information for the safety of the students. We did an experiment for that Fentanyl and we are looking for its effects and how the experiment failed and turned a person into a monster," he paused for a while before he continued. "About the war, that happened two years ago, someone succeeded with that experiment but that someone is missing and Peur Organization was looking to that person. May nalaman kami tungkol sa Fentanyl," pambibitin niya ng impormasyon na mas lalong kinainis ko.

"What?" I asked trying to calm my voice.

"Once an experiment failed, a certain person will be turned into a monster, right?" He asked back and I just nodded. "Hindi literal na halimaw ang mangyayari sa kanila. Mukhang tao pa rin sila sa paningin ng iba pero sa isipan ng mga halimaw na iyon ay madami nang tumatakbo, rason kung bakit nakakapatay sila at nagiging malakas sila. That's the effect of the Fentanyl. And one more thing..." He sighed trying to ease his nervous. I can feel and hear his heartbeat sign that he's nervous right now and I don't know why but I remained silent waiting for him to spill out what's bothering on him.

"Magiging halimaw lang sila ng tuluyan sa pagtungtong ng labing-walong taong gulang. That's when they failed to fight the Fentanyl that flowing to their bodies," maging ako ay nagulat sa sinabi niya. So, there's a right time when you will become a monster if you have that fucking Fentanyl?

"How about the person who succeeded in the experiment?" Tanong ko sa kaniya. He looked at me like his stare passes through my souls, I felt awkward so I looked away.

"There are a positive and negative effects on that. The negative is they have their fears the reason for them to run and hide for themselves. About the person who succeeded, I don't know what's her decision when she found out everything. Pero hindi sa lahat ng oras ay matatakbuhan niya lahat. When you successfully fight Fentanyl flowing through your body, you will be a fighter, a risk-taker if that's the choice you have," pahayag niya sa akin na ikinatahimik ko. Never in my wildest dreams to hear this terrible statement and this is reality.

"What about the positive?" I asked him changing the subject. I can't still absorb the information. I want to know the truth but I've never thought that this revelations won't accept to enter in my system.

"Positive. You will live longer but—

"But what?"

"You will live how many years you want or how many decades you want but all the memories you have will slowly fade away.

It will be replaced with a new one but it will also gradually disappear," sabi niya na ikinagimbal ng sistema ko. I don't know why did I react this way. I feel scared without any reasons. There's something inside of me that slowly waking up and telling that I am connected to that Fentanyl. Could it be possible that I am the who succeeded? Am I the missing piece? I shook my head. No way! Stop that nonsense, Nisha. That's not funny. I came back to my senses when Shawn move and speak again.

"There are still a lot of positive effects of that Fentanyl but I want you to be the one who will find it out. That's all I can say. Kailangan mo munang tanggapin ang katotohanang nadinig mo ngayon kasi wala ka pa sa kalahati," he said and suddenly get up. Sinundan ko lang siya ng tingin at tiningnan niya ang kaniyang relo. "Nathalie will be here any minute. I still have my missions to do so, I need to leave you for a while. I'll be back later," he said with his serious voice. I just nodded and let him leave.

I sighed when I am alone. I don't know why I am here in this situation. I know that my Dad knows about this and he keeps it as his secrets. I can say in the first place that there was an atmosphere of menace in this city. Shawn told me that I feared death or dead bodies. Maybe, he's right that's why I don't want someone sacrificed themselves. There's other ways to succeed and I don't know what it is. My gaze flew to the door when I heard it cracked and I saw Nathalie smiling. I remembered what did the headmaster says about her. She's the next target and I don't know what's the meaning of those, and I want to know why Nathalie's life was in danger.

"What you were thinking?" Napakurap ako ng dalawang beses dahil sa pagsasalita niya.

"What's the name of the headmaster?" I asked her trying to divert the topic. I don t want her to know what's running on my mind.

"Shione Caelus Moore, why?" She responded. I suddenly got confused. Why do they have different surnames?

"Bakit iba ang apelyido ni Shawn?" I asked back. She sat down in Shawn's chair earlier and leaned back before taking a deep breath.

"Hindi niya gusto maging Moore. Pero hindi naman niya maiiwasan iyon eh. You know already about his sister, right?" I just nodded. "Her name is Scarlet Clydelle Dwyne. They prefer to use their mother's surname," napatango naman ako dahil sa sagot niya. Kaya pala.

"Where is his mother?" I asked with a look of astonishment on my face. I want to know more about Shawn. I felt guilty for suspecting them without knowing their sides. I know that they have pure intentions for me so be it. I will trust them no matter what especially Shawn who's doing everything just to keep me safe. I don't know why he's doing this but I don't want to rant anything and obey what he wants me to do.

"You really want to know?" Pagbabalik na tanong ni Nathalie. Kahit nagtaka ay tumango na lang din ako.

"Scarlet Clydelle is an expert scientist back then. She has a pure intention but when she saw a girl lying unconscious in the hospital bed, she suddenly recognized her. It's their mother. Their mother is part of Fentanyl Experiment and she failed to fight. Hindi nila hinayaan makapatay ito. It's also happened two years ago. Nahanap nila ito sa pribadong silid ng Peur Organization. Shaking and remained unconscious. Scarlet save her mother. Pero hindi siya nagtagumpay na bigyan siya ng lunas kaya nauwi sa mental hospital ang Mama nila ngayon. Aunt Asuncion has only a few days left, if we do not anticipate it, we can do nothing and even if it hurts, Shawn accepts it," Mahaba niyang pahayag na ikinatahimik ko.

I do not know but I can only say one thing. Shawn doesn't deserve what happened to him and I promise that I will help him to overcome it. I closed my fist and closed my eyes as well. I can feel the raging inside of me but I need to calm and that's the last thing that I've heard before darkness took me in again.