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Chapter 28 – Echo Protocol

Penulis: elora_chinxx
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-11-07 18:32:38

Rhea’s POV

I don’t remember collapsing, but I remember waking up.

The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the command base’s servers.

For a moment, akala ko nasa simulation pa rin ako — hanggang sa naramdaman ko ‘yung lamig ng metal table sa ilalim ng kamay ko.

“Easy,” Lucas’s voice came through, soft but strained.

He was sitting beside the bed, dark circles under his eyes, fingers still hovering above the control pad. “You’ve been out for ten hours.”

“Ten?” I groaned, forcing myself up. “Parang isang siglo.”

He handed me a cup of water. “You scared the hell out of me, Valencia.”

“Yeah,” I rasped, half-laughing. “Guess that makes two of us.”

He didn’t laugh. His eyes were still sharp, analyzing every movement — like he was afraid na bigla akong mawawala ulit.

“Relax,” sabi ko. “I’m he
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  • Bound by His Promise   CHAPTER 77 — THE PIT

    JAKE’S POVAng unang naramdaman ko ay bigat.Hindi sakit agad—kundi yung pakiramdam na parang may mundo na bumagsak sa dibdib ko.Bumagsak ako sa malamig na bakal, humaginit ang likod ko, at nawalan ako ng hangin sa baga. Napahiga ako sa dilim, pilit humihinga, pilit inuunawa kung buhay pa ba ako.“Rhea—” paos kong tawag.Walang sagot.Sa halip, may tunog ng gumagalaw na mekanismo. Parang malalaking pader na nagsasara. Then a low hum—electric.Unti-unting umilaw ang paligid.At doon ko nakita kung nasaan ako.Isang hukay.Hindi lupa—bakal, reinforced steel, parang underground arena. Walang bintana. Walang pintuan. Tanging pader na mataas at kisame na may mga ilaw na parang mata.Nakaupo ako sa gitna ng isang kulungan.At sa paligid ko—Mga marka.Dugo. Gasgas. Basag na bakal.Hindi ako ang una.“Fuck…” bulong ko.Tumayo ako kahit ma

  • Bound by His Promise   CHAPTER 76 — EXTRACTION

    RHEA’S POVTahimik ang mundo bago sumabog.Yung klase ng katahimikan na alam mong panandalian lang—parang huling hinga bago ka lunukin ng dilim.Nakatayo kami sa gilid ng lumang access road, halos kainin na ng damo at hamog. Sa harap namin, nakatago sa pagitan ng bundok at kakahuyan, ang black site na sinasabi ni Lucas.Walang pangalan.Walang ilaw sa labas.Pero ramdam mo—may mali.“This is it,” bulong ko.Jake adjusted his gear beside me, jaw clenched. Hindi siya nagsasalita, pero ramdam ko ang galit na kinikimkim niya. Galit na pinipilit niyang gawing lakas.Lucas checked the drone feed.“Two guards on the east,” sabi niya.“Rotational. Blind spot every ninety seconds.”Tumango ako.“Ninety seconds is all we need.”O so I told myself.JAKE’S POVEvery step forward felt like I was walking into a trap.Pero kahit ganon—kahit anong

  • Bound by His Promise   CHAPTER 75 — FAULT LINES

    RHEA’S POVHindi lahat ng sugat dumudugo.Yung iba, tahimik lang na bumubuka sa loob.Tatlong oras na mula nang mawala si Mia.Tatlong oras na walang solid lead.Tatlong oras na unti-unting bumibigat ang hangin sa safehouse.Lucas was buried in screens.Jake was sharpening silence into anger.At ako?Ako ang dahilan kung bakit nagkaganito.“Say something,” biglang sabi ni Jake, boses mababa pero may panginginig.“Anything.”Huminga ako nang malalim.“Kapag nagsalita ako ngayon,” sabi ko, “may masasabi akong pagsisisihan.”“That’s already happening,” sagot niya.JAKE’S POVShe was pulling away.I saw it.That look—yung parang pinipilit mong maging bakal kasi kapag naging tao ka, babagsak ka.“You don’t get to do this alone,” sabi ko.“Hindi ka nag-iisa dito.”Rhea didn’t look at me.“Hindi ko hinihi

  • Bound by His Promise   CHAPTER 74 — THE PRICE OF REFUSAL

    RHEA’S POVMay mga desisyon na hindi mo kailangang sabihin nang malakas.Ramdam na agad ng mundo kapag tumanggi ka.Pagbalik namin sa safehouse, walang nagsalita agad. Hindi dahil wala kaming sasabihin—kundi dahil alam naming may darating na kapalit.Adrian Vale didn’t wait for answers.He punished hesitation.“Lock all channels,” sabi ni Lucas habang mabilis na nagta-type.“Something’s off.”Jake was pacing.“He won’t hit us head-on,” sabi niya.“He’ll take something we can’t afford to lose.”I sat down slowly.“I already chose,” sabi ko.They both looked at me.“I’m not aligning with him,” dagdag ko.“Even if it costs.”LUCAS’ POVThe first hit came quietly.Not an explosion.Not a threat.A retraction.Three major outlets pulled their support stories simultaneously.Then—Emails.

  • Bound by His Promise   CHAPTER 73 — TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT

    RHEA’S POVHindi siya nagmamadali.Iyon ang unang napansin ko.Si Adrian Vale ay nakatayo sa gitna ng abandonadong financial district na parang bisita lang sa isang pribadong gallery—hands relaxed, posture open, walang bahid ng takot. Parang alam niyang kahit anong mangyari, siya ang may hawak ng oras.“Relax,” sabi niya, tinapik ang hangin.“Hindi ito ambush.”Jake didn’t lower his guard.“That’s what you said before,” malamig niyang sagot.Adrian smiled.“And you survived.”I stepped forward before Jake could say anything else.“So,” sabi ko, “eto na ba yung part na mag-aalok ka?”Adrian’s eyes flicked to me—curious, assessing.“You catch on fast,” sabi niya.“That’s rare.”JAKE’S POVI didn’t like the way he looked at her.Like she was a variable he hadn’t calculated yet—and that excited him.“You hurt someone innocent,”

  • Bound by His Promise   CHAPTER 72 — THE HUNTER

    JAKE’S POVHunters don’t announce themselves.They study.They wait.They learn how you breathe before they decide where to cut.Adrian Vale wasn’t reckless enough to strike right after Chapter 71.Hindi siya ganung klase.He liked patterns.Which meant—habang busy ang mundo kay Rhea, busy rin siyang nagmamapa ng paligid namin.I felt it in my bones.“You feel that?” tanong ko kay Lucas habang tinitingnan ang surveillance feeds.Lucas didn’t look up.“Yes.”Rhea was across the room, calm, scrolling through reports like walang nangyayari.“She’s too exposed,” sabi ni Lucas.“And that’s exactly why he’ll come in sideways.”I checked exits.No alarms.No breaches.That’s what scared me.RHEA’S POVKapag matagal kang hinahabol, natutunan mong pakinggan ang instinct mo.At sa sandaling ‘yon—

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