Prologue

Raven's POV

MABIGAT ang pakiramdam ko. Parang may nakadagan sa akin at hindi ko magawang kumilos. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nangyari sa akin.

"Raven...How are you? Miss me?"

Kinilabutan ako sa boses na iyon. Kapareho iyon ng boses ni Mr. Brookes. Pilit kung hinalukay ang huling naaalala ko.

Naging bihag ako at nasa loob ng isang laboratoryo at tumurok sa akin ang apat na mahahabang mga karayum na hanggang ngayon ay naaalala ko pa kung gaano iyon kasakit. Pero hanggang doon lang ang naaalala ko. Siguro hinimatay ako dahil sa sakit? Kaya ganito kabigat ang pakiramdam ko ngayon.

"Raven, you can never escape."

Biglang tumambol na lang ang puso ko ng lumitaw sa kadiliman ang mukha ni Mr. Brookes. He has this wicked smile. Hindi ko alam kung bakit madilim ang paligid.

"I'll take over your mind for one last time, Raven. You will not have a happy ending. No one will be happy."

Kusang nagmulat ang mga mata ko pero hindi ko magawang kontrolin ang katawan ko. Ni hindi ko kayang sabihin ang gusto kong sabihin. It feels like I am a prisoner in own body.

Nakita ko ang paligid at may mga taong nakaputi doon kagaya ng dalawang taong huling nakita ko.

"She's conscious!" Saad ng isa na halatang nagpanic.

"Useless fools!" Nagulat na lang ako ng kusang nagsalita ang katawan ko. "I'll kill myself!" No, Mr. Brookes is taking over the control of my body!

Kinabahan ako dahil may kumokontrol sa katawan ko. Pakiramdam ko ay parang nakakulong ako sa sarili kong katawan at hindi makagalaw at may ibang gumagamit ng katawan ko.

Mr. Brookes? Sigaw ng isip ko.

"I'm borrowing your body for one last time, Raven. And this time, I'll make sure to break you and that Cambridge, since you failed me."

Biglang kumuha ang sarili ko ng isang matalim na bagay pero agad naman na may pumigil doon at agad na itinapon ang matalim na bagay na nahawakan ng kamay ko.

"How dare you!" Sigaw ng katawan ko. Gusto kong magsalita, pero hindi ko magawa. "Don't fucking touch me! Stupid human!"

Wala akong kontrol sa katawan ko. My soul cannot do anything but cry. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ko magawang kontrolin ang katawan ko. I am conscious but I have no liberty in my own body.

Hindi ko na napansin ang mga nangyayari. My body is saying mean full things towards my friends and Vander. I feel so useless. I wanted to scream and tell them that it was not me. It was Mr. Brookes who's controlling my body right now. I don't know how did he do it, but it was.

"I am severing my ties...with you." Pakiramdam ko ay tumigil ang puso ko sa pagtibok. And for a brief moment, my emotion escaped. My body froze exactly with what I feel right now, but Mr. Brookes taken over right away.

"Great. Then farewell, Vander. Let's never meet again." I felt my body moved and walked away. Hindi ko na alam kung saan ako papunta. My body is just moving on it's own like it's following a map.

I wanted to scream but I could not voice it out. It feels like my heart is dying, to all the things that Mr. Brookes said. Vander hates me now...he hates me.

Huminto na lang ang katawan ko kung saan ay nasa isang lugar ako na hindi ko kilala. Hindi ko alam kung saan ito pero alam ko na hindi na ito ang Metropolis.

"The look on his face is surely priceless. Vander will never be happy. And now, my time has come. The drug is wearing off. You'll return to your old self but miserable life. The man you love hates you the most right now. How can you face him, if you cause him too much pain?"

"Damn you! It was you who said those things! Why are you doing this! Can't you leave me alone?!" Galit na sagot ko kay Mr. Brookes sa isipan ko. I cannot talk verbally, but my mind can.

"But Vander thought it was you. Do you still have a face to face him?"

Hindi ako makasagot. Naduduwag ako dahil kitang kita ko kung paanong nasaktan si Vander dahil sa sinabi ni Mr. Brookes. And our ties was severed already, how can I still face him? Tila naduduwag din ako. Ano ang sasabihin ko sa kanya? Will he believe me that Mr. Brookes was the one who said that?

"I am finally leaving this world. Have a miserable life, Raven."

Unti-unting nawala ang boses ni Mr. Brookes, at pati ako ay tila iginugupo ng antok. Unti-unting gumagaan ang katawan ko hanggang na nakaya ko ng gumalaw. Pero nanghina ako bigla dahil pakirmadam ko ay umiikot ang paningin ko, hanggang sa tuluyan ng dumilim ang paningin ko at wala na akong maramdaman.

•••

PARA akong nakalutang at ramdam ko ang malambot na hinihigaan ko ngayon. Masakit ang katawan ko pero naigagalaw ko naman ang mga daliri ko.

Nagmulat ako ng mata at una kong nakita ang victorian style ceiling na alam mo na kaagad na marangya.

"Gising na siya!" Narinig kong saad ng isang boses babae na hindi ko kilala.

May lumapit naman sa hinihigaan ko. Dalawa sila, isang babae at isang lalaki na hindi nalalayo ang edad sa akin.

"Kuya, sa palagay mo okay lang siya?" Nagtatakang tanong ng babae habang nakatingin sa akin.

"Miss, can you talk?" Tanong ng lalaki sa akin.

"Y-yes." Pakiramdam ko ay namamaos ako. Parang kay tagal kong hindi nakapagsalita.

"Nandito ka sa teritoryo namin. We found you lying unconscious so we brought you here." Paliwanag nito sa akin kaya nasagot kaagad ang katanungan ko kung nasaan ako.

He has dark gray messy hair and cobalt blue eyes. His skin is too smooth for a guy. Sa madaling salita ay napakagandang lalaki nito.

"Salamat." Naisaad ko at sinubukan kong bumangon at agad naman akong inalalayan ng lalaki.

"Don't force yourself. You're still recovering. According from the doctor, it was fatigue so you need a lot of rest." Paliwanag nito sa akin.

Fatigue? Siguro nga at hindi na kinaya ng katawan ko ang mga nangyari.

"By the way, what's your name?" Tanong naman ng babae sa akin."

Tumitig ako sa kanya. Hindi ko alam kung pagkakatiwalaan ko ba sila. But I will be a hypocrite. They helped me even though they don't know me. I am too ungrateful for that.

"Raven." Sagot ko sa kanya.

"Wow. My name is Kiera, and this is my brother Lux. But, your eyes are golden topaz...are they real?" Tanong nito at napakunot noo naman ako.

Golden topaz? Is that what they call with my brown eyes? They have a weird name.

"Yes." Sagot ko sa kanya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit tila humahanga ito habang nakatingin sa aking mga mata. My eyes are just ordinary and I don't think something is special in it. Vander has more beautiful iris, it's an ash color with blue specs.

Krooooooooooooooookkk

Namula naman ako bigla dahil sa nakakahiyang tunog mula sa aking tiyan. Para itong isang signos at naramdaman ko kaagad ang biglang pagkagutom.

"I'll tell the maid to make food. Kiera, take care of her." Paalam ni Lux sa amin at lumabas na ito ng marangyang kuwarto.

"What happened to you, Raven? We found you dressed in a lab gown and you look like being mistreated." Mahinang tanong nito sa akin pero agad naman itong nagulat. "I'm sorry if I am being so nosy. It's just that, I am worried. You look like you ran away from something." Hinge ng paumanhin nito sa akin.

Hindi ko gustong magsalita tungkol sa nangyari sa akin. Paano ko sasabihin sa kanila na kinontrol ako? Are they even going to believe me? Or they are going to think that I'm crazy? I have no recollection on what exactly happened. Basta nagising na lang ako at nandoon na ako sa isang basement and Mr. Brookes was controlling me.

"I-I don't remember what happened." Naging sagot ko na lang. If they won't believe me, there is nothing that I can do.

Napatakip naman ito ng bibig. "Don't tell me nagka-amnesia ka? Ay mali, you know your name so hindi." Nagtataka ito habang nag-iisip kung anong posibleng nangyari sa akin.

"Human being has a defense mechanism if they experience something bad. The body will forget about it and bury the memory." Saad naman ng lalaking nakapormal na suot at may katandaan na ito.

"Doctor! Ibig bang sabihin, may amnesia siya?" Tanong ni Kiera rito.

"It's not an amnesia. But she is not in danger." Sagot nito at may ibinigay ito na papel kay Kiera. "This will be her prescriptions. She will continue her medication for the couple of weeks."

"Sige doc, salamat." Tugon naman ni Kiera habang binabasa niyo ang riseta.

"I already told your brother what needs to be done. I'll go ahead." At tumingin ito sa akin. "Magpagaling ka Miss Raven." At umalis na ito sa silid.

Naiwan kami ni Kiera sa loob ng kuwarto. Biglang sumagi naman sa ala-ala ko ang Papa ko. Wala akong ideya kung nasaan si Papa o kung buhay pa ba siya. He was captured by Mr. Brookes and was tortured. I don't know if he survived.

"I-I need to find my father." Naisaad ko at akmang tatayo na sana ako mula sa pagkaka-upo sa higaan ng pinigilan naman ako ni Kiera.

"What happened to your father?" Napakunot noo naman ako habang nakatingin kay Kiera. Napansin naman nito ang klase ng tingin ko. "I don't mean to pry. But we might be able you help you, Raven."

"He's gone missing." Tanging naging sagot ko. Hindi ko alam kung okay ba siya o hindi.

"We can find him for you, Raven." Usal ni Kiera sa akin.

Napatitig naman ako sa kanya. This time, if I will find him, it's better for him to think of me as dead person. Dahil tuwing kasama ko si Papa ay napapahamak siya. Pakiramdam ko ay isa akong malaking kamalasan sa buhay niya. If I was not related to him, he will not be abducted and none of this things will happen.

"His name is Eric Haust. But please if you find him, please tell him I died." Mahinang saad ko. This is for the best. I need to separate my life from them. Vander hated me and I will only put my father's life into trouble if I will seek comfort from him.

Nag-atubi naman siya dahil sa sinabi ko. "A-are you sure, Raven? Your father might not take it good."

Umiling ako. "Masasaktan siya, dahil anak niya ako. Pero lilipas din ang sakit. It's better to let him think that I am already dead, para wala ng gagalaw sa kanya."

"Okay. We will, just rest for now. Wait for the food, my brother is preparing it." Saad nito at nagpaalam na ito na lalabas.

Ilang araw din ang lumipas bago ko natanggap ang balita na nahanap na nila si Papa. My father who's under custody of the Cambridge who's now living from a far city.

He took the news painfully and I cried as I heard about it. I know lying is a big sin but I rather be a sinner than drag him to my misery.

They thought the war has ended. Pero alam ko na hindi pa nagtatapos ang lahat ng iyon. I am seeking revenge. Sa lahat ng ginawa nila sa akin. To those people who made me do worst. Those people who made me like this.

"Raven, sorry but I did check your background. You're one of the commons, but attached to the legendary Vander Ross Cambridge?" Nagugulohan na pagkumpirma ni Kiera sa akin.

"I was his...secretary and that's all." Sagot ko sa kanya. I don't want them to know what I was back then. I already have the fear of letting them know my real status, it will happen again. They will do bad things against me.

"Oh, it makes sense. But from now on, ano na ang gagawin mo? You said, you want revenge?" Tanong nito sa akin at inilapag niyo ang hawak na tablet.

"Yes." Maikling sagot ko. Hindi man nila alam kung ano ang tunay na nangyari sa akin pero ang alam nila ay kaugnay iyon sa mga rebelde.

"If that is the case then, join us." Yaya nito sa akin kaya napakunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya.

"Anong ibig mong sabihin?" Nagtatakang tanong ko sa kanya. Why would I join them for my revenge?

"You'll know if you will join us." Saad nito at hindi ko alam kung papayag na ako.

"You can't make me say yes, without me knowing what is it for." Sagot ko sa kanya. Naging maingat na ako dahil sa mga nangyari sa akin.

Bumuntong hininga naman si Kiera at doon na pumasok si Lux na may dalang crystal na baso na may laman ng whisky.

"Raven, we are a member of the Elite force who hunts down the remaining fugitives of the previous revolutionary group. We are the secret force established by the president to hunt down the rogues. We have freedom on our own, and kill those fugitives. If you are interested, just say yes and you'll board the ship." Paliwanag ni Lux and he drank the remaining liquid from his crystal cup.

With that, my life started to changed. I don't know what awaits me in the future. But for now, what I want is to annihilate those people who hurts me the most.

©️charmaineglorymae