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The camp was engulfed with silence. No human movements and noise. No shadows could be seen. Only the structures of abandoned buildings and offices were left standing. Everyone was in position. Sky's team was already on their hiding spot, as well as the selected soldiers assigned to tranquilize the enemies. Rustling noise and heavy breaths echoed in our earbuds. I heard indistinct noises but mostly breathing.
Mag-aalas dose na nang tanghali pero wala pa ring umaatake. I was left standing at the center of the camp to welcome them.
"Several movements detected ten meters from the gate," bigay-alam ng isang sundalo, dahilan para marinig ko ang pagkalas ng mga baril nila.
"Status, Team 1," utos ko kina Sky.
"No signs of movements, yet," tugon ni Dao.
Dahan-dahang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko. Makakaharap ko muli ang mga dating kasamahan ko sa facility. Ang mga unang pamily
CarloHindi ko mapigilang mag-aalala kay Alex nang makita ko ang dami ng katulad niya na makakalaban niya. Sky counted them all as forty-six, at sa tingin ko, no, sigurado ako, na walang kaya dito si Alex.I knew Alex was powerful. He even single-handedly killed the monster back then. Pero kung iisipin, even these people had limits, kung pagsasamahin mo ang lakas nila, sigurado akong doble ito kesa sa lakas ni Alex.Hindi naman sa wala akong tiwala kay Alex. Nag-aalala lang ako. He saved so many lives at kasama na ako doon. Kaya hindi ko lubos maisip kung may mangyari sa kanya."Let's go!" bulong ni Sky at saka nagsimulang maglakad ng dahan-dahan sa nakaparadang sasakyan, ilang metro lang mula sa amin.Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, sa loob niyan ay ang controller na may hawak sa apat-napu't anim katao na kaharap ngayon ni Alex.With the use of Dao's improvised EMP device, maja-jam nito ang remote dahilan para matigil a
AlexUsing my apportation ability, I vanished the boulder,living without any trace of it na tila hindi ito nag-existin the first place. I was happy na nagawa kong ipawi ito na parang bula. Well, sinunod ko lang naman ang instruction ni Trisha—‘yon ay ang isipin ito na parang isang bula.Pero agad ding nawala ang saya na iyon ng ibalik ko sa kanila ang atensiyon ko. Above them, was a massive ball of hot concentrated energy. It's a psi ball, pero sampong beses ang laki.Hindi na ako sigurado kung maipapawi ko pa ba ito. I’d never vanish a psi ball once, kasi wala namang may kayang gumawa no'n kundi kami ni Sky. And Sky was so busy kaya hindi ko siya pwedeng isturbuhin kahit sinabi niya na willing niyang iwan ang trabaho niya para sa akin.I stared at the orb, buzzing from electricity and emitting a flare of flames and heat. Ramdam ko ang init nito at tansya ko, magiging kasinlakas nito a
SkyAnother grieving day had came to us. Hindi man pansin sa mukha ko pero labis ang lungkot at sakit na nararamdaman ko. Not only for Lola Vemine, but for everyone. This people were been my friends no'ng nasa facility pa kami. Sila ’yong bumubuo sa araw ko sa tuwing hindi ko nakakalaro si Alex dahil sa mga evaluation niya.We shared laughter and tears. We sometimes argued on something na hindi naman talaga dapat pinag-aawayan kasi hindi naman siya big deal. Minsan, gumagawa ng mga katarantaduhan na siyang magpapainis sa mga doktor, kumakain nang magkasama, naglalakwatsa kahit ipinagbabawal, at kung ano-ano pa. At lahat sila naging parte no'n.Especially, Thirty-two. Siya ‘yong laging umiintindi sa akin. He always looked after me. He brought me food tuwing kainan and took care of me kapag nagkakasakit ako. He was like a father to me, at itinuring niya rin akong parang anak. At pinanindigan niya iyon no'ng unang umatake
AlexI'm not actually sleeping. Nasa subconcious world ako ng utak ko ngayon, sinusubukangtumakas sa masakit na reyalidad na nasa labas.Pero kahit anong takas ko, ramdam ko pa rin ang sakit. The pain lingered na tila isang lintang nakadikit sa akin. I wanted to get rid of it, but I didn't know how!"Death was indeed painful, Alex,” puna ng alter ko."Parang ramdam mo naman,” sarkastiko kong tugon."I felt it, Alex. I felt it because you felt it. I'm your conscience, your second you. Kaya kung ano man ang nararamdaman mo, nararamdaman ko rin,” paliwanag niya."Then,bakit parang hindi ka man lang nasaktan?""Nasasaktan ako, Alex.""Well, you don't look like one.""Dahil hindi ako nagpadala nito. And you should, too,” mungkahi niya.I looked at him, scowling. "Are you implying na kalimutan ko lang ang nangyari?" I asked him, hinting at a bit of anger i
AlexHow did this happened?" tarantang tanong ni Maica. Flames engulfed some of the buildings in the camp. Screams of fear and agony ricocheted to every corner of the place, as people frantically ran away from the risks — fire, falling debris, and monsters.Hindi namin inasahan ang nangyari. Nagising na lang kami nang may umalingawngaw na mga putok ng baril. Madaling araw pa kaya pansin mo ang apoy na nasusunog. The fire was caused by a fire spectre na hindi namin makita kung saan. Basta ang alam namin ay malaki-laki na ang nagawa niyang pinsala.Some of the soldiers were fighting the monsters na hindi rin namin alam kung saan nanggaling. Hindi pa namin naitanong kay General kung paanoitonangyaridahil abala ang lahat sa pag-evacuate sa mga sibilyan at sa pagpuksa sa mga halimaw."Hindi rin namin alam! Take Alissa with you at tumungo kayo sa bunker. I'll help kill the monsters," utos ko sa dalawang bab
It's 8 something in the morning, but the camp was still in a mess. That fire specter sure did great damage. Luckily, neither the civilians nor the soldiers were harmed or wounded. Everyone was safe, except for the facilities.Nasa opisina kami ngayon ni Sky at Dao, para alamin kung paano umatake ang mga halimaw. By the number, siguro akong na-detect iyon ng mga surveillance team."The surveillance failed to detect their energy signatures, and I bet Dao, too," General informed na siyang ikinataka ko."Positive,” tugon ni Dao."Paano ‘yan nangyari? Those were monsters!" protesta ko pero nagkibit-balikat lang si General."I wished that we know the answer,Alex, but we didn't. But I have a hunch that Glias was behind it," suspetya ni General."How? Do they have an invisibility cloak that can conceal the monster's energy signatures?" Sky guessed. It was actually a joke, but he looked serious. As if, he wished that his joke
TrishaIt was such a beautiful morning, kung tatanggalin ang nangyayaring gulona nangyayari ngayon. The sun was shining boldly, the wind cradled both the trees and our hairs, and floral scent filled the air.Mag-iisang buwan na kami dito sa kampo. Nababagot na ang lahat dahil sa pauli-ulit naming routine — kain, tulog, kain na naman, kung mamalasin, makikipaglaban sa mga halimaw.Hindi naman sila pwedeng bumalik sa dating buhay nila dahil nawala na iyon isang buwan na ang nakakalipas. The monsters, or let's just say, the Glias, took their lives away from them.Hindi pa rin mag-sink in sa utak ko kung bakit ginawa 'to ng Glias. You know, ‘yong linisin ang buong mundo. Well, hindi pa naman siya buong mundo, since sa Pilipinas lang naman nangyayari ang so-called Armageddon na 'to. Pero sigurado akong isusunod ng Glias ang ibang bansa, at kapag nangyari iyon, masasabi ko nang end of the world na iyon.Pe
Nasa labas ako ngayon ng quarter namin. Tahimik, nakakunot and noo, nakasandal, at nag-iisip para sa gagawing modus mamayang gabi. I knew it's too soon para paroblemahin ang lalaking iyon, pero gaya nga ng sabi nila, the sooner the better.I neededto act early, bago pa mahuli ang lahat. If that man was an accomplice ofGlias, sigurado akong may pinaplano ito."Okay ka lang, Trish?" biglang tanong ni Maica na tumabi sa akin. I smiled at her.Should I tell her about him? Well, if I wanted to reveal this guy's identity, I need help."Naaalala mo pa ba ‘yong bagong art professor bago mamatay si Angelie Terran?" tanong ko sa kanya na ikinakunot ng noo niya."’Yong gwapong art professor na kakapasok lang that time?" pagkaklaro niya na agad kong tinanguan. "Bakit? Ano'ng meron kay Sir Sagil?""That's his name?" takang tanong ko."No, apelyido niya ‘yon. Hindi ko na matandaan ang first name niya," Maica cla