JESSICA.
I WOKED up because of the smell of cigars and smokes. When I opened my eyes, I saw that I am in an unfamiliar and dark room. No light was there except for the light coming from the window.
I was about to stand up but I realized that I was tied in a electric chair. What the heck?! Why I am doing in this kind of place? Why I am being tied? Who brought me here?
Then suddenly a waves of memories that happened last night flashed into my mind. I remember it clearly like a crystal clear ocean in the dawn.
That Sehun.. How dare he betrayed us? And what is his reason behind his betrayal?
Biglang bumaha ng liwanag ang buong paligid. Napapikit ako sa sobrang liwanag ngunit kalaunan ay nakaya na iyon ng mga mata ko. May apat na pigurang nakatayo sa hindi kalayuan at nakilala ko kung sino ang mga iyon.
Pero bakit apat lang sila? Nasaan ang isa? They should be five because Sunny is dead. Don't tell me they also killed the other one? Maybe, that was possible for what reason?
"After a long years of sleeping, nagising ka na rin." The guy in the center spoke and it looks like the leader of their group.
He had a cigarette on his mouth and a p two black earings on his right ear. He was wearing a black jacket with hoodie and a black pants at iyon din ang suot ng iba niyang kasamang lalaki maliban lang sa nag-iisang babae sa kanila na nakasuot ng black short, black boots and black longsleeve. They all wearing the same color, black. I also noticed that they have a crest on their neck. It was similar to Sehun's mark. That slant mark.
So this is their group logo huh?
"What is your intentions behind my abduction?" Straightforward kong tanong sa kanila.
The guy in the center smirked at inalis ang sigarilyong nasa bibig niya tsaka iyon tinapakan.
"Relax, Jessica. Dadating din tayo diyan. Sa ngayon paglalaruan ko muna ang buhay mo just what our Almighty One requested to me." he said.
Almighty One, huh? So does it mean na hindi siya ang lider nila?
"You are pretty correct, Sleeping Beauty. Our Almighty One thinks highly of you and he isn't wrong. You are awesome and intelligent that you can even noticed the smallest things in a simple case." aniya na mukhang nababasa ang nasa isip ko.
Hindi na ako magtataka pa kung alam nila ang nasa isipan ko. They are one of Cedric's puppet so they can also read my expressions.
"And Almighty One is correct that you also have a admirable and gorgeous face. Am I correct, Sehun or should I say, Sixth?" The guy wearing a smile on his face butted in and glanced at the guy beside him namely the traitor, oh, Sehun. The sixth member of their group.
"Don't talk to me, Fourth." He said coldly at tumingin sa akin na para bang hindi niya ako kilala at isa akong biktima.
"Why, Sixth? You told me that you are falling for this girl and—"
"Fourth, stop it. You're too loud." The girl finally spoke and rolled her eyes at the guy named Fourth.
"Tss. Lagi naman akong maingay para sayo, Fifth." the guy hissed and Fifth just shooked her head and stare at me. "Sixth is not really falling for this pretending to be strong girl because it was his trap for luring this girl into our camp at hindi nga ako nagkamali dahil nagpauto siya." Umirap ito sa akin.
"Who's that Almighty One of your rat gang?" Kalmado kong tanong sa kanila at hindi nagpaapekto sa sinabi ng babae. Pinasadahan ko ang tingin ko sa bawat isa sa kanila hanggang sa mapadpad ang paningin ko kay Sehun na walang emosyong nakatingin sa akin. He looks like the other person. He is not the usual Sehun that I know. Walang guilt o anumang emosyon ang nasa kanyang mga mata dahil sa kaniyang nagawang pagtataksil and it make me feel irritated.
So all of those gentle and caring attitude was just one of his acts? His affection towards me was also fake? And his smile when he was with his co-members?
"How dare you to act that you are not irritated about what I am saying? You, stupid great pretender and a killer too." Fifth exclaimed.
"I don't care about your babblings, idiot. I am here to seek for the truth not to view my mistakes. Nagpauto ako? Yes. That's true but I consider it as a token of luck because I can punch all of your ugly faces for killing Sunny and her mother. I am a killer? Oh, I didn't know it. Thanks for reminding me." I said then smirked.
"Burn!" Fourth said and laugh but Fifth threw a death glare at him.
"You!" The girl was going to slapped me and I was waiting for her hand to my face but someone stop her.
"Fifth, stop it." That cold and chilling was coming from Sehun. His voice was filled with authority that making all of us to shiver in coldness of the thin air made by his aura.
Napatingin ako sa kanya at nahuli ko siyang nakatingin sa akin. Sa sandaling iyon nakitaan ko ng pag-aalala ang kanyang malalamig na mga mata ngunit bigla iyon nawala tsaka siya napatikhim.
"You shouldn't hurt her or else you will be dead to our Almighty One." he said.
"Sixth is right. Once you laid your fingers on her, you're dead." Pagsang-ayon ni First at walang magawa si Fifth kundi irapan ako.
Sino ba itong si Almighty One at bakit ayaw niyang masaktan ako ng mga kaanib niya?
"Why he doesn't want me to hurt?" I asked.
"You will see it once you accept our offer to you." He paused for a bit. Offer? "I'm sorry for the rude attitude of one of my co-members. I want you to know our goal in why we are doing this." he added. As usual hindi niya naman sinagot ang tanong ko.
"I'm First, the leader of this gang, oh, this is not actually a gang but a group of killers who done several killings in this school for the sake of our freedom—"
"But that wasn't your own freedom. This is killing and taking away your sanity, one by one." I cutted him off.
"Yes, you're right. This is ain't no freedom nor salvation but for us, this is the right path. It feels like we are in heaven when we heard the cries of the people suffering from pain. It made us think that we aren't only the one who suffer this kind of pain and that made us smile."
Ngumiti ang lalaki at sa mga ngiting iyon, nakikita ko ang pagiging makasarili niya but it looks like he was not on his real self. His eyes telling me to help him and begging me to do something. He was in a deep pain. His eyes pleading me to lend him a hand from what?
Napatingin ako sa iba pa niyang kasama at pansin kong ganoon rin ang ipinapakita ng kanilang mga mata.
Afraid. Pain. Anger. Coldness. Loneliness. It was like a mixture of those negative emotions which I was seen together in their eyes.
There is really something wrong between them.
"We are born as a fighters. We are born as killers. We killed countless souls and fight for the Delacroix's pride. We want to proved all of them that we are strong and that is the goal of our group. We want freedom for our self." First said like it was the greatest thing of their life.
'But that wasn't the thing that you want right?' I said that at the back of my mind but I managed not to speak it out.
I need to be sure of what my mind speak. I need to prove that I am not wrong. I need to prove that that they aren't human anymore but a tool made by the Delacroix.
Nawala ang mga emosyon na iyon sa kanilang mga mata at bumalik sa dati. Napatingin sa akin si First at ibinuka ang bibig para sa susunod na sasabihin nito.
"So in order to get our final freedom, my group want you to participate in the Delacroix's experiment. We want you to lend a hand for the Delacroix, for our Almighty One. We need your body as a specimen in our experiment but before that Almighty One told us to have a check up on you.."
"Check up?" I asked ngunit hindi niya iyon sinagot at muling nagsalita.
"To tell you the truth, we don't want this. We are awared that the things that we are doing is illegal but we can't help it. We are already part of his body. We are doing this because this is the task that our bosses assigned to us." Nagtaka ako sa biglaan niyang pag-open up. Nagbago rin ang emosyong nakikita ko sa kanilang mga mata tulad ng mga nakikita ko kanina.
"Bakit hindi kayo tumiwalag sa kanila?"
A glimpse of sadness appeared in their eyes. "We can't because we are already part of them.." Fourth said.
"Does it mean that..." My words was taken aback.
"We are not a human anymore, Jessica. We are already a humanoid. We are the first batch of people that being turned into specimen by them.." Sehun said that made me gasped.
What the heck is this thing? I couldn't believe it! So that's explain why there is an unexplainable emotions into their eyes? And Sehun? Is one of the humanoids?! This thing made me crazy. Alam kong hindi nila kayang magsinungaling sakin sa ganitong klaseng sitwasyon at hindi ko lubos maisip na sila pala ay mga biktima din. That Cedric and his mom! How dare them?!
I wonder if Sunny was became a humanoid too.
"No. She isn't." First said made me to glance at him. "We are being turned into a humanoid after she got killed and we blame you for what happened but we are so wrong because we are the one who really killed her. We are just putting our sins at you and believe on the words that coming from Cedric's mouth." I can sense the sincerity on his voice.
So it was Cedric who played with us all along?
"Why are you telling this to me?" Takang tanong ko. Why did they opened this kind of topic since we are not that close? We are enemies for Pete's sake! I knew there is a reason behind this. They are not a human anymore so I doubt that it wasn't a good reason.
"We need you to help us, Jessica. We need you in exchange for Sunny's life. We need you and Tiffany to be the one who will be dead." Fifth said coldly na para bang isang laro ang buhay namin sa kanya. "This is what our Almighty One said."
"Bakit nadamay si Tiffany dito? Hindi ba puwedeng ako lang?!"
"Tiffany is Sunny's relative. We need her blood and heart for Sunny to be alive kahit na humanoid siya." Fourth said.
I gritted my teeth because of what I've heard. All this time I thought it was me who are they target. Hindi lang pala ako kundi si Tiffany din! And I couldn't risk her life for turning the dead people alive. It's taboo and impossible.
And their reasons wasn't that logical. Hindi naman nila mapapatunayan na kaya nilang bumuhay ng patay though nagawa ng mga Delacroix at iyong sinasabi niyang Almighty One nila na gawing humanoid ang isang tao. Pinag-eeksperimentuhan palang nila ito at siguro ito iyong dahilan kung bakit nagpatupad ng Oplan Killing ang mga buwisit na student councils.
Naliwanagan na ako sa lahat. Naiintindihan ko na talaga kung ano ang tunay na pakay ng mga Delacroix. They want to change the society. They turned a human into humanoid for them to be able to control them and to bring back the dead people alive for them to turned themselves back alive if they got killed.
Naiintindihan ko na ngayon.
Napatingin ako sa apat na taong nasa harapan ko at tumagal ang tingin ko sa walang emosyong si Sehun. Hindi ako naniniwalang isa siyang humanoid tulad ng kanyang mga kasama. Sigurado ako doon dahil nasa tabi ko siya noong time na nagdurusa ako sa pagkamatay ni Sunny. He is with me together with those eleven bastards. I'm sure there is a truth behind those emotionless eyes.
"I decline your offer." Matigas kong sabi sa kanila.
Kita kong natigilan si First. "What?!" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong nito.
"Why? You don't want to help us?" Sumingit si Fourth sa usapan.
"Being with the devil Delacroix and to be part of his experiment is not my thing. Sorry but I don't want to help you in that way. It's okay if it's only me pero kung isasama niyo ang buhay ng kaibigan ko, hindi ko matatanggap iyon and to think that all of your reasons is just shallow. Dead people can't bring back to itself. It was impossible. Sorry but I won't give all of you a false hope, I think your bosses is just playing minds at all of you."
Kita ko ang galit sa mga mata ni First. Hindi tinatanggap ang mga sinabi ko samantalang ang dalawa niyang kasama ay kapwa natigilan at mukhang napapaisip sa aking mga salita.
"How dare you speak in that way! I told you they are currently trying to bring the dead people alive and there is no impossible in trying—"
"But that was if the thing you want to achieve is not far from the reality! Please wake up and come back to your senses, people! She is not going back anymore!"
"Enough!" His voice roared all over the place then I feel the electricity coming up from the veins of my body from my tied hands.
Napasigaw ako sa sakit dulot ng electric chair at napahingal ako nang matapos iyon. He was already showing his true colors and I couldn't help but to smirk kahit na bugbog ang inabot ko sa silyang elektrika na ito.
"If you decline my offers then I will let you experience the pain while sitting at that chair for one hour and if you alive after your torture, we will kill you."
That's all he said then light the cigarette in his mouth. "Sehun, you are assigned to tormenting her and start now." A smirk appears on his face.
I looked at Sehun's eyes. I noticed that he was confused on what he will gonna do next. His expression are soft now. His face have an emotion right now and I couldn't help but my hope in my heart started to rise. He still the Sehun that I know. I can feel it.
"What are you waiting for?! If you don't want to do it then Fourth will—"
"Okay. I will do it." Muling bumalik sa dati ang ekspresiyon ng mukha niya.
Nawala ang pag-asa na nasa dibdib ko dahil sa sinabi niya. Nanggilid ang mga luha sa aking mga mata habang pinagmamasdan siyang lumalapit sakin.
"Sehun.." I whispered his name when he was already in front of me. But he didn't flinched when I called his name.
"Are you really want to be with them? Will you can cut the strings between you and your friends? Are you still the Sehun that I know?" Hinihingal na tanong ko before he do his move.
"What kind of questions is that? Of course he really want to be with us. We are his real friends not those idiots. And you? You are the bitch that crawling like a worm into his feet." Fifth said na mukhang natauhan na.
Hindi ko pinansin ang sinabi ng bruha at tiningnan ang walang emosyong si Sehun. Hindi nito pinansin ang tanong ko at akmang gagawin na ang pagpapahirap nito sakin nang mapahinto siya at bumuka ang bibig.
"Of course.." His words break my heart. "..I want to be with you.." he added then untied me from the chair.
"What?!" First exclaimed at nagulat sa ginawa ni Sehun. Si Fourth naman ay awtomatikong hinugot ang katana sa kinalalagyan nito at itinutok samin. Gulat ding napatingin ang bruha at hindi makapaniwalang pinakawalan ako ng kakampi nila.
Maski ako ay nagulat sa nangyari. Ang alam ko nalang ay hawak-hawak ako ni Sehun at kasabay niyon ay ang pagkasira ng pinto at bintana ng silid. Mula sa mga sirang pinto at bintana ay nagsilabasan ang mga Elites kasama na rin sina Taeyeon, Tiffany, at Yuri.
"Everyone..." A tear fell from my eyes while looking at them.
They all have guns in their hands and smile crept into their faces. Agad silang nagtungo sa kinaroroonan namin habang ang mga Sixth Knights ay napatanga sa nangyayari.
"Welcome back, Sehun. Thanks for telling me where did you hide my princess." It was Kris and tapped Sehun's shoulder.
Nagtatakang napatingin ako kay Sehun dahil sa sinabi nito at may sumilay na ngisi sa kanyang mga labi at nagsalita.
"I'm sorry but the act is over. I don't want to lose my comrades and I don't want to lose the one who gave me light. I don't want to lose, Jessica. I maybe the traitor in your eyes but I am the real one.."
A/N: Here's the update! Sorry for the wait. :)
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, SIXTH?!"
IT was a loud roared coming from First. His eyes were now filled with rage and unexplainable drops of anger. Napapalibutan na sila ng mga tauhan ni Kris habang ako naman ay ginagamot ni Tiffany.
"It means that you are being lured in our trap." Si Kris na ang sumagot na hindi ko maintindihan. Trap? What does that mean?
"Shut up! I am not talking to you." First exclaimed but Kris face remained in his evil smirk and keep on going.
"Chill, pare. I am just saying the fact but it seems like you can't accept it."
"Bullshit." He was about to hold his gun and pointed at him pero kaagad siyang nadaplisan ng bala sa braso niya.
That bullet was coming from Sehun. He pointed his gun out at First's head. "One wrong move or else I'll spill out your head."
Hindi na nagawang gumalaw pa ng lalaki at napaasik na lang. Lahat sila ay kanya-kanyang ibinaba ang kanilang mga baril dahil napapalibutan na sila ng mga Elites.
"I never been a traitor since the first time I joined your group." Sehun said na siyang nagpakunot ng noo ko.
Never? Then, what about his drama and those reasons he told to me earlier? I really don't get it.
"Everything I do was according to our plan. All of the things that I've said and I've done to all of you was just part of my act. Me, joining your group? It was just a decoy to lure all of you into our trap and it was succeeded. I have never been become a humanoid too, I'll just fake all of those experiments and research that they done on me to make them believed that I am also their puppet so that we could infiltrate the student council and to gained some information about their wrongdoings." he spoke those words with a honest eyes.
"But what about those people you killed? Sunny and Tita Elene?" I asked.
"No. They didn't really die." Huh? What?
"What do you mean?" I was confused by his words.
"That was all an act too. The real Tita Elene together with her daughter Sunny is now under the surveillance of WU Organization. Just like what we did to Tiffany, those dead corpse are the decoy too." he said making me dumbfounded even those four stupid wall of defense.
I've tried to find if he was lying but he is not. Shocking to say, all of what he said was true and not a part of an act. And I am impressed. They're too great at maging ako ay napaniwala nila.
"You!" First gritted his teeth and was about to make a move but Sehun was incredibly fast and throw First to the ground. Sehun put his foot on First's chest, making him secure.
"Master!" Fifth exclaimed.
"Shit!" Fourth was trying to fight and help his master but Kris's men restraint him.
Masyadong malakas si Sehun kaysa kay First kaya walang bisa ang anumang pagpupumiglas nito.
"What about the time when you undergo the experiment of being a humanoid? And Sunny was alive? Don't fool me." ani First habang nagpupumiglas.
"I sabotaged the operation and I was telling the truth, Sunny is alive and all of what you've done in order for her to revive are all useless."
Nanggilid ang mga luha sa mga mata ni First. A faint smile appeared into his lips.
"I can't believe it. Does she okay?" He even asked.
I was confused about his sudden change of mood. Earlier before he was cunning mad and now he was broke down into tears. I glance at the two and their eyes are no longer alive. Nakaupo na lang sila habang pinapalibutan ng mga tauhan ni Kris. Para silang mga manika.
I knew it. They are no longer human from the start. Someone was controlling them and it could be those trashes, the student council.
Naglakad ako patungo kina First at Sehun. I grabbed First neck and punch him in his face to put him into his deep sleep.
"Hey, Jessica. What are you doing?" Junmyeon asked with wide eyes.
"Finding those chips that controlling them." Ipinakita ko sa kanila ang hawak kong hikaw. "They are no longer a human and they are moving because of this earring where chips are located. Remove those earrings you found on those two while they are in dumb state. You can check First body if you don't believe on what I was saying."
"What the heck?!" Chanyeol exclaimed after hearing what I said.
"How did you know that?" Baekhyun asked while removing the earrings on Fifth and Fourth.
"It is because of the emotions flowing through their eyes and the movement of their eyes is not the same on what emotions they have. They are crying but lack of tears and they are happy but their eyes is telling me to save them." I said figuratively and it seems that they already understood what I say.
"I didn't expect that they done this too far. And those three are the first guinea pig. I couldn't save them." Tiffany said and a tear escaped from her eyes.
I feel bad for her though. I want to save them but it's too late. If I know this from the start, I may be able to stop them from that evil Cedric and his mom. But this is not the time for blaming myself.
"This is not the time for being caught by our own emotions." I said making them to look at me. "The fight is not over yet and our enemy is surely watching us from above. We should focus on how to save those remaining people from the arms of the evil. Think up a strategy on how to save those students while I am searching for the labyrinth."
A clap escaped from Kris hands. He was smirking and amazed on what I said a while ago. I was to shocked too that I could say this things in front of the others like I was leading them a way.
"As expected from Mr. Jung's heir. You are now fully grown and matured but I will never let you go alone on your own." he said then faced the others. "The White Wolves Group along with Tiffany, Taeyeon, Yuri and my men should save those students who are now hunted by Cedric's men and the student council while my group are the one who will go with Jessica to find the laboratory or their secret basement."
"Copy, boss." they all said in unison. The rescue group are now taking their leave so the remaining people here aside from me and Kris are Tao, Lay, Luhan, Chen, and Xiumin. They are all holding their weapons and it looks like they are waiting for the enemy's attack.
"What are we waiting for? We should go and find the laboratory already." I hissed at Kris.
Kris glanced at me. "In the first bang of our guns you should leave. Run as fast as you can and find the laboratory. You should keep yourself guarded and use this to protect yourself." he handed me a small gun and a sleeping spray.
I was confused on what he was saying and was about to throw him a question until we heard a loud explosion from outside.
"We take all of our sweats and efforts in order to find you and I can't believe that we will find you in this dark place." A dark and monotone voice filled all over the place.
I can help but taken off by his cold demeanor. I feel the chilling sensation all over my body and it was the same as Xiumin's aura. It was Tristan Montgomery, the student council secretary. He wasn't holding any gun but his face, his intense pair of icy eyes was telling me that he was dangerous.
"I take this one." Xiumin said while preparing himself, eyeing the man who has the same demeanor as him.
"Yo, we are all waiting for you to show up after a little drama and guess what? We had enough patience." Chen said while a smile was on his face. What a happy go lucky guy. He even managed to smile in despite of this situation.
"Your smile was making me so damn irritated." Ethan Mortimer glared at Chen and clenches his fist.
"I didn't expect you to arrived at this early. I'm sleepy though but if you insist on fighting us, bring it on." Tao said while swinging his sword like it was not heavy.
"Then I'll fight you, eyebag guy." Jake Li draw his sword and point it at Tao.
Ayumi butted in. "We'll save our chitchats for later guys after we defeated them and getting this big fish." Ayumi pointed her gun at me and pulled the trigger of her gun.
"Bang!" A loud sound roared from the gun and it was about to hit me when Luhan blocked it with his dagger and it fell down.
"Damn it." Sinamaan ng tingin ni Ayumi si Luhan matapos nitong masangga ang bala ng kanyang baril. "You, how dare you to blocked my attack?!"
"It is because I don't like your outfit. It's so girly." Luhan jerked his finger on Ayumi's blue dress. "You don't have the sense of fashion so I shall teach you how." he added.
Shayne and Lay was already fighting at each other. I caught in awed when I realized that the whole student council are here except from Cedric. I don't have an idea na pupunta sila dito.
"You are their target, Jessica." Kris explained while looking at them. "You better stay out of there while we are drawing their attention. You should keep behind their shadows so that they wouldn't be able to notice you. Now, run and go!"
It was a last call from Kris and threw a smoke bomb to cover up for me so they didn't notice me.
You should be safe too, everyone.
That was my prayer and then keep running away from the place where the hell resides. I am their last hope and I hope I can find the laboratory so that we can continue our plan to save the others and to stop this nonsense game.
RUN. RUN. RUN.
I keep continue on running while thinking of where I can find the laboratory. The Six Knights are already taken me there and I'm sure that the path that my feet was taking was the path where the core of the evil hiding.
I stopped on running when I was in front of the school's library. I breathed heavily and tried to open it but it was locked.
So it's a good thing that I have bring my hairclip and I inserted it on the small space between the pillar and the door. I tried to unlock it by using some of my hairclips and it was a good luck that it was unlocked. I opened the door and a cold air from the inside blew towards my face.
It was dark inside but I still managed to see what was inside. With my bare foot on, I walked without trying to make some noise. I'm sure that Cedric is watching me from above by the use of hidden camera.
Hinanap ko ang button sa gilid ng kahuli-hulihang bookshelf at pinindot iyon. I was sure that it is the secret passage from the underground where the laboratory is located or what they called the Labyrinth of the Death.
At hindi nga ako nagkamali dahil nahati ang pader sa gitna at nagkaroon ng hagdanan roon. Thanks to my memory and I can still remember the clues where I can find it.
Bumaba ako patungo sa madilim na daanan na iyon. Napamaang ako sa bumugad sa akin nang marating ko ang pinaka-ibaba at huling baitang ng hagdanan.
The dead and cold corpse of more than thousand people was sealed in the gigantic testubes. What the heck is this?! I can smell the scent of blood with a faint smell of medicine, lingering through my nose. May mga makinang nakakabit sa bawat testubes na nakikita ko at hula ko ay para iyon sa kanilang mga eksperimento.
So this is the Labyrinth of the Death.
How crazy those people are! How could they do this to some innocent people? What are they after?
A slow consecutive claps enveloped the whole place. I glanced at the direction where the claps come from and I clenched my fists when I saw his irritating face.
"Cedric Delacroix."
Then suddenly, I feel a strange feeling in my body. I've become dizzy and nauseous while looking at Cedric then everything went black again.
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