Capítulo 30: Calm Under Pressure
December 1885
Manila Bay, Philippines
As I woke up from my slumber, I opened my eyes but there's something weird...
I can't see anything...
My head hurts, my limbs are tied...
Suddenly, hunger attacked my stomach as various types of physical abuse and a surge of memories immediately attacked my mental in various ways, I don't know how this happened nor do I know how they kept me like this, one time I was just talking with my friend and mentor, Graciano Lopez Jaena about our decisions regarding the letter sent to us by a certain Renaldo who claims that he has liberated the capital and is currently in possession of our families, this enraged both me and Graciano and we both concluded that the man that is claiming to be the descendant of Manila's old rajah is a tyrant, one that is almost in leagues with the Kaiser of Germany.
Thus, both of us concluded that we won't subject to such a man and has decided to report the letter to the monarchy, but then, everything went black, it seems that my memory was immediately cut off after that, there's only darkness that followed and now, I feel like I'm in a damp and dark room with other people.
I'm puzzled...
I'm scared...
I'm at my wits end!
But as I was filled with uncertainty, something a door suddenly opened and my eyes were torch!!!! it opened without anyone telling us, like its some kind of magic door, with its opening though, a man came along with it, he's not a handsome man, instead he looks like an scary guy who has been through a lot of battles, with short hair (crew cut), a stubble, and a pair of eyes that can probably kill someone with just their menacing aura alone. He wears a black barong with some kind of armor made of a weird material on top of it, he also has a sidearm that does not look like anything I have ever seen, while at the same time carrying an axe on his other side, probably as an emergency weapon if he ever runs out of ammo.
As I was busy observing his facial features, the man reached over and suddenly switched a lever open and with it, lights suddenly went up! I closed my eyes immediately! Because I'm still not used to the brightness, slowly but surely though, I adjusted my eyes to the light and opened it.
All around me were unconscious people with sacks over their heads, some people are tied while some are just drugged to the point that they can't move, those drugged people are like me, but I recovered faster, probably because my body has some kind of resistance with the drugs that they used to us.
I slowly turned my head to the side as I saw that man looking at me, smiling as if some evil thoughts are running inside his mind, I panicked as I tried to get up but stumbled because of some lingering effects of the drug given to me, coupled with the lack of nutritious sustenance and probably dehydration, I'm as weak as a child, this led to a situation wherein I kept on trying to run while stumbling over unconscious people.
*Thud!*
Renaldo's POV
Seeing that my country's national hero is currently struggling and tumbling, I felt funny and at the same time disappointed by what is in front of me, he's supposed to be a dignified man yet he's now a husk of his usual self, probably because of confusion and the bizarre situation around him.
Power is definitely something that makes people drunk and revel in it, my power gave me control over these people, people of high status, people of various origins, these people were members of the propaganda movement in my past life yet now they're all around me, as people whom I can kill in but a single thought. Yet this power should be put in good use, I might be someone who killed a lot of people in my time and will probably kill a lot more, I still have my own morality, I may be a warmonger but I will never abuse my power nor will I be drunk with it for power is just a means to an end, power is going to be what I'll use to free my people and lead them to greater heights.
As he was monologuing to himself, he ordered his people to wake up the unconscious ilustrados, from those that have already joined the movement to those that wi join in in the future, Renaldo has gathered them all to serve him, they will be the cornerstones of his organization, the administrators of everything that he does and will do. The brightest minds that the filipino race has ever produced will soar to greater heights under him, they will become people whom will exceed whatever they had achieved in his past life...
Renaldo waited for everyone to gather their wits, some panicked after waking up while some were cool, calm, and collected, which gave Renaldo a really good impression of them as they can be calm in the face of imminent adversary, they are the perfect people for the job!
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