“Subject 43, Katalina. Step forward.” I blinked several times before stepping forward. The man in the white suit and headgear pointed a scanner to my wrist, which why I immediately pulled the uniform up.

He scanned the barcode and when my identity was confirmed to the mini-screen in front of us. He nodded at me and said, “30 minutes break. After that, you’ll be cleaning the thirteenth facility. Now, proceed.”

Agad akong umalis sa harap nito bago pa ako tuluyan na matitigan nito. Pumila ako sa canteen saka naghanap ng puwesto kung saan maaari akong mag-solo, nang may umupo sa aking tapat ay agad akong nag-angat ng tingin.

“Hi,” bati nito.

Hindi ko ito pinansin dahil namomroblema pa ako kung paano ba ako kakain sa sitwasyon ko ngayon. Oras na tanggalin ko ang facemask na nagkukubli sa mukha ko’y makikilala nila ako, lalo na’t ako ang hinahanap nilang lahat.

“You’re not Katalina, are you?” I looked to the man with a baffled face.


As he slowly removed his facemask, a familiar face welcomed me.

“Nate?” I exclaimed. He surprisingly covered my mouth and carefully looked around.

All of a sudden, he pulled something on the table, making us secluded from the others. Our bodies were suddenly covered with polyester walls, yet it was just a tiny space and we are still sitting in our seats.

“What the hell are you doing here, Amira? And where the hell is Katalina?” He whispered.

“Ano ‘to?” Tanong ko. Iimik sana siya nang may marinig kaming ingay sa labas at pag-upo sa aming lamesa.

Sumipol ang nasa labas saka ito umimik, “Couple lounge agad? Are you for real, Nate?” Damn, I’m in the wrong person to disguise with.

“Bakit ka nandito? Alam mo naman sigurong delikado ka kay Tito August ngayon!” Inis na singhal nito saka hinigit pababa ang aking facemask at sumenyas na kumain ako.

Nakangiwi ko s’yang tiningnan at pinanood, “Alex and Peter didn’t actually get those military suits by themselves, aren’t they?”

“Of course, it is all on me— Wait, you’re with your nut-head brother? Dapat ay hindi na ako nag-tatakha, after all, it is your genes na. ‘Yong bunso may sapak sa ulo, ikaw ‘yon, Amira. Tapos ‘yong kuya parang tanga at syempre nagmana sa tatay na mismong pamangkin, ako ‘yon ay sinali sa kanyang munting experiment.” Natatawa akong pinanood ang aking pinsan habang nagrereklamo sa ‘kin.

Nathaniel Fernandez is my cousin from my father’s side. He was attending a university here in Besodiah, so I was no longer baffled why he is here. But I can’t still imagine that my father would use him for his wicked antics as if they don’t have the same blood running in their veins.

At sa tulong nina Alex at Peter ay nakapuslit kami sa lugar na ito. Nagpanggap kami na pinagagalitan nila kami dahil upang mapansin kami ng ibang officers sa lugar na ito, it was a tricky strategy that our little Spencer came up with.

“So, who’s this Katalina? Your girlfriend?” I teasingly asked.

“Yeah, and where is she by the way?”

“At the underground base… Tito Tristan and the others are studying how they will remove the capsules out of their body,”

After finishing our food, I immediately covered my face with the facemask again. The divider automatically disappeared, simply exposing us both.

“Isn’t it too early for mukbang, Nate?” Napangiwi ako sa ilalim ng facemask dahil sa dinami-dami ng pwedeng kasama ni Nate ang ay nakakaasar n’ya pang kapatid.

“It’s the light… Yeah, it’s the light, Niko. And it is kuya not just Nate.” Nate interrupted.

Nakangiwi kong nilingon ang isa ko pang pinsan, masama ang tingin nito sa akin ngunit agad naman n’yang pinunasan ang damit n’ya. Kasing tanda lamang ito ni Spencer ngunit kung ang anak-anakan ko ay kamahal-mahal, s’ya ay hindi.

Nikolas Fernandez is the most unlovable being that ever existed. His attitude stinks along with his arrogance.

“You’re brooding at me, Katalina. Do you want a fight—”

“Let’s go, guys. And shut up, Niko. Where is Nathalie?” Nate asked.

Niko rolled his eyes at me and pointed to the corner which made me a crook. Hiding in the character of Nathalie was Cara who was hiding in the corner, secluding herself from the other people.

Pansin ko na nais mapasapo ni Nate dahil namukhaan n’ya ito. Saglit akong sinilip nito bago ito tumungo sa direksyon ni Cara upang sunduin ito.

“So, what brings you the hell hole, fucking Amira? Wishing to die young?” I awkwardly looked at him, and because his face was exposed. His evil smirk is displayed in his fucking face. “Do you think I wouldn’t recognize that fucking brown eyes?”

“Niko.” Parehas kaming tumunghay nang padabog na nilapag ni Nate ang kaniyang mga palad, “Tara na. Pare-parehas tayong sa thirteenth facility.”

Binantaan muna ni Nate si Niko sa pamamagitan nang panlilisik dito ng mga mata ngunit tinawanan lamang s’ya nito. Nang makarating kami sa pasilidad ay agad na tinanggal ni Cara ang facemask n’ya.

“It’s all good, Amira. Tayo lang apat ang tao rito at isa pa ay na-hack ko na CCTV dito. Si Spencer lang ang nanonood sa atin mula sa RV,” sambit nito.


“Don’t expose your ugly face. It’s more nauseating than those infected beings,” Niko mumbled.

I shrugged my shoulder and pulled my facemask down. The entire room was white as snow, and there is nothing to clean in here.

“So, what are you planning, Cara?” Nate asked.

Cara smirked. She immediately went to the only computer in this facility and inserted a flash drive, after that, she put an earpiece, “Spencer are you there? Okay, good. Do what I’ve told you, okay? Copy everything that I’ll be seeing in this computer.”

Ay, hindi ako na-inform na may plano pala silang ganito? Hindi na ba talaga ako belong sa squad?

My eyes narrowed when a three-dimensional floor plan was displayed on the screen. For a moment, it looks familiar yet somehow it does not.

“That’s the LIVE Corporation, stupid.” I glared at Niko, who made a smug face, “It seems like you have no idea what she’s doing. Well, actually… I’m no longer wondering. After all, you’re stupid.”

“Sasaktan na talaga kita, Niko. Wala na akong pakielam kung pinsan—”

“Are we cousins? Oh, I didn’t know that there was a Homo Erectus in the family.” He smirked and left me dumbfounded. I frustratingly bit my lower lip and looked at the monitor.

To be honest, wala naman akong naiintindihan sa mga codes na naka-display sa screen. Masyadong masakit sa mata ang ginagawa ni Cara, samantalang tinutulungan naman siya ni Nate sa kanyang tabi.

Buntong-hininga akong umalis sa likuran nila at ginala ang facility. Hindi ganoong kalakihan ngunit nahahati ito sa limang kuwarto, ang entrance, ang kuwarto kung nasaan sina Cara at tatlong inaalam ko pa lamang.

Sa unang kuwarto na pinasok ko, isang two-way mirror lamang ang bumungad sa ‘kin. Itim lamang ito, nang binalak kong buksan ang ilaw sa kabilang bahagi ay may humigit sa aking braso.

“Napakatanga talaga ng babaeng ‘to.”

Inis kong nilingon si Niko saka ito sinamaan ng tingin, “Mananapak na talaga ako ng bata.”

“You wouldn’t want to see what’s behind that mirror.” His eyes darkened as if even if I ask him about the details, he wouldn’t tell me.

All of a sudden, we heard a loud bang from the other side of the mirror. He suddenly held my arm and gripped it tightly.

“L—let—Let’s go!” We heard another bang, making me more curious about what’s inside.

Niko somehow got that I was curious. So nervous pulled me to the switch as we hid to the wall near the mirror. He switched on and immediately switched off the light, yet I was able to see what’s behind the room quickly.

The humans have chains encircled around their neck while the other end was tangled to the wall. Their silent screams their agony as the bozos were devouring them; sinking their teeth and pulling their skins like some sort of appetizer.

My knees weakened, trying my best to hold my tears.

What LIVE Corporation have done?


What my father has done?


What Nakamura Clan have done in order to protect this fucking heirloom?

#