[3RD POV]

The rain kept pouring, the fogs are getting thicker. Habang maraming ganap sa labas ng academy, hindi rin nawawala ang sunod-sunod na kalabog sa loob. Shattered glasses and windows, broken furniture and rooms, hallway full of blood and bodies.

One of the rooms, hidden, a woman is guarding a door, alert.

Scarlet, eyes on fire, is guarding the door with her whole life. Behind her is a bed where a guy without consciousness is lying. Zeldrick.

Mabigat ang paghinga ni Scarlet, walang kaalam-alam sa mga nangyayari pero alerto dahil sa mga presensya niyang naramdaman. She can't leave without Zeldrick who's not in the good condition to move.

He suffers from PTSD. She knew that it's not the right time for him to be in a battle. For that reason, she will protect him with her life. Fortunately, their room— for some reason, was quiet. Wala pang dumadaan o nakapapasok na kung sino.

'Nakapagtataka.' Scarlet thought. She think it's too suspicious. She's not aware, in front of a door, five rooms away from them, is a cousin of hers.

Breathing heavily, Elias, is on the verge of collapsing. In front of him are dozens of gifteds, some are dead, some are pretty well.

Walang tigil ang pagdurugo ng noo, hindi na maigalaw ang kaliwang kamay, nakapikit ang kanang mata, pilit pa ring tinatayo ni Elias ang sarili niya.

"Apologies, but I can't let you bother my little cousin," he said. Looking at the unending crowd in front of him. He knew that he have a job. It's not like he doesn't trust Scarlet to defend herself.

But he's thinking that this is his atonement. For killing his other cousin. After all, for a Portugal, family, is family.

"So . . ." He fixed himself, even though his eyesight is getting blurry. "Play with me for a while, hm?"

On the other side of the academy, no one dared to enter the left wing. Who would? With the hallway full of body parts. Insides splattered, the rug became one with the pool of blood. Walang nagkamali, walang naglakas loob.

Maririnig pa lang sa pasilyo ang boses ng isang babaeng kumakanta.

Inside the clinic, there is a woman humming, gently patting the person in front of her who's unconscious in bed.

"Hmmm~ hmmm~" 

"Heal quickly and wake up soon, my loving brother," ani Hemera ng pakanta. "I want you to watch me . . . watch me blow up the people who did this to you. . ." She stared at nowhere.

Bilog na bilog ang mga mata kahit walang nakikita. Pero para sa kaniya, nakatatak sa isipan niya ang mga dapat niyang balikan.

"No one can hurt my brother. Not even a God."

At the same moment, back outside, Barabbas can't stop smirking. Katatalsik lang ni Lor mula sa harapan niya na balak siyang unahin.

'Tanga.' Napag-isip-isip niya. Kilalang-kilala niya sa Lor. Alam niyang magiging malapit ang laban kapag nagtapat silang dalawa, pero aanuhin niya ang dami ng mga kasama niya kung hindi niya 'to gagamitin.

There's no such thing as being fair in a war. One should leave their morals before stepping in to a battlefield.

Sinenyasan ni Barabbas ang isa sa mga kasama niya. "Puntahan niyo, dalhin niyo sa 'kin ang ulo," aniya, parang sigurado na patay na si Lor.

He chuckled. Another successful mission, he thought.

Until it suddenly became quiet. Too quiet.

The way Barabbas smirk faded when the fog was replaced by blue light— blue fire.

It wasn't approaching his position, but on the opposite. But since the light is so strong, it can be seen at his location. 

Hindi niya alam ang iisipin.

'Blue fire? It's not Lor's gift. . . nor his child's.' Confuse, Barabbas tried to find some answers. But he didn't get the chance when he heard one of the men he's with, screaming.

"TANGINA MO! ANO?!" sigaw nito sa kasama. Nabigla si Barabbas ng walang pag-aalinlangan, binaril nito ang kasama niya.

Napasinghap siya sa nakita. "Fool! What are you doing?!"

Tila parang hindi siya nito narinig. Bagkus ay pinaputokan rin nito ng baril ang iba nilang kasama. Dahilan kung bakit kinailangan nila itong unahan at barilin pabalik.

It made Barabbas more confuse, there's another man approaching him, full of tears. 

"Please, please, please, ayoko na po, ayoko na po. Gusto ko na pong umuwi." Lumuhod na ito para magmakaawa sa kaniya.

"Ayoko na po-"

He was stopped by a gunshot straight to his head. Barabbas, who's holding the gun, can't believe what's happening.

His men started acting weird. It's hard to see with this fog, and it's hard to feel the other's presence because there are too many of them in the field.

'Blue fire.'

'Sudden change of emotions.'

Barabbas slowly became pale.

'It can't be. Rox said that there are only a few people here. And they're not included.' He thought.

'It's impossible.-'

Natigil sa pag-iisip si Barabbas nang makaramdam ng mabilis na paglapit sa kaniya. Agad siyang umalis sa pwesto niya para makaiwas. Mabilis lang niyang tinignan ang naunang pwesto niya, bago siya tumingin sa likuran kung nasaan ang nag-akmang sumugod sa kaniya.

Hopping like a boxer, punching his hands in the air. Hair in a low ponytail, with a crown tattoo on his neck.

'Tangina. Sabi ko na.'

The guy looked at him with a hyper expression ang smirk. The 6th crown. Lark.

'The crowns are here!'

"You look awful as always, more awful now," ani Lark. Hindi sumagot si Barabbas. "I wanted to see you, fucking Barabbas. May balak pa tayong tapusin."

Barabbas clicked his tongue. This is dangerous. 

Not that he's afraid of Lark, he know that he can kill him. So as the others who's with him.

But Barabbas know that what makes the crown dangerous is that they stick together. And . . . he was nervous to think that the higher crowns are here too.

The top 3.

"Pasensya ka na, bata. Wala akong oras sa 'yo." Matalim na tinignan ni Barabbas si Lark. "I'll kill you another day."

"Fuck you, you can't-"

Lark didn't finish what he's about to say when a heavy palm greeted his face. It was so fast that he only felt the impact of his head hitting the ground.

Barabbas didn't waste his time. He run. Run with his tails between his legs.

"ABORT! ABORT MISSION! GO BACK!" he shouted. His words echoed through others to reach all of his men. "GO BACK! GO BACK!"

In this mission, his words are absolute. And no one is dumb enough to stay when Barabbas himself is fleeing.

"GO BACK TO THE-"

Isang asul na apoy ang humarang sa harapan ni Barabbas. He clicked his tongue. It's too hot to get close but he's on a hurry so he didn't falter.

'Fucking brats.' He said to himself. He's stopping himself to attack back, to fight back.

"You won't get away!" 

Another man approached him, with gray wolves beside him. The 4th crown. Mint.

Barabbas had no choice. His eyes changed, golden eyes with axe inside. He stamped his feet once, but everyone felt the tremble like it was an earthquake. It slowed everyone down but himself.

He continued running, he showed a smirk before looking back.

"Maybe some other day," he scoffed as he gets closer to the gate.

He's strong. Most of his men are too. They are many compared to them.

But he can't . . .

He can't risk fighting back . . .

He was nervous to the crowns. And he was afraid to someone else. Sa isip-isip ni Barabbas, parating na ang ibang gifteds sa Solar.

The fact that the crowns are already there means the others are coming too.

And he was afraid— terrified that he's about to come too.

He can risk fighting the crowns and the others. But he can't . . . he can't risk facing the judge.

The Underground Association flew and aborted their mission. It was a failure. 

Despite having hundreds of strong gifteds. Despite of having a high chance of winning.

They all escaped like cowards.

All because of a false hunch. All because of Barabbas who's afraid of the idea of the Judge coming back.

CHAPTER 69
Ambushing the Solar Academy- FAILED