Ero tiredly sighed when he closed the door of the house behind him. Nakita naman niya si Trois na nasa sala na nakaupo at pinaglalaruan ang isang kutsilyo gamit ang hintuturo. Trois tilted his head as he look at him, "Got anything good?"

Ero pulled a paper out of his pocket and walked to him. Ibinaba niya ang naturang papel sa maliit na lamesang nasa tapat nito at siya'y dumiretso sa kusina upang uminom ng tubig. Bumalik siya sa sala na bitbit na ang isang baso ng tubig. Nakita naman niyang pinagmamasdan ng binata ang kaniyang dalang papel. He looked around, "Where's Zai?"

Trois shrugged, "I don't know. She suddenly disappeared."

"Ano?!" mabilis niyang inilapag ang baso sa counter na nasa kaniyang tabi. Trois ignored his shocked reaction. He then sighed excessively and massaged the gap between his eyes, "And you just let her?" sarkastikong saad nito na hindi naman pinansin ng binata. He clenched his teeth and again, he excessively sighed.

"Where the hell did that brat go?!"

--

Zai quietly stood on one of the tree's branches. Her back is leaning on the tree's trunk as her arms cross on her chest. Her sharp eyes are looking down on the cabin, specifically at the window where she could see Yan sipping his coffee from a cup.

The cabin seemed fine. It is clean and still the same as before. The general also looks the same like always, his condition is fine as well.

Umayos ng tayo si Zai at kinuha mula sa kaniyang tagiliran ang isang nakarolyong papel kung saan nakasulat ang plano at sitwasyon. Sa isang iglap ay nawala ang dalaga sa puno at siya'y lumitaw sa harap ng pinto.

Yan stopped from taking a sip and he lifted his gaze when he felt a familiar presence just by his door. Mabilis niyang ibinaba ang hawak niyang tasa at libro at mabilis na tumungo sa pinto. He opened it immediately, quite expectant but he saw no one. He was sure that Zai was there. He can't be mistaken.

Tumingin naman siya sa kaniyang paanan at nakita ang isang nakarolyong papel. He picked it up and looked around again, only to see no one. He can't sense any presence any longer. He pursed his lips then he sighed before going inside.

Zai's expression hasn't change as she jump from one tree to another. Pabalik na siya sa bahay kung saan sila kasalukuyang nagtatago. Madilim ang gubat dahil lumipas na ang ilang oras noong lumubog ang araw ngunit nakakaya pa rin niyang tumalon mula sa isang puno patungo sa isa.

Her eyes sharpened and she stopped on one branch when she heard a thud coming from her right side. Tumingin siya sa kaniyang kanan at napagdesisyunan na magpunta roon. The noise is getting louder and louder as she approach it.

Tumigil siya sa isang puno at itinago ang kaniyang sarili sa katawan nito. She looked at the cause of the noise and saw the same boy from before.

Just like before, he's wearing a long loose pants. Maluwag ito ngunit sakto naman ang kapit nito sa kaniyang bewang at mga paa. Wala itong suot na pang-itaas at dahil do'n ay pansin ang medyo maskuladong katawan nito na hindi nababagay sa isang lalaking may murang edad. Medyo maikli rin ang pulang buhok nito at dahil do'n ay kitang-kita ang seryosong ekspresyon nito na tila ba permanente na.

Ang mga dumudugong kamao nito ay nababalutan ng mga benda habang siya'y nakaharap sa isang malaking bato at siya'y hinihingal na rin. Tagaktak na ang pawis nito at halatang pinipilit na lamang ang sariling tumayo.

Muli itong sumuntok sa malaking bato kahit na nagdudugo na ng malubha ang kaniyang mga kamao. He clenched his teeth when his knees almost gave up. Pinatili niya ang sariling nakatayo kahit na nanlalabo na ang kaniyang mga paningin.

He gritted his teeth and raised his foot to kick the giant boulder but his eyes widen when someone caught his foot and twisted his body. He groaned when his face hit the ground. Binitawan naman ng taong 'yon ang kaniyang paa. He used his tired arms to raised his body from the ground and as he do so, his sharp and glaring eyes directed at the stranger, "What do you want, f*cker?"

Zai just stared down at him with her usual sharp and cold eyes. Tuluyan naman ng tumayo ang lalaki kahit na nahihirapan ito. Muntikan pa itong mawalan ng balanse ngunit hindi ito bumigay sa pagod at sakit ng katawan. Hindi nawala ang masamang tingin nito sa dalaga, "Oi, I'm asking you goddammit," he panted, "Who the hell gave you permission to interrupt?"

Zai continued looking down her nose at him, "If I didn't, you could've broke your leg," she remained stoic, "Even a nine-year old kid can kick better than you."

Lalo namang tumindi ang sama ng tingin ng lalaki sa kaniya, "Say that one m--"

Ngunit hindi siya pinansin ng dalaga at tumingin lamang ito sa bato. She stared at the spot where there are some few cracks and that is covered with his blood. Kakaunti lamang ang damage na nakuha ng naturang bato ngunit mas maraming pinsala naman ang nakuha ng binata. Zai scoffed and smirked, "You're weak."

The boy gritted his teeth and attacked her even if she's still looking at the huge rock. He swung his fist but Zai dodged it without even looking. Dumaan ang kamao nito sa tapat ng kaniyang mukha. Zai smirked at the boy, "That's not how you punch."

The boy's eyes widen when the girl's fist was already near his face all of a sudden. It landed on his face and he groaned because of how strong it is. It wasn't like any other. His body flew to the tree and he coughed when his back hit it hard. He also felt that his necklace snapped earlier before his body flew 7 meters away from his spot.

Zai turned her back and walked away, "That's what a punch is, you sh*tty brat," she scoffed and smirked then she let go of the dog tag necklace she snatched from his neck earlier, "Cohen huh.. that's one sh*tty name for a brat like you."

Sa isang iglap ay bigla na lamang nawala ang dalaga. Cohen groaned and cursed under his breath.

Mabilis na lumingon sina Asta sa pintuan noong bumukas ito. Pumasok naman si Zai at isinara ang pinto sa kaniyang likuran. Nadatnan naman niya ang iba na nasa sala.

Mukhang gusto itong sermunan ng doktor ngunit bumuntong hininga na lamang ito at ibinigay na lamang ang papel na kaniyang dala kanina, "It's the blueprint," tinanggap naman ito ng dalaga at binuklat. Ero continued, "Honestly, I don't know it as well."

Zai stared at the claw-like structure that is drafted on the paper. Mayroong limang proyekto ang kasalukuyang sumasailalim sa konstruksyon at iyon ay magkakahiwalay. They look like claws that are surrounding the whole capital and the whole village itself is in the middle of its palm. She stared at the blueprint. Just one more clue.

Mabilis silang lumingon sa pintuan noong bigla na lamang itong bumukas. Hinihingal na pumasok si Rui na mabilis namang dinaluhan ni Ero. Rui wasted no time and grabbed the papers from inside his kimono and gave the papers to Ero along with the device that contains the serum.

Rui was about to fall down but Bonzo managed to catch him before he does. May iilang mga sugat ang batang lalaki. Mukhang nagmadali nga itong makabalik rito. Bonzo clicked his tongue, "What's with the injuries, kid?"

Hinihingal naman na sumagot ang batang lalaki, "It's nothing. Just some goons on the way out of the research facility."

Tiningnan naman ni Ero ang mga papel na ibinigay sa kaniya nito. His expression became serious. Ibinigay nito ang mga papel kay Zai at mabilis na nagtungo sa silid kung nasaan ang kaniyang mga gamit habang kaniyang dala-dala ang serum na ibinigay sa kaniya ni Rui.

Zai read the papers in her hand. Ilang sandali ang lumipas ay nakarinig sila ng mahinang tawa mula sa dalaga. Her eyes are wide open with excitement as she stare at the papers, "Shaera, that b*tch. She really knows how to stir things up."

Asta crossed her arms on her chest, "You owe us an explanation, young lady. Simula't sapul may alam ka na 'di ba?" Asta sighed, "At least clue us in. Don't be so quiet about it."

Zai put the paper at the back of the others and read the next page. Her signature face came back, "Don't worry. Being quiet the whole time is not my intention. However, I do like that idea. Speaking is a pain in the--"

"Explain." pagputol rito ni Ero na kakabalik lamang mula sa silid. Ito lang din naman ang may lakas loob na putulin sa pagsasalita ang dalaga and they will always sigh mentally when the two of them glare at each other when it happens. Zai will glare out of irritation while Ero will glare at her as a warning for glaring at an adult like him.

Zai clicked her tongue and looked away. They heaved a sigh of relief. Ibinigay naman ni Zai ang papel kay Claysen na malapit sa kaniya at tinanggap naman ito ng batang lalaki at binasa.

Zai started to speak, "As you know, there are five books that are made by the Gods," she raised her hand and showed all five fingers. "Historia," she put her thumb down, "Dethania," index down. "Enchantra, Livia, and Mortalia." she put her hand down and continued looking at them with her usual emotionless gaze.

"One book is made by one God. Aethona, the goddess of time, made Historia but she gave it to Avis. Feiro, the god of fire, is the one who made Dethania and he gave it to the royal family of Westernia thousands of years ago. Odeana, the goddess of dreams, made Enchantra and she also did the same for Northernium. So as Trona, the goddess of land, who gave Mortalia to the southern country. And Livia was made by the twins, Shaera and Shoru. The goddess of night and the god of day," she crossed her arms on her chest, "They are made by those gods but the creator is the one who owns them. Humans are forbidden to read nor touch it. Only if a page is removed, that page can be touched because it is no longer part of the book. But if it has words written in it, that page can still be attached and you have no rights to read a single word of it."

Bonzo frowned, "Geez."

"That's one scary rule. Gano'n ba kahalaga ang nakasulat sa mga libro?" saad ni Asta at siya'y bumuntong hininga.

Zai mischievously chuckled, "It is." she then smirked, "With a certain ritual, those books will go back to its original form, the Origo."

Nagusot naman ang mukha ni Bonzo dahil sa pagkalito. He parted his lips in confusion before he spoke, "And what the hell is Origo?"

Zai's lips formed into a sly smile, "It is where all the rules in this world are written. Including the existence of all living creatures, the afterlife and even the manifestation of exceliums," she stared at them with excitement visible in her eyes, "Do you understand? That thing is the source of all existence, living or nonliving, it is simply where all truths about this world is written."

Lalong lumaki naman ang nakakakilabot na ngisi nito, "One erasure can bring a significant change in everything. This book can even delete humanity's existence like it has never been there."

Lumaki ang mga mata ni Asta dahil sa narinig, "Meaning to say, Shaera will use that thing in order to wipe--"

Zai chuckled, "Shaera isn't kind enough to use such an easy method."

Claysen hummed as his gaze remains on the papers, "Instead, she'll use genetical modification," he raised his gaze, "She'll bring humanity to extinction by creating a new specie from them. Humans will be the initial form of the new and advanced creatures she'll create from the genes of animals and the DNA of demons. Humans are the original form but I doubt that there'll still be any human DNA left."

The side of Ero's lips raised while he's staring at Claysen who is speaking. Naintindihan nito ang lahat ng nakasulat sa papel ng mabilis at hindi nito kinailangan ng iba pang impormasyon para mabuo ang sarili nitong konklusyon.

"The humans are the initial form but their genes will entirely be wiped out from their own body? I don't think that's possible." saad naman ni Asta.

Rui spoke, "It is. With the demons' genes. Their genes will dominate the whole genetic material of that living person," Bonzo nodded to confirm what he just said. Nagpatuloy naman sa pagpapaliwanag ang batang lalaki, "The human's body is weak enough for the demons' genes to earn dominance in their blood streams. However, Bonzo's situation is different. His body somewhat managed to stopped the demon's DNA to take control of his system."

"Kung gano'n, hindi ba may tsansa rin na mayroong specimen ang makayang gawin ang nagawa ni Bonzo?" tanong ni Asta.

Rui shook his head, "I highly doubt that," his serious expression remained, "It's been months since Shaera took control of this kingdom--of all the citizens. Ever since she sat on the throne, the citizens were enslaved. Working first thing in the morning, burdening their bodies by carrying heavy loads, eating only one meal a day, sleeping for only a few hours and add up to that is the overwhelming stress. Their immune system has definitely depleted because of all those burdens. The immune system is our first line of defense against alien microorganisms that enters our body like viruses and bacteria. Don't expect that your body can handle such things that can cause illnesses if you don't even take an enough amount of sleep and consume needed nutrients that your body highly require."

Tumango naman si Ero bilang pagsang-ayon, "The antibodies won't work properly if the body itself is not even in a good condition. In the citizens' situation, the demons' DNA will certainly establish dominance in their system."

Claysen spoke up, "The demons' genetic material is not the only problem. There's also the wildlife's. According to this data, they're also enhancing the wildlife's chromosome that contains most of their genes. That could mean that the human will inherit their wild traits and physical appearances, erasing their humanistic attributions."

Bumuntong hininga si Bonzo at kaniyang hinilot ang pagitan ng kaniyang mga kilay, "Lintek na mga bata 'to. When I was your age, all I did was wonder why there's freaking air. I never even heard of 'genetic modification', 'chromosome' or even 'DNA'."

Asta also heaved a sigh then she spoke as her eyes are temporarily closed, "So Shaera will wipe the humans from the surface of the land by completely changing and erasing their genetic structures and I assume that she'll be able to do that because of the claws-like things that are surrounding the capital. That's it. 'Wag niyo na akong bigyan pa ng sakit ng ulo," binuksan niya ang kaniyang mga mata, "Kung gano'n rin naman pala ang plano niya, para saan ang mga libro?"

Lahat sila ay tumingin kay Zai upang marinig ang sagot sa katanungan na iyon. The side of her lips raised, "Something idiotic," she smirked, "Something idiotic like making herself the one and only God," she mockingly chuckled, "Stupid, don't you think?"

***
Greetings! I hope you're doing okay in the comfort of your home. Don't forget to take good care of your body po.

Make sure that you eat well, three meals a day. 'Wag kang sumobra, uso diet char. 'Wag po kayong masyadong magpataba! Sige kayo, mahirap po magpapayat.

Don't work too much! Under quarantine na nga po tayo eh, you have plenty of time to rest, use it.

Don't stress yourself too! Mahirap pong ma-stress lalo na at nasa bahay ka lang? Boredom is all over you so 'wag niyo na pong palalain ang mental condition dahil sa stress na 'yan. Hindi rin po nakakatulong ang stress ng isang tao sa ibang mga nakakasalamuha niyo. They can feel your bad vibes and no one wants that.

And most of all, get enough sleep! Jusmeyo! Nakakamatay po ang puyat kaysa sa gutom at uhaw! Dagdag pa po diyan ang radiation ng inyong phone. Make sure that your eyes still rest because they need it. Be healthy, okay?