It's been three days since I left the Zodiacs. Ayos na rin ang katawan ko unlike three days ago, while my biological mother gave me an anti-virus to delete the Candy Virus. She also explained what Candy Virus could do; it was a slow-acting and overwriting virus that she made to shaken Ophiuchus's security system. It will first enter the system like an unnoticeable malware until it is slowly overwriting the primary system. Ngunit hindi naming iyon naramdaman noon sa loob ng Danima but I think it was felt by Crystal.

The virus works like a Trojan virus; it will destroy the original program code after the infection. We are all sure that we erased Danima five years ago, but the fact that I could go back inside only means that we couldn't delete it. Or maybe we already deleted the Danima, and Hyazinth mirrored it just like what Shan said before.

"But how are you going to use that?" Mommy asked.

I frustratingly bit my nails, iyon ang isa pang iniisip ko. I have a clue who Hyazinth is, but I still don't know kung paano siya napunta sa taong 'yon.

"I don't know," I answered.

She suddenly put a glass of lemon juice in front and laughed, "What if may USB port pala sa pwetan 'yon?" She asked. Isang masamang tingin naman ang binigay ko sa kanya dahil hindi magandang pakinggang ang biro n'ya. Mabuti na lamng talaga ay hindi nagmana si Zeus sa kanya.

Speaking of Zeus, mabuti na lamang talaga dahil hindi n'ya ako pinariringgan kahit na naiwan ko 'yong motor n'ya at tanging susi lamang ang binigay ko. Nagkusang loob na rin s'yang kumuha dahil masyadon n'yang mahal na mahal iyon.

"Mommy, if you are a villain, what will you do?" I asked. Her almond eyes suddenly looked at me intently as she sat down across me.

"You are question is just like this 'if you are an assassin, what will you?' hindi ba dapat ay alam mo ang sagot sa tanong na 'yan, Scarlett?" Naging iba ang tono ng boses n'ya. Seryoso ito at tila pinahahayag sa akin na dapat hindi ko na tanungin ang isang tanong na madali lamang sagutin.

Pero magtatanong ba ako kung alam ko ang sagot? Tsk.

Sumilay sa mga labi n'ya ang isang nakakainis na ngisi. "Anong ginagawa mo noon tuwing poprotektahan mo si Hunter?"

"In terms of doing my job... palagi akong palihim na umaalis tuwing lunod sila sa requirements – usually tuwing gabi," I answered.

"And now, what is your busiest time of the day?"

"Morning to afternoon,"

She suddenly facepalmed, "Do you still don't get it?"

"Gets ko,"

Everyone is busy every morning because of work and school. Even if it's impossible, the right moment to attack is when your enemies are caught off-guard during the time you least expected them to attack.

Just like what happened to Raynald, hindi ko inaasahan na habang nagtatrabaho ako ay aatake si Hyazinth. It is still 5:00 A.M.maraming oras pa ang mayroon ako upang magplano.

"Do you like playing solo?" Nag angat ako sa kanya nang tingin, hindi ko rin maiwasan ang hindi mainis sa tanong niya.

Ginagawa ko naman ang lahat upang maging group player ako pero pakiramdam ko hindi talaga iyon para sa akin. I end up hurting people around. I'm not good at playing with others, para bang lahat ng kilos nila hindi ko maiwasan ang magduda.

"I failed to teach you how to trust other people. I'm sorry,"

"I'm fine," I mumbled. "But first I need to think like my old self – Hindi ko magagawang makaalis sa larong ito, hindi ko magagawang iligtas ang mga kaibigan ko kung hindi ako mag-iisip nang katulad noon.

Hyazinth wants me dead. And I know why, hindi n'ya magawang maka-access sa Danima ng buo dahil nakatago ang ibang parte nito sa system ko. Darren's fault is why I am Hyazinth's target now, siya ang walang hiyang nagtago ng Danima sa mga files ko. Hindi magawang maka-access ni Hyazinth saDanima dahil may biometrics security ito, kailangan niya ang fingerprint ko bago niya magawang makopya ang mga files ko.

"Lure your enemy," Mommy suggested bago siya umalis sa harap ko.

She's right. Hyazinth wants me, she will do everything para lamang makuha ang Danima. I'm just a hindrance for Hyazinth's real intention. Mabilis akong pumunta sa kwarto ko't kinuha ang susi ng kotse ko.

"I'm going,"

"Take care," Mommy said.

Tumango lamang ako sa kanya bago nagmadaling umalis. Napansin ko rin na tila may kausap siya sa phone habang pinapanood ako sa paghahanda sa kakaibang gala ko ngayong medaling araw.

I started my car engine and drove to the Phantom Academy.

Mabilis ang naging byahe ko dahil wala naming ganoong kadaming sasakyan. Paglabas ko sa sasakyan ay agad akong niyakap ng malamig na simoy ng hangin, alam kong masyado pang maaga para gumawa ng kalokahan pero walang makakapigil sa akin.

I walked my way towards the old Zodiac Council room, dineretso ko ang upuan ni Hunter at do'n umupo. Bakit ba kasi nasa gitna ang pwesto niya kahit na taga-tawa lang naman siya tuwing may meeting kami?

Saglit kong kinuha sa bulsa ang cellphone ko at napagpasyahan na maglaro ng Soul Knight habang inaantay ko pa ang aking guest. Ilang minute ang lumipas ng maramdaman kong may parating ngunit hindi pa ako taya kaya't hindi ko siya pinansin hanggang sa buksan niya ang pinto at makarating sa loob.

"Saglit lang," Sabi ko.

Ramdam ko ang mga mata niya sa akin kaya't napasimangot ako nang mataya ako sa nilalaro ko, inangat ko ang aking ulo upang masimangutan siya nang maayos. "Yo, good morning,"

"What are you doing here?" Maattitude niyang tanong sa akin.

"Greeting you," I mumbled. Saglit akong tumingin sa ilalim ng table at saka kinuha ang blonde wig na isa sa ginagamit niya. "Take this," sabay paltok ko sa wig.

She languidly looked at me while I'm giving her an annoying smile.

"To be honest, you're actually good at hiding,"

"What do you want?"

"I'm just giving you a chance to kill me. H'wag mo na utusan ang mga dungeon bosses," I teased. Mas lalo lamang dumilim ang mga mata niya habang nakatingin sa akin. "Though you really made a huge mistake, huli ko man napansin but still... nasa harap na kita ngayon,"

She mockingly tilted her as she looked at me, the rising tension filled the air when she sat across mine.

Hyazinth wickedly smiled, "Scarlett, once I kill you, my master will be please – he will finally recognize me,"

I softly laughed, hindi ko rin mapigilan ang mapailing sa katangahan niya. Nang ilagay niya sa ulo ang wig ay nag-iba ang itsura niya, she was the same girl I met a month ago. "Shan might be stupid sometimes, you think?" she asked.

I rested my chin on my hand and smiled, "Yes, especially that she can't notice that you are her A.I."

Ngayong nagkaharap na kami ay klaro na sa akin ang lahat. The reason I can't read her moves or the tone of her voice was that she's artificial intelligence. "Do you know where I was three days ago?" I smiled.

"Do you think I care?"

"I was at Raynald's apartment," I smiled. Once again, her face darkened.

She knows what I was talking about, "You need the DNA of someone you want to copy, right? But when I came in there, I saw three cubes pattern, and one of them has blood – the blood was smudged pero walang kahit anong fingerprint ang nakita ro'n. So, I think outside the box..."

She suddenly scowled. Alam kong sa oras na banggitin ko ang pangalan niya ay may masamang mangyayari sa akin.

"When you attacked us in the hospital, you weren't wearing any gloves, but they failed to find your fingerprints. Unless... you are a robot,"

I grinned at her, "I even remembered when Mae kicked you dahil imbes na ikaw ang masaktan ay siya pa ang nakatanggap ng sakit,"

"So?"

"You copied Maddie, but you are corrupted, Hyazinth, so in contrary, you acted like Zayn and Zach – I mean, no one calls me Scarlett-chan aside from those two,"

"So? It is just the two of us here, Scarlett. I can erase you in this world just like I did to Amanda and the others,"

Isang malamig na halakhak ang binigay ko sa kanya, "But you are terrific. I mean, just to pissed me off you are nagging Hunter even if he's not your real target,"

She smiled, "That is my gift – getting rid of your happiness,"

"Minerva is your codename, so what about the name Maerie?"

She kept silent. Shan can't obtain any information about her because she just stole someone's identity; she stole the identity of someone who is no longer existing.

The door suddenly opened. A handsome man rested his back on the door and smirked, "Why are you asking something like that? None of it is her name, Scarlett,"

Hyazinth looked at us with surprise. Hunter slyly smiled, "Minerva... Maerie... or should we call you –"

"Ophiuchus,"

That's right. Ophiuchus is Hyazinth, the game master of Astral Legends.

#