Second Phase Begins

Andrea

Hindi ako makapaniwalang nakasakay ako ngayon sa isang mabangis na ibon na ang sariling lahi ay sinubukan akong patayin kanina. Nagulat ako nang makita ko si Iyana, hindi ko inaasahang nandito din siya sa parte ng gubat na ito. Nang sa taas na kami nakalipad, bigla akong nakahinga ng maayos.

"Si Keila nalang ang hahanapin natin." I said and she yawned. Bakit pagod na naman 'tong babaeng to?

"Ilang oras na akong naghahanap sa inyo. Nakakapagod."

"Teka nga, paano ba tayo ngayon sumasakay sa hayop nato?"

"Huh? Anong klaseng tanong naman yan?" At bakit ba prang gulat siya sa tanong ko? "Hindi ko magagamit ang ability ko kaya sinubukan kong lumipad then I forgot wala akong pakpak. Kaya nakasakay tayo ngayon." Hindi niya sinagot ang tanong ko. I sighed.

"Nakita ko na si Keila." My eyes widened when she said that.

"P-paano?"

"I scattered my bullets."

"Pero akala ko hindi mo magagamit ang ability mo?"

"Sa ibaba hindi, pero dito sa itaas pwede." Ang weird naman kung ganoon. Parang may isang bagay na nakapalibot sa buong gubat na hindi sakop ang sa itaas.

"Hindi ko alam kung ano ang iniisip mo pero, nalaman kong may barrier na nakapalibot sa bawat bahagi ng gubat. Sa ikatatlong parte na ito, ay mas malaki ang barrier." Napatingin ako sa ilalim kung saan puro matataas na puno lang ang nakikita ko.

"Ibig bang sabihin ang mga barrier na ito ay ang rason kung bakit ang bawat parte ng gubat ay may limitations?" I asked and she nodded. "Then if I break the barrier—"

"Hindi mo maaaring gawin yan. Alam mong under surveillance ang lahat ng participants. There's only one person in the island who can destroy everything she makes contacts with, at yun ay si Andrea de la Valliere, pero ngayon ay hindi ikaw ang taong yun. So stick with your present identity." Yeah, I forgot about that.

"At isa pa, nahanap na natin si Keila. There's no need to exert more effort." Dagdag niya.

"Then how are you using your bullets?"

"I can make them invisible." Nagulat ako sa sinabi niya.

She can make then invisible? Is that her real ability? Kung nagdududa ako sa ability ni Keila, ganoon rin ako kay Iyana. I feel like she's hiding something but since it doesn't concern me, hindi ko ito binibigyan ng pansin.

The giant eagle started circling in the air. Ibig sabihin nun ay sa ibaba lang namin si Keila. Habang nagpla-plano kami kung paano bababa, may buglang dumaan na kung anong bagay rason kung bakit natapon palayo ang sinasakyan namin. The bird regained its balance.

Something just flew right below us oapunta sa itaas. Nang tuminghala ako, nagulat ako makita ang isa pang higanteng agila. Mas malaki pa ito sa sinasakyan namin. Pero hindi ito lumilipad ng maayos. Parang pinipilit nitong itaboy ang kung ano man ang sa likod nito.

Then I caught a glimpse of Keila riding just above its head. Nakita niya rin kami at may pinipilit isigaw pero hindi namin siya marinig.

"Mahuhulog siya. We'll just have to catch her." Sabi ko.

"I know. But this bird won't go near that thing. It's keeping its distant." Sagot niya. That means takot ang agilang sinasakyan namin sa mas malaking bagay sa unahan namin. This is bad.

Habang nag-iisip kami ng plano, nakikita din namin kung ano ang ginagawa ni Keila. Mukhang may ginagawa siya na hindi namin naiintindihan. Then there was a boy. She is with a boy. Mukhang hindi naman siya estudyante sa Academy since he's not wearing a uniform. Nagulat ako ng tinulak niya ang lalaki mula sa itaas.

"What the hell is she doing?!" Gulat kong tanong. She's not the kind of person who'd do that kind of thing.

"Mukhang may pinaplano sila." Sagot ni Iyana. She looked so calm about this.

Biglang may lumabas na magic circle sa unahan ng nahuhulog na lalaki. Matapos ang ilang segundo, bigla siyang lumilitaw. He was standing in thin air. A mage?

"I get it. They're trying to steady the bird to cast a spell on it." Huh? Ano naman ang binabalak nila? Then Iyana clapped her hand one time, she smirked. "I figured it out." Then bigla nalang sumigaw ang agila at mas gumagalaw pa. I noticed its eyes closed and bleeding.

"Figured out what? At ginamit mo ba ang nga bala mo?" She nodded again.

"Sinusubukan nilang makontrol ang agilang yan. That eagle is the king of eagles. What do you think will happen if we got hold of a king?"

"Magagamit natin pati ang iba pang agila. Pero bakit naman nila gagawin yun?" She smirked again at my question.

"Hunt down other participants of course." My eyes widened. The less participants, the less phases there will be. "We're going for an easy win."

"Less than an hour is left." I reminded her.

"Mukhang malapit nang matapos ang incantation."

May malaking magic circle ang lumabas sa itaas ng agila. Pagkatapos nito ay biglang naging steady ang malaking ibon. As if being controlled. May isang magic cirlce ang dumikit sa pakpak nito. Then it started moving so fast pero bago pa man ito umalis, ay tumalon na si Keila paalis dito. Mabilis akong umakto and directed our bird at tsaka siya lumanding sa likod ng sinasakyan namin.

"Hell. That was hell." Wika niya at napaupo, catching her breath. Then the guy with her jumped here.

"We pulled it off!" Masayang sabi niya.

"Bakit niyo ngaba ginawa yun?" I asked.

"I casted a spell on that eagle that directs the message to all his followers. Hunt down every participants in this forest." So Iyana was right.

"Pero hindi lang iyon ang rason kung bakit ginawa namin yun." Keila said. "Alam mo ba kung ilan ang tao na nandito ngayon sa buong Death Forest? More than hundreds. And each of them are releasing spiritual energy or what they call magical energy. Continuous release of those energy will break the barriers." So she knew about the barriers beforehand. "At kung mangyari yun, everyone will die. Isipin niyo nalang na ang lahat ng limitations sa bawat parte ay gagana sa buong gubat na mismo."

"If that happens everyone will die here and never get transported back." The boy continued. "By the way, I'm Jave." He winked. "At, sana magkita tayo ulit. For now, good luck for the second phase."

After hearing him say that, biglang umiiba na naman ang paligid ko and the next thing I know, nasa isang lugar kami. Right, we completed the first phase. We mamaged to survive Death Forest. But I feel that wasn't enough for me.

Nasa isang kwarto kami ngayon, and while looking around, bumukas ang pinto revealing Thomas.....Thomas?! Tama, siya nga pala ang host ng main event. But I sure do hope he hasn't figured out pur identities are fake.

"Congratulations! You made it through the first phase! As expected from an Academy student and.....companions." Parang nainis yata ako sa sinabi niya. He smiled. "Well, dito muna kayo sa kwartong ito and try to have a sleep. The second phase will start tomorrow. Your food will be delivered afterwards. You're free to have a bath as well."

Bago pa man siya umalis, he turned his head around. "And one more thing, you aren't allowed to get out of this room until the second phase starts." Seryoso niyang sabi. "I'm sensing something odd from each of you. Well siguro imahinasyon ko lang yun." He smirked and closed the door.

"That smirk....he knows something." Inis kong sabi.

"Let's just hope he won't disqualify us. At matutulog na ako. It's already around midnight." Iyana said.

"Well I'll take a bath." Keila said and headed for the bathroom. Malaki din ang room kaya parang kompleto na ang lahat.

Habang si Iyana natutulog at si Keila sa bthroom, ako naman ay kumakain. Yes, I'm eating. Can't blame myself for eating late at night. Nagugutom ako eh! I haven't had lunch and dinner after all.

"Andrea." Tawag sa akin ni Keila while she's in the bathroom. The walls are not that thick, kaya maririnig ko parin siya. "I have a bad feeling about this main event." If there's one fact I learned having Keila around, that is her instincts are always spot on.

"I feel it too. Sa first phase palang, I know the second one will be worsed. I think my oh-so-great Mother is behind this main event."

"Siguro nga. I mean, Thomas is the host after all."

"And knowing my mother, she must be really enjoying this." Bumukas ang pintuan ng bathroom at lumabas na siya. She's all dressed-up now.

"Your mother can be very cunning," she said pouring a tea sa baso niya. "Pero hindi niya gagawin ang isang bagay na walang rason." I frowned.

"You're an elite, right? Why are you even in the Academy?" Elites usually work for the Council. It was my own mother that told me about her.

"An apprentice."

"Same difference."

"Is it wrong for me to go to school?" Yes, it is. But not in a broad sense. Isa siyang elite apprentice, she should be working in the Council now and learning there. "I grew up not knowing about the outside world. So I was curious and went schooling here." Again, I frowned.

I didn't want to bother her with questions anymore kaya pumunta na ako sa bathroom para maligo. Pero bago ko pa man masara ang pintuan, I caught a glimpse of her face. Her eyes reminded me of a vast ocean, skies, so blue. But they were wavy. Something inside her is making her hesitate. Ang tingin niyang binibigay, may halong lungkot ang mga mata niya.

Outside world huh? You don't have any idea what you're wishing there. Dahil ako, pilit kong tinatakasan ang outside world na hinihiling mong malaman.

Nagising ako nung umaga, walang bintana sa paligid, isang wall clock lamang kaya alam komg umaga na. After I prepared, sabay-sabay na kaming kumain nina Iyana. We were discussing plans or strategies in every particular category nang biglang may lumabas na malaking transparent na screen sa pader. Our attention got drawn to it.

"Mukhang gising na ang lahat." Si Thomas ang lumabas sa screen.

Base sa background niya, nasa arena siya ngayon. That one located near the Cathedral. The Arena there is much bugger than what we have in the Academy. Sa laki ng lugar, malaki din ang mapapapasok nitong tao. It can accommodate more than five thousand people. At may mga sigaw ng tao akong naririnig. We are being broadcast now live.

Base sa screen, pati ang mga studyante mula sa Academy nandito din. Even some teachers. And even students from other schools. Magnus Academy may be the only school for ability users here in this whole island, but there's Alchemia Academy too in the South, Withcrafts and Wizardry School for Mages o WWSM naman sa East, at sa West ay ang Western Assassins' Academia.

So technically, my mother is not the only one who rules Magnus Island, together with the other heads of the three schools, they rule the island. Then there's the Council. The highest Government of the Island is the Council, second is the Four Saints, which is consist of the heads of south, east, north, and west.

Then the third highest, rumours said that each of their power ay makukumpara mo sa lakas ng Four Saints. The Elite 12. Sila ang pinili ng Council na protektahan ang Isla. Dahil ilang taon ang nakalipas, normal lang sa bawat isla na makipaglabanan. Pero hindi na yan nangyayari sa era na ito. Kung may magaganap, tiyak na pipigilan parin ito na United Nations, isang organisasyon na nangangalaga ng kaayusan sa buong mundo.

But since wala ng laban ang nagaganap, each of the Elite 12 ay nagkaniya-kaniyang buhay na. Wala na ngang nakakaalam kung ano at kung saan na sila ngayon. Then I heard about this apprentice thingy. Ibig sabihin meron paring mga myembro ng Elite 12 ang nasa Council ngayon. Apprentices....ang next generation ng Elites. And looking at Keila, she's supposed to be an apprentice who will soon be titled as Elite.

Which I don't really understand.

Her ability is to sense emotion. Sure, may mga complications kung ano talaga ang ability niya, but the Ranked Students are obviously far more stronger than her. Kaya bakit siya naging apprentice? Is she connected to one of the Elites? And plus she's taking missions, is it to gain experience? To make her stronger? Pero akala ko espesyal na tao lamang ang pinipili maging Elite by the Council? Did the Council see anything about her ability? I don't get it.

Narealise kong lumalayo na ang iniisip ko at nang tumingin ako pabalik ng screen, kakatapos lang ni Thomas mag introduce ng iba pang grupo. There was supposed to be 30 groups, at sa gulat ko, saktong 30 groups nga ang nakapasa. I've underestimated them. At ngayon ay pinag-uusapan nila ang second phase kung magiging ano ito.

Naghiyawan ang mga tao sa screen nang hawakan na ni Thomas ang lever sa mas malaki pang screen. Random words again formed. Then everyone stopped screaming nang makita ng lahat kung ano ang category. My eyes widened.

Linked Battle Game

I've seen the past categories in the main event, dahil noon ay nanonood lamang ako. At isa ang category na ito three years ago. Pero usually ang ganitong klaseng category ay magiging last phase. After all, that game is hell. My sister won over this game though. And I don't want to remember any of it.

"I believe Linked Battle Game is a fantastic category for the second phase. Here we'll know who's formidable." Thomas said. "We'll send you a map as I speak, a layout of the place where this game will be held. Each groups are free to choose where they want to start off and will be transported there." He smirked.

"But the most interesting part, may ibibigay kami sa inyong kwintas. That necklace is connected to your other groupmates. Your feelings will be linked to the others, pain, memories, everything. The goal is to find a specific group and eliminate them from the game, by of course, making them surrender. I'll give you one hour to think of a plan."

A minute later, may isang sobre ang nahulog mula sa pinto. Iyana grabbed the letter from the floor at bumalik sa mesa kung saan kami. We cleared the table and opened the envelope. Nilagay namin ang mapa sa mesa. Malaki ang mapa, ibig sabihin malaki din ang lugar. The place will be held......in Hargeon Tower?!

"Hargeon Tower?" Tanong ni Keila. Hindi niya alam?

"Isa itong napakataas na abandunadong tower up north. The tower could reach the skies, at sa taas nito, kung mahulog ka mula dito ay tiyak na mamatay ka. Except if you can levitate." Iyana answered.

"It was abandoned five years ago when the tower was proven useless. Pinatayo ito ng Council to serve as a laboratory but eventually the project was halted and was never continued." She added.

"The tower has a total of 120 floors. Kailangan natin pag-isipan kung saan tayo magsisimula. It's either that we go around and find the targets or wait and set a base then ambush." I said. "If the game still had the same rule, this map will show other groups' locations later when the the phase starts."

"Then isa pa itong link thingy." So that's what she's so worried about. "Honestly I don't want you guys to have my memories, and neither do I want to pry with yours." Now that she mentioned it, malalaman ko kung sino talaga siya if I hold unto her memories and also Iyana. Pero ayaw ko ring makuha nila ang mga memorya ko.

"Pero wala tayong magagawa diyan. It's a rule—" she interrupted me. I sent her glares. Pinakaayaw ko rin ang pinuputol ang sinasabi ko.

"It is not a rule." She said.

"The rule did not state that we need to share our memories. It just says 'you will be linked'." Iyana supported Keila.

"Huh?! Eh kung malaman nila? I can't afford to get disqualified!" Mabuti nalang talaga hindi nila naririnig ang mga pinag-uusapan namin. It's to prevent leakage.

"Ang yaman mo. It's impossible you can't afford it." Iyana said smirking. Ang babaeng 'to, gustong-gusto niya talaga ang mga bagay kung saan mas delikado. At wala ba siyang alam sa figures of speech?!

"Fine! Pero mapapatay ko kayong dalawa kung ma disqualify ang grupong 'to." I glared at them.

"Ngayon paano natin magagawang hindi malaman ang mga alaala ng isa't isa?" Iyana asked. I wondered the same thing.

Binuksan ko ang isa pang papel na nakalagay sa sobre. Our color is blue. May mga badges na kulay asul ang nasa loob ng sobre so we each took one and out them on our waists. Our target color was named here. Red. Keila seemed to be thinking about something and as usual, wala kaming alam kung ano ang pumapasok sa ulo niya ngayon. But Keila's plans are often effective kaya hinayaan na muna namin siyang mag-isip habang nag-iisip din kami ng plano.

"Tignan niyo ang mapa. May lumabas na kulay dito." Iyana said so we did what she said.

Sa 90th floor may lumabas na kulay purple. They chose that floor dahil siguro ay malawak ang lugar at wala kang pagtataguan dito. They were looking for a head-on fight. But since they're not our target, hindi namin sila binigyan ng pansin. Then the green one appeared on the 100th floor. Ang floor naman na yan ay may maraming pagtataguan.

Hanggang sa isa-isa nang lumabas ang mga kulay. Dalawang kulay nalang ang natitirang hindi pa naka settle kung saan sila magsisimula. The red and the blue team. Hinihintay nila kami. Hindi pa ba tapos si Keila sa pinaplano niya? Or is she even planning at all?

"Magsisimula tayo dito." She put her finger on the.......last floor?!

"Bakit naman tayo magsisimula sa pinakitaas na floor?!" Gulat kong tanong. "That place is too high you can't even hardly breathe because of the altitude!" Yup, ganoon kataas ang Hargeon Tower.

"Plus, that floor is the only floor participants are avoiding. Hindi lang dahil sa altitude ng lugar, also because of the freezing cold, and that floor has no roof to block the possible rain. One more important thing," Iyana paused before speaking. Mukhang na e-excite siya sa mga mangyayari mamaya. "Ang 120th floor ang may pinakamaliit spaces. We can't battle there and definitely not a good place for a base for defence."

Despite me and Iyana talking her out of her insane ideas, mukhang hindi siya nakikinig. Oo nga at may plano siya, but I want the kind of win where the winners are obvious. She always go for easy wins, and I hate it when you win so easily.

"Napindot ko na ang mapa. Our colour already appeared. Wala na kayong magagawa." She let out a slight smile on her face and we followed her gaze.

The red team ay nasa 60th floor? What are they planning? Bakit parang ang layo nila? Are they going for defence? They're halfway through! At paano kami makakapunta sa isa't isa when all the floors from 61st to 100th floors are occupied? This is a mess.

"I knew it." Sa tono ng boses ni Keila alam niyang dito magsisimula ang target namin. She predicted it. Pero ano ngaba ang plano niya?

"Care to share kung ano na ang nasa isip mo?" Sabay naming tanong ni Iyana which was surprising.

"We're going to start a clash." Huh?