/27/ Astral

[Cloud Enriquez's POV]

IISA lang ang iniisip namin ngayong lahat, we're going to die, for real. Wala na kami sa Akasha's Game at pare-parehas kaming naninigas ngayon sa lamig, magkakadikit ang bawat likod ng isa at sinisigurong tumitibok pa rin ang aming mga puso. But my heart stopped when she was taken away from us—from me.

We all know that it wasn't part of the plan, Karen betrayed us, and she sacrificed us for Jill. No, she's making her own moves without us, and the reasons are probably because she can see the future, we don't know what she's thinking. She has the freewill to manipulate the events, pero hindi naman sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay maaaring magbago ang hinaharap na ayon sa gusto natin, that's why I'm frightened for what might happen.

"F-f-f-finnix, wala na bang ilalakas 'yang apoy mo?" It's Jing's voice, she's shaking terribly, siya ang kasandal ko. Matapos kaming iwanan ni Dean ay sinusubukan naming iligtas ngayon ang sarili namin. The Kahvals are still out there, and I am sure that they won't stop finding us. For how long we can hide and stay alive—I don't know.

"J-jing, n-nanghihina n-na ko," Finnix answered. We got our powers back but we eventually became weak. Jing was too tired to recover fast because she saved us from the avalanche. Kaming dalawa ni Cairo ang nagche-check ng perimeter kanina kung may malapit bang kalaban sa amin ngunit ngayon ay parehas na kaming mahina upang gamitin ang kapangyarihan namin. Vince tried to shift into a wolf to haunt food for us, and he did, kaya kahit papaano ay nagkalaman ang tiyan namin kanina, but now he's also too weary to move. Si Otis na lang 'ata ang may natitirang lakas sa'min ngayon kung may lalabanan.

We managed to find a hideout, isang kweba kung saan ligtas mula sa malakas na paghampas ng niyebe.

Seconds later we heard a loud siren outside, terrifying sounds of wind from the helicopters, lights beaming all over the dark place. We know who it is. Tama si Jing, it happened before, it happened in Mnemosyne Institute, but now we don't have anywhere to run, and we are more terrified than ever. The Kahvals are different from Memoire and we are dealing now with a wide-world cult.

Iisa lang ang iniisip namin ngayong lahat, we are not going to die...

...if we surrender ourselves.

*****

"WHERE is Jill Morie?"

"I told you already," They're trying to break my whole spirit to tell them the truth, "I don't know."

He pressed again the button and my whole body is electrified. S-shit! This choker...This choker from Memoire... it's the same. B-bakit meron din sila nito rito?!

It will be a stupid decision if we tried to fight them when they cornered us in the cave, baka kung sakali ay patay na kaming lahat ngayon. Chances that they let us live is high than tryting to fight back, lalo pa't kami ang nakakaalam kung ano ang nangyari kay Jill. They brought us back in that Moon Tower na para bang walang nangyari. Pinaghiwa-hiwalay kaming anim para iinterrogate isa-isa.

Sinabi ko na sa kanila kung anong alam ko, hindi ko alam kung nasaan si Jill at kung mayroon mang nakakaalam sa kinalalagyan niya ngayon ay walang iba kundi si Karen. I hope that Jill is okay.

May kumatok sa interrogation room na pinaglalagyan namin ngayon at pumasok sa loob ang isang lalaki, it's him, the leader of this cult, John Zedong.

"Hello, Cloud Enriquez," bati niya sa akin ngunit tinapunan ko lamang siya ng tingin, "You're wondering why we're doing this non-sense interrogation thing to you, right? Well, as you can see, since we kept the Chintamani here for a long time, we managed to build an infrastructure, the Moon Tower, wherein no any super abilities can be used. You're not wondering how it works? How this building managed to suppress our powers?" 'Our'? So it means he's also not ordinary—like us. "Well, I really do not know how exactly it works but what I'm sure, it is because of the souls we trapped in the other side." he meant the Astral plane, 'yung mismong pinangyarihan ng Akasha's Game.

"So, my friends are still alive?" I asked.

"Well, of course, their physical conditions are being taken care of the Anigma machine, they're in the former sci-fi concept, the cyrosleep. We transferred their souls in the astral arena to wander aimlessly, and their souls being suspended supplies an energy which can nullify the energy of the physical plane."

The way he explained to me these peculiar things, hindi ko tuloy maiwasang maalala si Dr. Raphael Irvin, ang creator ng Culomus.

"I came here to get the same info we want, since we cannot use our powers to get the information we need, extreme measures must be applied. And finally one of your brave friends eventually gave up and we found out that Jill Morie was taken away by your another supposed-to-be-dead comrade."

A-ano... S-sino?

"He also told us about your plans, how you deceived Jill Morie in order for her to join the competition and win the Chintamani. He told us about how Eliza Macaraig planned everything and how you distracted your lover's thoughts."

Hindi ko maiwasang magkuyom ng palad sa mga naririnig ko.

"Finnix told us what we needed to know."

How could he?! Bakit niya sinabi sa kanila lahat?

"Then, we don't need you anymore." I met his cold gaze as he stepped closer, "Don't worry, we're not going to kill you." His smiled widened, "We just need to put your souls back in the endless illusion of the astral plane."

Right after he said that, pumasok sa loob ang dalawa pang staff at inakay ako papunta sa kung saan. Alam ko na ang mga susunod na mangyayari, katulad nang ginawa nila sa amin noon bago magsimula ang Akasha's Game, mayroon silang ituturok na pampatulog or what at magigising na lang ako sa kabilang mundo.

You must fight, Cloud. Iyon ang paulit-ulit na bumubulong sa isip ko habang naglalakad, hanggang sa marating na namin 'yung main lab na tinatawag nila. Inaasahan ko na makikita ko rito 'yung mga kasama ko pero nabigo ako, walang ibang nandito kundi 'yung mga staff na abala sa mga makabago nilang aparato at teknolohiya.

If I tried to fight they might kill me... I can't use my mind powers here because of the nullifying energy from the souls.

"It's time for him to sleep." They're all coming for me. "Then we'll put him in the chamber."

*****

WHEN I opened my eyes... I am in a different place. Actually, nanggaling na 'ko rito.

"Cloud!" and then I saw them, running towards me, so, totoo ngang pare-parehas na pinabalik 'yung kaluluwa namin sa loob ng astral plane o sa arena ng Akasha's Game.

We returned where we begin, ang pinagdausan ng opening ceremony, sa Forbidden City ng China.

At ngayon...

"Where's Finnix?" tanong ko sa kanila nang makalapit sila sa'kin.

"Ayun, pinatikim lang namin ng konti." At itinuro ni Vince si Finnix na nakahandusay di kalayuan. "You know, to teach him some lessons."

"I'm going to kill him." Susugod sana ako pero lahat sila ay pinigilan ako, "What?! He betrayed us again!" I shouted. I can't contain my anger right now, how could he exposed our plans to the enemy? Jill trusted him again!

"Cloud, you stupid! Kumalma ka nga!" si Jing.

"Hindi naman natin siya masisisi kung bakit siya bumigay at sinabi lahat sa kanila." Naningkit ang mata ko sa sinabi ni Otis, huminto ako kaya bumitaw na sila sa'kin.

"Kaya mo nasasabi 'yan kasi kaibigan mo siya." Sabi ko sa kanya.

"Cloud," Cairo stepped in, "Don't waste time for dwelling too much with your emotions. We have bigger things to fix."

"So you're telling me to forgive him?"

"Ano pa ba?" hinawakan ako ni Jing sa balikat, "Cloud, mga tao pa rin tayong lahat."

Huminga ako ng malalim at walang ibang nagawa kundi tanggapin ang mga sinabi nila, mahirap mang pigilan ang mabigat na damdamin na nararamdaman ko ngayon. It's just too much...too much feeling.

"Kung ganon, ano ng gagawin natin? We're all stuck here. How can we go back without Jill?" tumingin ako kay Cairo, "Any plans?" but he just shrugged and looked down.

"Then maybe we have to do it in our own." Jing hopelessly said but with a sheer determination.

"Well, you might need us." Sabay-sabay kaming napalingon mula sa isang pamilyar na tinig at sabay-sabay din kaminag nagulat nang makita sila. God, muntik ko na silang makalimutan! How I missed them!

"Eliza?!" we all run towards them, she's with Palm and Pascal. Geez, I don't know how long since we last saw each other.

"Sis! Buhay ka!" kaagad niyakap ng ubod ng higpit ni Vince ang kakambal na si Eliza, "I thought hindi na kita makikita!" It's because only our souls are here kaya hindi naman talaga sila namatay noon.

"It's good to see you too guys." Sabi ni Eliza sa'ming lahat matapos siyang yakapin ni Vince. Niyakap namin sila isa-isa.

"Oh my god, Palm." Si Vince na hindi makapaniwala habang sila Otis at Jing naman ay masayang tinapik si Pascal. "I really thought you guys died!"

"Nang 'mamatay' kami, nagising na lang kami sa lugar na 'to." Wika ni Pascal.

"Kumbaga sa laro, para kaming na-game over na kinailangang magsimula sa unang level." At sinundan iyon ni Palm.

"Then? Anong ginawa niyo rito?" Otis curiously asked.

"Well..." parang hindi alam ni Eliza ang sasabihin, "We roamed around to look for a way out, but we found nothing."

"Para kaming na-trap sa isang malaking time-loop, isang malaking ilusyon." Bakas naman ang matinding pagod sa boses ni Pascal.

"Trust me, guys, ginawa naming lahat para mahanap kayo..." Parang maiiyak naman si Palm.

"This world is pretty much the same with the real world, ang kaibahan nga lang ,aware kami sa ilusyon at alam namin ang na may time-loop." Alam kong marami pang sasabihin si Eliza ngunit naagaw bigla ang atensyon naming lahat...

"G-guys," napatingin kaming lahat kay Finnix na iika-ika habang papalapit, "S-sorry."

"Wala kang ibang choice, Finnix." Kaagad na komento ni Cairo, "Actually, we don't have a choice, sadyang ikaw lang ang naunang bumigay sa kanila para sabihin ang nangyari kay Jill."

"Finnix, let me help you." And then Palm quickly healed him.

"So, moving on." Natuon ang atensyon namin kay Jing, "Kailangan nating makaisip ng paraan para makaalis dito sa lalong madaling panahon."

"Wait, what happened to the plan?" tanong ni Eliza.

"Karen betrayed us." Ako ang sumagot at ikinuwento ko sa kanya ang mga nangyari, kung paano naging unexpected ang naging resulta ng plano, na wala na sa kontrol namin ang mga pangyayari.

"Alam kong palagi kaming umaasa sa'yo ng plano, Eliza, is there anything you think we can do to get out here?" lahat kami ay natigilan sa tinanong ni Cairo, isang senyales na lahat kami ay pare-parehas na lang umaasa sa isang tao na alam namin na halos lahat kayang solusyunan.

"I... don't know." But we expected too much, "We're stuck for almost one hundred time-loops here, at hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa rin alam kung paano makakalabas dito. I'm sorry."

Natahimik kaming lahat. Tumingala ako sa itaas at nakita ko ang langit, even if we try to stab our hearts walang mangyayari, sa tingin ko naiintindihan ni Eliza na ang tanging paraan para makabalik ang mga kaluluwa namin sa mga katawan namin ay nasa aparato na tinatawag nilang Anigma, o di kaya'y ang kanyang pagbabalik.

"I know a way out." I-I know that voice!

Sabay-sabay kaming napatingin at nakita siya... It's...It's her!

"J-jill?" akma akong tatakbo patakbo sa kanya ngunit mabilis akong napigilan ni Eliza.

"Wait." Ilang metro ang layo namin sa isa't isa ngunit alam kong siya 'yon! "Cloud, this is a world of illusion. That's not Jill."

[Jill Morie's POV]

MAY kailangan akong gawin bago magpatuloy ang lahat, bago magpatuloy ang daloy ng mundo papunta sa isang hinaharap na hindi matatakasan. I already said it to my said a thousand times that I need to die, no matter what.

After stealing the power of time from Timoteus, who is my grandfather, unfortunately, with the power of Chintamani, I know I am invincible, I can go back to past, and go beyond present—the future. But with all these power, comes a great threat to the whole humanity.

There must be a way, is what my sister told me. Yeah, and that is acceptance.

I accepted it.

But before anything else I want to see someone. I want to talk to her...to my surrogate mother, Sigrid Ibarra, the goddess of memory.

So I used the magnificence power of the Chintamani, and I traveled beyond time and spice to meet her. I crossed to the other side of the reality—to the Astral World, wherein the souls of the players are trapped and the arena of Akasha's Game.

Hindi na naging mahirap sa'kin ang lahat, I have this kind of power so it wasn't that complicated.

"Hello, Jill."

"Hello, Sigrid."