Kleopatra Claveria. 

Nakasuot siya ng black spandex suit at nakatali ang kanyang mahabang buhok. Walang emosyon niya akong tiningnan habang nakatutok pa rin sa'min ang dalawang spotlight. Noong mga sandaling 'yon, para bang kami lang dalawa ang nasa arena.

Naglaho ang musika at namayani ang nakabibigang katahimikan sa pagitan namin.

Nakatitig lang ako sa kanya.

'Malayong-malayo sa Sadakong nakilala ko,' I thought and forced a smile, not bothering to hide the pain and anger in my eyes.

"I knew I've seen those eyes before... Namana mo 'yan sa tatay mo, hindi ba, Sadako?"

With Kleo's bangs braided, I saw her exposed heterochromatic eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Hindi niya siguro inaasahang madidiskubre ko ang sikreto nila. Maya-maya pa, isang malalim na pagtawa ang kumawala sa boss. Kasunod nito, bumagsak ang metal niyang maskara sa lupa.

A similar pair of heterochromatic eyes stared at me. But unlike his daughter's, this monster's eyes were darker...

Devoid of any sympathy and emotion.

"I was surprised you didn't recognize me sooner, Everick."

Lumalim ang paghinga ko. Every part of my being wanted to lash out at him. Fuck. I want to skin him alive and feed him to the sharks, drill several holes in his skull and insert live wires in them, chop his limbs into pieces and roast them over a campfire... Anything.

Dahil ni minsan, hindi sumagi sa isip kong ang "tauhan" na nahuli ko noon sa private room #9 ay ang nilalang na ilang siglo na naming kinasusuklaman.

'I've been fucking played.'

It was all an act.

My eyes glared at Kleo as I took several crumped white envelopes out of my coat, along with the object I found inside her drawer. Ngayon nauunawaan ko na kung bakit pinigilan niya akong buksan 'yon noong inaya ko siyang lumabas.

"All fucking these years, you've been in contact with your father... At 'yan ang taser na ginamit mo sa'kin noong gabing sinundan mo ako rito, 'di ba?!" Pagak akong natawa. Tangina, hindi ko na alam kung mas nananaig sa'kin ang sakit o galit sa babaeng 'to. As much as my lovesick-self wanted to deny everything and defend her, the evidences are already mocking me. Naikuyom ko na lang ang mga kamao ako para pigilan ang panginginig ng mga ito.

"Hindi ko na tatanungin kung saan mo tinago ang baril na ginamit mo sa tatay mo. But then again, it was all part of your grand plan, right?! Ang pagmukhain akong tanga! Ano, masaya ka na, Kleo?! Mula noong nagkakilala tayo, may hidden agenda ka pala!"

She didn't answer.

I shook my head in disappointment.

It was no coincidence our paths crossed that night. Hindi ko alam kung cover up niya lang ang pagiging "paranormal enthusiast" para mapalapit sa'kin. But from the letters, the boss---her own father---instructed her to follow me, shoot him in the head, and use a taser on me to make sure I can't revive him. Alam nilang limitado lang ang abilidad ko, at ginamit nila 'yong advantage.

Of course I wouldn't suspect a dead man, even one we dug out of the cemetery.

'Kung alam ko lang, edi sana tinabunan ko pa ng mga bato ang libingan niya.'

"At noong araw na 'nawala' ang bangkay niya sa kwarto mo, it was a lie, wasn't it? Ginamit mo ba ang kapangyarihan mo para buhayin siya at pagmukhaing may pumasok sa bahay ninyo?"

Kleo smirked. "Close, but not quite. Beforehand, he already instructed his secretary to dispose any 'loose ends'."

Her father nodded with pride, "Bukod kay Kleo, wala nang ibang nakakakilala sa'kin sa personal, kahit pa ang sekretarya at mga tauhan ko rito sa EKT. Hence, I let them believe they were just retrieving the corpse of a low-ranking officer. They stored me in a chamber here at Limekiln and when nighttime came, my daughter snuck in and revived me, just as according to plan."

Tumango si Kleo nang senyasan siya ng kanyang ama.

Her betrayal stings.

I felt numb from anger and disbelief.

But from the beginning, maybe I already had my suspicions. Ramdam kong laging may bumabagabag sa kanya tuwing magkasama kami, tuwing may malalim siyang iniisip. Pero hindi ko alam kung mas masakit ba ang katotohanang tinraydor niya ako o hinayaan ko siyang gawin ito sa'kin. Damn. I should never have trusted her this much.

A shearing pain in my shoulder stole what's left of me from my thoughts.

"Anong problema, crow-shifter? This is a fight!"

Our eyes briefly met before Kleo leaped away, spinning the meteorite knife she took from me on her fingertips. Napahawak ako sa dumudugo kong balikat, hindi makapaniwalang nagawa akong saktan ng babaeng 'to nang walang kahirap-hirap. She moved with inhuman speed. Agad akong umiwas nang sinubukan niya ulit akong saksakin, I twisted her arm and positioned the blade to her neck.

Gusto kong kalimutang siya ang naglagay sa'kin sa sitwasyong ito... Gusto kong kalimutang napagtanto ko ring siya ang nag-iiwan ng invitations sa'kin dati... Gusto kong kalimutang kasinungalingan ang lahat ng mga sinabi at ipinakita niya sa'kin.

Pero may mga bagay talagang mahirap kalimutan.

Bad memories are still memories.

"Ito ba talaga ang gusto mo, Sadako?!"

"Hindi mo alam ang mga pinagdaanan ko!" She clawed at my hands, making my skin bleed.

I didn't let go.

"How fucking interesting! Samantalang alam mo ang mga pinagdaanan ko, pero pinili pa rin akong lokohin. Nakakalungkot, pero mukhang may dahilan nga ang mga taong iwasan ka... You deserve to grow up alone, but I guess you already know that, don't you?!"

Napadaing na lang ako sa sakit nang sikmuraan ako ni Kleo. I stumbled on my feet and didn't have the chance to regain posture when she kicked me square in the face. Tumama ang katawan ko sa rehas. Sa kanyang likuran, nakita kong aliw na aliw ang kanyang ama. It made me wonder if Tita Elvie even knew who her real father is. Posible kayang parte rin ng plano ng boss ang iwanan siya nito sa kanyang tiyahin?

But then, was her reaction to her aunt's death just part of her cover up?

Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang totoo.

This is exactly the problem when your trust has been founded on a lie. You have trouble figuring out how much of it was genuine and how much of it isn't.

"You'll regret you even said that, Everick."

Sinalo ni Kleo ang isang antigong patalim mula sa kanyang ama. It's called a "khopesh". I easily recognized the sickle sword's unique crescent-shaped blade which originated from Egypt. Now I realized Kleopatra's violence and fighting skills must have been a consequence of her being a spy and gaining abilities from her father's curse. That's also the reason why she has this gift in the first place. Unti-unting naghilom ang sugat sa balikat ko, pero hindi ko pa rin inaalis ang mga mata ko sa kanya.

'Wala na akong kawala sa sitwasyong ito.'

Before she even struck the blade at me, I found my heart already damaged. Despite everything, I managed a tired smile on my lips. A last attempt to mask the raw emotions.

"The only thing I regret is giving you the knife you stabbed me in the back with, my mad maiden."

*

It was the last match of the Elite Killing Tournament's first round.

Sa kabila ng bilis ng dalagang umatake, Everick Neverwood did all he can to dodge the khopesh, only leaving him a couple of cuts. Sinangga niya ang antigong patalim gamit ang isang combat knife at pinaulanan ng shuriken si Kleo. To his surprise, she easily avoided them as if she were only doing a dance routine.

'Gaano kalawak ba talaga ang mga abilidad ni Sadako?'

That moment of distraction was enough to give her an opening.

"A-Argh! What the fuck!?"

Inis siyang lumayo at sinipat ang malaking hiwa sa kanyang hita. Umagos ang malagkit na dugo sa kanyang patalon, staining it a darker color. Everick cursed under his breath and started healing himself. Meanwhile, the eyes he once wanted to see stared expressionlessly at him. A dark brown and a light colored one.

Kleo titled her head to the side like a curious kitten, just like what she always do.

"Alam mo kung bakit ka matatalo sa laban natin, crow-shifter?"

"Shut it."

"Dahil hindi mo pa rin ako kayang saktan, 'di ba?" Dumako ang mga mata niya sa espada at sandaling tiningnan ang kanyang repleksyon. "Do you still think I'm a girl worth saving? Tanga ka kung iniisip mong inosente ako, Everick... Isang malaking katangahan ang  magkaroon ka pa ng awa sa katulad ko."

In a blink of an eye, Kleo slashed his arm.

Napasigaw sa sakit ang imortal nang humiwa ito sa kanyang braso, a long and deep cut ran vertically on his forearm. His wristwatch was destroyed because of the impact.

Nang sumulyap si Everick sa direksyon ni Kleo, nakita niya ang panginginig ng duguan nitong mga kamay. She clutched the weapon tightly, as a flash of pain finally ripped through her expression.

"I-I told you... You can't save anyone... AND YOU CAN NEVER SAVE ME, EVERICK!"

Kleo attacked again, almost chopping his head this time. Patuloy lang siyang nagsasalita, may bahid ng pagmamakaawa sa kanyang boses. God forbid it, but it broke him to see her like this...

"Hindi mo ba nakikita?! Bago pa kita nakilala, matagal ko nang sinusubukang iligtas ang sarili ko... m-matagal na, crow-shifter."

He grabbed a carving knife from his sleeves and attempted to counter her attacks. Dumaplis ang talim sa tagiliran ni Kleo, at agad na sinermonan ni Everick ang sarili niya nang makita ang sugat na iniwan nito. Thankfully, Kleo seemed numb to the pain, too.

"I had no choice.."

"Ayoko nang marinig ang mga kasinungalingan mo!"

Umalingawngaw ang tunog ng metal sa katahimikan ng arena.

"Hindi mo ako naiintindihan---!"

"Then why don't you just fucking tell me the truth?!"

When their faces were only inches apart, with the khopesh' razor sharp blade separating them, Kleo's voice lowered into a whisper.

"My father won't let me."

Everick's gray eyes flickered to the man who ruined their lives. Mukhang wala itong pakialam kung anuman ang mangyari sa kanyang unica hija. Flashes of their little "interview" at the abandoned carnival filled his memory. At doon niya lang napagtantong hindi pa nga rin ito nagbabago.

The boss still corrupted others and made them into his weapons.

Hundeds of years ago, he successfully created Everick and his brothers. And now, he successfully created his daughter, Kleopatra Claveria.

An added victim to his collection.

"Kleo, please... hindi pa huli ang lahat para---"

Isang malakas na pagsabog ang yumanig sa mga rehas ng arena.

Kasabay nito, lumitaw mula sa mga anino sa kabilang lagusan sina Evillois, Marquessa, at ang Muffin Man. Behind them, Raff dragged a handcuffed Nica who stared wide-eyed at the scene.

Habang tumatagal, lumalakas ang mga sigawan at ingay ng mga baril. Mula sa hagdang pinanggalingan niya, narinig ni Everick ang boses ng kanilang nakatatandang kapatid. Several killers were keeping them busy and Poison Ivy's vines started infecting the entire building. At this point, Everick knew the Puppet Master activated his other puppets to block all possible escape routes.

They either die or burn this place down with them.

Nang dumako ang mga mata ni Kesa sa kanyang kaibigan, magkahalong takot at pagkabigla ang gumuhit doon. Horror graced her expression as she screamed, "KLEO, SA LIKURAN SA MO!"

Just in time, the Knight saw the EKT's secretary about to stab her boss' daughter. Kleo stood, paralyzed at the sudden appearance.

The blade was a signal for death.

"KLEO!"

Walang pagdadalawang-isip na pumagitna si Everick Neverwood. He fell to the ground, bleeding and struggling to breathe evenly as it pierced into his chest. His entire body spasmed as Everick started clutching his head in pain. Doon nila napagtantong hindi ordinaryong punyal ang ginamit ng sekretarya.

It was something that could kill them.

Mula sa dilim, lumitaw ang mga panibagong mga kalaban kasabay ng unti-unting naglalaho ang imahe ng pinuno ng Elite Killing Tournament. Isang mapaglaro at mapanganib na ngiti ang gumuhit sa mga labi nito habang nakamasid sa kanila.

"Enjoy the rest of the evening, Neverwoods. Until we meet again."

Before he could even fade in thin air, Evil quickly flew across the arena and attempted to strangle his neck.

Hangin lang ang naabutan niya.

From the other side of the room, the secretary laughed hysterically and glanced at her ever present clipboard.

"Do you really think our boss would be foolish enough to appear in person tonight? Sapat nang nakilala niyo siya."

"NASAAN SIYA?!" Evil snapped.

Naapailing ang sekretarya. "I can't tell you and you can't torture the information out of me. I'm just following his orders. In fact, he anticipated everything. May dahilan kung bakit pinagkakagastusan namin ang 3D effects at holographic projections sa season na ito," sa huling pagkakataong, sumulyap siya sa papel at ngumiti. Sinunod niyang kinuha ang nakatago roong folding knife. She glanced at her terrified niece one last time.

There was a hint of sadness in her voice.

"We're right on schedule."

Before she slit her own throat and dropped dead on the floor.

---

Pity those who fool themselves
that happiness is a choice;
I'd like to see you say that again,
once the devil steals your voice.

---Kleopatra Claveria