CHAPTER 0

KRISTEL RAMOS, CLASS 12-A

It was the dead of night. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and the wind was slapping her fiercely across her face, Kristel forced her feet to move as fast as they could. She did not care who she was leaving behind. She had to live. At ito lang ang kanyang tsansa para mabuhay. She had to keep on running because she knew in the back of her head that if she ever so much as slowdown, she'd get caught.

May narinig siyang sigaw sa kanyang likuran. It was a blood-curdling scream. Kristel knew who it was—Sansa, one of her friends. But Kristel found herself not caring at all. She kept her eyes in front of her, at the vast darkness beyond her. Mas binilisan niya pa ang kanyang pagtakbo. She had to get out of this place as soon as possible.

Kristel and her classmates ran together and tried to hide themselves. But they were still found.

Alam ni Kristel na wala nang pag-asa. But she found herself hoping that she might really get out of this place alive. That she might be able to outlive all of her classmates. Pero nagkamali siya.

May narinig siyang matinis na tunog. Ang sunod niyang naramdaman ay ang pagbaon nang manipis na karayom sa kanyang tagiliran. Saglit siyang napatigil sa pagtakbo. She suddenly felt the coldness languidly engulfed her entire system. It was slow at first until she felt almost half of her body starting to get paralyzed. What was happening to her?

Nang himasin niya ang kanyang tagiliran, noon niya naramdaman ang isang malamig na metal na nakabaon doon. Then the slow realization dawned on her—that the thin needle injected on her side was the one who caused it.

She gritted her teeth in pain. Pero pinilit niya pa rin ang sariling tumakbo. Until she couldn't do it anymore. Hinayaan niyang bumagsak ang kanyang katawan sa putik.

And just like that, she saw her hope slowly vanishing into thin air.

The last thing she heard before blackness swallowed her vision whole, was a deep voice, a few feet away from where her body lay unmoving.

"Tie her up," anang boses.

***

Nagising si Kristel nang maramdaman niya ang isang mahinang sampal sa kanyang pisngi.

"Wake up," boses ng lalaki ang bumungad sa kanyang tainga.

Nagmulat siya ng kanyang mga mata. She was greeted by the face of a cat. Mali, isa iyong maskara, she realized. She couldn't determine if the masked individual was looking at her directly. She could only see his eyes through the slits of the cat-like mask he's wearing. Bright golden eyes staring back at her—like an eagle's.

"I said wake up, students!" sigaw ng lalaki at naglakad ng ilang hakbang palayo sa puwesto ni Kristel.

May ilang mga pigura siyang naaninag sa likuran ng lalaki. They, too, were wearing the same masks and black cloaks that reached down to the cemented floor, concealing their feet.

Where are we? was the first question that popped in her head. Hindi siya sigurado kung sikat ba ng araw ang nakikita niya o ilaw. When she finally lifted her head to look up, she realized that the blinding light was coming from the old chandelier above them. Nangangalawang na ang metal na katawan niyon. She could almost see the dust from its dangling prisms. Pero hindi pa rin siya sigurado. Maybe this was just her mind playing tricks on her.

Kristel tried to speak but only a groan came out of her mouth. Noon niya napagtanto na nakasuot din pala siya ng maskara, her lips barely touching the cold inside of the mask.

Nang subukan niyang igalaw ang mga kamay niya, hindi niya iyon magawa. Something was keeping her hands from moving—

Napadako ang tingin niya sa kisame. There she saw that both of her hands were tied securely in a rope hanging from the ceiling directly above her.

Where the hell are we? muli ay tanong niya sa kanyang sarili.

Napakislot siya sa gulat nang marinig ang boses sa kanyang kaliwa. The girl's voice was familiar.

"Kristel?" the voice called out in the dark. Kristel turned to her left and the same cat-like mask was looking back at her. "Kristel!" muli ay sigaw ng babae. Noon niya napagtanto na pangalan niya pala ang tinawag ng babae. How long was she asleep that she had almost forgotten her name?

"Melody?" she said, barely a whisper. Her voice came out groggy and fear was evident in her tone.

"Shut your fucking mouths or I'll fucking shoot each one of you!" one of the hooded figures shouted once again, bringing Kristel back to the reality.

Mabilis siyang umayos ng pagkakatayo. Ngayon niya lang nagawang bilangin kung ilan ang mga pigurang nakapalibot sa kanila. Kung tama ang bilang niya, pito ang mga ito. Two of them were guarding what seemed like an exit. And the remaining five were scattered around the room. She secretly looked around her. The corners of the room were dark, kaya naman hindi siya sigurado kung gaano kalaki itong silid na kinaroroonan nila.

Then a phone rang from the man's pocket. He fished it out and held it against his one ear.

"Yes, Boss?" the man asked. "Lumaban ang ilan sa kanila. Tatlo ang patay. Should we kill them now? Hinihintay ko lang ang go signal mo, Boss." Tila ba nanigas ang kanyang sistema sa narinig. Three of them were dead. Was it real? Or was this just his way to scare them?

The man waited for the reply. "What?! Give them another chance? No—" he tried to say but the voice speaking on the phone cut him off. "Yes, Boss, makakaasa kayo."

May ibinulong siya sa katabi niyang lalaki. She didn't hear what he was saying. Then he turned his head back to them. Isa-isa sila nitong pinasadahan ng tingin.

"We're giving you another chance," he said, his voice suddenly dangerous. She felt her heart gave a sudden jolt. Naramdaman niya rin ang pagtagaktak ng pawis sa kanyang noo. She had never felt this scared her whole life. "Isang tanong at kung tama ang sagot n'yo, you're free to go," he continued.

Free to go? Kristel thought. This man must be joking. Alam na niya ang naghihintay sa kanila paglabas nila rito.

"Accept the New World Order or defy?" he asked.

Kristel glanced sideways. There were other figures behind her, concealed by the same masks. Sigurado siyang mga kaklase niya ang mga iyon. She heard some of them were crying quietly, some were still trying to remove the rope binding their hands helplessly.

"Who's your leader?" muli ay tanong ng lalaki.

"Y-you mean, the class president?" the voice came from a guy a few steps behind Kristel. He did not wait for the man's reply and nodded his head towards her direction. "Sh-she's the class president," he quickly said, stammering.

Kristel felt her stomach twisted into a tight knot. The hooded figure strode toward her. She felt his rough hands touched her shoulders firmly. Napahugot siya nang hangin sa sakit na hatid niyon. She wanted to remove his mask and spit on his face. "What's your decision, Ms Class President?" the man asked, his face inches away from hers. His other hand brushed her cheek. She flinched when she felt his rough palm against her skin.

Kristel realized that she had to say something. "I-I—" she began but someone from behind cut her off.

"Kristel, no! Don't you fucking dare say that we will defy!" it was Megan's voice, she remembered now. "I'll fucking accept it! I will accept it, please. Just let me go!"

The man in front of her scoffed. "Shut up!" he shouted at Megan. He turned back to Kristel. "The final decision is still yours," anang lalaki na nakatitig lang sa kanya.

"Please, accept, Kristel!"

"Defy! Gusto ko ng matapos ang lahat ng 'to!"

"I don't want to play their games! Just let me die!"

She heard her classmates' voice pleading in the background.

"SHUT UP!" malakas na sigaw muli ng lalaking nasa harap niya. Napakislot si Kristel sa takot na hatid niyon. Awtomatikong napatigil sa pagsigaw ang kanyang mga kaklase.

And then she remembered everything. Each and every detail that led them to this very moment.

Think, Kristel. This will be a quick way to die. Better quick death than what's waiting for you out there. Hindi ba't ito ang gusto mo matagal na? the voice in her head whispered. Kristel found herself agreeing with the voice. Tama ito. Countless of times, she tried to kill herself before this happened. There's no one waiting for her out there. She had no parents, only her stepfather who used her body like a rag. And she realized, this was the same hell she was in before.

Naramdaman niya ang pag-alpas ng luha pababa sa kanyang pisngi.

But why did she still run, knowing that they'd get caught anyway? Why did she have that fleeting thought about getting out of here alive?

Back then, Kristel thought they would be able to outrun them. Pero nagkamali siya. They were still caught no matter how hard they tried to run and hide themselves. It was useless. And here they were, back at the hands of the devil. Everything they did before was pointless.

Kristel had realized there's only one answer to all of this. The only answer they should have taken before. Nakapag-desisyon na siya.

She closed her eyes firmly. "Defy."

And with that answer, hinatid niya ang kanyang mga kaklase sa kanilang kamatayan.