Chapter 1 - The Beginning of an End (Reboot Chapter)

Some people enjoy their lives blessed in everything, while others live miserably, scraping by each day in a relentless struggle. They suffer in silence, they struggle against the odds, and some are driven to desperate acts just to survive. And we were one of them. The hardships we endured are etched into our souls, a constant reminder of a life that was anything but easy.

I have fragments of memories of our parents, but most are shrouded in a haze, their faces and voices slipping away like whispers in a storm. It's frustrating, trying to piece together a past that feels like a distant dream. Yet, amidst the confusion, one thing stands clear the love they had for us. They cared for us with a fierce tenderness, even when the world around us was harsh and unyielding. They did everything they could to protect and provide for us, just like any parents would, despite the overwhelming odds.

...

But.

...

The world is still a cruel place. No matter what you do or what you've achieved, people will find a way to drag you down with them.

Jealous of your accomplishments.

Jealous of the things you've done.

Jealous of the impact your actions have had.

They'll find ways to pull you down from the pedestal, causing you to crash into the depths of the abyss.

Why am I even mentioning this? Even though my memories of our parents are vague, I remember that event with piercing clarity, like a crystal-clear pond where every detail is visible. Our parents were once at the bottom of society, mocked and ridiculed for the mistakes they'd made in life. But they stood tall, defying those who sneered at them. They climbed from the depths of despair to the heights of success, proving everyone wrong. Yet, the world does not take kindly to those who rise above their station, especially not those in positions of power. They did everything they could to bring our parents down.

Our father, in particular, faced the brunt of this cruelty. He achieved so much at the company where he worked, earning respect and admiration, and even being offered a promotion to a higher position. But all his hard work led to nothing. His co-workers, green with envy, falsely accused him of embezzlement. And though his boss showed a twisted sense of mercy by only fining him, it plunged my father into debt.

That was not enough for them. They continued to harass our father to the point of depression, even our mother, a professor at some prestigious university was affected. She was fired from her work, and the one responsible for that was one of my father's co-workers, somehow they had a connection with the owner of the university. I don't know what they framed her for but they drove her into depression as well.

One day our parents had enough of it, my father paid his debts and decided to leave the city and live in the countryside.

And on that very day, while on a trip, a truck hit our car... and by chance.. not by miracle, only me and my twin survived. We were only four at that time.

I experienced head trauma from that time, and my sister? It damaged her brain directly. But it seems fate enjoys toying with us, because, by some miracle, she survived though just barely. The price for her survival was steep, and she suffered temporary amnesia. For months, she wandered in a haze, her memories fractured and incomplete. When she finally recovered, the memory of that harrowing accident was gone, wiped clean as if it never happened.

Yet, the scars remained, invisible yet ever-present, reminding us of the cruel reality we endured. Moments like these make me realize just how merciless Earth can be a twisted blend of heaven and hell. It's a place where miracles and miseries coexist, where you can be granted a second chance only to lose a piece of yourself in the process.

That's all the information I gathered from that event fourteen years ago and once I learned of it I made a vow to myself a vow to never trust anyone even if how tempting it is. I will never make the same mistake as my father did he tried to prove himself in that corrupt company and now look at the result. I don't despise him it's just that he was naive to think that people would view him differently but instead, they envied him.

I told my sister the truth and I told her not to trust anyone but me, she willingly agreed, and I didn't want to manipulate her just because she had amnesia but it was for her own good. For our own good

...

[Author Note: Just imagine them walking on the side of the road while Seraph is talking to Santiago and completely ignoring his sister because he's in his 8th-grade syndrome mode and lost in his thoughts]

The year 2017. Manila, University of Santo Tomas Senior High School

Even though we were orphaned we managed to get a scholarship to the most prestigious University in the Philippines: the University of Santo Tomas. And rose to the top of the ranks, that was no surprise to us because our mother was once a professor in a prestigious private university. It seems that we got our smarts and intelligence from her another reason why genes play a critical role in life.

My sister Seraph is also doing well and is quite popular among the boys because her beauty is comparable to models. Her looks go after our father I once saw a picture of him in his teens and he's a part-time model I could not believe it myself he could have just gone full-time in his modeling work but he chose an office job instead maybe it's because of our mother maybe because he loved her so much that he abandoned his modeling work, but enough of that, when boys look at her too much I give them a death stare, and if they get too close or confess to her I give them a warning.

It's kind of too much right? Surprisingly she's aware of what I'm doing and she is fine with it she even said; "I appreciate the things you've done to me, Santi, I know that you are concerned for me and know what's right, you've protected since we were little and everything goes well with your quick decision making and most of your choices and predictions are right! And besides the boys are only after my looks and body you can see it in their eyes, but I'm also doing my best so I can protect you when you are at your lowest."

Seeing her smile while saying that just makes me want to protect her even more, but I'm afraid once she can defend herself and take care of herself she won't need me anymore and I'm anxious about it. But if that's what she truly wants I'll just have to support her.

"ᴴᵉʸ." His sisters attempt to call him but his thoughts overshadow the calls of his sister

But what if she makes the wrong choices?

"Hey." His Sister calls out again 

What if she's taken advantage of??

"HEY, SANTI" His sister tries again but shouts beside his ear

"Hmm? What?" Santiago exclaimed in surprise.

"Lost in your thoughts again? You should pay attention to where you're walking, or you might bump into someone." Seraph remarked on his habits

"I know, I know. I just can't help it. I keep thinking about the future and how I want to be prepared for whatever comes." Santiago replied admitting his habits

"Thinking ahead isn't bad, but it's not great if you do it all the time, especially when we're walking on the side of the road."

"You're right, it's a bad habit," Santiago admitted with a small smile to his sister.

"Come on, we're almost at the campus!" Seraph exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement and joy.

Santiago smiled after hearing his sister's exciting tone. Let's not overthink it let's just cherish what we have now, seeing her smile in excitement just like that makes me want to protect her even more than before, it's hard to let go of her.

"You seem excited today, did something happen?" Santiago asked his sister out of curiosity

"It's not something that happened but it's a thing that I want to get near campus." Seraph replied to her brother full of determination and excitement

"And what is that thing?" Santiago exclaimed in a curious tone

"To be precise it's not a thing but it's something you eat, it's aunties famous freshly baked Spanish bread!" Seraph exclaimed in excitement "She only cooks it every once in two weeks, that's why I woke up early today just to get a taste of it." Seraph said in a joyful tone

"Determined are we?" The brother exclaimed

They continued their walk to the campus, and before long, they arrived. They entered, and Seraph bought the food she had been so excited about, which satisfied her cravings. Afterward, They went to their assigned classes.

...

*Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing*

...

The distant ring of the school bell resonated through the hallways, announcing the start of lunch break. The hallways soon filled with the sound of footsteps and lively chatter, as students eagerly headed towards the campus cafeteria.

Among the crowd of students, our protagonists stood out, drawing admiring gazes from their fellow schoolmates.

As they walked towards the cafeteria, a certain gossip from two girls caught their interest they listened intently as they walked.

Rachel: "Hey, did you Watch the news?" The girl asks

Emily: "No, what happened?"

Rachel: "Apparently, there have been a few kidnappings in our area. It's kind of scary."]

Emily: "What? Seriously? That's insane. Do they know who's doing it?"

Rachel: "Not really. But I heard that some people saw the kidnappings and they used some sort of white van. The police are still trying to figure it out, but they're telling people to be extra careful, especially at night."

Emily: "Wow, that's creepy. I usually walk home from the library late. I guess I should be more careful."

Rachel: "Yeah, for sure. Maybe get a ride or walk with someone? I've been thinking of cutting back on my late-night runs. It's not worth the risk."

Emily: "Good idea. It's just so weird to think about this happening around here. I hope they catch whoever's doing it soon."

Rachel: "Same. But until then, let's just stay alert and keep an eye out. We can even hang out more, so we're not alone."

Emily: "For sure. It's always safer together."

After Santiago heard of this he began to worry for their safety, especially the safety of his sister, and undeniably our protagonist seems to have not watched the news but instead indulged in his newly bought book and his studies.

Kidnappings? Santiago's mind churned with concern. I should've watched the new instead of reading that novel and studying all night long. he silently berated himself, But kidnappings? Especially in our area? It's getting dangerous these days, he thought, the urgency rising within him. I'd better warn my sister about it.

"Sera-." Santiago tries to mention something.

"Yeah, I know." Seraph quickly replied not giving him a chance to finish his sentence

"...I haven't finished my sentence yet," Santiago exclaimed.

"I've heard all of it, you know I got to compliment your keen hearing, sometimes it frightens me you know? Seraph commented about his brother's keen hearing

"Same goes for you, and you are farther from them you are left from me and them on the right" Santiago replied commenting on her sister's keen hearing as well

"Yeah, yeah" Seraph replied while being smug about it

Shortly after their conversation, they arrived at the cafeteria, bought their food, and proceeded to their next class.

*Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing*

The bell rang again signaling that lunch break was over, students hurriedly ran to their assigned classes, so as not to be late, undeniably our protagonists were quick enough to get their food and be on their way, but in truth, students admire them so much they gave their line up to them and the twins happily accept it.

As usual afternoon classes were boring and gruesome many students fell asleep during their lectures, and because of that some rumors started to appear that many students would fail after the current semester

The bell once again rang for the last time in that day's class and the halls of the campus were full of lively chatter as students exited the campus. However, our protagonists stayed on campus late, and their teachers requested help from the School Council because they lacked manpower.

After some gruesome labor, they finally are able to go home but nighttime dawns upon them, Because of that, they take the shortest route to their apartment which is rumored to be haunted.

"*Sigh* Out of all the students, why did THAT teacher have to choose us?" Seraph grumbled, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Well Sir Fress thinks highly of us and besides we are at the top of the ranks after all, so he thought that we're the one of the students he can trust. But making us stay until sundown? Now that is going too far and can be a breach of rules, if I could punch him for making you do labor work, I would." Santiago said, his voice tinged with frustration.

"Well you're right, But if you did punch him in the face you'd get expelled you know" Seraph replied commenting on his reaction to Sir Fress

"I know that is why I tried to hold myself back while staring holes at him while not looking in our direction" Santiago's words were full of frustration

...

"You know I think it's a bad idea to go through this place at night you know, I mean it's rumored to be haunted and I'm not scared because of that it's just that. it's just too quiet?" Seraph commented on the route they had taken, her voice sounding suspicious

"You're right it seems to be quiet but this is the shortest route to our apartment and I want to get home fast because Sir Fress thought it was a good idea to make us do work after dusk, Besides I'm here if everything goes wrong I'm here to protect you." Santiago agrees to his sister's comment on the route they've taken but he reassures his sister that he is here to protect her

...

"But now you mention it, it is strange this street is awfully too quiet, I've got a bad feeling about this." A concerning and worrying tone came out of Santiago's voice, suspecting something

"I've told you." Seraph replied solidifying her suspicion

"We should hurry up." Santiago said in an anxious tone

The twins fastened their pace, suspecting something bad might happen, as they walked in fast and long strides they felt an ominous gaze behind them despite no one, not even a single presence being felt. Pure survival instincts telling them to get out of that area as fast as possible, from long and fast strides to full-on sprinting, that's how afraid they are despite being fearless and cool-headed most of the time, imagine someone strong and fearless fleeing from something while their tail tucked between their legs, you can't imagine such scary creature to exist it does not even have any presence yet you can feel its gaze.

The twins managed to get away from that secluded area but at the cost of their stamina. Winded after sprinting while their life depends on it.

*Huff, huff, huff*

"What was that? I did not feel such an ominous thing before." Struggling to catch his breath the brother exclaimed his words with fear and shock.

"Yeah, that's why I told you that it might be a bad idea going in that route at night." Seraph exclaimed struggling to form those words while catching her breath

"Sorry, I've overseen such an outcome," Santiago admitted, Acknowledging his mistake

"I think you shouldn't remove your bad habit, to keep us safe you know?" Seraph remarked.

"Yeah, I won't," Santiago replied

They stopped talking, trying to catch their breath, and sat down on the ground. Silence followed, broken only by the sound of their breathing.

...

...

...

Some time passed, and Santiago began to think. His habits kicked in, and he realized one crucial thing: the place they were in and the predicament they were about to experience. Panic set in as he processed this, and he exclaimed loudly. "Wait a minute!"

Time seemed to slow for Santiago seconds felt like minutes as he processed every bit of information, every possible outcome, and every solution. He noticed they had stopped to rest beside a van. What kind of van? What color? Those questions popped into his mind, and answers quickly followed: a panel van, painted in shining acrylic white.

Upon realizing this, Santiago instinctively reached for Seraph's hand. Just as he moved, the sliding door of the van flew open, and two men wearing ski masks jumped out. They quickly grabbed both of them by the waist and covered their mouths with cloth, silencing their cries for help. Even if they had managed to scream, it wouldn't have made a difference; no one would have noticed or cared. That's just how the world works. During the day, when everything is in plain sight, people might step in or at least investigate. But in the dead of night, no one dares to intervene they're too afraid of the unknown.

The kidnappers swiftly restrained the twins, immobilizing them completely. They forced sleeping pills into their mouths and gagged them with cloths, silencing any cries for help. With their captives subdued, the kidnappers quickly left the premises, driving away at high speed after successfully abducting the twins.

Inside the van, they tried to free themselves in a panic not even realizing that even if they were able to they couldn't escape they were already inside the van and kidnapped, yet their struggles bore no fruit. Movement and senses were constricted. And the more they struggled, the more the drug took over, and within moments, their consciousness began to fade away...

...

...

...

*Vroooom, screech!* The van roared as it approached, followed by the sharp hiss of brakes.

It arrived in an unknown location in an abandoned building

*woosh* *woosh, clack!* A quick opening and closure of the van sliding door

*step, step, step* Steps from an unknown man can be heard

The man then begins to ask the man responsible for driving the van

(????): "Did you get the target?"

(???): "Yes, though they tried to resist we captured them quietly and swiftly without issue."

(????): "Good. Bring them to the storage; the client will be here soon."

(???): "Understood. Make sure everything's ready for the handoff. We can't afford any slip-ups."

(????): "I know and make sure not to damage the "Goods" too much."

(???): "I will."

...

*step, step, step* Steps from 4 men approach carrying 2 people, they stop and drop the 2 people they carried without any sense of gentleness

*thud* An audible thud can be heard from the dropped people, and those two people were our protagonists

...

A short time has passed and one of our protagonists began to gain consciousness.

Seraph groaned "Ughh... Where are we? My head hurts, and my memory ... it's hazy what is happening?" 

*rustle* She tried to move her arms but realized they were tied up

I can't move my arms, they're... tied up?... Oh right... we were kidnapped, shit... And the drug has yet to wear off my vision is still blurry. I need to untie myself somehow and wake Santi up. It's a good thing I learned how to untie myself from Boy Scouts.

[Author note: In the Philippines, Girls can join Boy Scouts as long as they can handle it. Boy Scouts in the Philippines are more military-like mostly for rescuing but Girl Scouts it's only specifically made for girls]

*ruffle, ruffle* Seraph tries to untie herself but to her surprise, the knot is more complex for her to untie

Fuck. They tied it so well. I need to find a sharp object fast" Seraph Swiftly looks around trying to find something "That could work."

*zzz, zzz, zzz* As she rubs the rope to the metal beam a noise is produced but is quiet enough to not be heard from afar

Some moments later Santiago begins to gain consciousness, waking up in frustration and anger.

"Fuck! My head and body are killing me. They fucking dropped us, and they hurt my sister. I swear they'll pay for this. I need to get these ropes off, and fast before they come back."

The sound of rope rubbing into something caught Santiago's attention

Wait. What is that sound?

*Rustle* Santiago tries to turn towards the source of the sound and sees his sister trying to cut off the rope.

Seraph? She's trying to cut off the rope I need to get her attention and help her untie herself.

'HMMMMMM!" Santiago tries to get Seraph's attention screaming in a muffled voice

"What's that?!? A scream?" Seraph turned her head towards the muffled scream. Santi? Is he signaling me to come over? Wait a second.

*hop, hop, hop* Seraph then proceeds to hop towards Santiago.

Santiago then signals Seraph to turn her back towards him

Now he's signaling me to turn? Ok. 

*Rustle, Rustle* Seraph struggles to turn because of the restraints but is successful in doing so, Santiago then begins to untie her.

He's untying me, I think he knows how to untie it

Good thing I know how to untie this knot. Santiago thought to himself. It's tough, but I can do it even with my eyes closed, joining the Boy Scouts and ROTC wasn't a bad choice after all. Santiago gratefully thanked himself

*Rustle, Rustle* The sound of Santiago untying his sister's constraints

After Santiago freed Seraph from the constraints of her body, she quickly did the same for him. As soon as Santiago was free, he lunged at Seraph, pulling her into a tight embrace. A surge of emotions overwhelmed him. Worry, frustration, and anger bubbled up from deep within, clouding his judgment.

Santiago looked into his sister's eyes so did Seraph, then the words that came out of Santiago made Seraph realize that there's nothing she could do, once his brother makes a decision he's locked on never averting from it even if it's the wrong choice in his mind he will find ways to make it work and turn into a right one

"Sera are you alright?! does your body hurt? Did they do anything to you???" Santiago then quickly checked his sister's well-being his voice full of concern and worry

Seraph looked into her brother's eyes and felt a familiar unease. Those eyes, she thought, I know them too well, the eyes of someone who has already decided. A memory surfaced, reminding her of a time when his resolve had led them down an uncertain path. It happened before, and I can't do anything about it, she realized, her heart heavy. All I can do is go with it and hope everything goes well.

Her brother was always thinking ahead, weighing outcomes and solutions with a sharp mind. My brother is always calculative, she reflected, but sometimes his emotions cloud his judgment, especially if it's about me. She could see the determination in his gaze, knowing all too well what he was thinking.

"N-No, I. I'm fine" Seraph's voice trembles not out of fear but out of concern

"You're voice is trembling. Are you sure you're fine?." Santiago's tone was filled with concern for his sister.

"Realy I'm fine." Seraph uttered, reassuring her brother

"What they've done to you... I'll make them pay, I'll make them pay for hurting you" The words that came out from Santiago were full of anger.

Santiago then stands up after saying those words, fixes his clothes, and rolls up his sleeves his eyes, and stance making it seem like he's going to ruin someone up

"You don't have to do that we can just escape," Seraph exclaimed her voice filled with concern.

"I know. We are going to escape... But would they let us escape just like that? They go to such lengths only to kidnap us specifically, place us in this storage room where only two of us are here, and probably someone ordered them to kidnap us, how would they know the route we take? They've investigated us. And with all of that evidence, I concluded that this place was guarded tightly," Santiago's tone was analytical but seething with anger. "And I've decided to cause a little trouble for them for hurting you," he added, his voice full of determination and rage.

After Seraph heard those words, she fell into a short silence, then stood up and began to roll her sleeves up, ready for a fight, her expression stern. Her body, which seemed delicate and fragile, revealed a stance that had experienced many fights. What did the twins experience in their childhood? That we don't know.

...

"Well, then brother. Let's begin, I'll also make them pay for angering you." Seraph's expression is stern, her voice determined.

They began to march towards the door, rearing for a fight. Santiago quickly opened the door, surprising the guard stationed there. The guard's expression was full of shock and disbelief, certain he had restrained them and tied the knot securely, but Santiago's knowledge of knots had rendered it useless.

Startled, the guard reached for his pistol on his right holster and pointed it at Santiago. But Santiago was unwavering, his gaze steady and fearless. The guard's disbelief deepened as he thought, "Can this brat dodge a bullet?" Then, in a swift movement, Santiago disarmed the guard, leaving him stunned. The guard withdrew a few steps, adopting a fighting stance.

Santiago did the same.

Santiago charged at the guard, but unbeknownst to the guard, Seraph was right behind him, moving swiftly. As Santiago engaged the guard, Seraph appeared from his shadow, launching a feint right hook. The guard instinctively moved to block it, but Seraph swiftly switched to her left hand, her punch connecting solidly with the guard's face.

The guard staggered, dazed by the punch. Seraph's left hand held a metal bar, adding momentum and force to her strike.

Seizing the opportunity, Santiago grabbed the pistol from the ground. He positioned his right hand on the handle and his left hand over his right, ensuring a steady aim. He aimed at the dazed guard, his finger poised on the trigger. With a resolute pull, the gun fired, the bullet hitting the guard's chest. Santiago fired four more shots in quick succession, each bullet finding its mark in the guard's body, ensuring he wouldn't pose a threat again.

The sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the storage room, mingling with the rapid, tense breaths of the twins.

Silence followed, and only the breaths of the twins could be heard

...

Out of pure shock, Santiago loosened his grip on the gun dropping it.

"Now I've done it. I killed someone." Santiago said in disbelief "What am I going to do now?" Santiago asked himself.

"Calm down Santi, calm down." Seraph tries to calm Santiago down, Her voice full of concern

"I just killed someone... I-I did not plan this to happen" Santiago's eyes were wide in shock. "My body just moved on its own, and I'm strangely calm about this I only planned to knock them out but instead killed that guy."

"You're strangely calm? How can that be? It's your first time killing someone" Seraph replied

"I don't know, it's like I'm used to it, and It's kind of scary thinking about it" Santiago replied in shock. "Besides that, we need to go now," he said to his sister trying to forget the feeling.

Santiago swiftly grabbed his sister's hand and started to run in the hallway trying to find the exit, after, some time of searching and hiding from the alerted guards they found the fire exit door Santiago being cautious checked behind them to make sure that they were not followed, once he made sure it's safe they ran towards the door.

But unbeknownst to Santiago someone was waiting for them in the intersection of the hallway once he caught a glimpse of it time became slow once again to him...

But it was futile there was nothing he could do even if he managed to come to a conclusion and a solution to that problem. Is he fast enough to act it out?

What did he see anyway? A man. A man in a black suit holding a gun, aiming it in his direction. In one swift movement, the man in black fired. The bullet sped toward Santiago's head. Time slowed to a crawl. Each second stretched into an eternity, until finally, the bullet struck Santiago, ending his life and leaving his sister alone.

A sudden realization befalls Santiago. I'm falling. I got shot to death... His tone, once strong and resolute, is now filled with regret, frustration, and anger. He had left his sister all alone, and he couldn't forgive himself for that. 

His body fell, and the last thing he saw was a man loading his gun and his sister reaching out to him, his life was unfortunate and ended in an unfortunate event.

As his consciousness begins to fade, he utters his last words.

"I'm sorry... Sera... I couldn't protect you." Santiago whispered looking at her crying sister.

Hearing those words Seraph's legs gave up "Santi," she choked out, the word a strangled cry torn from deep within her. Each syllable dripped with anguish, echoing through the space like a mournful lament. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, tracing wet trails through the dust and grime that coated her skin. She began to wale greaving for his brother's death leaving a gaping hole in her chest. her brother's death fueled her fury and rage she clenched her fists, stood up, and lunged at the man in black with a primal roar but to her surprise, the man was already aiming at her and also shot her to death.

Their life is taken for granted

The Mysterious man in black squatted down to take a closer look at the twins, tilting his head.

Man in Black: "So, it was the two of you who killed Lucas," he exclaimed, his voice dripping with disdain.

Loud steps can be heard from afar approaching to the Man in black.

Goon: "Boss!" A man called out from afar, running towards the man in black. "What happened? Are you alright?"

The man in black stood up as soon as his goon arrived.

Man in Black: "I'm fine," he replied, his gaze fixed on the twins. "Are these the ones?"

Goon: "Yes, boss. I can't believe it—they're surprisingly skilled fighters. And to think they were supposed to be the merchandise."

Man in Black: "Contact the client. Let them know today's meeting is off and the delivery is postponed," he commanded with a cold, measured tone.

Goon: "Understood, boss," the goon responded promptly, rushing off to relay the message.

Man in Black: "Haaa, another merchandise. Well, there are plenty more where they came from. The client can wait," he muttered, exhaling in frustration.

...

The Twin's life was taken for granted and treated like expendable goods, The world is always the same no matter what era and will always be once you rise from the top someone out there will steal it, take it, or extinguish it. So enjoy your life while you can.

The Twin's journey will continue once they are reborn.

...

And they will rise again.