3rd Door

Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.

-Mary Tyler Moore

***

MINALYN

Puno ng tensyon ang namagitan kina Vlad at Andreas sa fourth floor. It was a silent war waiting to explode. Halatang halos gusto na nilang patayin ang isa't isa. If only they had enough time to do it --they'd do it.

But, we had to rush and survive two more floors. We only have less than ten hours to get down. Hindi ko alam kung sapat pa ba ang oras na natitira para saaming lahat. Larryson and his evil clan might have plotted too difficult puzzles for us not to be able to survive it.

Ramdam namin nina Bella at Natas ang tensyon sa pagitan ni Vlad at Andreas. Kahit na walang umiimik saamin, sa hinuha ko'y gusto na nilang patayin ang isa't isa.

But we had no time for their issue. We were facing a greater foe --a stronger and more fatal enemy.

Hanggang sa oras na 'yon, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala kung bakit nagagagawa pa naming tumakbo at lumaban sa kabila ng mga pinagdaanan namin.

We have lost a lot friends. I lost Nyl and Rielle in the most painful way. Vlad's friends, Satana, Kid and Zyril vanished right infront of his eyes. Belle's friends Maxine and Angelyn got killed. Natas and Andreas... these two might have lost some acquaintances not so conspicuously but yes, they have their own losses as well.

How can a mourning soul bear more obstacles? I didn't know. Really.

Normal people, after having through what we had, would easily breakdown like a weak concrete. I don't know what made us so tough that up to that floor, we're still surviving. Maybe it's an innate nature to humans to rise up even if we're expected to be shattered in times like this.

"Hurry up." Andreas bawled as he rushed downstairs.

Nasa likuran ako ng lalaki habang sina Bella at Natas ay nakasunod saakin. Vladimir was guarding our back, or was staying away from Andreas.

Ilang minuto lang ang lumipas nang marating namin ang ikatlong palapag. Andreas, with a screeching halt, brought us all into shock. Mabilis itong napaatras kasabay ng paglingon niya saamin ni Bella.

"Watch out!" He cried loudly as he dodged back like as if an incoming attack is upon us.

Nasa hagdanan kaming lahat. Andreas managed to jump backwards and landed on the fourth staircase. Paglapag ng mga paa niya sa hagdanan ay saka naman magkasunod na bumaon ang dulo ng dalawang samurai sa carpeted floor kung saan galing ang lalaki.

"S-samurai." Kinakabahang sambulat ni Bella na nakakapit na sa braso ko.

We waited for our next move. Hindi kami basta-basta makagalaw sa gitna ng ganoong sitwasyon. It was like our lives depended on how careful every move do we make. I wished I could just bury our heads on the sand and come out when all of it were over.

But the real deal was upon us. A call of either death or survival which we must pay close attention to for any miss could mean our end.

"W-what do we do, Andreas?" Tanong ni Natas sa lalaki na tila kinakabahan din sa kung anong naghihintay saamin sa ikatlong palapag. His eyes were unsteady. He looked pale and nervous.

Andreas did not answer. Nanatili itong tahimik sa kinatatayuan.

"Those are real samurais. H-huwag m-mong sabihing, haharapin natin sila!" Nanginginig na untag ni Bella na mas lalo pang ikinubli ang sarili sa likuran ko. She was sweating cold ice. Intensely.

"Natas, you have to go down first." Mahinang sambit ni Andreas.

"Why me?" Gulat namang utas ng lalaking tinuran.

Hindi pa rin umiimik si Vlad. Mukhang sang-ayon ito sa desisyon ni Andreas. There was no sign of objection on his face. No gesture of refute.

"If they want you alive, you'll live. This is a recruitment. We are part of their experiment. They've avenged all the Infinite's death including Karen's, if I speak the truth, what they need is just a replacement of those we killed."

Sa mga salitang binitiwan ni Andreas, pakiramdam ko'y may mas malalim pang dahilan kung bakit kailangang si Natas ang maunang bumaba sa third floor. The thought put me into thinking. Deeply. Until I realized what Andreas was trying to test and prove.

Natas was able to solve the mystery on the very last seconds of the timer. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali ng hinala, sa tingin ko'y pinagdudahan na siya ni Andreas sa oras na iyon. Answering Iron59 put him into the hot pot. The fact that he answered on the very last strand of time, he might have known the answer but was only waiting for us to figure it out. When he realized that no one among us can answer the question and the time was already running out, he did not want to compromise his life so he pretended he just knew the answer. The guys answered quickly. Saving his life.

"If they let me live, I can't ask them to spare your life, Andreas." Napalunok si Natas kasunod ng paghakbang niya pababa ng ikatlong palapag. He was holding both knuckles, hard.

"I won't ask you to save me. I'll live if I have to."

Nilagpasan na ni Natas si Andreas. Halatang kabado ang lalaki nang tumuntong ito sa dulo ng hagdanan. He raised his hands as he walked towards the buried swords.

Pigil ang aming paghinga habang hinihintay ang mga susunod na mangyayari. Ramdam na ramdam kong kabado ang lahat. Walang kasiguraduahan ang pagsusugal sa buhay ni Natas.

Natas walked pass the swords. We can no longer see the guy. Nahaharangan na ng malaking pader ang kinaroroonan nito. We were behind the wall, hiding from the blades. Makailang hakbang na ito nang muli siyang magsalita. "I'm not going to fight sword-to-sword here. If you want me alive, I'd surrender myself; but, if you want me dead I'd b-"

Hindi natapos ng lalaki ang sasabihin nito. Bigla na lang itong sumigaw mula sa kinatatayuan. "Guys! Run towards the exit! To your left!"

His voice echoed all over the third floor. Natigagal naman ako nang marinig ang malakas na sigaw ng lalaki. It was like he's in pain. In an unbearable pain.

"Ahhhh!" Muling sumigaw ng malakas si Natas. We were wrong. We made him the sacrificial! "Run!"

Mabilis na gumalaw si Andreas. Dagli niyang hinugot ang mga nakabaong espada sa sahig. "Run to the fire exit!" He commanded immediately.

Nanginginig man ang mga tuhod ko'y napasunod ako ng boses ni Andreas. Mahigpit na nakakapit saakin si Bella habang bumababa kami sa hagdanan. Vlad was covering us from any possible attacks.

"Hurry up!" 'Yon lang ang nasabi ng lalaki habang inaalalayan kami palayo sa hindi ko masilayang mga kalaban.

Nakaharang ang katawan ni Vlad sa eksena kung saan sumisigaw si Natas. Nang magkaroon ako ng pagkakataon para sulyapan ang mga nangyayari sa puntong iyon ay tumambad saakin ang tatlong bultong nakasunot ng pang-ninja habang may hawak na mga espada. Sa harap ng mga ito'y nakadapa ang wala nang malay at duguang si Natas.

"Bilis!" Malakas na sigaw ni Andreas habang paatras na naglalakad kasunod namin.

Bago pa man kami makarating sa fire exit ay nagawang ihagis ng isang samurai ang hawak niyang espada patungo saamin. Andreas quickly moved to block the blade with his two swords. The swords whistled through the air before I could hear Andreas' footsteps gearing towards us.

Nakarating kami sa fire exit. Mabilis na tumakbo palapit saamin si Andreas habang ang tatlong samurai ay gayundin ang pagkaripas palapit saamin.

Ilang hakbang bago marating ni Andreas ang hagdanan sa fire exit kung saan kami matamang naghihintay ay muling pinalipad ng isang samurai ang hawak niyang espada.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko habang pinagmamasadan ang paglalakbay ng patalim patungo sa likuran ng lalaki. Hindi ko mapigilang maisigaw, "Andreas! Sa likod mo!"

Mabilis namang umikot ang lalaki para pasadahan ang paparating na atake. Naiwasiwas nito ang hawak na espada sa kanang kamay pero hindi niya inasahan ang pagbato ng isa pang kalaban ng isa pang espada.

Tumilapon ang espada sa gawing kanan ng lalaki, pero nagawang lakbayin ng isa pang espada ang distansya patungo sa kanang binti niya.

Napahawak si Bella sa may pintuan. Nakahanda na ito isara iyon sa oras na makapasok kaming lahat. She was crying, perspiring and shaking. It was too much for her. Everything was.

Andreas grunted as he received the searing pain from the sword. Nahirapan nitong ihakbang ang mga binti palapit sa fire exit.

Vlad's back suddenly appeared infront of my eyes. Walang alinlangang sinalo nito ang pabagsak na katawan ni Andreas. Halos buhatin na niya ang bigat ng lalaki para lang mailapit sa fire exit.

Nakaabang ako sa may pintuan kasama si Bella. Nanginginig ang mga bisig naming nakahawak sa pintuang itutulak namin sa oras na makapasok ang dalawa.

Hinihingal na isinandal ni Vlad si Andreas nang makarating ito sa exit. "Close the door!" he almost screamed. "Two m-more floors. Just two more and we're safe." He uttered with vehemence.

###