III

"I can handle myself miss. I can stand on my own" Ein quietly said. Tulala lamang ito dahil sa mga naalala nya kanina, mabuti na lamang at dumating agad ang doctor para mapakalma ang bata. She's traumatized for what happened.

Nilapitan sya ng babae at marahang hinaplos ang namamasang pisnge ng bata, "you don't have to live alone Ein. Napakabata mo pa, you can't live on your own yet" Ein silently crying, she can only remember few of those scenes on that day.

Apat na araw na ang nakalipas mula nang makalabas si Ein ng hospital and until now she's still seeking for her memories. The voices on her dreams hunting her. The pleading voice of her father keeps playing on her mind.

"Just remember that you have to protect the flag, because once the flag had illiminated. It'll be the end of your game" bulong ng guro sa dalawang bata habang nakapatong sa lamesa ang board game. The kids started to arrange the position of their pieces, from the generals to flag.

Nilapitan ng guro ang isang batang tahimik na nakaupo habang nakatitig lamang sa posisyon ng kanyang mga piraso sa board game, "are you okay Ein?" napabalik sa huwisyo ang bata at ginalaw ang kanyang three stars general para mapagitnaan ang isang piraso ng kalaban. Ubos na ang mga piraso ng kalaban at tanging isa na lamang ang natitira rito.

"End game" Ein mumbled to herself.

A car stopped infront of a house, there are some polices there and a cordon of police line do not cross. Bumaba ang bata sa sasakyan habang diretsong nakatingin sa bahay na nasa harapan nya ngayon, walang kahit na anong emosyon ang mababakas sa kanyang mukha.

"You are not allowed to enter here kid, this is prohibited area" one of the police said. There are five of them standing while doing nothing at all. They seems like looking for something interesting but what they found inside the house doesn't get their interest. A tall man in black suit stopped beside the kid, he's holding a suitcase and he looks so professional on his attire, "nice to see you attorney. But, what are you doing here?" the police greeted.

The man he called attorney smiled at him, "Napadaan lang" he answered and look at Ein beside him, he bended his head and look at her, "hi, what's your name?"

"Ein" the girl simply answered and look at the polices "what are you all doing in our house?" Ein asked to them and that made the mouth of those men gaped open.

"So you are the owner of this house?" asked by one of the polices.

Ein frowned at him, "would I say 'our house' if it isn't mine?" marahang tumawa ang katabi nitong attorney matapos marinig ang sinagot ng bata.

"Kid, we got some report about this house. And there's also a report about the missing man who live here" the police started.

"That's my dad. Did you see anything then? did you found him? did you found his body?" suprised plastered on their faces after hearing her last litany.

"Look kid, what do you mean body? we found nothing" the police answered. Seryoso ring nakikinig ang tinawag nitong attorney.

"You found nothing because you closed your eyes while looking maggots" Ein answered na mas lalong nagpakunot ng mga nuo ng mga police.

"We're doing our job very well kid, we're still looking at your dad"

Nakatingin lamang si Ein sa mata ng police na ngumingisi rito, "you say so. I think you can all leave now since you found nothing" nagpaalam na saglit ang mga ito sa attorney bago sumakay sa kanilang mobile at umalis

"You talked like you already know galore of things Ein" the attorney commented

"And you talked like your mind was filled of air" tinatamad naman na sagot ni Ein rito, pilit na tumawa lamang ang lalaki sa inasta nito, "people of justice was blind, stupid people with their stupid justice"

"ibahin mo ako sa kanila Ein" huling wika ng lalaki bago umalis.

The cold breeze brushes upon her, her knees started to tremble while heading inside the house. The rain started to pour from the clouds, sumalubong sa kanya ang magulo at malansang amoy mula sa loob ng bahay. Halo-halo ang amoy kaya hindi na rin nito mapigilan na masuka agad. Naglagay ito ng panyo sa ibabang parte ng kanya mukha upang matakpan ang kaniyang ilong bago ito muling pumasok sa loob.

Nilibot nito ang buong bahay, she noticed some viscous liquid from the cabinet. The more she's getting closer to the cabinet, the more she can smell the rotten smell that penetrates inside her body.

Hindi nya malaman kung ano ang malapot at sobrang bahong likido na 'to, kaunti lamang ito pero sobrang lakas ng amoy, halo-halong amoy.

Tears started to shed from her eyes, parang binigyan sya ng ideya ng bagay na 'to kung nasan ngayon ang ama nya.

Her father was in front of her, the dissolved body of her father, her father that turned into viscous liquid.

Mabilis itong napatakbo palabas ng bahay, until she stepped on the yellow toy duck on the ground. Biglang bumuka ang lupa, tinignan nya ang laruan na naapakan nito at inalis ito para makita ang isang maliit na pindutan that caused the ground to open.

Pinahiran nya ang kanyang luha at sumilip sa nakabukas na lupa, maliwanag sa loob nito at mayroon ring hagdanan. Isang underground hideout, ginawa ito ng tatay nya para gawing laboratoryo at opisina, when she stepped on the button the metal ground disguised like an ornidary land grasses opened, once the ground opened it'll also automatically open the lights inside.

Dahan-dahan syang bumaba sa hagdan at kusang nag-sarado ang pintuan. Maliwanag sa loob ng kwartong kinatatayuan nya ngayon. Maraming mga bagay na ngayon nya lamang nakita, may mga nakahilerang computers.

May isang hologram ang kusang lumitaw sa harapan nito na may nakalagay na 'Hi, master Ein' matapos magpakita nito ay kusang sumindi ang mga nakahilerang computers showing different series of numbers and codes. Hindi nya alam kung paano sya nakilala ng hologram na bumati sa kanya, she also noticed the silver laptop on the table.

She opened it but there's a password. Just few typings she already opened it, showing her the files on it's screen. She's just a 7-year-old kid with an IQ of 147, a kid who can ravish you by her words and actions.

She opened some files showing her the connections, and some transaction of her father. There are also list of names sa isang private file. She read what's written on the screen, it was the datas about his new invention with the list of names she doesn't know.

There's an unopened email from someone, it was sent before that day happened. It was a threat of a man to her father. She read the name who sent it at pareho ito sa nangungunang listahan ng mga pangalan para sa inbensyon nya.