Chapter 6 : MANDIRIGMA
Mandirigma is a Filipino term for a warrior that could also refer to a gladiator. The only purpose of their lives was to fight and occasionally kill for the enjoyment of the Roman crowd.
Jared along with the others is now in the same predicament. It's either to kill or be killed situation set up by the people of ENIGMA for their amusement.
"Godamnit! Please open up..." Jared repeatedly mumbled shaking the door and attempting to open it but it was too stuck and there is no sign of budging.
He fell to his knees as he cried and suddenly someone grabbed his hand from behind. "You need to move right now, there's no time to cry we need to find a hiding spot away from the seekers."
It was a woman in her thirties, she exhibits a sister-like aura, no, more like a mother. Black hair with white strands, above-average facial features, and a buffed body.
"W-who are you?" Jared asked, "put the questions for later, we need to move first." She answered. "No! I don't know who you are, sta-stay away from me!" He replied timidly.
A young boy then appeared beside the woman, it was a child who was younger than Jared it had a staff-like symbol on its forehead and is attached to the woman. It pointed its fingers on the right side then the rune on its forehead glowed and in instant, he disappeared through thin air.
"What was that?!" Jared shouted in surprise "I have no time for questions just move! Cielo, take this brat and go to the nearest building as I hold the enemy back." The woman shouted as she stood up and braced herself for a fight.
Jared was pulled by Cielo who is now visible to him and the runes on its forehead seem to disappear. He saw the incoming man with malicious intent, one look and you can already tell he was coming for a kill.
Jared had a lot of questions in his head right at this moment but, he finally took the woman's words and ran with the child to the nearest grocery store. Gasping for air, they are now somewhat relieved as they have secured a place and supplies.
"Cielo right? Thank you for what you've done but, how about her?" Jared asked the child feeling guilty but, he didn't answer instead just once again glowed and vanished through thin air.
The air was awfully quiet between them, only the loud booms outside were what filled the silence. "Cielo?" Jared asked somberly anxious. "Vilma's going to be fine right?" He continued as he sat down beside a wall with its knees bent and hands crossed over it.
Jared felt a pressure tapping its shoulders, then a boy sitting beside him whispered, "She'll be fine. She's a strong woman unlike us who only thinks about hiding."
Cielo canceled its ability and showed itself to Jared and make him feel he is not alone. "You're braver than I am, I'm starting to get jealous of you," Jared mumbled as it smiled while tearing up.
"You're being cheesy and look ugly when you cry. stop that." Cielo replied.
"Do you think I'm useless?" Jared asked. "Yeah, you can't even protect yourself," Cielo answered while starting to move debris and built-up walls making a physical barrier.
"I'm curious but, have you received a notification about the game?" Jared continued asking. "That we are playing hide and seek? I'm pretty sure you're not a seeker seeing how you react and are too cautious right now." the boy answered.
"So are you, right?" Jared said, making the mood odd and heavy. Cielo took a minute to answer then said, "What if I'm not?" Jared was unfazed and then says, "But, you're a hider."
Jared was testing his ability since the start while they had a conversation, he can see through lies, with the colors indicated on a dot above their head. Green for truth and red for lies.
"How can you be so sure?" Cielo asked in confusion, "Do you have the ability that can see through one's information?" Cielo continued with frustration.
"Calm down, I do not have that ability. I can only see through lies and I am just doing what I can to assure my safety." Jared replied while slowly standing up attempted to hold the child's hands trying to calm him down.
The mood worsened as they started arguing, "How will I know you're not lying? you can see through lies but, we can't. Do you think just because I'm a child, I'm easy to be fooled?!" Cielo replied getting angrier.
It was just moments ago when they started getting closer yet, this situation concerns their overall survival inside the game. Their relationship got back to square one.
Jared got angry and then answered in frustration, "I'm telling the truth! How I wish I got another ability! How will I survive only knowing the truth and lies?! I want to be someone who can protect myself but, given my ability and my sudden appearance in this world, I can't do anything!"
Lights suddenly flickered, and sparks of electricity were scattered. "Cielo what are you doing?!" Jared shouted. The boy's face is getting angrier, he stared intensely at Jared as he started to float together with some things beside him.
Jared was surprised and walked back by instinct. He suddenly tripped and fell on his buttocks with his hands supporting his body.
Cielo looked as if he was ready to murder someone and that look is focused on one person which is Jared. It was only a moment's gap when suddenly he lost consciousness and fell to the ground. The boy was exhausted. He used his ability up to its limit.
Jared's mind was blank in these few minutes and only stared at Cielo who dropped from above. "Ci-Cielo, are you okay?" He mumbled while stuttering, he then tried to approach the child and assist him. He shook the child trying to wake him up but he won't budge. There was a faint glow on the child's forehead, its rune was exposed after overusing his ability.
"What's this? Isn't this the same mark I saw when we first met? but, how was he able to hide it when we were talking moments ago?" Jared mumbled while staring at the rune full of curiosity.
He tried to touch it, and Cielo reacted as if someone smashed his head. "Cielo?!" Jared exclaimed worriedly about the child's condition when in truth, he was the one who hurt the child when he touched the exposed rune.
He carried the boy deeper inside the grocery building and found a basement with locks, unlocked. He was worried at first but, he still hurriedly opened it and locked it from the inside.
The place was all empty, just a room with nothing on it except for some rations; a pack of bread for 4 days, and 5 bottles of water. He softly laid Cielo down on the floor and sat spaces away parallel to the unconscious child.
"I wish everything would just go back to normal. I want to go home back to my mom." Jared mumbled while its eyes started tearing up.
Bang! huge banging sounds echoed up to the basement, it was the result of Vilma and the mysterious guy's fight. Jared can hear the smashing of things, even the breaking of glasses below.
The fight is getting nearer by them making the distressed Jared more worried. "I hope Vilma is okay. Please be fine, I don't want to look after Cielo alone, I can't handle him. Please Vilma don't leave us, we need you." He muttered anxiously.
The banging of debris was still ongoing for minutes until finally stopped. The victor will now be decided but who among the stranger and Vilma was it?
Hours later while Jared was still sitting with his knees bent and Cielo still unconscious, faint sounds of footsteps were heard inside. "Who's there? is it Vilma?" Jared asked. When he checked from the small opening between the steel door, it was a man with tattered clothes and a beat-up face.
Jared gasped upon seeing the man, "Hello? let me in, I'm also a hider please, help me." It said then knocked on the door, Jared stepped back astounded by the man's appearance and the glowing red dot above its head reading the mysterious man's words as a lie.
It kept knocking nonstop and Jared just let him be, moments later he started smashing it and pulling the locks but, the door still won't budge. "Open the f*ckin door!" He shouted. Jared crouched bewildered and scared of the man and did nothing in response.
"Please save us, anyone please I don't want to die here," Jared begged in silence and as if the heavens heard his prayers, a loud bang was heard from the other side of the door. The wild slamming stopped and in return, a gasping woman's voice akin to Vilma was heard from the outside.
"Boy, Cielo? you there?" The lady asked. Jared then quickly lifted its head and went to the door. "Is that you Vilma?" he asked joyfully tearing up. "yes, please open the door." Jared then checked the woman outside to see if she is Vilma and the possibility of an imposter trying to trick them.