Station 9

Hi. This was a rough draft. Gonna proofread when I have the time. Sorry for grammatical errors and all. Happy reading!

Also, this story have 7 chapters ahead in wattpad. you might want to read it there instead.

wattpad: YJCollins_

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"Welcome to our Alpha Survival, Wayfarers!" a man in white robe greeted. He was holding a wooden cane, a bit taller than him. His hair was long and white with a headdress made up of leaves.

"I am Peter, the head of the Ovelus. I am the one being assigned to lead Ludovia." Tall trees stood everywhere. The surroundings were covered by a thin layer of fog but enough for him to see everyone. He looked at the crowd listening attentively to him. Other Ovelus were on his side. Some are wandering on the woods. "Many centuries had passed. Every soul already became a part of the cycle and yours are about to start again. Now, you are gathered here to test yourselves and to have the freedom to choose your destiny for your reawakening."

"Every bits of your soul will be challenged in the Survivals. For this Alpha Survival, you need to search for a specific thing. This trial will end once you found this in the forest." Peter show them a small one-inch bottle with wooden cap stopper. "Drink it and you will be saved."

"But his forest is huge!" A big-boned woman with blonde hair protested.

"It's for you to find out how. It's not compulsory, anyway." He gave her a menacing smile. Some Wayfarers suddenly gulp as they felt a lump on their throat.

"I reckon I've already said everything. I believe everyone here had prepared." Peter didn't give the Wayfarers to answer and murmurs anymore. "With that, I now pronounce the beginning of Alpha Survival!" As Peter clapped his hands, all the Ovelus were gone on the air.

"Goodluck Wayfarers. I hope you all survive," A voice echoed to the woods.

"What the-"

Nakaramdam ng malakas na hangin ang bawat isa. Sa isang iglap, dumilim ang paligid. Nang muli nilang idilat ang kanilang mga mata ay napunta sila sa isang madilim na lugar. Slowly, the room get lighted by something shining around them. It was crystals deeply rooted on the floor, walls and ceiling. They are literally six feet underground.

"Nasa ilalim ba tayo ng lupa?" a bulky man asked, the echoes bounced on the wall making everyone hear it.

In the middle stood a thin man everyone would probably mistaken him as malnourished. Well, he didn't want to admit it.

"Um..." almost every Wayfarer started to get in a conversation, asking where they are and what they should do. The man in the middle felt something wet on his forehead. He looked up to see a cone-shape form of just above him. Another drop of the liquid substance fell on his forehead. He moved a little and like a kid under the rain, he caught it with his hands. But the droplets became a continuous flow of water. Suddenly, the man saw a visible opening on the cone. Like it was a volcano placed upside down.

"Um, guys..." he called a little bit louder to catch everyone's attention. As if on cue, the amount of water flowing doubled. They watched the water pooled on his feet. Until the water reached a crystal and like a burning charcoal brought under water, it produced a smoke then the light dies out.

Lahat ay parang nakikiramdam. Hindi nila sigurado kung may dapat ba silang gawin o mananatili lang sa kinatatayuan nila. Ang tagas ng tubig ay palakas nang ang palakas hanggang sa Mabasa na ang mga paa nila. A girl who panicked finally shout what everyone should have done earlier.

"Run!"

Nagkaniya-kaniyang takbo ang lahat. Mayroong mga sumisigaw habang ang iba naman ay nagmamadaling makapunta sa lagusan. May dalawang magkabilaang lagusan lamang ngunit sa dulo nito ay makipot lamang ang daan. Sakto lang ang isang tao para makaraan. Sa dami nila at sa bilis ng pagakyat ng tubig ay hindi nila malaman kung makakaabot pa ba sila o malulunod na lang roon.

Lumakas ang tagas ng tubig. Ang kaninang nasa talampakan nila ay umaabot na ngayon sa kanilang mga tuhod. Marami sa kanila ang nagbabanggaan at ang iba naman nanunulak. Nagsisiksikan sila habang hinahawi ang hamog na unti-unti na ring kumakapal gawa ng mga nabasang kristal.

"Hold my hand."

Agad na napatingin si Fey kay H na agad siyang hinatak patungo sa isang makipot na daan na pinagtutulakan na rin ng marami. Napalingon siya sa paligid dahil sa mga taong nagkakagulo. Unti-unti nang tumataas ang tubig. Bago pa umusad ang nasa harapan nila, baka hindi na sila makalabas.

There must be another way.

Inikot niya ang paningin. Pinapasingkit ang mata sa gayon ay mas maaninag niya ang paligid dahil unti-unti na ring dumidilim. The water already reached her waist there are still a lot of Wayfarers on her front. Fey looked around again and this time, before the lighted crystal swallowed by darkness, she saw it.

"H! there's something in there!" sigaw niya sa kasama na nakikipagsiksikan sa harap. Kunot ang noo siya nitong tiningnan pero hindi niya iyon pinansin dahil nakatuon siya kung san nanggagaling yung usok na ginawa niyang tanda upang malaman kung nasaan ang butas na nakita niya. Bumutaw siya kay H. Mabuti na lang at nasa bandang likod sila kaya mabilis siyang nakaalis ang siksikan. May iilang napapatingin sa kaniya dahil sa direksyon na tinatahak niya.

"Fey, where are you going! Come back here!" Napalingon siya ky H an nakipagsiksikan para mahabol siya. Binalingan niya ang kaniyang destinasyon at muling ibinaling ang tingin kay H na nakita niyang tinulak ang isang lalaki. Nang tumingin si H sa kaniya ay bigla niyang iniwas ang tingin sa binata.

Did I see it right?

Nang ibalik niya ang paningin ka H ay tinutulungan nito 'yung isa pang lalaki. Inisip ni Fey nab aka hindi naman ito sinasandya ng kasama. Muli niyang inihakbang ang mga paa at muntikan na siyang madulas ng may matapakang kung anong nakaangat sa ilalim. Hindi niya rin malaman kung ano. Pero nagulat siya ng may magliwanag sa kaniyang kinatatayuan na agad rin namang namatay. Npakunot ang noo niya at sinubukang kapaing muli ang naapakan sa baba. Nang makapa ito ng paa niya ay muli itong nagliwanag. Lumiliwanag ito pero nang tanggalin niyang muli ang paa sa ibabaw ay nawawalang muli ang ilaw.

"Saan ka ba pupunta?" napalingon siya sa humigit sa kaniyang braso. Hindi ito mahigpit ngunit pirme ang mga ito.

"M-may daanan 'ata d-doon," she stuttered. Napakuyom ang mga kamao niya. Its not the time to be scared. Its not the time to stuttered. But to where she was scared?

Maybe it's the water. Brio already trained her to swim, but she's didn't know that the one she entered actually include water. But Fey should survive. She should be brave. If she wanted to reborn with good destiny, she should survive now.

H must have saw the looked on her face that he let go off her. "Are you sure?" tumango lang si Fey saka muling naglakad. Basa na ang kaniyang damit hanggang tiyan.

Nilagpasan niya ng sentro kung saan tumatagas ang tubig at pinuntahan ang lagusang sinasabi niya. Nang makarating sa harap nito ay kinapa niya ang kristal na nakita niya kanina. Agad naman itong nagliwanag dahilan para maaninag ang kanina niya pa pakay. Sumilay ang isang ngiti sa kaniyang mga labi. Huhugot n asana siya ng hininga ng may mapagtanto siya. Mabilis siyang tumalikod at tumingin kay H na nasa gilid na niya.

"H..."

Kumunot ang noo ng kausap. "Why?"

"We're not breathing right?" It took him few moments before realization showed on his face.

"What. The. Fuck."

Fey wanted to smile but the water was on her chest already. "Susubukan kong lumubog." Hinawakan niya ang buhok bago lumubog sa tubig habang nakahawak pa rin sa kristal na nasa pader.

Habang nasa ilalim ay tiningnan niya ang lagusang sunasabi. Malaki ang butas nito pero madilim sa loob. Wala siyang maaninag. Sinubukang tumagal ni Fey sa ilalim pero biglang umilaw ang kaniyang Soulcule-kulay pula. Naalala niya iyong sinabi ni Brio about Soulcule. Nanlaki ang kaniyang mga mata at agad siyang umahon saka napahilamos. Nang silipin nila ang kaniyang soulcule ay may bawas na ito. Napalunok siya.

"Our Soulcule will suffer if we stay underwater." Muli niyang hinawakan ang crystal sa gilid na muling nagliwanag. "But there's a way."

"Let's go then." Ipinatong ni H ang kamay nito sa kamay niyang nasa kristal bago siya bigyan ng ngiti. "Mauna ka na," wika nito saka sinenyasang mauna na siya.

Tiningnan niya muna ang paligid. Marami pang natitira sa loob pero ang tubig ay umaabot na sa balikat niya.

Fey, you need to survive, she told herself before diving closed eyes in the water. She was so glad she prepared herself for this. Lumapit siya sa lagusan saka ikinampay ang mga kamay at paa para makapasok. She was touching the circular wall she's in. looking for crystals that might gave her light to that tunnel.

She stretched her arms further until she touched it. The tunnel with water illuminated. Not so far in front of her was another crystal. She crawled forward to touch the next crystal but it was out of her reach. She thought to use her feet when H grab her hand and replace it with his.

Tumango ito sa kaniya na parang sinasabing 'go on'.

Fey searched for another crystal but all she could see was a flat rocks. She stepped on the crystal and crawled. She's almost lying when she touched something. Like an edge of something. Then her hands moved down indicating that there was a lower ground ahead. But what surprised her was she felt air on her hands. She reached further and felt nothing on her hands. The coldness of water wasn't reached her hand. Hanggang pulsuhan niya lang ang lamig nito. At ang kamay niya, walang tubig na maramdaman...hindi masyadong basa...

She looked at H and motioned him to move forward and held the crystal. Her soulcule started to turned red. When H was already holding the crystal, she instantly moved forward. Nang marating niya ang dulo ay saka niya lang nakumpirma ang nasa isip. Hanggang tunnel lang ang tubig. Parang portal ito na dinala siya sa ibang lugar.Pagkalabas niya doon ay bumungad sa kaniya ang isang kwebang walang tubig. May mga rock formation sa paligid.

Ilang saglit lang ay lumabas na ang kasama. Basa rin ito hindi katulad ng lugar na kinatatayuan nila.

"We still need to find our way. C'mon let's go back to the forest." Naunang maglakad sa kaniya si H. Napabaling siya sa dinaanan nila. Maikli lang naman 'yung tunnel... Marami pang Wayfarers sa kabila...

"Fey?"

Napalingon siya kay H. "A-ano... Hindi ba natin sila pwedeng balikan? Marami pang-"

"Fey, why are we doing this survival?" Hindi agad nakapagsalita si Fey.

Bakit nga ba?

Simple lang naman. Gusto niya ng mas magandang buhay sa susunod na tumapak siya sa Mortal World. Gusto niyang maranasan 'yung may pamilya, may kaibigan ay may nagmamahal sa kaniya. Gusto niya lang namang tratuhin ng tama. Hindi 'yung parang iniluluwa na siya ng mundo dahil walang may gusto sa kaniya. Simpleng buhay lang naman ang gusto niya...

Pinigilan niyang mamasa ang kaniyang mga mata at tiningnan si H. Nakalahad ang mga kamay at nakangiti sa kaniya na parang sinasabi na okay lang lahat. Tinanggap niya ang kamay nito saka sila naglakad palabas.

Unfortunately, finding their way out wasn't that easy. Fey and H was touching everything in the tunnel to find crystals. Fey was thankful that at least, there's no water in there, making the crystals remain glowing.

They walked for who knows how long, draining their energy. Searching for a light to guide them wasn't easy as they thought. But finding a stair in a cave was unusual.

"I think it's the way out."

"Same thought."

Inakyat nila ang hagdan at bumungad sa kanila ang pasilyong may pader. May mga sulo na nakasabit sa paligid.

"Nasaan na kaya tayo?" tanong ni fey habang pinakikiramdaman ang malamig na pader. Lakad lang sila ng lakad. Paminsa'y limiliko at madalas ay muling bumabalik sa kanilang dinaanan dahil dead end na ang nasa harapan. Wala silang kalam-alam na nasa isang labyrinth sila.

Marahan silang naglalakad habang tumitingin tingin sa paligid ng biglang madapa si Fey dahil sa batong nakausti na natapakan niya.

"Ayos ka lang?" Agad siyang tinulungan ni H. She bit her lip because of embarrassment.

"Oo. Salamat."

Suddenly the ground started to shake. Fey thought its just an illusion. But when she steadied her posture, she instantly looked for something to gripped on. Fortunately, H manage to balance them. Lumapit sila sa pader para hindi matumba. Nakarinig sila ng kung anong ingay kaya naman napalingon-lingon sila sa paligid.

"Fey, we should go..."

"What?" Napabaling si Fey kung saan nakatuon ang tingin ni H. Nanlaki ang mata niya ng makita ang isang malaking bolang bat ana gumugulong patungo sa direksyon nila.

"Go!"