The Reason

"We went through a big change onto a monster," Patricia said while looking at Andres, "I wanted to escape but it was impossible."

"What do you mean?" Andres asked.

Patricia clears her throat. "Because there are monsters who are guarding the place, monsters with horse bodies and heads but like humans, they have hands like them and can stand like them.

"They can even talk like humans."

Everything remains silent until Patricia says, "I don't understand, how did you recognize me?"

"What do you mean?" Andres asked.

"Even if my face is turning a bit like them, how did you recognize me?"

Her words cause him to look at her neck, and he points at her necklace. "That necklace symbolizes the shape of the moon. If you don't understand then let me tell you more clearly."

FLASHBACK TO MAYA'S HOUSE

Andres is sitting in front of Maya. She's presenting a picture frame including her and Patricia.

"My daughter was always fond of gazing at the moon and stars." Maya smiled while staring at the picture frame.

She pointed to a silver necklace wrapped around Patricia's neck. "Having no money, I can't even give her one proper gift... every time her birthday has come–"

Tears flow from her eyes. "She would come beside me and hug me; assuring me that it's okay if she doesn't receive any gifts."

"Throughout our years of living together, at such a young age, she never lacked loving me."

Andres looks at the picture frame while sobbing. "When a child acts like that, we know that their parents are doing a great job in raising them."

Maya wipes the tears from her eyes using her face towel. "Please, do anything to bring her back!"

"She has always been my strength for surviving every day." Maya bowed her head down.

Maya stands up and makes a step toward Andres, and she kneels in front of him.

He stands up holds her hands, and tells her, "Please, I am not worthy to see you like that... your daughter will not be happy to see her mother in a condition like this."

Tears continue to flow from Maya's eyes as she is shaking.

"Please, bare with yourself," Andres kneeled in front of her while patting her back, "She is your strength, and you are her strength–!"

Maya looks up at him. "Y-Yes! I always act strongly in front of her, and I don't want her to see me like this."

Andres holds her hands tightly. "Imagine the pain that it would cause her to see her mother like this.

"So, please, just for once hold on to yourself and be your strength while she's not here."

PRESENTLY

Patricia looks down, and she moves her eyes up at Andres.

Andres smiles a bit. "So, are you ready to go home? I believe that she would accept you for who you are."

Patricia shakes her head a bit. "You have a knife, kill me."

Andres steps back a bit while shaking his head and glaring at her.

"No! You listen to me! She needs you!" Andres told her, "Without you, she would be alone for her entire life."

Patricia straightens her body while looking at him, and she remains silent.

After seconds, she speaks, "We all fight against each other until one person is standing.

"The victor will have the mask and will be able to serve him."

"Him?" Andres wondered.

Patricia nods. "They are butchered and their organs, flesh, and bones are sent to the dark market."

Andres shakes with fear, his eyes are narrowing while his knees bend, and he falls to the ground while sobbing.

"It's hard to accept, right? The one that you are saving has been turned into a monster who serves them," Patricia told Andres, "now, are you determined to kill me?"

Andres stands up and ambles toward Patricia with a knife in his right hand.

Patricia says calmly, "That's right, fulfill your duty."

IN THE OTHER PART OF THE BUILDING

Ice blades are scattered everywhere as Masked 2 with wings from its back flies away from the ice blades.

"She's fast!"

Christopher jumps and reaches Masked 2, thence, he strikes Masked 2 with his short bamboo sticks but the enemy simply kicks him away.

Kenyon jumps aside and avoids Christopher.

Kenyon summons an ice katana in his hand as Masked 2 is staring at him while levitating.

"You're fast and strong but that won't be able to change anything," Kenyon declared, "you'll come with us or you'll come to hell after I kill you."

Masked 2 flaps her wing and lets out her long tongue only for it to get sliced by Kenyon with one swing of his katana.

"Ice wind: Fast Surrender."

Ice wind emerges from Kenyon's skin, coating the entire area. Masked 2 looks at his hands which are getting coated in ice.

He flies in different directions and appears all of a sudden in front of Kenyon's white eyes as he extends his sharp fingernails toward Kenyon.

Ice spikes emerge and it coats half of Masked 2's body along with his extending hand which freezes him in place.

"You're done." Kenyon swung his katana.

All of Masked 2's sharp fingernails are cut in half. Kenyon inhales deeply and removes the mask of Masked 2 but before Kenyon reaches her face: a tongue wraps around his wrist.

"Really?"

Kenyon swings his other hand and punches Masked 2 straight on his face, and Masked 2's tongue slips from his wrist.

Kenyon says, "Now, tell me who you are."

Dark energy particles appear around Masked 2 and it becomes thick; releasing an explosive electric barrier that strikes Kenyon and Christopher away.

"Christopher!" Kenyon shouted while generating a solid ice whip in his hands.

He slashes the whip toward Christopher, and it wraps around his waist. Kenyon immediately throws Christopher towards Masked 2 through his whip.

Christopher prepares his short yet sharp bamboo sticks while going closer to Masked 2.

Christopher slams his sticks at Masked 2 which breaks his mask apart.

For a brief moment, Christopher's eyes widen while his bottom and upper lips separate.

At that moment, Christopher's heart beats faster as his brows furrow while tears form in his eyes.

"You're, you are my sister!" Christopher accidentally dropped his weapons.

AT KENYON AND CHRISTOPHER'S LOCATION

Masked 2's fingernails grow longer, and she stabs Christopher, hitting his abdomen.

He coughs and brings out a bottle full of water. Christopher opens the lid and splashes Masked 2 with its contents.

Masked 2 remained calm, and she pulled her sharp fingernails from his abdomen. She jumps toward Christopher but Kenyon catches her wrist and cuts her hand.

"NO!"

Christopher slams his bamboo stick at Kenyon but he catches it with his bare hand.

He holds Christopher's neck and throws him away, with that, Kenyon faces Masked 2 and thrusts his ice katana toward her abdomen.

Kenyon turns his eyes down to his waist, and there, he sees a firecracker with its thin rope being burned.

An explosion manifests which pushes Kenyon and Masked 2 away from one another.

"You fool!" Kenyon pushed himself from the wall.

Masked 2 stares at Christopher whose eyes are staring at her while holding his bleeding abdomen while staring at her.

Kenyon appears in front of Masked 2, and he holds her face and slams her on the ground.

"I won't let you escape," Kenyon said.

A man wearing a mask symbolizing a white horse appears in front of him.

He kicks Kenyon straight to his face, and the man wearing the mask carries Masked 2 in his arms while Christopher is running towards him.

"Let go of my sister!" Christopher roared.

The man wearing the mask disappears in a cloud of dark smoke without leaving any words.