LUCAS MATTHIAS

"Remember one of the rules in profiling for an investigation, Detective?" Lanna's voice cut through my thoughts, sharp as a blade. It snapped me back to the moment.

Agad akong napaangat ng tingin at napatingin sa kanya. Hindi ko alam na lihim rin niya akong ino-obserbahan. Huminto siya sa ginagawa niyang pag-aayos ng bato at buong katawan niya akong hinarap.

Her eyes locked onto mine—not just staring but piercing, drilling down like she could strip away the layers of my mind. She wasn’t just watching. She was searching, probing, as if my soul lay bare before her. There was a madness simmering beneath her composed surface—beautiful, yes, but dangerous. And in that instant, I knew, with bone-deep certainty, that if I became an obstacle, she'd kill me without a second thought.

"Sometimes it's not what the suspect says that reveals the profile," I forced out, my pride scraping like gravel in my throat. "Sometimes, it's what they don’t." The words were heavy, dragged down by the sting of failure. I’d let my emotions cloud my judgment, and she knew it. God, damn her!

Hindi nagbago ang ekspresyon niya at matama pa rin siyang nakatitig sa akin at matiim at direstsong nakatingin sa mata ako. Hindi ko magawang umiwas ng tingin dahil pakiramdam ko kapag ginawa ko iyon ako ang talo.

"And don't forget," Lanna continued, her voice cold and flat. Each word felt like a lash. "Beyond the evidence, motive is key. So, what was your father’s motive? How does it connect to your immunity and who you've become?" She stood, her movements slow and deliberate, like a predator sizing up its prey. As she stepped toward the cave’s entrance, her voice echoed—haunting, cryptic. "Lies become truth when everyone believes them. Truth becomes lies when no one does."

Tiim-baga akong napabuntong-hininga. Punyeta! Bakit ba hindi na lang nila ako diretsuhin o sabihin kung ano ang dapat kong malaman? Paulit-ulit na lang na ganito. Daig pa nila ang sirang-plaka. Dahil sa akin? Dahil hindi ko alam kung sino ako? Anak ng lintik! Buong buhay ko alam ko kung sino ako. I am my father's son! Leche!

I snapped. "Enough with the riddles! Just tell me the truth!" My voice cracked under the strain. "Wouldn't it benefit you if I knew everything? Why keep me in the dark?"

She scoffed, shaking her head, almost pitying. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. She stepped toward me, stopping halfway, her eyes gleaming with something unspoken. Damn her!

"If only it were that simple," she murmured, her voice softer now, almost regretful. But it held a firm edge of finality. "But I don’t have the freedom you think I do. You’ll have to figure it out yourself." She turned away, dismissing my outburst as if it hadn’t even registered. "Time to go."

I followed in silence, fighting to keep my emotions in check. I needed clarity, not anger. What was she implying about my father? I believed in his integrity. But did I know him? Really know him? I had to talk to my mother. She had the answers—about my father, Gallard, the Red Corpse, the League of Assassins. Was her divorce really just about Monie’s death? Or had she known something all along?

Puta! Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang dapat kung isipin. Pakiramdam ko pinaglalaruan lang ako ng lahat. Ano ba talaga ang ginawa ni Papa? Bakit walang sinabi sa akin si Mama? Itong kalituhan ba na ito ang dahilan kung bakit mariin ang pagtutol ni Mama na bumalik ako sa bansa?

As we moved deeper into the cave, my eyes stayed fixed on Lanna’s back. How did she know so much? Had she stumbled upon it all, or had she known from the start? And why tell me now? What about Vani and Damara? Did she care enough to follow this through to the end? And Cecelion… how did she know I’d been in contact with him?

I was spiraling, lost in a sea of questions. God, what was the truth?

"Stop," Lanna whispered, peeking out of the cave’s mouth. "They’ve found us. Run!" Her voice quivered, barely holding back a scream.

We bolted into the cave’s narrow passage. The cold air bit at my skin, each breath a cloud of mist. Behind us, footsteps pounded, relentless, closing in. My heart raced as I pushed harder, boots slipping on the slick stone floor. The ceiling dipped lower, forcing us to duck as we raced deeper.

A flash—a rifle barrel catching the light. A shot rang out, the bullet ricocheting off a stone inches from me.

"Faster!" I yelled, unsure if Lanna could hear me over the gunfire.

We veered left into a narrow passage. The walls tore at my arms as I squeezed through. Another shot echoed, the air shifting just past my ear. No time to think. Just run.

Ahead, the tunnel opened into a sheer drop, jagged rocks plunging into the darkness below. My stomach twisted.

“Not again,” I muttered. I hadn’t signed up for this. I wasn’t a climber.

“We can make it!” Lanna was already scaling the cliffside. I hesitated for only a second before following her. My legs felt like lead, but adrenaline kept me moving. Below, the abyss yawned, pulling at me.

A bullet whizzed past, embedding itself in the rock near Lanna’s hand. She gasped but kept climbing. I pushed harder, fingers numbing from the cold, wet stone. Every step was a gamble.

Then, pain shot through my leg. I faltered, nearly losing my grip.

"Detective!" Lanna’s voice was sharp with panic. I forced myself to keep climbing, teeth clenched against the pain. The ground leveled out just ahead.

"Almost there," I whispered, unsure if I believed it.

I heaved myself over the ledge and reached back to grab Lanna. We collapsed, gasping, but the shouts behind us were too close. We staggered to our feet. My leg throbbed, but I kept moving. The cave twisted ahead, more darkness, more danger.

We had no choice but to press on, every step a dull thud echoing in the suffocating silence. My legs screamed, and my muscles burned. But weakness wasn’t an option. Not here.

"Where the hell are we?" I gasped, eyes straining to see through the gloom.

The cave spat us out into fading daylight, the exit a jagged mouth on the mountainside. I stumbled forward, squinting as my eyes adjusted. The world beyond came into focus. There it was—the massive acacia tree, towering like a sentinel, its branches heavy with age, shading the ruins of an old nipa hut, vines swallowing its fragile remains. The sight was both familiar and unsettling, dredging up memories I’d long buried.

I turned to Lanna. "Where are we? What is this place?"

She had already moved to the edge of the cliff. Below us, the City spread out, its skyline painted in hues of amber and crimson as the last light of day faded. She stood still, her figure bruised and weary, but resolute. The quiet ache in her expression betrayed something—hope, maybe, or something darker.

“Lanna," I repeated, slower now, "what is this place?"

She didn’t answer right away. The silence stretched between us, broken only by the distant hum of the city below. Lanna inhaled deeply as if drawing in more than air—maybe courage, maybe resignation.

"You need to talk to your mother, Detective," she said, her voice steady, but heavy with meaning.

I blinked, the statement hitting like a slap. "She’s not even in the country."

Lanna didn’t flinch. "She just arrived. She’s at the police department. Looking for you."

I stared at her, disbelief clawing at my chest. "If this is a joke—"

Her eyes met mine, cold and unyielding. "If I could afford jokes, I wouldn’t be here with you. I’d be with my friends, where I belong. But I’m not, am I?"

Her words hit harder than any physical blow. She was right. Something bigger was at play.

"Your mother entered the country three hours ago," Lanna said, her voice a low murmur. "With your boss’s help."

"Hawke?" I asked, the disbelief tightening around me.

Lanna’s sharp exhale was almost a growl as if the weight of the truth was crushing her too. She didn’t bother answering, and I knew then—nothing would ever be the same.

"Miss Lanna Mendoza?" Halos magsuma mo akong tawag sa kanya. "Huwag mong sabihin na tama ang kutob ko. Paano nangyari iyon?" Hanggang sa unti-unting nanlaki ang mata ko at bahagya akong naistatuwa. Para akong sinasakal  at tuluyang napalitan ng panlulumo ang galit na nararamdaman ko kanina, "Don't tell me—"

"Let's go," Lanna replied instead, dismissing any further sentiments or questions from me. Muli siyang tumanaw sa malayo at huminga nang malalim bago siya tuluyang umalis sa gilid ng bangin at nagsimulang maglakad sa daan na hindi ko alam kung saan tutungo.

Sinamahan ako ni Lanna hanggang sa matanaw niya ang apartment mo. Pagkatapos naming dumaan at tahakin ang mapanganib, makipot at masukal na daan na noon ko lang nalaman na mayroon pala ang City Proper. Nakarating kami ng walang kibuan.

Napatingin ako sa apartment ko na buhay ang ilaw. Mukhang hindi nga siya nagsisinungaling, nandito nga sa bansa si Mama. Hindi ko maiwasang sulyapan si Lanna. Ang dami kong tanong na gustong itanong sa kanya pero alam kung hindi rin niya ako sasagutin.

"Sino ka ba talaga, Lanna? Kayo, sino ba talaga kayo?" Hindi ko maiwasang tanong sa kanya kahit alam kong walang sagot na manggagaling sa kanya.

"Look into the mirror. Look around you. Observe. Then, always remember the rules of the profiling, Detective," paalala sa akin ni Damara kaysa sagutin ang tanong ko bago siya tuluyang naglaho sa dilim.