-chapter seventy-

FINN

I guess hindi lang ako sa height pinagkaitan, sa swerte din.

I mentally sighed at the additional message. It's not too hard. Maybe. Pwede lang naman akong magblend-in sa kanila.

Wala din akong kailangan gawin masyado besides surviving. As the appointed thirteenth zodiac, I don't need to kill the zodiacs. Kailangan lang na buhay pa ako hanggang sa mapatay ang lahat ng zodiac at mabuksan nila ang gate.

I closed the message, lifting my gaze to the other players. They were talking amongst themselves in small voices. Mula sa mga expresiyon sa mga mukha nila, halos lahat ay nagsususpetya sa mga katabi.

The glowing blue line disappeared and multiple doors appeared visibly in each side of the city. Some of them were intricate in detail and can be easily spotted, while some are almost transparent. Mukhang ito ang mga zodiac doors na sinabi sa instructions kanina.

So those doors will lead us towards one of the zodiacs that we have to defeat.

"Ano ba sa tingin mo ang dapat nating gawin, Marcella?" tanong ng isang babaeng player. "Should we kill the zodiacs or focus on finding the impostor?"

I stared at Marcella who was deep in thought. The higher possibility of success must be their goal.

"Killing all the zodiacs. About the Marked player, we can just find them while fighting. Mag-aaksaya lang tayo ng panahon kung hahanapin lang natin siya. Besides," Marcella paused, her cold eyes scanning the players around her. "Magkakamali din sila at doon natin sila mahahanap."

Tumango-tango ang ibang manlalaro. So they're not even hesitating on the implication of killing someone just to pass this city easily? Dahil kapag nakita nga nila ang 13th zodiac, they would pretty much kill it to avoid wasting any more time.

How ironic when they're pretty much hating me for 'killing someone'.

"Tama!" dagdag no'ng Amnesia. "Malalaman natin kung tutulong siya sa pagpatay ng mga zodiacs!"

But... I would. Iyon lang din naman ang paraan para makalabas ako kaya wala akong choice.

"The biggest clue is the mark which we can spot while fighting." Oliver announced. "All we know is that it's a serpent pero hindi natin alam kung saang parte ng katawan nakalagay."

I should be careful about my back then. Kailangan kong kunin ang mga damages gamit ang harapan.

"Wait!" Sapphire's shout made everyone look at her. "What if we just scan everyone for the serpent tattoo right now?"

Natahimik ang lahat dahil doon. Bumalik sila sa pag-uusap sa kani-kanilang grupo. Hindi nagtagal ay pumasaere na rin ang mga pagsang-ayon, mula sa mga tumango hanggang sa mga nagsalita.

"Oo nga naman! Bakit hindi na lang natin i-inspect lahat ng nandito? It'll be easier that way!"

"Kung wala kayong tinatago, hindi kayo matatakot!"

"Tanga! Walang nagsabi na takot sila!"

I studied everyone's faces. Halos lahat sila ay kumbinsido na sa gagawin, habang may ibang pilit na hindi binoses ang mga opinyon. Those who remained silent were Kairo's alliance, Theo and Oliver, as well as a couple of players under Marcella's group. Kahit si Marcella ay nanatiling tahimik at nanonood lamang sa mga nagdidiskusyong players.

"Okay, so gawin natin 'to kung sang-ayon ang lahat!" a male player announced, stepping forwards. "Saan tayo mauuna?"

"Sandali, sandali-" kinontra siya ng isang babaeng nakasimangot. "Iba ang magi-inspect sa babae at lalaki, okay? Baka may iba pang magmanyak diyan."

The man looked offended. "Walang kamanyak-manyak sa'yo 'no!"

"Aba! Eh, bakit? Hindi lang naman ako ang babae dito ah!"

"Tama na nga 'yan. Mabuti pang simulan na lang natin 'to para matapos na-"

"What will you do after?"

My voice wasn't particularly loud but they all seemed to hear it anyways.

It's as if the world decided to freeze because everyone stiffened before they slowly turned to me. Their eyes and the attention they're giving is suffocating. Mabuti na lang at malayo ang pagitan ko sa kanila kaya hindi nati-trigger ang anxiety ko. Unfortunately, it doesn't completely erase the pressure in my chest.

June, who was disinterested at first, raised a brow. "Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"If impostor's found, anong gagawin niyo?"

Nakita kong namuo ang pagkalito at pagkabigla sa mukha ng ibang manlalaro. I must have startled them with my question, or it was a form of realization for whatever they were attempting.

"Siyempre-" panimula ng isang manlalaro. She was the same person who strongly agreed on finding the impostor. "Siyempre... ano, uhm..."

Palipat-lipat ang tingin niya sa'kin at sa mga katabi, na para bang humihingi ng tulong mula sa kanila.

"Follow the instructions?" I supplied. "Kill them once found?"

The word 'kill' made them all back up, eyes lowering to the ground or drifting away from me. For the other players who joined the decision absent-mindedly, parang nagising sila mula sa isang masamang panaginip.

It must be offensive to hear the player they're painting as a murderer reveal that they'll become a killer too.

"Because if we want easy completion of the city, that's the only way. At 'yon gusto niyo." I gave a small shrug. "Why are you supporting an action that you've hated me on?"

"But this is not about you." irap ni June at humalukipkip. "Dahil ba sa papatayin namin kung sino ang impostor, kagaya na kami sa'yo? It's just one life."

Naningkit ang mata ko sa sinabi niya. "Still a life."

Killing one person or killing five. What's the difference? May tao pa rin namang nawalan ng kinabukasan at chance sa buhay.

"But it would save a hundred." June argued, gesturing to the rest of the players. "It's a selfless action."

I lowly scoffed. "Selfless?"

Hindi ako makapaniwalang maririnig ko 'yan mula sa kaniya. Out of all the people in the world, June might be the last person I'd associate with selflessness.

"It's only selfless if the impostor chooses that themselves, not forcing the decision to them. If you really want selflessness, then why not fight all twelve zodiacs so everyone can live?"

Bakit kailangan piliin ang delikadong daan dahil lang sa mas madali ito, kung mayroong mas maayos na hindi makakapahamak ng ibang tao?

"She's probably just saying that because she's the impostor!"

My face went blank.

Just when I thought they're realizing the possible results of their actions, they successfully diverted the accusation towards me. Kaya kasi dapat hindi na lang ako nagsalita. Pero, kung hindi din ako nagsalita, baka naginspect na sila sa mga manlalarong nandito?

Napanguso ako. Isa pa, tama naman ang sinigaw niya. Ako naman talaga ang 13th zodiac, pero dapat hindi nila malaman 'yon hehe.

That's my secret.

"That's right." June has renewed the smile on her face. "Natakot siguro siya nang malamang magi-inspect tayo ng serpent tattoo. So she said that to distract us."

Medyo natakot nga ako pero hindi naman 'yon para madistract sila. Hmp.

"I don't think that's true."

Kahit ako'y nabigla nang marinig ang boses ni Wes, lalo na nang makita ang madilim niyang ekspresiyon. I don't even know why he's looking so angry. Hindi naman siya ang inakusahang papatayin.

"Sparrow is right. We shouldn't kill one just to save time. Dahil nakaabot na tayo dito, we can handle twelve monsters. Why would we try to pick the alternate option when there's not even a time limit?"

June tsked and backed down, seeing that most of the players have now sided with Wes. Kahit gaano pa sila kabesties ni Marcella, hindi pa rin siya gano'n ka-trusted kagaya ni Wes.

She shot me a glare before huffing stubbornly. Blanko ko lang siyang tiningnan dahil mukhang galit na toro siya.

"So anong gagawin natin ngayon?" tanong ni Kairo. "Should we part ways to speed up the battle or go together?"

"We can split up in two groups." sagot ni Marcella. "While there's no need to capture the impostor, we need to keep an eye on them. Baka may ibang misyon sila at iyon ay saktan ang ibang manlalaro o maginterfere sa paglaban. We need to be careful."

The division went easy after, since it fell down to Marcella's alliance versus Kairo's. Kahit na marami ang umiidolo kay Marcella at gustong sumama dito, most players also prefer how Kairo's alliance are perfectly chill. Mas nakakahinga kaysa sa pressure na mayroon kapag nasa grupo ni Marcella.

Although, of course, while the split up was easier for the two groups. It wasn't for me.

Hindi naman talaga ako makakasama sa grupo ni Marcella dahil ayaw niya sa'kin at nandoon si June, along the players who has the deepest hatred towards me. Baka hindi na ako abutin ng next city kung sasama ako sa kanila.

But... I couldn't join Kairo's group too even though they consist of my friends. It will be awkward for them if I do. Alam ko ding hindi sila papayag na sumama sa kanila ang taong pumatay sa mga mahal nila sa buhay.

I was thinking about it too deeply that I didn't notice most of their attention was focused on me.

"Dito ka na lang sa amin, Finn." suhestiyon nang nakangiting si June. "We're willing to accept you here, which I'm pretty sure the other group doesn't-"

"At sino naman nagsabi sa'yo aber?!" agad akong napatingin sa direksiyon ni Eura nang marinig ang boses niya. "Assumera ka rin eh 'no. Wala naman kaming sinabing 'di siya pwedeng sumama dito, duh."

"Oh? Bakit? Talaga bang tatanggapin niyo si Finn na sumama sa inyo pagkatapos ng ginawa niya? Didn't she kill your beloved friend?"

Itong si June sinalo talaga lahat ng kakapalan ng mukha sa mundo.

"I believe Ate Deps would be happy if we let Finn join our team." Eura confidently answered. "Pero siyempre hindi mo alam 'yon kasi hindi mo naman siya kilala, 'di ba?"

Now, June looks like she wants to drag Eura down to the ground.

In the corner of my eye, I can see Gavin walking towards me with a determined look on his face. Alam kong hahatakin niya ako papunta sa mga kasama niya. Maybe he doesn't know what happened or... I don't know.

Minsan dadating din tayo sa point ng life na ayaw na lang natin umasa at baka madisappoint lang tayo ulit.

So I didn't wait for Gavin to reach me, or for anyone else to recruit me in their group.

For this wolf can hunt alone.

And I'm used to it anyway.

Isa akong solitary gamer ng ilang taon. But it would be a lie to say I didn't become familiar to the noise that my friends bring.

It's a pity that it might not happen anymore.

Behind me, I could hear the surprised gasps and hushed conversations. But no one went after me as I walked away, turning into one dark alley. Ang sunod ko lang na narinig ay ang boses ni Gavin na tinatawag ang pangalan ko bago ako kinain ng mga anino. In the darkness to which I hid, Gavin's hands reached nothing.

"Finley." he quietly called, standing in the middle of the dark alley like a lost puppy.

Maybe Gavin knows and he's creating excuses in his mind or he wants to talk to me for explanations. Pero kahit ako hindi din alam kung anong nangyari.

Sa lahat ng bagay na klaro sa'kin, Renée's death isn't. Did I really kill her? Did I really lose all my inhibitions, went berserk and accidentally killed my best friend? If that really happened, even if the world forgives me, I may not be able to do so myself.

Kaya hindi ko kayang harapin si Gavin o si Sebastian. Sa lahat, huwag lang ang tatlong taong pinakamamahal ko.

I stared at the humongous door in front of me. Kulay asul ito at walang masyadong dekorasyon. When I stepped closer, it opened up, revealing an almost blinding place.

Nilibot ko ang paningin sa paligid. It looks like a dam and I'm right on the bottom of it. There's some iron bars at the ceiling but it's too high for me to reach. Walang ibang manlalaro na naririto kaya tuluyan akong pumasok, the door creaking to a close behind me.

It was then that I met the zodiac of this realm.

It started at a single drop of water.

Mula sa itaas ay nahulog ito sa sahig, the single drop hitting the floor almost loudly from the silence of the room. Ilang minuto ko itong tinitigan bago itinaas ang tingin. Doon ko siya nakita — a man carrying a large jar of water floated above. May maliit na ngiti siya sa labi, almost mocking me. The water in the jar splashed as he moved down.

"Well, I didn't expect a visitor today." he drawled.

Pagod akong napangiti.

I also didn't expect that the first zodiac I'll fight would be my own.

-chapter end-