"The elixir of life?" Evil repeated, not sure if he heard her correctly. "Isn't that just a mythical potion humans created to delude themselves into believing that they can escape mortality?"

"And yet you were human before you became an immortal. Tama ba ako?"

Natahimik si Evil sa rason nito. Aminin man niya o hindi, may punto si Chayse. Sa kanyang isip, binalikan ng nakababatang Neverwood ang mga literaturang nabasa niya tungkol sa elixir. Lingid sa kaalaman ng iba, ang mga kwento tungkol sa tinatawag na "elixir of life" ay matagal nang nasa kasaysayan ng mundo.

It is said to be a substance that prolongs the life of any human. It can be traced back to old Chinese and Indian traditions that mention the existence of a potion that promises eternal life. In Western culture, alchemists sought out the magical stone that can transform metal into gold (philosopher's stone) together with the elixir of life. In the 16th century, an English writer named Philip Sidney described the magical substance in his poem "The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia". Since then, may stories spin their narratives, tales of adventure and magical quests, in search for the elixir of life.

Pero hindi inaakala ni Evil na muli niyang maririnig ang tungkol sa potion na ito sa makabagong panahon. Not when he survived many centuries of being a skeptic with all the crazy stories and mystical objects humans blindly put their faith in.

"Kung nagawa nga niyang mahanap ang elixir of life, kailangan natin itong nakawin mula sa kanya," biglang sabi ni Chayse na nakatawag sa kanyang atensyon. Nakita ni Evil na walang bakas ng pagbibiro sa mga mata ng dalaga. Chayse adjusted her eyeglasses on the bridge of her nose and continued, "That is the only way defeat him and end this cycle of suffering. We need to cut his source of immortality."

"And what will happen to us?"

'His victims.'

He wanted to add but decided otherwise.

Nagkibit ng balikat si Chayse. "You'll be free of the curse, but that's just my initial hypothesis. Kaya kailangan kong malaman lahat ng nalalaman ninyo, Evil. Trust isn't one-sided. Ibinigay ko na sa'yo ang impormasyong mayroon ang Rebellion, so I expect you to cooperate and do the same. With our resources and your brothers' ability in combat, we can take him down... once and for all."

"Tsk. Wala bang mga tauhan ang Rebellion?"

From when he knows, the Rebellion was a fairly large group. Hindi masyadong matunog ang pangalan nila, pero sapat na ang mga nalalaman ni Evil para malamang wala silang ipinagkaiba sa mga grupong may mga imposibleng adbokasiya. He's even surprised that they survived this long in the war against EKT.

But the look in Chayse's eyes told him what he needed to know.

"That much?"

She nodded, avoiding eye contact. "The amount of deaths we have in the last six months became a heavy blow on our operations. Walang laban ang kagaya naming mga tao sa kanila."

Evil nodded, understanding this as well. Who in their right mind would even go against these killers, anyway? It'll only be a blood bath for them.

"I'll tell you all about the curse on one condition."

Chayse raised an eyebrow. "Ay, grabe ka naman sa pagiging demanding mo. Hari-harian lang?"

Evil sighed, stood up, and stepped on the kneeling man's back. He was pretty sure he broke a spine. Napangiwi ang dalaga nang marinig ang tunog ng buto na umalingawngaw sa katahimikan ng opisina. Evil stopped in front of her and rested both hands against the armrests of the chair, trapping her in place.

A commanding look in his eyes.

He was this close to using hypnosis on her

"Tell me how we revive Kleopatra."

*

"Follow me."

Surprisingly, Chayse was more than willing to oblige to his condition. Makalipas ang isang oras ng paglalakad (na kalahati pa roon kinailangan pa siyang piringan para hindi malaman ang lokasyon ng lungga nila) napadpad sila sa isang underground laboratory.

When they reached the end of a hallway, the blonde girl unlocked the room using a biometrix system. Heavy metal doors gave way to what lies beyond the darkness and beeping machines.

"What is this place?"

Nang binuksan ni Chayse ang mga ilaw, doon niya natitigang maigi ang lugar. Mas malaki pa pala ang espasyo kaysa sa inaakala niya.

Despite the odd-looking machines and computer monitors adorning the place, what caught his attention were the back-to-back coffin-like cells placed in the middle of a circular platform. Nang lapitan nila ito, napansin ni Evil ang glass casing na mistulang isang pares ng libingan. White cushions, tube-like wires, and a touchscreen monitor situated between them.

Maya-maya pa, ipinaliwanag ni Chayse ang apparatus.

"This is the Reanima Chamber, a prized technology owned by the Rebellion. We made this with the help of the Eastwood Scientific Organization about a year ago," she explained. "Pangarap ng Rebellion na mai-revive ang mga taong naging biktima ng karahasan ng EKT balang-araw. We value human life more than anything, and I know that's something you can't understand."

Chayse smiled, but there was a hint of sadness to it that Evil can't pinpoint.

"At maibabalik nito si Kleopatra? Have you even tried this before?"

"Hindi namin magawa dahil kailangan ang dalawang sangkap para mapagana ito, Evil."

That pique his curiosity. "And those are?"

"Well, first is the elixir of life itself. Matibay ang ebidensya ng Rebellion na totoo ang elixir, kaya't nilikha ang chamber para rito. This is also one of the many reasons why we're actively trying to take down the Boss."

Interesting. Mukhang marami pa palang ibang agenda ang Rebellion. Ilang sikreto pa kaya ang tinatago nila?

"And the second ingredient?"

Chayse was hesitant, her morals warring inside her mind.

"...another human life."

---

"Tragedies are inevitable
for everything has a price;
just when you think it's over,
there needs to be a sacrifice."

---Evillois Neverwood