REALITY

I jolted awake and gasped for breath. I immediately closed my eyes and covered because it seemed blinded by light.

Ah, ang sakit sa mata ng liwanag. It seems like my eyes are finding a hard time to adjust to lightings. Mariin akong napapikit at sumakit agad ang ulo ko. Napahawak naman ako kung s'an. Napagtanto kong nakahiga pala ako kanina, at napabalikwas lang ako.

A soft ding popped up in the background, but it wasn't inside my brain anymore.

"Number four is disconnected from the system," the same robotic voice in the virtual dimension announced in a speaker.

I groaned and half-opened my eyes. My vision was still a little blurry, but I could manage naman siguro. Napatingin ako sa upuan ko, at napansing may parang scanner sa arm rest. It had a small note written in neon green text.

Rest your hand to connect to the dimension.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I looked up and shrieked when I saw wires down to my- head?! Wala sa sarili tuloy akong napahawak sa ulo ko, at napansing tila may nakaattach na wires d'on. Kaagad ko namang 'yong tinanggal, at muli ko na namang narinig ang robotic voice.

"NeuroLink is disconnected."

What? Those are the NeuroLinks? Kaya ba nasa may ulo ko para ma-link nga 'yon doon sa utak namin? That's crazy.

Tumayo ako ngunit napasigaw din nang mauntog ang ulo ko sa salamin. "Aray naman!" bulyaw ko at hinawakan ang noo. I shut my eyes again because of it.

Inis naman akong napamulat. Ang tanga naman ng gumawa nito. Gagawa na nga lang ng glass, hindi pa sinakto sa tangkad ko, nakayuko ako ngayon, eh. The glass was in a convex shape, like it caved this seat in.

On the other thought, what is this machine-like thing I'm in? I'm suddenly reminded of the cryogenic chamber in the virtual dimension.

May umuusok din sa baba, at malamig 'yon sa pakiramdam. Pakiramdam ko nga ay inaantok ako dahil sa smoke. Well, baka nga pampaantok o pampahimbing ng tulog 'tong smoke na 'to.

I raised my eyes and punched the glass. Ngi, ayaw naman masira. I looked around to see if there was any exit, pero sadly, wala akong nakita. I think the button to open this 'kung ano man 'to' ay nasa labas. Actually the outside view wasn't visible to me. I only see hues of blue.

And my orb isn't with me too.

Nagulat naman ako nang biglang magslide pataas ang glass. Nawala na ang glass, at nakarinig ako ng faint voices. When the glass finally went up, I moved out of that machine-like thingy.

Nakita ko naman agad si Lourd, at napangiti. "Nice. Buti nakalabas ka agad, at pinalabas mo ako. Hindi ko alam kung pa'no, eh."

"Yeah, because you're an idiot." Ay, foul.

Umirap ako, at biglang nakuha ng peripheral vision ko ang ibang tao. My head snapped in their direction. Napaawang ang bibig ko habang tumitingin sa kanila.

Nicolas. Chastille. Iris. Lein. All in all, anim lang kami?

"Sila na... lahat?" tanong ko. I was expecting others, I even looked around more, pero nabigo lang ako nang wala nang makitang iba pang machine na katulad ng amin.

"Tayo na lahat?" mahina kong tanong. Lourd weakly nodded, and everyone else looked confused.

Napatingin naman ako sa taas ng mga machines or chambers, at napansin kong bawat isa'y may label na number. 4 was mine. Hindi ko lang alam ang sa kanila.

Bakit kaya ang hilig ng buhay ko sa four?

"Where are we, Lourd?" tanong ni Iris. Nabaling naman ang atensyon ko r'on.

Napagtanto kong lahat sila sa team nila ay narito. Except for their wildcard, Illeasalis. But I remember Zero saying Illeasalis' name. Seven is Illeasalis.

"Anong nangyari? Ikaw, Four? What the hell did you do?" halos galit na wika ni Nicolas. Napatingin ako kay Lourd ulit at sabay kaming napabuntong-hininga.

Then, we started explaining everything.

• • • • •

"What will we do now, Exiquel?" tanong sa'kin ni Lein. Beside her stands Chastille who obviously looked devastated. Actually eyerone was.

My tears are forming too, but my pain can never compare to theirs. Sobrang tagal na nila sa dimension na 'yon, tapos hindi pala totoo ang lahat. That is really heartbreaking. Naiiyak nga ako kapag naiisip kong ako ang nasa sitwasyon.

But what makes me really hurt is knowing that my brother is behind this too. Naalala ko ang mga katagang sinabi niya sa'kin noon.

"Naniniwala ka ba sa ibang mundo, Four?"
"I had dreams creating a world for us, Four."

Animal ka talaga, Kuya Nine.

"I don't know. Wala nang ibang sinabi si Zero sa'min," sambit ko habang pinupunasan ang sarili kong luha.

Napapikit ako nang malakas na humagulgol si Iris. Inalulo naman siya ni Chastille, ngunit hindi ko mapigilan na madala na rin sa iyak ni Iris. I can feel her pain radiating to me.

"H-hindi na ba talaga sila mababalik?" tanong muli ni Lein. She bit her lower lip hard, and even clenched her shirt.

Nicolas sharply exhaled, "Why don't you ask your grandfather, Lein?"

"Nicolas," suway ko. "She's not at fault here. We were fooled, at kahit si Lein, naloko rin." At anong grandfather? Akala ko ba father niya si sir Ephraim? O iba ba ang tinutukoy nila?

Nagtiim-bagang siya at nag-iwas tingin sa'kin. We all didn't know what to do. They probably still can't process what we just said. We just stand here, in an unknown place in the mortal realm.

I looked around and shivered, noticing the machines that have once trapped us inside- na hindi namin namamalayan.

"If we enter the machines again, we'll be able to enter the Orphic Dimension, right?" tanong ni Lourd. He fixed his glasses and took a look around. He studied everything.

"Yes," Lein answered. Tears fell again from her cheeks, "I'm sorry. I should have realized this all- I knew this place. There was a time that I woke to this place. Nagtaka ako, pero nagising ako sa virtual dimension at inakalang panaginip lang 'tong nakita ko. I'm such a fool. Sorry."

"Hindi na muna dapat tayo bumalik sa virtual dimension na 'yon. It's broken anyway," suhestiyon ni Nicolas. "We must find others who are like us. We must seek help. Wala tayong kaalam-alam sa nangyayari. Ni hindi natin alam kung bakit nila tayo nilagay sa pekeng dimension na 'yon."

"Then, we are going to break out in this," I looked around again before continuing my sentence, "this science experimental laboratory?"

Tumango naman si Nicolas. He closed his eyes to feel the energy around, then asked, "Chastille, masisira mo ba ang pintong 'yon?"

Naningkit ang mata ni Chastille habang tinitingnan ang malaking pinto. "I guess I can if you help me, Nicolas and Lourd."

The big metallic door didn't have any lock or password that was why we couldn't hack it to open it, but they could break it. Chastille possesses magnetism manipulation. That power, I think, includes the power of manipulating certain metals.

Tinaas ni Chastille ang kaniyang kamay, at narinig namin ang malakas na pag-ugong ng pinto. Lourd supported Chastille, and the opening became bigger. Nicolas was aiming at their energy, and making it stronger. After all his power is ergokinesis.

There was a hint of light outside this place. The alarms started to ring. Nabahala agad kami nang marinig 'yon. Sa tagal naming nag-uusap dito, ngayon lang gumana ang alarm. O baka dahil 'yon sa pagkabukas ng pinto?

"Go!" Nicolas shouted.

Hinila ni Iris ang kamay ko, at gayundin naman si Lein. We ran towards the light, and we will escape this place. We will seek the truth behind the secret. We will seek the reason.

Nanlaki ang mata ko nang sumalubong sa'min sa labas ang Inquisitors. They all aimed a gun to us. These inquisitors... they aren't peculiars like us, right?

Binitawan naman ni Iris ang kamay ko. She summoned her bow and arrow, while Lein got her lyre. Pinatugtog 'yon ni Lein, at may ibang inquisitors na binaba ang kanilang mga baril. She was luring them, and later on, will command them.

Then, Iris almost shot everyone with her arrows. Some already retreated and ran for their lives, but many came. The numbers doubled.

Napalingon naman ako nang lumabas na si Nicolas at Chastille. Nagkunot-noo ako nang makitang wala si Lourd.

"Where is Lourd?"

They both sighed, and shook their heads. "He was captured by the Inquisitors inside."

"W-what? Bakit hindi niyo tinulungan?" tanong ko. Si Lourd pa naman ang kasama kong malaman ang Orphic secret! Why the heck was he left behind?! Anong klaseng mga team mates sila?!

"We have no time, Exiquel. The door was closing, we had no energy to open it again. Siya na rin ang nagsabing magpapaiwan s'ya. He insisted to be a spy. We must go now before they capture us all." Spy?

And in a snap, everyone of us fought with the countless inquisitors. My ears were filled with loud sounds and screams of men.

I got a sniper rifle from the dead inquisitors and started shooting them. Tumakbo na kami palayo habang nilalabanan sila. Nagpasabog si Chastille sa pamamagitan ng nuclear energy produced from magentic elements.

Dark smoke and fire filled the scene behind us. Hinawakan ni Nicolas ang kamay ko, at hinila na ako palayo. Pakiramdam ko naman, bumilis ang takbo ko. Nicolas probably enhanced my kinetic energy.

"May mga sumusunod pa ba sa'tin?" tanong ni Nicolas kay Iris, who ran fastest among us.

Tumango siya, "Yes, but they are way behind us. We need to keep running."

So, this is the reality.

This is the real world. This is our world. Ang mundong pinagkait sa kanila.

The Orphic Secret
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Yes, dito na naganap ang sa prologue. Though mas detailed lang 'to. May mga dialogues din na napadagdag. Minor lang.

Thank you for reading!