"Hell is empty and all the
devils are here."

- William Shakespeare

●●●

Hana's Point of View.

"You got it all wrong, Sy. There's no escape. The game possesses anyone who's weak, afraid, and ill," seryosong sambit ni Sir.

Fear started to crawl in me when he mentioned her name. I can't believe what I'm hearing.

"There's no way out," sambit ko. "Hindi tayo makakatakas sa laro."

"All you have to do is to finish the game where it all started."

"You mean, we need to go back to that apartment?" tanong ni Sy. "Ha! No one even wants to go back there."

"I know, but it's the only way to end the game until one of you lives," si Alonzo na may kinuhang kwintas. "It's from my sister. She said to me that this day would come and told me to give this to the next generation's member."

Tinanggap ko iyon. It was a key-shaped pendant.

"P-Para saan naman po ito?"

"I don't know either. I've never been to that apartment before but I think ay susi yan sa isa sa mga pinto. Find the door that you are unable to open."

Alden's phone rang, he immediately excused himself to answer the call.

"What now?" he asked, tapos bigla na lang syang sumigaw. "Ano kamo? Pupunta ako diyan kaagad!"

"Anong nangyari?" tanong ko matapos nyang ibaba ang tawag.

"Krista is gone! I need to go back to the hospital and find her," dali-dali nyang isinuot ang kanyang jacket.

"Teka, sasama ako!" sigaw ni Christine at agad na tumakbo palabas kasama si Alden.

"It's starting now. You need to find the girl or else it will possess her," paalala ni sir Alonzo.

Nagtinginan kami ni Sy at tumayo kaagad.

"Thank you po sa lahat, sir Alonzo!"

"B-By the way, kumusta na nga pala si Eireen?"

Nahinto kami sa tapat ng pinto. I have no plans on telling him but I guess it'll be good if he'll know the truth.

"Sumama si Eireen sa amin noon and now s-she's dead," napalunok ako pagkatapos.

I saw how lonely his eyes got. "I see."

"Aalis na po kami, sir," paalam ko.

Sir Alonzo seems nicer than he usually is. Pumara kami ng taxi when my phone suddenly pinged. Akala ko kung ano, but a notification pop up in our group chat.

"Get inside the taxi, Hana," utos ni Sy sa akin.

Dun ko lang namalayan na nasa loob na pala sya naghihintay. Tumabi ako sa kanya at agad na binuksan ang file na nasa group chat. My hands tremble in fear, my heart's pounding like crazy when I saw Brylle's face.

"What are you watching?" she asked at sumilip sa pinapanood ko.

"I-It's Brylle," I stuttered.

She took the phone from me and watch the video. It was a facebook live of him committing suicide, like he got possessed by something.

"W-We need to get to Brylle!" sambit ko at agad na inutusan si manong na iliko ang sasakyan papunta sa kabilang daan.

He can't be doing what we just saw. Tumakbo kami agad papunta sa kanyang apartment room but it was locked.

"Brylle! Brylle! Buksan mo ang pinto please!" sigaw ko habang kinakalabog ng todo ang pinto.

"Kukunin ko lang sa guard ang master key!" si Sy na kaagad tumakbo pababa.

"Bilisan mo," patuloy pa rin ako sa pagpihit ng doorknob at pagkatok ng paulit-ulit pero hindi nya talaga iyon binubuksan.

Pinanood ko ulit ang video and he's about to tie the rope around his neck. Tumulo na lang bigla ang luha ko dahil sa facebook live nya. Is it another dare? This is just so... so... cruel!

"Brylleeeeee!"

"Tabi miss," sabi ng guard na may dalang susi.

I froze while watching the video of him taking a step out of his bed. Nanginginig sya habang pinipilit na kumawala sa lubid. He's choking to death while his eyes are open.

"BRYLLE!" sigaw ni Sy matapos buksan ang pinto.

Pumasok kami agad at nakita ang kahindik-hindik nyang itsura. He's not breathing anymore. His eyes were shot open and his face was so pale like blood stopped circulating. Napaluhod ako habang nakatitig sa bangkay ng boyfriend ko.

"This can't be..." tears flow from my eyes.

"Ano bang nangyari dito mga, hija?" pagtataka ng guwardiya na nagulat din sa nasaksihang suicide.

"Brylleeeeee! Hindiiii hindi ka pwedeng mamatay, Brylleeeee!"

"Han, tahan na. L-Let's call the ambulance okay? Manong, can you call 911 please?"

"Wala pong problema, miss," aniya at dali-daling lumabas.

"Hindi, hindi puwede ito. Hindi puwede ito, Sy. Alam na natin ang lahat, e. Alam na natin kaso bigla syang nawala ng ganun ganun lang."

Niyakap nya ako ng mahigpit. She cried with me, she's empathizing with me, she's trying to comfort me, but the more she did, the more I felt the loss of emotions. My world is slowly falling apart.

I pulled away from her, looking at her eyes. "Let's go get the others." I desperately said.

Tumango sya at tinulungan akong tumayo. We didn't wait for the ambulance to arrive. Pinabahala na namin kay manong guard ang bangkay ni Brylle. Tears kept falling down from my eyes as I run away from him even though it's painful.

"I'm sorry, Brylle. I'm sorry for leaving but I have to go. Pangako ko, ipaghihiganti kita."

My parents disowned me already. Daniela's fighting for her life. Brylle's dead. I have nothing else to lose anymore. I have no tears to cry. I have nothing left.

Alden's Point of View.

"Did you find her?" I asked Kyle while chasing my breath.

"H-Hindi pa. Sobrang laki nitong ospital, imposibleng maabutan pa natin siya o iyong kumuha sa kanya."

Kanina pa kami takbo nang takbo habang nililibot ang kabuuan nitong hospital. Hindi ako makapaniwalang nawawala sya. Imposibleng umalis sya mag-isa. She can't even walk. May kumuha sa kanya at kung meron man, hindi ko rin alam kung sino.

"Hinanap mo na ba sa ibang floors?"

"Kanina pa kaso wala talaga. Pinuntahan ko na rin ang Technical Room ng hospital para matulungan nila tayo pero mukhang dinelete ang footage ng mga oras na iyon," paliwanag nya.

Tumunog bigla ang kanyang cellphone at inilagay iyon sa kaliwang tenga.

"Bakit Mike? May problema ba?"

"Have you seen the video already? Nasa GC natin buksan nyo dali!" rinig kong sabi sa kabilang linya.

"Anong meron?" tanong ni Kyle.

"Just open it!"

He ended the call. Sabay naming tinignan ang link na nasa group chat and there we saw Brylle committing suicide.

"What the fuck is wrong with Brylle?" Kyle fumed.

Tinitigan kong mabuti ang kanyang galaw. He wasn't in his right mind and consciousness. Hindi ganyan kung kumilos ang kilala kong Brylle. Just like what sir Alonzo said, the game possesses the human body to do the dares. Wala kaming nagawa kundi panoorin ang nangyayari sa kanya. He was tying the rope around his neck and jumped off the bed. Napapikit ako ng mariin nang makita mismo ng dalawang mata ko kung paano sya humihingi ng tulong habang nahihirapan sa paghinga. Nanginginig pa ito at natigil rin pagkatapos. Brylle's dead body hang in the air lie.

"B-Brylle," napasuntok ako sa pader. My knuckles bled, but I couldn't feel the pain.

"Damn it! Damn it! Fuck!" Kyle cussed. He almost threw his phone on the wall, but I stopped him before he could.

"Tama na yan, Kyle." I said. "Let's find Krista."

"Fuck this game. We need to end this Alden or we'll be the next victim. We'll be dead before anyone could know," huminga sya ng malalim bago ang lahat ng iyon. "Ano bang sinabi ni sir Alonzo sa inyo kanina? May paraan ba para matapos ang laro?"

Tumango ako at sumandal sa pader. My fist is still bleeding red.

"Basically there is, but it may cost other's lives."

His forehead creased. "What do you mean?"

"Sa bawat laro, may isang tao ang matitira. Hindi tayo titigilan ng laro hangga't hindi tayo nauubos isa-isa, but the good news is may isang matitira sa atin."

Iniisip ko pa lang na isa ako sa mamamatay, nawawalan na ako ng pag-asang mabuhay.

"K-Kung ganun..."

"Magpapatayan tayo kung sino ang matitira," I said.

It will end this way because there is no other way.

"Let's go see Michael," seryoso nyang tugon at nauunang maglakad kesa sa akin.

I followed him when I received a text message from someone anonymous. Kumunot ang noo ko habang binabasa ang mensahe.

"Kyle, I found Krista!" I exclaimed as I followed him inside Mike's room.

"What? Where?"

"N-Nasa Red Apartment sya," Mike cut off my words. "She's been taken away, isn't she?"

"How did you know that?" pagtataka ko.

"I had dreamed about her. She's wearing a blindfold, she couldn't move, but she's crying silently in a cold dark room... with someone by her side," his lips quivered.

Lumapit ako kay Michael at niyugyog ang kanyang balikat.

"Sino? Sino ang kumuha sa kanya?"

"I don't know. She has no face, but she's always with Krista's side the whole time! Alalahanin nyo, baka may nagawan kayo ng masama noon at pinilit nyong kalimutan iyon. Pinaghihigantihan tayo ng isang kaluluwa!" he snapped out, crying beads of tears.

Pumagitna bigla si Kyle sa amin. He pulled us away from each other.

"That's enough, Alden! We need to get and bring her back if she's been taken away."

Kahit inis na inis ako, wala akong nagawa kundi ang tumango na lang. I'm not scared, I'm more afraid that she'll be possessed just like what happened to Brylle.

"Are you coming with us, Michael?" I asked.

"Do I have to? I have a feeling that I'll get killed if I'll come with you..." he sighed in frustration. "But I'll go with you."

"Sasama ka naman pala, ang dami mo pang satsat," inis kong sambit.

"Alden, stop!" sita ni Kyle sa akin.

"I understand him. He's just worried about her," Mike commented.

I scoffed and went outside to wait. I never had a good relationship with other. Sanay ako na ganito ang sitwasyon pero iba ang inis ko kay Michael simula pa noon.

Napatingala ako sa kisame. Nararamdaman ko na may hindi magandang mangyayari dito. I called Christine and told her to stop looking for Krista already. We're about to return to the place where hell started.

——