"I will play Truth or Dare, you sucker, until you can't tell your truth from your dare."

- Alice Clayton

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Christine's Point of View.

I can't believe who am I seeing before our eyes. Totoo ba 'to? I knew her as a sweet angel but she's always been the wolf in a sheep's clothing.

"Krista."

"You're the one behind all of this?" angil ni Kyle.

"Yes."

Dumaan sa gilid ng mata ko si Alden. He ran to Krista and hugged her like he didn't care about what she had done.

"Get back here. You know what she's done!" untag ko, galit na galit, inis na inis.

What the hell? Why does he care so much about this girl? She doesn't deserve him! Una si Kheila, ngayon si Krista. I will never have a place in Alden's heart.

"I'm glad you're safe, Krista," aniya at hinimas-himas ang buhok nito.

"What the fuck, Alden? You should care more about your friends. They died and she killed them all!" duro ni Sy rito.

"I know."

That answer caught us off guard.

"You fucking knew? And you have no plans on telling us?" Mike fumed.

"Eepekto na siguro ang droga na nasinghot niyo kanina," matabang niyang sambit.

Tinitigan ko siyang mabuti sa mga mata. Hindi ako nakakaramdam ng awa rito. Her warm sparkling eyes became cold and dark. Walang emosyon. Walang damdamin. Puro pait, lungkot, at galit.

"D-Droga? What do you me-" hindi na natapos ni Hana ang kanyang sasabihin when she suddenly collapsed.

Isa-isa kaming nahimatay pagkatapos nun. What's happening? I can't move my muscles. I couldn't move a single spine. What's going on? The last thing I saw was Alden's grinned and Krista's smile, looking down on us.

Damn you, bitch!

Sy's Point of View.

Marahan kong idinilat ang aking mata nang maramdaman kong nag-iinit ang mga kamay ko. I was tied in a chair. But the heat was slowly crawling on my body. I was alone with Hana who was still unconscious at may tanke sa gilid. Nasaan ang iba? Where did they go?

"Hana, Hana!" pagtawag ko sa kanya ngunit hindi siya gumagalaw.

"Gising ka na ba, Sy?" boses ni Krista mula sa isang speaker.

"Nasaan sila? Hayop ka!"

"Look at the camera if you want to curse me," walang emosyon nitong sambit.

Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa itim na camera na nakakabit sa kwarto kung nasaan ako.

"Fuck you! Isusumbong kita sa police kapag nakawala ako rito."

"Do it," she said. "Pero hindi ka makakawala diyan. All of you will not be able to get out of here unless you'll play."

"Laro? Anong laro?"

"We started Truth or Dare. We'll end it with a Truth or Dare."

Pinilit kong kumalag sa kanyang tali but the knot was too complicated for me to do so. I freaking failed at hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko. I have no other options but to play whatever she wants me to play.

"If you won't be able to answer every single Truth or Dare, may mangyayaring masama sayo. You'll burn yourself. Every wrong answer will have an additional heat degree. I had Alden injected the poison to you and you can find the antidote inside this huge apartment."

No matter what option I choose, I will still die. Shit. I have nowhere to go. It's now or never, and the heat is getting on my nerves.

"Deal," I replied. "What about Hana? Bakit hindi siya nagigising?"

"She had been injected two poisons. Mamamatay din siya bago pa man siya magising."

"But she was injected by an antidote."

"The antidote doesn't cure the poison. It slows the poison's effect."

"Hindi! Hana! Hana! Wake up. Please wake up!" sigaw ako ng sigaw but she was still sleeping.

Wtf!

"Do you think Kheila sent the emails to you?"

"E-Emails?"

"You know what I mean."

"Yes. Mechille told-" I was unable to finish what I was about to say when nung nalaglag sa akin ang isang muriatic acid. I cried in pain. Shit, I wasn't expecting that to happen.

"Do you remember how you and Hana threw acid to my sister's hand? Wala siyang mukha na maiharap noon. She carried the burden by herself because Ria is gone," she said. "And I was the one who sent those e-mails to you. Not her."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Huli na para humingi ng patawad, Sy. What's done is done," malungkot siyang ngumiti.

"Patawarin mo ako, Krista. Patawarin mo ako, Kheila!" I mumbled.

"Patatawarin naman kayo ng Diyos sa ginawa ninyo ni Hana sa kapatid ko, e. Mapapatawad kayo ng Diyos dahil mapagpatawad ang Diyos. Kaya lang..." ang kanina'y banayad na boses ay napalitan ng galit. "Hindi ako Diyos kaya paalam. Magkita-kita na lang tayo sa impyerno!"

She pulled the lever as the big tank slowly breaks, spilling acid all over our feet.

"Your body will slowly melt. It's a slow torture... just like what you did to my sister."

"Hayop ka!" iyak ko.

Nawawalan na ako ng pag-asa. This is it. This is how I die. Pinikit ko ang aking mga mata habang dinaramdam ang dahan-dahang pagkapaso. Halos mabingi na ako dahil sa sobrang lakas ng sigaw ko. Napakahapdi! So this is how Kheila endured the pain. I'm sorry, Kheila. I really do. But I am too late to say that to you now.

"AAAAGGGHHH!"

Christine's Point of View.

"AAAAGGGHHHH!" umalingawngaw sa buong kwarto ang sigaw ni Sy. Ramdam ko, ramdam ko na nasa kabilang kwarto siya ngayon kasama si Hana.

Pinakinggan namin ang kanyang sigaw ng bigla itong natigil. Nagtinginan kami ni Kyle, nahinto siya sa pagkalag ng kanyang tali habang naiiyak kong tinignan ang mga paa namin. The room temperature suddenly got hotter. Para kaming sinasaing sa sobrang init.

"Bilisan mo Kyle," bulong ko.

"Almost... done."

I heard his tie breaks. Mabilis niyang kinalagan ang kanyang mga paa bago ako tinulungan. Mabuti nalang at palagi kong dala ang cutter sa bulsa ko in case something like this happens. Mabilis kaming lumabas ng kwarto dahil hindi naman ito nakalock nung biglang nagsalita si Alden mula sa isa sa mga speakers.

"Michael is dying by the way. Do you want to leave him?"

"Fuck! We need to find Mike," he cussed.

"But this is our chance to leave this house, Kyle. Sasayangin mo ba ang pagkakataong mabuhay?"

"My life is already a piece of trash without my friends to live it with me. Ganyan ka ba talaga ka-selfish, Christine?" aniya dahilan para mainis ako.

"Hindi ako selfish. Bawiin mo 'yang sinabi mo!"

"You only have 10 minutes to find him. Nasa kanya ang susi para makalabas kayo ng apartment," Alden said like he was observing us.

How does he know what we're doing? Are we being tracked? I don't see any cameras here.

"And you're also dying. I injected a poison that could kill one of you right now. The antidote is hidden somewhere in this huge apartment. Goodluck."

"Shit, shit, shit!" napasabunot sa kanyang buhok si Kyle. "Nahihilo na ako. Tangina."

"H-Hanapin mo si Mike, hahanapin ko ang antidote," suhestyun ko pero hinila niya ako pabalik.

"Hindi. Hahanapin natin si Mike. Let's go find the antidote later."

"No! I don't want you to die, Kyle. We need the antidote more than we need Mike. He's not going to help us."

"Maybe he knows where the antidote is," he sounded so desperate.

He didn't convince me but I don't want to go alone either. Hinanap namin si Mike sa ibang floors. Iniisa-isa namin iyon pero hindi namin siya nakita. It's been five minutes since we kept running and opening doors, but nothing came good searching for him. Napadpad kami ni Kyle sa living room kung saan nagsimula ang lahat. And there he was, sitting with hands tied on a table. Nakatali ang mga paa ni Mike, he was blindfolded with a red handkerchief. Last time someone was blindfolded hindi kaaya-aya ang nangyari. Sir Alonzo's eyes were gone. Sana naman mali ako nang iniisip.

"Mike! Michael! Dude, wake up," tapik ni Kyle sa kanyang balikat pero hindi siya nagigising.

"O-Okay lang ba siya?"

"Kalagan natin siya."

I untied the thick rope that was tying around his hands. Mabilis kong tinanggal ang blindfold na nakapulupot sa kanyang mata. Nanginginig kong tinanggal ang blindfold niya, and thank goodness because he still has his eyes. He was just unconscious.

Napansin kong inamoy ni Kyle ang batok ni Mike.

"He inhaled too much carbon gas but they didn't seem to inject poison to him."

"That's good news, right?"

"For now. Kapag hindi natin siya nadala sa hospital agad para tanggalin ang nasinghot niya papasok ito sa buo niyang sistema," he sounded like an expert.

"How do you know about all of these information, Kyle?"

"I studied drugs and I've been doing it, Christine. Kaya alam ko," inalalayan niya si Mike kaya tinulungan ko na rin pagkatapos.

We need to find the antidote or else they will die. I don't want Mike to die, but I don't want Kyle to die either. Papatayin ko si Krista kapag nakita ko siya. Pangako. Ipaghihiganti ko kayong lahat.

Pumasok kami sa isang malaking kwarto. A room that we haven't seen before dahil nasa ika-walong palapag ito. We left Mike there so he could at least take a rest because he will end up slowing us down while we're trying to find the antidote. May iilang baril akong nakita and I saw Kyle taking one. I don't know how to use guns, but I already killed someone before using a knife. So, I took the butcher knife instead.

"Where do you think it is?" tanong ko habang tumatakbo kami papunta sa pinakamataas na floor.

"Top floor," he said. "Listen to me, Christine. I need you to save yourself. After we get the antidote you have to get out of here. I will kill both of them."

"Y-You will kill them, Kyle? Kasama si Alden?" kabado kong tanong at nahinto sa pagtakbo.

"Yes," he replied firmly. "I have to."

"P-Pero pwede mo naman silang isuko sa police, Kyle. You don't need to kill them. Wala kang pinagkaiba sa kanila kung iyon nga ang gagawin mo," I pleaded. "Let me come with you. Let me help you."

"You don't get it. Krista and Alden is still chained to what happened in the past. Kheila committed suicide because of you guys, and I don't even know her. That's why Jade told me to apologize to the girl I never knew. He means Kheila. The girl only wants an apology pero wala niisa sa inyo ang nagbigay nun," he fumed.

"It's my fault. I got jealous!"

"You always do, Christine, without valid reasons," napatingin siya sa hawak kong kutsilyo. "You kill Krista and I'll deal with Alden. Sigurado ako na nasa pinakadulo nitong apartment ang dalawa. Krista killed every member, including Peter!"

Nagpatuloy kami ni Kyle sa pag-akyat sa pinakatuktok nitong apartment.

"How did you know all of this? You seem to know a lot of things happening in the past. At bakit ngayon mo lang ito sinasabi sa akin?" I gripped the knife, preparing myself to stab him in the back.

"Peter... Peter is my cousin."

Rumihistro sa akin ang pagkagulat. "The first one to die in the game."

"That game was all a lie! Don't you get it? Si Krista ang pumatay sa pinsan ko, Christine!" inis niya akong tinignan. "Tara na. Hinihintay na nila tayo sa itaas."

"But Kyle-" I wasn't able to finish my word when he pulled the trigger of his gun.

The bullet penetrated through my chest. Lumapit siya sa akin at saka bumulong sa aking tenga.

"Goodbye," he kissed me on my forehead before pushing me off the stairs where my body is about to hit the floor.

Did he just... shoot me?

Michael's Point of View.

"Gising. Gumising ka, babe. Gumising ka. Nasa panganib sila. Iligtas mo sila, Mike," bulong ng isang mala-anghel na boses.

"Eireen?"

Marahan kong idinilat ang aking mata upang makita ang nakangiting si Eireen.

"Kamusta?"

"You're dead. How could you be here?" pinasadahan ko nang tingin ang kabuuan ng kwarto. "Where am I?"

"It's the belladona's side effect I guess. Nasa red apartment ka pa rin. You need to save Christine. She's in danger!"

"What about the others? Nasaan sila?"

"They're dead, Michael. Kayong lima na lang ang natitirang buhay. You should know by now who the real enemy is," aniya. "Nasa loob ng isang basement ang antidote. Sy holds the key to that basement because it was given to her by Alonzo."

She was becoming more transparent like a puff of smoke that's going to disappear.

"I don't have enough time. You need to save her. Someone is going to kill her. I love yo-"

Eireen disappeared. She was gone just like that.

Hingal na hingal akong nagising habang hinahabol ang aking paghinga. The drug's effect was gone. The carbon's effect is still on my body dahil nahihilo pa rin ako kahit papaano.

"Christine..." agad akong tumayo at kumuha ng armas. May iilang baril sa ilalim ng kama. I guess they left it here on purpose.

Lumabas ako ng kwarto when I noticed that my feet were swollen. Blood kept running from my legs. Did someone cut my knees before I knew? Isang putok ng baril ang aking narinig mula sa itaas dahilan para tumakbo ako ng mabilis papunta roon and saw a body fell from the top floor. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makita kung kaninong bangkay ang nahulog.

It was Christine's body!

"Christineeee!"

No. There's no way she could survive after receiving a gunshot and falling from the eighth floor. Nakita ko kung paano nahulog ang kanyang bangkay. Blood was rapidly running from her body at mabilis iyong kumalat sa sahig. Ang dating puting tiles ay napalitan ng kulay pulang likido. Her bones got dislocated as well, but what's more terrifying was her eyes open. Bahid ng takot, pagkalito, at pagkadismaya ang namumuo sa kanyang mga mata ngayon.

She's dead and I was too late to save her.

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