Code 365 Project Memory

Datum 46 : Retrieval

What. What am I supposed to do? I felt my knees weak, and suddenly hit the cold floor.

Im... Im sorry, everyone... Im sorry... Revienne.

UNKNOWN AREA

ABANDONED VELSARI OPERA HOUSE

SIBERIA, RUSSIA

Von's Point of View

"Vaughn... Von..."

I felt my eyes opened as I heard whispers from far away. Malamig. Malamig sa buong paligid. Madilim. Am I dead already?

When my sight finally stabilized, tanging isang munting liwanag mula sa pinaka itaas ang natanaw ng aking mga mata. Everything else was dark as the dead night.

I felt my body suspended in mid-air. Where... Where am I even?

Tinangka kong umupo, but I found myself feeling unstable. And then I realized that there were thick ropes that acted like a wide net under me.

Nasalo ako ng isang net barrier, but the debris of the fallen wooden bridge was also with me. And I didn't even expect that they have something like this waiting under that tall ass cliff.

Dahan-dahan akong gumapang patungo sa kabilang dulo ng net barrier. From there, maingat kong hinila ang isang matibay na lubid and slid my way down the net barrier.

I felt an eerie sensation upon the sole of my shoe touching the dusty cold flooring. Nilibot ng aking pangin ang buong paligid.

Despite of the height of the cliff above, small beams of winter light still managed to illuminate the place. If hindi ako nagkakamali, I think I fell into a private room.

The place is still intact. Evidence of luxury is clearly seen on the elegant chairs and tables, but time basically covered everything with dust.

Sinalubong ng aking tingin ang mga matatayog na library shelfs, lahat ng libro ay naroon pa. Looks like a bibliophile once owned this luxury room.

Mariin pang nasabit ang iilang mga mukhang mamahaling mga paintings sa dingding. Napadaan ako sa iilang mga furniture at upuan na tinabuunan ng puting tela as I touch them.

This is a very weird place to find in a middle of an abandoned opera house. The faint lights then attracted the shimmer from the silver door knob of a door.

Malamang iyon sigro ang pinto palabas ng kwarto na ito.

Agad akong napalakad patungo sa pinto, but something had caught my attention as I attempt to hold the silver handle.

Napalingon ako. Its was like a square thing on a wooden stand. Nakatalukbong ang nasabing bagay ng puting tela.

I found myself staring hardly at the said random object. As I approached the said object further, na realize kong isa pala iyong painting na nasa stand.

Balot parin ito ng puting tela na maigi kong hinaplos. Fine dust from years of stagnancy made the white cloth greyish in color.

I gently lifted the said cloth and it slowly revealed its beautiful eccentric details. Agad naman akong na curious, so I immediately uncovered the said painting.

As the cloth touches the cold floor, my eyes widened in extreme astonishment.

A... anong...

I felt chills run down on my spine as my eyes cannot even deny what is in front of me. Unti-unti kong naramdaman ang kakaibang pag sikip ng aking dibdib as my eyes went through the through details of the said painting.

Confusion starts to melt my mind as I found myself staring at an extremely familiar face that was drawn on the said unfinished painting.

Mairiin kong hinawakan ang aking ulo as it also started to give me excruciating and unexplained pain.

Ano... Ano bang nangyayari? Bakit... bakit ganito?!!

I felt my knees fell on the cold hard marble flooring as I look up and endure my pain. My eyes cannot even blink even for a second as I stare through the said woman in the painting.

The familiar woman was had that haunting smile as her emerald green eyes pierced through my soul. Her dark brown hair was long and covers her left shoulder.

I found myself in great awe nang ma-realize ko kung sino ang nasabing babae sa painting.

"St... Stella?" I whispered in extreme astonishment.

"Isn't she beautiful?"

A sudden deep voice of a man was heard from behind. Despite the extreme head ache, nagawa kong mapalingon, but it was way too late.

The said man in black combat suit that resembled ours then held my head from behind and let me bow down in front of the said painting.

"Who—Who are you!!! Let me go!!" I struggled.

"Don't worry about me. Don't you remember her? Its your wife!" he whispered.

"W...Wife?"

With all my might, I struggled even more. But every time I did, his grabs more and more tightly, plus my extreme head ache not helping at all.

Ano ba talaga ang nangyayari for fucks sake!!!

"Don't struggle anymore. It will make you feel worse." He calmly said and grabbed a small device on his other hand.

My eyes, partly closed, then leaned up. Hindi gaanong maliwanag, ngunit I still saw his brown colored long hair.

His voice was quite familiar as well. Saan ko ba narinig ang boses niya?

He then started to pull my wrist. And for some reason, naramdaman ko ang pagtanggal niya ng aking combat gloves.

I felt a warm sensation over my palm as he placed each one of them on his little screen thing device.

Nang matapos na siya he then let go of me causing my face to stumble upon the cold flooring. Napabuntong hinga ako as I felt slowly losing hope for all the confusion I am having.

Tanginang buhay to!

Agad kong naramandan ang kanyng pagluhod saaking tabi. There was a short silence as I endured my head throbbing pain.

All I could think was Stella as I looked up on her mysterious painting with all my last ounces of strength.

"She will be waiting for you. Stella will be waiting for you, Vaughn." The mysterious man said as he stood beside my cold powerless body.

Radio signals over their hand-held communication devices were heard.

"The heir had been retrieved!!"

Those were the last words I clearly heard as darkness started to invade my sight.

*** To be continued

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MARIS' PREVIEW SCENE

Our calculations were perfect. No doubts, No leaks. But for some reason, life is testing us. Especially me.

Or is it just the twist of fate? Or a sabotage?

Next on 365 Project Memory: Datum 47: Conspiracies

"Its nice meeting you, Admiral Maris. Admiral Algis Clements here. I've heard a lot of things about you."

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