Waking up in a different body is one problem, but discovering that mad scientists are conducting experiments that go beyond the continuum of ethics is completely on a whole other level.
a/n: just as to not confuse anyone―the first two chapters contain flashbacks of what happened two months before heath found seraphina (na nasa katawan ni kirah). at the end of this chapter balik to present time na as well as sa succeeding chapters
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FORCE ACADEMY
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WHEN I FIRST woke up in the middle of nowhere, all of me was sore and I was covered in what felt like dried paint. There was no way to tell time as everything was covered in darkness, the only thing illuminating the forest was the sun breaking through the cracks of the trees.
Being in the forest robbed me of my sense to see and heightened the others, the first one being my sense of hearing. It was bewildering to not be able to see anything but hear as much as the quietest of sounds―the small sound of rustling bushes, crickets, the crunch from the fallen leaves beneath my feet, even the howl of the wind.
It was like I had the ears of an elephant.
The forest hums with life all around me.
I looked from left to right, contemplating where to go next. I had nothing with me; no map, no compass, no phone―but even then, the perennial darkness wouldn't even permit me to use it, and I doubt that a place like this had signal.
Hindi ko pa rin maintindihan. Ang huling alaala ko lang ay hinahanap ko si Ate Les. Iyon lang. Kaya papaanong napunta ako sa gitna ng kakahuyan?
Ilang araw rin akong nanirahan sa kakahuyan. At this point, nawawalan na ako nang pag-asa na makakaalis pa ako rito. Ngunit, isang araw, tumama sa 'kin ang ilaw. Nang lingunin ko kung saan iyon nanggaling, nakita kong lagusan iyon patungo sa labas. Dali-dali akong naglakad papunta roon at napahinga ng maluwag nang matanaw ko ang isang open field. Sa gitna no'n ay nakatayo ang isang maliit na bahay.
Hindi na ako nag-atubiling pumunta roon. Naka-ilang katok ako ngunit walang sumagot sa 'kin at nang bahagya kong itulak iyong pintuan, bumukas iyon.
"Hello?" I softly called out.
Pumasok ako at napansing punong-puno ng spider webs at dumi ang kapaligiran. Halatang inabandonada iyong bahay.
Mag-hahanap sana ako ng telepono doon o anumang bagay na maaari kong magamit upang ma-kontact si Mama o si Wayne para malaman nila kung asan ako at para na rin makaalis ako mula rito, pero natigilan ako nang sumalubong sa 'kin ang tingin ng isang babaeng pamilyar sa 'kin.
Siya iyong anak ni General Curtis―si Kirah Curtis, kung hindi ako nagkakamali.
Pero ano ang ginagawa niya rito? At bakit parang... ang haggard niyang tignan?
"Okay ka lang ba?" I absentmindedly blurted out.
Natigilan ako.
Pakiramdam ko ay tumigil ang paghinga ko kasabay ng pagtigil ng puso ko.
