Chapter 11
Opening Ceremony
"Nervous, princess?" tanong ni Kaoru.
"Of course, I am. Sino ba namang hindi?"
"Sinong hindi kinakabahan? Ayon, oh. 'Yung dalawang lalake sa magkabilang dulo. Mukhang natutuwa pa sila sa nangyayari."
Napatingin ako sa tinutukoy ni Kaoru. "Sino? Si Xaniel at Van?"
"Wow, princess! You got it right!" he says in a mocking tone.
"I'm not in the mood to play with you, Kaoru," I say with a hint of annoyance.
"Scary, C. I'm fine with Scary C. Scary C is hot too."
Bigla siyang umayos ng upo at ngumiti nang tignan ko siya ng masama.
"We're here," sabi ni TS ng nakangiti. Isa isa kaming lumabas ng limo at napatingin ako sa kinatatayuan ko. "Everyone get up. Any form of vehicle is no longer allowed starting from this point. We have a long way to run."
In front of us is a big gate that could be ten trucks wide. Over the gate appears to be a very long and unbelievably wide pathway. I get it. By saying we have a long way to run means we literally have a long way to run.
"Start running, kids. We only have nine minutes left before the ceremony starts. Make sure your earpiece is intact."
Run.
That's all we did and still, I can't see anything coming up. It's like we're running to some place that doesn't even exist. If what TS said was true, that vehicles aren't allowed from this point onwards, then I expect that it's not just us who are running in this pathway. There must be other chosen twelves too.
I didn't keep track of time so I don't know how long it took us to get in front of this building which TS called Division Arena.
"This is sick," rinig kong sabi ni Van.
I have to agree. This is really sick. Masyadong malaki ang arena na 'to kaysa sa mga normal na arena na nakikita ko rito sa Pilipinas. We're talking about thousands of possible chosen twelves but still, this arena is ridiculously enormous. Bakit hindi binabalita sa TV 'to?
"Where's the entrance?" Lucienne asks.
"Right there," TS replies. Our eyes went out of our sockets.
"What?" Kaoru says in confusion. "Napakalaki ng arena na 'to tapos ganyan lang kaliit ang entrance? Wait lang TS, ha? Nag-dadalawang isip kasi ako kung paniniwalaan ko pa ba 'tong Di Com na 'to, e. I mean—this is shit, right? There's a freaking huge arena in front of us and now this tiny metal door is the entrance? Hilarious!"
I hate to admit it but he's kind of right. Except for the part that he nicknamed Division's Competition into Di Com. And to make it more entertaining, he pronounced Di as in Daimon.
Ugh. Bakit ko siya iniisip?
"Stop complaining, Kaoru," TS says. "You'll never know what things the Administration can come up with. This is an example. Hidden behind that door lies the start of the competition we can't afford to lose. We certainly can't afford to lose."
There's something about the way she said the last sentence. Parang may gumugulo sa isipan niya noong oras na sinabi niya 'yon. As to why is beyond me.
Isa-isa kaming pumasok sa sinabi ni TS na entrance sa Division Arena. Nagstart kay Number One na si Cenon at ngayon ay turn ko na na dumaan sa pintuan.
"Innovative device required," says a mechanical voice similar to Rina and I have no idea where it's coming from.
Nilabas ko ang ID ko at bigla nalang lumutang sa ere si Rina. Mula kay Rina ay nagkaroon ng liwanag na kulay pula na para bang inii-scan ako. Nang matapos 'yon ay lumipad papunta sa bakal na pintuan si Rina at bumukas ang pintuan. Hindi mawala sa itsura ko ang pagka-mangha.
"Scan complete. You can now enter the arena," sabi ng boses na narinig ko kanina.
I'll never get tired of these things.
Nang tignan ko ang pintuan kung saan ako papasok, bigla akong nakaramdam ng kaba. Bakit ganito? Bakit sobrang dilim sa kabilang dako ng pintuan na 'to? Halos wala akong maaninag na kahit ano.
Inipon ko ang lakas ng loob ko para magawang dumaan sa pintuan pero bigla ring nawala ang lakas na 'yon nang makarating na ako sa loob. Wala akong narinig na pagsara ng pintuan. Sinubukan kong hanapin 'yung pinto kanina pero masyado nang madilim. Wala akong makita.
Para akong isang liwanag na tuluyan nang kinain ng dilim.
Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas at muli akong nakarinig ng isang boses. This it's no longer mechanical.
"Welcome chosen twelves," sabi nito. "This year's Opening Ceremony shall begin in a few minutes right after I explain the mechanics of today's event. Thousands of chosen twelves came here to be eliminated. Only twenty groups of students will remain and that is if you solve this puzzle.
"Each of you is placed on a maze different from your fellow chosen twelve," pagpapaliwanag ng boses na naririnig ko. "Every chosen twelve have similar mazes. The first twenty chosen twelves that will get out of the maze all together would proceed to Level 1.
"As you solve your way out of the maze, keep this short sentence in mind," it says. "You have to be on top to find your way down. Goodluck everyone. The ceremony starts now."
Maze.
Ang Opening Ceremony ay isang maze.
Kung totoo ngang lahat kami nasa kani-kanya naming maze, dapat mayroong kahit anong pader na magsisilbing tulong sa dapat kong daanan. Pero bakit wala?
And why is it so freaking dark?
I keep on walking and walking, then I started running... but there aren't any walls.
How am I supposed to get out of a maze if I'm not inside one?