"We meet again, Chanel." The man, whom her parents abducted and was about to be their dinner, greeted her. There were too many thoughts running in her mind. Was this all planned? She saw him crying, shouting, and begging for help. But here she was, talking to him as if nothing happened. And what did he say? Nagkita na ba sila noon ng lalaking 'to?
He smiled. "But I know you won't remember, it was a long time ago. Let me introduce myself, I'm Wallace."
Tumingin lamang si Chanel sa lalaki. "Anong kailangan ninyo sa 'kin?"
Did he think she needs his name? No. Walang pakialam si Chanel kung sino man ang lalaki. All she wanted to know is what they would do to her. Would they kill her? Would they sell her? Was this a secret organization, syndicate, or like what she had guessed, an occult? Base na rin sa nakikita niya sa kanyang paligid, no doubt, isang kulto itong kumidnap sa kanya.
"Still the same as ever, Chanel. It's good to know you still got that attitude. That means you're still in the game," wika muli nito.
"Our master ordered us to get you here," dugtong nito.
"Now that I am here, my question is, anong kailangan ninyo sa 'kin?"
Ngumiti ito muli sa kanya. "How does it feel," tanong nito.
Kumunot-noo si Chanel.
"How does it feel to lose someone you loved?" Isang kompletong tanong nito. And he was smiling na mas lalong ikinairita ni Chanel. Wallace was having a good time. At natutuwa ang lahat ng mga tao sa paligid niya habang nakikita siyang nakaluhod at nakagapos ang mga kamay at paa.
Tiningnan ni Chanel si Wallace. If he'd thought na magpapakurupok siya sa harap nito, no, she won't. She would not give any of them a taste of it. And her brain was still functioning, maayos pa 'to. She won't have a mental and emotional breakdown dahil sa mga nangyari. Was this even the right time to do that? If the people around her feed for her weaknesses, would she gave them satisfaction? No, not ever, even if she dies.
So where would she hit him the most?
Let's throw it back, she thought.
"You know the answer, why bother to ask me?" She smirked.
She didn't know why these bastards kidnapped her. She didn't know why they were acting like this way. Na para bang isang malaking kasalanan ang nagawa niya sa mga ito. Na para bang siya ang kontrabida rito at hindi sila.
Nakita niya ang pagbabago ng timpla ng mukha nito. Kung kanina ay sobrang lawak pa ng ngiti nito at kung makatingin ito sa kanya ay para siyang isang hampas lupa na kayang-kaya niyang idispatya ano mang oras, ngayon ay naka simangot ito. Bakas sa mukha nito ang pagtitimpi nito ng galit.
He offended her first. She was just defending herself. At bakit siya magpapa-bully sa lalaking 'to?
"How dare you say it after you-"
"Wallace, enough." Isang babae ang nagsalita. Punong-puno ng otoridad ang boses nito kaya naman ay huminto agad ang binata sa pagsasalita bago pa man nito maipagpatuloy ang sasabihin. But for Chanel, this almost felt like her dooms day. Was it the end of the world? Was this the end of her life?
Why did everyone lie to her?
She wasn't expecting any of this. But this was where she was hurt the most, hearing her friend, Illya's, voice.
"I told you to get her here, but did I say you are allowed to talk to her?" wika nito. Tinanggal nito ang balabal sa kanyang ulo at tumingin kay Wallace na ngayon ay naka-yuko.
"I'm sorry," sagot nito.
"Dismissed." Illya waved her hand and Wallace, with the others, immediately stepped out of the room.
Tumingin sa kanya si Illya. She was not smiling. Walang bakas sa dalagang nakikita niya ang naging kaibigan niya sa loob ng ilang taon. Her cold gaze was piercing her heart. It was breaking. All of them were nothing but liars. They lied and had toyed with her. Huwad na buhay. Isang malaking kasinungalingan. If she had been living with a lie, then what was the truth? Ano ang katotohanan sa pagkatao at sa buhay niya?
As if Illya had read her mind, she explained everything to her.
"I am the leader of this group, Illya Rodriguez," pagpapakilala nito at saka ito yumuko.
"And please excuse my associates' behavior," dugtong nito.
But Chanel didn't speak. This was all too much. All of these revelations were too much for her. They came in like a wrecking ball destroying every parts of her mind. She couldn't able to keep her strong façade in front of her. She was slowly breaking. Yumuko si Chanel at doon tahimik na humikbi.
"I told you are in good hands," wika ni Illya. Walang bakas ng pagkakaibigan sa tono ng pananalita nito, as if they were complete strangers to each other.
"You don't need to worry, Chanel. We won't harm you. We're just here to do our tasks. And that is to save you from your foster parents and to get you here. Our last task is to make sure that you will safely descend."
Illya was waiting for any reactions from Chanel, but Chanel remained silent.
"If you have any questions, ask now. I'll only entertain a few questions," wika muli ni Illya.
Nanatiling nakayuko si Chanel. Illya knew right from the very beginning that she was living with monsters, yet the girl didn't do anything and just did what was instructed her to do. Be friends with her, act like it, know her secrets, and know everything about her. Those words were dancing in her mind. How foolish she was to expect more from her, but she couldn't help but ask it.
She wanted to confirm it for this matter to her the most.
"Did you ever consider me as your friend?" tanong ni Chanel.
Illya was silent for a second, but she answered.
"No, I did not."
And that completely broke her heart.
***
There was a box, it was built with lies, and Chanel was trapped in it. Sweet words and beautiful masks fooled her, yet she was happy. As the man said, she was living in a fantasy. She realized that for the past thirteen years, she was only living in a dream. Isang perpektong pamilya, isang perpektong kaibigan, at isang perpektong pamumuhay. The only hole in her perfect life was her ability. And that was the key to open the box-to her reality.
She had been living with her foster parents disguised as humans, but actually were monsters. She had been friends with Illya, but actually a leader of an occult. How terrific, she thought. How sweet her life was, their words, and their smiles were. If she could bring back the time, oh she would. She was happy back then. And right now, in her reality, where she had no one but herself, she was terribly lonely.
It had been three days since she last saw Illya. Hindi siya nito binalikan at dinalaw ni minsan. Isang babae lamang ang palaging pumapasok dito upang bigyan siya ng pagkain. At pagkatapos no'n ay lagi siyang naiiwan sa lugar na 'to, habang nakagapos ang kanyang kamay at paa at nakaluhod sa semento, nang mag-isa.
She had observed she was in the basement. Malamig ang semento at sa lugar na 'to. Kandila lamang ang nagsisilbing ilaw sa buong kuwarto. She was tired from kneeling. Sumasakit na ito pati na rin ang kanyang kamay dahil sa pagkakatali ng mahigpit sa mga ito. Though they were giving her food, her smell, it was so bad. Hindi pa siya nakakaligo tatlong araw na ang nakakalipas. Kahit na sinabi ni Illya na sila ang nagligtas sa kanya sa kamay ng mga magulang niyang mga aswang, tinatrato pa rin siyang bilanggo ng mga ito. Baka naman puwedeng paliguan muna siya o kaya naman ikulong siya sa maayos na selda?
Nakatitig si Chanel sa pintuan. Even if the orders were to save her, wala namang sinabi, kung sino man ang nag-utos sa kanila, na tratuhin siyang prinsesa. They wanted her safe, only that.
So now, she was just waiting for the final verdict.
Screw them. She was so tired. She hadn't properly slept for days. She was kneeling the whole time at nakatali pa ang kamay at paa niya. Kung saan man s'yang lugar o planeta itapon, wala na siyang pakialam pa. Hinihintay na lamang niya ang huling task na sinasabi ni Illya. And they were done, she was done.
Ngumiti siya ng mapait.
It was when she saw the ugly faces of her parents she realized that her whole life was screwed. It was when she heard Illya's answer she realized that if she had been living with a lie, it might be better to die with it. But they wouldn't let her do it. Of course, she knew they still wanted something from her.
For days she was asking herself, was this life worth it?
Would she able to continue without a guide, path, and a reason?
She had no parents ever since she was born. She had no friends either. She had no information about her true parents, her true identity, and her true self.
She was lost.
So she asked herself again, "Who am I?"
Who was she, really?
***
On the fourth day of her captivity, she saw Illya and Wallace again. Pumasok ang dalawa na sinundan pa ng iba hanggang sa mapuno ang buong kuwarto. Suot-suot nito muli ang mga itim nilang balabal sa katawan at sa ulo. Tinanggal ni Illya ang balabal sa kanyang ulo at lumapit sa kanya. Dalawang tao ang nagtanggal ng tali sa kanyang kamay at paa. Agad na tinukod ni Chanel ang kanyang palad sa semento upang maalalayan ang kanyang buong katawan. Manhid na manhid na ang kanyang binti at paa.
"Oras na," anunsyo ni Illya.
Agad na tumingala si Chanel. Nagkatinginan silang dalawa ni Illya. Chanel was expecting, for the very last time, that Illya would help her but the woman didn't. She only looked downed at her. Itinaas nito ang kanyang kamay at pumikit. She was doing various symbols using her hands until Chanel felt a wind around her. Pumalibot ito sa kanya, naaayon sa pabilog na marka. She whispered some words and chanted a spell. Chanel was confused and scared sa kung ano man ang mangyayari sa kanya. Was this how they sacrifice people to whomever or whatever they worship?
But even though she thought whatever Illya was doing was evil, her guts felt different. She couldn't sense any evilness on her magic. Yes, magic. But she had no time to be amazed because her life was at risk. Whatever was going on, sana lang ay tama ang lahat ng sinabi nila, na tama ang lahat ng mga nangyayari.
Tamang iniligtas siya ng mga ito sa mga magulang niyang aswang at tamang gawin ang bagay na ginagawa ni Illya ngayon.
You're in good hands, Illya said.
I hope you're right, Illya, Chanel answered.
Before Illya could utter the last spell, she looked at Chanel for one last time.
"May you, this time, choose what is right. We are all counting on you, even though you had endangered our lives countless times. May you have a safe journey. May you find the truth and may it set you free."
She panicked when she felt the floor trembled as if there was an earthquake.
"You are running out of time. You need to cast her down," wika ni Wallace.
Illya preceded the last spell. She cut herself and let her blood dropped on the lines of the magic circle.
"With thy old blood and power,
I open the gates of horror,
One must descend and have a journey under,
A sacrifice I present,
For the deal that had been long made.
A path to darkness,
A search for light,
May the Gods forgive me for a sin
That I shall commit tonight."
Chanel panicked when she saw the floor had cracked. Madali siyang tumayo ngunit sa bigat ng pangagatawan niya dahil sa pagod, sa pamamanhid ng kanyang paa, at sa sakit nito, paano pa siya makakatakbo palayo rito? Nakita niya ang itim na likido sa ilalim ng semento. Natulala na lamang si Chanel dito. Wala ng ibang tumatakbo pa sa kanyang isip. She knew she was going to die.
Unti-unting nasira ang semento at papalapit na ng papalapit ito sa kanya.
This was it.
She was going to die.
Nang magcrack ang sementong kanyang kinahuhuluran ay nahulog siya sa itim na likido. She resisted. She tried to move. She kicked her feet and swayed her arms. She was screaming for help, but they were just watching her. The liquid pulled her even deeper.
"Tulungan ninyo ako! Illya! Please! Illya!"
The moment she felt the liquid on her neck, she was already crying and begging for their help and her help. She was reaching for someone, but no one bothered to hold her hand.
"Illya! Please! Please! Illya!"
And they just all stared down at her.
"N-no! Illya-Someone-Illya-"
She was pulled even deeper until she could no longer shout, until it was only her hand that could be seen on the surface, until she had completely submerged....
Until they couldn't see any trace of Chanel Montez.