-Alexi-

I COULD hear how the crowd's breath halted because of their intense fight. Saglit na natigilan ang dalawang naglalaban at napatingin sa nahulog na kutsilyo. Ardizonne's reflexes worked in milliseconds, kicking the knife out of the stage before Al Capone even got it back into his hand. Realizing he was weaponless made Ardizonne grin in triumph as if he had already guaranteed to himself that he'd surely win this game. I was confident Al Capone is good at hand combat. I've seen him fighting but this man he's facing is different. Halos pareho sila ng galing.

"I'll go with Al Capone. His moves are calculated." My sight glided at Felicity.

"Yeah, but he's careless. He dropped his weapon" Coleen backfired. I feel the urge to scold them because this isn't like a cockfight where bets are laid on the table. One of them could die. But I realized that even if I do that, there's no point. I shouldn't expect them to feel scared or pity for their lives because they have seen it for the longest time they've been here. They're just the audience, after all, and they can do nothing but watch and spit some comments on how their fight should go.

The fight continued. Al Capone managed to dodge most of Ardizonne's attack but he still can't avoid the edge of opponent's blade. May pagkakataong natatamaan padin ito. I could see how Ardizonne enjoys it seeing Al Capone getting bleeding cuts from his body. And it gets him weakened. Napaatras si Al Capone nang dumausdos ang talim ng kutsilyo sa kanyang dibdib dahilan kaya dumugo ito. Bakas ang pagod sa kanyang mukha. Malapit na kumagat ang alas dose ng hating gabi kung saan matatapos na ang Mortal Combat kaya sila nalang ang huling naglalaban.

Maya maya'y nakita namin si Callista na tumakbo sa stage. Hindi siya maaaring umakyat kaya nandoon lang siya sa baba. She rested her elbows on the white ring floor, slamming it and screamed. "What are you doing, Kuya! C'mon. That's not how we, Mobs fight?! You can do better!"

She may scolding her brother but her heart fills with worry. Tears are rolling down to her cheeks. Like an old friend of mine, they become vulnerable when it comes to their loved ones. Maya maya'y may mga guard na humawak kay Callista sa magkabilang braso at hinila ito palayo sa stage. Nagpumiglas ito pero mahigpit ang pagkakahawak sa kanya. Al Capone looked at his sister. "Cali!"

"Focus on the game #137" suway sa kanya ng emcee.

Al Capone fixed his posture and raised both of his fists, turning into defense mode. Not minding his wounds. Pinaikot ni Ardizonne ang patalim sa kamay saka sumugod, mas naging agresibo ito at kung saan saan pinapadaan ang kutsilyo para lang masugatan si Al Capone sa kahit anong parte ng kanyang katawan. I agree when Felicity said his moves are calculated because even if he's losing lots of blood at the moment, he still manage to defend himself with his body strength. He punched Ardizonne with the right aim on jaw, making his head turned 90 degrees.

Mukhang sandaling nahilo si Ardizonne sa suntok na 'yon dahil napaatras ito. Ginamit 'yon na pagkakataon ni Al Capone para sunod sunod na umatake. He punched his nose, upper eye, chin and when he was about to hit his throat, Ardizonne's hand blocked his fist. Mabilis ang sumunod na pangyayari. Sa pagsalo ng kamay ni Ardizonne sa kamao ni Al Capone, ay siyang pagtarak ng kutsilyo sa tagiliran niya. He stabbed him. I covered my mouth in awe.

Blood oozed down on the floor like a faucet that carelessly forgot to turn off. I heard Callista's loudest scream echoing around the Sonkan Grounds while trying to free herself from the guards' grip. I closed my eyes as if shutting it would make any difference. Kasabay no'n ang biglang pagtulo ng luha sa aking mata.

'Don't die, Reigan'

I know he couldn't hear me but let the heavens hear my plea. I opened my eyes and looked at the timer. It may seem impossible because there are only two minutes left, but I'm still hoping. My gaze turned back to the stage. Al Capone is now struggling with the new wound on his body. Hinugot ni Ardizonne ang patalim sa kanyang tagiliran at malakas itong sinipa sa dibdib dahilan kaya bumagsak ito. The extreme pain that was inflicted on him was evident on his face. He could barely move himself. He just freshly stabbed and fell with a hard impact. His lips are barely moving, probably groaning in pain. My hand curled up on my chest, causing my shirt to wrinkle.

Mas lalo pang lumakas ang kabog ng dibdib ko.

Ardizonne took his time to see Al Capone struggling in pain with a satisfied look drawn on his face. Bumubuka ang bibig nito, indikasyon na may sinasabi ito kay Al Capone ngunit malayo kami sa stage kaya hindi namin ito naririnig. Maybe some insulting words that the villain usually say in the movies as they watch their enemy dying. Wala ng inasakyang oras si Ardizonne at lumapit na ito kay Al Capone para tapusin ang buhay nito. Nakataas ang isa niyang kamay sa ere hawak ang kutsilyo.

"Now he's gonna die," I heard Coleen mutter.

I confirmed that there would be a time when you just stopped breathing while tension was consuming you. It's happening to me now. I watched the blade making its way toward Al Capone's heart, and I thought it plunged his flesh, but we all gasped when it didn't. Gamit ang dalawang kamay ay hinawakan ni Al Capone ang kutsilyo bago pa ito maisaksak sa kanya. The blade was too close, and he was gripping it tightly to stop it, not minding whether it wound his hands. Ardizonne gritted his teeth out of anger and put more pressure on the knife so it would completely pierce his opponent's flesh.

Biglang sinipa ni Al Capone si Ardizonne sa tiyan palayo sa kanya. I don't know where did he get that remaining strength but that kick is strong enough to make Ardizonne's back slammed on the ring ropes. Tumayo si Al Capone na parang walang iniindang sakit at parang hindi naliligo sa sarili niyang dugo. Ardizonne immediately retreated himself and get ready for another attack. Tinaas niya ang kutsilyo at sumugod kay Al Capone. He expertly sway his head sideward to dodge it and held Ardizonne's palm which holds a knife and gripped it tightly, blocking the passage of the blood in his veins. Ang isang kamay naman niya ay ginamit pansakal kay Ardizonne. Pinilipit niya ang kamay nito hanggang sa mabitawan ang patalim. Now we see Ardizonne struggling to breath.

I don't know how it happened but the table turned into Al Capone's favor. Nabitawan ni Ardizonne ang kutsilyo at agad 'yong sinipa ni Al Capone palabas ng ring. Bumalik ang tingin ko sa timer. One minute left. He needs to knock down Ardizonne or else they'll get shot both. Al Capone carry his opponent like a sack of rice and slammed it on the ring. It made a loud thud as Ardizonne's back hit the hard surface. Namilipit ito sa sakit at walang inaksayang pagkakataon si Al Capone. Mabilis siyang pumaibabaw dito at paulit ulit itong pinagsusuntok.

Bawat suntok ay parang bakal na tumatama sa mukha ng kalaban. He changed in just a minute. He became different person. He's furious, pouring all his anger through those punches. It's like he's planning to smash his skull first before he actually kill him. Sa pagtunog ng timer ay siyang pagtigil ng kamao ni Al Capone sa ere. Tila 'yon ang nagpabalik sa kanya sa wisyo para itigil ang ginagawa.

Ardizonne's face was totally beaten up. I thought he was dead. His eyes were closed and I don't know if he's still breathing. Tumayo si Al Capone at muntik pa itong matumba. Sumandal ito sa ring ropes para suportahan ang sarili. Maya maya'y lumapit si Harley Quinn para idikit ang pang kuryente.

Ardizonne didn't move. The voltage didn't affect him. Napatingin ako kay Coleen para tingnan kung may bakas ng pag-aalala sa kanyang mukha. Her face was blank while staring at his brother.

"He's unconscious, but he still has a pulse," Harley Quinn stated.

That's the time we knew Ardizonne was still alive. I suddenly remember what Kaiden said.

"Trevor is his greatest friend. Hindi niya ito magawang patayin kahit marami siyang pagkakataong gawin 'yon"

Iyon ba ang dahilan kung bakit hindi niya tuluyang pinatay Ardizonne? He must still value their friendship after all even though they're enemies.

Lumapit ang emcee kay Al Capone at pinatayo ito. Pinapunta siya sa gitna at pinataas ang isa niyang kamay at malakas na sinisigaw ang..

"AL CAPONE WON!!"

The crowd clapped their hands and started to shout his name. The Mobs were screaming in victory, and some of them were crying while clapping their hands, feeling proud of their leader. This combat proved that he's not named Al Capone for nothing. I heaved a long sigh in relief and found myself smiling while clapping my hands. Hanggang sa napansin ko nalang na nakatitig sa akin si Al Capone. Despite his weakened state, he managed to smile at me. I smiled back. I thanked the heavens for hearing me out.

Natapos ang Mortal Combat at pinauwi na kami ng mga guard. I swam to the sea of crowd as they're making their way back to their dorms. Patakbo akong lumapit sa mga Mobster para kamustahin si Reigan.

"How's he?" Una kong nasalubong si Kaiden. Some Mobs are blocking my sight to see Al Capone. I just want to make sure that he's still alive.

"He's unconscious. He lost lots of blood, but he's going to be okay," Kaiden assured me. I insisted on going with them, but Kaiden strictly advised me to go back to the dorm since it was already dawn. Sa huli'y pumayag nalang ako at sumunod kina Coleen na kasaluyang naglalakad pabalik ng dorm.

"Your brother is still alive" I brought up to her before we reached our dorm building.

"I know. A devil like him is hard to die" tanging sagot ni Coleen. I don't know if she's happy about it, but I sensed it somehow put her at ease. After all, they're still siblings.

_______

After Mortal Combat, transferees had never been the same. Lumipas ang ilang araw at kakaunting tao nalang ang nakikita kong nasa labas. Halos mabibilang nalang sa daliri. Parang naging ghost town ulit itong Sonkan. Marahil pinoproseso pa nila sa kanilang utak kung anong kalakaran ang meron dito sa lugar na ito. Fear has already instilled to them. I just only feel that there are still people here when dinner time. Kahit papaano matao padin sa Dining Hall. Hanggang sa biglang inanunsyo sa amin na magkakaroon ng orientation. Pinatawag kaming lahat sa gymnasium.

Lahat ay required dumalo dahil iyon daw ang orientation bago magpasukan sa susunod na linggo. Time flies so fast. I wonder when will we get out of here. I miss home. I miss my family: my cousin, uncle, and auntie. I hope I'll see them again. I'm so distracted that I forget I have a family to go back to. I wonder if they miss me as well. I shoo away those thoughts to get back to reality. I think I'm gonna have to stress myself first at the two roommates I am with.

"Hey, Ghost Lady! I don't exactly know what you are doing there but let me remind you, isa lang ang banyo natin at hindi lang ikaw ang maliligo!"

Coleen is always calm, and she doesn't usually show her frustration, but it depends on the situation. I couldn't believe I was hearing her screaming out loud because she was getting frustrated. That's not of her. She's whacking the door and almost breaking it just to hurry the person inside the bathroom. Napabuntong hininga na lamang ako.

"C'mon, it's been two hours!" Coleen hissed.

Maya maya'y bumukas ang pinto. I couldn't help to be stiffened on my seat as I stare at her creepy smile. Her ghost presence never really fails to scare me. Para akong nakakita ng multong basa ang buhok.

"Sorry I fell asleep" she said, smiling not sounding apologetic at all. Lumabas ito ng banyo at agad na pumasok si Coleen. Padabog nitong sinara ang pinto na halos lumikha ng malakas na ingay sa buong kwarto. Coleen doesn't get grumpy like that so it's kinda new to me. Or maybe that's another character of her unlocked.

And I'm asking myself if I had to deal with these people every day when the classes resume.

Imagine you're a newbie, transferring to a boarding school, attending a welcome orientation in a wide gymnasium with thousands of students around, and making you listen to a boring speech. That's what exactly happens right now. But the difference is we're not a newbie. I don't even listen to what they're saying. Para akong nanonood sa taong nagsasalita at ang alam ko lang ay bumubuka ang bibig nito pero wala akong naririnig na boses. It's like my mind shut them off.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm so done with them," I heard Callista impatiently say on the other line.

Chad's invention seemed to work. All of us, the U-squad team, got our earpiece, and we're trying it now. It's cool because we're like agents in the movie getting a walkie-talkie in a small device.

"How many hours should we sit here?" Boses ni Shane.

"We just arrived here 20 minutes ago"

"Thought it's been three hours. We're not new anyways. Why do they need to include us here?"

"Maybe because we're still students"

"I just graduated a year ago"

"No one will graduate until we're 30"

I ignored their random chitchats. Maybe that's their way to distract themselves from boredom. They're currently introducing how Sonkan was founded. Napagtanto ko na 'yon ang dinidiscuss nila dahil sa nakaflash na pictures sa projector. The transferees around us are well-behaved. All of them were listening attentively as if having divided attention was a crime for them. Probably, they're afraid there might be a punishment if they are caught sleepy or distracted.

"Will they arrest us if we skip and get out?" Shane asked.

"They won't. They'll just shoot you" sagot ni Fare. Dumako ang tingin ko sa mga guard na nakabantay sa labas. Lahat sila ay armado.

"Can you guys stop talking for a minute? I can't get along with your noises. I could hear everything, even your breathing," Boses ni Felicity. She always complains about the noise, yet she keeps associating herself with noisy places.

"Well, Chad.." Kaiden's voice appeared on the line. "Now you know what you should develop next. Mute button"

"Before, this rule was secret but now you have to know so you won't play stupid in the future”

A familiar voice hooked my attention causing me to remove the earpiece on my ear, setting aside their noises. My eyes focused on the woman in red attire. Red Lady. Sa tuwing nagsasalita siya ay parang require na makinig ng mabuti dahil lahat ng sasabihin nito ay importante.

"If you're hoping that one day you'll be back home once you graduate, better forget about it now. This will be your home. You'll never get to see your parents again. This will be your life. You're bound to stay here forever till you die" pagkasabi niya no'n ay humakhak ito ng malakas. Iyong tawa na masakit sa tenga at nakakakilabot.

Only she was happy to deliver the news. At that moment, we started hearing cries from the people. Some hugged their roommates or friends. Some just stiffened on their seat trying to process what they heard. Some must have expected it to happen. None of them had a violent reaction like in Mortal Combat. Mukhang pinipigilan nila ang sarili kahit gusto nilang magwala at tumakbo palabas. Nadala na sila sa nangyari sa Mortal Combat.

Red Lady started to explain some of the ways to survive and to live normally which we (old citizens of Sonkan) already knew. She discussed Friday killings. Anyone can kill on Friday but keep it secret during daylight. She also mentioned the Art of Death. Players are selected randomly. And the clone thing. The image of the clones inside the glass cage flashed in my mind. It's a horrible experiment. Imitating human features. Pinakita nila sa projector screen ang itsura no'n. As we expected, they all gasped, mouths covered with their hands, eyes widened.

"I bet they might throw up when they see them in person," I heard Coleen mutter.

The orientation took long hours before it was dismissed, and we still had a long day to go. There's no scheduled task to do, so we might spend the rest of the hours of the day at the dorm. Tomorrow is Friday again and we're going back to Mr. Arellano's clinic. I was tempted to go there now but I think it's better to wait for the right time. I'm just hoping he'll give me all of the information I need.

"Where's Felicity?" Tanong ko kay Coleen dahil napansin kong hindi siya nakasunod sa amin.

"Nasa tambayan niya" sagot nito. Tumango na lamang ako dahil alam ko kung anong lugar yon. At the woods. Her sanctuary.

Dumaan muna kami sa Bob's para bumili ng lunch. Sonkan doesn't have free lunch so the only option left is the food at the Bob's. Good thing they upgraded their meal there. We had a take out and ate in the dorm. Tatlong meal ang binili namin at itinabi ito para kay Felicity. You know, ghost can be hungry too. Kasalukuyan kaming kumakain ni Coleen dito sa sala.

"Do you have other relatives aside from your brother?" Bigla kong tanong sa kanya. I've known her for months pero wala ako masyadong alam na personal na bagay sa kanya.

Saglit itong natigil sa pagkain. Marahil nagulat sa tanong ko. She stared at me for a second, undecided whether she'd answer it or avoid the topic. Instead, she chose the first category. "I have an aunt and uncle. But I don't think they want me in their lives. As I said before, Trevor and I grew up in an orphanage"

Marahan akong natawa. "I thought you're lying about that"

Nakitawa din si Coleen at sinawsaw ang pakpak ng manok sa gravy. Sumilay ang maliit na ngiti sa kanyang labi na tila inaalala ang nakaraan "That's one of the truth I mentioned. We indeed lost our parents at an early age, but we didn't get adopted by some random families. No one wanted to adopt us, so we escaped to the orphanage. Someone taught us to steal and considered it as a job to support daily needs such as school fees and rent. That's our life before we study high school here in Sonkan"

Saglit akong natahimik. I didn't expect that's how hard Coleen has been through. I can't imagine them stealing at a young age and finding ways to survive. I feel guilty that I'm hating her before. Ngayon ko napagtanto na mapalad padin pala ako dahil may pamilyang nakaantabay sa akin habang lumalaki ako. They must have experienced sleeping in the street, having nowhere to go.

"Let's not talk about that. I don't want to remember it" she said, uncomfortable. I gave her a slow nod in understanding. She grabbed a can of soda and opened it. "How about you? What's up with your family?"

Minsan lang kami magkaroon ng ganitong usapan ni Coleen mula ng namatay si Joan. Those are the times that she was distant, and it's hard to even form a conversation with her, so it's nice that we're having girls' talk at least. And I must enjoy this moment till it lasts.

**********

Thanks for reading!