Chapter 12: Chapter 12

After hearing what Wagner said, my mind became numb. I felt like listening to a theory without supporting evidence. His idea was inconceivable.

“You want me to fight you? Are you kidding me?”

I forced a laugh.

“You want me to test your strength, right? Then it’s the only measurement that I can offer and it’s more precise than any tool in this world.”

The tension slowly crawled inside my body.

Though my posture, skills, and confidence have improved, I still don’t think that I can beat him.

“What’s wrong? I thought I’ve encouraged you enough?” he said.

Frustration was evident on his face.

I clenched my fists as I looked down in shame.

“I don’t think I’m ready to fight you,” I firmly said.

“Well, you can’t go for another adventure without fighting me. Anyone can beat you up with the state of mind that you have.”

He stood up and went upstairs.

It’s eleven in the evening. I lay on the sofa and covered myself with the blanket. All I did was mourn for my undying anxiety until I fell asleep.

The next day, the smell of fried onion and garlic awakened me. I rubbed my eyes and stretched my arms. I walked towards the kitchen and saw Wagner cooking.

“What’s that smell?” I asked.

“The smell of a happy tummy,” he replied.

He sautes the chicken and garlic in oil until it turned to a light golden brown. Then, he poured cooking liquid and simmered it until the sauce was thick, coating the chicken. After ten minutes, he served it on the table.

“What’s this?” I asked out of curiosity.

I’ve never seen such a recipe before.

“It’s called adobo. It’s a Filipino dish,” he replied.

I sat down and tasted it.

“Hmm… it tastes good. Who taught you this?”

“Someone used to cook me this dish when everything was not falling apart,” he said and swallowed a spoonful with rice.

“Who’s that someone? I bet it was Stinger,” I teased.

“It’s a person who shall not be named.”

I know that it’s Stinger because he was his closest friend, or the only friend he had. Stinger mentioned he has the genes of a Filipino in his blood. It’s enough evidence to support my claim.

After digesting the delicious food in our stomachs, Wagner led me to another room. It was empty and I could only see a carpet at the center.

“What are we doing here?” I asked.

“To test your abilities,” he replied.

We walked toward the center.

“Are we going to fight? I told you I can’t do it.”

“I don’t care, Kylo. Do it or you’ll never get out of this room. I locked the doors so there’s no turning back.”

I looked at him in disbelief.

“I said I can’t– “

Before I could finish my sentence, his fist landed on my face.

“Aww!”

I touched my nose, and I saw blood.

“Why did you—“

Again, I wasn’t able to talk because he punched my stomach.

“Are you crazy—“

He kicked my chest, and I fell on the floor.

He stood in front of me and showed me his deadly stare.

“Keep talking until I break all of your bones,” he said.

“But this is your body. You can’t do this to me,” I said with heavy breathing.

“Yes, I can. Now stand up before I steal your remaining oxygen.”

My body ached in pain that I struggled to stand up.

“Okay. Lesson one, study your opponent,” he said.

“Study? Are you serious? Do I have time for that?”

“Observe my strike. Which one hurts the most? My left hook, right hook, uppercut, or kicks?”

“Everything hurts.”

“Will you level up your senses? Or should I do it again?”

“No! Your kick hurts the most.”

“Then you have to avoid the strike that hurts the most. Don’t give me the chance to do it again. Got it?”

I nodded. He positioned his arms and focused on me. We were like those guys in a boxing match.

He continued to punch me, but all I did was defend myself. I didn’t let him distance himself because I noticed that that’s when he’s going to aim for a kick.

“Now, try to attack me. This defending scenario bores me. Punch me hard, will you?” he said.

I gulped.

I did what he told me.

“That’s it? Girl, you’re so weak. You didn’t hurt me, not even an inch,” he smirked.

The jerk was pissing me off.

I threw multiple punches on his body that he ended up covering his face with his hands.

“So that’s the key. You have to get mad at me for you to gather your strength. It’s not a bad thing, but your strikes were everywhere. You lose control.”

“But I hurt you,” I grinned.

“Just a little, it’s like an ant bite.”

My blood boiled that I want to cut his tongue so he can no longer brag.

We continued the fight for three hours until he knocked me down. He threw me a flying kick.

“Lesson five, endurance. When the opponent gets tired, do the trick. Hit him with your best shot,” he said.

He laid his hand at me and helped me stand up.

“So the fight is over?”

“Our fight is over, but your battle with yourself isn’t.”

We drank the bottle of water and slumped on the floor.

“We have a long way to go,” he said as we stared at the ceiling.

“By the way, don’t you think IIF will be here in no time since you killed their men?” I asked.

“Yup. They’ll be here tomorrow.”

My eyes widened.

“Tomorrow?! And you’re chill about it?”

“There’s nothing to be scared about.”

“Are you going to kill them? Or are we going to escape?”

“We are going to have an adventure.”

I smiled.

“That makes sense. So what’s the plan?”

We sat down for a moment.

“Well, there’s a boat outside. We can cross the sea and let the wind take us somewhere safe.”

“We are traveling without a route? Are you nuts?” I said in skepticism.

“That’s why it’s an adventure. Isn’t it exciting?”

“Exciting my foot. We’re going to be a snack for the sharks.”

“You’re so negative. There might be something cool that awaits us.”

“This isn’t Narnia. Nothing cool will happen.”

“Wait… shh.”

He pressed his finger on his lips to silence me.

“I think they’re here,” he whispered.

I couldn’t hear or feel any footsteps.

“It’s too early for them to be here,” he added.

We kept quiet for a minute.

“Listen. My guns are under my bed. We have to get in there so we could shower them with bullets. The moment we step out of this room, they’ll be chasing us and catch us dead or alive. This is your chance to kill someone. Got that?” he whispered.

I nodded. We tiptoed toward the door without making a noise.

“Ready… in one, two, three!”

We ran as fast as we could as we went out. He was right; they were waiting for us outside and they aimed their guns at our head. It was almost impossible to avoid their shots. It was a complete massacre.

I crawled toward the kitchen and grabbed a knife. I held it closer to my chest as I hid in the corner.

My heart was throbbing. There was silence while they search for us.

A man slowly entered the kitchen while pointing his gun side by side. I aimed the knife at his head and struck him.

I almost broke down when I saw the blood coming out of his head. It scattered on the floor like a fountain. I vomited after looking at such a view and my knees were trembling.

I slapped my face to wake up from a nightmare. I have to get a grip of myself.

I grabbed the rifle from his hands. They shot me everywhere as I tried to go upstairs. These assassins were merciless. They’re like robots that were programmed to kill their target.

“Don’t be a snail, you dumbass!” Wagner shouted.

The assassins diverted their attention to him, that’s when I had the chance to shoot them.

“Ah!” I yelled while showering them with bullets.

I played the rifle side by side like a crazy kid who held a real gun for the first time. The only difference was that I wasn’t in a virtual world and the blood that scattered all over the floor was real, as real as my feelings for Treyton.

“Damn you stupid jerks!” I hissed.

It wasn’t a war where I could raise a white flag as a sign of surrender. There’s no medical team to help me in times of bloodshed.

I felt the stinging sensation in my stomach. That’s when my world slowed down. I looked at my wound and saw my blood dripping.

It wasn’t a movie where the director could cut the scene and everything would be over. It was a crime scene, and soon they’ll cover my lifeless body with a white cloth.

“Wagner! I’m dying!” I yelled as I looked at the blood in my hands.

I was shaking, not in fear but in triumph, for I have killed many assassins before I join Osca in heaven.

I crawled nearer to Wagner’s room. I wanted to see his face for the last time and say my last words.

“You will not die, kid. They are!” Wagner yelled.

“Cover your ears!” he added.

After a few seconds, something flew down into the living room. A massive explosion followed.

Are you familiar with the sound of death at a hospital? When a machine beeps during a flat line? That’s all I could hear after the explosion.

I went deaf for a minute and my vision was blurry. I got suffocated by the smoke until it tightly shut my eyes.

I found myself drowning. My body was sinking in the sea. I tried to reach the surface, hoping that someone would save me.

The sea was cold and calm. There I found comfort as I grieved for my death.

I closed my eyes and imagined my Mom. This won’t hurt much because I’ll be seeing my dad. I imagined my mother’s innocent face, naïve of what’s going on with my life. Not knowing that her daughter was suffering for being a good person.

I replayed the life I didn’t choose to live and how I responded to it. My memories of devastation after dad died came back. I wondered what crime I committed in my past life that my punishment was severe.

I felt the hands that caught my body from falling deeper.

I opened my eyes and saw the same face that I was expecting.

My guardian angel has arrived to lift me up from my misery. The rays of lights were focused on us like I was baptized once again. I touched his handsome face and smile.

“Beautiful,” I thought.

Just when we were about to reach the surface, something pulled me down. I could feel its sharp claws in my body. It’s grabbing me away from Osca.

The creature’s rough fingers crawled to my neck. Osca and I tried to reach for each other, but the entity was so strong that I went deeper.

“Come find me,” it whispered with a horrifying voice like a witch.

I tried to loosen its grip on my neck, but it suffocated me till I lose my energy and Osca was nowhere to be seen.

“Kylo!”

A voice awakened me from a nightmare.

“Aww,” Wagner ached in pain as my forehead bumped into his.

“W-what happened?” I asked.

“Don’t fucking move. I have removed the bullet from your stomach. It went through your ribs,” he said while massaging his forehead.

“You’re a surgeon now?”

“I told you, I’m perfect.”

“You should’ve let me die,” I said in a bitter tone.

His face turned into a father who’s about to scold his daughter.

“You know what? This is why I hate having a partner. Look at yourself, you’re a burden. Aside from being a slowpoke, you’re not grateful that I saved your life. Once you fail, you felt doomed. What kind of mindset is that, huh? Fuck, I can’t believe you love being a loser.”

I wrote anger on his face.

“Listen, if you want to go to a mental institution for your cracked head, go there yourself. Don’t drag me because it’s not a place for me to stay. I told you, I can’t tolerate your shit. You know that I’m a ticking bomb and patience is the only virtue I don’t have.”

There was a moment of silence after his sermon. I was about to cry when I saw someone behind him.

“Don’t move. Raise your hands.”

The remaining assassin pointed his gun at Wagner’s head. We looked at each other in shock.