Jay-Jay's POV
I'm sweating. My pulse is racing, and my wrists ache from how tightly they've been bound.
That Judas never spoke to me again. He only used the word hapon when talking to his companions. Thankfully, my friends picked up on it and stayed silent.
Ryosuke Sato!
That's his name. His friends call him Ryo, but I prefer Gunggong.
Annoying! I can't think of anything to do because they might take pity on Mica. Maybe they'll be the best at it. I can't even speak freely because he might not like what I have to say.
"You!" Gunggong said, pointing at Ella. "...Why are you looking at me like that?"
It's obvious that he's struggling to speak English. I looked at Ella, who was staring daggers at Sato. I wanted to slap my forehead at the situation. She's not even speaking, yet her glare says it all.
Go ahead... Nice move.
"Because I don't understand—"
Sato quickly cut her off. "You don't have to."
I couldn't help but be curious. There's so much that needs to be understood.
"Why are they here? You only need me, right?"
He looked at me. "Yes, but things didn't go as planned because of Jason."
Friday the 13th?
The guy we fought at the gotohan. The one with the nice motorcycle. Is he still alive?
"...What I really want is Keifer, Yuri, and their gang," he added.
Gang? Who? The snakes? Those guys aren't a real gang. They just act like one. And another thing! Their King is gone. Why do we have to wait for him to come back? Jusme! HVIS might graduate an entire batch before that guy even shows up.
"Maybe you shouldn't involve them in this? They'll come even if you only have me," I said in a calm, conversational tone.
"Oh? So you want to be the hero?" Freya scoffed.
"What an idiot," Ella whispered, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Even though Ella and I aren't exactly on good terms right now... I have to agree with her.
"What?!" Freya asked angrily.
"Actually, I agree with her," Honey said, still referring to what Freya had said. "...The former because you're the only one who will be saved. You're the only hero."
"Another idiot," Rakki muttered, sounding exhausted.
I wanted to bang my head against the wall because of the stupidity of these two. I'm already working on a way to get them out of here, and this is what they have in mind?
Wow... Just wow.
"Urusai!" (Shut up!) Gunggong shouted at us.
"WHAT?!" Freya and Honey exclaimed in unison.
Sato was caught off guard. "I said 'shut up.'"
We all nodded at the same time. The others fell silent as Gunggong turned his back to us for a moment and whispered something to his companion.
The person he spoke to pulled something out of his pocket—a cellphone. I stared at it because it looked familiar. The casing...
Shit! That's Aries' cellphone.
"How did that end up with you?!" I demanded, still staring at the phone.
"I knew it!" Ella exclaimed, attempting to stand up, but a man quickly pushed her back down by the shoulder. "...Are you with him? Is he here too? What did you do to Aries?!"
Fear crept into me. I didn't understand what was happening. The only thought running through my mind was that Aries had lost his phone again. But what was Ella saying?
"Wait... Aries isn't at school?" I asked, trying to stay calm, though fear laced my voice.
"We were with him, helping him look for his phone. We got separated for a while, and when we came back, we saw you." Mica explained.
No... Please, no!
I turned to Sato. "Is he here?!"
He smiled mockingly, raising two fingers as a signal to his men. My heart pounded violently, like a horse galloping at full speed.
A moment later, they dragged a man into the room. He was wearing a uniform, and a black bag covered his head. Another man pulled up a chair, forcing the captive to sit down. As soon as he was seated, Sato ripped off the black bag.
My stomach dropped.
"ARIES!" Ella and I screamed at the same time.
He looked disoriented, like a sleep-deprived gamer who had spent too many nights in front of a screen. Aries blinked blearily at us, and realization dawned in his eyes.
"J-Jay? Ella? What the hell?!" he exclaimed, noticing that his hands were tied.
He struggled against the restraints, but it was useless.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?!" I yelled furiously.
Damn it! Do they have no shame?!
"Shut up, Jay!" Aries snapped at me.
"WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DRAG THEM INTO THIS?!" I shouted, but before I could finish, Sato suddenly slapped me.
Ella and the others gasped in shock.
"FUCK YOU! DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH MY SISTER!" Aries roared, his fury blazing.
If the man behind me hadn't been holding my shoulders, I would have collapsed straight to the floor. The pain burned through me, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
Damn it! I'll make you pay for that later!
I forced my eyes open, noticing that each of us had a man standing behind us, gripping our arms to keep us from moving.
"Too noisy," Sato muttered as he stepped closer to me.
The man behind me yanked my head back by my hair, forcing me to look up.
"I don't like noisy people," Sato said before suddenly punching me in the stomach.
Bastard!
The moment he let go, I crumpled to the floor, gasping in pain. Aries thrashed against his bindings, shouting furiously.
"FACE ME, YOU COWARD!" he yelled, but Sato only laughed.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I writhed on the cold floor, unable to clutch my aching stomach because of the restraints.
A man stood me up again and pushed me back into my seat. I caught my breath as the Gunggong faced me once more.
"You are pure! I'll miss you too!"
"Listen to me," he said, pulling out a cellphone. "Call Yuri. Tell him to get here as soon as possible. Your life is in danger—bring his gang, and of course... Keifer."
"Don't listen to him," Aries said.
Sato snapped his fingers and pointed at Aries. Immediately, another man punched him. I almost ran to help, but the crazed Gunggong's stare froze me in place.
"You will do as I say, or..." He pointed at Ella. "...I will hurt them next."
"Do what he says!" Freya shouted.
"Stop!" Rakki yelled. "...who knows what he'll do to Ci—"
"T—Rakki is right. They might not be able to handle Calix. There could be more enemies than we expect," Mica added.
"What the hell?! Why not call the police instead? They can't handle this lunatic," Honey said, annoyed.
"Shut up! Let Jay-Jay decide," Ella said, her concern for Aries evident.
I looked at all of them. I knew they couldn't handle whatever Sato had planned. They weren't as strong as me. But if I called Yuri, maybe they could work together. Maybe Sato had more people than we thought.
Thank you! Come what may!
"I'll do it," I told Sato.
He smirked and pressed the call button. The phone was on loudspeaker, and the ringing filled the room. Just as the call connected, I brought the phone to my mouth.
["Hello? Who is this?"] It was Yuri's voice.
"Y-Yuri."
["Jay? What happened? Where are you?"]
I glanced at Sato, who was clearly waiting for my response.
"Yuri..." I took a deep breath. "...there are a lot of them. They're inside—I don't know how many are outside. Bring backup—"
Before I could finish, Sato snatched the phone away and slapped me hard across the face. I nearly fell, but someone caught me from behind. Seeing my chance, I spat right in his face. His cheek was still red from his previous two slaps.
Maybe it's time to return the favor—to even the score!
The Gunggong glared at me, wiping his face with his palm before handing the phone to one of his men.
"Send them our location and get ready," he ordered, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Fuzakeruna!" (Don't mess with me!) he shouted.
"Fuzang mother you are!" I mimicked his tone mockingly.
He understood my insult immediately, and that was the last straw—his patience snapped. Without warning, he grabbed me by the throat.
"LET GO OF JAY-JAY!" Aries shouted.
I could hear Mica yelling too, but I couldn't focus. My vision blurred as my breath tightened.
"Jigoku he ike!" (Go to hell!) he roared in my face.
Go ahead! Insult me all you want!
The darkness closed in just as he let go. I bent forward, gasping and coughing, my tears stinging the corners of my eyes.
"I am so eager to kill you!" he spat before turning away.
"S-Sato," I called weakly, barely finding my voice.
He turned back, and I glared at him with pure hatred.
"...Just wait until I get out of here. I'll make you pay," I threatened.
But he only laughed before walking out the door, his men following. The ones holding us let go and disappeared until only two remained.
"Jay..." Aries called.
I turned to him and forced a smile. "I-I'm fine."
"They're coming, aren't they?" Honey asked.
"What if they can't be the enemy?" Mica asked worriedly. "...Then what are we?"
"They can! I know they can!" I answered, even though I wasn't entirely sure.
I wanted to cry. I really thought I was going to run out of breath. I could see it in his eyes—he wanted to keep going. But I couldn't. Not in front of them. I had to be strong because if I broke down, I would give up.
Where are they? What are we? They will come, I know. But will he come?
"Who was that man earlier?" Rakki asked. "...What does he want from us?"
Aries and I exchanged glances. He hesitated, unsure whether to answer Rakki's question. Maybe they wouldn't react well once they found out I was really his target.
"I remember him," Ella suddenly said. "...I saw him talking to Yuri before."
"He said he needs Yuri, Keifer, and the Gang," Freya added. "...They have a Gang?"
"Section E is the Gang he's referring to," I explained.
"Is that why we're here? Because he knows we're connected to Section E?" Mica asked.
Could that be it?
I had only just considered that possibility myself. Maybe he didn't take Mica and the others just because of me. Unless he had been closely monitoring my every move—or perhaps even the movements of the Snakes.
"Why me too? And Aries?" Mica asked, looking at us. "...And Rakki? He's not even close to Section E."
"Me as well," Freya added. "...I don't remember having any connection with them. Maybe with Yuri and Keifer, but that was... a very long time ago."
Did that mean they really got caught because of me? If so, this was my fault. It was my fault they were here.
"Whatever the reason is, I'm sure that man is insane," Rakki said, her eyes fixed on the door the lunatic had walked through. "...You saw what he did to Jay-Jay."
"So what now? Are we really just going to sit here and wait for Section E?" Honey asked irritably.
"Pray," Aries replied. "...Pray they come with Keifer."
I looked at Honey. "You were with him. Do you think he'll make it?"
"I don't know," she answered, looking away.
"You don't know?"
"I said, I don't know! There's no way to contact him! The only one who could reach him is Keigan, but that's impossible—Keigan is blocking all of Keifer's connections here in the Philippines."
Her explanation made the others turn to look at her.
"I... I don't understand," I said, shaking my head.
Honey let out a deep breath. "Keifer needs to fix himself. He has no space or time for distractions because his relatives refuse to give him his inheritance. Keigan is making sure he has all the time in the world to focus, so he cut all his connections—"
I interrupted her immediately. "Wait, wait, wait! Cut off? But he can still talk to the other Serpents! He even talked to Horos—Aries!"
"Duh!" Honey scoffed. "He has his ways."
Whew… That was his banking motto.
I was completely confused until an image of him on his birthday flashed in my mind—the one sent by Gagang Baliw.
If he really had no connection with us anymore, then how was he the same person who texted me? My textmate always seemed to be having fun. He could only talk sometimes, but still...
Silence filled the room. For the first time, I realized how maddening the quiet could be. I tried to untie my hands, but every movement only made the pain worse.
So frustrating! My mind was blank.
I looked at Aries, who was already looking at me. There was worry in his eyes. I wanted to ask if he had a plan, but the two men from Sato'ng Gunggong were watching us closely.
"It's so hot in here! Don't you have air conditioning?!" Freya complained sarcastically.
We held our breath. She's actually more concerned about the temperature than her own life. The two men barely reacted. They glanced at him briefly before turning back to their conversation.
"He's deaf-deaf! He's not even handsome." Freya said.
"Can you please shut the fuck up?!" Honey said, annoyed.
There they go again!
If this is what I have to hear, I'd rather stay quiet—even if it drives me crazy. They're still fighting. Our guards and Rakki's guards don't even try to stop them anymore. Looks like they're tired of being caught in the middle.
I think we've been fooling around for half an hour, just waiting for something to happen, when Sato'ng Gunggong suddenly entered. He was still smiling—his teeth practically blinding.
Don't sing! Don't sing!
"He's here," he said, looking behind us.
I and the others did the same. The rotting wooden door creaked open, spitting out the person Sato had been waiting for. Two of his men followed behind him. He walked toward us, his eyes locking onto mine.
"Y-Yuri..." I almost whispered.
He smiled at me briefly before stopping in front of Gunggong.
"Let them go now," Yuri ordered seriously.
Sato laughed out loud. "No!" he suddenly shouted. "...I said you, Keifer, and your gang."
He was still trying to track down the Serpents and their King.
"Keifer is busy, and we don't have a gang. We call them friends," Yuri clarified.
They actually consider those snakes friends. How ridiculous.
"Then where are they?!" Sato didn't get to finish his sentence because something suddenly crashed down from the ceiling behind us.
We all turned around. The thin, termite-infested plywood had collapsed, and from it, a small figure gradually stood up, brushing off his clothes. I glanced at Yuri, who slapped his forehead. He looked frustrated.
"Why is that wood so soft?" the small person—more like a brat—grumbled.
"Wha—N?" Ella stammered.
He turned to us with an innocent expression, then grinned at me and Yuri.
"Torplise!" he exclaimed, raising both hands.
"Get him!" Sato shouted, but before they could move, we heard a commotion outside.
"Someone broke in!" a voice screamed.
I looked at Yuri. He has backup! He's not alone! Before I could react, someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me away.
Yuri tried to run after me, but Sato's men blocked his way. I heard Aries yell my name. Everything was happening too fast.
"Where do we take her?" the man behind me asked.
I looked ahead at the others—they were rushing forward.
"Get the car!" Sato ordered.
A car? They're taking me away!
I struggled against the man holding me, but as they walked faster, I lost my footing and fell to the ground. I heard Sato's voice barking orders. Some of the others were laughing—I recognized their voices.
Suddenly, someone yanked my hair and pulled me up. I screamed in pain. Even though my hair was thick, it wasn't enough to support my whole body.
"Come with me, puta!" he kept shouting.
All I could do was kick and thrash. Tears streamed down my face from the pain. I hated this helpless feeling—I hated not being able to fight back. Just wait! Once I get stronger, I'll make you regret this!
I went limp, realizing I couldn't break free like this. For a moment, I thought he was giving up, but then— A sharp kick slammed into my back.
Since my hands were tied behind me, I had no way to cushion the impact. That was the first thing that hit the ground.
"Arghhh! Fuck!" I screamed in pain.
He wasn't done yet. He struck me with a hard object. I immediately curled up, shielding my face and chest—his next targets.
"Enough! ENOUGH!" Iscreamed desperately.
He finally stopped, but not before landing several blows on my shoulders, arms, thighs, and legs. I wanted to scream, to sob from the unbearable pain. My body refused to move. Am I going to die like this?
But I was wrong.
I heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.
"Go to hell now"
Someone… please… help.