Nang makapagpahinga nang kaunti ay nagpasya silang umuwi na. I told them I have to buy something at a nearby store and they let me. Walang nagtanong kung nasaan ang bahay ko o kung may sasakyan ako pauwi. Nagpaalam silang mauuna na dahil malayo pa ang uuwian.

I bid them good bye, without looking at Duke. Kahit na nararamdaman ko ang mga mata niya sa akin, I didn't throw him a glance. Pakiramdam ko'y mababasa niya ang kung anong nasa utak ko dahil sa paraan ng pagtitig niya sa akin. I don't want that to happen, and I don't want the feeling he's giving me.

It's true, though. I went to buy food supplies. Nang nasiguro kong nakalayo na ang grupo ay bumalik ako sa sasakyan at dinala iyon malapit sa pagbibilhan. I never did groceries, kaya naman panay ang tawa ni Gesa nang sinabi ko iyon pagdating sa bahay.

"I don't know you!" she exaggerated her reaction. Umirap ako at ipinagpatuloy ang pagkain. I saw her typing something on one of her devices but I didn't ask any updates about the events.

Pinanood niya akong kumain habang abala siya sa trabaho. Sometimes, I think her job is more tiring than mine. It's one thing to do physical tasks but the mental work for a whole day is just never for me. She can do what I do but I can never perform hers.

Nagpaalam kami sa isa't isa pagkatapos ng isang oras. Nagpasya akong lumabas sa gabing iyon din. I was tired from the window shopping but I suddenly felt the need to be distracted.

Sinigurado kong nakasarado ang bahay bago ko isinuot ang itim na guwantes. I breathed for few times before leaving the place. From small steps to running as fast as I could, the cold breeze of the night air hits me as I go deeper into the forest. Gamit ang ilaw mula sa buwan, tinahak ko ang daan patungo sa naisip na lugar.

Of all the places I could look for, the school captures my interest the most. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa madilim na mga silid, sa kakaibang pakiramdam, o dahil nandito ako buong araw kaya't nakasanayan na lang.

Mabilis ang aking paghinga nang mapalayo. Mula sa kinaroroonan ay nakikita ko na ang ika-apat na palapag ng gusali ng paaralan. I wasn't there yet but my timer says I'm thirty seconds late already.

Nang makabawi ay nagpasya akong tumuloy. Ngunit bago pa man makalayo ay ay nakarinig na ako ng mga yapak sa paligid. Napatigil ako at pinakiramdaman iyon. At first, I thought it was the wolves, but when I heard voices, I knew there's something going on.

Dali-dali akong umakyat sa sanga ng puno upang tingnan kung sino pa ang nasa pusod ng kagubatan sa ganitong oras. I can hear whispers not far from my spot but the sound of dancing leaves doesn't make the conversation clear to my ears.

Maya-maya pa ang napansin ko ang anino sa hindi kalayuan. There I saw two figures that seemed to be talking. Muli akong napatingin sa ibaba at nakita sa malayo ang dalawa pang pigura ng lalake malapit sa kalsada.

Nagtagal ang dalawang pigura na mas malapit sa akin. Judging by their height and stance, I can assume they are both women. I managed to read the movement of their lips through mouth-reading. Ang mga salitang kanilang binanggit ay "gabi ng camp" at "gamot".

It didn't make sense to me even though one of them already left. Tinungo nito ang daan papunta sa kalsada habang ang isa naman ay naglakad patungo sa ibang direksyon.

I was tempted to check the first one but when I heard the engine of a car, I knew the chance of going after them is impossible.

After a minute, I decided to follow the other one. I kept my distance until I saw her near the other side of the road. Palapit ito sa isang motor nang maabutan ko. Her hair is somewhat familiar to my eyes. Pilit kong inalala kung saan ko ito unang nasilayan pero walang pumapasok na imahe sa aking utak.

Tumingin muli ang babae sa paligid bago umangkas. She tied her shoulder-level hair before drawing her keys from her bag. Naningkit ang mata ko nang may mapansing pagkislap malapit sa kanyang paa. A minute after, she started her motor and drove away.

Nilapitan ko iyon nang makalayo ang babae. It was a small, glass bottle with a red liquid inside. I turned on my flashlight and saw that it somewhat resembles the red pill. Ang kaibahan nga lang ay mas makinang at mas malapot ang likidong ito.

Hindi na ako tumuloy sa eskwelahan at nagpasyang umuwi na lang. I called Gesa and few rings before she answered. Naka-pajama na ito at halatang naghahanda para sa pagtulog.

"Do you have time?" I asked her. Napatingin ako sa orasan at nakitang alas tres na ng madaling araw. Napabuntong-hininga ako, parang doon lang din naramdaman ang pagod at antok.

"I can call you again tomorrow if you want." I told her but she only shook her head. She yawned and waved her hand at me.

"I can manage. What is it?" she asked instead.

Ipinakita ko sa kanya ang bote. I told her how I got it. Maging siya ay nagtaka at namangha sa kulay nito.

"I have never seen that before. Can you recall the face of the girl?" she asked. Umiling ako. Masyadong madilim ang paligid upang mamukhaan ko siya.

"If you want, I can come and pick it, do some fingerprint scan, know who the girl is, and maybe, the laboratory department may know something about it, too." she proposed.

"Can you check it in their files?" ani ko na tinanguan niya. Pinanood ko siyang may kinalikot muli sa mga gadgets bago umiling.

"No papers from the past, nor studies in the future. That pill or liquid doesn't exist in their department." sagot niya sa akin. "They don't know you knew about it. They shouldn't know that you have it." she added in a serious tone of voice.

Ilang sandaling katahimikan ang namayani sa amin.

"I'm going to call Elen." she said and picked up her phone. Hindi na ako kumontra dahil wala na rin ako sa katinuang mag-isip. I'm just thinking of my bed and falling to sleep.

Ilang sandali pa ay narinig ko ang pagpasok ni Elen sa kanyang kwarto. The camera was placed in a way that I can see them both. Naka-uniporme pa si Elen at may bitbit na nursing chart. Bahagya itong nagulat nang mapatingin sa gawi ko.

"Assassin," aniya at bahagyang yumuko.

"I found this a while ago. Do you know what this is?" diretso kong tanong sa kanya habang itinutok ang hawak na bote sa camera upang ipakita iyon.

Hindi nakatakas sa akin ang bahagyang pagkunot ng kanyang noo habang nakatingin doon.

"Bakit... Paanong nasa iyo iyan?" naguguluhan niyang tanong. Itinabi ko ang bote at mas lalong lumapit sa camera.

"Just answer her." si Gesa ang nagsabi dahil naramdaman ang pagka-inip ko.

Umurong nang kaunti si Elen at napatingin sa kaibigan. She let out a big exhale before returning her eyes on the screen.

"I don't know anything about that." aniya na mas lalo kong ipinagtaka.

Elen trained and worked for the Headquarters since she was a kid. Mas bata siya sa akin ng dalawang taon ngunit hindi maipagkakailang isa siyang asset para sa clan. She designed most of the pills we are using and conducted numerous research for us to gain knowledge about wolves. If Gesa is the brain of the Headquarters, Elen was the prodigy on her department. She wasn't the succeeding head for nothing. Kaya imposibleng wala siyang alam kung nauna na niyang tinanong kung bakit nasa akin.

"Tell me the name," I commanded her.

Nakita ko ang pag-aalinlangan sa kanyang mukha. Sa reaksyon niyang iyon ay alam kong mataas na tao ang kanyang pwedeng tukuyin. It only made me want to know more about the whole truth.

"I told you, I don't know." sagot nito sa akin. She wrote something in her chart and showed it to me.

"Eyes and ears everywhere."

"Now, if you will excuse me, I need to attend to my duties." she said those words while still writing. She showed me the paper before leaving and I can only read what she wrote in my head.

"Bukas."

I only had three hours of sleep and I immediately disliked the day. Antok na antok ako habang papasok sa eskwalahan. Hindi ako matigil sa kakaisip kagabi at baon ko iyon hanggang paggising.

I couldn't understand a thing during the morning class. I was physically present but my mind was elsewhere. Wala sina Duke at Vil dahil nasa isang klase ayon kay Karleen. I was with her and Lara during lunch.

Napatingin ako sa katabing bintana. The afternoon is cold and the skies are gloomy. Mukhang tatamarin ulit ako sa paglabas mamayang gabi dahil sa nagbabadyang ulan.

"Two weeks from now, the annual camping will be held." Anunsyo ng aming guro sa pang-hapon na klase.

"The administration decided to change the location. Instead of having backyard camping in our campus, it was decided that this year's camping will be at Western Peaks, the highest mountain in Winston." She added while reading the papers.

Maraming natuwa sa kanyang balita. Maging si Karleen at Lara ay muling nabuhayan ng dugo nang marinig iyon. Meanwhile, I uncomfortably shifted on my seat. The teacher recited other rules and regulations and the expected activities during the survival camp.

It was the highlight of the day. Walang sumunod na klase at lahat ay nagkanya-kanyang buhay na upang magkaroon ng grupo. I was automatically paired to Karleen and then Lara which I have no problem with. Hindi ko nga lang mapangalanan ang kung anong bumabagabag sa akin.

"Sa wakas, change location na!" ani Karleen nang makalabas kami ng silid. "For sure, Duke and Vil will join us." kampante niyang dagdag.

Hindi ako umimik habang nakikisabay sa kanyang maglakad patungo sa locker room upang magsauli ng gamit. Kahit doon ay iyon ang usap-usapan. I didn't know it was a big deal to the community. Naririnig ko ang set-up ng tents at kung ano ang ibang pwedeng dalhin. I can't be as excited as them. My instincts are telling me something.

Kaya lang, napakunot ang noo ko nang makita ang isang puting rosas sa loob ng locker. Napatitig ako roon bago iyon tuluyang kinuha. The color of the rose is pure white, fresh and fragrant. Napasinghap si Karleen nang makita iyon sa kamay ko.

"May nagbigay sa iyo ng bulaklak?!" gulat niyang sambit. Tipid akong tumango. She was glad and excited, contrary to mine.

"Bakit wala kang reaksyon?" tanong niya. Nagkibit ako ng balikat at inipit na lang iyon sa kwaderno bago nagpaalam na uuwi na. She bid me a good bye hug while Lara just nodded at my direction.

Dumiretso ako sa bahay. I was about to insert my house key when I noticed that it was already unlocked. I immediately gripped my knife as I stepped inside. Suddenly, a laugh on the kitchen made me loosen my hold. Tinungo ko iyon at nakita ang isang pigurang nakatalikod sa akin.

"You trespassed into my house," komento ko kay Elen. Agad siyang napalingon at natigil sa pagtawa. Napatingin ako sa kanyang tablet at nakita roon ang pinsnan.

"I gave her a spare key to your house. Alangan namang manigas siya diyan sa labas?" tanong nito sa akin. "Ayaw pa nga na pumasok kanina pero pinilit ko na." dagdag nito.

Hindi na lang ako umimik at nagtimpla ng kape para sa sarili.

"Forgive me, Assassin." paghingi niya ng tawad. I just gave her a cold stare.

"Next time, lock the door. We're not in the Headquarters." I reminded her before walking to my room. Naligo ako at nagpalit ng damit bago siya muling kinausap. She's still on her tablet with Gesa while washing dishes. Nakita kong tapos na rin siyang magluto ng hapunan.

"Let's eat first." Aya ko na tinanguan niya. She prepared the table and food while I talked to Gesa in the living room.

"Don't be too hard on her. She's still a kid." paalala niya sa akin. Umirap ako at sumalampak sa sofa.

"You cannot blame me. Ni hindi mo ako sinabihan na ngayon ang dating niya. She told me it will be tomorrow." sagot ko.

"Surprise?" alanganin niyang bati na inilingan ko na lang. I am tempted to tell her about the white rose but I stopped myself.

Normally, to us, white roses are for death. Kung papaanong napunta iyon sa loob ng locker ko na ako lang ang may susi ay hindi ko alam. Who put it in there is even a bigger question.

"Nakikinig ka ba?" Gesa snapped me away from my thoughts. Nang hindi makasagot ay siya naman ang umirap.

"Sige na, kumain na muna kayo," aniya at tuluyang pinatay ang tawag.

Tahimik ang naging hapunan namin ni Elen. Without Gesa initiating a conversation, we can hear the crickets from outside. I cannot say we're close, but I knew we were civil as co-workers. Minsan ay nagkikita sa mga importanteng pagtitipon at nagkakasalubong lamang sa Headquarters.

Nang matapos sa pagkain ay dumiretso na ako sa kwarto upang kunin ang bote. Inilapag ko iyon sa gitna ng lamesa bago umupo. Her eyes stayed on the bottle for a minute before returning it to me.

"Spill," I told her. Imbes na magsalita ay inilabas niya ang isang makapal na kwaderno mula sa bitbit na bag. Binuklat niya iyon at inilahad sa akin. My eyes went to the old-looking notebook and saw some writings.

"This pill that you have found is a deadly one." Aniya at ipinakita sa akin ang isang pahina. May nakakabit doong litrato ng gamot na kapareho ng napulot ko. May mga nakasulat sa ibaba ng litrato at itinuro niya iyon sa akin.

"It was used to make a living thing paralyzed for a minute. Some findings say it affects the nervous system, others say it primarily attacks the heart and other organs of the digestive system," she summarized it for me.

Inilipat ko pa iyon sa ibang pahina habang patuloy siyang nagpapaliwanag.

"There are other findings, too, that it makes the consumer uncontrollable of their own body. There was never a concrete conclusion about this pill, so eventually, the research was withdrawed. Besides, all of the consumers ended up dead."

"Who are the consumers?" I asked.

"Humans, mammals, primarily, the wolves, whatever they want to try. It's so rare since it is poisonous, and it didn't exist for years already, kaya papaanong nasa sa iyo 'yan?" balik niyang tanong sa akin.

I closed the notebook and picked the bottle. Napatitig ako roon, naguguluhan sa dami ng teoryang namumuo sa sariling utak.

"Who owns this?" tanong kong muli. Humilig siya sa kanyang upuan at napabuntong-hininga. She hesitated for a minute and I cannot even blame her.

"Dr. Elfrida Alvarad designed that thing ten years ago." she answered after.

I was astounded for a minute but it does make sense. Only the Head of their department can produce something like this and never mention it to us, hunters. Kung ganoon, hindi kaya siya ang nakita ko sa gubat kagabi?

Tila nabasa ni Elen ang tanong na bumabagabag sa akin, pero maging siya ay hindi alam ang isasagot.

"One more thing," aniya pagkatapos ng ilang segundong katahimikan sa pagitan namin.

"Remember your mom?" she asked. My eyes immediately went to hers, waiting for her to speak. Anong kinalaman nito kay Ina?

"It's the same kind of substance that I found in your mother's blood when she died."