Chapter 2: Live, Doubt & Trust
Am I still alive? Did the killer kill me?
I woke up. I am still alive. I am still breathing. I am in that room. That pure white room. Why am I here? Did the killer bring me here or is “that” just a dream?
When I looked at my wristwatch, it was already 9 A.M. when I woke up. I hurriedly ran outside. Surprisingly no one was outside that time. I came to look for the room of mysteries but-
“Where is it?”
-there is nothing. It is just a wall. I tried doing several techniques thinking that it has a secret door but nothing happened.
I heard footsteps so I stopped bothering myself to the wall to avoid confusion and doubt. A girl showed up. With her posture and expression, you can tell that she is a shy girl. Besides her is a guy with a sword on his back who looked like a leader to me.
“So, you are awake,” the guy said calmly.
“This girl told me that she saw you running so she came to me and told the situation,” he added.
“I’m sorry for running around. I just don’t feel too comfortable. I don’t know what you’ll do to me. After all, I found myself lying on a bed I do not own. By the way where is this?”
“This is the Black Jack’s base,” said by another guy who suddenly showed up in the middle of our conversation. There is no mistaking it. This guy is their real leader. The aura he gives me is intimidating.
“Black Jack? What is that?”
“The Black Jack is-“
The guy with the sword interrupted, “Why don’t we introduce ourselves first before explaining everything?”
“Seems fine to me.”
“How about you, leader?”
He nodded.
* * * * * * * * * *
We gathered at the living room. The guy with the sword showed me around the place while waiting for others to come. We are now complete. We formed a circle then it started.
The guy with the sword initiated the introduction.
“Let’s start the introduction!”
“But I want to ask him a lot of questions,” a girl who wears a headset said.
“You can save them for later.”
“Ok,” the girl with the headset agreed.
“So, let me start it. I am Fellal Blame. You can call me Lal for short. You can always count on me. Buhi!”
“…”
There was an awkward silence after he ended introducing himself. Lal created a way to remove us from this situation.
“Eh. Why did no one follow my wonderful intro? I see… you guys are shy with our guest.”
“Wha-!,” a girl in blue said so.
“Since you reacted, you introduce yourself Mary.”
“Jeez, I just don’t want you to misunderstand. Well, anyway, as that useless guy said, I am Mary. Mary Luckborg. Just don’t bother me too much but you can ask me questions sometimes… maybe?”
“Heh~ Are you the tsundere*-type Mary?”
“Shut up, do you want me to smack you?!”
She smacked him after asking.
“GAH! Why’d ya smack me?”
She glared at him like she’s telling him to die.
“I’m sorry ma’am, please forgive me for what I have done.”
“No, I won’t forgive you.”
“So harsh.”
“You still saying something!?”
“HEEEEE! NO MAAM!”
“By the way, let’s continue. Hana, you proceed.”
“Eh sister? Why me?,” the shy girl asked. Mary didn’t answer her though.
“Well, uhm, you see, ahh, we-we are si-sisters. I don’t mean us but I am talking about Mary hehe. Stupid, why would I think that.”
She starts talking to herself all of a sudden.
“I am Ha-Hana Luckborg. Nice to meet you.”
“I guess I’ll introduce myself next. I got bored with your chit chat.”
A girly voice suddenly popped out. I looked around to find her. I can’t see her. Is she invisible?
“How rude of you, don’t you have manners?”
“Eh a young girl?”
A girl who is as small as a grade schooler and those stuff toys… Why’s a child here?
“Yes, I may be young but, in our situation, I am the senior. I am more knowledgeable than you.”
“I’m sorry.”
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“I am Sanae Wizmith. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
With that, her introduction ended.
“I have a suggestion,” a man with a full black uniform stated.
“What is it?,” Lal asked.
“Why don’t we just tell him our names then proceed?”
“It’s not a bad idea.”
“We are just wasting time.”
“Okay then let’s go with that.”
After that, everyone who hasn’t introduced themselves has told their names.
Ravi Helms, or Ravi for short, the man with a full black uniform. He seems to be the right arm of the leader.
Davis Frowne, or Dabbi for short, the man who has a pineapple head. He seems to be friendly and the comedian type.
Geneva Hugo, or Eva for short, the secretary of the leader. She keeps talking with Dabbi while the others are introducing themselves.
Shizuka Yamamoto, or Shizuka for short, a silent girl who only talks when she wants to or so she said. She likes to be alone and doesn’t like to be bothered.
And lastly, Hiao Jazzmuck, the leader of Black Jack. A mysterious and an intimidating man, indeed.
And now, it’s my turn.
“Before I’ll start, I want to ask you a question. Why are you so considerate of me denying the fact that I am a guest or so you said?”
The leader responded immediately.
“I’ll be blunt. You must join Black Jack. You can’t refuse.”
“Why?”
“Introduce yourself first before asking a lot of questions.”
“Okay. I am Marco Brande. My information about the “Under the Shadow” is low. I can’t help you with the things you do. Killing monsters is it?”
“You’ll learn how to kill them in no time.”
“How?... Never mind that, just tell me what these monsters are.”
“I still doubt you for not knowing anything.”
“If you don’t trust me, then how can I trust you?”
“There’s no way you can trust a person you only met.”
“Then there’s no direction to this conversation.”
“Hey, hey, hey. Keep your cool, Leader and Marco. This is not the time to be fighting,” Lal said to calm the situation.
“THEN THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO DO THIS! ONE OF YOUR COMRADES DIED YESTERDAY! TO DO SUCH NONSENSICAL THINGS IS SUCH A-“
“JUST WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!!”
Everyone was shocked when I burst out but they were more shocked when Lal shouted in anger.
Lal, with his teary eyes, looked up to me and said, “I’m sorry.” Then, he walked out.
“Just as Lal said, you don’t know anything. About UTS, those monsters, how to kill them, and specially our feelings,” the leader stated.
“We tried to keep our emotions but we can’t. Last night, we were crying. I didn’t expect myself to cry but to see the grief my comrades are going through, I can’t help but burst into tears. We can’t just mourn her death forever. We must continue killing these shadows to justify her death,” the leader added.
I felt guilty. What have I done? I let my anger consume me. It’s true. I’m clueless. I don’t know anything but I judged them. Lal meant no harm with his words. The leader wanted to get straight to the point to end the mystery of the death of Lacia. They are concerned with each other.
“I’m sorry.”
I swallowed my pride but it’s my fault.
“No point in apologizing now. Would you care to tell us what happened and what are you to Lacia?”
I explained the events that happened starting from our meetup till the end.
“I find it unbelievable.”
The leader still doubts me.
“Why would Lacia want a stranger like you?”
“You are wrong there.”
“Huh?”
“Lacia didn’t want me. She accidentally saw me sitting dumbfoundedly.”
“Let me tell you something. Lacia is a common target among shadow users because of her power. They wanted it because her power is strong. So, the thing you said right now made me think that you are one of them, after all, her power is flowing through you.”
“No, I’m not one of those persons you are talking about. Actually, I am still thinking why Lacia gave her power to me. To survive? Perhaps not. You said a while ago that you can’t trust a person you only met. But, I did. I trusted her. Weird right. I didn’t have anyone since my parents died. I got abused by my relatives so I started to become anxious around people. I’ve thought of committing suicide but she came. She said she’ll be sad if I die. She got me, my trust and my heart.”
Everyone was shocked when they heard the last word I have spoken.
“I-i-it is not like that. Uhmmm I-I-I-I can explain. Gah… How to do this?? Uhmm…”
“HAHAHAHAHA.”
The leader laughed so hard.
“You got me there hahaha, I am sorry. Excuse me for that. Okay, I trust you. I’ll tell you the basics and other information you should know.”
|Under the Shadow|
* A dark place where the shadows (monsters) lurk.
* Can be explored by anyone.
* A place where you can use your powers (ex. The power used by Lacia, the lightning).
* Not all of the people can use their powers unless they have potential or under stress or danger.
|Information on Shadows|
* Can’t be killed by normal weapons and normal means.
* They corrupt people above them and gain control over their minds.
* They have different faces.
* Doesn’t have powers but they do have sharp hands.
“Well that’s all you need to know so far.”
“I can go there without doing anything?”
Lal came back with a news to say.
“I’m sorry I left earlier.”
“No, I am sorry. I am the one at fault here. I judged your situation without knowing anything. I am very sorry Sir Lal.”
“No need to be formal. Just Lal is okay hehe. By the way, Leader, I have something to say.”
“What is it Lal?”
“The detector detected some shadows 2 km away here. There have been at least 6 shadows in there.”
“Heh~, it seems like you’ll get to learn some things, Marco was it?” then the leader smirked.
“Eva, Lal and Sanae!” the leader shouted.
The three of them responded in chorus.
“Yes sir!”
“The three of you were to go there and kill those shadows… and…”
“And?” Sanae asked.
“Show and teach this guy here on how we do things.”
We immediately went to the place where the shadows are. We were quiet when we were traveling. I wondered why they didn’t ask me anything but I think… they were just too focused on their job. We got down on the car.
“You ready now?” Lal asked while preparing himself.
“Are we supposed to say some things like chants?”
“Huh? Where’d you get that? You just have to think of diving deeper than we had ever reached like passing to the other side of this ground hehehe.”
“I thought we are to say some things. I remember hearing some from Lacia.”
“From Lacia? What were they?”
“I was muttering them this morning when I woke up. What were they again? AH! I remember now.”
“What? I’m curious now Buhi!”
“vivu et vivas… post tenebras spero lucem… or, so were they?”
Lal was shocked. I don’t know why. Maybe they were embarrassing words that Lacia wanted to hide.
“live so that…” Lal started whispering.
“What was it? I can’t hear it?”
“Her words… I remember them… I think… she wants to say it to you.”
“To me? What do they mean?”
“Live so that you may live.”
“I don’t get it.”
“It means live your life to the fullest so that you can feel like you are alive.”
“Di-did she really say that?” I started to cry out of nowhere. I’m such a crybaby, aren’t I?
After that I started to think about diving deeper. I imagined myself standing on the top of a tower then I jumped. REACH. REACH. REACH. DIVE.----------
I managed to get there. Lal and others started to walk ahead of me.
“’After darkness, I hope for light,’ what do you mean by that, Lacia?” Lal whispered to himself.
“They’re here,” Eva said.
Behind the tall rocks are the shadows waiting for their prey. Their eyes were red. Their mouths were drooling. Their hands were shaking with excitement. They crave for humans.
“LET’S START THE HUNT!”
With that being said, Eva and Sanae started to move. Lal acted as the bait. The shadows jumped where Lal is.
“Watch and learn”
These words by Lal were meant to me. I watched them.
Lal, who stood in the middle of the rocks, didn’t do anything. He stood there as if there was nothing. But, when the shadows were near him, Eva’s whip gathered all the shadows attacking him then Sanae’s power of gravity forced the rocks to smash the shadows that were locked out. The damage is fatal but, as the leader said a while ago, they can’t be killed by normal means. That’s when Lal started to move. He pulled out a sword out of nowhere. It has a unique shape. It isn’t like any other sword. He jumped to where the shadows are. Then, the shadows were cut in half. He slashed them with one move. Yes, I watched them but I didn’t learn much except one thing. Strategy can change the way how one thing works out. These people are elites. You can’t underestimate them. That’s why I know now. I have to try this. The room of mysteries is not in the Black Jack’s base rather in the UTS’s Black Jack’s base. I don’t know if it exists but there’s nothing bad in trying.
Chapter 2 End.