𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐲

Prologue

I don't know how long I've been running.

This is supposed to be a place I know pero hindi na ito 'yon. What the heck just happened, really?!

Paano ako napunta dito? Bakit wala akong maalala?!

Hindi ko na maramdaman mga paa ko't maslalong 'di ko alam kung saan ako dadalhin ng mga ito. Ni halos wala akong nakikita sa sobrang dilim ng paligid.

I don't even have any idea where Ezra, Roux and Lynn are. I can't contact Pearl and Angel either. Cellphone ko lang tanging dala ko pero 'di pa gumagana.

Pilit kong inaaninag kung ano'ng meron sa unahan pero wala talaga akong makita hanggang sa tuluyan nang sumuko mga hita ko't sumubsob sa pakiramdam ko'y putik.

"Ugh!" Haluyhoy ko. I felt something pierced through the sole of my left foot. Kinapa ko ito pero wala naman akong nakapkap pero nararamdaman ko 'yong sakit.

"God! Why did I even come here?!"

Hindi ko na napigilang hindi mapaiyak, napapikit sa magkahalong takot at puot habang nakabaluktot at akap-akap ang sarili.

Ano ba kasi'ng nangyayari?!

Wala akong maisip na pwedeng maging sagot sa mga katanungan ko but one thing is for sure, I don't have time to just lay here and do nothing.

I'm not certain but I feel like someone--something is following me, I just don't know what kaya kailangan kong makaalis agad dito.

Bagama't walang nakikita, humugot ako malalim na hingina saka pilit na itinayo ang sarili.

Ando'n parin ang pakiramdam na may tumutusok sa paa ko pero hindi ko na 'yon pinansin. I am probably just hallucinating considering that I am in this situation and place at the same goddamn time.

I was about to take a step forward when I heard someone call my name.

"Leanne~"

By the sound of it, that something is far behind me.

Muli kong kinagat labi ko.

"You're just hallucinating, Leanne. It can affect all five of your senses kaya relax ka lang. Wala kang naririnig." Bulong ko sa sarili ko at muli na sanang lalakad nang may biglang humablot sa akin mula sa likuran.

And just that, nawala na ako sa ulirat but before it happened, I smelled something sweet--honey? Strawberry? No--vanilla.

"Before the night of the tenth day, the hands of Leviathan shall take those who stray."

I don't know what I just heard and I don't have the time to even think what it meant. It can't be that bad, right?