Game Over, Engineer

QO

HANGGANG SA MAKAALIS na siya sa agency niya, hindi pa rin mawala-wala sa isip niya ang sinabi ni Miss Leonora. Lutang at nanginginig siya habang naglalakad papalabas sa agency.

Bakit wala siyang maalala na sinabihan niya si Miss Leonora ng gano'n?

Litong-lito na siya! Hindi niya alam kung pinaglalaruan lang ba siya o ano. . .

Ano pa ba ang hindi niya alam?!

Huminga siya nang malalim, pilit ikinalma ang sarili. Ramdam niya ang panginginig ng kanyang mga daliri, making her tighten her grip on her handbag. Tila nanghihina ang kanyang mga tuhod, at gusto niyang ipahinga muna ang kanyang utak.

But at the same time, she wants this to end.

With no other words, she hailed a cab and went to the location where the coordinates pointed.

"THANK YOU PO." She immediately went out after she paid for the fare, at gano'n na lang ang pagkakunot ng kanyang noo nang makitang dinala siya nito sa likod ng five-star hotel kung nasaan. . . ang FC Arcade.

That made her mind blow even more. FC Arcade. . . Her. . . Jack. Does Jack know about this?

But his conversation with Enesha tells her that he doesn't.

Or maybe he was just pretending because he knew that she was awake.

She took a deep breath and was about to take a step forward when a black 4-seater Ferrari stopped in front of her, making her halt. Gano'n na lang ang pagkunot ng kanyang noo nang may lumabas na lalaki roon. He's tall and lean, clearly a middle-aged man, at nakasuot ito ng tuxedo.

And. . . who is this?

"Miss Jilyanzel Jalvore?" patanong na pagkabigkas nito. Wala sa sarili siyang tumango. Does she. . . know him? Is he someone from her past?

Umikot ito at binuksan ang pinto ng backseat. Tumingin ito sa kanya at binigyan siya ng maliit na ngiti na para bang sinasabi nitong pwede na siyang pumasok. But her mind was still formulating a lot of questions that she ended up staring at the man with confusion.

He must have seen her confused look, dahil kaagad itong tumikhim. "I received an order to fetch you, Miss Jalvore."

An order to fetch her?

"From who, Sir?" Bahagyang tumagilid ang kanyang ulo. Kita niyang kumunot ang noo nito na para bang nagtataka sa sinabi niya.

"From yourself."

What?

"You called us," pagpapatuloy pa nito.

Napakurap siya sa narinig at naalala ang numero na tinawagan niya. When she called that voicemail, did it alert the driver to fetch her here? Shit. She's certain now that she made the game, but. . . what does Jack have to do with this?

Or masyado lang talaga siyang marupok kaya puro nakaturo kay Jack ang larong ginawa niya?

Tinampal niya ang kanyang ulo at itinago na lang ang mga halo-halong naramdaman sa pamamagitan ng maliit na ngiti.

"Thank you, Sir." Bahagya siyang yumuko at saka pumasok na sa backseat, at muntik na siyang mabilaukan nang mapagtanto kung ano ang inuupuan niya. Her gasp scratched in her throat.

For goddamn's sake, the backrest insert and the headrest were embedded with Swarovski diamonds! Kumikinang pa iyon dahil sa konting liwanag na pumapasok mula sa heavily tinted na windows!

Who the fuck owns this car?

'Di naman siguro 'to sa kanya, 'di ba?

Hopefully. . . no. Hindi siya ganito kayaman. Swarovski? Para lang sa car seat cover? Damn. Pero kung hindi 'to sa kanya, knowing that she was the one who created the game. . . kanino kaya ito?