No Way Out

Chapter 27: Started

Chapter 27: Started

Honey’s P.O.V.

The timer's countdown echoed in my ears, each tick a hammer blow against my resolve. Finally, beep. It stopped. My gaze locked with her. Reixel. It was her. She had drawn my name, just as I had drawn her. Fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor.

“H-Hindi kita kayang saktan, Hon,” she said, her voice a broken whisper.

She looked defeated, her head bowed like a storm-battered tree. In her trembling hands, she held a knife, its polished surface reflecting the harsh fluorescent lights of the room.

“Ako rin, Reix. Ayaw ko rin na saktan ka...lalong ayaw kong pumatay ng tao. Gusto ko nang umalis sa lugar na 'to. Gusto ko nang matapos 'to,” I replied, each word heavy with despair. The cold steel of the gun felt alien and repulsive in my hand.

My grip on the weapon tightened. Ano ba dapat kong gawin? Reixel and I… we’ve been friends for so long. She’s always been there. Hindi ko siya kayang patayin, the thought screamed in my mind. Pero kailangan. I wanted to get out. I needed to escape this nightmare. I furiously wiped away a tear that escaped and traced a wet path down my cheek.

"I'm sorry, Reix," I finally managed, my voice barely audible. She looked up at me then, her eyes wide with a pleading desperation that nearly made me crumble. She was begging me to stop, even before I had done anything.

"Ga...gawin mo talaga?" She asked, her voice cracking with emotion. The hollowness in her voice was like a physical blow.

The weight of the world pressed down on me. It felt like I was drowning. Pain etched every fiber of my being. I forced myself to nod, a small, heartbreaking gesture.

"Oo. Kung ito lang ang tanging paraan para matapos na ang larong 'to," I insisted, trying to convince myself as much as her. I saw the hope draining away from her eyes, replaced by a chilling acceptance.

"P-pero makakahanap pa naman tayo ng paraan para makaalis dito. Sama-sama tayong aalis di—"

She took a hesitant step toward me, but I reacted instantly, raising the gun and pointing it directly at her chest. The movement was jerky, unnatural. It felt like betraying every memory we had.

Sh froze, her words dying in her throat. Her eyes, usually so full of warmth, were now filled with a raw, wounded vulnerability.

"Huwag kang lumapit," I said, my voice hardening despite the turmoil inside.

I'm really sorry, Reix. Hindi ko gusto 'to.

She shook her head slowly, disbelieving. A single tear escaped her eye, carving a glistening track down her cheek.

"Honey, ibaba mo 'yan. I'm ordering you," she said, her voice tight with suppressed emotion. I saw the pain etched on her face, the resignation settling into her posture.

"Hindi. Kasi kapag ginawa ko 'yon, aatakihin mo ako... at papatayin," I said, my voice trembling with forced conviction.

"Ganyan na ba ang tingin mo sa akin, Hon? Mamamatay tao? Akala ko ba magkaibigan tayo?" She asked, the questions tumbling out in a rush, each one a stab to my heart.