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Chapter Text

“Please evacuate! Iligtas niyo ang mga sarili niyo!”

Those were the last desperate words heard from the PA system bago pa ito tuluyang nilamon ng isang nakakabinging static at matinis na beeping sound na umalingawngaw sa buong paligid. It was the sound of a system breaking down and a warning echoing through the massive terminal.

The airport was supposed to be their ticket out, a gateway to Madrid and their dreams of the 2032 Olympics. The gold medals, the years of brutal training, the jerseys they wore with the country’s flag on it—lahat iyon wala nang silbi ngayon. 

Ang nag-iisang kalaban na lang ng lahat ay ang mga rabid, cannibalistic humans.

Within minutes, the modern terminal turned into a trap. There was really no hope of escaping. Kahit saan tumingin, sa labas at sa loob ng airport, ang bawat sulok ay nagmistulang feeding grounds ng mga halimaw na dati lang ay mga kapwa nila pasahero.

The infection spared no one—kahit ang mga piloto, ground crew, at security personnel, leaving the planes stranded on the tarmac like useless metal cages. 

Kahit saan, may mga namumuong dugo sa sahig, karahasan, koro ng mga hiyawan, at ang mabilis na yabag ng mga taong tumatakbo para sa kanilang buhay. 

And amidst all this absolute chaos, Maraiah had somehow managed to escape it.

Nakalusot siya sa kumpol ng mga nagpa-panic na tao sa departure area. Her athletic reflexes helped her bago pa man lubusang maproseso ng utak niya ang nangyayari. Hingal na hingal na siya sa pagtakbo at pag-iwas sa mga humahabol sa kaniya, but her grip on her hard-shell bow case remained tight. 

She ran toward an isolated mechanical room sa likod ng mga business class lounges. Pagka-click na pagka-click ng lock, napasandal si Maraiah sa pinto at dahan-dahang napadausdos pababa hanggang sa mapaupo sa sahig. She pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to suppress the gasps escaping her throat. 

She stared blankly into the darkness, ang pabilis nang pabilis na tibok ng puso na lang niya ang tanging naririnig niya sa loob ng apat na sulok ng kuwarto. 

Madrid was gone. 

The national team was gone. 

In just a matter of minutes, her entire life’s purpose had been stripped down to a single thought—survive alone.

Nineteen days after the outbreak of the virus, Maraiah had managed to find a hardware store sa isang abandonado at tila ghosted na city.

The silence of the streets was far from the bustling metropolis it used to be. Ang dating maingay at traffic-choked na kalsada ay napalitan ng katahimikan, save for the occasional whistling of the wind passing through shattered windows and abandoned cars.

She carefully dismantled and went down the horse she had managed to find throughout her dangerous journey. Sa totoo lang, in the middle of this apocalypse, she knew she was incredibly lucky that the horse was already trained and tamed. Hindi niya alam kung kanino ito galing o kung paano ito napadpad sa gitna ng syudad, pero malaking tulong kay Maraiah ang kalmado nitong disposisyon.

Bago pumasok, itinali niya muna ito sa isang bakanteng spot na makikita niya agad mula sa loob, ensuring a quick getaway, and she knew she could signal it to come as soon as she calls it. Mas mabuti na ang sigurado kasi kailangang mabilis ang magiging pagtakas niya sakaling magkabulilyaso. 

“Be a good girl, Victoria,” bulong niya.

She gently caressed its mane, feeling the animal’s comforting warmth na unti-unting nagpapakalma sa kaba sa dibdib niya, before she turned and ran towards the entrance of the hardware store.

Of course, hindi siya basta-basta pumasok. 

She strictly did a thorough surveillance before entering the dark establishment, scanning the broken glass doors, ducking low to avoid being seen from the inside, and checking for any sudden movements or shadows shifting inside the murky interior. 

She waited for a few minutes, listening intently for the sound of dragging feet or heavy breathing.

At that moment, she couldn’t help but feel a wave of gratitude.

She was so lucky Victoria had a whole survival kit strapped to her saddle nung nahanap niya ito—complete with a heavy-duty flashlight, boxes of matches, candles, a thermal blanket, a hunting knife, a compass, a high-decibel whistle, and even a pair of durable binoculars.

She truly considered Victoria her ultimate lifesaver because of all of these resources. Kung wala ang mga kagamitang ito noong mga unang araw ng delubyo, baka hindi na niya inabot ang pang-labinsiyam na araw.

Kaso, unti-unti nang nauubos ang mga supply niya, and she knew she wouldn’t survive with those alone in the long run. Kailangan niyang humanap ng mga bagay na magpoprotekta sa kanya throughout her journey against the monsters roaming the streets.

Luckily, Maraiah is an Olympic archer. 

Which means she already has the deadly ability to wield the weapon at ang kailangan niya na lang ngayon is to find more tools and raw materials para makagawa siya ng mas maraming palaso and to strengthen the limbs of her bows. 

Buti na lang talaga, when she was desperately escaping the bloody chaos back in the airport nineteen days ago, she had two of her competition bows out pa from her gear bag to check them, kaya naman mabilis niya itong nabitbit at naisalba bago tuluyang gumuho ang mundo niya.

Her high-end recurve and compound bows were her most prized possessions, at ang pagkakabitbit niya sa mga ito felt like saving a piece of her old identity. 

“Clear,” she muttered softly. 

She made sure na wala ni isang kaluskos o kakaibang anino sa loob ng hardware store before she officially made her entry. Pumasok siya nang bahagyang naka-yuko, taking advantage of the thick shadows cast by the tipped-over shelves at ang makakapal na alikabok sa paligid. 

She moved quietly through the aisles. She grabbed all the knives, utility blades, and sharp tools she saw, carefully slipping them into a heavy-duty backpack she luckily spotted hanging sa aisle ng mga bags. 

Bawat piraso ng talim o matutulis na metal ay pwedeng-pwedeng magamit pang-ukit ng kahoy, o kaya nama'y bilang last-resort weapon for close encounters. 

Pagkarating na pagkarating niya sa hunting and fishing aisle, muntik na siyang mapatili sa tuwa. She had to grip the edge of the shelf to steady herself habang nakatingin sa nakatambak na stock sa harap niya. 

“Good God… lucky day ko ba today?” 

Her heart leapt into her throat dahil naroon mismo ang mga bagay na gustong-gusto niyang mahanap para sa mga arrow niya—fletchings, field points, and fiberglass shafts. 

Knowing she couldn’t risk staying too long in one spot, she swiftly bolted back outside. She secured the heavy backpack and two makeshift saddlebags carefully sa likod ni Victoria, checking the straps at ang pagkakatali nito twice to ensure they wouldn’t shift or rattle kapag kinailangan niyang tumakbo, before she stood frozen, contemplating going back inside the store again.

May kulang pa. She still needed cords, epoxy resins, and stronger adhesives, pero ang bigat ng kaba sa dibdib niya was a warning not to push her luck inside that dark building. 

“I know I saw a camping tent sa bandang likuran… at yung restricted room… what if may radio or any working electronics doon…” she said to Victoria, hands resting on her waist as she contemplated.

Maraiah is the type who thinks things through thoroughly before acting, kasi para sa kanya, impulse was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Sa klase ng mundong kinasasadlakan niya ngayon, bawal ang pabigla-bigla. 

It was just like in archery—she needed to be precise, calculating the wind and her stance before loosening her grip on the stretch band and shooting her shot. One wrong move, and the target is missed. Pero sa mundo niya ngayon, isang maling galaw lang ay kamatayan na. 

Ang buong buhay niya ay nakadepende sa kung gaano kabilis at katumpak ang bawat desisyon niya. Her technicality had helped her survive nineteen days completely alone, so she knew she had to just trust her gut no matter what.

“I’m not sure what’s behind that door—I don’t even dare to enter enclosed spaces I can’t check from a safe distance yet,” she said, turning her head to look at her horse for some semblance of comfort. Medyo kumunot ang noo niya habang pilit na tinatantiya ang panganib. “Anong satingin mo, Victoria? Should I go or not?”

The horse merely huffed in the air, marahang iginalaw ang ulo nito na tila ba naiinip sa katahimikan ng paligid. 

Maraiah sighed, running a hand through her sweat-dampened hair, thinking na dapat mag-settle na lang muna siya with what she had. Mas mabuti nang maging maingat kaysa mamatay nang maaga. 

She couldn’t risk her life for a ‘what if.’ Napakalaking sugal ang pumasok sa mga lugar na hindi niya kabisado ang labasan. So, she decided na she’d just quickly go back inside for the tent, bounce off the place, and find a secure location where she could set up her camp and stay for the night bago pa man tuluyang gumabi at maglabasan ang mga kalaban.

However, before she could even get to the specific section kung saan niya nakita ang mga camping tent kanina—she had to pass by the restricted-only staff area. Out of pure instinct, bigla siyang napahinto habang naglalakad sa madilim na hallway and took a little peek through its small glass window sa pintuan nito. 

Her eyes widened. 

Inside, she saw a bunch of heavy cardboard boxes boldly labeled with “CANNED SURVIVAL FOODS.” It was a brand she was incredibly familiar with—she’s an avid consumer of those exact goods dahil iyonn ang palaging go-to nila ng daddy niya every time they would trek mountains or go camping before the world ended. 

Nagdulot ang pamilyar na logo sa kahon ng isang painful pang of nostalgia sa dibdib niya. 

As if on cue, her stomach let out a loud grumble at the sight of instant cup noodles stacked on the left side of the room. Amoy na amoy ng utak niya ang sabaw kahit na may makapal na salamin na nakaharang sa pagitan nila. 

“Victoria… I know I already made up my mind and decided na tent na lang ang pakay ko rito kasi delikado,” she muttered under her breath as if she’s still standing right beside the horse outside. “But we wouldn’t survive without eating either…”

She quickly shook her head, trying to clear her mind, thinking na nabubulag at nira-rattle lang siya ng matinding gutom kaya bigla siyang nakaisip ng impulsive thoughts na pwede niyang ikapahamak. 

“Miss ko na mag-instant noodles—no! Focus, Maraiah Queen. That noodle could literally kill you. You’re not even sure... baka may mga nakatago palang Rabid behind that door.”

Yes, those cannibalistic humans were permanently labeled as ‘Rabid’ in Maraiah’s mind. It was a term she used to keep herself from thinking about the fact that they had once been actual people—na baka ilan sa kanila ay mga kakilala o kapwa niya atleta noon. 

She said all those warnings to herself, pero taliwas ang ginagawa ng katawan niya sa idinidikta ng utak niya. Her hand was already trembling, unti-unti nang humahawak sa bukasan ng pintuan. 

She found herself turning the knob slightly, her breath hitching in her throat as she braced for the worst, ready to draw her knife if something jumped out. 

But the metallic handle didn’t budge. 

She let out a self-deprecating laugh nang ma-realize niya na naka-lock ang pinto.

“Great! I should've known,” she whispered, letting go of the knob in frustration… and a strange wave of relief. At least the lock made the choice for her, taking the dangerous temptation out of her hands. 

However, when Maraiah turned around to grab the tent and go back outside, she stopped breathing. She was completely taken by surprise to see a Rabid walking straight down the aisle toward her. Nakatagilid ang ulo nito sa isang gruesome, unnatural angle—isang posisyon na imposible nang gawin ng isang buhay na tao. 

One of its legs was badly twisted and broken, making it look weird and grotesque as it stumbled forward, dragging its feet with a scraping sound. Ang mga mata nito ay maputi na at walang buhay, pero ang titig nito ay diretso kay Maraiah. 

Sa sobrang gulat ng Archer, napaatras siya nang mabilis. Her back hit a nearby tall shelf that contained heavy PVC pipes. The sudden impact shook the entire rack, causing several long pipes to slide off and crash heavily onto the concrete floor.

The falling of the pipes echoed through the entire space of the hardware store, shattering the nineteen-day silence she had carefully protected. Maraiah instantly held her breath, her heart slamming against her ribs na tila ba gustong kumawala sa dibdib niya. 

For one second, there was silence. Nanalangin siya na sana ay hindi iyon sapat para mabulabog ang buong paligid. Then, a second later, she heard the frenzied footsteps running toward her position. 

And no—hindi lang isang pares ng paa ang narinig niya mula sa kadiliman. 

Sobrang dami. 

It sounded like a stampede of rabid animals coming right for her.

On top of the chaotic footsteps, the dark corners of the hardware store suddenly came alive with growling, hungry moaning, and high-pitched screaming. The sound of falling metals, collapsing displays, and wood from the other aisles echoed everywhere, signaling that the entire horde inside had been awakened by her mistake. 

The terror of the sound was enough to make her hands go weak, na naging dahilan para mabitawan niya ang camping tent na hawak niya kanina at mapatakbo nang walang lingon-lingon. 

Forget the supplies, forget the tent—kailangan niya munag iligtas ang sarili nya. 

She wasn’t even sure where the Rabids were coming from kasi the monstrous sounds were bouncing off the concrete walls, making it impossible to pinpoint their exact location. Kahit saan siya tumingin, may mga aninong mabilis na gumagalaw. Her best bet was to climb onto the nearest heavy-duty shelf na merong nakasandal na bakal na hagdanan. 

She scrambled up, gasping for air, gripping the steps for dear life habang nararamdaman ang mga kalat-kalat na kamay sa ibaba niya. The moment she reached the top-most shelf, she kicked the ladder off, sending it crashing down to the floor to prevent them from following her up. 

“Fuck—fuck. What did I do, fuck! Where did they come from?!” she gasped out, pressing her back against the wall of the high shelf. Her chest heaved habang nakatitig sa lumalalang kaguluhan sa mismong ilalim niya. 

Within seconds, the Rabids started flooding around the base of the massive shelf kung nasaan siya, their hands clawing uselessly at the steel frames. Nagsisiksikan sila, falling over one another just to get closer to her. 

Thank God, it was an industrial-grade high shelf that stood at maybe 15 feet tall, kaya kahit anong pilit at panggigigil ng mga ito, hindi siya maabot-abot ng kanilang mga mahahabang braso, lalo na at wala namang kahit anong natitirang sense of thinking ang mga Rabid. 

Basically, tanga sila. 

They were just soulless machines of eating and tearing flesh, entirely stripped of any capacity na mag-isip o magtulungan para maabot siya. Walang coordination ang kanilang mga galaw and they were just driven by hunger. 

Subalit alam niyang hindi siya pwedeng manatili doon habambuhay. Umalingawngaw sa labas ang huni ni Victoria, a reminder na delikado ang pwesto ng kaniyang kabayo kung maiwan ito doon mag-isa kapag nagdilim. 

Maraiah started looking around the structure and the layout of the store, her eyes darting across the steel beams, desperately thinking of how to escape before darkness officially set in. 

“This is a nightmare.” 

Nasa pinakadulong shelf kasi siya ng hardware store, and to get to the entrance where Victoria was waiting outside, she had to cross ten parallel shelves. It was a perilous aerial highway, but with her peak athletic conditioning, kaya niya itong talunan at lundagin nang sunod-sunod—except for one terrifying flaw in the layout. 

Ang distansya sa pagitan ng fifth at sixth shelves ay masyadong malawak dahil doon nakapuwesto ang pinakamalapad na daanan ng forklift. Napakagat siya sa kaniyang labi habang nakatingin sa nakamamatay na agwat na iyon. 

It was a massive gap, a jump that required accuracy. If she miscalculated the jump, kahit isang pulgada lang, she would plunge straight into the sea of jaws and grasping hands waiting below. 

Out of habit, her hand reached toward her shoulder. Her fingers clawed desperately at her bare back, and to her absolute horror, wala roon ang pamilyar na bigat ng kaniyang armas. 

“Why the hell did I leave my bow…” she whispered to herself as her heart pounded like a sledgehammer against her chest. 

If she just had her recurve bow and her quiver, she could have picked them off one by one or used an arrow to create a distraction elsewhere. But her weapons were securely strapped to Victoria's saddlebags outside. 

She was completely unarmed, trapped fifteen feet in the air, with a death-defying leap standing between her and freedom.

She shook off the panic and forced her body into motion. She started jumping from shelf to shelf as the Rabids below tracked her every movement, following her throughout the elevated path. 

She successfully cleared the jumps from one structure to the next hanggang sa makarating siya sa fourth shelf, nearly exposing herself to danger in the process. 

Dahil unti-unti nang nagdidilim ang paligid, hindi niya napansin na may nakapatong palang mga lumang kahoy na pallet sa itaas nito. Her foot caught the uneven edge of the splintered wood, causing her to slip violently. 

Nawalan siya ng balanse and crashed hard onto the steel surface, causing her foot to buckle awkwardly under her full weight and twisted her ankle completely. 

“I should've just left—shit…” napasubsob siya sa ibabaw ng shelf, coughing from the thick dust she kicked up. 

Large tears of frustration welled up in her eyes as she groaned in pain while holding onto her throbbing ankle. Ramdam na ramdam niya ang mabilis na pagtibok ng dugo sa namamagang ugat. 

Since her sport didn’t require her to move or run around constantly like track and field athletes, hindi niya talaga alam kung ano ang gagawin sa isang biglaang twisted ankle sa gitna ng labanan. 

Ang buong buhay niya bilang archer ay nakasalalay sa tatlong bagay: pagiging steady, pagtayo nang tuwid, at ang pag-iwas sa anumang unnecessary movements. 

But freezing in fear wasn’t an option, so with trembling fingers, she tried to massage the swollen joint, digging her thumbs into the skin, hoping to force the blinding pain away. 

It was useless and the pain only grew worse. 

Bawat hawak niya ay tila may kuryenteng gumuguhit paakyat sa kaniyang binti, habang sa ibaba naman niya, ang mga Rabid ay mistulang mga bata na nag-uunahan na makakuha ng grand prize sa isang pabitin. 

“God… if you’re out there…” she whispered and looked down at her reality.

To distract herself from the throbbing in her leg, sinubukan niyang bilangin isa-isa ang mga Rabid sa ibaba, which were all reaching their blood-stained hands up, growling directly at her like an audience waiting for a show.

“Six, seven…” she winced, feeling a sharp pang in her ankle as she tried to shift her weight kahit kaunti lang. Napapikit siya nang mariin, gripping the metal edge of the shelf hanggang sa mamuti ang kaniyang mga kuko. 

She swallowed the dry lump in her throat and continued counting, forcing her mind to focus on the numbers instead of the pain. “Fourteen… where the—how did I miss fourteen of you earlier? At nag-fashion show pa talaga ako rito sa harap niyo, ha?!”

Fourteen pairs of hungry eyes. Fourteen bodies were crowding the space right under her. And she was still miles away from the wide gap between the fifth and sixth shelves—now with a foot that could barely carry her own weight.

“Psst!”

Napatingin si Maraiah sa ibaba, thoroughly confused kung paano nagawang tawagin ng isa sa mga Rabids ang atensyon niya. As far as she’s concerned, hindi marunong gumawa ng ibang sound ang mga Rabid other than groaning.

“What the heck? Nage-evolve ba ang mga ‘to?” She thought, habang ang kaba sa dibdib niya ay lalong nadadagdagan habang patuloy pa rin sa pag-massage ng kaniyang namamagang ankle. 

“Miss! Dito!”

Lalong kumunot ang noo ni Maraiah. 

Napatingin siyang muli sa kumpol ng mga Rabid sa ilalim, pero lahat sila ay abala lang sa pagngingitngit, pag-ungol, at pagkalmot sa bakal na istruktura ng shelf. 

Walang may kakayahang bumuo ng mga salita.

“Hoy, dumbwits. Kung sino man ‘yon, puwede bang manahimik ka na lang at huwag nang dagdagan ang anxiety ko?” sabi niya sa hangin. She assumed one of the Rabids was just twitching or dying on the floor, making those weird noises. 

She was dead wrong. 

“On your right! Tumingin ka kasi rito!”

And Maraiah did. 

She looked to her exact right, shifting her gaze past the dark corridors of the ceiling, and found a living human like her lying down on her stomach two shelves away—safely perched on top of the second shelf.

“You shouldn’t have entered here, ang dami nila!” the human girl scream-whispered, halos pumutok ang ugat sa leeg sa sobrang desperada niyang marinig ni Maraiah ang mga sinasabi nang hindi tuluyang nagagambala ang mga halimaw sa ibaba. 

“Then why are you here?!” Maraiah said back, forcing her voice to carry across the parallel shelves, habang nakakapit nang mahigpit sa kaniyang pwesto.

“Napadaan lang dapat ako but I heard the loud noise! I heard a human screaming kaya pumasok ako!” the girl explained, gesturing wildly with her hands to emphasize the chaos.

“I wasn’t screaming!” Maraiah replied.

“Anong hindi? You were so loud!”

“I didn’t nga!”

“Yes, you did!”

Their bickering caught the attention of the Rabids—kung nung una ay kay Maraiah lang ang attention nila, nahati sila between her and the mysterious girl. Ang mga halimaw sa ilalim ay nagsimulang umikot-ikot, confused kung sinong uunahin habang pabalik-balik ang tingin sa dalawang magkaibang direksyon.

“Sabi sa’yo, ang ingay mo!” the mysterious girl said, glaring across the gap.

“If you just shut your mouth, ‘di ka nila mapapansin!” Maraiah retorted, panting heavily habang sinusubukang panatilihing mahina ang boses.

“Sumisigaw ka nga oh!”

“Oh shut up—ow.”

Maraiah's retort was cut off when she felt another sharp pang in her ankle nang gumalaw siya nang bahagya, getting worked up on her banter with the stranger. Napakapit siya nang mahigpit sa gilid ng bakal habang napapikit sa tindi ng kirot.

“Oh my god. Don’t tell me—you got yourself injured?” the girl said as her tone shifted from annoyed to worried.

“I’m not,” Maraiah answered immediately, denying it. Hinding-hindi niya aaminin sa isang estranghero na lampa siya at walang laban sa mga oras na ito.

“Ate, nakikita ko talaga na nakahawak ka sa ankle mo.” The girl sighed, shaking her head. “Masakit ba?”

“No, it doesn’t—ugh.”

“Ilalabas kita rito, huwag kang mag-alala,” the mysterious girl said with so much confidence na kahit sobrang dilim, kitang-kita ni Maraiah ang pagliwanag ng mga mata niya. 

The look on her face was completely fearless.

“How are you planning on doing that?” Maraiah said, looking at the girl with so much judgment. 

“I’ll fight them,” the girl said before sitting up from the shelf and successfully catching the attention of every Rabid below, kahit na ang mga natitirang nakabantay kay Maraiah ay napatingin na sakanya. 

“Are you stupid—”

But before Maraiah could even stop the girl from doing whatever she was planning, she ran towards the edge of the shelf and jumped straight down to the ground. She hit the concrete floor, rolling perfectly to break her fall, at mabilis na tumakbo patungo sa kabilang direksyon. 

The Rabids immediately followed her with hungry shrieks, leaving Maraiah’s shelf completely abandoned.

Maraiah wanted to scream so badly to stop her. Her jaw dropped in horror habang pinapanood ang estranghera na kusang ipinapain ang sarili sa mga halimaw. But all Maraiah could hear was the brutal, heavy sound of something hard hitting on flesh.

The Archer, with curiosity getting the best of her, crawled toward the edge of her shelf. Tiniis niya ang bawat tusok ng kirot sa kaniyang bukung-bukong as her knees dragged against the cold steel plate.

When she finally reached the edge of her shelf, she peeked over and witnessed something that she never thought she would see—or at least not in real life.

The mysterious girl—or Jhoanna—was holding a long crowbar and lunging at the Rabids one by one. Her footwork was incredibly fluid, changing angles so fast na mukhang sumasayaw lang siya sa gitna ng mga halimaw. 

"You're all so lucky ang bigat nito and I couldn’t perform my signature flèche!” Jhoanna yelled as she thrust the crowbar forward to strike a Rabid straight through the jaw.

“What in the hell...” was all Maraiah could say. 

As an elite athlete herself, nakikilala niya agad ang ganoong klaseng galaw. 

Flèche? Is she a..?

She just watched Jhoanna take down the Rabids one by one, using her environment to her absolute advantage. Bawat bitaw nito ng atake ay may kalkuladong bwelo. 

The girl was flinging screwdrivers, shovels, and other sharp gardening tools na nadadampot niya mula sa mga nakatumbak na display rack. She took each one down with accuracy until all fourteen of them were lying completely motionless on the ground, with hardware and gardening tools pierced through their skulls. 

Ang nagwawalang ingay ng mga halimaw ay napalitan ng mabibigat na hingal ni Jhoanna. Kasabay nito ay ang marahang pagtulo ng dugo sa semento. 

Inayos ng babae ang kaniyang pagkakatayo, ignoring the gruesome scene around her. Tiningnan ni Jhoanna si Maraiah with a wide smile on her face, completely unbothered by the adrenaline, saka siya nag-thumbs up habang walang pakundangang hinahagis ang duguang trowel sa sahig.

“Ayos ka lang ba?” she asked, habang pinupunasan niya ang pawis sa kaniyang noo gamit ang likod ng duguang kamay, her chest still heaving from the intense workout.

Pero natahimik si Maraiah. Na-stuck ang tingin niya sa suot na white pants ni Jhoanna na ngayon ay puro talsik ng dugo. Kahit gano’n, recognizable pa rin ang fit at ang kakaibang kapal ng isang protective fencing uniform. 

Fencing knickers.

“You are a fencer,” she said, as if she had come up with a conclusion, habang pinagsasama niya sa utak niya ang mga galaw nito, the mention of the flèche, and the specific pants, still staring at her in disbelief.

Napababa ng tingin si Jhoanna sa sarili niyang suot, assessing the mess she made, bago siya bahagyang natawa. “And you’re an archer,” she answered casually, parang mas obvious pa iyon kaysa sa tanong nito.

Napakunot-noo si Maraiah at bigla siyang nakaramdam ng pagka-ilang sa gitna ng madilim at mabahong hardware store. “How did you know?”

Without answering immediately, nagsimula nang maglakad si Jhoanna papunta sa direksyon niya, dragging her fencing shoe across the floor habang tinutulak ang isang steel rolling ladder mula sa kabilang aisle. Huminto ito sa tapat ng shelf ni Maraiah bago mabilis at swabeng umakyat sa mga rungs.

“Kaya ka pinagpipistahan ng mga ‘yan, sobrang sikat mo nga pala diba,” Jhoanna said with a teasing grin. “To be honest, baka napa-fangirl din ako kung sa normal setting kita na-meet.” 

“What..?” Maraiah muttered, completely caught off guard ng biglaang paggaan ng aura ng estranghera sa gitna ng apocalypse. 

“Hay nako.” Napailing si Jhoanna bago tuluyang umupo sa ibabaw ng shelf, right beside Maraiah—na agad namang umurong palayo sa kaniya.

However, parang isang pagkakamali iyon because when her defensive walls immediately shot up, her injured foot got dragged slightly, causing her to wince. She wasn’t used to anyone getting this close to her space, lalo na sa loob ng labing-siyam na araw na mag-isa siya. 

“End of the world lang naman ang nangyari,” Jhoanna continued, slightly amused at her cold reaction. “Pero hindi siguro makakalimutan ng kahit sino na you’re basically a legendary sports figure sa bansang ‘to. The Queen Archer herself—Maraiah Queen Arceta.” 

Maraiah was completely against the idea of Jhoanna lifting her into a bridal carry just to get her down from the shelf and onto Victoria. 

As in, literal na kakakilala lang nila, and Maraiah absolutely hated the idea of being close to or having another human accompany her. May wall siyang binuo sa paligid niya for nineteen days, at ayaw niyang may tatalon doon out of nowhere.

She kept constantly telling her na kaya niya naman lumakad mag-isa, wanting this annoying stranger away from her as soon as possible. But the exact moment she attempted to take a step para patunayan na okay siya, her foot gave out and muntik pa itong madapa.

Anyway, because her pride of not falling flat on the ground was significantly greater than her other pride of not seeking help, wala siyang nagawa. Hinahayaan na lang niyang bigyan siya ng piggyback ride ng Fencer pababa ng rolling ladder hanggang sa labas kung nasaan ang kabayo niya. 

Habang buhat siya nito, she kept her posture stiff, awkward and super uncomfortable with the sudden forced proximity. Nararamdaman niya ang init ng likod ni Jhoanna at ang bawat hininga nito, which was way too humanly intimate para sa kaniya.

“Alam mo, worth it pala ‘yung pag-lift namin ng 16 kg dumbbells sa training,” Jhoanna said with a smug grin, looking so proud of herself habang binababa ang mga gamit na nakuha niya mula sa hardware store.

“Are you implying na mabigat ako? I didn’t ask for you to carry me!” Maraiah retorted, instantly offended by Jhoanna’s comment. Ramdam niya ang pangaasar nito at agad na uminit ang ulo niya.

“Hey! I wasn’t talking about you! Ito kaya ang tinutukoy ko,” Jhoanna laughed, pointing at the heavy crowbars and long shovels. “I’m just saying na mabuti na lang at napalaki ko ‘tong bicep ko, kaya sisiw na lang ang paghawak sa kanila,” she explained with a wink.

“Whatever,” Maraiah said, rolling her eyes at the sight of Jhoanna literally flexing her biceps right in front of her face before the Fencer fully turned around to pack the gear into Victoria’s side bags. 

Ang hangin naman nito, Maraiah thought to herself.

Jhoanna glanced back over her shoulder, “Tsaka, ang gaan mo lang kaya. Kahit buong magdamag pa kitang kargahin eh.”

“Shut up,” Maraiah muttered, turning her face away to hide the annoyance… and maybe the slight awkwardness on her face. 

Nakarating sila sa isang convenience store na nagawa nilang i-barricade bago pa man tuluyang mag-gabi sa labas. Medyo amoy alikabok at lumang plastik sa loob, pero safe naman. 

Si Jhoanna, na parang hindi man lang hiningal sa pakikipag-laban kanina, had checked every single door, storage room, at pati na rin ang mga banyo sa loob para masigurado na walang jumpscare ulit at nakatagong Rabids. 

After closing off the broken doors and shattered glass windows gamit ang mga mabibigat na shelves at tables, nakuha pa niyang magwalis para linisin ang mga basag na bubog sa sahig. 

She made sure the path was clear before she carefully assisted—or more like forcefully hoisted—Maraiah to sit on top of the counter checkout.

“Buti na lang talaga hindi nasimot ang pagkain dito,” sabi ni Jhoanna, breathing out a sigh of relief habang binubuksan ang isang bag ng potato chips. 

She hopped up and sat on the counter right next to Maraiah, habang nakalawit ang mga binti niyang puro talsik ng dugo. “Ma-sa-save pa natin ‘yung mga emergency pack na nakuha natin sa hardware store kanina.”

The sudden proximity made the hairs on Maraiah’s arms stand up, kaya naman agad niyang itinulak si Jhoanna palayo sa kaniya, habang nakatitig dito na para bang isa itong nakakahawang virus sa gitna ng apocalypse.

“Who told you you can sit here?” Maraiah said coldly at tinignan ng masama ang Fencer. “And who said na makakakuha ka sa loot ko?”

Jhoanna looked at her and blinked, pero imbis na mairita, parang mas na-amuse pa siya. Tumalon siya pababa ng counter at pumwesto sa mismong harap ni Maraiah, crossing her arms over her chest and scoffed.

“Wow. Para sa taong dapat may utang na loob sa akin kasi I prevented her from being the live dinner of fourteen cannibals, napakadamot mo naman, Queenie.” 

“You fought those things on your own will. You brought me here on your own will,” sagot ni Maraiah habang nakayakap nang mahigpit sa quiver niya. 

In her mind, hindi niya kailangan ng tagapagligtas. Ayaw niya ng kasa-kasama and she absolutely does not want to feel responsible for another human being’s survival.

“I didn’t ask for your help. Kaya ko ang sarili ko.”

“Oh my god, ‘di ko alam na ganito pala talaga kagaspang ang ugali mo sa personal,” natatawang sabi ni Jhoanna. 

Nakapamewang ito habang nakatingin sa masungit na Archer, but there was this cocky grin splitting across her face na parang nagsasabing kayang-kaya niyang sakyan ang topak nito. “Buti na lang talaga maganda ka.”

Natigilan si Maraiah. 

It was an unnecessary comment in the middle of a literal post-apocalyptic convenience store and it made her brain stall for a second. “What did you just say?”

Jhoanna shrugged. “Ang sabi ko—ang galing mong pumana. Sabi ko nga sa‘yo kanina diba, idol na idol na idol na idol kita.”

Inirapan lang siya ni Maraiah because she absolutely heard every word that came out of her mouth. Masyadong makapal ang mukha ng isang ito, too cocky and entirely too comfortable for someone who had just butchered a horde with gardening tools. 

Choosing to ignore the subtle heat rising to her face, Maraiah turned her back slightly on her, completely cutting off eye contact. Binaling na lang ng Archer ang atensyon niya sa pag-aayos ng mga straps ng bag niya and the few tools she managed to secure.

“Di ka gutom?” Jhoanna asked, offering the bag of chips she was munching on.

But instead of taking one, binato lang siya ng isang buong pack ng wet wipes ni Maraiah—sapul sa mismong dibdib niya.

“You look disgusting. Paano ka nakakakain ng ganyan habang balot ka pa rin ng dugo?” Maraiah said habang tinitingnan si Jhoanna with disgust. “Your glasses have splats of blood too, may nakikita ka pa ba?”

Jhoanna laughed again as she continued eating, walang pakialam sa pandidiri nito. She pulled out a wipe from the pack to clean her glasses. “Hindi man lang sinagot ‘yung tanong ko at diretsong pagsusungit agad? Grabe siya.”

“I don't owe you anything kaya bukas, the moment the sun comes up—Victoria and I are leaving,” Maraiah announced, drawing a clear line between them. 

She didn’t want this girl’s infectious energy getting anywhere near her carefully built walls.

“Sige, wake me up na lang para maayos ko ‘tong mga gamit ko,” Jhoanna replied casually, parang nakikipag-usap lang tungkol sa isang normal na road trip as she chugged one of the bottled soft drinks na nahanap niya sa nakatumbang refrigerator.

“Why would I do that?”

“Sasama ako sa’yo.”

“What?!”

“Huy!” 

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Jhoanna sa gulat at agad na tinangkang takpan ang bibig ni Maraiah. “Balak mo bang tawagin lahat ng cannibals papunta rito? Ang lakas ng boses mo!”

Maraiah pushed her away forcefully, her aversion to human contact made her reflexes twice as fast. 

In an instant, may nahugot na siyang isang bagong talas na palaso mula sa quiver niya at agad na itinutok ang matulis na dulo nito sa leeg ni Jhoanna. “Isang dikit mo pa sa akin, ibabaon ko sa’yo ‘to!”

“Okay, chill! I’m sorry,” sabi ni Jhoanna, dahan-dahang itinaas ang dalawang kamay.  Pero kahit may nakatutok na patalim sakanya, she still looked incredibly smug by the death threat. “Pero sana hinaan mo naman ang boses mo.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Edi huwag mo rin sabihin sa akin na huwag akong sasama sa’yo. Fair trade,” balik-banat ni Jhoanna sabay ngising aso.

“I don’t want you to come with me,” pag-uulit ni Maraiah, emphasizing every single word as she glared through the dark. “I don’t need a tag-along.”

“If inaalala mo si Victoria—may fixie bike akong nakita diyan sa tapat ng katabing shop—”

“I’m going to deflate it bago sumikat ang araw.”

“Sira ka ba?!” Jhoanna raised her voice, genuinely shocked sa tindi ng pagka-petty ng legendary Archer.

Bago pa man makahirit ulit si Jhoanna at mapahamak silang dalawa sa ingay, Maraiah slammed her hand directly onto Jhoanna’s mouth to shut her up.

But unlike Maraiah, Jhoanna didn’t push her away. Dahan-dahan lang niyang itinaas ang isang kilay at nakatitig nang diretso sa mga mata ni Maraiah. Her gaze was so intense and full of confidence that Maraiah felt a glitch in her system.

“You’re a headache,” Maraiah said, pulling her hand back in an instant as if she had just touched an open flame. Disgusted with her own reaction, tinulak niya nang mahina ang Fencer palayo sa puwesto niya.

Jhoanna laughed softly and brushed her messy hair back with her hands in a cool way bago kinindatan si Maraiah. “Goodnight, Queen Archer. Maaga tayo bukas.”

When it was already midnight, naisipan nilang dalawa na mag-rest na talaga—well, after mapilit ni Maraiah na gumawa ng sariling pwesto si Jhoanna sa kabilang side ng convenience store kung nasaan nakatali si Victoria. 

Gusto talaga ni Maraiah na may malaking gap sa pagitan nila—solid proof na ayaw niya talaga rito.

She was already a second away from falling asleep nang bigla siyang makarinig ng kaluskos mula sa dilim. 

The tiny sound instantly triggered her survival instincts. She turned her back slowly, blinking away her sleepiness, at nakita niyang lumalabas si Jhoanna mula sa counter space nito.

Dala-dala ng Fencer ang isang pares ng malalaking garden shears na tinanggalan niya ng bolts and nuts, kaya nagkahiwalay ang mahahabang talim nito. One long blade was in her right hand, habang ang kabila naman ay nakasukbit sa makeshift belt niya. 

Mukha itong seryoso sa gagawin, malayo sa mayabang na fencer kanina.

“Aalis din naman pala,” Maraiah muttered to herself, feeling a strange mix of relief and cynicism. “Sabi ko na nga ba, puro daldal lang ang fencer na ‘yon.”

Shifting her weight carefully para hindi kumirot ang kanyang twisted ankle, Maraiah closed her eyes at sinubukan ulit na matulog, letting the quietness of the store wrap around her walls once again.

Maraiah was suddenly awoken nang maramdaman niya biglang may malamig na kamay na nakahawak sa  injured na paa niya. 

In an instant, she gripped the arrow na hawak niya tightly for self-defense and raised it, moving into an attacking position habang nakatutok ang matulis na dulo sa kung sino o ano man ang nakahawak sa paa niya. 

“Woah! Calm down,” sabi ng isang pamilyar na boses—si Jhoanna pala. She quickly raised both her hands in up habang dahan-dahan umaatras.

“What the hell were you doing?! Didn’t I tell you to stay away?!” Maraiah hissed.

“Kumalma ka nga! And put that down!” Jhoanna said, frowning slightly habang nakaturo sa palaso na hawak ni Maraiah.

“Why would I? And bakit bumalik ka pa? Di ba umalis ka na?!” Maraiah’s voice was full of suspicion, refusing to drop her guard. 

“What? Hindi ah! Pumunta lang ako sa pharmacy doon sa kanto.”

“Huh. Very believable,” pagtataray ni Maraiah, keeping her weapon raised. “It’s dangerous outside and you still went?”

“Makinig ka nga. Hindi ko alam kung bakit galit na galit ka sa akin, pero I only got out to get something for your ruined ankle!” Jhoanna said, pointing directly at Maraiah’s busted, swollen ankle. “Gusto mo pang mag-solo pero wala ka namang ginagawang remedy diyan—you’ll suffer in the long run kung papairalin mo yang pride at katigasan ng ulo mo.”

“I don't need your help. I can manage on my own,” Maraiah shot back, moving her foot away from Jhoanna’s touch. 

“Pwede ba? Stop being stubborn.”

“Stop meddling with my business.”

“Hindi pwede,” seryosong sabi ni Jhoanna. Her playful demeanor from earlier was completely gone as she leaned in and looked Maraiah dead in the eye. “Tayo na lang ang magkakampi rito ngayon, kaya either you let me help you or die with this useless foot.”

Maraiah had figured letting the Fencer stay for a while is better than arguing with her—especially since Jhoanna had actually helped her ankle feel better. Mas mabilis na nakarecover ang paa niya dahil sa marahang pagbenda at pagmasahe nito ng Fencer.

Tatlong araw na since they decided to take temporary shelter sa convenience store, and Jhoanna has been feeling restless sa hindi paggalaw. 

Atleta siya—that means, sanay ang katawan niya sa bugbugan at walang kasaw-sawang training kaya naman ang hindi pagtakbo o pag-eehersisyo ng ilang araw ay parang parusa para sa kaniya. 

She decided to do something about it.

“Where are you taking her?” Maraiah asked, checking her recurve bow nang makita niyang biglang inilalabas ni Jhoanna si Victoria sa may gilid ng pinto.

“She needs sunlight, Queenie. Baka maging matatakutin na siya sa araw kung hindi natin siya i-expose,” katwiran ni Jhoanna habang hinahila ang tali ni Victoria.

“You better tie her up properly, dahil kung hindi, ikaw ang itatali at gagawin kong kabayo.”

“Relax. Baka nakakalimutan mong BFFs na kami ni Vicky.”

“She's ‘Victoria,’ not ‘Vicky!’” Maraiah snapped, naiinis na naman sa kawalan ng respeto ng Fencer sa kanya at sa kabayo niya.

“Ikaw kaya si Vicky, ‘di ba Vicky?” the Fencer said to the horse, scratching its mane. At para namang nakikinig ang kabayo dahil bigla itong nag-ingay as if it approved of the nickname. “Kitams? Kinampihan pa ako.” 

Maraiah just glared at her, pointing two fingers at her own eyes bago itinuro kay Jhoanna—isang babala na nagsasabing, “I’m watching you.”

Jhoanna began stretching and warming up sa malawak na space ng store habang si Maraiah naman ay nakaupo lang, seryosong gumagawa ng mga bagong palaso niya mula sa mga nakuha nilang kahoy at bakal.

“Papapawis ka, eh hindi ka naman makakaligo after. Then you’ll have the audacity to come close to me?” Maraiah said in a very masungit way.

“Hoy, grabe ka naman sa akin! Hindi naman ako bumabaho kapag nagpapawis eh,” sagot ni Jhoanna habang humihingal sa pagitan ng ginagawa niyang mga sit-ups sa sahig.

“Dugyot.”

“Sungit.”

"Baho."

Jhoanna just ignored the insults and continued her routine. She had done a rigorous warm-up at tinuloy ito hanggang sa paggawa ng actual fencing drills, but with the use of one of the heavy crowbars she got from the hardware store.

“Sixty... sixty-one... sixty-two,” Jhoanna counted out loud habang naka-en garde position, gripping the cold steel crowbar with her right hand as she lunged forward to execute a swift supination, the heavy bar cutting through the air. 

“Can’t you count in your head?” Maraiah asked, looking up from her arrow, halatang naiirita sa bawat hininga at pagbilang ng Fencer.

“Kaya—naman—syempre,” Jhoanna said, breathing heavily as she continued to lunge with perfect form. “Sixty-eight... sixty-nine... seventy!”

Pagkatapos ng counting, walang pakialam niyang binitawan at ibinalibag sa sahig ang crowbar, making a loud crack that shattered the convenience store tile.

“What is wrong with you?!”  Maraiah gasped, her eyes widening at the damage. “Hindi mo ba maibababa ‘yan nang maayos?"

Jhoanna turned around to look at her, smiling. She slowly raised her hands to the back of her neck and flexed her arms directly at Maraiah. 

“Kangawit eh,” the fencer said, pretending to stretch her back pero full-on dinidisplay lang talaga ang kaniyang toned arms, biceps, and shoulders na nadevelop mula sa ilang taon niya kaka-training ng fencing.

But as she tried to pick up the crowbar again para naman mas magmayabang pa kay Maraiah, their three days of peace and silence were instantly shattered into pieces. Isang malakas na kalabog ang nanggaling sa itaas, kasunod ng pag-crack ng kisame, at bago pa man sila makakilos ay may biglang bumagsak na mabigat na bagay mula sa ventilation roof.

In the middle of the room, a Rabid was like summoned out of nowhere. It landed hard on its four limbs, rendering the concrete floor dusty with drywall debris. Ang balat nito ay kulay abo, may nangingitim na ugat sa leeg, at ang laway na tumutulo sa bibig nito ay may amoy na nabubulok na karne. 

The sudden jump scare completely frightened the two athletes. 

If Maraiah was frozen in her place sa tindi ng gulat at bumabalik na trauma from the hardware store episode, napaatras naman ng biglaan si Jhoanna. Her foot caught a loose wire, causing her to crash hard against the nearby metal grocery shelves. A loud metallic banging sound erupted across the convenience store.

Hindi lang ‘yon ang naging problema. 

The sound completely startled Victoria outside. Kahit na maayos at mahigpit siyang nakatali sa isang steel post—mas nanaig ang animalistic defense mechanism nito sa tindi ng takot. And with a panicked screech, napatid ng white mane ang kaniyang tali, causing her to run away as fast as her hooves could carry her down the abandoned street.

As if nabuhusan ng malamig na tubig si Jhoanna dahil sa tunog ng pagtakbo ng kabayo, the sudden realization of what they just lost cleared her mind. She snapped back to reality and started screaming for the mane. 

“Vicky!”

She was already planning on running after the horse out into the open street, pero nakita niya na patayo na ang Rabid sa gitna ng store. It let out a horrifying sound and its bloodshot eyes locked directly onto Maraiah—na hanggang ngayon ay nakaupo pa rin sa counter, tulala, nanginginig, at hindi man lang magawang abutin ang busog niya sa sahig.

“Shit,” Jhoanna muttered under her breath. 

Turning away from the door, she grabbed the heavy crowbar from the shattered tile floor, took two explosive steps forward, at sabay na pinukpok ito diretso sa ulo ng Rabid with so much strength and adrenaline na napabagsak niya ito in one hit. 

Tumingin si Jhoanna sa sahig na ngayon ay puno na ng sariwang dugo at mga durog na semento, bago dahan-dahang ibinaling ang kanyang nag-aalalang tingin kay Maraiah na putlang-putla pa rin sa ibabaw ng counter.

“Queen—” Tawag ni Jhoanna, taking a shaky step forward.

“Look what you did to her!” Maraiah screamed as she pointed a trembling finger at the entrance kung nasaan nakatali si Victoria kanina. Ang takot sa kaniyang mga mata ay tuluyan nang napalitan ng galit.

“Hindi. Hindi ko naman sinasadya—”

“Bakit hindi mo siya hinabol? I thought you were her best friend?! You let her get away!” 

“Yung Rabid—Queenie—I wanted to save you first—” 

“Save me?! Just because you saved me once, hindi ibig sabihin kailangan mo akong iligtas palagi! I can handle myself!” 

The walls she built for nineteen days were crashing down, and she hated the Fencer for making her feel vulnerable.

“Nakatulala ka lang kasi! Tapos... tapos, papunta na siya sayo!” galit na rin na sagot ni Jhoanna, frustrated that her protection was being thrown back at her face like an insult.

“You think I cannot handle it, Miss Fencer? Dahil sa bwisit na paang ‘to?! I don’t need my foot to shoot an arrow!”

“Alam kong kaya mo! Pero you obviously looked like you were out of it.” 

Jhoanna started walking towards Maraiah, wanting nothing more than to calm her down before she hurt herself.

“Consider me dead! I’m nothing without Victoria! I’ll consider you dead, too!” 

In a flash of blind panic, Maraiah grabbed an arrow from her side, nocked it into the string of her compound bow sitting on her back, and pulled it back with a terrifying snap. Diretso itong nakatutok sa noo ng fencer.  “Leave me alone!”

“Put that down. Gagawa ako ng paraan,” Jhoanna begged at dahan-dahan niyang itinaas ang kaniyang mga duguang kamay.

“Isa pang hakbang and I’ll shoot you right on your forehead!” Maraiah looked dead serious.

Jhoanna stopped walking and let out a heavy sigh. She looked at the archer’s tear-streaked but furious face, realizing na mukhang bibitawan talaga nito ang stretch band sa isang maling galaw lang. 

Accepting defeat for now, Jhoanna turned around. She grabbed the dead Rabid by its ankles and dragged it out, creating a sickening trail of blood on the floor. Kasabay niyon, isinukbit niya sa kanyang baywang ang kanyang twin shears.

“Babalik ako, Quuen. I’ll get your beloved horse back before the sun goes down,” pangako ni Jhoanna bago tuluyang humakbang palabas.

She stepped out into the blinding afternoon heat, grabbing the heavy convenience store door and pulling it shut. She locked it from the outside, ensuring na hindi makakalabas si Maraiah with her busted ankle, at para na rin walang makapasok na ibang Rabid lalo na’t nakagawa sila ng matinding ingay kanina.

Upon seeing Jhoanna’s shadow disappear from the glass and hearing her footsteps fade away, the adrenaline completely left Maraiah’s body. Dahan-dahan niyang ibinaba ang kaniyang pana. 

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed against the counter, burying her face in her hands as she finally broke down into heavy sobs.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid fencer,” she choked out in between sobs. “Victoria and I should’ve just left.”

Maraiah had managed to drag herself completely toward the door pagkatapos niyang mag-pack nang maayos sa isang magaan na backpack na lamang. 

It was a tough choice, pero decided na siya na hindi niya kayang dalhin lahat ng mga heavy supplies na bitbit nila ni Victoria noon. Mas importante na ang mobility niya ngayon.

Tiningnan niya muna ang paligid sa labas ng salaming pinto. Using her binoculars, ay nag-observe muna siya sa kahabaan ng bakanteng kalsada kung may paparating bang kalaban o mga Rabids. 

Seeing none for the moment, she sighed deeply and tried pushing the metal handle to open the door.

The handle didn’t budge.

“Don’t tell me she locked this thing?” she whispered in panic.

Sobrang rindi at pagod na siya—not only because her ankle, na pagaling na dapat, ay kumirot ulit due to her eagerness to walk and pack her things—kundi dahil padilim na sa labas. 

The sun is almost gone. 

Kulay orange at lila na ang langit, indicating that it was already 5 pm, at ang kabayo niya… pati na rin ang fencer ay wala pa.

“This is probably the worst idea ever—going out without the sun with this foot. But I can’t stay here anymore. Hindi ko na rin mahihintay ang bwisit na Fencer na ‘yon because she probably became a horde’s meryenda na,” she concluded to herself, feeling a slight guilt na mabilis niyang itinanggi.

But as Maraiah attempted to throw her weight and push the door again para makahanap ng ibang paraan para makalabas, she suddenly heard a familiar sound of a horse’s hooves on the concrete pavement. 

Her heart leaped right into her chest.

Umatras siya agad at nagpunta sa isang clear area ng tinted glass kung saan masisilip niya ang labas nang malinaw. Her breath hitched, and she almost shrieked upon seeing her beloved horse—Victoria was walking safely toward the storefront. 

But right beside her, holding the reins with scraped hands, was a completely exhausted Jhoanna.

“Queenie,” Jhoanna called as she unlocked the door and began removing the heavy barricades one by one from the inside.

She carefully pulled Victoria, comforting the horse with a gentle pat, and tied her back to her original post sa loob ng convenience store bago muling isinara at ni-lock nang maayos ang pintuan. 

Pinapanood lang siya ni Maraiah the whole time. The Archer couldn’t take her eyes off the Fencer, who finally slid down against the wall and sat on the floor, heaving deeply as she tried to catch her breath.

“I lost my shears from a fight—hinabol ako ng isang horde, probably seven or I don’t know—ten? I was so exhausted from running, buti na lang Vicky was just around the corner and saved me.” Jhoanna let out a breathless laugh, forcing a weak smile to lift the heavy mood. “Sabi ko naman sayo, BFF talaga kami nito eh.” 

Pero hindi pa man niya natapos ang kwento niya, Maraiah quietly limped over, sat down on the dirty floor right in front of her, and gently held Jhoanna’s bruised knee.

“Thank you,” Maraiah said softly, looking away. “I didn’t think you’d come back… akala ko puro yabang ka lang, but you actually pulled through.”

Jhoanna was completely stunned. Napipi ang dating mahangin na Fencer, unable to find the words to counter Maraiah’s sudden intensity. 

“You—you saved me… and Victoria. Thank you,” Maraiah continued with sincerity that cut through the tension of the past few days.

Jhoanna chuckled softly, causing Maraiah to look at her with a raised brow, tila nalilito kung ano ba ang nakakatawa sa pag-express niya ng gratitude.

“What’s so funny?” Maraiah asked, tila nagsusungit na naman.

“Wala lang,” Jhoanna smiled. “Nakakapanibago lang na hindi ka masungit sa akin.”

“I’m not masungit!”

“Sus! Sa tatlong araw na magkasama tayo rito, palagimg ganyan ang bagsak ng boses mo sa akin, Queen Archer.”

“It’s because you were purposely trying to get on my nerves!”

“Hindi ah!” Jhoanna said, chuckling again, clearly enjoying how easily she could fluster the other girl. “Sadyang mainitin lang talaga ang ulo mo.”

Maraiah pinched Jhoanna lightly on the knee, but hit a sore spot from her earlier fight, causing the Fencer to wince and hiss in pain. “First, you ragebaited me—tapos ngayon, you’re going to gaslight me?”

“Oo na, sige na! I’ll yield! Suko na ako,” sabi ni Jhoanna, sabay nguso na parang bata habang hinahaplos ang kaniyang tuhod.

“You’re so annoying,” Maraiah muttered, standing up carefully and attempting to walk towards Victoria to check on her horse.

“Huy! Wala man lang bang yakap?” Biro ni Jhoanna habang nakatingala sa kaniya mula sa sahig. “Di ba ganoon dapat kapag nagbabati ang magkaaway sa mga palabas?” Jhoanna teased, opening her arms. “Huy, Queenie! Yumakap ka naman sa knight with no shining armor mo.” 

Maraiah just shook her head, an involuntary smile tugging at the corner of her lips. 

Hinayaan niya na lang ang Fencer na mag-inarte at mag-drama roon, habang dahan-dahan niyang ipinuwesto ang sarili para yakapin nang mahigpit ang kaniyang pinakamamahal na kabayo.

Maraiah and Jhoanna finally decided na oras na para maglakbay ulit. 

They didn’t really have a grand destination in mind, pero they agreed on one goal na gusto nilang makahanap ng isang tahimik na rural place, malayo sa siyudad na pugad ng mga Rabid. 

They wanted to set up a much better, permanent camp kung saan pwede silang magtanim ng sarili nilang gulay at magpalaki ng mga hayop. Basically, they just wished to farm, raise animals, at mamuhay nang payapa sa gitna ng apocalypse. 

The Archer was obviously being comfortably carried by Victoria, habang ang Fencer naman ay nakasakay sa bike na ipinagmamalaki niya the other day—na halos maputukan na siya ng binti sa kapaguran dahil sa diretsong pagpadyak niya.

The Olympic duo have been travelling the whole day, only taking little breaks para makapahinga si Jhoanna at para rin uminom ng tubig si Victoria. 

Occasionally, may mae-encounter silang mga ligaw na Rabid na biglang susulpot sa gilid ng highway. Thankfully, Maraiah had made enough arrows over the past three days na hindi na kailangan pa ni Jhoanna na bumaba ng bike at lumaban gamit ang improvised gears niya. 

One shot from the horse, and the threat was down.

“Kaya idol na idol na idol talaga kita eh,” Jhoanna would say with a wih so  much exaggeration every time na may mapapana si Maraiah. 

Even kasi yung mga sobrang layo at halos hindi na makita ng normal na mata ay natatamaan ng Archer, causing the Fencer to leisurely coast on her bike and clap her hands like a dedicated fan.

“Hindi ka ba talaga mananahimik?” Maraiah would say, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, pero may maliit at pigil na ngiti na sa kanyang mga labi.

“Never,” Jhoanna said, speeding up a bit para mapantayan si Victoria, bago bigyan ng isang mapang-asar na kindat si Maraiah.

Nang makarating sila sa isang sementadong tulay, biglang may lumabas na dalawang tao mula sa likod ng mga inabandunang sasakyan. Nakasuot sila ng mga kupas na pulang bandana sa ulo, at may mga hawak na makalawang na bakal. 

This forced Jhoanna and Maraiah to stop on their tracks. 

The Archer went on a defensive stance, sitting up straight on Victoria as she readied an arrow, while Jhoanna calmly went down on her bike at naglakad papalapit sa mga taong iyon nang walang takot.

“Fencer! Are you out of your mind? Bumalik ka rito!” Maraiah called out in a harsh whisper. She was eyeing the two strangers na seryosong nagbubulungan habang nakatingin sa kanila, lalo na kay Victoria.

Jhoanna looked back at her over her shoulder, giving her a reassuring look. “Sandali lang, Queenie. They look harmless naman.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“Kakausapin syempre. I know napansin mo rin yung ibang kasama nila sa pagilid and I don’t think padadaanin nila tayo ng ganun kadali, kaya we need to approach them in good faith.”

“We can just turn around. May iba pang daan, Fencer.”

“The sun is starting to set at nasa open space tayo. We couldn’t risk it, Queenie,” seryosong sagot ni Jhoanna. Ramdam sa boses niya ang pagiging analytical na nakuha niya sa mga competitions niya noon.

“And you think na mas magandang mag-risk sa mga taong yan?”

“At least sila, mapapakiusapan natin—ang mga Rabids ba, maiintindihan tayo?”

Maraiah sighed, her gaze dropping to Jhoanna's shaking, tired legs. Nakita naman niya kung paano nag-struggle ang Fencer to ride that bike for the entire day, and hindi naman rin masamang makinig sa suggestion nito. 

After all, the Fencer had been nothing but a competent and protective companion since day one.

“Basta aalis tayo agad bukas. No extensions,” Maraiah bargained, keeping her guard up.

“We will, don’t worry,” Jhoanna affirmed with a soft nod bago siya humarap ulit sa mga strangers.

Jhoanna walked towards them again while Maraiah clutched tightly on her recurve bow, ready to release a shot at any moment. 

The Fencer raised both her hands up in the air, open palms facing forward na parang pinapakita na wala siyang dalang kahit anong weapon at wala siyang balak na lumaban. Pero imbes na makipag-usap nang maayos, tumawa lang nang malakas ang dalawa sa harap niya.

“Hey, you don’t have to do that,” sabi nang isa na may kulay pulang buhok, looking at Jhoanna’s hands with a non-threatening smile. 

“Harmless din kami. Look,” sabi naman ng blonde. 

She threw the metal pipe on the ground and quickly raised both of her hands into the air at pabirong siniko ang red hair para gayahin din siya—who chuckled and raised her hands too, showing na wala silang hidden weapons.

“Sabi ko sayo eh, mabait sila,” Jhoanna said, turning around at binigyan ng mapangasar na ngiti si Maraiah. 

The Archer rolled her eyes, loosening her grip on the bowstring a little bit, pero nananatili pa ring alerto ang kanyang mga mata.

Nagtinginan naman ang dalawang estranghero habang nakangiti matapos makita ang reaksyon ng dalawang bagong dating.

“Gabi na, delikado sa highway kapag nagdilim. Saka mukha kayong pagod na pagod. Pwede kayong magpalipas ng gabi sa base namin sa gitna ng tulay," the blonde one said, introducing herself as Nicolette.

“We have a bonfire and clean water. Naka-barricade din both ends of the bridge, so it’s completely safe,” the red-haired girl, Mikhaela, added.

“May pangligo ba kayo? Mukha kayong malinis eh,” diretsong tanong ni Jhoanna. Nagliwanag ang mukha niya sa ideya ng paliguan, remembering how Maraiah called her dugyot earlier.

“Oo! Ilog yang nasa baba ng bridge kaya unlimited ang water supply namin. May makeshift shower setup kami roon gamit ang mga hose. Pwede muna kayong maligo bago kayo sumama mag-dinner sa amin,” Nicolette offered with an enthusiastic nod.

“We have a lot of spare clothes kasi nakapag-raid kami ng shopping mall nung isang araw. You can get changed into comfortable clothes,” Mikhaela explained, gesturing toward the middle of the bridge kung nasaan ang base nila.

Jhoanna and Maraiah agreed since the offer was too good to pass up at delikado na talaga sa labas. They even let Nicolette hold onto Victoria’s reins para akayin ito nang maayos, habang si Maraiah naman ay inalalayan sa paglalakad ni Mikhaela dahil napansin nito ang kanyang sprained ankle.

Syempre, tinanggihan agad ni Maraiah ang kahit anong attempt ni Mikhaela na buhatin siya dahil literal na stranger ito for her, but hindi naman niya masabihan si Jhoanna na siya na lang ang mag-piggyback sa kanya dahil kitang-kita niya kung paano halos manginig ang mga binti ng Fencer matapos maghapon pumadyak sa bike. 

No choice kundi magtiwala muna habang papasok sila sa teritoryo ng mga may pulang bandana.

Nakapuwesto ang base ng mga ito sa mismong pinakagitna ng tulay, napapalibutan ng mga sasakyang ginawang barikada. May mga sampayan ng damit, ilang tolda, at isang malaking campfire na may nakasalang na kaldero. 

Pagpasok pa lang nila, naramdaman na agad ni Maraiah ang titig ng iba pang survivors na nandoon—mga pitong tao pa siguro sila, at lahat sila ay nakatitig kay Victoria, sa fixie bike ni Jhoanna, at sa recurve bow na nakasukbit sa likod ni Maraiah.

Bago pa man makapagsalita ang Archer para mag-protesta sa mga tingin na yon, Nicolette and Mikhaela motioned them to go towards a steep and cemented staircase sa gilid ng tulay na patungo sa tabing-ilog.

“Dito muna kayo,” nakangiting sabi ni Nicolette habang itinatali si Victoria sa isang matibay na poste malapit sa tubig. “Kukuha lang kami ng malinis na damit para sa inyo. Don’t worry, walang halimaw na makakalapit dito, babantayan rin namin kayo sa itaas.”

When the two finally left to get the clothes they promised, doon lang nakahinga nang malalim si Maraiah. Inalalayan siya ni Jhoanna para makaupo sa isang malaking bato malapit sa pampang.

“See? Sabi sayo mababait sila, Queenie,” bulong ni Jhoanna habang hinahaplos ang sarili niyang binti na nanginginig pa rin sa pagod. “May pagkain na, may malinis na damit pa.”

“Masyado silang mabait, Fencer. They’re creeping me out," seryosong sagot ni Maraiah, habang sinusuri ang ankle niya. “And did you see how they look at Victoria? At my bow? Hindi sila tumitingin sa atin as fellow survivors—tumitingin sila sa atin bilang supply.”

“Puyat at pagod lang ‘yan, my Queenie,” biro ni Jhoanna, sabay kuha ng tubig mula sa ilog para ihugas sa mukha niya. “Basta ang usapan, matulog tayo nang maayos ngayon, tapos bukas ng umaga, bounce na agad.”

Hindi na sumagot si Maraiah and clutched on her recurve bow tighter, kahit noong bumalik sina Mikhaela dala ang mga bagong damit at isang supot ng mainit na kamote.

Pagkatapos nilang makapag-ayos at makapagpalit ng damit, Jhoanna carried Maraiah on her back again—dahil nagmamatigas talaga itong huwag magpabuhat kay Mikhaela—paakyat sa main base para sa dinner.

Habang naglalakad sila patungo sa apoy, a familiar sound was caught by Maraiah’s sharp ears. Isang marahas na huni ng kabayo, followed by the rustling sound of metal chains at mga mura mula sa dulo ng tulay.

“Tangina! Hawakan mo nga kasi sa nguso! Hindi mangangagat ‘yan! Maninipa ‘yan!” sigaw ng isang lalaking survivor malapit sa isang abandoned military truck. 

Napatigil sina Jhoanna at Maraiah. 

On the darkest corner of the bridge, nakatali ang isang malaki at magandang kabayo—isang black stallion. Pero halatang stressed na stressed ito. It was wet, nanlilisik ang mga mata, at pilit nitong binabakbak ang tali habang sinusubukang lapitan ng dalawang lalaki na may dalang pamalo.

Maraiah felt the sudden tightening of Jhoanna’s grip on her leg. Pareho silang may alam sa kabayo—well, because of Victoria—at alam nilang pinapahirapan ng mga kalalakihan ang stallion.

“Ah, sorry about that,” biglang sumulpot si Mikhaela sa tabi nila, may dalang dalawang bowl ng sopas, pero ang mga mata nito ay nakatitig sa reaksyon ni Maraiah. “We just got him yesterday morning sa isang abandoned stable outside the city. Kaso, he’s so mailap. Walang marunong magpaamo sa amin eh. Col almost lost her arm kanina because of his kicking.”

“Kaya nga nung nakita namin kayong paparating, at nakita naming may kabayo ka…” tiningnan ni Nicolette si Maraiah mula ulo hanggang paa, “...naisip namin, baka pwedeng tulungan mo kami rito bukas. Para naman may pakinabang ang pagstay niyo rito, ‘di ba?”

Doon pa lang, naramdaman na ni Jhoanna ang lamig sa sikmura niya. 

Maraiah’s right. 

Hindi sila bisita lang rito.

As night fell, naging tahimik ang base sa ibabaw ng tulay. Ang tanging maririnig na lang ay ang huni ng mga kuliglig sa ilog, the slight creaking of the bridge railing kapag humahangin, at ang paminsan-minsang pag-ungol ng kabayong nakatali sa truck sa dulo.

Nakapwesto sina Maraiah at Jhoanna sa likod ng isang nakatirik na pick-up truck, malayo-layo sa apoy pero tanaw pa rin ang kabuuan ng base. 

Jhoanna pretended to have fallen asleep already habang nakapatong ang ulo niya sa binti ni Maraiah. Ang Archer naman ay nakasandal sa spare tire ng kotse, gising na gising at nakayakap sa kanyang busog.

Pasado alas-tres ng madaling-araw nang magbago ang ihip ng hangin.

Maraiah heard multiple light footsteps at ang bulungan sa kabilang bahagi ng SUV. Dahan-dahan niyang tinapik ang kamay ni Jhoanna—who woke up instantly because of her reflexes. 

No one spoke at nagkatinginan lang sila. 

Scooting a little para makasilip sa basag na bintana ng sasakyan, nakita nila sina Mikhaela at Nicolette, kasama ang tatlo pang lalaki. May hawak silang mga tali, mahabang itak, at isang lumang shotgun.

“Sigurado ba kayong nakatulog?” bulong ng isang lalaki.

“Oo, kanina pa sila tahimik. Pagod na pagod 'yung naka-bike, ‘di naman makalakad nang maayos si Maraiah,” sagot ni Nicolette. “Unahin niyo siya. Sikat na archer ‘yan—delikado ‘pag naitutok niya sa inyo ang pana niya. Yung isa, itali niyo na lang; kung hindi maglalaban, pwede nating utus-utusan dito.”

“How about their white mane?” tanong ni Mikhaela, habang chini-check ang bala ng hawak na pistol.

“Kunin niyo na rin pagkatapos. Itabi niyo roon sa itim na nakuha natin. Mas madali na tayong makakaalis dito kapag may dalawa na tayong kabayo,” sagot ng lalaki. “Sige na, galaw na. Bago sumikat ang araw dapat malinis na ‘to.”

Bumalik ang tingin ni Jhoanna kay Maraiah sa dilim. Her hands went cold pero bumalik ang familiar adrenaline na nararamdaman niya tuwing nasa pwesto siya sa fencing mat—the difference, buhay ang nakataya ngayon.

“Sabi ko sayo eh,” Maraiah whispered.

“Oo na, Queenie. Ikaw na naman ang tama,” bulong pabalik ni Jhoanna at dahan-dahang hinawakan ang crowbar na nakatago sa gilid ng bag niya. “Anong plano?”

“Obviously, I can’t run, so ako ang bahala sa long range," seryosong sabi ni Maraiah habang binubunot ang unang palaso sa kanyang quiver. “But we need to get to the other side of the bridge para makuha yung black stallion. Fencer, kailangan mo akong buhatin.”

“Kahit habang tumatakbo pa, Queenie. Sabihin mo lang ‘pag kailangan mo ako.” Jhoanna winked, kahit na seryoso ang sitwasyon.

The men started walking towards the back of the SUV, habang sina Mikhaela at Nicolette naman ay nakatago sa bandang gitna, watching.

First step. Second step.

A low sound shattered the peaceful night. Bago pa man makaabot ang unang lalaki sa likod ng sasakyan, bumaon na ang isang palaso ni Maraiah diretso sa dibdib niya. 

Bumagsak ito sa semento.

“Huy! Anong nangyari—”

Hindi na nagawang maituloy ng ikalawang lalaki ang kaniyang sigaw dahil lumabas si Jhoanna mula sa gilid ng SUV. Kahit sobrang sakit na ng mga binti niya, isang mabilis na lunge lang and the blunt edge of the crowbar sent the man to the ground. 

“Gising sila! Nagising sila!” the third guy yelled habang itinataas ang shotgun na hawak niya.

However, his attempt went in vain nang tumama ang isang kahoy na pana na may dalawang pulgadang pako mula kay Maraiah sa braso niya, causing him to drop the weapon, kasunod ng isa pang pana sa binti na nagpabagsak sa kaniya. 

“Mikhs! Col!” sigaw ng lalaki habang gumagapang.

Nag-panic sina Mikhaela at Nicolette, blindly firing their pistols at the Olympians' position. Mabilis na gumapang si Jhoanna sa likod ng hood ng sasakyan, habang si Maraiah naman ay sumiksik sa proteksyon ng makapal na gulong. 

“Fencer! The truck! Pakawalan mo na yung black stallion!” sigaw ni Maraiah habang mabilis na nagre-reload ng pana. 

She let out two consecutive arrows patungo sa direction nina Mikhaela and Nicolette para puwersahin silang magtago sa likod ng mga barricade. “I can handle them!”

“Paano ka?!”

“Just do it, Fencer! Malapit na silang magising lahat!”

Sumunod agad si Jhoanna sa instruction ni Maraiah. Gumapang at tumakbo siya patungo sa military truck sa dulo ng tulay, still feeling the throbbing of her exhausted legs. Habang tumatakbo siya, rinig na rinig sa kaniyang likuran ang sunod-sunod na pagpapakawala ng mga palaso ni Maraiah—na pumipigil sa sinumang survivor na sumubok na humabol sa kaniya. 

It was like Maraiah transformed into Jhoanna’s personal turret sa gitna ng dilim.

Nang marating ni Jhoanna ang truck, nakita niya ang pagwaawala ng black stallion sa takot dahil sa mga putok ng baril.

“Shh… hey, hey, easy boy,” pilit na nagpapakalma si Jhoanna sa kabayo as she used her utility knife para putulin ang makapal na lubid na nakatali sa truck. 

Mukhang naramdaman naman ng black stallion na ililigtas siya nito, kaya kahit nanginginig, it didn’t try to send the fencer flying away with a kick.

Sa kabilang dulo naman, narinig ni Jhoanna ang sigaw ni Mikhaela. “Col, go for the archer! Wala na siyang arrow!”

“Sino ang walang arrow?” Maraiah whispered in the dark. 

Isang huling palaso ang pinakawalan niya na tumama mismo sa paanan ni Nicolette, causing her to stumble back sa mga sirang kable sa tulay.

“Queenie! Sakay!” sigaw ng Fencer.

Pinatakbo niya ang kabayo pabalik sa SUV habang nakasakay rito kahit na wala itong saddle. In desperation, kahit lalong sumakit ang paa niya, ginamit ni Maraiah ang lakas ng braso niya para abutin ang kamay ni Jhoanna at sumakay sa likod nito.

Nakahawak si Maraiah sa baywang ni Jhoanna habang ang black stallion ay mabilis na dumaan sa mga natatarantang survivors.

“Victoria! Let’s go!” sigaw ni Maraiah, bago pa man sila tuluyang makalayo. 

Mula sa pampang, narinig nila ang malakas na huni ng puting kabayo ni Maraiah—na napatid pala ang tali sa lakas ng hatak nito nang marinig ang gulo—at mabilis na sumunod sa kanila habang tumatakas sila palabas ng tulay, paitaas sa highway at iniwan ang nagkakagulong base ng mga magnanakaw.

As the sun starts to set, nakalayo na sila sa tulay. Pagod man at sugatan, the Olympic duo remained in each other’s company.

“Sabi ko sayo, harmless sila, eh,” biro ni Jhoanna habang pinababagal ang takbo ni Midnight—the black stallion—at sinenyasan si Victoria na lumapit sa kanila para mailipat niya na si Maraiah sa kabayo nito.

Maraiah flicked Jhoanna’s ear, making the fencer chuckle. At dahan-dahan, isinandal niya ang noo sa balikat nito—a silent surrender to her own exhaustion. “I wish you could just shut up, Fencer.” 

Madilim. Sobrang dilim na halos hindi na nila makita ang sarili nilang mga palad.

Ang tanging liwanag na natitira sa ibabaw ng lumang wooden outpost ay ang maliit na gasera na nakapatong sa isang sirang crate, at pati iyon ay halos mamatay-mamatay na dahil sa lamig ng hanging humahampas sa kanila. 

Even the moon that had always been present during their nights outside was hiding behind thick, massive storm clouds, making the atmosphere feel heavy and claustrophobic.

Below the outpost, maririnig ang mahinang singasing at kaluskos nina Victoria at Midnight na parehong nakatali sa matibay na gilid ng isang lumang hanging bridge na gawa sa kahoy at makakapal na baging. 

The two horses seemed restless, sensing the tension in the air.

“Let’s switch na muna,” sabi ni Maraiah habang dahan-dahang nginunguya ang natitirang tuyong karne from the ration that the fencer had stubbornly saved for her for that night. 

With her other hand, iniabot niya kay Jhoanna ang makapal na sleeping bag kung saan siya nakatulog nang ilang oras kanina. “Get some sleep para may energy ka bukas. Baka magkaproblema na naman tayo sa daan.”

“Sus, ano namang mangyayari?” Jhoanna asked mid-yawn, stretching her sore arms high above her head before taking the sleeping bag.

“I can’t help but overthink,” Maraiah admitted as she adjusted her posture, tightening her grip on her bow. She looked out into the pitch-black forest across the bridge. “Baka kasi nasa paligid lang sina Mikhaela and Nicolette at babalikan tayo para gumanti.”

“Kayang-kaya naman natin sila eh,” Jhoanna boasted, her usual cocky confidence slipping through despite her droopy eyes.

“Kahit na, Fencer. Baka hindi nga nila tayo saktan directly, pero nakawin naman nila yung dalawang kabayo sa baba habang defenseless tayo. And you know naman what’s going to happen kapag nawala na naman si Victoria sa paningin ko.” Maraiah’s eyes darkened for a split second, the memory of her previous breakdown still fresh.

“At si Midnight.” 

“Of course—Midnight, too.” 

“Copy, my idol,” biro ni Jhoanna, a sleepy but teasing smirk forming on her lips as she started wrapping the sleeping bag around her exhausted body. 

Bago niya tuluyang ipikit ang mga mata niya, she looked up at the Archer under the flickering light of the gasera. “Basta huwag mong tatangkaing iwanan ako rito ah. Baka pinapatulog mo lang ako para ma-solo mo 'yung dalawang kabayo at takasan ako.”

Bago pa man makasagot si Maraiah, isang malakas at nakayanig-tulog na dagundong ang biglang sumira sa katahimikan ng gabi.

Isang helicopter.

Sobrang baba ng lipad nito, to the point na halos sumayad na ang mga elisi sa mga dulo ng puno, creating this violent gust of wind that whipped through the area. 

But what’s even more bothersome about it flying around that late at night was the noise it was making—nagpapakawala ito ng isang nakakabinging ugong na tila sinasadyang gisingin ang buong mundo.

Agad na nagkatinginan ang dalawa. In that split second, their eyes met, and they didn’t even need to utter a single word to understand the gravity of the situation they were in. Alam nilang dalawa na ang helicopter na iyon ay nagsisilbing isang dambuhalang dinner bell para sa mga Rabid. 

It was literally broadcasting their location to every monster in a five-mile radius.

Not even a minute has passed yet, pero ang ugong ng helicopter ay unti-unti nang napalitan ng isang mas malalim, mas madilim, at mas nakatataas na balahibong tunog mula sa malayo. It started as a low vibration in the ground before turning into a terrifying symphony—a series of sounds that came from hundreds of feet hitting the pavement kasama anng nanggagalaiting mga hiyaw that echoed through the dark.

“That’s a huge… horde,” sabi ni Maraiah. Napabalwas siya ng tayo as she grabbed her bow. “Fencer, sobrang dami nila. I think dito sila papunta.”

“Edi magtago lang tayo! Dito lang tayo sa taas! It’s 20 meters, we’re totally safe here basta hindi tayo magingay,” suggest ni Jhoanna as she tried to hide the shakiness in her voice.

Halos liparin ni Jhoanna ang hagdan ng outpost para lang maharangan si Maraiah, who was already making a move to go down. Jhoanna lunged forward and grabbed her tightly by the arm—isang hawak na dala ng takot at desperasyon, her fingers digging into Maraiah’s skin just to make her stay.

“Queenie, makinig ka muna sa akin! Sobrang dilim na! Hindi natin alam ang daan kung papasok tayo sa gubat sa dulo ng tulay. Mas mabilis silang tumakbo sa dilim kaysa sa atin!”

Maraiah forcefully removed Jhoanna’s hand from her arm and glared at her, cutting the physical connection. Ang mukha niya—kahit na may bakas ng puyat, pagod, at takot—ay nagngangalit sa galit.

“Then what? Will we stay here para maging bait? Fencer, alam kong tanga ang mga Rabid pero sobrang dami nila. They will knock this tower down by sheer numbers! At mas lalong hindi ko hahayaang iwanan lang natin sa baba sina Victoria at Midnight!”

“Kabayo lang ang mga yan, Queen! Pwede tayong maghanap ng iba!” sita ni Jhoanna, her voice cracking as she tried to scream over the rapidly growing roar of the approaching horde from the distance.

“Huwag mo akong simulan, Fencer!” Dinuro siya ni Maraiah, stepping into Jhoanna’s personal space hanggang sa halos magdikit na ang kanilang mga mukha sa tindi ng tensyon. “Two weeks na sa atin si Midnight. Si Victoria, kasama ko na bago pa kita nakilala! If they ever broke out on their own and leave us here, o kung lapain man sila ng mga putanginang halimaw na ‘yan, para na rin nating pinirmahan ang sarili nating death note. They are our only chance of survival para makalayo sa lintik na city na ‘to! So if you wish to die, maiwan ka mag-isa rito!”

Napatitig si Jhoanna sa mga mata ni Maraiah. Even in the suffocating darkness, she could still clearly see the terrifying mix of raw fear and the unyielding determination of the Archer. 

Napamura na lang din si Jhoanna sa sarili, completely defeated by Maraiah's resolve, bago niya marahas na hinila ang strap ng kanyang sariling armas para ihanda ito.

“Bwisit. Fine! Pero kapag tayo namatay dahil sa mga kabayo na ‘yan, mumultuhin kita habambuhay!” singhal ni Jhoanna, her anger masking her terror as they both scrambled and rushed down the outpost together.

Mabilis nilang kinalagan ang mga kabayo, their hands shaking but moving with urgency. In one motion, nakasakay na sila—si Maraiah kay Victoria, si Jhoanna kay Midnight—at kumaripas ng takbo papunta sa bukana ng hanging bridge.

Creak. 

Groan.

Lumalangitngit ang mga lumang kahoy at kinakalawang na kable sa ilalim ng mabibigat na kuko ng mga kabayo. Ramdam na ramdam nila ang bawat marahas na kaluskos at uga ng tulay na para bang bibigay at mapuputol ito anumang oras, plunging them into the abyss below.

Pero pagdating sa mismong gitna ng tulay, biglang hinila ni Maraiah ang rein ni Victoria. The horse neighed loudly, abruptly halting its momentum, halos tumayo sa dalawang hulihang paa nito sa biglaang preno.

“Ano ba, Queen?! Takbo na!” sigaw ni Jhoanna mula sa likuran, halos mabangga ni Midnight si Victoria sa biglaang paghinto.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Maraiah, her breath hitching as she frantically reached behind her. Kinapa niya ang kaniyang likod, and to her absolute horror, the familiar weight was gone, again. Nothing but empty space and the leather strap. Ang lalagyan lang ng recurve bow ang nandoon.

“Yung bow ko… naiwan ko sa ibabaw ng tower, Fencer.”

“Are you out of your mind?! Meron ka pa namang isang nakasabit kay Victoria, di ba?!” Jhoanna screamed, the absurdity of the situation making her blood boil.

“That’s my lucky bow! Doon ako laging nananalo sa mga tournament ko, Fencer! I’ve been using that ever since this whole thing started! Hindi ko pwedeng iwan ‘yon!” bulyaw ni Maraiah, her voice cracking with a mix of sentimental desperation and panic, akmang papaiikutin na si Victoria pabalik sa outpost.

“D’yan ka lang!” Galit na galit na sabi ni Jhoanna. Without a second thought, she hard-steered Midnight, hinaharangan ang daan ni Maraiah gamit ang sarili nitong kabayo. “Ako na ang kukuha! Mas mabilis at mas maliksi si Midnight! Stay here sa gitna ng tulay, bantayan mo ang likod ko gamit yang conpound bow mo! Huwag kang aalis d’yan, please lang!”

Bago pa man makasagot o makaprotesta si Maraiah, marahas na pinihit ni Jhoanna si Midnight pabalik, riding hard against the incoming tide of death.

Exactly at that moment, ang unang wave ng horde ay tuluyan nang pumasok at nanalasa sa clearing sa paligid ng outpost.

Ang liwanag ng buwan—na miraculously ay biglang lumabas mula sa makakapal na ulap—ay nag-reflect sa daan-daang nanlilisik na mga mata, naglalaway at nagngangalit na mga panga, at ang mala-demonyong bilis ng pagtakbo ng mga Rabid. 

“Fencer! Bilisan mo!” sigaw ni Maraiah mula sa gitna ng nag-uugang hanging bridge.

Her hands flew to her compound bow, notch, draw, and release. She pulled the string back at nagpakawala ng isang palaso.

Thwip!

The arrow sliced through the night air, cutting clean and hitting straight into the eye socket of a Rabid na akmang tatalon na sana sa likod ni Midnight. The creature dropped like a stone, but dozens more were right behind it.

Sa itaas ng tower, mabilis at natatarantang dinampot ni Jhoanna ang recurve bow. Pero paglingon niya sa ibaba, reality hit her like a truck—it was too late. 

Punong-puno na ng mga Rabid ang clearing sa ilalim. 

Nagwawala na si Midnight sa takot, wildly bucking and kicking, desperately trying na iwasan ang mga nabubulok na kamay na gustong humila sa kanyang mga paa. There were even two Rabids that successfully lunged and attempted to grab his legs, trying to drag the stallion down.

“Queenie, tumakbo ka na! Umalis ka na riyan sa tulay, they’ll come for you, too!” Sigaw ni Jhoanna habang mabilis na bumababa sa gumigewang na hagdan ng watchtower.

Dahil hindi niya magamit ang paborito niyang mahabang crowbar sa masikip at siksikang space ng hagdanan, binunot niya ang kanyang hunting knife—pero bago pa man siya makatapak sa lupa, sinalubong agad siya ng isang Rabid sa dulo ng hagdan.

Napasandal nang malakas si Jhoanna sa poste ng tower, the structure creaking behind her weight. With adrenaline guiding her hand, sinaksak niya ito nang baon na baon sa leeg, pero bago pa niya mahila pabalik ang talim, isa pang Rabid ang sumunod at mabilis na sumakmal sa kanyang leeg, cutting off her air.

From the bridge, nakita ni Maraiah ang buong nangyayari and the sight made her blood run cold. “Siraulo ka talagang Fencer ka,” bulong niya sa sarili, her voice a mix of terror and deep fondness for the idiot risking her life.

Instead of running away, Maraiah aggressively motioned Victoria to charge back into the clearing. Sa bilis at bagsik ng takbo ng kabayo, sinalubong niya ang nagkakagulong kumpol ng mga Rabid sa silong. She reached into her quiver for another arrow at pinatamaan ang braso ng Rabid na nakasakal at pumapatay kay Jhoanna.

“Fencer, hop in! Ngayon na!” bulyaw ni Maraiah as she controlled her rowdy horse.

Nakahawak na si Jhoanna sa natatarantang si Midnight, sinusubukang sumakay, pero isang naglalaway at umaatungal na Rabid ang biglang sumulpot mula sa kanyang blind spot, akmang kakaramutin ang mukha ni Jhoanna gamit ang matatalas nitong kuko.

Wala nang oras si Jhoanna para bumunot ng kahit anong weapon. Out of her survival instinct, itinaas ni Jhoanna ang hawak niyang recurve bow ni Maraiah at buong lakas na inihampas niya ito nang pahalang sa mukha ng Rabid.

Nabasag ang panga ng Rabid, sending it crashing to the dirt, pero kasabay nito ang pabiyak sa recurve bow. Ang lucky charm ni Maraiah—the one thing she held onto since the world ended—was now in splinters.

“For fuck’s sake, I told you hop in already!” hiyaw ni Maraiah, not even noticing the broken bow yet as she used her free hand to swing a battle axe, tinataga ang isa pang Rabid na sumasabit at humihila sa tactical vest niya.

Finally, pagkatapos ng ilang segundong pakikipagbuno sa kamatayan, nakasampa rin si Jhoanna kay Midnight. Kumaripas ng takbo ang dalawang kabayo pabalik sa gumigewang na hanging bridge, habang ang daan-daang Rabid ay tila isang itim na alon na nakabuntot sa likod nila. 

Sobrang lapit na nila, to the point na ramdam nina Jhoanna at Maraiah ang hangin mula sa mga mabilis na kamay na sumusubok na humablot sa dulo ng buntot ng mga kabayo.

Hingal-kabayo silang nakarating sa kabilang dulo ng tulay, kung saan nagsisimula ang masukal at madilim na talahiban. Bago pa man tuluyang huminto si Midnight, mabilis na tumalon pababa si Jhoanna, almost losing her footing. 

Ignoring the pain in her knees, binunot niya ang sarili niyang battle axe na nakasabit sa gilid ng siyahan ni Midnight at mabilis na lumuhod sa dulo ng tulay—right where the thick, weather-worn ropes and vines anchored the structure to the solid ground.

“Queen, hawakan mo si Midnight!” sigaw ni Jhoanna as she swung the axe down.

Ginamit niya ang talim para tadtarin at lagariin ang mga baging. At the same time, ang mga Rabid ay nasa gitna na ng tulay, and their volume and collective weight were causing the wooden planks to groan and twist violently.

Isang baging. 

Putol.

Pangalawang baging. 

Putol.

Ang mga Rabid ay ilang metro na lang ang layo mula kay Jhoanna. It was like they could sense what she was trying to do, dahil ang Rabid sa unahan ng horde ay umakmang tatalon para sunggaban at dambahan si Jhoanna—snap.

Bumigay ang pangunahing suporta ng hanging bridge. Sa isang iglap, ang tulay ay bumaligtad. Tangay nito ang dose-dosenang mga Rabid na naglulundagan at nagtitilian habang nahuhulog sa kawalan ng gabi.

Naiwan si Jhoanna na nakasalampak sa lupa, her chest heaving as she gasped for air, tight-fistedly holding her axe as physical and mental exhaustion finally crashed down on her.

Sa tabi niya, dahan-dahang lumapit at nakatayo si Maraiah. Her face was completely unreadable, heavily shadowed by the moonlight habang nakatingin lang siya pababa sa basag at gutay-gutay na recurve bow na hawak pa rin ni Jhoanna sa kabilang duguang kamay nito. 

The silence between them was deafening.

“Queenie… naitawid ko…” sabi ni Jhoanna, coughing softly as she weakly raised her hand. Pilit na iniaabot ang natitirang piraso ng sirang pana habang nangangatog ang kaniyang buong katawan. “Pero… I’m sorry… I—nasira ko siya, Queenie. Hindi ko... hindi ko nadala nang buo.” 

Hindi sumagot si Maraiah. There was no anger and no shout. Tinalikuran niya lamang si Jhoanna without taking the broken pieces, effortlessly pulling herself up to mount Victoria once more.

“Let’s just get out of here,” malamig na sagot ni Maraiah, keeping her eyes locked straight ahead. She guided her horse into the dark, tall grass, refusing to look at the shattered pieces of wood and carbon fiber in Jhoanna’s hands.

Pagsapit ng umaga, nakarating sila sa isang lumang barn house. Ligtas, malinis, at walang bakas ng mga Rabid ang loob niyon. 

Matapos nila maitali ang mga kabayo sa isang sulok at masigurong sarado at naka-barricade ang lahat ng pinto, bagsak-katawang naupo ang dalawa sa mga bunton ng dayami.

The room was enveloped by the cooling air, habang ang marahang sikat ng umagang araw ay unti-unting lumalabas at sumisilip sa mga awang ng lumang kahoy na dingding, lighting up the dust motes dancing in the air.

“Thank you,” basag ni Maraiah sa mabigat na katahimikan. Hindi niya magawang tumingin kay Jhoanna at nakatitig lang siya sa lapag, kung saan nakalatag ang pira-piraso at paborito niyang recurve bow. “Thank you for always helping me, Fencer. Kahit na… kahit na alam kong mapapahamak ka na.”

Natawa nang mahina at si Jhoanna, dahan-dahang sumandal sa magaspang na kahoy na dingding habang pilit na pinapawi ang matinding pagod. “Ano ka ba, Queenie. Bukod sa idol na idol na idol kita… ikaw na lang ang kakampi ko ngayon. Kakampi.”

Biglang natahimik si Jhoanna. She sighed and brought her gaze to the horses, which seemed as if they were talking to each other. 

“You see… when this whole thing started… nakatakas pa kami ng mga teammate ko sa airport. Pito kami. Lahat sila mga best friend ko—my family. My genuine found family.” She sighed again, rubbing the back of her neck before scratching her forehead, trying to blink away the sudden sting in her eyes. “Akala ko okay na. Akala ko as long as magkakasama kaming pito, we’ll be fine. We can survive anything.”

Huminto siya sandali, swallowing hard before continuing. “Pero noong seventeenth day namin sa daan—two days bago kita nakilala—nag-iba silang lahat. Parang unti-unti silang nasisiraan ng bait. Naging violent.” Jhoanna stared blankly at her hands. “I understand na sobrang gutom lang talaga nila… and of course, lumalala rin ang takot nila sa nangyayari… pero hindi ko na alam. Out of nowhere, nagpapatayan na sila sa mismong harap ko para lang sa huling lata ng corned beef. Using our fencing techniques, they finished each other off. Nakatakas lang ako bago ako ang isunod. I never thought about looking back. I ran and ran and ran.” 

Dahan-dahang binaling ni Jhoanna ang tingin kay Maraiah, a fragile smile forming on her lips while her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“Kaya nung nakita kita sa hardware store na in danger, sabi ko sa sarili ko, hinding-hindi ko na ulit hahayaang mawala ang nag-iisang kakampi na meron ako ngayon. I promised myself I’d protect you. Even if you were indifferent towards me, even if you kept pushing me away… nararamdaman ko rito sa loob ko na, you also need a company. Na pareho lang tayong takot… takot tayong mag-isa.”

Dahan-dahang humarap si Maraiah sa kanya, completely turning her body toward the Fencer.

Sa unang pagkakataon mula nang magkakilala sila, wala nang bakas ng pagtataray, lamig, o mataas na pader sa mga mata ng Archer. It was just raw vulnerability.

“I guess I was just too afraid to trust you, Fencer,” pag-amin ni Maraiah, her voice trembling as she stripped away her defenses. “Or anyone else, for that matter. Ang magtiwala sa ganitong klaseng mundo… It’s something I considered a luxury I cannot afford anymore. Nung bigla kang dumating sa buhay ko, ayaw ko talagang mag-risk. I thought staying detached was the only way to keep myself alive.”

Bumaba ang tingin ni Maraiah sa nasirang recurve bow sa sahig—ang lucky charm niya na binuwis-buhay na ibinalik sa kanya ng Fencer—bago niya dahan-dahang ibinalik ang basang tingin diretso sa mga mata ni Jhoanna.

“Pero sa lahat ng mga nangyayari sa atin… for everything you’ve done for me…” Maraiah’s cold barrier around her was completely gone as she looked up. “Gusto ko na ring itaya ang buhay ko para sayo, Jhoanna. Kung paano mo paulit-ulit na itinataya ang buhay mo para sa akin.” 

Hearing her actual name from Maraiah’s lips made Jhoanna’s heart skip a beat and an unexplainable warmth bloomed in her chest that had nothing to do with the weather.

Unti-unting nabalot ng banayad na init ng umaga ang buong barn house, filling the spaces between them with gold. 

The chaos of the world outside didn’t matter anymore. In that quiet, dust-filled sanctuary, ang dalawang magkakampi ay tuluyan nang nahanap ang kanilang natatanging sandigan sa gitna ng delubyo—no longer just surviving together, but finally learning to trust.