Chapter 9 Yesterday's Gone

Yesterday, something inhumane taints our blood, turning almost everyone into killers. In just a few hours, mayhem and misery claim so many innocent lives.

Most of them don't get the chance to say goodbye to their families. Some don't even realize their entire family is also dead. The most solemn part of it all is that they die alone, without knowing the reason for their ill fate.

Afterward, our healthcare providers can only cover their bodies in white cloth. An euthanization act by striking their brains prevents them from mowing down the remaining survivors of this devastation. It becomes the unspoken rule every time one of us dies, which is traumatizing since we are all cooped up here, confronted with horror all day long. Then, they transport the corpses outside the barricades. However, they can't dig a mass grave given our current situation. Because of that, the plaza turns into a mortuary site.

It's obvious everyone can't rest well, knowing we need to pierce the heads of our dead loved ones and let them rot unburied in the ground. We see how death surrounds us at every corner; escaping from this trap feels like certain failure. Now, we have no choice but to wait for the officials from the bottom city to save us from this living nightmare.

We don't know when they will arrive. All we know is that they are our only chance left... but hours pass by in a blur. The sun is about to set again with no sign of them.

Maybe they are stuck in the city too? Come to think of it, are we the only ones experiencing this madness right now, or are other nations and countries also facing it?

The moment someone stands beside me disrupts my train of thoughts. "I'm very sorry for what happened," he says. My eyes don't leave the corpses of Britt's mom and younger sister, but I recognize his voice as that of the nurse from earlier.

I cover Britt's family with a cloth. This will be the last time any of us sees them. It's tragic that their remaining kin aren't here.

He taps my shoulder as a way of comforting me. I look at him and ask, "Have you heard any news about Britt or her older sister yet?"

He shakes his head. "No one has seen Ylla Quirion ever since Tyler Magallanes died. As for your friend-" he pauses for a moment. There's a glint of hesitation in his eyes as his mouth opens several times, trying to find the right words.

"They're still missing, aren't they?"

He nods slowly. "With no leads based on what I've heard from the police."

"What about Shae Fronda's father?" I ask.

His expression remains unchanged. "He never made it here," he answers. A nod is my only response before I leave him at the mortuary site.

My sense of hope weakens now that nothing good comes in the morning and everyone else is in a state of mourning.

I enter the barricade again and head straight to the infirmary area of the great hall. I sit close to Vino's spot to check on his condition again. He still hasn't regained consciousness since returning from their rescue operation.

According to a first aider who helped him, his body couldn't handle the thick smoke, which caused him to faint. Meanwhile, their other companions got separated while exiting the hospital and haven't been seen since. Instead of more survivors emerging, we are dwindling due to the unexpected fire at the hospital.

I place the back of my hand against his forehead. His body is hot again, so I quickly wring out a cloth from a small bucket beside him. Gently, I wipe his head, neck, and hands with it.

A few eyes glance our way while I'm busy tending to Vino, including three notorious gossipers standing nearby. They lean against a pillar, fanning themselves and chatting amongst each other.

The elderly woman in the middle catches my gaze. Her eyes widen before she quickly looks away. Soon after, her two companions fall silent as well.

I know they're eager to find out what exactly our relationship is.

Who wouldn't be curious about how often Vino and I are together? At school, at home, on business trips-whenever I go out, he's always with me, even back when his dad was just my driver. We're like inseparable twins. Sure, he's slightly shorter than me, but we practically grew up together.

All he ever did during those years we spent together was be my moral compass and protect me from all my bashers. Even though I always treated him with my bitchy attitude, he was still there to listen whenever I needed to vent about my frustrations. I can't express how grateful I am to know him personally. I consider him like an older brother; many times I've wished he were actually my sibling.

Looking at him now in this state feels like my body has also succumbed to sickness. Another wave of "what if" thoughts doesn't make any situation better.

I sit down on a plastic chair and face him again. "I told you not to leave. Look where it got you."

I wait for him to move or respond, but nothing changes-he remains unconscious. I take a deep breath and lean back.

A moment later, someone whistles behind me. When I turn around, I see a male patient with a bandage on his head lying next to another bed. His tone is playful but sends an inexplicable chill down my spine.

Slowly, he brings three fingers up to his temple as we lock eyes. He forms them into what looks like a handgun and pretends to shoot himself.

"Boom!" At that moment, a loud bang startles me as two guards rush into the Great Hall.

"Maliligtas na tayo!" shouts one of the officers, capturing everyone's attention.

I jump up from my seat with wide eyes as laughter erupts from the man with the bandage until he can no longer contain himself. He appears almost mad while crying; nurses rush over to calm him down.

I step away from them with heavy thuds echoing in my chest as I feel myself following the crowd heading out of the town hall.

Hope flickers in everyone's eyes when we see two military jeepneys pull up outside the barricade carrying a platoon of soldiers.

They disembark one by one with only their modern weapons in hand. The police guarding the barricade need to remove obstacles for them to enter.

They move into formation without saying a word; we can't see their faces because they wear helmets that look expensive yet fragile. Their body armor bears insignia without question-they must be from Lumang Kapitolyo.

The island they come from has long been known as Manila City; it lies south of La Primo. Aside from being one of the most renowned islands, they also lead in advancements and access to cutting-edge technology-firmly governed with headquarters located there.

Minutes pass as silence envelops us all; confusion furrows my brow at their behavior.

'Aren't they supposed to rescue us? Why are they just standing there with their weapons?'

I step away from the crowd but stop when someone bumps into me from behind; I don't get to apologize when I turn around.

"Papa?" I exclaim in surprise at seeing him.

His eyes widen as he calls my name before his expression shifts to serious concern. "Go inside," he says firmly as I scratch my head in confusion.

"Why? What's going on?"

He doesn't answer and continues staring at the soldiers instead; I return my gaze back toward them.

Suddenly, four soldiers throw two large circular machines into the air simultaneously. At first glance, it seems they will crash down immediately onto the ground; however, they remain suspended for several seconds before transforming shape-first revealing their propellers before flying around in circles.

"We will explain everything soon," Papa says while gripping my left hand tightly; we share an intense look once more before he adds, "But for now, just go inside Jane."

"Find my journal and hide," he whispers urgently, sending another wave of fear coursing through me.