Chapter 8 The Start of The Game

After retrieving the bodies of Aida and Sheryl, Ythan got his cigarette and smoked. He suddenly remembered the first time he saw a corpse; he almost vomited blood in front of Leo and General Lary. He sat down under the narra tree and rested there. As he looked around for his companions, his vision suddenly dimmed. In an instant, he found himself in the middle of the wilderness. He was taken aback by what happened. He struck himself so hard thinking he was just asleep and dreaming but nothing has changed. He became elated when he saw Leo. Finally, his former partner caught Rodel.

He didn't speak a word and he continued watching Leo. Ythan was very fond of his former partner until...

Light gleamed in the sky and the staccato of thunderbolts can be heard anywhere. After a while, the sky started to cry. The weather seemed to understand Eris' feelings. She can't clearly see since her tears are gradually falling from her eyes. She recalled how her father left her in the lurch when she needed him most because of Edlyn's status quo. Eris began to come to herself when she heard a firearm's report. It was very loud and very sharp. She unceasingly ran in the woods until she found Leo.

Leo felt the cold coming from the rifle he's holding. His hands were shaking as the bullet punched its way through Rodel's neck, causing a gaping hole in its wake that quickly filled with blood and oozed out. Rodel staggered and fell to the ground. The rain water eroded Rodel's blood. Leo pronounced something and Eris clearly heard everything.

Edlyn was stupefied by what she saw. She couldn't move her legs even if her mind wanted her to run away from the police. The only thing she felt was fear. She couldn't accept that she had to lose her father that way. Eris hurriedly picked her up. The girl was heavy but Eris managed to distance her from Leo.

"Edlyn." Eris shakes Edlyn's body and focuses her eyes on hers.

"EDLYN! Come to your senses! Your mother is still alive. I know that it was hard to witness everything but you have to survive!"

The high school girl started to come to her senses. On the spur of the moment, she felt so petrified. How did a senior police officer kill her father? Rodel already throws in the towel so there is no need to kill him.

"Hide yourself here. Whatever happens, don't get caught. Understand?" Eris expressed her sympathy and concern to the girl.

~

Ythan roused up from his sleep. He's finding Leo and Eris the moment he opens his eyes. When he saw Aida and Sheryl's corpses he sighed and said, "Thank God, it was just a dream."

Divonne came together with three police officers to get the corpses.

"It looks like someone fell asleep while on duty." Divonne simpers as she smiles on Ythan.

"I don't know how I fell asleep. I'm not sluggish at all. I have a bad dream. Anyway, where did you leave Arya?" Ythan said.

"What kind of dream?" Divonne inquired out of curiosity. She didn't answer his question about Arya. Divonne became envious since anyone can tell how much Ythan cherished Arya.

"I'm too languid to narrate."

Ythan's cigarette fell on the ground when he heard a flamboyant gun blast from the woods.

"Ythan did you hear that?" Divonne shuddered with horror.

They swiftly run into the woods to find what's happening- all they know is that Leo and Eris are hunting Rodel.

~

Eris' head hurts so much. She finds Edlyn sleeping beside her. She yelped when she saw Leo. The senior police officer was stabbed. Her brown eyes enlarged when she saw Rodel. He's not breathing and he was shot in the neck. What makes Eris more shocked is that she is holding a rifle and a knife with blood stains. She can't remember anything at the moment. When she hears footsteps, she hides herself in the bushes.

"Oh my God! Leo! What happened?" Divonne screams.

Ythan at a fast pace stop the bleeding from Leo's arms while Divonne went out to call the medics and their comrades. They secured the crime scene and didn't allow anyone to step in. Rodel was proclaimed dead while Edlyn was only unconscious but safe.

"Wait. Where's Eris? Where is the rookie?"

Ythan left Leo after he assured that his former partner was breathing. He walks around the area but he doesn't find Eris since the rookie managed to go out of the woods. Edlyn finally wakes up. Leo was transported to the nearest hospital while the cadaver of Rodel was carried to the morgue. The entire family suffered a horrible death.

"Edlyn, do you recall something?" Ythan muffled.

"My Dad, he... he was shot by a rifle." Edlyn cries as she ponders what happened.

"I don't even have a chance to tell him how much I love him. He's been supporting my studies since elementary and we know nothing about it. Dad told me everything. All his sacrifices are not being acknowledged. I hated him for no reason. I feel so sorry for my Dad and his family." Edlyn continued.

"Did you see who killed your dad?" Ythan remembered his dream a while ago. He needs confirmation that Leo didn't do it.

"The girl with the brown eyes, she did it. She killed my poor Dad! That f*cking bitch!"

"Did you see who stabbed the other police officer?"Ythan queried.

"I don't know." Edlyn replied.

"Is it Eris too? The girl who killed your dad?" Ythan added.

"I said I don't remember that part. All I know is that your comrade killed my Dad! I thought all police officers were clean but she proved me wrong! I want to be like you BEFORE. I hope you find her. Put her behind bars and let her pay for what she did! I want her to suffer! I will use all my Dad's resources to avenge his death!" Edlyn clasped her fist as tears flowed down from her eyes.

Ythan informed everyone to find Eris. He felt at ease knowing that Leo didn't kill anyone but he felt bad for Eris. He can't think of a reason why the rookie did the awful thing.

~

Eris cried while burying the knife and the rifle. She didn't know what to do. All the evidence points to her as the culprit but she can't even recall what happened back then. She likes Leo a lot and she will never hurt him. She hates Rodel for some reason but she has no capacity to kill him since she can't even pull the trigger because of her childhood trauma. She didn't know who to call since she has no family in the Philippines. She didn't know who to trust. One person is coming to her mind but she has no guts to ask for her help. That girl didn't even know that they are related to each other. At that moment, Eris wants to die but she has no right to kill herself until she finds who killed her father. She needs to hide because she is aware that the police are now eyeing for her.