[ ENTRY #8 - 09/12/22 (DAY 02) | KAI'S MANSION] 

[Note: Written by Kai] 

"Reia, let's talk."

I made sure to stand in front of her door, at kahit na alam kong gusto niya akong iwasan kailangan na naming mag-usap bago namin planuhin yung pag kuha ng supplies. 

"What is left to talk about—" 

"Hindi tayo nakapag-usap kahapon kasi sinampal mo ako bago ako makapagsalita. I just want to explain my side to you—" 

"I'm not as gullible as Loren, forgiving Riley like that kahit na antagal niyong dalawa na mawala. I am just protecting myself here, Kailyn—" 

"I had to protect Riley," pagsabat ko, and I don't care if she's going to listen or not dahil kailangan ko nang sabihin sa kanya ang lahat ng ito. 

"I had to take her away from Efimera, from her father. You… Hindi ko sinabi sa inyong dalawa ni Loren dahil ayaw kong madamay kayo sa problem ng pamilya namin." 

She just stared at me, and hindi ko mabasa ang expression na nasa mukha niya—I decided to continue. 

"I never wanted to be selfless. Pero pinangako ko kay Tita Jani na aalagaan ko ang anak niya, and I wouldn't break that promise. I had to leave to go to Etereo because it was what I needed to sacrifice." I said, and Reia finally stared at me with those eyes. 

Confused, worried and most of all, angry—

Nasampal nanaman ako. 

"You idiot, Riley's father died two or three years after you left! Bakit hindi mo man lang ako sinulatan or something—" 

"I… Nag-enlist ako sa military service ng Etereo as a way to raise Riley alone, tapos alam kong ayaw ni Riley na bumalik sa Efimera. That's the reason din kung bakit pinakiusapan ko si Mikael Ylagan na magmove sa Etereo." 

I see Reia's walls get stripped in front of me, her lips pursing as she stared at me again. 

"You… tangina ka, all this time akala ko kaya ka nawala kasi ghoster ka." she says, half laughing and crying, and I have the strong urge to hug her pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko dahil nga alam kong di pa siya comfy sa akin. 

"I will never ghost you, gagi." I said, and she scoffs at me. 

"Fine, I will cooperate with you for the trip you're saying outside, but that doesn't mean na you're already forgiven." she says, and I nod at that, smiling wide and then making a show of bowing at her. 

"Okay, your majesty, what shall I do to be able to earn your favor—" 

Sinipa ako paatras. "GET OUT!" 

Natatawa akong naglakad pababa at nakita na busy magsulat si Avah at si Gray, probably brainstorming about the plan na meron kami so I just decided to go to the spare storage room I have. 

Pagbukas ko ng pinto, kita ko na nakaupo si Jordan at nakasandal sa pader, looking so tired and breathless kahit na overnight pa lang siya na nakakulong dito. 

"Food… Kai… I need—" 

Agad ko siyang sinipa sa mukha, and he lets out a pained laugh as he glares at me. Itinaas pa niya ang middle finger niya pero pinigilan ko na ang urge ko na sipain uli siya sa mukha. 

"To think that you were my favorite," I said, leaning upon the wall na katapat niya, and I see him staring at me wildly. 

"To think na sa lahat ng tinrain ko, ikaw yung pinakapaborito ko but you just had to ing appear here." I said, gritting my teeth as he stared at me, the mischievousness disappearing from his eyes. 

"W-What do you mean, akala ko si Helia or si Aren yung paborito mo—" 

"It's you, . Sa tingin mo ba, lahat kayo tinulungan ko dun sa survival training sa Hyrea?" I ask, the vivid time returning into my memory as I let it play in my mind. 

It was some years ago, when I was almost at the end of my training stint with them, and after that I'd be the leader to the military missions they'd be assigned to. 

A survival training in the woods is the last thing me and my other colleagues had concocted, kung saan sinabi nila na survival to the death ang mangyayari—meaning that the trainees could die at the last part of training, but their families will be rewarded for their efforts. 

At the time I was hesitant because they were already the best, but I was just following orders along with the others. Who was I to disagree? 

So the training was arranged in an abandoned woods part of Hyrea, a small island just outside of Etereo's borders, a private land na pinagmamay-ari ng Zeus Corporation who sponsored the whole event—in exchange of a favor I had to do some time later, but that's another story for another time. 

Among the 24 trainees that underwent the brutal training, only four survived to form the legendary Dark Ops Special Forces—8 people died, and 12 people quit because of their injuries. Up until now hindi ko pa rin alam ang full extent ng mga kaganapan that day (because the surveillance was controlled by Hera Industries, a subsidiary of Zeus Corp), but I was able to make a difference on one of them. 

"Jordan Lance Romero," he says with enthusiastic vigor despite the hellish training he's had bago ko itake over yung pagtetrain sa kanila one day. "Nice to meet you, Miss Kai." 

He was different from all the others. While they were cold, calculative, fierce and unrelentlessly harsh just to overtake their mission, he was different. 

But there I knew that he was plagued by a past I never learned, because he begged me when he was dying sa gubat because of some trainee that one of the four survivors dealt with later on. 

"Riley," he said, and I wondered why he would say my cousin's name. "Riley, I'm sorry." 

Why was he begging my cousin for forgiveness? 

I didn't know that, but I still risked my life to save him because at that time I thought it was the right thing to do even if the security of Hera Industries could definitely see me and the other trainees could also kill me. 

Well, that was the reason why I didn't get the leader position and got demoted… I think. 

"But I was able to strike a deal to let you stay,"