Chapter 3
263 Words
By sunrise, the bus finally approached a small town. People started waking up, but Alina felt drained — mentally, emotionally, spiritually.
She glanced at Rafe. He hadn’t slept at all.
“Rafe… sino yung ‘they’?”
He inhaled deeply.
“You won’t believe me if I say it now.”
“Try me.”
He looked at her wrist.
“Do you know you have a mark?”
“What mark?”
“Left wrist. Under the bracelet.”
She pulled her bracelet up.
Her heart dropped.
There was a faint symbol — parang crescent moon na may line through it.
Something she hadn’t noticed before.
Or maybe… something that just appeared recently.
“What… what is this?” she whispered.
“That’s why I’m here,” he said. “To find you before they do.”
“Pero bakit ako? Sino sila?”
Rafe’s jaw clenched.
“They’re called the Seekers. And they have one job…”
He looked into her eyes—steady, serious, almost desperate.
“…to hunt people with that mark.”
“Why?!”
“Because the mark means you’re not like everyone else.”
He held her gaze.
“It means you’re one of us.”
“One of who?”
Rafe leaned closer, voice low, like the truth itself was dangerous.
“Alina…
You’re not just an ordinary girl.”
A gust of wind slammed against the bus window at the same time, making her jump.
“You’re awakened,” he whispered.
“And from this point… your life will never be normal again.”
- Writer
