Codename: Mythos

Chapter 7

Tumigil na ang ulan pero nanatiling makulimlim ang kalangitan. May pag-ambon paminsan-minsan pero hanggang doon na lang. Sa San Juan warehouse, nakaupo si Elise sa dulo ng steel desk, her fingers tapping against the cold surface. Bianca was reviewing the Echo Layer feed, Carmela’s trace pulsing like a heartbeat on the screen.

“She’s rerouting again,” sabi ni Bianca. “Sinisikap niyang itago o iligaw ang data trail. Pero hindi niya pa rin alam na naka-mirror tayo.”

Hindi nag-angat ng tingin si Elise. “Let her dance. Gusto kong malaman kung hanggang saan ang layo ng iniisip niyang kaya niyang abutin.”

Napangisi si Bianca. “She’s bold. Eliana trained her well.”

“Too well,” Elise said. “At iyan ang obvious na kahinaan niya.”

Tumunog ang encrypted line. Bianca checked the ID. “Incoming call. No label. Pero naka-route through Kintara Dynamics.”

Naging alerto ang mga mata ni Elise. “Patch it.”

Tinapik ni Bianca ang screen. A voice came through—low, calm, deliberate.

> “This is William Arizobal. I’m outside. I think I took a wrong turn.”

Napakurap si Elise. “What?”

“He’s not on the schedule,” sabi ni Bianca, sabay tingin kay Elise.

Elise stood. “Bring him in.”

Bianca disappeared through the side door.

William Arizobal. Umalingawngaw sa isip ni Elise ang pangalan ng lalaki na parang magkahalong babala at pangako. Hindi niya ito nakilala ng personal sa kasalukuyang timeline. In the old one, he was a ghost—mentioned in passing, always distant, always watching. Half-brother to Paulo. Son of Kenneth Arizobal. Founder of Kintara Dynamics. A man who walked away from his family’s empire and built his own.

Ngayon, nandito ang lalaki. At hindi niya inaasahan. Bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si Bianca. Kasunod niya si William Arizobal.

He was taller than Elise expected. Lean, but solid. Mabilis na pinasadahan ng lalaki ng tingin ang buong lugar—not with suspicion, but with precision. Suot nito ang isang itim na jacket, basa ang laylayan. His black leather boots looked like they had seen more than just rain.

“Elise,” kompirma ng lalaki.

“William,” she replied.

They stared at each other for a moment. No handshake. No small talk. Just silence.

“I was supposed to meet someone from your R&D team,” William said. “Pero mukhang napadpad ako sa ibang quadrant.”

Elise tilted her head. “You’re not lost.”

William smirked. “No. I’m curious.”

She gestured to the chair across from her. “Then sit.”

Sumunod si William pero nanatiling nakatayo si Bianca, magkakrus ang parehong braso sa tapat ng dibdib.

“I didn’t expect you here,” Elise said.

“I didn’t expect to be here,” sagot ni Wiliiam. “Pero sabihin na lang natin na may gumabay sa akin sa tamang lugar, imbes na sa headquarters ng EcoForm. And I remembered something.”

Bagamat nabigla ay hindi ipinahalata ni Elise ‘yon. Sa halip, balewalang nagtaas siya ng kilay sa lalaki. “What?”

“That Paulo Martinez used to drop by one of your secret hideouts,” sabi ni William. “At lagi kang hindi mahagilap sa mga pagkakataong dumadalaw siya.”

Tahimik si Elise. “You’ve been watching.”

Nagkibit-balikat si Wiliiam bilang pag-amin. “I watch everything connected to my family. Kasama na ‘yong mga bahaging sinusubukan nilang itago nang mabuti.”

Bianca narrowed her eyes at William. “Ano ang kailangan mo?”

“Answers,” William said. “At siguro, dahilan para mamili ng kakampihan.”

Masusing sinuri ng tingin ni Elise ang lalaki, pinag-aaralan ang bawat anggulo ng mukha nito. “You walked away from the Arizobal legacy. You built Kintara from scratch. You don’t owe them anything.”

“I owe my dad, Kenneth,” pagtatama ni William sa dalaga. “And I owe Uncle Diego. But the rest? No.”

Elise’s voice was quiet. “Anim na taon ka lang nang mamatay sila.”

Tumango si William. “Paulo was twelve. Old enough to remember. Old enough to lie. Nagawa nilang palabasin na apo siya ng katulong namin. What are the odds that they are capable of doing things more than lie?”

“Sa tingin mo, may kinalaman siya?”

“I think he knew more than he said,” William replied. “Sa tingin ko, pinagtakpan at ginawan ng paraan ni Ibrahim.”

Elise leaned forward. “Hindi ka nagkakamali.”

Pinakatitigan ni William ang dalaga. “You’ve been digging.”

“I’ve been surviving,” Elise refuted. “And now I’m building.”

Hindi man lang nasorpresa si William. “You’re not just a chemist.”

“I’m not just anything.”

Bianca’s high-pitched giggles sliced the tension-filled air. “She really isn’t.”

Nagpalipat-lipat ng tingin si William sa dalawang babaeng naroon sa silid. “So what now?”

“I need a partner,” Elise said. “Someone outside C&A. Someone Eliana can’t manipulate.”

Tumaas ang malagong kilay ng lalaki. “Sa tingin mo, she’s watching me?”

“I think she will be after today.”

William chuckled. “Then I guess I should make it worth her while.”

Tumayo si Elise. “Sumunod ka sa akin.”

---

Makalipas ng dalawang oras, dinala ni Elise si William sa isang bahagi ng lugar kung saan pili lang ang may alam—a secure room beneath the warehouse. Protektado ang lugar laban sa mga signal sa labas. William reviewed the Vireon architecture, his fingers moving quickly across the screen.

“This is elegant,” he said. “But it’s vulnerable.”

“I know,” pag-amin ni Elise. “Kaya kailangan ko ang mga mata mo.”

William looked up. “Ganyan kalaki ang tiwala mo sa akin? Ngayon lang tayo nagkaharap at nagkakilala.”

“I trust your motives. Your hate for Paulo far surpasses mine.”

Hindi iyon ipinagkaila ni William. “He killed Kenneth. Indirectly. But it was him.”

“At si Diego Diaz,” Elise said. “Alam ko.”

William’s jaw clenched. “They called it an accident. But it wasn’t.”

Lumapit si Elise sa lalaki. Pero hanggang doon lang. Hindi niya alam paano i-comfort ang isang estranghero na ngayon lang niya nakaharap. “We’ll make it right.”

Matiim siyang tinitigan ni William, pero hindi umiwas si Elise. Para bang sa pamamagitan sa pagsalubong sa mga mata nito ay maipaalam niyang sincere siya sa binitiwang salita.

“You really believe that?”

“I believe in revenge,” mababa ang boses na usal ni Elise. “And I believe in precision.”

He stared at her, really looked at her for the first time. Iba ang tingin na ibinibigay sa kanya ni William sa pagkakataong ito. “You’re not what I expected.

“I’m not what anyone expected,” segunda ni Elise.

Bianca cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt the tension, pero may update tayo.”

Lumingon si Elise. “Go.”

“Carmela’s rerouting again,” imporma ni Bianca. “She’s trying to access Tier 1 protocols.”

Kumunot ang noo ni Wiliiam. “Paano siya nakapasok?”

“Finance team,” sabi ni Elise. “Dating mentee ni Eliana.”

Tinungo ni William ang console. “Ibigay mo sa akin ang trace niya. Akong bahala.”

Inilipat ni Bianca ang feed kay William na kaagad pinag-aralan ng lalaki. “Aaminin kong medyo magaling siya. But not perfect.”

“She’s arrogant. That’s her flaw.”

Mabilis na tumipa si Willliam. “Puwede kong iligaw ang access niya at bigyan siya ng maling data. Make her think she’s winning.”

Elise nodded. “Then do it.”

Tahimik silang inobserbahan ni Bianca mula sa tabi. “Pansin ko lang, mabilis kayong magtrabahong dalawa ah. Instant connect? Wala pang isang araw.”

“Kulang na tayo sa oras,” ani Elise.

William glanced at Elise. “You’re really in this.”

“I am at hindi ako aatras.”

Tumango si William, itinuloy ang mabilis na pagtipa sa console. “Kung ganoon siguruhin natin na sila ang gagawa noon.”

---

Later that night, Elise stood alone in the vault. Nakaalis na si William para kontakin ang mga engineers nito. Nasa taas naman si Bianca at patuloy na sinusubaybayan ang bawat galaw ni Carmela. Titig na titig si Elise sa screen. Her reflection stared back.

Naalala na naman niya ang rooftop. Ang hangin. The betrayal. Paulo’s face and Eliana’s gloating silence as she watched her run to her death. She remembered falling. And she remembered waking up.

Now, she was Mythos.

And Mythos never forgets.