Codename: Mythos

Chapter 10

Tahimik ang gabi sa San Juan warehouse. Sa command vault, Bianca was reviewing the Echo Layer logs habang si William ay nakatutok sa sandbox feed ni Carmela. The room pulsed with quiet tension, like a held breath waiting to break.

“She’s still in the loop,” sabi ni Bianca, eyes flicking across the screen. “She thinks she’s accessing the real archive.”

Tumango si William. “We’ve got her boxed in.”

Napasulyap si Bianca sa bakanteng upuan sa kabilang panig ng silid. “Elise said she needed a moment. Probably upstairs.”

Hindi iyon kinuwestiyon ni William. He assumed she was clearing her head, maybe reviewing the Tier 2 logs. What he didn’t know: Elise was already gone.

---

Sa isang compound sa Quezon City, Carmela Ruiz sat curled in a corner of a dimly lit safehouse. Puno ng maraming pasa at bakas ng tali ang mga braso at kamay ni Carmela. Wala na siyang boses. Sa tabi niya ay nakapatong ang burner device—basag, hindi na gumagana. She hadn’t spoken since the incident.

Hindi niya alam kung sino ang umatake. Hindi niya nakita ang mukha. Pero naramdaman niya ang presensya—isang malamig na hangin na parang kamatayan. Walang salita. Walang awa. Walang mukha.

Mythos.

The name echoed in her mind like a curse. The figure in black. The flash pellet. Ang nakabibinging katahimikan. The way her guards dropped one by one, like dominoes falling in slow motion.

She had been spared. Pero hindi niya alam ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit.

---

Back in San Juan, Bianca tapped a corrupted frame from the Echo Layer. “Ito ‘yong pinakahuling ping bago tuluyang nagdilim ang signal ni Carmela.”

Lalong lumapit si William para tingnan ang imahe. The image was blurred, distorted by static. Pero may nag-iisang agaw-pansin—spray-painted in jagged strokes across a concrete wall.

MYTHOS.

Nangunot ang noo ni William. “That’s not a signature. That’s a warning.”

Hindi sumagot si Bianca. She just zoomed in and enhanced the timestamp.

“Kalahating oras matapos makaalis ni Carmela sa sandbox,” sabi ni Bianca. “Kung sino man ang may gawa nito ay alam na alam kung kailan sasalakay.”

“Kailangan natin siyang makuha bago pa man tayo maunahan ni Eliana,” deklara ni William sa nagtatagis na bagang.

Bianca shook her head. “Carmela’s already broken. Hindi siya magsasalita.”

---

Sa rooftop garden ng warehouse, Elise stood alone, staring at the skyline. Sa kamay niya ay hawak ang pendant na ibinigay ni Claudia—isang paalala ng katahimikan, ng kontrol, ng dugo. The rain had started again, soft and steady.

Narinig niya ang mga yabag sa likod niya. Kahit hindi lumingon si Elise ay kilalang-kilala niya ang bawat pagbagsak, ang bigat ng yabag na lalaki, at higit sa ano pa man---ang amoy nito. Napapikit si Elise, pilit itinataboy ang mga bagay na alam niyang hindi makatutulong sa pinaka-priority niya sa ngayon.

William. There is no man other than William with the scent of the woods mixed with the storm. It simply reminds Elise of power, danger and something else she has no business entertaining in her head.

“You’re always up here,” puna ng lalaki.

“Kapag kailangan ko lang ng katahimikan,” sagot ni Elise.

Humakbang si William para tabihan siya. Pagkatapos ay nilingon siya ng lalaki bago nagsalita.

“Carmela’s safehouse was hit. Patay ang tatlong guwardiya pero iniwang buhay si Carmela.”

Hindi nag-react si Elise.

“She keeps whispering one word,”pagpapatuloy ni William. “Mythos.”

Humarap si Elise sa lalaki. “Ano sa tingin mo ang ibig sabihin noon?”

Lumiit ang mga mata ni William. “Sa tingin ko ay message ‘yon.”

“Galing kanino?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

---

Sa loob ng C&A tower, Eliana was watching the footage from Carmela’s safehouse. Blurred frames. Static. Walang mukha. Walang kasarian. Walang bakas.

She leaned back in her chair, fingers joined beneath her chin.

“Kung sino man si Mythos,” sabi ni Elise, “they’re not just an assassin. They’re a system.”

Sally Martinez nodded. “Should we escalate?”

Napangiti si Eliana. “No. We wait. Hayaan mong maghabol ng multo si William. Let Elise pretend she’s in control.”

Eliana tapped the screen, freezing the frame on the red spray-paint. Her smile didn’t fade, instead it deepened, confidence magnifying her emotion.

“Let Mythos think they’re winning.”

---

That night, Elise slipped into the vault alone. Bianca was asleep. William was out doing god knows what. Elise didn’t bother asking. Sa loob ng silid, tahimik ang mga server. The hum was familiar—like a heartbeat she had memorized.

Binuksan ni Elise ang drawer at inilabas ang injector na ginamit ni Mythos. Pinakatitigan ‘yon ni Elise. Pagkatapos ng ilang sandali ay ibinalik ng dalaga ang injector sa loob. Inside her chest, something stirred---not fear, but anger. Hindi pagdududa, kundi determinasyon.

She wasn’t just surviving anymore. She was preparing.

---

Sa Quezon City, Carmela woke up screaming.

Her eyes darted around the room. Walang tao. Walang ingay. Pero sa dingding, may bagong nakasulat. Red ink. Jagged strokes.

YOU WERE SPARED.

Carmela collapsed.

---

Back in San Juan, William was reviewing old syndicate files. Binalikan ng lalaki ang lahat ng mga kilalang assassin sa nakaraang sampung taon. Wala ni isa ang tumugma kay Mythos. No fingerprints. No DNA. No confirmed sightings.

He opened a file labeled Cazares Internal.

Paused. Ramdam ni William ang paglalaban at pagkahati ng kalooban. Oo, nag-aalangan siya.

Aaminin niyang inuunahan siya ng hindi maipaliwanag na takot. Ni hindi niya alam kung saan nag-uugat ‘yon. Hindi siya duwag, patunay ang pagtalikod niya sa legasiya ng mga Arizobal. Hindi niya gustong maging bahagi ng mga bagay na sumisimbolo ng mitsa ng kamatayan ng ama at tiyuhin.

William felt like he is dishonoring his father and uncle’s sacrifice for him to live. Eventually, William closed the file without taking a peek inside.

---

Sa command vault, Bianca received a silent ping. Binuksan niya ang trace. It was a location marker—Pasig. A warehouse. Abandoned.

She tapped the console.

“Elise,” mahinang bulong ni Bianca. “Handa na ang Tier 3.”

---

Sa rooftop, pinanood ni Elise ang unti-unting pagbagsak ng ulan. Hindi tuminag ang dalaga maging nang mag-umpisang lumakas at lumaki ang mga patak ng tubig.

Bumulong si Elise, “Then we move.”