Codename: Mythos

Chapter 5

Three days after Elise’s first move, the silent waters began to slowly stir.

“May inquiry na ang BIR,” sabi ni Bianca habang binabasa ang report sa tablet. “Anonymous tip daw. Vendor inconsistencies. Logistics firm ni Paulo ang target.”

Elise didn’t smile, but her eyes sharpened. “They took the bait.”

“Pero mabilis rin ang damage control,” dagdag ni Bianca. “May PR team na agad. May mga dummy statements na rin.”

“Expected,” sagot ni Elise. “They’ll patch the surface. But the cracks are internal.”

Tahimik silang dalawa sa loob ng warehouse. Sa labas, walang tigil ang pagbuhos ng ulan. Sa loob, may tensyon na hindi pinapangalanan. It simmered, sandwiched between the elements outside and the concrete walls. Elise opened a new file—Tier 2: Internal Disruption. Hindi pa niya ito ina-activate, pero nagsimula na siyang maghanda.

“Kamusta ang mga kilos ni Eliana?” tanong niya.

Bianca swiped again on her tablet. “She’s been requesting access sa old Vireon prototypes. Yung mga hindi na ginagamit.”

“She’s probing,” Elise said. “Looking for leverage.”

“Wala pa siyang access,” sagot ni Bianca. “Pero may mga engineer na kinakausap niya.”

Elise leaned forward. “Sino?”

“William Lao. Lead Systems Architect. Tahimik, pero matalino. Mukhang hindi aware sa galaw ni Eliana.”

Elise stared at the name. William. Sa dating timeline, hindi siya bahagi ng pagtataksil na nangyari. Pero naging collateral damage. Ngayon, hindi pa malinaw kung saan ito nakatayo.

“Flag him,” utos ni Elise. “Not as a threat. As a variable.”

Bianca nodded. “Understood.”

Binuksan ni Elise ang internal communications dashboard. May mga bagong request—project proposals, budget approvals, meeting invites. Lahat ay mukhang normal. Pero alam niyang hindi lahat ay totoo.

She opened a message from Paulo.

> Hope you’re feeling better. Let me know if you’re ready to talk.

Binasa niya ito nang walang emosyon. Sa dating timeline, ganito rin nagsimula ang pagbagsak niya—sa mga mensaheng puno ng malasakit pero may lason sa ilalim. Sa kasalukuyang timeline, siya ang itinatagong girlfriend ni Paulo. Ewan ba niya kung bakit siya pumayag sa suggestion ng lalaki noon. Masyado siyang bulang sa pag-ibig.

In fact, there is nothing to hide. Hindi tututol ang daddy niya kung sakaling maisapubliko ang relasyon nilang dalawa. For all he’s worth, Paulo is a capable man, and a much desired son in law. Siya lang itong tanga kasi na naniwalang hindi pa stable ang career nito at maraming kaaway. He doesn’t want to put her in danger.

Eliana snorted. She lived and breathed danger ever since she was born. Kaya nga pinili niyang ilihim ang tunay niyang pagkatao sa lahat, para kahit paano ay magkaroon ng sense or normalcy ang buhay niya. Hindi siya nakatira sa mansyon ng mga Cazares. Nakabukod siya sa mga magulang simula noong tumuntong siya sa kolehiyo.

She didn’t reply to Paulo’s message. To be very honest, she has none.

“Bianca,” sabi niya, “I want a full audit of C&A Industries’ internal communications. Lahat ng messages, lalo na ‘yung may keywords na ‘access,’ ‘prototype,’ at ‘transfer.’”

“On it,” sagot ni Bianca. “Pero discreet. Ayokong magduda ang mga tao. Baka makatunog rin ang sino mang interesado at nag-aabang.”

“Exactly,” Elise said. “We move in silence.”

Tumayo si Elise at lumapit sa server wall. She pressed a sequence—isang bagong layer ng Vireon ang bumukas. Ito ang tinatawag niyang Echo Layer—a passive listening tool na hindi nagre-record, pero nagre-react sa patterns na nasasagap nito.

“Activate Echo,” utos niya.

Bianca hesitated. “You sure? Hindi pa natin ito na-test nang buo.”

“I’m not waiting for perfect,” Elise said. “I’m waiting for weakness.”

Bianca tapped the command. “Activated.”

Sa kabilang monitor, nagsimulang gumalaw ang mga data points. Patterns. Conversations. Behavioral shifts. Elise watched silently.

“May anomaly,” sabi ni Bianca. “Isang engineer sa R&D—nag-access ng prototype logs na hindi bahagi ng current project.”

“Name?”

“Lao.”

Tahimik si Elise. Hindi galit. Hindi rin takot. Pero malinaw sa dalaga: may gumagalaw sa dilim. And she is not the type to wait and be a rabbit ripe for the hunter’s bullets.

“Schedule a meeting with him,” utos niya. “Casual. No pressure.”

“Gusto mong ikaw ang na kumausap?”

“No,” Elise said. “Ikaw. I want to see how he reacts to you.”

Bianca nodded. “I’ll keep it light.”

Elise turned back to the screen. Sa likod ng mga numbers, may narrative. At sa likod ng narrative, may obvious na intensyon. Those patterns are ridiculously familiar. Her twenty-three year old self will never have the mind or eye to notice, but not her thirty-three year old version. Pinagtibay na ng karanasan at panahon ang babaeng nakaupo dito ngayon. And Elise regretfully realized one thing, she was utterly naïve.

Binuksan niya ang Mythos Protocol: Tier 3. Ito ang pinaka-sensitibo—media manipulation, asset freezing, and psychological disruption. Hindi pa ito para sa ngayon. Pero malapit na rin niyang gamitin. One thing at a time.

“Bianca,” sabi niya, “I want contingency plans for three scenarios: One, Paulo goes public. Two, Eliana makes a move on Vireon. Three, someone inside EcoForm leaks.”

Bianca typed quickly. “I’ll draft options. May preference ka?”

“Minimal exposure,” Elise said. “Maximum confusion.”

Tahimik ulit. Sa labas, lumalakas ang ulan. Sa loob, lumalalim ang mga pagkilos.

“May isa pa pala, bago ko makalimutan,” dagdag ni Bianca. “May bagong analyst sa finance team. Galing sa main office ng C&A. Transferred quietly.”

“Name?”

“Carmela Ruiz. Twenty-six. Clean record. Pero may ties kay Eliana—former mentee.”

Elise’s jaw tightened. “She’s a plant.”

“Want her flagged?”

“No,” Elise said. “I want her tested.”

Bianca raised an eyebrow. “How?”

“Give her a false lead. Something tempting but harmless. Let’s see if it reaches Eliana.”

Bianca smiled. “Classic Mythos.”

Elise didn’t smile back. “This isn’t a game.”

She stood and walked to the far wall. May lumang mapa ng Metro Manila ang nakapaskil doon—marked with pins, circles, and red lines. Each mark was a memory. Each line, a warning.

She stared at the map. “We’re not just watching them. We’re shaping the field.”

Bianca joined her. “And if they strike back?”

Elise looked at her best friend, a smirk hanging on her pink lips. “Then we strike deeper of course.”

Tahimik silang dalawa, tanging tunog ng pagbuhos ng ulan sa yero ang naririnig. Sa harap ng monitor, gumagalaw ang mga data—mga pattern na hindi pa buo, pero nagsisimula nang magpinta ng larawan.

“William’s meeting is set,” sabi ni Bianca. “Tomorrow, 10 AM. Sa EcoForm lounge. Casual setup.”

“Good. Observe only. Don’t confront.”

Bianca nodded. “At si Carmela?”

“I’ll send the lead myself,” desisyon ni Elise. “Galing sa isang dummy account. Tingnan natin kung gaano kabilis itong kumilos.”

Binuksan ni Elise ang isang secure terminal. She crafted a message—technical, vague, but enticing.

> New prototype specs under review. Possible transfer to external vendor. Details pending.

She tagged it with a false timestamp and routed it through a dormant internal alias. Then she sent it—quietly, precisely, with all the intention to lure her target.

“Sent,” kompirma ni Elise.

Sinuri ni Biance and trace. “No flags. No bounce. Malinis.”

Napasandal sa pagkakaupo si Elise. “Now we wait.”

Sa loob ng warehouse, walang activity. Pero sa loob ng system, may mga tanong na nagsisimulang mabuo. Sino ang tapat? Sino ang tahimik lang na nagmamasid? Sino ang susunod na gagalaw?

Elise stared at the map again. Sa dating timeline, hindi niya nakita ang mga senyales. Ngayon, bawat galaw ay banabantayan niya. Bawat salita ay susuriin, pag-iisipan nang maigi. Bawat tao ay kikilatisin.

Hindi na siya ang dating Elise na tahimik lang na sumusunod. Hindi na siya ang Elise na nagtatago sa likod ng mga protocol at mga pekeng pagngiti sa boardroom.