GAME OF THE DEVIL

CHAPTER 6

TICK TOCK

Noah stared silently at the unfinished canvas in front of him. Red paint from the paintbrush in his hand dripped down to the wooden floor. Only the sound of the white wall clock ticking resounded inside the room.

TICK TOCK

His eyes averted to the picture clipped beside the canvas he's using as a reference, then back to his unfinished painting.

TICK TOCK

Inilapag niya ang hawak na paintbrush sa lamesang nasa tabi bago dinampot ang isa pang brush na may kulay itim ang dulo. Muli niya 'yong dinampian ng itim na acrylic sa palette na hawak bago mabigat na ipinahid 'yon sa canvas.

He looked down at the poor man, biting an apple he held with his right hand, and his left foot stepping on his face like a doormat, "Are you done?"

One of his men from the Phoenix who is positioned a few meters away from them moved his face away from the camera he's holding before nodding his head, "Yes, Sir."

He bit the apple and let it remain in his mouth. Then, with his now free right hand, he motioned him with his index finger to give him the camera.

Kaagad naman itong tumalima at iniabot sa kaniya ang camera. Pagkaabot niya'y mas diniinan niya ang pagkakaapak sa mukha ng lalaki dahilan para mapa-igik 'to. He checked the pictures the man took from all angles before nodding his head in satisfaction.

He then, turned his head to the picture clipped beside his canvas--a picture of him stepping on a man's face--that he's using as a reference.

Ibinalik niya ang camera sa kaniyang tauhan tapos ay inilipat ang atensyon sa lalaking ang mukha ay nasa ilalim ng sapatos niya. He noisily bit and took the apple from his mouth and wiped the trace of saliva beside his lips with his other hand, swallowing the bite afterwards, "Now, that's out of the way, tell me..."

He removed his feet from the face of the man who froze in fear, like a scared mice about to be devoured by a preying cat. Nilakihan ni Noah ang kaniyang mga mata bago yumuko papalapit sa kaniya habang nanatiling nakaupo sa upuan, "I heard you've been spreading rumors about the Phoenix Inc. that we're involved in the underground society?"

The man's face turned pale as he became lost in the shadows of his blue eyes, his lips smudged with dirt from the soles of his shoes and blood from his wounds.

Rumors? How can he be spreading rumors, when it's clear that it's true? He was just spreading awareness, para mag-ingat ang mga tao sa Phoenix Inc. But it seems trying to warn other people for their sake sacrificed his own.

Should he have kept his mouth shut? No... hindi 'yon kakayanin ng konsensya niya.

Someone had to go out there and tell other people the truth, even if it came with the cost of his own life.

Malakas siyang sinipa ni Noah sa mukha padapa sa lupa, creating a loud bang when the wooden easel stand along with his canvas crashed on the ground. Noah breathed heavily as he glowered at his own doing.

He ran his paint-tainted fingers through his hair while still holding the paintbrush, smudging black and red colors on his forehead and hair. His head feeling heavy, his chest empty, "Something's still not right," he uttered, "Not right, not right."

He was about to grab another new canvas from the shelf when the door to the room busted open and entered Yui carrying a body whose head wore a small sack, "Hey, Noah. Look what I found snooping around."

He frowned at the sudden interruption, "I'm busy. I told you not to disturb me when I'm doing art--"

He was cut off when the body on Yui's shoulder squirmed and whimpered loudly, trying to get off from her hold. Yui placed her on the rectangular wooden table filled with other art materials dahilan para kumalat at mahulog ang ilan sa sahig then used some ropes she found in the corner of the room and flawlessly tied her wrists and ankles together to prevent her from moving freely.