CHAPTER 01

CHAPTER 01: Three Stages

Divina Jaslene Prado P.O.V

Mariin akong napapisil sa aking mga daliri habang nasa gilid ang dalawa kong lalaking kapatid. "Again," malamig na wika ni Kuya Travis. Pigil ang hininga kong muling ikinasa ang baril, and when I pull the trigger. Napapikit ako nang manginig ang mga kamay ko. "Again, Divina!" puno ng pawis ang mukha ko. Kahit nangangati ang mga kamay kong punasan ito ay hindi ko magawa, dahil na rin mariin akong pinapanood ng mga kuya ko.

"Straightened your back! Your arms! You are pointing at the wrong angle! Again!'' It was summer. I should be on vacation outside the country, but here I am. Practicing nonstop for my upcoming college entrance to university. Why should I be practicing firing? It's because I am enrolling in a university exclusive to Mafialite, the mafia, and the elite. Yeah, just like that. It seemed impossible, but such a university exists here in Calle Le Granda. After all, people here are part of the La Familia Mafia. I am just glad that I am lucky enough that my family belongs to the number one top priority of the city.

"Again, Divina. Malapit na ang exam mo, pero sa mga resulta ng pinapakita mo, zero ang gradong makukuha mo!" kagat ang labi kong muli akong umasinto. Rinig ko ang buntong hininga ni Kuya Saidon sa aking tabi ng pumalya ulit ako. "Concentrate, Divina." Aniya. Gusto ko ng maiyak, at gusto kong umayaw. Pero hindi puwede, hindi ako pinayagan nila Kuya.

Concentrate Divina, concentrate.

I was ready to my next shot, when someone held my gun. Namilog ang mata ko nang makita si Aiken, kinindatan ako nito. Napatingin siya sa shooting target, tumango siya at bahagya siyang pumunta sa likod ko. Tulad ko'y kunot rin ang noo ni Kuya Saidon.

"What are you doing, Isquierdo?"

"You look tense," bulong nito sa aking tenga.

"What the f*ck are you doing here, Isquierdo?"

Ramdam ko pa ang pag kibit balikat ni Aiken sa aking likod. "Napadaan lang ako Sai. Para ka namang ano diyan."

"Get out," mariin na utos ni Kuya Saidon. Napansin ko si Kuya Sirius sa gilid na umiiling at tumatawa. Napakunot noo ako nang makita pa ang ibang kaibigan nila Kuya, halos kumpleto sila. "F*ck." Rinig kong wika ni kuya Saidon. "Why the f*ck are you here? Step back, Aiken." Seryosong wika ni Kuya Saidon.

"What?" tawa ni kuya Aiken. "I am just teaching your sister in a simplest way, ikaw kasi pinapahirapan mo lagi."

"Mind your own business," napamaywang si Kuya Saidon. Tinanguan ako nito, narinig ko na lamang ang pagrereklamo ni kuya Aiken nang hilahin siya palayo sa akin.

Aiken Henrique Izquierdo P.O.V

Napailing ako nang madatnan si Saidon na pinapahirapan ng todo si Divina. Alam ko namang malapit ang ang entrance exam, pero kapag bumabase lang siya sa kalidad talagang hindi makakapasok ang kapatid niya sa unibersidad.

"Masyado mo siyang pine-pressure, Sai." iling na wika ko. "Alam mo namang ngayon lang iyan nakahawak ng totoong baril." Masama akong tiningnan ng gago, akala 'ata nito may crush ako sa kapatid niya, hindi niya alam na...totoo naman talaga. Napangisi ako pero agad rin akong napatikhim, nang maging si Sirius ay serious na ring nakatitig sa akin. Kung si Saidon ay puwede ko pang idaan sa kindat, aba ibang usapan na kapag si Sirius kasi makakatikim ako ng hagupit ng kidlat.

"The entrance exam is not just an exam at all," napunta ang atensyon ko kay Salguerro na panay hithit ng sigarilyo. Patago ko siyang kinuhanan ng litrato, sakaling hingan ulit ako ni tita ng ebidensya. Pero agad sumakabilang buhay ang phone ko, napako ako sa kinatatayuan ko nang basag na ang screen ng iphone phone ko.

Masama ang tingin ko sa tsinelas na nasa bandang paanan ko. "Tang*na, ilang years ko iyan pinag ipunan!"

"Damn!"

"Sh*t!"

"Not again, please!"

Bago pa man makatakbo si Salguerro ay agad ko ng hinila ang laylayan ng damit niya. Narinig ko ang tawa ni Zamorra, nang madaanan ko si Sai ay agad nanlaki ang mata naming dalawa. Siya na alam agad ang pumasok sa isip ko, ako na gustong kunin mismo ang baril na nasa tabi nito. Nagtagumpay ako sa pagkuha sa baril, mabilis ang kilos ko, alam kong kami lang ang narito, at matagal nang pumasok sa loob si Divina. Nang maikasa ko na ang baril ay agad kong tinutok kay Salguerro, pero ganun na lamang ang paglaki ng mata ko nang si Divina ang nasa tapat ko.

Sa gulat ko ay muntik ko nang maiputok, pero mabilis ang kilos ni Divina. Agad niyang nahawakan ang baril na hawak ko, ikinasa niya at para akong nakakita ng multo pagkarinig ko sa balang nahulog na sa sahig. Agad namang natumba ang mga gago, nakakuha naman ako ng masakit na batok sa magkapatid na Arguillan.

"Tang*na mo, Aiken! Araw-araw mo na lang akong inaasintado!" hindi ko pinansin si Salguerro at binalikan ang iphone ko.

"Wala na! Wala na ang iphone ko!" masama kong tinignan si Salguerro. "Gag* palitan mo 'to! Pinaghirapan kong pinag iponan tapos babatuhin mo lang ng tang*nang cheap mong tsinelas."

"Gag*, anong cheap! Lacoste 'to!"

"Wala akong pake kahit made in crocodile 'yan! Palitan mo 'to kundi ipapatumba kita sa Mama mo!"

"Abno talaga ang gag*" inismiran ko lamang siya.

But that crazy little incident happened too at Divina's entrance exam. Even though she was successfully passed we can't forget the fact that someone dared to point a gun at her. That is not a mere mistake or coincidence, someone is plotting a dirty game here. And that's why we should find who is ...who dares plot a dirty game on our young master cousins?

Third Person P.O.V

Habang naglalakad si Divina sa hallway ay hindi maipagkakaila ng karamihan sa mga instructor ay napako ang mata sa kanya. Na para bang kilala siya ng mga ito, at hindi naman nagtataka si Divina. Alam naman niyang pinaghahanap ng administration ang taong tumutok sa kanya ng baril, dahil roon ay may mga instructor na kilala na ang kanyang mukha.

Sa faculty siya pumunta, once in a year lang na tumatanggap ng unibersidad nang enrollees. Hindi tulad sa ordinaryong paaralan, ang El Granda ay walang year level. Yes, they still have the school year, they spend a year learning and then graduating. They don't have a year level but instead, they have a rank. A rank that would tell where they belong. Simple as that, but the path they take in being able to claim a certain rank is deathly.

"So, Miss Prado? Am I right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your surname is not familiar to me, dayo ka lang ba rito sa Calle?"

"Yes, sir."

"I saw your record that you were adopted by the Arguillan family. You are lucky that a family that belongs to the elite adopted you, but well, congratulations on passing the entrance exam. Only you and the six students passed over the fifty students who took the entrance exam." Alam iyon ni Divina dahil na rin sinabi sa kanya ng kanyang kuya ang naging resulta.

"Remember what I said, Jas." Tumango si Divina kay Saidon. "Nobody should know that you have a connection to us, nor V."

"Yes, Kuya Sai."

At kahit ano pa man pagdududa ang ibato sa kanya ng professor, ay hindi niya dapat kalimutan ang sinabi ng kanyang kuya Saidon. That nobody should know who she is.

But the thing is...they don't know someone already out there who knows who she is.

Divina Jaslene Prado P.O.V

"This is the parameter new students should be, you can't go roam around to the main campus. You should succeed in your duty here before you go and be with them. You need to follow the rules and regulations, one mistake will take you to a stake. If you want to graduate and earn a diploma and rank from El Granda De Universia, I am saying this for your own sake."

Sabay sabay kaming tumango sa professor. Ilang metro lang ang pwede naming puntahan, ang akala ko pasok agad kami if we passed the entrance exam. Pero hindi pala, nag iba ang estilo nila. Hindi 'to nabanggiti sa akin nila kuya, they confiscate our gadgets. They forbid us to use a digital medium, they forbid us to have a news outside the university. Kung ano ang nangyayari sa loob ng university, ay sa university lamang mangyayari. Mahigpit sila, mahigpit na mahigpit.

Hindi naman ako nangangamba kahit wala akong balita sa labas. Dahil narito naman sila Kuya, and they promise to me that they will find a way to contact me.

"Hindi ko inakalang ganito ang kalalabasan ng pagpasok ko sa unibersidad. I am just eyeing for the diplomas; the certificate is just a trophy to our family. If I'll succeed in graduating here, I can pay our debt and find a stable job. Pero kung ganito pala ang palatuntunan, para bang talagang kay hirap abutin ang mga pangarap natin."

"You are just lucky enough that you are aiming for success. I am just here because I want to stay away from my family. It seems like the university is a hellish place, but now, it has become my safest place."

Tahimik lamang akong nakikinig sa aking mga kasama. Alam kong lahat kami dito ay may purpose, at rason kung bakit sa dinami daming lugar at paaralan ay nanatili kami sa Calle Le Granda.

Napatingin sila sa akin. "Ikaw, Divina? Anong dahilan mo kung bakit ka narito?"

Umiwas ako nang tingin at nilapag ang maleta sa aking kama. Sama sama kami sa isang kwarto, kahit may kasama kaming tatlong lalaki habang apat naman kaming babae. The professor still made us share only one room. Malaki naman ang kwarto, kung tutuusin ay kasya na ang isang pamilya rito. Kumpleto kami sa kagamitan, ayos naman lahat kung tutuusin. Iyon nga lang ay kami kami lang ang narito, hindi pa kami totally kabilang sa El Granda. Hindi pa kami pwedeng pumasok sa main campus, pito kaming narito at rinig kong dalawa lang ang makakapasok.

"I have the same goal, I want to succeed." in every aspect...for my mission. Tumango sila kahit pa ramdam kong naghihintay pa sila sa sasabihin ko. Simple lang naman talaga ang gusto ko, iyon ay mahanap ang kambal ng pinsan ko.

Misyon na binigay sa akin ni Don, and even the underboss, my siblings do not know about it.

Ang alam lang nila kuya ay gusto kong maka graduate sa El Granda, and that is true. But aside from that, I enrolled here because of my mission. I am part of the Costellano Family, the higher Familia De Mafia around Calle Le Granda. The Don gave me this higher and more risky mission, not because he wanted me to get in danger, but because he had trust in me that I'd be able to find...her.

"Welcome to the El De Grande, a secret place inside the El Granda University, only the administration, and the La Mafia Elitia know about this place. As we select our new two students for the university, we have three stages here for you in able to pass." Sabay sabay naming pinagmasdan ang screen na nasa wall, there are four men at the table, wearing a mask and fake voice devices.

They are the ones who make the three stages, either they are part of the La Mafia Elitia or the administration itself. But for me, I hope these four men are part of the La Mafia Elitia. The mask on their faces makes it hard for me to tell if my two brothers are one of them. But if it was one of them who is sitting out there, I hope they will find a way for me to succeed in the three stages.

I have trust in my capability, but the event happened on the entrance exam. I don't have trust in my enemy, the university, I should not trust my surroundings...neither the La Mafia Elitia nor the Administration. I should trust my one and only self.

"The three stages are simple as it is, we should test your capabilities in terms of dealing with a transaction."

As I heard about the transaction, tumaas lahat ng balahibo ko. I know such a transaction is not a big deal at all, after all, Calle Le Granda is a city of Mafia and elite families. Everyone who lives here is not ordinary. When I was born I already possessed a land of hectares, and bags of deadly weapons. We inherit it as per generation, as the youngest and only girl in the family. I wasn't able to have the chance to bring in dealing with a transaction.

I know that a transaction with the other Mafia De Familia inside Calle Le Granda is risky. Only the underboss, some of his capo, the soldiers, and associates do the work. Now that they want us to deal with their transactions, they are made as bait. My fists clenched.

"The transaction will happen tonight, all of you will have a deal that needs to be closed. Those who failed to closed the deal will automatically drop out." napasinghap ang aking mga kasama. "Good luck with your transaction, you have a big three deal, three missions you need to pass in able to enter El Granda University."

Nang mamatay na ang monitor ay wala kaming imikan. Napako ang tingin ko sa monitor na wala ng buhay, they make announcement to us through that little screen. Hindi normal ang tibok ng puso ko, and I hated it. I know this, I am very familiar to this feeling.

I'm very scared of the three stages if I can't make it...everything will turn to waste.

Third Person P.O.V

"It's confirmed." I heard his deep sigh at the other line. "She is already at the university." I nodded to Mr.Ling, my butler when my father asked to have a word with me.

"Did she pass the test?"

"The test has not yet started." I puffed at my cigarettes.

"When will they start?"

"Tonight."

I nodded and coldly stared at her face through the screen. "What's your plan then?"

"I'll continue tailoring her and bringing her where she belongs at the right time."

"All right, just tell me if you need anything."

"All right, thanks, man."

"No worries."

Machanidas Saidon Arguillan P.O.V

"What are you saying that they are not here?" kunot noo kong wika. Kung hindi lang ako napigilan ni Trav ay kanina ko pa sana hila sa kwelyo si Isquierdo.

"Ako na nga ang naghahatid ng balita sa'yo, Sai! Gusto mo pa akong patayin, ayos ka talaga 'nu!"

"Shut the f*ck up! Just straight to the point, why they are not still here?!" nababanas na wika ko. Humakbang na ako papunta sa kanya ng nagkibit balikat lang ito.

"Oo na! Heto na! Para ka namang hindi nag grade—" tumikhim ito at napa kamot sa ulo nang agad kong hinila ang katana na hawak ni Zamorra, na agad rin hinila pabalik sa akin ni Zamorra. "Narinig ko lang sa mga nasa archery class, na wala pa raw nga ang mga bagong salta. Kaya nga tinanong ko kung may balita ka na ba kay Divina."

"F*ck," napamura ako at agad nilabas ang phone. Gadgets are not allowed in the University; the administrations can't force us because we have our own rules. After all, we are Mafia, we are following our own rules.

"The number is out of reach."

"F*ck it! Trace her now!"

"Ha? Nasa kapahamakan ba ang kapatid mo, Sai?" si Isquierdo.

"I can't reach her out, if the administration does something about her I swear, I'll bomb this damn university!"

Masama kong tiningnan si Salguerro nang tinawanan niya ako. "You can't, Sai. As if, nakakalimutan mo yata kung sino ang nagpatayo ng paaralan na 'to."

"Tsk!"

"Maybe they are in El De Grande, you know that secret annex in the university." Si Trav.

"You mean that secret passage? We are not allowed there, Trav." Iling ko sa nakakatandang kapatid. "V is still condemned at their house as per punishment, we can't move hastily now. We are still in the missions; we can't risk a move to the eye of the administration."

"But she is really there," sabay kaming napatingin kay Isquierdo. He gave us a peace sign, agad ko naman siyang tinulak at hinablot sa kanya ang GPS tracker. "You know, I still can't forget about the abduction that happened before, I planted a tracker on her phone, and even her phone is powered off. I can still track her though."

"Why the f*ck you just tell me that now?!"

"E' ngayon ko lang naaalala!" tumawa naman ang tanga. Minsan talaga hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ganyan ang ikot ng utak niya.

"You are an idiot that useable though." Wika ni Salguerro. Isquierdo raised his middle finger at him. Rinig ko ang buntong hininga ni Trav habang tinitingnan ang pulang marka.

"I hope this is not a scheme of the administration," seryosong wika niya.

I hope so...because if they do, we're f*ck up now and I don't know what to do anymore if that was the case.