20 Making it out Alive
RONI
Luna had me carried by two eight foot tall werewolves and transferred me to the arena. I noticed her baby bump when the wind blows, her dress tightened around here.
When we got inside, I roamed my eyes around the room and noticed we're still inside the cave. The werewolves lied me down on a golden stable and tied my hands and feet on each side. Candles are burning, surrounding me and there's a magic circle below where I am with drawings and markings I cannot comprehend.
As the time runs, the arena was filled with werewolves, standing a few feet away from me and they're eyeing me suspiciously. I don't know what's happening. Luna walked around us naked. I can clearly see now her growing stomach that has scratches all over. Claw marks are visible on her legs and thighs too. It looks new, the wound is still bleeding. She narrowed her eyes at me before facing the large crowd. They multiplied in a short amount of time, only Luna could do that and the Male Alpha but he's nowhere to be seen.
"My dear clan, it is an honor for me to announce that the very own scientist who created us are with us tonight." Luna uttered with complete authority. "Dr. Veronica Heartfillia is now at the tip of our claws and with her blood, we'll become more powerful. We will evolve far greater than what we are right now."
My forehead creased. What is she saying?
"Tonight, we'll feast on her blood and take on Antigen!" She screamed. Luna turned to me and she leaned forward so she could take a closer look at my demise. What she just said slowly registers to my brain. They'll eat me and empty my blood. My eyes widened in horror.
"Damn you!" I spat at her but she just smirk. She leaned closer to my face and giggled as if she just won this battle of the century. "What are you doing?" I asked, horrified when she dug her nails on my shoulder. I screamed in pain.
"Why do you think I injected you my blood, Roni?" She asked. I shook my head while trying not to cry. She dug her nails deeper on my skin, I can feel my blood dripping.
"I injected you the serum but not only your blood dispersed the genetic modification but you evolve into something inhumane, a hybrid." Luna whispered to my ear. I shook my head slowly, my body goes numb.
"No, that's a lie." I muttered. She caressed my left cheek slowly and smiled triumphantly. "You won't transform but you have the agility, the strength of being one. Your blood can return us all to human again but I discovered that your certain blood pattern can make us retain our human intelligent with the power of a werewolf."
I shook my head as tears flowed down my face. What have I done? All along, I am the sole specie that could wipe the entire human race.
"I guess Antigen never tell you that." She sounded surprised but then she laughed after. "The head and leading zoologist of the famous company isn't aware of Antigen's motive on hiring her."
"Corpus Achilles was developed by the help of your DNA."
No, that can't be. No!
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JACK
I gathered Roni's things and stare at the documents she brought inside her bag pack. Art is our lookout for tonight, we went back inside the cave and decoded to take shelter before we rescue Roni tomorrow. Lauren and Matt are sleeping on the cold ground while Prim is beside me, staring at nothingness.
I flipped through the pages and noticed how artistic Roni is, she doodled on her papers and stapled some pictures of her taken from various lab works. I smiled and wiped the tear that escaped from my right eye and continued reading. Prim leaned on my shoulder before taking a deep breath.
"What's happening to us all, Jack?" She asked quietly. "If we all survive this, I doubt we'll all be the same. We found out a lot of things, a lot of secrets came to light and we lost our trust towards each other." I sighed.
"We kept those things inside, afraid that our friendship crumbles but here we are, losing faith and barely believing that we can trust them." Prim sniffed and I noticed how she cried. I tapped her head gently.
"Roni believed in us, she believed in us so she sacrificed herself for us." I whispered.
"I regretted being mad at her for not telling us about the expedition for the werewolves. I regretted not saying sorry for saying those words at her."
I do too, Prim. I want to apologize to her so badly. I grabbed Roni's small notebook and flipped through the pages as well, Prim wiped her tears and stare at it too. It's a small journal she had taken to jot down notes about the expedition. I flipped through it and noticed her strange entries. It's a math solution, a science equation and I'm not that smart to understand it. I read the labels instead.
"Is is corpus Achilles?" Prim asked. I shook my head, because honestly I don't know. I noticed Roni's conclusions and hypothesis below the equation, still written in abbreviations and I cannot understand it. Prim's forehead creased, she can't fathom it too.
"Hey, what's up? I found a pack of onion rings, I figured we should eat." Art came in with packs of onion rings and bottled waters that are slightly dusty. Prim clapped her hands as if some idea came to mind.
"Art, can you read this for us?" Prim muttered before showing Art the journal. He crouched down and grabbed the notebook from me. He was silent for awhile before he took a glance at us. Prim grabbed the plastic containers and opened the onion rings. She was about to take a bite when Art spoke.
"Corpus Achilles is set to be available on various pharmacies on the next month." He muttered, dreaded.
"The vaccine was already approved but they need Roni's signature on it." I whispered. Art nodded at me. "And they needed her skills to advertise Corpus Achilles." I added.
"Not only that, this journal contains the ingredients and procedures on how to make the vaccine. The side effects and success rate was also written here by Roni when we came to the foot of the mountain."
Primrose gasped and I was shocked too. She deduced it by a small amount of time and the conclusions varied but she reached a certain way on how to produce the vaccine. I remember how those ingredients are confidential and only the higher ups of Antigen know what it's really made of.
"There are also reminders and noted that she left so she wouldn't forget." I said and pointed on the last page on the journal.
Roni's journal is neatly written and there are a few leaves that are empty but she chose to write on the back page. Her penmanship seems shaky, like she hurriedly jots those down with the last equation at the bottom.
"The test subjects were injected with different amount of dose. Luna's blood matched with the vaccine and thus she took the whole vial in her body. The male alpha shows discrepancy and we decided to put half as much as Luna's."
I fell silent, not sure what's happening.
"She wants us to take the jewelry box with contains two tubes of the vaccine and make sure we get it to safety. Roni left a code that only we would understand." Art added before putting the journal down. He tore one of the documents and turned it upside down, the documents filled with calligraphy formed words that looks like a puzzle. Prim and I moved closer to examine it.
"Roni left us a map, in order for us to escape. She drew us a way outside." He muttered gleefully. Prim closed her eyes and prayed silently. I stare at the map she made and noticed how carefully she drew it. She really came prepared.
"We could set off tomorrow morning, I'm sure the monsters are asleep. We could bring Roni back and leave this place." I whispered. They both nodded in agreement before we set out our plan to rescue her and this time, there's no room for errors.
"I cannot trust Lauren, I'm sorry." Prim muttered softly when we're eating the snacks Art found. I'm also confused if we tell the two about the plan. Lauren seems off.
"We could ask them if they want to join us, but let's not give away the details." Art muttered. "Sounds like a plan." I nodded.
Art woke the two while Prim and I packed our things that are essential to the plan. I made sure the vaccine is inside my bag pack, I grabbed the documents that are important too. Prim grabbed some flares and she put it on her bag too.
I saw Roni's silver amulet, the one Prim had given her. It's still inside the zip lock, untouched. Roni must've chosen not to wear this one since the star looks pointy.
A few minutes later, Matt and Lauren came to us with an apologetic look. They seemed to decide not to join us on our rescue mission which made my blood boil. I know Lauren's suspicious but she could've agreed to this since she's our friend, Roni's friend.
"Well, I expect nothing less from a coward." Prim muttered nonchalantly. Lauren clenched her jaw but I was able to block her away from Prim. She seems ready to fight. Matt pulled Lauren and faced me after.
"Well it's your duty to atone for your own sins. We are out of it." He spat. I fisted my hands but Prim slapped him hard on the face. I was surprised when she did that.
"Leave." Her voice is shaky but she held her gaze on Matt. Lauren smirked before pulling his boyfriend out of the cave. Art pulled Prim for a hug as she sobs.
"It's okay, we don't need them anyway." Art muttered. We all grabbed our bags and descended. We won't use the bridge to reach Delphilia, we are going to walk on the forest with Roni's map.
I just hope we make it, Roni just hang in there. We're coming.
---------
RONI
Luna howled and the rest of the pack followed. I turned deaf when their growls echoed throughout the arena. I looked up and saw the full moon, glistening on me, as if it's a spotlight. I glanced around and saw a werewolf, standing quietly. He seems uninterested with what's happening and just eyed me intently. I opened my mouth while Luna was busy rounding up her pack. His eye color was different from the rest, he has green glowing eyes. He straightened up and seems confused.
"H-help me." I mouthed but he can't seem to understand. I stare at his red collar, he still has it and it only means he's one of the test subjects. Unlike the ones that Luna created. I blinked my tears away and shook my head. I don't want to die, not until I make sure Jack is alive and the rest of my friends.
He moved walked down the arena and stood at the edge of the magic circle, behind Luna. The others are still busy howling. I opened my mouth once more and finally remembered him. He stares at my body, assessing my well-being before averting his gaze away to my eyes. I slowly nodded and smiled at him.
"H-help me. Please." I whispered. Luna growled once more and I took a deep breath. "Save me, Seven. Please save me." He glanced around, ignoring me. I blinked again, careful not to let Luna noticed. I cleared my throat.
"Seven, please save me." I muttered again, begging. He looked at me once more and I shook my head. I don't want to be eaten by those monsters, not yet, not now.
"What are you doing here, Male Alpha?" Luna turned to us and I gave up. She noticed us. I'm dead.
