Chapter 24: Maze of Mirrors

I commented to the team as I set the table for breakfast. "I'm surprised you're all fine."

I cooked a bountiful breakfast for them. I know they will have a hangover so I made sure to prepare a warm soup for them.

My one-week worth of breakfast was all laid in front of them. I'm aware that I have to skip breakfast for a week after this, but I decided to cook everything for them because none of us know when else they will be able to eat such a bountiful meal.

I took off the apron I was wearing, hung it at the back of my chair, and then sat down. Geraldine on my right, Gulu on my left. Isagani in front of me.

I glanced at him very quickly. He's not looking at me. And he's not talking to anyone.

He looks like he's in a really bad mood. Which is so unlike him.

"No hangover?" I initiated the conversation.

They all avoided my eyes. And I felt the brat's foot stomping on mine under the table so I looked at her. She signaled me to zip my mouth.

Then she leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I have a really bad headache," she admitted. "Can't you see everyone's just not saying anything?"

I traveled my eyes to each of them. Now that I think of it, they don't look fine at all. They just don't want to talk about the Prince's visit last night.

"What are we gonna do today?" I figured I should deviate the topic to something else.

Loor smirked and raked his hand on his frizzy and curly hair. "We, the guys, already planned our day."

"What?!" Geraldine exclaimed and she gave the captain an angry look. "I am not aware of that plan. Is that supposed to mean, I am excluded?"

The captain tried to open his mouth to answer but it seems that he is at a loss for words.

"That's why I said, 'we guys'," Loor butted in. "We will roam around the capital and look for something fun, then at night, we will go to a nightclub! We will party!" He sounded very very excited. Like insanely excited.

"I can't believe we're going to be with girls! Finally! There will be girls everywhere." Gulu clasped his hands together on his chest like his dream just came true. And ringlets of his curly hair jiggled as he did that. Unlike Loor's curl, Gulu's curly hair is a bit more likable and amiable than Loor's frizzy one.

"Wait," I protested. "You're finally going to be with girls? What the f--k does that mean, Tig?" I subconsciously called Gulu by his code name, so as a reflex I immediately glanced at the captain to see his reaction when I realized my mistake.

One of the cardinal rules in our team is to never call each other with code names unless in a team mission. Except for the captain. We are obliged to call him 'captain' all the time.

"I'm going to forgive that just today," the captain conferred indifferently.

Phew!

So back to Gulu. I narrowed my eyes on him. "So what are we, huh?" I whined, referring to Geraldine and myself. "Are we not girls in your eyes?"

Geraldine also narrowed her eyes. But to the captain. Hmm...

"Girls, huh?" she nastily snorted and grimaced.

"I'm not going to go inside," the captain shot back defensively. "I'll just be waiting for them outside, I promise."

Geraldine raised her eyebrows. "And you expect me to believe that? So, you'll be waiting outside alone, while the three guys are inside having fun with girls? Really, captain?" There's a bit of sarcasm in Geraldine's voice that I can never use when I'm talking to Captain Mauro. Never.

If the Chief is the pillar of Soma, our captain is the pillar of our team.

And seeing that Geraldine can talk to him like this like never before, I am convinced that something special is going on between them.

I held Geraldine's hands. "Don't worry brat. Have a date with me and I'll make this day the most amazing day in your life. And you know what, if they will have girls, then we will have hunks!"

Of course, I was bluffing. And if I really do hang out with guys, I'm afraid Neuron will suddenly just barge in somewhere out of jealousy.

Oh, right! Prince Neuron isn't the jealous type.

None of them even mentioned what happened last night. No one asked about the prince. No one even cared to ask how on earth they arrived on their beds. It's like they deliberately tried to forget that they were with the prince last night.

So I didn't say anything either.

And amid the team's chaotic breakfast conversation one person was just silent the entire time, and he's now carefully peeling an apple. When he finished peeling the apple, he sliced it into bite-able pieces, put them on a small plate, and then he gave them to me.

I heard Loor and Gulu clear their throats. "I want an apple too," Loor pitched playfully.

"Me too," Gulu seconded.

"Me three," Geraldine also joined the teasing.

"Get your own apples," Isagani simply snapped at them and focused his eyes on me. "After you go on a date with Geraldine, go with me."

The table became silent.

I smiled at him. "Alright."

I mean…

There's nothing wrong with that right? I'm just going to hang out with a teammate.

His face brightened up like he's so happy about my response. I don't wanna reject his invitation because when else will I be able to go out with the one and only famous Isagani Ruzzo?

I felt Geraldine pinching me under the table like she's the one having a mental breakdown that Isagani just lowkey asked me out.

"Let's regroup at night," I referred to the team and shook Geraldine's hand discreetly without being noticed by the others.

After our breakfast, we all left my apartment separately. I am going on a girl date with the brat, after that with Isagani, then we will all regroup in the nightclub they found and party there together for the first and last time.

Geraldine and I took a taxi. "Did the guys have money to spend for the day?"

Geraldine eyed the taxi driver and then lowered her voice. "The Chief gave us a little money to spend. I'm sure they already planned how to maximize everything. That's why no one volunteered to pay for the drinks last night even if that means letting the prince join. I bet they pooled their resources."

Then she scowled. "I know Loor is the mastermind of everything! I will kill that jerk! I know he's the one suggesting things to the guys. He's a bad influence, I hate him."

I narrowed my eyes on her. "I'll forgive you if you tell me now about you and the captain."

She halted and looked at me in surprise. "How did you know?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "Brat, I'm not dense like you. And besides, you two are making it too obvious."

Her cheeks flushed and she looked away from me.

"If you don't tell me right now, I'm going to leave you all alone in the city."

She clung to me. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you."

Yes! It's one of my few joys to know about other soldier's love life. Why? Because in the environment we belong in, it fascinates me that something like love and relationship could still blossom even between two people who are both wounded and scarred.

The Somaras derived their happiness and stress from gossiping about their secret relationships with some Somaros. Of course, we are not allowed to date each other because we are supposed to be brothers and sisters. But really, like that could prevent them.

I think love is really like an unwanted weed that grows beside the plants no matter how hard you try to prevent it. Even after you pluck the weed, it will always grow back.

"You know how I adore the captain even before we both joined the team."

Yah. She was like an avid fangirl of the captain when we were still trainees. I remember how she prayed every night to get chosen as part of Team One. I used to laugh at her madness.

Captain Mauro is actually one of the most famous soldiers inside the camp. Well, given because of his looks. He's also known to be smart, excellent in combat, and his leadership skills were acknowledged by many soldiers.

Girls prayed to be part of Team One because the captain is there, and because Isagani is there. Isagani is like our own version of a celebrity inside the camp. He's handsome and he's a gentleman. He always speaks softly and he never gets angry. At least that's what people say. And maybe it's true because I never saw him get angry.

Maybe it's because of his good looks that whenever he says something, it makes people listen to him. I even had a crush on him when I was a teenager.

As for me, I wanted to join Team One, not because of them but because the Chief required me to, so I worked and trained my ass off really really hard to be chosen to become part of the most competent team.

"Everyone in the camp knows that, brat. Even the Chief."

She pinched me slightly. We're talking at the lowest volume possible because the driver might get a hint about Soma if we are loud.

"But I never really took the time to think we could be. I mean, maybe we could be, but given our situation, we're at the most crucial period of Soma, and I never thought I would really dream of making him my man. I was contented with having a one-sided crush on him,"

"So what happened?" I asked with thirst. I am so curious about what happened and how they started.

"Maybe you don't know this, or maybe you didn't care at all because you were focused on your mission with the prince, but--" she stopped and eyed the driver again. She leaned closer to my ear to whisper. "When we robbed Riganda bank," she withdrew and then returned to her normal voice volume. "I was injured."

"Of course I knew!" I corrected her.

But everything was so chaotic. My mind was so preoccupied with the prince and then the Commander's anger. Now that I think about it, I never really took the time to ask about her injury. She even helped me with the bruise I got from the Commander's kick. And I even made her drive me to Hermit Homes.

And I never even asked what happened to them inside the bank.

She sprained her wrist and had cuts on her arms but I made her run because Neuron suddenly just called telling me he is in front of Hermit Homes' gate. I was insensitive.

"So what exactly happened? Tell me all the details. Every single one."

"Are you sure about that, baby?" She said. "Don't make me start if you'll make me stop in the middle."

"I swear I will diligently listen with no negative reactions and comments at all. Promise."

She was just so used to me dismissing all her cringey stories before about the captain. She used to tell me about how handsome the captain was, how she liked him, how she adored him. She even cried once to me when we were still trainees ranting about how the captain is so nice to other girls but is mean to her as a trainer. And I would just always brush her off.

And sometimes when her stories get so loud I would tell her to stop. And she held a grudge on that.

"Later baby, we can't do it here, can we?"

I eyed the driver. Right...

When the taxi stopped, I paid and we got out. And when Geraldine realized where we were going she stared at me with boredom. "Children's park, really? Is this how you'll give me the most amazing day of my life? Wow thanks," she sarcastically expressed without a single ounce of excitement.

I just laughed at her and pushed her so she would start walking. We entered the park and we looked for a bench.

"This is the perfect place for chitchats," I cheered her up while giggling because she's pouting like a sulking kid.

"I can't believe you! I expected something great!"

I laughed even more loudly. I don't know why, but it's always fun for me to see Geraldine get angry.

"So tell me now. I wanna know."

Although skeptical, she began telling me what happened that night inside Riganda Bank.

**Geraldine's POV**

Paul, who is Rathna, stayed outside the bank for surveillance. She is to inform us if something happens outside. There is a small guardhouse outside the bank and one security guard is monitoring the bank. Captain and I quietly approached the guardhouse.

I peeped into the window and I saw how the guard yawned while monitoring the CCTV, trying so hard to keep his eyes open. An easy target.

The captain signaled me to get inside the guardhouse. As soon as I took a step, I stepped on an empty bottle of water that made a cracking sound in the middle of a very quiet night. Thanks to that, the guard became alert. Stupid me!

"Who's there?" Called the guard.

The captain gave me a scolding look and I unconsciously bit my lip.

Why do I always make mistakes during missions? And why now when I'm with him?

"Who's there?" Called the guard again.

The captain quickly opened the door of the guardhouse and the next things I heard were grunts and painful moans from the guard. Then I heard the captain talk to Gan from my in-ear, "Gan, take care of the guard. We will go inside now."

"Yes, captain," Gan replied.

I winced when I saw the state of the poor guard. He's lying unconscious on the floor with a little bruise on his mouth.

"Look for the keys," the Captain ordered.

I searched for the keys on the guard's body and found a single key strapped on his neck. I took it.

I followed the quick and quiet paces of the captain from behind. The whole team regrouped. Captain just gave a quick hand signal to let us know we will now go to our separate posts.

Paul quietly and quickly left us, and Gan also left to take care of the unconscious guard's body.

We obtained the layout of the bank beforehand and we already planned everything. According to the plan, we will use the backdoor of the bank to get inside. When we arrived in front of the back door I took the key and tried to insert it on the lock. But it didn't fit. Then I found out why.

The key has a label on it. And it says, 'Guard house'.

What the f--k! Why didn't I check it?!

I stared at the captain with dread. So fearful of what he might say about my stupidity. He grabbed the key from my hand. I am more nervous he might scold me than being on this heist.

"This isn't the key," he simply stated. But I know he is furious inside. He is just keeping his temper for the sake of our mission. Now I have to prepare myself for his scolding after the mission.

"I'll go back to the guardhouse and find it," I suggested and started to walk but he held my shoulder.

"We don't have time," he reminded me. "Remember that we have a timeline to follow. Time is very crucial in this mission."

I bit my lip again. I always disappoint the team during missions. Aside from the fact that I don't have danger instincts like them, I am also very clumsy. I wonder if my perseverance to become part of this team because of the captain was the right thing to do.

Hunt and Tig started kicking and banging on the door. "Together," the captain ordered. "In one, two, three.."

The three guys kicked the door simultaneously and the door swung open. We quickly went inside.

Hunt, Tig, Captain, and I went up to where physical money is stored in this bank. We arrived in front of a room with a glass door. I memorized the layout of the bank, and if my memory is serving me right, I think this is the room.

"This is it," Loor quietly confirmed.

A more sophisticated and technological lock is being used on the door. It needed an authorized card key in order to open.

"Tig, the card," the captain referred to Gulu.

Gulu took a card from his chest pocket and tried it on the card scanner. And the door opened. He was sent earlier on an individual mission. We knew that an authorized card was needed to get inside the room and that's why Gulu was sent to steal a card from an authorized person in the bank. And since we are able to get in, that means he succeeded on his mission.

When we got inside, it's just a large empty room with another glass door on the far end. I am not exaggerating when I said it was empty. Because it was literally empty.

However, on the walls, there are silvery vertical lines that made me curious. What are those?

They look like crystals as they shine. But no, not exactly crystals. They look more like mirrors. The interior of this room is designed uniquely.

"That must be the vault," Gulu pointed to the door at the very end.

We walked to the door and used the card again to open it. Our steps are quiet but quick.

And I have never ever seen so much money in my life before. Piles and piles of cash are stored in glass boxes.

"Why do they use glass boxes with no cover?" Loor curiously asked what I wanted to ask too. Amounts of cash are piled in glass boxes but with no covers on top.

"How's the area there, Paul?" The captain called Rath from the in-ear.

"Clear," came Rath's answer.

"Gan?" The captain checked with Isagani.

"Clear," he responded.

"Let's get out of here real quick," Captain said to us.

We all took out the big black bags we brought. I walked near a glass box full of cash. I touched the glass in amazement because of how much money I am seeing.

But then something happened. As soon as I touched the glass, I heard a beep and a quick light of red flashed in the room.

"What just happened?" The captain was alarmed and looked at me with accusing eyes. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," I answered in defense. "I just touched the glass to get the money."

We did not move for a few seconds and waited for something. Anything. But nothing happened.

"Let's start," the captain finally ordered to commence our activity.

When they started packing money on their bags, I started packing too. But we heard a beep again and a red light flashed again. We all stopped.

"What's that? What causes that beep and that red light?" Gulu mumbled nervously.

We waited again but nothing happened. Although we are getting nervous, we got back to what we were doing. And the beep came again and the red light too. But this time it went longer. From a beep, it became a loud piercing siren.

"Unauthorized fingerprint." We heard an AI suddenly speak.

The three guys all turned their heads on me. And I looked down at my hands.

"Why the f--k did you not wear your gloves, Percy!" The captain is furious. I immediately took my gloves from my pockets and wore them. But it was too late.

I've always told myself earlier to wear the gloves but it kept on slipping in my mind.

"What's wrong with you? How many times have I told you to always wear gloves? Are you trying to get us caught huh? Are you purposely trying to leave traces of your fingerprints everywhere?"

Tears are already swelling in my eyes but I tried so hard to keep them from falling. He'll only get angrier if I cry. I am so frustrated with myself. I always disappoint him.

"Team, we need to hurry," Gulu reminded heavily, anxiety laced on his voice.

"So that's why it's glass. These aren't just mere glass boxes. It reads fingerprints," Loor stated.

"I'm sorry." There was nothing else I could say. I felt so guilty.

"Let's hurry," the captain rushed our movements. He will deal with my mistake later. For now, we have to focus on getting out.

We quickly loaded our bags with money. And when every bag was full we decided to leave.

Loor suddenly stopped and turned his head on us. "But it's strange that nothing happened although the AI recognized an unauthorized fingerprint."

I find that odd too. But it's fortunate that nothing happened.

"Maybe it was just meant to alarm them that someone tried to steal money," Gulu came up with a theory. "Or maybe they did not expect some group of rebels to come here in the middle of the night, that's why no one came."

But the captain said, "We do not know yet if nothing really happened, or something is just about to happen."

We are already in front of the glass door. Gulu tried to open it.

I was swallowed with dread when the glass door wouldn't open. The captain was right. No matter how many times Gulu tried the card, it wouldn't open.

The guys started banging on the door but it was no use.

"Move," the captain simply ordered

Gulu and Loor both moved away from the door. The captain, then, took his gun with a silencer on it and shot the door. The bullet didn't completely break the door, it got stuck on the cracked glass. The captain pulled the trigger once again and shot at the same spot perfectly.

As soon as the second bullet hit the glass, the whole glass door broke down and some sharp pieces went flying mid-air, and one specifically, cut the captain's face.

I had the urge to wipe the blood dripping from his wound, but I couldn't because he immediately made us move to get out of the vault.

When we took a step outside the vault, we froze at where we were standing.

Loor freaked out. "Where are we?"

Even I, myself, wasn't sure anymore if we're still in the right place. If this is the same empty place earlier. Because hundreds of images of ourselves were looking back at us.

I was right. "Those silvery vertical lines on the walls were actually mirrors," I explained. "When the AI detected my fingerprint it automatically made those mirrors move to make a maze. This was made so in order to trap the thief until found."

"And it's you who made those mirrors move," the Captain asserted indifferently.

And the realization hit me like a shot to my chest. It was me who trapped us here.

It's impossible to see the way out. In order to get out, we need to pass through this maze of mirrors.

"We have a problem," Gulu suddenly reported. "Connections were cut off."

Captain quickly checked if he was telling the truth and tried to call Isagani and Rath. But we can't connect to them. I pulled my own hair out of self-disappointment.

What will happen to us now?

"First, let's try to find a way out here. As fast as possible before Riganda's men arrive."

We tried walking inside the maze but whenever we see a way out, it turns out to be just reflections. We could only see our reflections and that made it more agonizing. Instead of finding the way out we only banged ourselves with the mirror walls.

Captain threw the bag of cash on the mirror out of fury and it cracked. Then an idea hit me. "It's crackable!" I exclaimed. "Maybe we could make a hole to get through."

With that, we started breaking the mirrors using our guns then using our bodies. We made a crack first by plunging our guns into the mirrors to make it easier to break. The shattering sound was so loud. And it was dreadful to think we might be found because of it so we quickened our moves.

We broke mirrors after mirrors. Whenever we break one, sharp broken mirrors would fly towards us and pierce our bodies. The guys have already cut their faces.

"Ah!" I cried in pain when a broken part of the mirror cut my arm.

It was the number one rule in the camp to not discriminate against men and women. There are no men nor women during missions. We are all just soldiers. Girls don't get special treatment or protection. We all have our fair share of roles. So it beguiled me when the captain held my arm and made me hide on his back to protect me from broken pieces of mirrors.

"You stay there," he ordered.

Is it okay to say that even amid that chaotic situation, my heart fluttered? I don't know if it's even possible but the captain looked more handsome at that moment than he ever was.

It enchanted me because even if I'm a soldier of Maharlica, I'm still a woman. And I'm that woman who made us trapped here, but the captain still protected me. How will I be able to stop myself from getting enchanted with that?

After shattering mirrors after mirrors, the door came into sight. As we were finally running down the stairs, we heard a loud gunshot. We do not know yet whom that gunshot came from, if it's from Rath or Isagani, and why it was shot.

We found Isagani in front of the bank looking far ahead, with two guns in his hands.

He quickly ran towards us. "What happened there? I heard some shattering glasses."

"Where's Paul?" the captain asked instead.

Before Isagani could answer, we heard police sirens so we hurriedly left the bank. While we were running, I asked Isagani. "Where is Rathna?"

"I almost shot her."

"What?!"

"I didn't know she would run to save the witness."

"What?!" I exclaimed as I was getting more and more confused with his answers. Why would she save a witness?

**End of Geraldine's POV**

"And so we found out it was actually the prince and you stayed out of the camp and slept with him in his apartment."

I covered her mouth. "I did what I had to do. It's not like I wanted to sleep there, or maybe yah slightly? But the point is, if the prince was shot there, the world will investigate the whole incident. And soon after, we will be found. Do you want that?!"

"I like him," she suddenly confessed.

"Everyone knows you like Captain Mauro," I countered.

"No, I mean, the prince. I like him."

That made me stop. "Really?" I said in disbelief.

She nodded her head. "Like you, it seems that I overlooked the fact that he is the king's son. Like I always did."

That confused me. Like she always did? What does that mean?

But I was so relieved she liked him. "Be honest with me, brat. You like him because of the wine."

She gave me a loud laugh which looked to me as a confirmation. This brat!

"So what happened after that cringey thing that happened in the bank?"

She glared at me. "How dare you call that cringey!"

She's so fun to tease.

"I never intended to confess to him," she admitted shyly.

"What?" I exclaimed. "You confessed?"

"He took care of my cuts, and he was so nice and so handsome and--"

"And?" I said in anticipation.

"I kissed him," she shyly confessed again and looked away.

My mouth hung open. "You did? You naughty brat!"

It's not like I wasn't naughty. I kissed Neuron first too.

"Things were going well between us. We like each other."

"Really? I must say the captain has a weird taste on women."

She hit me hard on my arm. "What? How could you say that to your best friend?!" She pouted.

I hugged her. "Kidding. You're pretty and beautiful, and pretty, and what else could you be?" I said still not stopping at teasing her.

She pinched my stomach. "I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult. Is there really nothing else good about me aside from being pretty?"

"I'm just kidding. You're a keeper, brat. That I could vouch. I kind of get why he likes you."

She smiled like a child. "Really?"

"So what?" I pried again. "Are you the captain's girl now? Do we have to call you 'the captain's captain'?"

"No."

"No? What do you mean no?"

"We're not official. We're not lovers."

"That's ridiculous. But why?"

I mean, they pretty much did everything, right?

"We're really not in the right time to love each other. We have more important things to focus on."

From bright, the atmosphere suddenly became gloomy between us. I kind of can relate to her situation. Except that I wasn't able to restrain my feelings. It blew up. Whereas they were able to stop themselves because they know they will destroy each other in the end.

I know my relationship with Neuron will destroy both of us in the end. And even knowing that I still pursued our relationship. We will end up destroying each other in the end, might as well experience a little happiness in between.

Or maybe, in hindsight, I will regret this.

"Why did you even bring me here," she asked in melancholy.

I held her hand and led her to a playground.

"I remember you saying you missed being here. You said your dad used to bring you to places like this."

She became silent. And then she spoke. "I hate you."

"What?"

"You made me excited by talking about the captain. And now you're making me sad by reminding me of my dad."

I wrapped my hand around her shoulder.

"At least you have a place to go to if you wanna think about him."

I have none before. Our house is no longer there. But now that I know where they are buried, I too, have a place to go now if I wanna remember them.