Hugo's POV
I don't know how to answer her question. Kaya hindi na lang ako nagsalita. Nakahinga ako ng maluwag habang pinagmamasdan s'yang lumayo. Pauwi sa apartment n'ya. Binuhat ko ang pusa sa hita ko at ibinaba sa lapag. Napagpasyahan ko na ring umuwi na. Baka hinahanap na ako ni Claire. 
Pero kung sasagutin ko s'ya, kung saan ko nakuha ang mga tahi ko sa katawan. It all started when my wife died, Susan. I did anything to cope with my loss. Naging busy ako sa trabaho ko as a reporter at CLN. Walang oras akong hindi nakababad sa trabaho. Nagsusulat ng ibabalita. Nagsasaliksik ng cases. Cases about human trafficking, sex extorion, curruption at iba. 
Lahat ng controversial issues at bulag na paniniwala isisiwalat naming mga journalist sa publiko. So far, marami akong natatangap na tip from reliable sources. Controversial tip that i need to investigate, verify, and expose to the public through the help of news.
Hanggang sa Isang assignment ang binigay sakin. I had to interview this man, Mr. Roderick Magtibay, the CEO of Ciano Research Corporation, about the alleged unethical and inhumane research happening in his facility. During the interview, he condemned the rumors, stating that no unethical experiments using humans as subjects were happening. Gumagawa lang sila ng gamot kaya walang dapat ikabahala ang publiko. 
As a reporter, I couldn't just report that. Lalo na't hindi rin ako naniniwala sa kanya. I needed to uncover the real issues behind all of this. I needed evidence to prove that the research corporation was involved in illegal and inhumane activities. The public needed to know the truth, even if it meant I needed to risk my life. Wala na rin namang mawawala sa'kin. I need to trust my guts and expose Ciano Research Corporation.
I planned for a week to sneak into the Ciano laboratory without getting caught. I hid inside a garbage bin for four hours. When I was sure there were no guards around, I slipped out and entered the facility unnoticed. Nakalock ang mga pinto. Marami ring CCTV sa paligid. All of doors and CCTV are connected into one system. Kailangan kong mahanap yon at idisable. Madali kong nahanap ang security room. I'm lucky because it's unattended. Mabilis kong dinisable ang CCTV, mga alarms at door locks. Mabilis akong lumabas ng security room at siniyasat mga experimenting room na nakabukas. 
I started opening doors one by one. I turned on the switch and I started to see a room filled with large glass containers containing human specimens connected to numerous tubes. Pinakatitigan ko itong mabuti until the person inside the container blinked when she saw me. I was surprised by what I saw. Napamura pa ako sa sobrang gulat. So the tip we acquire is real. This is insane. 
Siniyasat ko pa ang experiment room at ang ibat ibang chambers. There were over 100 of human specimens being experimented on. I had no idea why but this is against the law and human rights. I needed to record everything in instant as evidence of the unethical human experiments. I took out my phone and started taking pictures, and videos. May nakita rin akong white board containing papers with medical jargon and the term "Immortality" encapsulating in a big bubble.
Kumuha rin ako ng picture ng mga human specimen na nasa loob ng glass water container. They all sleeping but I can see that they all breathing inside the container. Pinicturan ko rin ang mga tag na naglalaman ng name ng human subject at experiment number nila. Pinicturan ko rin ang area. 
While exploring, I accidentally triggered a machines alarm sensor na akala ko napatay ko kanina. I think this alarm sensor in not part of the system i disabled. Sobrang lakas ng tunog ng alarm and now the entire security team knew someone had infiltrated their lab. Mabilis akong tumakbo pero napahinto ako nang tutukan nila ako ng baril. I had no choice but to raise my hands. Isang malakas na pwesa ang tumama sa batok ko at bago ko namalayan wala na akong malay.
When I woke up, I found myself hanging upside down in an unfamiliar room. Sinubukan kong sumigaw pero hindi ko magawa dahil sa tela na nakabusal sa bibig ko. Nakatali rin ang mga kamay ko. Sa harap ko, may lamesa kung saan nakakalat ang mga gamit ko. I saw my phone and wallet above the table. A guy, about 5'9", was analyzing my ID, and another security guard was scrolling through my phone checking the evidence I had collected before. Our eyes met. Ngumisi s'ya at ibinagsak ang cellphone ko. Inapak-apakan n'ya pa ito ng maraming beses bago masira at magkakapira-piraso. He was destroying my evidence.
"Mr Hugo Axalan, kaya pala familiar ka sa'kin. Isa kang famous na reporter ng CLN," sabi ng lalaki na may hawak ng id ko. May hawak din s'yang baril sa kabilang kamay. "Akala mo ba, makakalabas ka ng buhay dito matapos lahat ng nadiskubre mo?" dagdag pa n'ya habang pinaglalaruan ang baril sa kanyang mga kamay. Nagpumiglas ako sa pagkakabitin. Ayokong mamatay dito. 
Lumapit ang lalaking sumira ng phone ko kanina at inalis ang tela na nakabusal sa bibig ko. "Fuck!" pakawalan n'yo ko!" sigaw ko habang nagwawala sa pagkakatali.
The man with the gun grinned and stood up from his chair. "Nahh, freeing you is not an option. Alam mo na ang unethical experiments na ginagawa ng company namin. You have to die, Mr. Axalan. You're lucky to be breathing right now. We're just waiting for orders on what to do with you. I think there are two options: kill you immediately or use you as a subject for an experiment," dagdag n'ya habang nakatutok sa'kin ang baril.
"Fuck, experimenting on me? Mga gago kayo, mas gugustuhin ko pang mamatay," sigaw ko.
As the door opened, a woman entered. She was 5'6 tall, wearing a lab coat. I guessed she was in her mid-20s, but I couldn't see her face clearly from my position.
"Lucas, Luis, the higher-ups said to use him as an experiment subject," she said.
"Thanks, Dr. Santos."
"You're lucky, Mr. Axalan. We won't kill you, but you'll die slowly from the experiments," one of them said, laughing maniacally.
They quickly untied my feet, and I fell to the floor. They lifted me up, each holding one of my arms. With my hands tied and my legs free, I seized the opportunity. Nagpumiglas ako at tumakbo ng mabilis papalabas. My eyes met the doctor's eyes as I passed the doorway before I heard the sound of a gunshot. I was shot in the back but managed to run a few more steps. 
Tumakbo ako papalabas ng facility hanggang sa nakapasok ako sa isang gubat. Rinig ko na patuloy parin nila akong hinahabol. Rinig ko rin ang tahol ng aso na pinakawalan para habulin ako. Kahit duguan ako, I run as I could in order to survive hanggang sa makarating ako sa isang bangin. Natigilan ako. There's no other way out. Tumalikod ako pabalik nang pagbabarilin ako. Nahulog ako sa bangin at bago ko mamalayan, wala na akong buhay.
Paggising ko, nasa loob ako ng isang glass container, nakababad sa tubig. May mga tubong nakakabit sa katawan ko. A woman approached from outside. She pressed a button on the side. Gradually, the water drained from the container before it opened. Hingal na hingal ko na inalis ang tubo ng oxygen na nakakabit sak'in. Nagtama ang tingin namin ng babae. S'ya 'yung doctor na nakita ko sa Ciano Laboratory bago ako tumakas.
"Welcome back Hugo. Welcome back from the dead," she said smiling.
I don't what's she's taking about but the moment I walked out through the glass container. I feel there's something off. Then I can't help scream seeing my reflection on the mirror. I can't see myself. All I saw was a hideous monster staring back to me.