That 'twist' seems to intrigue Kate. But as she guessed what the twist was, she thought it was just maybe a photo exhibit with a club-style party. "Maybe it is. Besides, it's a Saturday night. My guess can be right." Kate thought.
She fixed herself. She's wearing a red dress. She thought that a red dress would fit a photo exhibit. After taking one last glance at herself in the mirror, she finally left the house. Now she's in the street and waiting for a cab to ride to go to the venue. The venue anyway is in the mansion of LIVED's president, Mario Adan, a Fil-Am. Kate wonders if Matthew will ever know how to go to the mansion. He's not yet very used to traveling around in Manila. Kate already taught Matthew the step by step way to get there, but still, she worries for him.
Two minutes later, a taxi arrived. She stopped the taxi and ride in. The mansion is located in a very exclusive subdivision in Quezon city. And according to the map included in the invitation covering the whole subdivision, the mansion is quite isolated from other houses. Kate thought maybe it is because a mansion takes a lot of space and a mansion would look more elite if it won't be nearby other houses.
***
James and Marissa both arrived at the venue of LIVED's grand photo exhibit already. They went there by Marissa's car, James drove. They parked the car in front of the wide, tall gate of the mansion. They thought it would be better if they park the car outside and enjoy the beautiful flagstone steps, landscapes, and garden as they walk to the mansion. The mansion's main door is at least 20 meters away from the tall gate.
The looks of the mansion is pretty elegant, classic, and appealing. As James and Marissa walk down the flagstone steps to the mansion, they can't help but get astonished by the mansion's appearance. On each side of the flagstone steps are fairly tall palm trees that adds more appeal and elegance to the mansion.
They reached the front door of the mansion. The mansion's door opened automatically before James could even knock, as if it sensed them.
James and Marissa entered. When they saw the inside part of the mansion, they were surprised by its appearance..it doesn't look like a mansion at all, but instead, a hall or a function hall. Big portraits of different people or models are aligned irregularly, but still, it looks perfectly well. All portraits have a red bulb lit above it. The floor of the mansion is carpeted with bright red expensive carpet. But both James and Marissa noticed that the hall is deserted. Except of course for at least 3 people on one corner that look like they are members of LIVED and or organizers of the event.
A man in black tuxedo approached them. "Welcome, Mr. James and Ms. Marissa." the man said.
"Thank you.. but how'd you know our name--" Marissa replied, but James cut her.
"Thank you, sir. Are we too early?"
"Too early? Actually, you arrived at the very exact time!" the man said cheerfully. "Why don't you two take a look at our portraits first? Then we'll have a big surprise for you both."
"Okay then. Thanks." said James.
Then Marissa and James wandered through the portraits. Viewing each photos with comments on how great is it. All pictures look really beautiful. It seems as if the people who took the pictures aren't just students, but internationally acclaimed professional photographers. There's something in each portrait that makes the model looks like she's or he's real. Faces on portraits express an emotion that no other pictures can. The faces on portraits look as if they were real and the people who look at it are seeing them alive and face to face.
"Wait, I got to go to that section." Marissa told James as one portrait caught her attention. "Can it be Alyna Matias? Did she really model for LIVED? That's great!" Marissa thought.
"Okay then." James said. And then he continued to round the beautiful portraits. "Grand photo exhibit, indeed. These portraits can be compared to world class portraits." He thought as he walks.
"Wow." Marissa muttered when she saw the portrait of Alyna Matias. "I'm sure if this is for sale, a lot of art enthusiasts will bid for this!"
Alyna Matias is seating like a queen in a queen's throne. She's wearing an elegant red dress with an elegant looking plunging neckline. She's wearing a very red lipstick and with red nails. Her left leg is resting on her right leg and wearing no footwear at all, giving it an elegant but plain impression. Her right hand is on her chin, showing a finger wearing a very beautiful red ruby ring, her left hand on the arm of the chair. The background is all black.
But Marissa noticed sadness in Alyna's eyes. She doesn't really express a sad expression, but there's an uneasiness that Marissa's feeling as she looks in Alyna's eyes. There's really sadness in it but Marissa can't figure out why or what makes her think that Alyna's eyes are sad. Marissa read the description of the portrait below it:
"We present this portrait in loving memories of St. Patrice University's most beautiful lady, Alyna Matias. And we're very happy to announce that she's offered and very well accepted."
Marissa didn't really understand the words written because before the whole description got into her head, she realized that there's a cold sweat on her forehead. So she drew a small mirror from her bag and took a glanced at herself. She put powder and then.. the LIVED's logo from one portrait reflected on her mirror. DEVIL. LIVED reads DEVIL when read backwards. "DEVIL?" she thought. And then she realized the last sentence in the Alyna's portrait's description. And we're happy to announce that she's offered and very well accepted. "What the hell.." Marissa muttered as fear rushes through her body. "J-James. I need to tell James. We need to get out of here!" Marissa thought. "The hell, this is a trap!" she muttered as what she discovered sunk in.
"The hell? You're excited to go there, aren't you?" the man in tuxedo who welcomed them earlier told her in a devilish grin and a hoarse voice. The eyes of the man looks at Marissa as if he was crazy about her. Marissa tended to run, but before she could even run, the man covered her mouth with a clothe that immediately made her lose her consciousness.
James continue to wander the amazing portraits. He gives each portraits an incredible impression. Well, all the portraits are amazing so no wonder about that. But as James continue to walk, he realized that all of the portraits are portraits of people, no portraits about sceneries or things or animals. But it seemed to him that the people in the portraits are not recognizable or he does not know who. Not when he found a portrait with non other than Robbie Cruz, the man who died the same way how Alyna Matias died or killed.
In the portrait, Robbie Cruz is in his uniform (not St. Patrice's because he came from another university) standing in front of the class and behind him is the blackboard. He's holding a book and looking as if he is discussing something to the class.
But as James' eyes wander through the portrait, he realized what the chalk writings on the black board were. It means something, something that terrified and terrorized him once he realized what the writings were. The writings were symbols..symbols of the devil. There's a skull and a head which is a particular Illuminati symbol. James knew a lot of things that a usual 16 year old doesn't because he's always in the internet reading different articles. He knows that the skull and a head is an Illuminati symbol because he has read a lot about it. Illuminati means to enlighten. And the conspiracy of the Illuminati group is to make something in the sky explode or to enlighten something. And when that happen, it will seem as if there are two suns. Then the Illuminati will claim that they are the the Gods and it is the second coming (supposedly of Jesus Christ, the real God). Illuminati members are rumored to be those who are popular, successful, and powerful.
Another symbol shows the demonic trinity and another one, a goat's head, a symbol most of the Antichrists use, wear, or spread. Another one shows the most popular Illuminati symbol, the all seeing eye. Then the symbol that scared the hell out of James, the horned hand or the Mano Cornuto. The horned hand is not just an Illuminati or satanist's symbol, but Satan's symbol himself. There are a lot more satanic symbols in the blackboard which some of it James can't recognize anymore.
James breathe faster, his heart beats fast, his knees shakes and weakened. But before he could even think of something to do, his eyes accidentally saw the description. It said that Robbie Cruz, a young boy who died because of stubbornness and stupidity. Always keep in mind that if you don't give or won't help us, we'll take the whole you. The great king asked Robbie to help him and live a problem-free life, but the git declined. After he died, Robbie was offered to the great king, but wasn't accepted at once because of his stubbornness. But eventually, the great king accepted his soul still.
"What the.." James turned sideways, trying to run, but before he could even realize what he must do..He assumed that the great king the description was referring is Satan..or another demon. But who cares? As long as it is a demon, he is not safe!
PACK.
A girl in a black dress hit James with a wood in the head that immediately fainted him. He fell to the ground, blood trickles from the back of his head which came from the small wound the wood that hit him conjured.
***
Kate arrived. She stepped out of the taxi and handed the driver the payment. She turned to look at the mansion. The mansion looks spectacularly beautiful and looking like a gorgeous house from the outside. The gate is wide open, as if welcoming her. She turned around to see if some of her friends had already arrived. She saw no one, but a car parked she recognized: It's Marissa's car. "She's inside already." She thought.
She walked down the flagstone steps and then headed straight to the mansion's main door. She was about to knock when the door automatically open.
The man in a black tuxedo welcomed her.
"Thank you." Kate responded. "Are we too early?"
"We?" The man asked, puzzled.
Puzzled too why the man looks as if he didn't believe Kate is with someone, "Ahhh yeah. I saw Marissa's car outside, so I assume she's here. So, are we too late?" Kate asked again.
"Too late? No, you arrived just in time." the man said.
Then the girl in black dress appeared at the back of Kate and then injected her a sleeping medicine in the neck that took effect at once.
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