Lady in Blue: The Billionaire's Regret

CODE BLUE

“C—chief!” In hysteria, Glen Acosta gulps.

He couldn’t tear his eyes off from the screen. Everything made his stomach churn. Calling for the attention of his superior who stood beside him puzzled.

“What it…is.” The chief of the NASA department located in the Philippines was glued to his feet.

Frozen. Both of them are.

“What the f**k is that?” When he recovered, that was the first thing he uttered.

“I don’t know, Sir.” Frowning, Glen typed on his computer to minimize the photograph sent to them by the satellite. “It looks like a meteor, but I couldn’t understand—the last time we checked, it wasn’t supposed to change its course to our planet. The trajectory is a little confusing, and I was afraid that—”

“—it would hit the earth.”

“Excuse me, Sir?” Glen glanced at his shoulder.

His fear-stricken superior seems lost in thought.

“It would hit earth…definitely, right.”

“Only if we could alter it—” Glen suggested. “Should I call for a meeting?”

“Go ahead, Glen.” The Chief in command rubs his temples.

He seems to be in an utter dilemma. Glen did not bother to ask him again. He clicked the intercom connected to his office.

“Calling everyone’s attention, we have a code blue.”

Code Blue. A sign that something serious must be handled quickly, and rather in an immediate manner before the casualty leaves an enormous destruction, and that meteorite…seems like it would bring losses and wreckage than they had never seen before.

“It’s been quite long, don’t you think so?” Ryota opened a can of beer.

He gave it to Cyron, who mouthed a quiet thanks before bringing it to his lips. The bittersweet taste relished on his tongue. Feeling strange as if the flavour was long forgotten. It was forgotten. Their camp never has beers. There is no production and the world has fallen into a pit, its downfall that wreck everything that humanity had built.

“Yeah.” Cyron chuckled. “So, how are you?”

The words never felt right. They sounded bizarre as they rolled. Looking at Ryota and the image of his death filled his anguish, although he keeps reminding himself that going back 2 days before the apocalypse might have been a chance given to him just so he could save those he failed to. And Ryota is one of that people.

“Never been better, man.” Ryota grin. “But I’m not quite sure.”

“You won, that’s something to feel better.”

“Perhaps.” Strangely, Ryota seems to be thinking about something else.

“Is there a problem?” Cyron couldn’t help but ask.

“It just that—”

“Guys!” But a voice cut off his words.

Ace was running, waving his hand in utter glee when he spot the pair.

“I knew it!” He fist-pumped the air when he had finally gotten closer. “I’ll find you two here!”

The latter was grinning.

Who would have imagined that it is the Ace Cyron would meet here? Unlike the farewell gaze and the crestfallen stare he cast, when he boarded the chopper, leaving him all alone as the flesh-eaters chased and tried to feast on him. He is not holding a grudge or anything. Nobody was at fault.

And Cyron is not blaming anybody for his misfortune.

“Hey…” He trailed off afterwards.

“You look solemn.” Ace raises his eyebrows. “Let me guess. Hmmm.” He squinted his eyes. “Did Lin and you fought again?”

“No.”

“Did you fail your exam today?”

“Absolutely no—”

“Did Yumi ignore you again?”

“No—what?” He was instantly flabbergasted.

“So, it’s Yumi?” Ace raised his eyebrows rather suggestively.

“Hell no!” Cyron frowns.

How the hell Yumi get involve suddenly?

“Oh, get over with it.” Ace rolled his eyes. “We all knew how much you really like her, before you decided, well—”

“Stop it, Ace.” Ryota reprimanded the latter.

“But it’s true!” Stubborn, Ace huff. “Cy never really like Lin. He just courted her just so he could make Yumi jealous—”

“Ace!” Ryota firmly looked at him in the eyes.

But what they failed to notice was the presence hiding behind the wall.

A playful grin grew on her lips. The cellphone on her left ear seems to have gotten silent. She pushed herself up and began walking. The silent tap coming from her heeled shoes resonated. The street lay in the front.

“Do you believe me now, Lin?” It was Rebecca, Bright University’s popular cheerleader and best friend of Lin Colton.

The line remains silent.

Rebecca chuckled.

“I told you not to trust boys, Lin.” She places her Marlboro between her lips. The smoke emitting made her cough for a few seconds before she recover. “And let me tell you, you can play the game that Cyron pulled—”

“I—I can’t.” Lin broke down crying. “I—it’s Yumi…she seduce him!”.

“Are you still that stupid? Tch.” Rebecca rolled her eyes. “You heard what Ace said—”

“But Cyron loves me…” Her voice turned sad. “He always…he always made me feel he is in love with me….”

“That is to make Yumi jealous.” Rebecca blow some smoke coming from her cigarette. “Don’t be pathetic. Let’s get revenge on that jerk.”

“H—how?”

Rebecca grins.

“Date Cyrus—”

“No way!” Lin seems to be in utter disbelief. “He is Yumi’s boyfriend!”

“Exactly!” Rebecca laughs. “It’s better to hit two birds one at a time, bitch.”

“But…”

“Do it, before I take things with my own ways, Lin.” Her voice isn’t friendly anymore. Threatening, Lin was forced. Hurt, she decided that tomorrow Cyron and Yumi—especially Yumi would regret playing with her heart.

Did he really do that?

Absolutely no.

“So?” Ace was grinning. It was as if he couldn’t feel the tension in the air.

“It’s not true, and I did not court Lin, because of Yumi.” Cyron frowns.

That’s true. His courtship happened before Yumi. Before Cyron realized that he was no longer infatuated with Lin. Yumi just came. In the picture. She captured his attention the moment when Lin couldn’t even make him feel the love he seek. Lin was always busy, always the one who hid him from her father in fear of his anger and wrath. But Yumi is different. They were in the same world, and she treated him—with the kindness he had never found before.

“Oh C’mon—”

“Stop it, Ace.” Ryota’s voice was stern.

“All right.” Ace pursed his lips. “But really, what has gotten between you two?”

“Nothing.”

“Really, huh?” Ace turned his attention to Ryota. “Not even going to share with us that you will be moving to America, Mr. Racini?”

“W—what…” Cyron was confused before a memory flashed before his eyes.

Tomorrow. No, this can’t be. How can it be tomorrow, when the apocalypse happened 2 days prior? 2 days, on the same exact date as Ryota’s departure, but the sickness spread. It begins on their school ground before it takes over the whole country.

“How did you know?” Ryota doesn’t seem happy.

“Well, your coach blabber—”

“—I told him not to tell anyone.” Ryota’s face darkened.

Ace at that moment seems to feel the tension in the air.

“Uhm…. Don’t you like it—”

“Yes, so don’t f**k up with me.” With that said, Ryota turned his back and began marching away from the two.

“What’s his problem?” Ace rolled his eyes. “Anyways—” He turned his attention to Cyron, but he was no longer there.

“Ryota!” Ace was chasing after the latter.

It’s now or never.

If Ryota would be leaving tomorrow, then tonight, there’s a possibility that the meteorite would fall much earlier than he thought. He needed to do something.

Cyron must not let the same history get the better of him. The deaths of those who sacrifice for his own sake must not repeat themselves.

“Leave me alone, Cy—”

“No, I needed to tell you something.” He was in a rush.

“It could wait until tomorrow—”

“No, Ryo.” He shook his head. “You can’t leave tomorrow!”

“What?” Ryota looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

“You must listen to me before it’s too late!”

“I needed to leave tomorrow.” Ryota sighs. “Father warned me—”

“—But you won’t be able to leave after what happened.” Cyron was putting his lick on the line. It’s either Ryota would believe him or not, but he must. “Come to my house tomorrow and I’ll explain everything to you—”

“Just get straight to the point.” His forehead creased. “Don’t beat around the bush.”

“Tomorrow….” Cyron clenched his jaw. “Tomorrow at exactly 10 in the morning, you—”

“I, what?” Ryota raised his eyebrows.

“You…” Cyron paused. To express the truth was much harder than he thought it might have been. “Tomorrow you’ll die here, Ryota.”

‘Tomorrow you’ll die.’

The words still echoed inside his head. When he laughs, Cyron seems torn. He didn’t even know what have gotten onto him. Telling him about nonsense and ridiculous things as if he was crazy. About flesh-eaters, and about each and everyone attacking and turning into a zombie

A f*****g zombie.

“That’s f**k up.” He gobbled down a glass of cold water.

The front door was pushed open.

“You’re home early.” Ryota glanced at his shoulder.

There came a woman, who was casually dressed in a burgundy sweater paired with some boots.

Alicia Racini. Ryota’s sister. A 25-year-old woman who was working and supporting both of them, while their parents couldn’t vouch for their needs. It is Alicia who has become the breadwinner of the family, and the black sheep who takes the burden of Racini’s eldest.

“Boss told me that there would be a meeting—” She removed her booths and let loose the high bun on her hair. “Seems pretty serious, but I am not in the mood listening to some shit.”

“You’re tired?” Ryota poured another glass of water, but instead of him, he offered it to Alicia.

“The hell I am.” Alicia let out a groan before grabbing the glass from his hand. “So, how’s school?”

“Still the same boring day.” Ryota proceeds to lift the weights. It is part of his training. “But the only weird stuff that happened today was Cyron telling me about ridiculous things.”

“That Cyron I meet at the gala?”

“Yeah.”

“What did he say?” Alicia looked at him curiously.

“Nothing serious, perhaps he was just joking around.” Ryota shrugged his shoulder.

“Maybe.” Alicia agreed. “You boys and your humour.”

But if it was, why does it bother Ryota…a lot?

“How long before it hit our planet?” Jude Syoko couldn’t sit tight. He is the current head that administers the NASA located in the Philippines. A 42-year-old man, who for the first time in his life could feel the tension across the room.

When Glen Acosta renounced the Code Blue, they knew how serious the matter would be. It was the first time that it was used, and for something unusual that could take lives once it fall.

“In just 24 hours, Sir.” It was Glen.

Hearing what he said, everybody was stunned. Quarrels took turns. Each department head and engineer are arguing with each other. Everybody looks anxious, deeply scared.

“But it couldn’t be possible…” Liana’s lips parted. She is one of the scientists who had been studying the course of the meteorite. “Last month—”

“That’s what I have been telling all of you!” Elias screamed. He was furious. “I told you to take the matter rather seriously, but what did you do? You dumb fools only laugh at my warnings!”

“Calm down—”

“Don’t you f*****g tell me to calm down.” His voice is much darker. “Because I am not mad, I am f*****g frustrated, Jude!”

“I know.” Jude tried to coax him. “But if we let our emotions get the better of us, there wouldn’t be—”

BANG.

“A—Alan?!”

Everyone seems terrified when the shot was fired. It didn’t hit anybody, but fair enough to cause fear.

“I—I told you.” Alan was shaking. “I am not crazy, it was happening—he saw it, he told me—” Trembling, tears were streaming in his eyes.

“Calm down, Alan.” Jude raise his hand in the air as if to tell him that he meant no threat. “Who told you?”

“H—he said that…that meteorite is curse…” Alan’s hold tightened across the g*n. “I’m sorry, Sir—”

“No, but—”

BANG.

But it was too late when another shot rings aloud. Gasp applauded, but imagine their anxiety and shocked visage, when Alan Rodriguez, one of the smartest and most renowned scientists shot himself in his head.

“NO!”

Blood pooled beneath him. The light on his eyes fade miserably until his lifeless body fell with a thud.