Everybody else was too stunned to speak. As the car halted just in front of the woman, Maia hastily opened the door on her side and stood there gazing at the older woman.
Her gray hair was short and the mask that she had worn was now dangling from her neck. She wore a dark green shirt and black pants and a gun in her right hand.
If it had been a different person, she might have shot at them immediately. But, the woman who stood in front of them had this deep sense of longing visible in her eyes.
When it was evident that Maia wouldn't go toward her, she took the liberty to take the first step toward them instead.
Maki and Damian who had also gotten out of the car could only gape in shock. They had little hope of finding anyone here since they fled the city. They believed that there was no way anyone could ever survive what had happened to their city. And here standing right in front of them, was someone who survived the bombing.
"Grandma"
Maia's words came out as a whisper but the older woman only smiled tenderly at her granddaughter. She crossed their distance and gave her a warm embrace. She caressed Maia's hair and left a light kiss on her cheeks.
"Oh my darling, you look wonderful. I knew you were alive"
It was then that Maia's tears burst out as she let herself weaken in her grandmother's embrace. The older woman hugged her tighter before opening another arm to welcome Maki who was also now on the verge of tears.
Maki eventually gave in and ran toward his grandmother and sister.
"Grandma you were alive"
"Oh my children"
She moved away and gaze at her grandchildren.
"Thank you for staying alive"
Sol who was like a radiant sun in the eyes of her grandchildren was now alive. Damian knew just how much Maki and Maia were close to her. She was someone who made their dull and torturous life easier. And he had to admit, that she made his, easier as well.
Sol glanced at Damian and just like with Maki, she opened up her arm to welcome him.
"Damian"
Damian walked toward her and gave her a tight embrace.
"You did well too, little knight"
Damian couldn't help but chuckle. It was her pet name for him, the knight who would save the princess and prince from danger. Of course, the princess and prince are Maki and Maia.
Maia brushed up the remaining tears in her eyes and looked at her grandmother.
"Grandma, where are you hiding right now?"
Sol turned around to her granddaughter. She stared at her long enough to see that her hair had turned white and her eye color become red. She knew in an instant just what had happened to her.
She wanted to know more but they were indeed in an open area now.
"There's an underground bunker underneath this city. The remaining ones are hiding there right now. Come…"
She motioned them to follow her but Maki stopped short when he remembered about their things that were in the car.
Old man Shizu had packed them enough food and clothes for travel and enough weapon for them to defend themselves.
"We need to unload our stuff first grandma, it'll only take a while"
Sol raised an eyebrow when she saw the plate number on the car. She instantly recognized the number which made her even more curious as to how her grandchildren had acquired it.
"Have you been to the seven cities?"
Her question made the three look at each other and back to her.
"How did you know that grandma?"
Sol contemplated for a while. She was pondering on the thought of whether or not she should tell them. In the end, she could only let out a sigh.
"I'll tell you inside. It's dangerous to be out in the open like this for too long."
She then instructed Damian to move the car behind two large columns. She then motioned them towards an arch, she tapped something on the ground using her foot, then an opening to an underground passageway lifted itself.
The three of them watched as the door lifted itself and revealed a series of steps that seems to lead up to the deepest part of the ground.
There was a red alarm blaring on the sides of the steps.
"What are those grandma?"
Maki pointed out the red alarms as if he had developed a trauma because of what had happened back in the front house.
"Don't worry they're just alarms for when someone had opened the lift."
Maia listened closely and she was certain that she could make out at least a hundred voices down there. Some were arguing about why the lift suddenly opened. Then she heard a familiar voice. She turned toward her grandmother.
"Aunt Eos and Uncle Helios are alive down there with you?"
Sol stared at her granddaughter with awe in her expression.
"How could you possibly know that?"
"Ate sort of had some enhanced senses grandma"
Maki was the one who answered Sol. Then like she just realized what had happened to them, she grabbed Maia and enveloped her in another tight embrace.
"I should've protected you too, I am sorry my dear"
"What's done is done grandma, you didn't do anything wrong."
Maia patted her grandmother lightly on the back.
"No, but whatever had happened to you could've been prevented by me. Come, it is so much you need to know"
Maia squinted her eyes as her grandmother lead the three of them down the steps. Her grandmother had three children, Helios, Eos, and Luna. Their family had lived close to one another so the two of them grew up close to their aunt and uncle's families. They were accustomed to having a large group, especially on occasions when the government allows celebrations.
Maki not telling anything that mentions the names of their uncles, aunts, and cousins meant that they weren't in the underground bunker of the mutiny.
When they reached the middle of the steps, Sol pressed a part, a small square in the brick wall. Instantly the opening of the passageway was slowly closing until there was no more opening that can be seen.
White lights along the steps started to appear, and they continued their descent. It took them a good 10 minutes at the very least until they reached the bottom.
Two armed men were standing at the entrance of what seemed like a never-ending tunnel. The three of them immediately recognized them. They used to be some of the alcoholic old men from their city.
The two men were seemingly shocked at seeing Maki and Damian and were extremely shocked to see Maia, gaping at her and ready to ask Sol a question.
Sol just tapped their soldiers.
"Save the shock and questions, they need to rest"
Immediately the two stood straight and just smiled at the three of them as they passed by the entrance.
"You may find that a lot of people had survived the bombings by going underground"
"But, how did so many people get to hide on such short notice? From the looks of the entrance that you just opened, the place was in the abandoned park, so how?"
"And without being noticed"
Sol smiled at Damian and Maki, who were now curious about how they could hide that quickly.
"The one that you went through was indeed in the abandoned park where you three used to play. But, that wasn't the only entrance…"
"You have five entrances"
All their attention shifted to Maia who was now looking around. Sol, with shock evident on her face, asked her granddaughter.
"How did you know?"
Maia pointed to five points before looking at her grandmother.
"I could see them, part of the enhanced sense thingy"
She sheepishly exclaimed. Sol just blinked twice before clearing her throat.
"Then I guess, you should know what this place is called."
"What?"
Sol proudly smiled and faced the three of them properly.
"Welcome to the Pentagon"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Maia thought it was a corny type of joke. They named this place the pentagon because it was shaped like a pentagon. She let out a sigh, she couldn't bring herself to ask who had named such a place.
They were now in Sol's room. It was a space enough for one person only. A bed, a bedside table, some books, guns hanging by the side, a small sofa, and a small bathroom.
They had asked if every room underground was the same as what she had, and she answered yes.
It did look like a bunker, Maki thought, but this one only had three floors underground. But the bunker was built the same as the city. It was just as large as the city, thus the five entrances which were scattered all around it.
Sol had left them to fetch her other children. Maia who was now feeling tired lay on the bed and tried to close her eyes to sleep, but a buzzing sound in her ear prevented her, so she lay there looking at the ceiling.
"Maia, you alright?"
Damian looked at her worriedly, he knew that she had no sleep since they had reunited.
Maia smiled weakly at him before getting herself up. She decided to just settle at a sitting position beside Damian.
"There's just this constant annoying little buzz in my ear"
"Maybe it's a tinnitus too ate?"
"Maybe, I don't know"
It was then that the door to the room burst open and a brunette woman and a man with black hair enveloped both Maia and Maki in their arms.
"Oh my God, you're alright. What had happened Maki"
The woman, their Aunt Eos stared at Maki and then at Maia. Upon laying eyes at Maia, her eyes widened.
"My girl, you look well"
Their uncle Helios gave Maia an apologetic smile as Eos grabbed her for a tight hug.
"We lost hope that you were alive, I'm sorry Maia, I am"
Maia could only tap her aunt on her back.
"It wasn't your fault. I did die after all Aunt"
Eos let Maia go, her eyes were now brimming with tears. Helios looked at Damian and patted him on his shoulders.
"It's nice to see you again kiddo"
"Likewise, Uncle"
"But what happened to you? Why are you here?"
"You should settle down if we are to talk about this, there's a lot to be told after all"
Sol closed the door behind her and settled herself on the chair by her bedside table.
"What happened to the three of you? Especially you Maia, that look, those red eyes, they are an indication of being a mutant"
Maia bit her lip and stared at her grandmother.
"That's right, I'm now a mutant grandma"
Maia started her story, about the experiments on the abilities, of the other personality. Eos, Helios, and Sol just listened to her without saying anything.
Maki and Damian then took turns to tell what was happening back at the SDC bunker and how Artemis, orchestrated an all-out war with the government.
"And the Seven city?"
Maia told the story about Old Man Shizu and how the city was viewing them as the reincarnation of the Seven Lucky Gods.
Helios stared blankly at his nephew and niece while Eos looked down fiddling with her hands. Maia noticed this change in their atmosphere.
"Then you must have met him"
Sol absentmindedly stated which made the three curious.
"Who grandma?"
Sol smiled weakly before a sad look on her face began to show.
"Your grandfather"
It was then that Maia understood who the old man who helped them was. He felt familiar and strange at the same time.
"Who grandma? Old man Shizu?"
Sol shook her head.
"Shizu was an old friend of your grandfather. That was why I immediately recognized the plate number from the car you drove. The people who were given the right to drive a car had special plate numbers that are easy to remember"
"Then who…?"
"It was the old man at the front house"
Maia stared at her grandmother, tears stinging her eyes as they threaten to fall.
"Grandpa was a mutant too? That was why he helped us"
"A mantis is what he was made into"
Sol weakly stated and at that moment, Maki and Damian too understood. The old man who had helped them escape was their grandfather. There was no other reason why he helped them, it was only because they were his family.
"Then grandma…"
Before Maia could even state out her question, Sol cut her off.
"Your mother was the one who experimented on her Maia. And yes, our family were originally from the Seven City"
This had caught the three off guard.
"Listen well, Maki and Maia. What I am about to tell you is important and this story is the truth about your family."
It was then that they knew. Nothing will ever be the same again.
They wouldn't be the same as before.