His senses felt numb, almost to the point that he could feel nothing at all. He was tortured, much like how Jesus was treated and made to suffer before being crucified. So how he wished he would be crucified sooner than later so that the pains and torments would be ended.

The thought played constantly in Loduvico's mind and heart. He wanted to end his suffering but he believed he should not be giving up now. He persevered long enough and relief would come soon. Through death? It was possible. He wanted that, but deep inside him, he wished to live.

Loduvico did not know where he was taken to. He lost consciousness after the men beat him up. When he woke up, he was already blindfolded so he saw nothing but darkness. He was strapped to some metal frames. Though he was chained, his legs and arms felt numb from standing up. He would have collapsed if not for the metal shackles that held him. Where the metal and skin touched, it was painful, as if the metal had buried deep into his flesh.

Loduvico had no idea how long he had been suffering. Hours? Days? No clue because he had not seen the light since he was abducted. He also felt cold because his clothes had been torn. He felt that only small fragments of his clothes were clinging to his body. Or were those his clothes? Nonetheless, there was some fabric touching his skin, thankfully not on the wounds caused by the men.

Yes, his body were covered in wounds. When he gained consciousness, he was beaten again while chained on the frame. He had no idea why but the men inflicted pain on him repeatedly, a pain so horrible that he lost his senses again.

When he woke up, an old man's voice spoke to him. It was the first time that he heard someone said some words to him. It would have brought him happiness if the words were only kind and nice. But no, they were evil and malicious. The voice brought chills to his aching heart.

"Are you Loduvico?"

Loduvico was startled when he first heard the voice. There was ice-cold tingleness to it.

"Yes," he answered with his hoarse broken voice. The torment he had suffered made his voice weak and coarse.

"Are you the one they say is the healer?"

He nodded.

"Is it true that you have healing powers?"

Loduvico nodded again.

"How did you have such power?"

"It's a long story," he struggled to say.

"I have plenty of time. I can listen to you for hours."

"It is hard to speak."

"But you have to speak."

Loduvico shook his head in fear. Tears formed on his eyes but he stopped them from falling.

"I said speak!" the voice roared.

Loduvico narrated his story in agony. Every word he uttered sent pain to his lips, arm, legs, and wounds. Speaking was a torture. After what seemed like hours, Loduvico had finally finished telling his story.

"So an angel descended from heaven and gave you powers to heal?"

Loduvico nodded.

"And the angel and the voices came to you on the night that the meteor crashed in Subangdaku?"

He nodded again.

"Could it be that what you saw was not an angle but actually the meteor?"

"But there were voices. I believe it was an angel."

Pak! Loduvico was slapped in the face. He was stunned, unable to believe that what seemed to be an old man could slap him hard in the face. His cheek must have been cut for he felt warm blood dripped.

"Were you certain of what you saw?"

"I am."

Slap.

"Tell me about the healing miracles you have done," the man said with a hint of anger in his voice. "Right from the beginning."

"It's..... another long.... story."

Slap.

"Like I said, I have so much time."

Again, Loduvico shared his story in agony, more painful this time as exhaustion and pain took its toll.

"So you just touched the sick and they get healed?"

"Yes."

"How come you can do that?"

"It's a gift.... From the angels and the voices."

Slap.

"You are a mad man, Loduvico. Take some rest now. I hope you will have some senses when you wake up."

Suddenly, Loduvico was beaten again until he fell asleep. From time to time, some people took blood from his veins, measured his heartbeat, placed some wires on his head, checked his mouth and hands, and other things he could barely understand and remember. He felt like an animal being experimented in a laboratory. His entire body already felt sore whenever he woke up.....

After seeing Jamie slept, Dr. Alvarado and Morgan entered the room that imprisoned Loduvico. The healer was sound asleep as they watched him through a tinted glass partition.

"Is he still alive?" Dr. Alvarado asked.

"Yes, Sir," Morgan answered coldly. "We made sure that whatever was done to him, he would remain alive and breathing."

"Maybe not for long," Dr. Alvarado said and laughed out loud. Only the two of them were inside the room so he was confident. "What have you found out about him so far?"

"Nothing extraordinary. He is like any ordinary person. There was nothing in his blood and his entire system that makes him special."

"So do you believe his healing miracles?"

"I don't believe in miracles, Sir. But the people do. I watched him heal people in the crowd and it was believable."

"But no science could explain how he does it."

"Yes."

"So his story could be true? That an angel gave him some powers?"

"I don't know, Sir. But based on his confession, he received the gift the night the second alien came to Subangdaku."

"Yes, the alien. Are you saying that it was the alien who gifted him the power to heal?"

"It is a possibility."

"But it is not only him who came to preach on the streets. There is the other one."

"Yes, it's Mang Tomas."

"So there are two people who the alien or aliens blessed with some extraordinary skills. Superpowers, perhaps."

"Not only them. There could be more like them."

Dr. Alvarado stopped and thought hard. It was a big possibility. Morgan must be right, as always.

"We need to find the first alien. He holds the key, not Loduvico."

"How about the second one?"

"The government has it. It is beyond our reach now. But the first alien may still be here in Subangdaku. We must be the first ones to lay hands on it."

"What do we do about Loduvico?"

"This outbreak needs some sacrifice."

"Oh yes, a hero's death will be dramatic in this crisis."

"Yes, someone has to die."

Dr. Alvarado and Morgan watched Loduvico one last time before they turned and left. At the same time, Loduvico stirred and roused. He had not heard the voices recently. But now, it spoke to him again. And it was terrifying.

It said: "Someone has to die."