I found an entry on the professor's birthday.
June 18, 20XX
The day started good.
I was surprised when I woke up and smelt something burning. I quickly roused the kids from sleep and ran down to the kitchen to see Louie wasting perfectly good bread.
A sad looking pile of charcoal slabs sat on the kitchen counter, together with burnt logs that were probably hotdogs.
Well, at least he tried.
He greeted me 'happy 18th birthday' and asked forgiveness for being the emo asshole that he was. He actually realized what a dead weight he have been the past year to both the kids and me. We even hugged like third rate actors in a cheesy afternoon soap opera.
Honestly, if Kuya didn't ask me to look after that oaf, I would have poisoned him months ago and just say he offed himself.
And I wouldn't be caught either.
Then I'll be the kids's legal guardian and take care of my lovely Bebe Meme as my own daughter. She looks more and more like my Kuya every day, no one would think I'm not her dad.
We all celebrated my birthday in the cemetery with Florence and Franklin like Kuya wanted.
Truth be told, I still can't believe that Kuya's no longer with us, or that I was able to last a year with him gone.
But I guess life's like that.
It just goes on.
I stared at the entry.
It seems, his brother died on the day of his birthday.
I skipped a whole page glorifying his 2 year old niece. He also praised the eldest child, Blessing and the his nephew Nathan who baked him a cake.
There's good news at work too.
For the first time in 3 months, Dome decided to talk to me first!
He seems to like the cologne Blessing gave me earlier and even asked for some of the cake the kids made. He seems to like sweets, particularly chocolates. I'll bring him more tomorrow night when I return.
I went on reading.
The professor described how he and his DOME got closer. He wrote how he slowly taught Dome how to use his pheromones as a weapon to subdue alphas, and his calming pheromones as a way to charm the other researchers.
I learned something about DOME.
He has a unique type of pheromones that can calm people, including betas like myself. I thought him how to use this by experimenting on the alpha staff. It's funny how they act so submissive when DOME releases this calming pheromones. He can't really make them do his bidding, though, but it lowers their guard when they smell it.
We could use this to our advantage to make them treat Dome better. He just needs to learn to control his main pheromones with deadly precision so he may be able to choose a target and attack them.
That's what they wanted, after all. An omega weapon. And trust me, they'll get exactly what they want, as well as what they deserve.'
I guess the professor really was the one who taught this DOME how to kill.
According to the professor, it was one of the instructions from some general in the military which wanted to use the DOME as a weapon.
But he didn't simply teach the DOME how to use his omega pheromones.
He manipulated him, put things into his head, told him that a dominant omega is far more superior than an alpha can ever be. That no one has the right to hold him against his will in that accursed facility.
In short, he turned the weapon against those who wanted to wield it.
I now understand why Prof. Antonio felt so guilty when his DOME actually killed all the people in that place, no matter how much he despised them all.
He was the only person Dome trusted, after all.
The DOME only listened to his instructions, and from the professor's notes, I would even surmise that the whole project was run by him alone.
The head of the facility, the one called Dr. Webb or 'Spider', was out of the country most of the time. He only stayed in the facility for a year before leaving everything to Prof. Antonio who was his protegee, and simply coordinated with the professor through the internet to get updated about the project.
All the while, the professor bided his time, feeding his DOME bits of information on how to escape the facility and where to go to once he sets himself free.
Until his DOME actually made his move.
Aug 25, 20XX
All hell broke loose.
Today is Dome's birthday.
Someone of importance was said to arrive today, but I never know who since I was at the night shift.
I brought a triple chocolate cake with matching 21 candles to celebrate my DOME's birthday, but when I got to the facility, I was greeted by a horrendous scene instead.
The whole place was swallowed in darkness. The only light was from the car I was driving. I was starting to panic, when I saw Dome walk out of the building
"Professor, I'm finally free," he said.
His clothes were covered in blood and his body was shaking terribly. I quickly got out of the car and approached him. Coaxed him to tell me what happened.
He said the devil himself came. The general who sent him there. They had a talk and he insisted that he wanted to get out of the facility.
It was his right as a human being, as a free citizen, since he was already 21 years old and could decide for himself. That what they were doing was illegal detention. This was something I taught after asking my idiot bro-in-law about a similar situation.
"The general didn't even want to hear about it," he said. "He simply laughed at me. So I blasted him with his pheromones and watched him fall to the ground with the soldiers he brought with him."
To think that the stupid bastard was so arrogant that he brought an all alpha team to subdue a dominant omega.
After that, Dome took their firearms and proceeded to kill them one by one. He shot the soldiers twice, as well as the researchers and other staff in the facility.
"You're the only one left now, professor."
I could never forget the chill that passed through my body when I heard him say that.
I thought to myself, "Just what kind of monster have I created?"
How stupid I am that I never thought that Dome is literally a weapon. That we were making him even more dangerous than he already is. That he might actually do the things I was secretly whispering to his ear to make him feel better.
I never really thought that he could kill someone.
He was such a sweet kid.
How could he just shoot everyone? Even the beta staff who were just there for cooking, cleaning and maintenance work? I thought he would just send them to sleep like we practiced.
"Since you're the only one left who knows about the DOME project, they would think twice before killing you," he told me with cold eyes. "And since there's no one left to stop me, I can now go anywhere I want..."
That's what he thought.
"Do you really think you can run from Universal Labs and the authorities for the rest of your life?" I asked him after throwing up my dinner. "They would surely go after you `till the ends of the earth, after you killed all the people here!"
"They can try catching me then!" he boasted. "I'll make them drop before they can even get near me!"
I hit him on the head.
"Idiot! Do you think all the soldiers are alphas? Betas know how to kill to! Can you go against them all? Can you run away forever?!"
Thank god the idiot listened to me.
We thought of a way for him to escape prosecution for the massacre he did.
I quickly contacted the Spider and made a deal with the military with his help.
Dome was the one and only DOME in the Philippines, maybe even in the whole of South East Asia. They still have a lot of plans for him. They just need him to compromise a bit.
Dome felt betrayed when I first told him of the plan.
He didn't want to be locked up like an animal again.
I was able to insist that it was the only way, but wasn't able to stop him from burning the whole facility down, together with five years worth of research.
It was a good thing that I convinced him to spare the samples and specimens we got from him, for my own research. I was able to stash it all in my car and leave with Dome before the people from Universal Labs arrived.
I just hope that their people would make a deal with us, and that it would favor Dome.
Obviously, the professor and his DOMEreached an agreement with the government. It seems the army really had high expectations for their DOME – particularly, the United States Army.
They sent the DOME to the US to go against radical alpha groups and to work directly under Dr. Webb who conducted more DOME experiments, but this time, with the DOME's consent.
This was also the time when the professor got his Neuro chip implanted and was forced to follow their conditions in exchange for the welfare of his brother's family.
He was strictly prohibited to contact his DOME in any way, conduct any more experiments concerning Dominant Omegas, and leave Universal Laboratories for the rest of his life.
There's nowhere for me to run now.
I'll just quietly live the rest of my life and die in this mother fuckin' company.
But I gladly accept it all.
At least I know that Dome is doing better now. He's free from the facility. They can't just lock him up and treat him like an animal now that he's proven his worth.
He can even help other omegas in his work, just like I thought him to.
I, on the other hand, will remain here, in my glass prison without bars, to pay for all my sins.
Twenty-two people.
Fourteen researchers, six guards and two staff.
Most of them were bastards, yes, but they have families who cared for them, too.
Their deaths are on my shoulders because of the things I whispered to Dome.
I will no longer say 'I never thought he'd go through with it'.
I always knew he could do it, and he did.
And yes, deep inside, I wanted him to kill them, too.
None of that would have happened if it wasn't for me.
Then again, he never would have been given his freedom if not for that incident, and for that alone, I regret nothing.
Just let me pay for my sins for the rest of my life, and for his, as well.
This is enough for me.
That was the last entry in the journal which lasted for a span of almost five years.
After reading the journal, I went back to the professor's secret room and dropped it at the back of his DOME's refrigerator where it was once again, lodged between the fridge and the wall.
I went to the lab after that to continue the experiment I was working on, and waited for my professor to return.
Now, at least, I know more about him.
His passion, his struggles, his hopes and his tribulations – these things only made me respect the professor even more.
If staying here in the Philippines is what he thinks he deserves, then I shall stay here with him.
I will not, could not leave him any longer.
I will stay by his side for as long as I live.
This is enough for me.