✔ Through Alternate Realities

Capitulum 12

"SA PAGKAKAALALA ko, malinaw ko namang sinabi sa'yong 'wag mong gagamitin ang command, 'di ba? Yet you still travelled through alternate realities, Mel! Are you out of your mind?"  

She wouldn't be surprised if Link's voice wakes up the entire neighborhood. Pero nang wala pa ring sumugod sa kanya o sumigaw sa bintana, nakumpirma na ni Mel na siya lang talaga ang nakakakita at nakakarinig kay Link.

Nakaupo siya sa gilid ng kanyang kama habang nakatayo naman ang binata at nakahulukipkip sa kanyang harapan.

Like a parent scolding his child.

Napabuntong-hininga na lang si Mel dahil, sa hindi malamang dahilan, mukhang nadala rin niya ang pananakit ng kanyang katawan mula sa pagtakbo niya kanina. Bakas na rin sa kanyang boses ang pagod. She really doesn't have the energy to argue with him right now.

"Link, kaya ko na ang sarili ko."

And that was true.

Well, partially.

Pero mukhang pati si Link ay hindi kumbinsido sa kanyang sinabi. Napapailing na lang ito, a disappointed look in his eyes.

"Talaga? Doesn't seem like that when I rescued you earlier."

Sarcasm.

Mel glared at him. Nagpapasalamat siya't iniligtas siya nito, but, in the first place, she didn't even asked for his help!  Kung hindi nga siguro dumating si Link, baka nahanap na rin siya ni Evan kanina.

"You wouldn't understand," she mumbled and started walking towards her laptop when he grabbed her arm.

A serious look on his face.

"Understand what, Mel? Paano na lang kung hindi kita hinanap? Paano na lang kung tinotoo ko ang sinabi kong bukas pa kita babalikan?" Nang mapansin niyang napangiwi na sa sakit si Mel nang higpitan nito ang hawak sa kanya, Link loosened his grip. "Tsk. Who knows what could've happened to you by then!"

Mel was thankful that he's concerned about her well-being, pero hindi ba nito nauunawaang hindi naman niya kailangan ng babysitter tuwing pupunta siya sa alternate realities?

Ilang beses na niyang ginagawa ito. Mel think she's even close to mastering it. Besides...

"Kasama ko naman si Evan."

Link frowned. "Pero nasaan siya kanina bago ako dumating?"

That hit her.

Naaalala na naman niya ang eksena kanina sa pedestrian lane. Naiwan siyang mag-isa. Nasaan nga ba si Evan?

"H-Hindi ko alam..."

Alam niyang wala rin namang saysay kung magsisinungaling siya. Ngayong naiisip na niya ito, dapat pala tinawagan man lang ni Mel ang cellphone ni Evan. For sure, the other her will have a phone tucked somewhere in that awful purse with his contact number on top of the list. Damn. Bakit ba ngayon niya lang ito naisip?

"Hindi mo alam? Mel, you could've died back there! Oo, kung hindi mo pa alam, pwede kang mamatay sa mga alternate realities na pupuntahan mo, and when that happens, the version of yourself in that reality will die too. Kaya kung magpapakamatay ka, 'wag ka nang mandamay ng iba," Link said, still angry for some reason.

Doon na lalong nainis si Mel. Ano bang karapatan nitong pagsabihan siya? Naikuyom ni Mel ang kanyang mga kamao. "Oo, wala nga si Evan kanina.. But I'm pretty sure if he's there, he wouldn't let anything bad happen to me! He loves me, Link!"

"Does he love you more than you love him?"

That question caught her off guard. Nang mapansin ito ni Link, agad nitong nilinaw ang kanyang tanong. Hindi pa rin humuhupa ang galit nito sa ginawa niya. "Does he love you enough to waste his years of living just to be with another version of you in another reality? Kasi kung hindi, baka one-side lang pala 'yang obsession mo!"

What the fuck?

Mel bit her inner cheek, trying to calm herself. Nangiginig na ang kanyang katawan sa pinaghalong galit at pagod. Lalong bumigat ang tensyon sa silid. Still, she managed to croak out her words in a weak voice....

"Hindi mo talaga naiintindihan, 'no?"

Para bang tuluyan nang natauahn si Link. Panandaliang naglaho ang kanyang galit nang makita ang kalagayan ni Mel.

"Mel..."

She had enough of this. Melinoe raised her head to meet his eyes. "But then again, I don't expect you would understand me, Link. Hindi mo maiintindihan ang sakit na naramdaman ko nang mawala siya sa'kin! When someone precious to you dies, you don't just cry at night and act like nothing happened in the morning... It leaves a scar. It will never be the same again! Nang mamatay si Evan, alam kong may nawala ring parte sa'kin... He's the missing puzzle piece that completes me."

Link sighed and asked, "Are you that emotionally unstable to need another person to complete yourself?"

Kung pwede lang sanang suntukin ang isang 'to, baka kanina niya pa ginawa. Sa huli wala nang nagawa si Mel kung hindi umirap. "Again, you wouldn't understand. Baka nga hindi mo pa nararanasang magmahal. Being with him, even if it's another version of him, is worth the risk. Evan is worth all those months taken from my life."

Kaya siguro ganito ang reaksyon ni Link. Kaya siguro hindi niya maintindihan kung anong pinaglalaban ni Mel.

But one word that escaped his lips changed everything...

"Years."

Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata sa pagkabigla. "A-Ano?"

Hesitantly, Link spoke again. Sa pagkakataong ito, mas kalmado na siya. "Wala ka talagang pakialam sa sarili mo, 'no? You really have no idea how long you've been travelling to the alternate realities, Mel... Kaya nga bumalik ako rito para balaan ka. Sa ilang linggong paggamit mo ng Alt + RLT, apat na taon na ang nabawas sa buhay mo."

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