Byr Series #1: Five Byr (Completed)

Chapter XXI: Rapture-Day 9

CHAPTER 21
R a p t u r e - D a y 9

December 29th, 457 Million CE
Astral's POV

The Planet Earth is billions of years old. The timescale is so vast and it's difficult for us to conceptualize what will happen the next days. We can't travel back to the past since we really came from here in the future. But we can still reconstruct the world as long as we are still breathing.

Earth is doing a good fight. No matter how cruel its people are, she still provides the life that people need. I know that the end is near. Regardless of the hard situations, people still cherish these moments of their lives living in this planet while waiting their final day.

"Ang aga mo namang gumising." Umupo si Astisha sa tabi ko. Sinabayan niya akong pagmasdan ang ngayo'y madilim pa na kalangitan.

We decided to build a house made here in the open field and it is out of the debris of the buildings caused by the quake. Hindi na kami nagtangkang bumalik pa sa mansion dahil delikado ang lugar na 'yon. Maaaring tuluyang bumagsak ang mga gusaling hindi nagiba.

"Mukhang malalim yata 'yang iniisip mo," Aniya pa.

"Akalain mo 'yon? In our twenty years of existence, ngayon lang natin nalaman ang mga katotohanan tungkol sa atin." I slightly laughed as I stare the dark sky.

"I don't even know that this kind of life really exists. Sa dalawang taon kong pag-aaral ng pilosopiya, ngayon ko lang nalaman na mayroon palang ganitong uri ng buhay. Sabagay, maliit lang naman ang mundo. Sadyang haba lang ng panahon ang naghihiwalay sa mga tao. Did you get my metaphor?" She replied.

"Yeah, time and death separate people. Speaking of death, hindi ko pa rin matanggap na wala na si Ashtar." Bigla kong naalala ang mga huling sandali na kasama ko siya. Hanggang ngayon sinisisi ko pa rin ang sarili ko sa pagkamatay niya.

"She's probably happy right now knowing that we are still fighting for the people and for her justice."

Minutes filled with silence.

"Astisha..." She looked at me. "When do you think these sufferings will end?" I asked. Kumonot ang noo niya at saka niya ibinalik ang tingin sa kalangitan.

"Malapit na siguro. The tribulations are getting worse each day, you know."

"Do we really deserve this kind of life?"

"People are born for survival. Though we never wanted to be in this situation, extinction of humanity is constant and survival is a must. Ikaw ba? If today was the end of the humanity, would you choose to survive, or just die with it? Of course you will choose to find a way in order to survive." Napailing lang ako sa sinabi niya.

"Survival is an exception but extinction is the fate of humanity. People were born to die and we can't escape that painful reality."

Hindi na siya nakasagot pa.

We can't escape extinction. No matter how many times we choose to survive, we're all gonna die for it is inevitable.

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MATAAS na ang sikat ng araw kaya napabangon ako. Tanda kong muli pala akong bumalik sa pagtulog kaninang madaling araw. Ngayon ay sina Astisha, Derick at Sam na lang ang kasama ko. I don't know where did Dam gone.

Mas lalong naramdaman ko ang init nang lumabas ako. Napaka-init ng temperature ngayon. Kung sa taong 2030 ay 50° C lang, sa tantya ko ngayon ay nasa mahigit 60° C na.

If we gonna look back months ago, ibang-iba na ang itsura ng paligid ngayon. Nag-iba ang halos lahat ng mga bahay at gusali. Kakaunti na lang ang mga puno't halaman at halos wala ng makikitang hayop.