The Legacy (COMPLETED)

Epilogue

"Do you think she's happy where she is now?" Lucca asked out of nowhere.

Nasa rooftop kami ngayong dalawa habang tinatanaw yung papalubog na araw. Everything's back to normal now. Well, except for one thing. We lost one important person in our lives. We lost Anna.

"I'm sure she's happy kung nasaan man siya," sagot ko habang nakatingala sa kalangitan. "Siguradong nasa mabuting kamay siya."

Bumuntong-hininga si Lucca. "I miss her."

Nagulat akong napalingon sa kanya. I mentally slapped myself. Who am I kidding? Talagang kaming lahat ay nami-miss siya. It's just that Lucca and Anna were always like cats and dogs. I never saw Lucca having this intimate feeling of Anna before. Siguro dahil palagi silang nagbabangayan. He would miss her more.

The reapers never saw Anna after Kenjie took us to the mansion. Ang sabi, sinabihan ni Cato sina Mama na wala na si Anna at pinatapon ng mafia. After they knew about it, they searched the whole place finding nothing. They probably hid her body somewhere in the building. Sobrang laki din kasi nung gusali. They gave up finding thinking that they must've hid Anna far. Pinabombahan nila yung gusali leaving nothing behind. Maraming nasawing tauhan ni Kenjie, but no Anna was found. We assumed that she's now happy, wherever she is.

"What's with the atmosphere, Lucca?"  I faced him. "It's my birthday! Hindi dapat tayo nagmumukmok dito!" I said, trying to swallow the lump on my throat.

"I'm sorry," sabi niya. "Just act surprise when you get home, okay?"

Nandito kami sa rooftop ng school kasi birthday ko at gusto akong i-surpresa ng pamilya. Unfortunately, Lucca slipped. Nasabi niya sa akin yung tungkol sa surpresa na naghihintay sa akin sa bahay. He's trying to buy some time.

"Anong klaseng surpresa ba 'yan?" tanong ko.

"Hindi mo na ako mapipiga ngayon. Slipping about the surprise is enough. Ayoko nang magkamali pa ulit."

I chuckled. "Okay, fine. At least d'yan hindi pa ako na-i-spoil."

Yumuko siya saka tiningnan yung wrist watch niya. "Ang tagal namang mag-6:30," bulong niya.

6:14 na pero para sa kanya sobrang tagal pa ng 6:30. Anong klaseng surpresa kaya ang inihanda nila para maghintay ako nang sobrang tagal? Sobrang engrande ba nito?

"Bibili nalang muna ako ng maiinom. Dito ka lang ha, 'wag ka munang uuwi. Sabay na tayo," sabi niya.

"Sige. Maghihintay lang ako sa'yo dito."

"Sana all maghihintay," tawa niya. "Sige sige. Babalik din ako agad."

"Ingat."

Kinawayan ko siya bago siya tumalikod at bumaba. Hindi naman ganun kataas yung rooftop. Hanggang fourth floor lang naman kaya kayang-kaya 'yan ni Lucca. Siya pa.

Ibinalik ko yung atensyon ko sa kalangitan. Bumuntong-hininga ako. I remember Anna again. She said that on my 18th birthday, she will do all my make up, my hair and the gown that I'll be wearing. She promised me that before the chaos happened. Pinangako niya yun sa akin nung hindi ko pa alam ang kadiliman.

I can't believe I'm going to be celebrating my debut without her. She had always been there for me. Lahat tungkol sa akin ay alam niya. If there is someone who knows me well, it's got to be her. She's my human diary, my partner-in-crime, my bestfriend.

"Thinking of her again?" A pair of arms suddenly snaked my waist from behind me. Kilala ko yung boses na 'yun.

"Yeah," I replied. "I miss her."

A tear suddenly escaped my eye na agad din namang pinahiran ni Noah gamit yung daliri niya. He hugged me tight and dug his face in my neck, smelling it.

"Hindi siya magiging masaya kapag nalaman niyang malungkot ka," he whispered.

"If only I can bring her back, I'll do whatever it takes!" pigil-luha kong sabi.

"But you can't. Wala ka nang magagawa. This is bound to happen and there is no way you can undo it," bumuntong-hininga siya. "Nandito naman ako. Am I not enough to make you happy?"

That puts a smile on my face. He's being cheesy again. Kinalas ko yung pagkayakap niya sa akin bago siya hinarap.

"You are enough," I smiled. "I just miss her. Hindi naman yun ang basehan para hindi ka maging sapat."

"I'm only kidding," he smiled. "I only said that to make you smile."

"And you did," I pinched his cheeks.

"Happy birthday!" salubong agad sa akin pagpasok ko ng bahay.

I don't have to pretend that I'm really surprised. Talagang nasurpresa ako. Everyone is here! Tita Scarlet and Cato are here coming from the Grounds. Chen is here with their father, Tito King. Nagkaayos na din sina Mama at yung mga Stein. They realized that everything is in the past now. Hindi naman si Tito King yung gustong pumatay ni Mama.

Tito Stephen is also here with Tita Zoey and Lucca. Tita Ace and Tito Sky won't be absent. And of course, my parents are here!

"Thank you! Maraming salamat!"

Lumapit sa akin si Chen na may dalang birthday hat saka pinasuot sa akin. Lumapit din si Mama at Papa na may dalang napakalaking cake.

"Blow the candle and make a wish!"

I know that it sounds childish but I still do believe in wishes coming true. Pumikit ako at nag-wish. There's nothing I could ever asked for but for everyone's happiness. After I made a wish, I blew the candle and everyone was clapping their hands.

"Teka!" biglang sulpot ni Tita Scarlet. "The August wanted to wish you a happy birthday!" Hinarap niya sa akin yung phone niya at agad ko ding nakita yung mukha ni Diem.

I slightly bowed my head. "My August."

"Please, don't do that," istrikta niyang sabi. "It still feels weird."

Napatawa nalang ako. "But I have to. You are my August," I insisted.

"Nevermind," she rolled her eyes. "Happy birthday," she plainly said. "I only called to say that to you. Bye," agad niyang binaba yung tawag.

"She secretly likes you," bulong ni Cato. Humalakhak kaming dalawa.

"How can you say that?" natatawa kong tanong.

"If she hates you then she won't make an effort to call just to greet you."

"Maybe you're right."

I gave up the title. I realized that it doesn't matter that much. Just because the prophecy said that I would be the August doesn't mean I couldn't break it. I am not meant for it and I can't live my life always in danger. Gaya ng gusto nina Mama nung naipanganak ako, they want to have a peaceful life. Now that everything's done, I also want my peaceful life back. No reapers, no Grounds and definitely no Mafia.

Third Person's Point of View

In a nice comfy bed laid a maiden. She had been asleep for 5 months. She was a sleeping beauty. The only thing that keeps her alive is the machine beside the comfy bed. On that day, she finally opened her eyes for the first time in five months.

"You're awake!" sabi nung boses ng lalaki sa tabi ng kama niya.

She drifted her eyes to the boy behind her. He looks like he came from a magazine cover. How his eyes sparkled when he saw her opened her eyes made her soft.

"Who are you?" paos niyang tanong sa lalaki.

Nawala yung ngiti nung lalaki. He looked at her as if she had an amnesia— or maybe she did. Agad sumilay ang malukong ngisi sa mga labi niya.

"I am Kenjie," pakilala nung lalaki.

Naguguluhan man ay tumango lang yung dilag. Inilibot niya ulit yung mga mata niya sa paligid. Hindi ito mukhang hospital. Isang normal na silid lamang ito na walang kadese-desenyo. Simple lamang pero komportable. Itinaas niya yung magkabila niyang kamay ay nakakita siya ng mga karayom. But one thing caught her attention. A tatoo on her wrist. A tattoo of a moon and initials.

AB...

THE END