Storm Academy: Tale of Falsities

Chapter Forty-Six

A/N: Very short chapter <33

Chapter 46: Spell

I cried my heart out before the dome started to disintegrate. Once the dome was gone, I fixed her up.

Inayos ko ang buhok niya, ang mata niyang may tuyong luha. I used my ability to get leaves from the trees to at least make her feel comfortable before I leave her. I need to not let her death be in vain. She said it herself.

I removed the jacket I wore to cover her up. Pero bago ko pa ilagay ang jacket sa katawan niya, inayos ko rin ang nalukot na damit niya. She's still sporting a full-black suit that she wore in the ball. Siya lang ang hindi naka-gown kanina, at dahil pala 'yon dito.

I stopped when I felt something inside her front pocket. I heard it crumpling and I grabbed it out of her pocket. It's a paper.

Agad ko itong binuksan at nagsimula ulit tumulo ang mga luha ko. Gosh, I thought it ended already. Turns out I have more liquid to dry out. Suminghap ako at pinasok ang papel sa likod na bulsa ko.

I continued piling up leaves and placed it in her head. I stared at her face for the last time before standing up and getting my jacket. Tiningnan ko siya ng maigi bago ko nilapag ang jacket ko mula ulo niya hanggang sa malaking butas sa gitna ng katawan niya.

After giving her a proper goodbye, I ran as fast as I could to get away from her. I stood behind a tree on the other side of the forest, calming myself. Ayoko ng umiyak, I need to do the right thing.

"Simone!" Nanlaki ang mata ko at agad kong pinahid ang mga luha ko. Calla emerged in front of me, hingal na hingal galing sa pagtakbo. I looked away from her and sighed.

"What do you want?" My voice was hoarse, maybe because of my excessive crying just a while ago. Argh, stop thinking about it Simone. It's not doing you any good.

"I just learned you're doing a suicide mission!" I blinked and looked at her. I smiled boredly.

"Where did you hear that?"

She stared at me in disbelief. I'm sorry, I'm really not in the mood for anything else. I saw how my mother died saving me, I can't handle anything else. My emotions are scattered but there's not an inch of emotion I have to care for myself if I die. If all's well, it ends well.

"Does that matter?! What the heck is wrong with you?" Hinawakan niya ang magkabilang balikat ko at sinalampak ako sa punong-kahoy. Are we friends again? Parang kanina lang ay sinaksak niya ako dahil sa ginawa niya.

What does she know about my emotions? I am responsible with my life, and if I wanted to forget all that happened with her, and start anew, I mean it. Tatanggapin ko lahat, kasi siyang yung una kong kaibigan eh.

"Calla," I said and tears started forming once again. Gosh, akala ko tapos na ako dito. "My mother died. She died in my arms." Napatigil siya. She stopped holding my shoulders and looked at me, with sadness in her eyes.

"I—" She pulled me into a tight hug. I closed my eyes and cried my heart out once again. This is what I wanted, someone to cry into. Someone who'll be by my side whenever things get rough. It's not that hard, right?

Sumasakit na naman ang dibdib ko. Her sad eyes, her sad smile. Her last words... her dead body... It just all comes back to me. It comes back to me like a broken film that keeps replaying.

"Do you want me to take it a-away?" she asked. Hindi ako umimik, why would I? "Right right, I'm sorry. It's so insensitive of me to ask you that." She pulled me into a tighter hug and I just laid my head on her shoulders, crying but not creating a sound. Parang pati ang katawan ko ay hinihintay na lang tumigil ang pag-agos ng mga luha.

"You won't do it, right?"

I smiled a little. "If I do, will you stop me?" She released our hug and looked at me, worried etched in her face. Huminga ako ng malalim at pinalis ang sariling luha ko.

"Simone!" galit na ani niya. I couldn't even make myself care about my own death. "Does Mr. Smith know? Mr. and Mrs. Red?" Umiling ako.

"Just like what she said, it's better to sacrifice one instead of sacrificing thousands." I pushed her away before running to the bridge. I'm sorry Calla, but I want to follow her last wish.

I guess it's the guilt that's talking. Guilt for thinking ill of her, guilt for what happened to this world, guilt from all the deceased ones, guilt for the pain I caused, and the destruction I will bring.

My mom's right, if I sacrifice myself, a million will get saved. I grabbed another piece of paper I placed in my other pocket. Tiningnan ko 'yon ng maigi bago tingnan ang kabuuan ng gubat.

Everyone's still fighting. I saw Jerome, Harry, my sisters, mommy and daddy fighting one together, papa, and every friend I had. I smiled sadly. They're going to live because of me.

Huli kong tiningnan ang lugar kung saan nakahiga si mom, I wiped away the tear. This is for your last wish, a death that won't be in vain.

You saved everyone, mom. You saved me, and you'll save a lot more than your vampires. You'll save the future of everyone. And then we'll be together, to make up for everything.

Binuksan ko ang papel at binasa ang nakasulat doon.

"A life already written and foretold,
I am the one who is bestowed.
A feud that aged a centuries old,
Is now ready to disintegrate into the calming storm.

Non autem solvitur quaestio est!"