The Lost Reaper

Chapter Ten

"What is this all about?" tinapatan ko yung tingin niya.

Hindi na ako nagpumigilas kasi alam ko naman na wala pa rin yung maidudulot na maganda sa akin. Fortunately, I can, but unfortunately, ayaw kong masaktan siya.

"I can't believe na nakayanan mo akong hindi pansinin!" naiinis niyang sabi.

"Ikaw ang umiiwas sa akin, Sir," I paused. "And we both agreed to it."

"Sir?" hindi makapaniwala niyang tanong. "Kenjie! Call me Kenjie!"

It felt awkward knowing that we are not the only one in the room. I glanced at Lucca's direction at naguguluhan kung bakit wala na siya doon. Napatingin ako sa walk in closet. Smartass.

"I called you Sir kasi amo kita. That is my way of respecting you."

"But I miss you calling me by my name," nguso niya. "I want you to call my name now!"

Earlier, he's acting like he's gonna devour me. Now, he's acting like a child who's been deprived from candies.

"Why does this matter?"

"Kasi namiss ko nga!"

"Ang ano?"

"Namiss kita!"

I can feel heat crawling to my cheeks and butterflies on my tummy. I bit my lower lip to stop myself from smiling.

"Don't you dare bite that lip of yours," pagbabanta niya habang nakatingin sa aking mga labi.

"Bakit? Hahalikan mo ako?" panghahamon ko sa kanya.

"You know too damn well that I won't back out," ngisi niya. "Basta ikaw."

Napangisi ako at tumango-tango.

"Really?"

He nodded. "Really."

"And you know too damn well that you can't fvck me."

He frowned. "I'm not thinking of having sex with you."

I nodded.

"Anong gusto mo?"

He looked at me directly in the eyes and I almost got drown by his stares. I swallowed hard.

"Your love," seryoso niyang sagot. "Just you, Heather."

Wala akong masabi. I am speechless. Ibinuka ko yung bibig ko para magsalita pero walang lumabas mula dito. He just caught me off-guard.

"Just let it go, Heather. Alam kong ganun din yung nararamdaman mo sa akin. Pinipigilan ka lang ng prinsipyo mo. What we have is not like a teacher-student romantic relationship. Mahal kita at mahal mo din ako. Isn't it enough?"

Napatitig lang ako sa kanya habang iniisip ang kanyang sinasabi. At some point, he's right. I like him and I still don't want to admit that I love him but I'm getting there. I wanted us to be free pero may pero. Palaging may pero.

"I will let you think about it," he smiled genuinely and placed a kiss on my forehead. "In an hour, I want you to prepare the car. May pupuntahan tayo."

Ngumiti siya sa akin bago siya tumayo at iniwan akong nakatulala lang sa kisame. I heard him closed the door at saka lang ako nakahinga.

What was that?

"You like him?" someone asked.

Nakita kong lumabas mula sa closet ko si Lucca. He's smiling but his eyes were opposite. He's sad.

"It's not for you to know, is it?" iling ko at tumayo na.

Lumapit ako sa drawer at kinuha yung revolver ko. Ito yung unang binigay ni Kenjie sa akin pagkagising ko. Pinaglalaruan ko ito gamit ang aking mga kamay habang malalim ang iniisip.

Should I consider? Wala namang sinabi na bawal ang reaper at Bishop na magkaroon ng relasyon. Yung bawal lang naman ay within the chess pieces. Kasi wala namang reaper sa ahedres.

"You reminded me of her," biglang sabi niya kaya napalingon ako sa kanya.

"Who?"

"Kaibigan ko," he paused and smiled. "Si Brion."

Napatingin ako sa pulsuhan ko kung nasaan yung tattoo. Agad ko itong tinakpan at lumingon ulit sa kanya.

"She used to play anything she can grab- with her fingers- when she's thinking. Ganyan na ganyan nga siya," turo niya sa hawak ko.

Napatingin ako sa dala kong revolver. Hindi ko napansin ito. Kusang kumikilos lang yung aking mga kamay tuwing nag-iisip. Hindi ko ito mapapansin kung hindi niya sinabi sa akin.

"What was she like?" I asked randomly. "How did you lost her?"

"She was the highest rank in the grounds," panimula niya at napangiti. "Lahat ay humahanga sa kanya, pati ako. Sa taglay niyang galing sa pakikipagbakbakan ay nakakabigay ng inspirasyon sa mga nasa ilalim niya. Unfortunately, we lost her in a war. She sacrificed herself para sagipin ang buhay ng anak ng aming kataas-taasan. She promised to protect that girl at any cost. She fought until her last breath. Since then, hindi na namin nakita katawan niya. We believed that it turned to ashes when a bomb exploded."

Parang piniga yung puso ko sa narinig. Hindi ko siya kilala pero ganito nalang ang epekto sa akin.

"Hindi niyo na siya hinanap pa?" I asked.

"We did. Naniniwala kami na buhay siya. Hangga't walang makitang bangkay, naniniwala kaming buhay pa siya," he paused. "Hanggang ngayon hindi pa namin nakikita yung mga labi niya."

Kaya pala naisip nila na baka ako na nga yung hinahanap nila. They believed that she's still alive. It could be! She could be alive!

"The youngest reaper saw how she took her last breath. Pati na din yung binabantayan niya at isa pang kaibigan. They testified that she took her last breath and there is no way that she could be alive."

"Why is that?"

"Because she was covered with her own blood. Tinorture nila si Brion hanggang sa hindi na ito makilala yung mukha," he paused. "The grounds stopped looking for her when they all agreed to consider her dead."

Grounds. Youngest reaper. Kataas-taasan.

Hindi ko kilala ang mga salitang iyan pero pamilyar sa akin. They sounded like I've heard them before. Bigla nalang sumakit ang ulo ko kaya napahawak ako dito.

"Are you okay?" nag-aalala niyang tanong sa akin at lumapit sa akin.

"Anna Brion..." I muttered.

"Huh?" naguguluhang tanong niya.

"Anna Brion," pag-uulit ko. "Iyon ba pangalan niya?"

Hindi ko inalintana yung sakit ko sa ulo at tiningnan siya. Naguguluhan siya at tinanong, "How did you know?"

"Just answer my question," madiin kong sabi.

He inhaled. "Yes. That's her name. Anna Brion."

Yumuko ako at napatingin sa pulsuhan ko. I felt tears slowly forming on my cheeks as I tried to put all the puzzle pieces together.

"Am I Anna Brion?" my voice cracked but I didn't bother. Inilapit ko sa kanya ang aking pulsuhan na siyang ikinakunot ng noo niya.

Tinanggap niya yung pulsuhan ko at yumuko para matingnan ito. Napahinto siya nang makita ang tattoo.

"Ako si Anna Brion, hindi ba?"

Overpowered by silence, Lucca and I stared at each other. We both knew the tension building and the consequences that's waiting whatever his answer is. All he has to say is a yes or no. No matter his answer is, I know it's gonna change everything.