The Senses

Chapter 29

Xavier

I find myself wishing that it wasnt't true. Azazel wasn't a traitor and he wasn't the 4th Sense. He wasn't a part of this bloody messy world. But it was the reality. I saw him taking the book from the gym when I used Sight. I saw him and Flora here together. I saw her cry as she wrote her last letter to him.

"She died crying, Zel!" sigaw ko. "Please tell me the truth. Bakit ka sumama sa Erebos?"

Hindi tumatama ang tingin niya sa akin at nanatili lang siya sa kinatatayuan niya. "Ako ang spy, Xav. Ako rin ang hinahanap niyo na 4th Sense."

"Pe-pero bakit sasama ang isang Sense sa Erebos?" tanong ni Serene.

"Sumama ako sa Erebos para makakuha ng impormasyon. Alam kong hahanapin niyo ang 4th Sense kaya sumanib ako sa kanila para tulungan kayo."

Gusto ko siyang paniwalaan. Gustong gusto ko talaga. Ayokong isipin na pagpapanggap lang ang lahat na nangyari sa aming dalawa.

"Paano ka namin paniniwalaan?!" tanong pa ni Serene. "Maybe you're just lying."

"Believe me! Wala talaga akong masamang balak."

Isang malakas na sampal ang tumunog sa loob ng kubo nang tumama sa mukha ni Azazel ang kamay ni Serene.

"Sinuswerte ka ba?! Isa ka sa kanila! Spy man o hindi, naging bahagi ka nila," sigaw ni Serene. "Alam mo rin ba ang Tartarus Project? Ikaw ba ang nagsabi na nasa seaside hotel kami noon?"

Tumango sa amin si Azazel ng kaunti.

"You're just as guilty as them for not doing anything!" she screamed. "Isipin mo ang mga bata! Hindi ka man lang ba naawa sa kanila? They were treated as animals for that goddamn experiment!"

"Hindi ko sinasabi na mabuti o tama ang ginawa ko," sabi ni Azazel. "Pero si Necromancer ang may hawak ng project, wala akong magagawa."

Hinawakan ko si Serene dahil parang iiyak na siya sa mga pangyayari. "They killed people, Azazel! Paano mo iyon nasisikmura?!" dugtong pa niya.

Azazel just averted his eyes from her.

"My mother..." Serene said, "Is she still alive?"

Azazel shook his head. "Elena Madrigal died due to the overuse of her ability while in containment."

Serene made a fist with her hands. I noticed thar her body was beginning to glow as well as her eyes. Panic began to rise within me.

"Serene," I said. "Focus on me. Calm down."

Her breathing was ragged as though she had problems with breathing. As her tears fell from the sides of her eyes, the glow began to be brighter.

"Serene!"

"They killed my mother... They killed her!"

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "Nandito pa kami, Serene. Huwag kang magpadala sa emosyon. Iyan ang nangyari sa akin at ayokong mangyari iyan sa iyo."

She gasped, as if she was realizing for the the first time. Little by little, the glow began to dim. I looked at Azazel seriously. "You're not lying, right?"

He nodded at me. "Yes, I promise."

"Baka nagsisinungaling lang siya," pagdududa ni Serene.

"That's why I brought insurance," I said in response. "Lumabas ka na."

Mula sa labas ng kubo ay lumabas si Seine. Nanlaki ang mata nilang dalawa nang nakita nila si Seine.

"Totoo ba ang sinabi ni Azazel?" tanong ko.