Golden Ceremony

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Hallway of Blood

They followed me through the dark moonlit hallway crossing from one end to the next. Hopefully, not to our deaths.

We carefully walked without trying to make a sound upang hindi makuha ang atensyon ng iba na nagkakagulo sa loob ng ibang kwarto.

Sa bawat room na nilalagpasan namin, may nagsasaksakan sa loob na nakatumba sa sahig, kumakalat ang pulang likido sa pader, sahig, at bedsheet ng kama.

Ang iba naman ay nagsusuntukan at bumagsak ang kaaway nito sa telebisyon kung saan umiilaw ang salitang Black and White bago nabasag ang screen nito. But even through the cracks, the Golden Academy logo shines through the dark and shattered television.

As if it thrives on people's broken humanity.

"Masusuka yata ako." Sabi ni Enid nang may nilagpasan kaming kwarto na puno ng mga bangkay. Nilalangaw na ito at halos buong kwarto nito'y punung-puno ng dugo.

"Oh, right. This is where I sleep." Sabi ni Mordecai na ikinagulat namin.

"You killed these people?" Lothaire looked alarmed but he still sounds so calm.

"Yeah, they attacked me while I was sleeping." Mordecai yawned before scratching the nape of his neck. "They didn't know I have a knife underneath my pillow. 

He did it out of defense? How can this be considered as a defense when they all have multiple stab wounds, their throats have been sliced open, and their faces carved up  like a pumpkin?

This isn't defense. This is a murder scene.

"Why go to the extreme?" Tanong ni Oslo na kahit parang siya ang pinakamatapang sa amin ay napasama rin ang tingin sa nasaksihan niya.

"They should never have messed with me." Mordecai said coldly, his tone turning ice and his eyes suddenly dangerous. "And if you try to mess with me too, I will kill you all."

Napalibutan kami ng katahimikan. Naalarma si Oslo sa sinabi niya kung kaya't napasama ang tingin nito while furrowing his thick eyebrows. Si Enid naman ay lumipat sa tabi ko, kumakapit sa aking braso.

Lothaire noticed how our defenses suddenly rose up around Mordecai. I mean, could you blame us after he threatened us like that?

Naiintindihan ko naman na pinoprotektahan ni Mordecai ang sarili niya pero hindi ko maiwasan isipin na may tendency siyang pumatay ng tao sa kahit anong oras na gusto niya.

"As long as no one tries to hurt anyone within our group, there's no need to kill each other." Lothaire tried to relieve the silent and heavy atmosphere.

"Oo nga naman. Masyado ka naman napa-praning, Mordecai!" Sabi ni Enid, ramdam ko ang paghigpit ng kapit niya sa akin.

"If it comes to a point where the games tells me to kill you..." Mordecai leaned closer through my ear, I felt his warm breath tickling the side of my neck before he whispered. "Run, sweetheart."

I shoved him away from me after he said that. Kinilabutan ako. Pakiramdam ko ako ang una niyang hahabulin kapag may tsansa siyang patayin ako.

I don't understand why he's still sticking around with us or why we're allowing him to be part of our group. He's a dangerous person and yet he's still here.

Kung iisipin nang mabuti, kung bigla na lang namin siyang paalisin o takasan, mas malaki ang tsansa na iha-hunt niya kami kaysa na nandito lang siya kabilang sa grupo. He can serve as our protection.