Highschool Solaris: A Sun's Tale

Chapter 35.2 (PART 2): Betrayal of an Ally

Chapter 35.2:
Betrayal of an Ally

Third Person's POV

"UNTIL when will you torment yourself?"

He bit his lower lip. Dahan-dahan siyang napayuko habang matalim na nakatitig sa kanya ang matandang si Nicholas. Bagama't matanda na'y kapansin-pansin pa rin ang lakas nito, lalo na noong inangat nito sa ere ang tungkod at buong lakas na hinampas iyon sa lalaking nasa harapan niya.

"If the guards didn't catch you roaming around inside the school, I woud have already forgot your face! You even paid them not to tell me, your own father, you brat!"

Ilang beses na napangiwi ang lalaki, tinatanggap ang hampas ng ama sa kanya. Naiintindihan niya naman kung bakit ito galit, kaya nga hindi na siya nag-abala pang depensahan ang sarili mula sa mga palo nito.

Pulang-pula ang mukhang napabuntong hininga na lamang si Nicholas. Bagama't galit na galit ay nagtitimpi siyang naupo habang mariin parin na nakatitig sa lalaki.

"Why are you even here? Matagal ka nang nakagraduate dito, 'wag mo sabihing gusto mo ulit mag-aral sa tamad mong 'yan?" matabang na sabi nito.

"They're here. . ."

"Who?"

"My child and the Solaris Section. . ."

Oh. "I see,"

Napahilamos na lamang ang lalaki sa mukha niya nang marinig ang reaksyon ng ama. Parang 'di man lang nagulat.

"Pa naman, 'di mo man lang pinigilan 'yung anak ko?"

"What do you want to do? That child is a wild child." Mr. Nicholas glanced at the man. "If there's something that child inherited from you, that's your stubborness."

"I am not being stubborn!"

"You've been hiding like a wanted criminal for all these years! Your child grew up without a father and look at you now? You're punishing yourself for the sin you never did!" malakas na hinampas ng school director ng Solis Academy ang lamesa.

Napapitlag sa gulat ang lalaki. Hindi niya inaasahang sasabog sa galit ang ama. Dahan-dahan siyang napayuko't iniwasan ang abong mga mata ng matanda, mga matang parehong-pareho sa kanya.

"It was a sin, father. . ."

He gulped. "It was a sin for me to live," sinalubong niya ang tingin nito.

"Goodness. For how long will you continue tormenting yourself like that? It was not your fault for surviving——"

"It was mine! Because I shouldn't be the one to survived! They. . . " hirap na hirap niyang ginulo ang buhok. Kulay itim ito ngunit lumilitaw ang puting mga hibla ng buhok —— ang natural na kulay ng buhok niya. "They're the one who should have survived! Naoki, Elias and the others! They should been the one to survived! Not me! Not someone like me who has nothing to lose before! Unlike my brother who promised to marry someone else but ended up being a cold corpse! Unlike the woman who only wanted to survive! Unlike Soleil!"

He bursted in tears. For many years without his family, he was always in the shadows watching them, suffering alone. He watched his child grew up loathing him, he watched the love of his life slowly giving up on him and marry someone else. Day by day, he's slowly losing his sanity.