The Leviathan Curse

Chapter 14

Fourteen

Bigla akong natakot sa kung anong pwedeng mangyari. "No! Hindi pwede. Delikado. I told you not to use--"

"We both know there's no time to call for help." Binitawan niya ako. "Which way did they go? You can track them, right?"

"I won't tell you!"

"Levi!"

I was on the verge of crying. Niyakap ko siya nang mahigpit para pigilan siya tulad ng ginawa ko noong una kaming magkita. "You'll get hurt if you do. Pwede akong humingi ng tulong sa mga kaibigan ko. Kayang-kaya nilang labanan ang mga iyon. Please let them, Raven. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Importante sa 'yo ang batang iyon, 'di ba?" kalmado niyang tanong. "Importante sa 'yo ang orphanage na 'to."

"Yes..."

Hinawakan niya ang magkabilang pisngi ko para magtinginan kami. "Then, allow me to protect everything important to you. Sa paraang iyon, maipapakita ko sa 'yo kung gaano ako kaseryoso sa mga sinabi ko." He brushed a teardrop on my cheek. "I will never let you be alone anymore."

"Why are you showing off?!" He's exasperating! Hindi ba niya alam na napakagulo na ng state of mind ko, ha?

"Because that's what I'm good at."

Dinampian niya ako ng halik sa noo na ikinabilis na naman ng tibok ng puso ko. He smiled at me.

Pagdating talaga sa kanya, lagi akong talo. I can only stop him with a mere hug like a dumb koala.

"Fine." Lumayo ako nang kaunti at hinubad ang pendant para ilipat sa kanya. "After this, I won't ever let go of you. I hope you're ready for that."

"Should it be the other way around?" Iniinis na naman ako! Hmp. "I'll be back."

***

"Alam nating nahuli na ang mga kidnapper pagkatapos nilang mawalan ng malay. Naibalik na rin ang bata sa ampunan at mas lalong hinigpitan ang seguridad ng lugar." Tumingin si Raven sa 'kin. "And we headed back home. So can you move away from me now?"

Sinarado niya ang main door pagpasok namin sa loob. Automatic naman na bumukas ang ilaw at ang centralized aircon.

Pumikit ulit ako at hinigpitan ang yakap sa braso niya. "Bakit ba napakaarte mo para sa isang batang umamin kani-kanina lang?"

"Wala namang nangyaring aminan."

I smirked. "How many love stories did you think I heard all these years? Hey, carry me."

"What?" Back to his annoyed response.

"Dali na. You said you'd keep me close. Come on. Come on. Take me to the rooftop."

He carried me like a bride and carefully climbed up the stairs. Napangiti naman ako dahil hindi na siya nagreklamo. He was blushing like me!

Tinuktok ko ng daliri ang pendant na suot pa rin niya. "I wish you could wear this all the time so I can make sure that you won't die early."

Tahimik lang siya habang nasa hagdan kami. Nang makalabas kami sa rooftop ng bahay at ilapag niya ako sa nakalatag na kutson, nagsalita siya. "Listen. I might as well get you through this depressing topic you're enduring for so long."

Nawala ako sa mood nang umihip ang hangin pagkasabi niya non. It's like, something is bound to change from now on.

Kahit kinakabahan na ako at halos kakawala na ang puso ko mula sa loob, hindi ko inalis ang tingin kay Raven.

"That thing about being cursed of immortality. Ang mga diyos lang ang hindi namamatay dahil wala naman silang physical body. Therefore, your soul as the Water God contains that curse, not your human form."

Nai-imagine ko na ang shocking expression ni Celestial at ng mga magulang ko sa oras na marinig nila ito. Even so, they must've thought about it once, too. I wouldn't know since I never knew anyone who could've talked to them about my fate. Mother's journal was written when she was human so she couldn't have predicted it that way. At hinahabol pa sila noon ng mga masasamang diyos so they prioritized my safety.

"Your true form is a leviathan, right? Because the god's power is too much for a child, it manifested itself in physical form too. Huge creatures like that are likely to live for hundreds of years without illness or permanent injury. But they still age and their bodies can have fatal wounds. Iniisip mo lang na imortal ka dahil hindi ka pa naman nagkakaroon ng malalang sugat o sakit na pwede mong ikamatay. Your body right now is just like that leviathan's body. You grow slowly and it will be difficult to stab you. Bukod sa makitid mong utak, this necklace prevents you from realizing those facts."

Pinigilan kong hindi mag-comment sa sama ng sinabi niya. "How do you know so much about that?"

"Research." Itinuon niya ang magkabilang kamay sa likuran at tumingala siya sa langit. "Travelling in many places made me so curious about nature and historical life forms. Nagiging advance na rin ang technology para ma-examine ang mga 'to at pag-aralan ang buhay nila noon."

"Kung ganon, bakit ngayon mo lang sinabi ang mga iyan sa 'kin?"

"Because I was planning to marry you first."

"Not 'asking'?"

"Bibigyan ba kita ng pagkakataon na tumanggi? This past year, pinag-iisipan ko na kung kailan tayo magpapakasal at kung ilan ang pwede nating maging anak."

I almost dropped my jaw because of his self-confidence. Pero sa huli, natawa na lang ako nang malakas na parang ilang daang taon ko iyong hindi nagawa.

"So," he says. "Will you keep me interested until the day we die?"

God, I really chose a troublesome but interesting human, huh? I cheered happily as I threw myself on top of him and gave him a full kiss.

My Raven.

--END

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Aaaaand the curtain is closed! 😂

Sana nagustuhan n'yo ang story ni Levi kahit na--like the other two stories--maikli lang.

Let me know your thoughts, okay? Thank you so much!