Author's Note (Published under Cloak Pop Fiction)

Kabanata 31

ADAMAS walked towards the doctor and grabbed his coat. Pabagsak niya itong pinaupo at hinarap ang medical record na hawak niya.

"What is this?! Explain this to me!"

Napalunok naman ang doktor. "W-well, Adamas is--"

"And you better not lie." Dinuro niya ito. "I could tell when you're lying or not. Once that mouth spills out other than the truth, you will go straight to hell."

"O-okay. Okay." Muli itong napalunok. Nanginginig ang mga kamay nito habang ang noo ay namamawis. "When Adamas was sent to the hospital, his body was c-covered with bruises and cuts . . . deep cuts. I ran a test and he had internal bleeding due to a heavy head collision."

"W-what?" Anais' eyes filled with shock.

"But t-that wasn't what killed him. Adamas died due to a high dose of Epinephrine which causes him to have an attack," paliwanag nito. "And that high dose was injected to him i-intentionally."

Napasinghap si Anais sa gulat habang siya naman ay napakuyom. He was right. Someone tampered Adamas' death. He didn't die just because of Takotsubo, but he was killed and used his condition to mask their crime.

"Who did it?"

Hindi kaagad sumagot ang doktor. Nagdadalawang-isip ito. Bakas ang kaba sa mukha dahil sa tagaktak nitong pawis.

"I d-did." Mabilis nitong inangat ang tingin at kaagad na dinugtungan ang nangyari. He put both of his hands up as if he was surrendering. "But I was just following orders. Believe me!"

"And who ordered you?" He put his palm on the table.

"It's Azure. He told me to finish Adamas. Binantaan niya ako, kapag hindi ko siya sinunod, maaalanganin ang pamilya ko."

"No . . . way." Napatakip si Anais sa bibig, hindi kayang tanggapin ang narinig. Hindi ito makapaniwala na pinatay ang kaniyang kapatid. At ang pumatay ay walang iba kundi ang sariling kadugo rin.

"Azure, Asnael and Azaliah brought Adamas to the hospital already beaten up. Imbes na pagalingin ang pasyente, ibang utos ang nakuha ko." Niyuko nito ang ulo sa lamesa. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I was just left with no options. Ayokong mapahamak ang pamilya ko kaya ko nagawa iyon. I'm sorry, patawarin niyo 'ko."

"Apology?" Mapakla siyang natawa. He looked at his sincere, regretful emotion. Kagayang-kagaya ito sa nakita niya kay Asnael. But what was the purpose of it, anyway? It would never change anything.

"What you did is irrevocable!" Hinampas niya ang papel sa ulo nito. "You only say that to satisfy your conscience, human. Forgiveness only works if things can still change, but if it is something worse like involving a life, I will never forgive you!"

He kicked the table, hard as he could, putting all the anger towards Dr. McKinsron. Napasalampak ang doktor sa sahig at muntik nang matabunan sa lamesa. Nagkalat ang mga papel nito dulot ng kaniyang pagwawala. The nerve on his jaw showed up as he gritted his teeth. "You killed him and make my Noa suffer. You killed the only person who can make my Noa happy!"

Heart almost bursting, he couldn't keep his emotions in. He rarely felt alive like how humans do, and when that emotion struck him, it was always either pain or madness. And it made him feel more annoyed that the love he had for Noa wouldn't make him feel alive like how he wanted to avenge her.

For a moment, he almost thought his love wasn't enough. But, oh, silly him, what kind of thing driving him to madness, anyway? He was dumb for not realizing it fast. It was the love he had for his author.

He would never feel so alive, so mad, and so hurt without his love.

"I will kill you. I will execute judgement on you!" His domineering voice echoed around the office.