Shades of Kagan

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Avian Burn's Point of View

My body turned rigid from what I heard. It's no secret that Leiti hanged herself. Sa katunayan pa ay alam ng buong tao dito sa lugar na ito ang nangyari sa kanya.

"Kagan, I think it's better to talk outside." I told him since I couldn't see his face or what expression he's making. Mabuti na lang at hindi ko na siya kailangan pang pilitin at pumayag na sa labas na lang kaming magusap. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na si Kagan ang batang lalaki na nakakasama ko dati. Maybe, it was the sole reason why I am comfortable around him or why he piqued my interest the first time we met at Dr. Reus Grimaldi's house. Napakaliit lang talaga ng mundo.

"You knew..." He said when we reached outside. Parehas na kaming nasa labas at nakatingin lang sa abandonadong bahay sa aking harapan. Glancing over my shoulders, I saw how his face darken—remembering the old memories he already buried. My heart aches for Kagan.

"It's not like I forgot about it, Kagan. I just didn't know that it was you." Mahina kong sabi sa kanya. I didn't recognize him since he looked really different when he was a kid. Napakapayat niya dati at halos kalahating mukha niya lang ang nakikita ko. Siguro dahil maliit lang ang bintana kung saan kami naguusap na dalawa.

"When I was alone in there, I am asking myself what the hell did I do wrong? Bakit niya ginagawa sa akin iyon? Isn't mother supposed to love and take care of her child? Then, why did she chained me up? Why is she beating me whenever she got the chance? Why did she treated me like an animal? She'll starve me to death, she didn't even provided me with water. Madalas niya akong iwan mag-isa sa loob." Kagan said, he couldn't keep his composure now. Visiting this place must hurting him. Mula sa pwesto ko ay kita ko kung paano mamula ang mga mata niya at paano mamuo ang kanyang luha. Ito na rin siguro ang dahilan kung bakit marami siyang peklat. I only saw few of his scars whenever I'm near him. Pero hindi ko pa ito nakikita ng buo.

"Kagan..." I couldn't imagine that was what happened to him. He exhaled a lot of air and asked again.

"Why did she try to kill me?" There's a pain in his voice. Yet, here I am, trying to listen to his story. I had already warned myself that this was not going to be good.

"It's because she considered me as the demon's son. Wala akong kaide-ideya kung ano ang pangalan niya o kung anong nangyari sa kanya. Sometimes, when she's around, she'll just talk to herself. And that's when she'll beat me up muttering the word demon. What I remembered was the reason why she chained me up because she's protecting the world from me." Tumawa ito nang pagak. Na parang kahit siya ay hindi makapaniwala sa kanyang alaala.

"It turns out that she was raped and forced to deliver a child she doesn't want. In the hospital, she got the wrong baby." I can't bear the sadness in his voice. How could a misunderstanding create such a massive impact? Sa isang pagkakamali lang ay marami na agad ang naapektuhan.

"You know what?" He said, turning to me.

"What?" I bunch the fabric on my shirt in my hands, so I can stop myself from pushing myself to Kagan.

"When I was growing up, I knew she noticed it too. Na hindi ko siya kamukha o ang lalaking tinutukoy niya. Because I wasn't her child in the first place." He stopped, then tried calming himself.

"That's when... she took her life." When a tear fell from his eyes, that's when I didn't stop myself. I literally push myself to Kagan and give him a tight hug.

"Isn't it ironic? When she realized that she took the wrong child, she just decided to kill herself. She even gripped the key for the chain on her hand. Kaya kailangan ko muna siyang hintayin mamatay bago niya mabitawatan ang susi para sa kandadong nakalagay sa paa ko." May hirap na sabi niya. Nakatayo lang ito sa harapan ko habang niyayakap ko si Kagan. I couldn't imagine the fear that Kagan felt that night. I only saw how Emma slipped on the cliff and I was traumatized for life. How much more witnessing someone else's death? It was scary.