Glass shatters--I felt a warm and soft flesh envelop my entire body. I'm too weak to speak, but I knew. She protected me but I'm still going to get killed. I wailed but my voice won't come out.
Tulong...
"T-twileigh," a woman with bloodshot eyes stared at me, "Please, s-survive."
Then, a deafening crash engulfed the entire place. Napabaringkwas ako sa aking pagkakatulog-tagaktak ang pawis ko, at nag-pa-palpitate ang puso ko. Pang-ilan ko na ba 'to this week? Ba't parang napapadalas ata mga bangungot ko?
To take my mind off things, tumayo ako and dumiretso sa aking window, my little comfort. Kahit maliit ito, it soothes me. Kasi from here, I always find yung kaisa-isang ilaw sa isang napakadilim na langit--the moon. Then ang nakakamangha pa rito, yung rim ng circled window ko ay parang nag-glo-glow sa tuwing nasisinagan siya ng moonlight. It will not last long since its dawn, so I tend to enjoy this escape just for a little bit.
I gazed at this magnificent light until 'di ko namamalayan, lumubog na pala yung buwan at sisikat na yung araw. Dali-dali kong ibinaba yung stairs galing sa kwarto ko, kung hindi niyo pa alam, ako ang nasa pinakamataas na floor sa mansion. Sa attic nga lang.
I strode past sa kitchen and nag-prepare ng breakfast kasama ang ibang maids.
"You don't look well, miss Twilight," sabi ni Anna. Nakataas ang isang kilay nito na para bang sinusuri yung itsura ko.
"I told you, pangalan ko na lang ang itawag mo. I'm not one of the privileges anymore," nagkibit-balikat ako and pinagpatuloy ang pagluluto ng fried rice and omelet.
"Even though it's like that, Miss, you're still a Walton. Hindi magbabago iyon," then biglang nag-ring yung bells. It's time.
Nag-double time kami mag prepare, and karamihan sa maids nagpapanic na dahil sa loob ng magarbong mansion na ito, nakapaloob ang pinakamalupit tao sa buong Evershall. My adopted father, Ellison Walton.
"Mga inutil! Bilis-bilisan niyo kung ayaw niyong malatigo, ke-aga aga para kayong mga pagong!" sigaw sa'min nung head maid na si Karina. Kaya nang matapos na namin lahat, isa-isa kaming lumabas na nakalinya para mag-serve ng pagkain.
Pagpunta namin sa dining hall, isang long table ang sumalubong sa'min. May labin-dalawang tao ang nakaupo at sa pinakagitna nito, makikita si Monsieur Walton.
The Privileges, ang tawag sa mga taong kinupkop ni Monsieur Walton. They are trained to enter W.O. ang pinakamalaking virtual platform kung saan you'll fight to gain prizes. However, hindi ito simpleng prizes lang, these were our currency, our lifeline--our reality.
Hindi ako nakasali sa mga ito because Monsieur deemed me as a useless person. Masyado raw akong mahina para sa larangang iyon. Kaya nang makita ako ng mga Privileges, they snickered at my face--yung mga mata nilang mapanghusga at yung tingin nila sa'king napakababa.
Ako kasi ang kaisa-isang kinupkop ni Monsieur na "pinangaralan" niya ng kanyang apelyido. I don't know why--pero ang kwento daw, when Mademoiselle saw me, she demanded na I'll be taken to this mansion immediately. That time, Monsieur really loved madam kaya they adopted me. For this, they hated me. Kinupkop nga sila pero ako ang talagang nabigyan ng "privilege". However, this was way worse for me than them and they will never know about it.
I was in the middle of serving their foods when isa sa kanila ang pumatid sa akin. The tray clatters on the ground and nang tingnan ko kung sino ang gumawa sa akin non, all of them just shrugged na parang walang nangyari. Monsieur didn't even looked at me. Good, ayaw ko ng gulo sa araw na 'to.
I immediately stood up and inayos yung mga nagkalat ng utensils. Nang maayos ko lahat ng ito, isang malalim na boses ang umalingawngaw sa buong dining hall.
"My dear Twilight, your mother wants to see you," Monsieur stared at me intently, "now." He was smiling at me, but I knew they would torture me again. My whole body shakes pero hindi ko pinahalata.
I nodded and told him, "Yes, I will, Monsieur--enjoy your breakfast."
┏━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━┓
Every step feels heavy right now. I'm preparing myself for what's about to happen. I formed a cross sa kamay ko, touching my shoulders. This is what I do to keep myself sane. Even though this happens frequently, it does not change the fact yung sugat na matatamo ko.
Nang nasa harap na ako ng pintuan ni Mademoiselle, I softly knocked on it.
"Mother, I'm here," sa tuwing tatawagin ako ni Mademoiselle, I have to call her my "mother". Though, kapag nasa harapan ko si Monsieur, yung proper title niya dapat ang tawagin ko.
The door opened, and a woman with a pale and sallow complexion giggled at me. She had long, curly jet black hair with almond-shaped eyes that wrinkled when she saw me.
"Oh-my lovely daughter! Come in!" I guess, good mood siya ngayon. I sigh in relief at the thought. Nang makaupo ako sa tea table niya, she continues to call for my attention.
"How are you, mother? You look beautiful, as always," Mademoiselle loves compliments. Kaya, I'm willing to give empty praises to avoid her wrath.
"You're flattering me, my lovely daughter. Of course, you're the most beautiful person in my eyes," I fake a smile and tatayo na sana ako to serve her tea nang hinawakan niya ng mahigpit ang wrist ko. Napatigil ako.
"Ba't ka tumatayo? I'm not finished talking to you yet," she flashed her wicked smile.
I knew it. I just entered the depths of hell.
BINABASA MO ANG
GAME OF DEATH: Wrath Online
ФэнтезиSynopsis: "Man by nature is a selfish creature." A girl who wants to escape from the clutches of her adopted parents--a living abomination, as they say. However, as her bottled fury grows and her desires burrow deeper--stronger, the place where she...
