A Happily Ever After

Chapter Twenty-Five

LIAM

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

That's it. I'm dead. I never saved the kid. All of my friends were squished by the giant items being dropped to the ground. There is no happy ending anymore, just pure misery.

Until I woke up in a different place.

Parang totoo na hindi ang lugar na ito. Iyong tipong 'bang para lang ako nakalutang, pero malakas din ang pakiramdam ko.

Hindi ko maintindihan. Di'ba dapat patay na ako?

"You are better than this, Zarimy!" Isang boses ang umalingawngaw sa kung saan.

Doon ako nabuhayan ng dugo. Nasa gitna ako ng kagubatan. May natatanaw ang mga mata ko na lalaking tumatakbo sa likuran ng mga naglalakihang puno. I shivered in my spot, the looming trees reminded me of Gerilon.

"Hindi ko magawa, master!" Reklamo na nung lalaki—na malamang ay si Zarimy. He emerged from the trees looking pained and tired. He was taking short and fast breaths, but the 'master' remained unbothered.

"Fool!" Sigaw lang noong master. Kahit hindi naman ako ang kausap niya, nasaktan pa rin ako. Zarimy is obviously trying his very best to whatever hell he's doing there, but the master seems to disregard it. "You are Mater Fana's chosen! You will do this!"

Nangilabot ako sa narinig. Mater Fana's chosen.... Ito ang sinasabi ng matanda noong nakaraan patungkol sa pagpasa ng biyaya mula sa Mater Fana. Naalala ko kung paano ako muntik hinatayin sa pwesto ko dahil sa malaking posiblidad na may kung anong mahika itong katawan ko.

This Zarimy person here is probably the one of the first people the Mater Fana reached out to.

Zarimy, who was now leaning tiredly on one tree, looks like sharing the sentiment as mine. Even from my distance I can picture out the tears of exhaustion forming inside his eyes.

"Ako 'nga ang napili, pero mukhang nagkamali lang naman siya." Sabi niya.

"Zarimy, mangilabot ka sa iyong sinasabi!" Agad na bulalas ng master. "Naririnig mo ba ang sarili mo?"

"Ikalma mo lang, Master." Mukhang nabigla si Zarimy sa reaksyon niya. Napaayos siya ng tayo at napataas ng kamay. "Mabait naman ang Mater Fana at hindi niya iisiping minamaliit ko siya."

"Pero bata—"

"I'm just genuinely asking if I can live up to Her expectations. I mean, may mas matipuno at matapang na lalaki sa baryo natin, pero bakit ako pa kasing lampa?"

"Hindi naman—"

"It's been three days since I am trying to awaken the beast you said to 'vision' sleeping inside me." Tinuro niya ang master. Ako naman ay napaisip lamang sa sinabi niya. What beast? "And nothing happened! Now, what if I say that it's time to give it up! And maybe spend your time to more skilled chosen ones instead."

Zarimy then waved a goodbye, then turned around to make a leave. Hindi pa siya nakakahakbang ulit nang lumitaw na agad sa harapan niya ang master.

"No fooling around, boy." Sabi lamang nito. Zarimy groaned and muttered something about laying down on a bed. "One last try, then we'll call it a day."

Napakadetalyado naman ng panaginip na ito.

Pinanood ko silang bumalik sa pwesto nila kanina. I swear they would have seen me standing here... but they continued on their way.

I am invincible.

Nilagay ng master ang kanyang kamay sa balikat ni Zarimy. Zarimy has no choice but to look back at him.