Shades of Dawn

Prologue

Town's Thief

The moon swallowed the darkness, crawling into the dusk night. Ever since I woke up with bare hands, I have had an extent of curiosity about what is creeping beyond the darkest nights. I began to wonder what was lurking throughout our unshaken sleep. These were my gloomy thoughts of the past that I rarely remembered.

The faint scent of smoke and liquor enveloped my nostrils.

Dumadagsa ang mga taong nagliliwaliw sa lilim ng kadiliman ng gabi rito sa nightclub. They gave me an eccentric look, down to the clothes I wear. I shrugged it off and surveyed the place.

“Safe.”

I can see the menace look of some in the corner. Finding a prey, huh?

The music was loud, with people dancing salaciously. Nobody can sense the threat at all.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!”

One of the madmen I saw earlier was covering the mouth of a girl on the dark side of the room.

Kahit anong pagpupumiglas na gawin ng babae, hindi niya pa rin matakasan ang higpit ng pagkahawak ng lalaking iyon. Tiningnan ko ulit ang paligid at napailing na lang sa naiisip na may tutulong pang iba sa babaeng ito bukod sa akin. I smirked when I saw the guy’s wallet showing on the tip of his pocket.

“Well, I can see that there’s a benefit to helping this girl.”

The people become blurry as I charge my way into the girl's dying situation.

ISA lang iyon sa mga mapangahas na sitwasyong nasasaksihan ko tuwing ako'y nagagawi sa mga nightclub na pwede pagkuhanan ng pera. Marami pang mas secluded na club ang napasukan ko nang walang nakakahuli. Well, there are perks to having these abilities.

Nasa bilihan ako ngayon sa bayan ng Lapu-Lapu. Hindi naman gaano kalaki ang bayan, pero hindi rin ganoon kaliit. Sapat na para pagtayuan ng iba’t-ibang establisyemento.

“Narinig mo ba na may kumakalat daw na magnanakaw rito sa bayan?”

I stopped in the middle of picking an apple when I heard Aling Marites talking about a thief.

I made a shocked face. “Talaga po?”

She nodded incessantly. “Buti na lang sa mga club ang puntirya ng magnanakaw!”

“Ganon po ba?”

Kinagatan ko ang apple na binili at nagbayad kay Aling Marites.

Ngumiti ako. “Nako, buti naman. Kung hindi ay ubos talaga ang mga mansanas na paninda mo rito!”

“Hoy, huwag kang humiling ng ganyan, Medusa!”

Inis man ay binigyan pa rin ako ng tawad ni Aling Marites sa binili. Binagsak niya pa ng pabiro ’yong barya sa aking palad.

“Hindi naman po, Aling Marites. Sinasabi ko lang na ang swerte niyo.”

Tumawa ako at agarang umalis.

Marami na akong nabili at marami na ring naririnig na mga bulong-bulungan. Napailing na lang ako.

“The Highest was keeping this place in peace of order, and this kind of news will make them visit our town,” narinig kong turan ng mga estudyanteng dumadaan.

I immediately went outside the marketplace when the rumors about the town’s thief spread like lightning.