Esoteric Rose

Chapter 31

HER'S POV

"Can I talk to you for a bit?"

Batman stopped browsing his laptop and gave me a short glance. "Sure, saglit lang." He pressed some buttons before he closed his laptop.

Nag-lakad ako papunta sa garden at sumunod naman sya. It's been 5 days since we conducted our plan. Naging busy ang karamihan dahil sa iba't ibang trabahong iniatas sa kanila. Si Gabby at Vladimir ang nag-aasikaso sa bahay. Si Terrah naman ay kumakalap ng impormasyon. Si Matthi ay naka-bantay sa sinasabi nyang pinapa-imbestigahan nya at si Leo naman ay naging taga-bantay ni Bianca.

"Kamusta naman? Ang tagal na ng huli tayong nag-usap ah." Saad ni Bataman. Malamang ay timutukoy nya ang huling sandali na huli kaming nag-usap ng dalawa lang kami. Kung hindi ako nag-kakamali ay halos isang taon din iyon.

"Yeah, kinda." I replied awkwardly. Simula ng mag-break kami dahil sa mag-kaiba naming paniniwala sa relihiyon, naging awkward na ang turing namin sa isa't isa.

"So...."

I faked a cough. "Do you still have 'that' greatest creation of yours?"

He paused for a moment and looked down before I heard him chuckled. "Syempre, nasa'kin pa."

"Can I borrow it?"

Natawa syang lalo. "Hindi mo na kailangang hiramin. Sa simula palang, ikaw naman talaga ang may-ari sa kanya."

"Kailan ko sya pwedeng puntahan?" Tanong ko. Nag-labas ako ng isang stick ng sigarilyo at saka sinindihan.

Back to old habits.

"Bukas na bukas din. Mamayang hapon magkakaroon tayo ng huling meeting, mas maaga sa inaasahan. Darating na si Mr. Enriquez, and tinatawag na 'father' ng Keres nitong darating na liggo. Mayroon nalang tayong isang araw para mag-handa." He explained.

"Handa na ba si Ace?" I was the one who asked this.

Hindi sya naka-sagot. Nanatili syang naka-tingin sa mga damong nasa ibaba. Parehas kaming nag-pakiramdaman hanggang ako na ang nag-desisyong mag-salita.

"What do you think? Handa na kaya sya?"

Batman sigh. "I don't know. Only Ace can answer that. Iintayin ko syang tawagan ako sa araw ng pag-dating ni Enriquez. Kung hindi sya handa ay pwede ko namang ibahin ang plano."

I slowly nooded. "May pupuntahan lang ako."

"Kailangan mo ba ng kasama? Baka makuha ka na naman ng Keres?" He sounded as if he was joking.

I shook my head. I have a plan.

I'AM currently driving Gabby's car and Leo was sitting at the seat beside me. Kahit na sinabi kong kaya ko mag-isa ay he insist to go with me. Baka daw ay kung ano na namang mang-yari at hindi na naman ako maka-balik katulad nong may nag-abduct sa'kin.

Halos dalawang oras na kaming nasa sasakyan at dalawang oras na rin akong nagda-drive. Leo was silent during the whole time.

"Sa lahat nang nang-yari sa buhay mo, may ni-regret ka ba?" I was the one to open a conversation.

Nong huling nag-usap kasi kami, nilayasan ko sya at iika-ika akong pumasok sa loob. Alam kong naging medyo bastos ako pero mas pinili kong iwasan ang tanong nya. Nang mga sumunod na araw ay patuloy pa rin sya sa pag-kausap sakin na parang walang nang-yari samantalang ako naman ay patuloy lang sa pag-iwas sa kanya.

Not until this morning. Kahit na anong pilit ko na ayoko syang isama ay nag-pumilit talaga sya. He told me that he will continue to blame himself if something bad happened to me and especially, if he found out that it was because of Keres.

"Regrets? I don't think so."

"Really? Do you feel any hate to your brother because of what He did?"

Nailang tuloy ako bigla. Ako tong iwas na iwas pag-usapan ang buhay ko pero ako ang tanong ng tanong at grabeng maka-usisa sa buhay ng iba.

"Hmm, not really. To be honest, im actually thankful."

"Bakit naman?"

"Because if they didn't betrayed me, I wouldn't met you." He answered as he looks at me.

There's an awkward silence between us before I decided to change the topic. "Sorry nga pala nitong mga nag-daang araw." Totoo naman, naging immature ako nong mga nakaraang araw at hindi ko sya pinansin. Ang awkward pa lalo dahil sya ang nag-hahatid sakin ng breakfast, sya din ang nag-hahanda ng damit ko na lagi kong nakakalimutan pagka-tapos maligo at sya din ang tagapag-pakalma ko sa tuwing mananaginip ako ng masama.

"I should be the one asking for apology. I sincerely apologize about being insensitive. That's a private matter and I overstepped." Sabi nya pa na lalong nag-paguilty sa'kin. Nakokonsensya talaga ako ng sobra.

"Hindi ko kasalanan, ako nga ang nag-sosorry. Gusto ko ding mag-pasalamat sa lahat ng kabutihang ginawa mo sa'kin nitong nakaraang araw kahit alam mong iniiwasan kita."

"Don't take me for the things that I love to do." He said with a smile.

Minutes later, ipinarada ko ang kotse sa isang lumang bahay na natatakpan ng makakapal na dahon mula sa katabi nitong punong Acacia. Sa unang tingin ay mapapagkamalan itong lumang bahay na sinalanta na ng bagyo.

"Where are we?" I heard Leo asked.

"To my bestfriend's old ouse. Go home and drive. Susunod ako." I ordered.

"No, i'll come with you." He insist, not knowing the possible danger he might experience.

"No, please? It's very important to listen at this time. I-"

"Stop. You're just wasting your energy. I won't go home without you."

I sign. My both hands are shaking. No matter how much I want him to go to save himself, I was scared to enter my realm alone. Am I afraid because he might get hurt? Or Im scared because of myself?

Memories came flashing like waves as I stepped forward on the familiar place that we once called our home. Hindi ito gaanong maliit at hindi rin gaanong malaki.

"Hey, be careful. There might be a chance that theres a snake here." I heard Leo but I ignored him. My blood is a poison itself and the antibodies was also inside me. A snake's venom is no match to my blood.

"Vincere aut mori." I muttered.

"A what? What does that mean?" He curiously asked.

"Pag-narinig mo yon, tumakbo ka na. Maliwanag ba?" I warned in a serious tone.

"But why?" His eyebrows furrowed. "What does that mean?"

Hindi talaga sya makikinig sakin. "Conquer or die. That's what it means. Promis me to run away when you heard those words."

As I opened the door, A huge portrait of a Lady greeted us. Sa ilalim ng portrait nya ay nakaukit ang kakaiba nyang pangalan. Naramdaman kong nagulat si Leo na kasalukuyang nasa likuran ko ng makita nya iyon pero hinayaan ko lang sya at nagpa-tuloy akong pumasok sa loob hanggang sa marating ko na ang pamilyar na kwarto.

"Who is she?..." Leo asked, referring to the Lady in the portrait.

"She's Ace." I answered and I felt his body stiffed.

"A-are you related to the girl in the portrait-"

"Leo..." I called his name as I grabbed the door's handle. "You asked me to tell you something about me, right?"

"Yes but-"

"Then watch. After this, run and drive home. You're about to see the drak side of humanity. " he didn't speak. I took it as a go signal so I slowly turn the doorknob and slowly push the door.

" Vincere aut mori..." I whispered as I slowly lose my conciousness.

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To be continued..........