Missing Melody (COMPLETED)

Missing 31: Missing Piece

SENRI'S POV:

Isang taon na ang nakalipas mula nang mangyari ang trahedyang iyon, pero hanggang ngayon, Sinji is still in a deep sleep inside the hospital walls. Inilipad siya ni Luther sa France, hoping that the change of environment and advanced medical facilities there would aid her recovery.

Sa paglipas ng panahon, lalong naging malinaw sa amin ang bigat ng sitwasyon. Malaki pala ang impact na nagagawa ng tattoo na inilagay sa batok nina Sinji, Flame, at Barbara. It wasn't just ink; it was a curse or a blessing, depending on how you look at it.

Flame finally broke his silence. He confessed everything he knew—the dark origins of the ink, the heavy consequences of having it, and the excruciating process of how to remove it permanently.

Pero sa kasalukuyang estado ng katawan ng anak ko, hindi namin pwedeng basta-basta maalis ang marka. It's too dangerous. The tattoo implanted on Seiji is the rarest one, second only to Sinji's. It's a dormant power that will activate anytime the host's life is in peril.

Ayon sa paliwanag ni Flame, the tattoo was designed as ultimate protection for the person carrying it. Pero kahit siya, hindi alam ang magiging long-term effects nito. Out of the thousands of children they experimented on, tanging si Seiji lang ang nakasurvive sa loob ng capsule. He is a walking miracle, and at the same time, a ticking time bomb.

"May nakikita ka na bang posibleng maging sagot kung paano matanggal ang tattoo sa batok ni Seiji?" tanong ko kay Gun, basag ang katahimikan sa loob ng kwarto.

Kasalukuyan kaming nasa main laboratory ng HuPoFEL, surrounded by high-tech monitors and humming machines. We've been studying Seiji's blood samples for months. Strangely, wala kaming nakikitang kakaiba sa composition ng dugo niya, maging sa tissue ng tattoo sa batok nito. It looks normal, but we know it's anything but that.

"Negative, pare. Ang magagawa lang natin sa ngayon ay i-monitor ang dugo ni Seiji. Maybe I can build some specialized gadgets for Seiji and his siblings para ma-monitor ang vitals nila twenty-four-seven."

"Parang kinulong mo naman ang anak ko sa gagawin mong 'yan," sagot ko, a hint of bitterness in my voice.

"Yun lang ang tanging solusyon na alam ko, Senri. Anong gusto mo, matulad siya kay Sinji?"

Natameme ako sa sinabi ni Gun. A sharp sting of reality hit me.

One-year na ang nakalipas pero hindi pa rin nagigising si Sinji. According to Gun's medical assessment, she is in a persistent vegetative state—a coma—and we have no idea when she will open her eyes again.

Nasa France ngayon ang katawan ni Sinji, under the strict supervision of Boss Luther. Gustuhin ko mang lumipad doon at bantayan siya gabi-gabi, hindi ko pwedeng iwan ang HuPoFEL. I have responsibilities here, and most importantly, I cannot leave our children alone in the Philippines.

"Hindi mo pa ba susunduin ang mga bata? Oras na," untag sa akin ni Gun, checking his watch.

Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako. I turned my back on Gun and walked toward the laboratory's heavy steel doors.

Sa loob ng isang taon, my life became a frantic juggling act. Inalagaan ko ang mga anak ko, pinagsabay ang mabigat na trabaho sa HuPoFEL, at pinilit pa ring gampanan ang pagiging gitarista ng banda. It was exhausting. Noong una, halos sumuko ako, lalo na sa pag-handle sa emosyon ng mga bata, pero dahil sa suporta ng mga kaibigan ko, we managed to survive.

May mga panahong naging target si Seiji. When the news broke out that he is my son, the underground society went wild. Nalaman nilang may tagapagmana ako at nasa ilalim ito ng proteksyon ng Bloodfist.

They knew they couldn't take down Bloodfist head-on, kaya ang anak ko ang binu-bully nila sa dilim. But they made a fatal mistake—they chose the wrong person to mess with.