Lovely Ever After

Kabanata 103

Kabanata 103

Minulat ko ang aking mata, I tried to move my hands but it feels like it is tied up, my eyes adjusted from the sudden light, I blinked, when I regained my clear sight, my eyes roamed around, trying to see where I am.

"Gising ka na pala." Tinig ng isang matanda.

Alam kong nakagapos ang kamay ko ngayon, tila nasa isang silya ako na kapareho ng ginagamit ng mga dentist sa teeth checkups, both my hands were at the armrest, my wrists cuffed and tied, pati ang paa ko'y nakatali.

Tumingin ako sa aking gilid at nakita roon si Vonrogue na nakatayo lang at hindi gumagalaw, something feels off about him. He seems not to be breathing too.

Tinignan ko ang matanda, nakaupo siya ngayon sa isang swivel chair, sa harap ng mga kompyuter. Pakiramdam ko'y nasa isang experimentation laboratory ako ngayon. Nakasuot ang matanda ng lab gown, may mga kasama pa siya.

No, the room was full of people in lab gowns, "sino ka?"

"Are you seriously asking me that question, Sapphire?" Humalakhak ang matanda, now that explains it why that voice was familiar. Suminghap ako. I thought he was dead.

"Castro."

Pinaikot niya ang kanyang swivel chair at humarap sa akin, he reclined from his seat and gave me a smile, "nice to meet you again, Sapphire."

"Traitor."

"No, of course not." Umiling-iling pa siya, "after all, I've always been the president of the Defenders of Justice." He unbuttoned the first three buttons of his lab gown and pulled his shirt down, doon ay nakita ko ang triangular tattoo na may Def O Just sa intersection points.

Sa gitna ng tattoo ay ang Pres.

Kumuyom ang kamao ko, nagpumiglas ako dahilan upang tumigil ang lahat ng mga tao sa facility at tumingin sa akin, the entire room was pure white, it makes me feel insane, I've never hated white my entire life, I suddenly wanted to dye my hair back to black.

It feels like they were torturing me by taking away all of the colors away, it makes me feel insane.

"Don't worry, Sapphire, you will be like them soon."

"Like them?"

"Like Vonrogue, for example." Turo niya kay Vonrogue.

"What did you do to him?!" Galit na sigaw ko.

"Revived him, of course. He is the first prototype we've ever made." Turo niya sa mga tao sa paligid. "We are one step closer to achieving immortality."

Napaawang ang labi ko, hindi ko maintindihan ang nais niyang iparating sa akin, wala rin akong balak intindihin, all I know is that I need to escape. Alam kong pinaplano nilang gawin din akong katulad ni Vonrogue.

"If you're thinking that we are planning on making you like him, you're wrong." Castro said, tumayo siya sa kanyang silya at naglakad palapit sa akin, "you're different, Sapphire."

"What do you mean?"

"All along, I've been watching you, the moment you were born, you became the perfect subject for this experiment, kaya naman ginawa ko ang lahat, so that you'll become what you are today, so that you become the first successful human android, something far more superior than Vonrogue." Humalakhak siya.

What is he implying? That all along, I've been living like a puppet? That he was manipulating me all the time? That I will become a robot?!

"Don't be confused, Sapphire." Tumawa si Castro, "you don't need to understand a single thing I'm saying."

"Hindi kita maintindihan, paano mo nasabing ginawa mo ang lahat para maging ganito ako ngayon?" Takang tanong ko. If I want to uncover the puzzle, at least I must know things.

"Like Lessana." Saad niya, Lessana? Ano naman ang meron sa kanya dito? Halatang nakita ni Castro ang taka sa mukha ko kaya naman ngumisi siya, "she's also an android, but she's a failure. Her mental state was unstable, so we forced her to kill herself before she does anything stupid, plus, she's done her part."

Kumuyom ang kamao ko.

"Let me tell you a story, Lessana Silician died the day before you met nine years ago, I think, I revived her with my intellect to make the dead become a robot, a realistic robot."

I opened my mouth but no words came out.

"Do you know how she died?"

Hindi ako umimik.

"I killed her. Hahahaha!" Humalakhak si Castro, "as you can see, science is truly powerful. But I'm running out of time, I'm really desperate now, Sapphire."

I don't understand a fucking single thing he is saying.

"You know the only flaw I need to fix about this experiment?" Hinilot ni Castro ang kanyang sentido, "it is that these robots can be controlled, if I become one, I won't like it. You will become the perfect test subject in order to remove the flaw, before I turn myself as one. All your life, your hard work, everything of it, it was meant for this fateful day, my child. Your mental state is far superior than the rest, you are the only one who can survive the test. It's like you are my medicine, to become immortal."

Nagpumiglas ako dahil sa galit, "I will never become a guinea pig!"

"You have no choice." Malamig na sagot niya. "You've been playing with life!"

"Ano pa ang magagawa ko, Sapphire? There are a lot of things I want to do and my lifespan is not enough in order to acquire that, so I resorted to become immortal, by becoming a robot myself, someone who never age anymore... I dedicated half of my life for this moment to come true. So I thank you in advance."

"Walang hiya ka! Ganoon din ba ang ginawa mo kay Chaste noon?!"

"Oh, the impostor twin of Lessana?" Tumawa siya, "yes. She's a robot too, hindi ka man lang ba nagtaka kung paano siya nabuhay? When she already died? Nakita pa ng dalawang mata mo, the knife did not miss her heart."

Pakiramdam ko'y sasakit ang ulo ko.

"But, before we proceed to the test, I want you to see someone."

"Someone?"

He snapped his finger dahilan upang gumalaw ang silya kung saan ako nakagapos, from the bent position, the backrest stood straight, letting me see a clearer view of the surroundings, a lot of persons wearing the lab gown were looking at me, waiting for something to happen.

May nilabas si Castro na isang maliit na device at nagsimulang magsalita mula roon, "Liham Silician, come here and see your love."

Bumukas ang pinto at pumasok ang isang lalaki, nanginig ang labi ko at tila nanghina ako nang makita ko siya, his walk was still the same, like he was alive, like he is alive...

There was no sign of burn in his body, like he was still perfect despite everything.

Tumigil siya sa harap ko, he did not blink nor move, he just waited for the next order of Castro. "Speak to her." Utos ni Castro kay Liham, gamit pa rin ang device.

"I missed you, Yomi."

Tears started to come out of my eyes... what did they do to my love?