Chapter 36: From the Ashes II

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LORELEI

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LORELEI

THE SIREN of the firetrucks wailed as they arrived at the apartment. Mabilis na rumesponde ang mga bumbero at sinubukang patayin ang apoy. It took more than thirty minutes before the fire was under control and eventually put out.

Thank God that our room was spared from the flames. But half of the apartment building was burned. May mga maiitim pa ngang usok na lumalabas mula roon.

Tita Martha was biting her nails as she gazed at what remained of the west wing. Malayo ang kaniyang tingin, tila nanghihinayang sa ilang taon na ginugol niya para doon.

Loki, who was a meter away from me, was still hugging Theodore while his eyes were fixated on the building. I could see curiosity in his eyes. I have to say, he looked kinda cute with my teddy.

"I appreciate you saving my teddy bear from the fir—"

"MY teddy bear," he corrected, turning to me. "Theodore is mine, by right."

"Okay, fine! Your teddy bear!" We never settled before kung sino na talaga ang nagmamay-ari sa stuffed toy. Para wala nang argument, I gave up my ownership. "Pero bakit siya ang niligtas mo at hindi ang ibang bagay sa apartment natin?"

Iniharap niya sa akin si Theodore. Binabalik na ba niya ang ownership sa akin? "Look at his eyes. They have been modified."

I leaned my head forward to see what changed in the bear's eyes. I saw none.

"Herschel planted micro-cameras in them," he told me when my face made a confused expression. "They serve as my eyes whenever I'm not in my room."

"What have you done to my—to the teddy bear?" I protested. Bahagyang nagulat si Freya dahil sa reaksyon ko. "Theodore is supposed to be a stuffed toy, not a surveillance tool!"

"First, Theodore is mine, by right. I can do whatever I want to him."

How many times should he reiterate that? Binigti niya nga noong isang araw ang walang kalaban-labang teddy bear.

"Second, remember when my silver laptop was stolen? If only we had hidden cameras in the unit back then, we could have known who took it away."

Ah, yes. I can vividly recall the scene. His so-called Pandora's Box was used by a Clark Gazetta reporter to destroy our club. Up to now, we don't know who trespassed in our unit and stole the laptop.

"Hence I cannot let the fire to burn him," Loki finished, still hugging the bear.

Nabaling ang tingin namin sa fire marshall na naglalakad patungo sa kinatatayuan namin. Kakababa pa lang niya mula sa sunog na parte ng building.

"Mukhang nag-overheat na phone charger ang sanhi ng apoy," sabi niya. "Nagmula ang sunog sa Room 207 at mabilis na kumalat sa mga katabing kuwarto."

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