Harbinger of Death

Chapter 2: Mission

I can feel the tension rising from our heated argument. I don't want to do it but the mobilization of the entire continent is the only key. It's a simple fact. If he's ready to mobilize the teenagers, then he should also be ready to mobilize everyone in this continent. We need every reinforcements that we could possibly muster.

"Hindi ko gagawin 'yon! Hindi ako tanga para idamay sila dito!" sigaw niya sa akin kasabay ng paghampas niya sa lamesa. 

"Parte sila ng mundong ito. Bakit hindi mo sila idadamay?" mahinahong balik ko. I want to respond as calmly as possible. He's still a king and he should be respected. 

He walked to and fro, as if contemplating my argument. "Ayoko. Hindi ko hahayaang masaktan ang mga tao ko," desididong sabi niya.

"Tanga ka ba?!" Hindi ko na napigilan pa ang sarili ko. I can feel the surprise from the people around me. It's as if it became tangible, a blue current crackling with intense firepower. "Masasaktan at masasaktan ang mga 'yan kapag hindi natin pinakilos. This whole fight will be nonsense if you keep on holding to your ideal. A war is a war. There's no such thing as a safe haven as of this moment!"

"But still—"

"Think about the future, King Spertum. We need to sacrifice our safety or else, our future will be destroyed. Reduced to smithereens. Nothing," I angrily spatted. 

Bumuntong-hininga siya. Napapansin ko ang palipat-lipat na tingin ng mga kasama namin dito. Hindi siguro sila makapaniwala na kaya kong makipagsagutan sa hari. Hindi ako tanga para hayaan na mapunta sa wala ang sakripisyo ni Xeo. 

Biglang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko. Sakripisyo?

"Fine. But elders and children should be put in a safe place, at least. There's a future ahead of those children and I don't want to ruin it by sending them in a war, unarmed with any form of magic," he finally decided. "I'm sorry for how I acted. I just—" He coughed. "—I just wanted to protect my civilians at all cost." He continued to cough and I noticed how dark patches started appearing in his arms.

"King Spertum—"

"I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "We shall visit the academies tomorrow. Dismissed." Napansin ko ang pagtakip niya sa mga markang nakita ko bago siya tumalikod at naglakad papalayo. Ano iyon? Hindi kaya . . . 

"Wow. Hindi ko na in-expect na . . . " Hindi na tinuloy pa ni Pan ang sinasabi niya nang tingnan ko siya nang masama. "Chill. Para kang si . . . " Hindi na naman niya tinuloy ang sinabi niya na para bang may naalala siya. Kilala ko naman ang pinapatungkulan niya. Si Xeo.

I rolled my eyes. Wala akong mapapala sa kadaldalan niya. Tumayo na ako at naglakad papalabas. Hindi ko na pinansin pa ang mga kasama ko. Hindi ko naman sila kilala. Hindi nila ako kilala. Alam kong kaibigan sila ni Xeo pero magkaibang-magkaiba ang ugali namin. Isa pa, naaalala ko lang lalo si Xeo kapag nakikita ko sila. They're bringing back the memory. He's gone, and all I can do right now is to continue forward and do what I ought to do. At this point, grieving won't do anything.

Dinala ako ng mga paa ko sa labas nang hindi ko namamalayan. The fresh air greeted me, giving me comfort amidst the pain and sadness lingering inside. I don't want to dwell in the hands of solitude, but I guess, you can't easily escape his grasp—especially when the pain is newly made.

Tumingala ako sa kalangitan. Sana dalhin ng hangin ang mensahe ko. Kung nasaan ka man, patay ka man o buhay, sana maayos ang kalagayan mo. Sana bumalik ka na. Ang hirap, e. Wala akong kasama. Mag-isa na lang ako. Hindi ko alam kung paaano ako magpapatuloy nang mag-isa. 

I felt tears trickling down my cheeks. Pinunasan ko iyon. Hindi ako pwedeng maging mahina. In the middle of the war—where blood is being shed—tears become nothing but a speck of dust in the entire universe. Emotions are nothing but hindrance in a battle. Meaningless.