Immortal City

Chapter 36

Chapter 36
Decision

"What you did was right."

Kanina pa paulit-ulit sa isipan ko ang sinabi sa akin ni Kaven kanina bago kami maghiwa-hiwalay ng landas. Ngayon ay gabi na at nakasakay ako sa bus kasama si Zairus at Luna pauwi ng bahay.

"Sigurado ka ba talaga na pinag-isipan mo ng mabuti ang ginawa mo?" tanong ni Zairus.

Kagaya pa rin ng dati. Magkatabi kaming tatlo, ang best friend ko sa may bintana, ako sa gitna, si Zairus sa kabilang tabi ko. Tulog pa rin si Luna.

Kagaya ng dati.

Ang kaibahan lang ay hindi magpang-abot ang mga mata namin ni Zairus sa isa't isa.

Nasaktan ko siya.

I know I hurt him when I walked past him earlier, ignoring him and grabbing Daimon Clyde's hand instead. I saw pain in his eyes when I left him, and I still see it now.

Marahil hindi lang si Zairus ang nasaktan dahil sa naging desisyon ko. Although I got most of my fellow twelve's approval with what I've done, Julien was visibly against me this afternoon. She didn't say anything though. Still, I know she's not happy with me because I risked Ione's safety.

But I think she's forgetting that Ione, her best friend, is my friend too.

So, yes. I did think this through. "Contrary to what all of you might think, pinag-isipan ko ng mabuti ang ginawa ko."

I couldn't help but sound bitter and he noticed. His head shifts slightly toward my direction, his gaze hard and cold. "There could have been a better way than to make us the center of their outrage again."

I sigh.

No. There couldn't have been a better way. My decision wasn't made out of haste.

With Kaven and Luna sitting out of the previous fights, we're already at a huge disadvantage. Idagdag mo pa na natalo ako kanina. Maabot man namin ang one-thousand-point mark para sa next clue, hindi pa rin titigil ang paglaki ng lamang sa amin ng ibang schools in terms of points. Mahihirapan na kami makabawi. We're on to the last two weeks of Level 1 and this is a crucial stage.

Dahil back to zero na ang points ng mga kalaban namin, kami lang ang makakaalam ng second clue. That's a huge advantage. Ang tanging problema lang ay ang magiging reaksyon ng mga kalaban namin. Gaya ng sabi ni Mitsuru Aoki, it may backfire.

But Ione will no longer be a problem since Kaven is out of the infirmary. He promised me he'll protect her. Kaven might have lost to Daimon but he's not weak. I know he isn't. I see him when we train and the only reason he lost to Daimon is because it's Daimon Clyde we're talking about.

What you did was right.

I take comfort in Kaven's words, holding on to it like a lifeline. Because it is. It is right. And even if it turns out to be the opposite, I'll make sure it's right.

I will ruthlessly use Daimon Clyde if I have to. I will offer myself to him if that means I get to save my best friend.

This is no longer just a game. It's a game we can't afford to lose.

Because Luna's life is on the line, and I will make sure she gets to live after all of this even if I have to become a sacrifice.

What I'm doing is the best course of action. No matter what angle you look from, this is the most beneficial for us. Kaya bakit hindi makita 'yon ni Zairus? He's not dumb. I'm sure he has it all figured out. He should know better than anyone that this is what's best for us.