Shipwrecked Hearts

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The crowd dispersed like ants whose trail got destroyed. People were in panic. Tumingin ako kay Maximo, nilabas na niya ang kan'yang espada. He was looking around as well, searching for the godforsaken enemy. He scowled. "With all the people around, I can't see clearly." He jumped back to the floor from the railing with a light thud.

Pinasadahan ko ng tingin sina papa at mama, they were already being evacuated from the area along with the president and the other candidates. That's when I smelled the deadly intent coming from all the guards who were guarding them. "Maximo..." tinignan ko siya, "they're the enemy." Tinuro ko ang mga g'ward'ya nina papa at ang mga iba pang mga aristokrato.

With that, he hopped from the second floor down to the first in a masculine manner. I gaped at him. He was now walking like a king at the red carpet, slowly approaching my family, with the sword he tightly gripped on his dominant hand.

Sighing, I took the stairs. Kinailangan ko pang makipagsiksikan sa mga tao, nagtutulakan sila kaya maraming nagigisgrasya. I saw a kid on the corner of the staircase, crying. She easily reminded me of Mermaid. I cannot just ignore her. With a sigh, I approached her before the crowd eats her away. Literally.

I held her on my arms, "where are your parents?"

She just cried. It seemed like she is in a state of shock. Sino nga ba ang hindi? Bigla na lang sumabog ang halos hati ng pangatlong palapag. Maraming mga inosente ang namatay. I looked at her intently to have a vivid look amidst the screaming of people around. May galos at bukol sa gilid ng kan'yang noo. There was a dried blood on it, it's fresh.

"You're safe now." I assured her, trying to make her stop crying. Ngunit nagpatuloy lang siya. Nakipagsiksikan ako hanggang sa unang palapag. Nang naroon kami ay kinapa ko sa pisngi ang bata, "you need to go now."

Suminghot-singhot pa siya. I fished for the hanky in my pocket and held it to her. I guided her hand to wipe her tears and snot away. I fixed her hair and grinned, "better..."

She looked at me, mugtong-mugto ang kan'yang mga mata. "Kailangan mong lumabas dito, nakakaintindi ka ba? I cannot look after you. May mahalaga akong dapat gawin."

Sa isang iglap ay napalitan ng matigas na mukha ang dating nanginginig, her quivering lips curved into a devilish smile. Bigla akong kinilabutan, kasabay nito ay ang pagkaamoy ko ng... tila isang bakal. Napatingin agad ako sa kamay niya, nanlaki ang mga kamay ko at tumalon palikod. Just in time to dodge her attack. She was holding a knife. A real knife.

"Who are you?" I scowled.

Sa halip na magsalita ay sumugod siy. She was fast and hard to see considering her size. What the heck is going on? She moves like Mermaid!

Pinakiramdaman ko ang aking paligid, she's behind me. I wait for her to think I lowered my guard, then waited for her to attack. Nang ilang pulgada na lamang sa aking likod ang kutsilyo ay bumaluktot ako para umigtad. I grabbed a dagger from my leg and plunged it into her. She gasped in pain when the sharp tip scratched the side of her small neck, blood gushed out like a waterfall towards the stream.

"Who the hell are you?" I hissed.

She growled. Can she talk?! This kid!

Muli siyang umatake. But her attacks were too predictable. I kept shielding her attacks with my dagger. Tila napagod din siya. She growled like a mad dog and attacked me again. I kept defending myself. I don't have time for this shit. With all might, I let her come near me, I swiftly darted her attack and pierced my dagger right through her heart. She coughed blood and laid down on the floor, bathed in her own blood.

Nanginig ang aking mga kamay. Tinignan ko ang bata. I just killed this... this kid. Hindi ko alam pero bigla na lang nanlabo ang aking paningin, I closed my eyes and felt a tear fall. Was I crying?

"Kira..." napatingin ako sa pinanggalingan ng boses at nakita si Excel. Halata ang pag-aalala sa kan'yang mukha. It seems like she saw what happened. "We need to go. A few men checked the building and found out that the stadium is surrounded with explosives. It's not safe here." She looked at her wristwatch, "we only have about twenty minutes left before this building goes boom. The bombs were already counting down."

I picked my shits together and nodded. Doon ko lang napansin na halos wala nang mga sibilyan sa paligid. It was only Maximo's crew and... the enemy. I heard gunshots and the clash of swords. And I smelled the smoke and powder. Tumingin ako sa dating pwesto ng mga magulang ko, they weren't there anymore. Wala na rin si Maximo. Mabilis akong tumakbo upang hanapin siya, si Excel naman ay sumunod lang.

We hit the backstage, it was dark. "Maximo?" I looked at Excel, she tapped her watch and light came out of it. Flashlight? She led the way. Naglakad kami sa pasilyong nakakonekta sa likod ng entablado. Tumigil kami nang nakarinig kami ng apak ng mga paa at pagsara ng pinto. "They're there." Tinuro ko ang silid kay Excel. I smelled the stench of my father and my mother's perfume. They were inside that room.

Tatlong magkakasunod na putok ang umalingawngaw mula sa silid na iyon. I smelled death immediately. Tila tumigil ang mundo ko. No. This isn't right...

"What's the plan?"

Bago pa man matapos ni Excel ang kan'yang sinabi ay mabilis akong tumakbo. I kicked the door open and looked around. Tanging mga lalaking nakauniporme bilang g'ward'ya. They were about to attack me when I heard my father command, "stop." And they did.

Wait... my father?

The sabre of the guy was only an inch away from me. I walked a few steps back, dazed. I looked at my father, he gave me a sly grin. "Ah, Akira. I knew you'd come. My daughter, finally, she is back." Sinenyasan niya ang isa sa kan'yang mga tauhan at naramdaman ko ang malamig na bakal na bumalibot sa aking pulsuhan. Posas.

My jaw dropped. What the fuck is the meaning of this?! I thought I smelled a deadly intent coming from my father's guards... something metallic suddenly hit my nostrils. I looked at the cause of it, I saw blood. Realization hit me when I saw where it came from... three corpses... one of the president and two of the candidates.

And with that, I realized that the deadly intent was directed not to my parents, but to the president and the rest.

Kumuyom ang kamao ko.

"Papa..." anger was visible on my rough voice, "what have you done?"

"No, what have you done? You just killed a child." My mother threw back. "I saw what you did, dear. You have no idea how much we paid for that kid." Paid? "She's an assassin." She rolled her eyes. "Tch. Waste of money."

Hindi ko maintindihan. Ano ang nangyayari?