Shipwrecked Hearts

Navigare 87

"Bakit mo ito ginagawa, Kid?" Tanong ko habang pinagmamasdan siya sa kan'yang ginagawa. Nagtitipa siya sa teklada ng aparato. Ramdam ko ang lamig ng salakot na nakasuot sa aking ulo. May mga alambreng nakakonekta rito papunta sa panala.

"Memory Alteration. Phase 1. Initiate process." Boses ito ng babaeng tila isang android.

"Initiate Process Wipeout." Sagot ni Kid.

"Process Wipeout confirmed. Tracking down candidates to erase." Sa malaking screen sa gilid ay nagpakita ang mga larawan ng mga tao't ang kanilang mga pangalan. Sa unahan ay si Maximo... Alexander Tatiana Sebastian Polonia Renaissance.

"What are you doing?!" Muli akong nagpumiglas ngunit tila nakadikit lamang ang aking katawan sa kama dahil sa aking pagkakagapos. I felt so helpless. It felt like all those years I've spent training was for nothing.

"I'm going to erase every trace of Maximo in your memory." Aniya at saka binaling ang Atens'yon sa makina, "proceed wipeout of Alexander Renaissance."

"Confirmed. Proceeding to Phase 2."

"Stop whatever you are about to do... please!"

Tila isang binging lalaki si Kid at pinagpatuloy lamang.

"Tracing memories associated with Alexander Renaissance. Five hours required."

"Take your time... I mean, I have all the time in the world." Ngumisi si Kid.

"Commencing Phase 2... 1 %..."

May tila karayom na tumusok sa aking batok. Ramdam ko ang malamig at manipis na bagay na ito. Tila kinagat ng langgam ang aking likod. Kasabay nito ay ang pagkaramdam ko ng halusinas'yon. It seemed like there is something inside me that is rummaging all my memories, searching for a specific person—Maximo.

Pictures of him started to cloud my vision. His voice started to drown my senses... and his smell... everything about him... especially his peculiar eyes... the shades of blue and green, how it made him oddly beautiful and very ethereal. Too out of this world to be real.

"Whatever you are doing, stop this!" I protested.

"This is the only way to cleanse you, Aki." Sa gitna ng aking halusinas'yon ay nakita ko ang mukha ni Kid sa malapitan. He closed the distance between our faces and kissed the side of my lips. "Enjoy your last hours in the presence of the deceased Maximo's memory."

Narinig ko ang pagbukas ng pinto ng silid. The way the wooden door creaked gave an eerie feeling. "Kid, pinatawag mo ako?"

I felt needles literally stick into my heart upon hearing the lovely voice of Pearl. Had I known she would betray me and Maximo... I should have ended her pathetic life. So, here I am, eh? About to lose all my memories... but thinking of possible ways to murder this... this lowlife.

"Oh, yes. I have a lot of things to settle. Bantayan mo si Akira habang nasa Phase 2 ang Memory Alteration, will you?"

"Oh." Tila nagdalawang-isip pa si Pearl. I tilted my head to face her and glared at her. "Sure." She answered, ignoring my glower.

With that, Kid bid his goodbye at me and stormed off the statehouse. Si Pearl naman ay umupo sa puting silya sa tabi ng kama kung saan ako nakapako. "Traitor." I hissed. "You have the guts to show me your thick face?"

"I know you hate me..." there was sadness and pain in Pearl's voice. I suddenly smelled a hint of regret in her aura. Regret? I rolled my eyes. Don't be fooled. You've been fooled once... don't let it happen twice. "But can you help it, Kira?" Ngumiti si Pearl, "there are things you never thought you could do... because you do it out of love."

Hindi ako umimik. Pare-pareho lang sila nina Meliodas.

"I love Marco... so much. Alam kong ganoon din ang nararamdaman mo kay Maximo. Noong inakala ko na patay na si Marco. I was so... devastated, but then, he survived his suicide bombing... he got out, barely alive, but still, alive. I was so happy... and... pained, to see his skin... burnt..."

"I don't care, bitch."

"I know..." Pearl sighed.

Hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin maintindihan... my father killed Marco's parents... why's he in the side of my family now? Because they are the Sea Brigands leader? It doesn't make sense at all. Nothing makes sense. I mean, Marco hated my family so damn much.

"Kira, I know this is absurd but..." hinawakan ni Pearl ang aking kamay. I felt her rough hands signifying how overworked she was, "but you have to trust us... Maximo is alive... or so that is what I think."

Hope suddenly filled my inner spirit. Pearl's assuring voice suddenly gave light to my world. It made me live again. But then... I remember... these were the words of a traitor, would I dare to believe or not?

"Why would I believe a traitor? Ah, are you betraying Kid too the way you betrayed me?"

"I never betrayed you, Kira." Pearl gave me a weak smile, "I never did... doing this will be hard but Marco and I agreed to this... now, you have no choice but to believe in me. I am your only hope right now. Marco's crew and I has a plan to set you free... but we will need your cooperation."