Shipwrecked Hearts

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"Tell me." I challenged, still finding it hard to believe. But like Pearl said, I had no choice. They were my only hope right now.

"Nasa gitna tayo ng karagatan papunta sa lungga ng Sea Brigands. We're about to enter the lion's den." Pearl explained thoroughly. Tumungo siya sa harap ng kompyuter ng Memory Alteration at nagsimulang magtipa.

"What are you doing?" I asked, cautious.

"I'm redirecting the wipeout to somebody else and not Maximo... this will help prevent you from losing your memories with Maximo. You will not forget Maximo."

"11 %..."

"System overrun. Pause Phase 2... redirect wipeout to a stranger of little importance."

"Redirecting complete..." Sagot ng makina. "Rebooting phase 2.... 1 %..."

Bumuntong-hininga si Pearl at saka pinunasan ang namumuong pawis sa noo, "completed." Aniya. "Hindi ko p'wedeng itigil ang memory alteration once it has started, but the least thing I can do is redirect it to a stranger you just met once." This means I will lose nothing.

I still find it hard to believe, but I am taking my chances. "Thank you, you're not as bad as I thought you were."

Pearl seems taken aback, she gave me a smile. "I am sorry for everything, Kira... I never meant to betray your trust. I know doing this will not compensate for all the bad memories we had together, but... I hope you let me and Marco make it up to you."

I suppressed a tear and smiled, still not acquainted to how I would deal with this, to answer her words. "Sinabi mo kanina na buhay pa si Maximo?"

"Oh, yes..." tumango si Pearl. She cautiously looked at the door, there was no lock in it, ano mang oras ay baka may pumasok na iba. "Ako ang nagtali sa kan'yang mga binti bago siya pinatalon sa barko... I tied it loosely so that he can swim."

He's alive. I knew it!

"Kira, once the memory alteration has finished, kailangan mong magpanggap na hindi mo kilala si Maximo... can you do that?"

I nodded. "I get your plan."

"Meanwhile, Marco and I will work on how to set you free."

"Do you know where my father is?"

"Nasa ospital siya sa mainland, Kira." Sagot ni Pearl. "May natamo siyang sugat, dahil sa pagkawala ng dugo ay nawalan siya ng malay." I am very aware of that... I am to blame.

"Right now, the media thinks that he is the sole survivor of the so-called 'massacre'... a lot of innocent lives were killed at the event after all, tapos... lahat ng kandidato ng pagkapresidente sa nalalapit na halalan ay namatay gayon na rin sa presidente mismo. Though the nation does not suspect him at all of having anything to do with the genocide. In fact, what happened has boosted the morale of the people to vote your father in the coming election."

Habang ang mga tao ay mangmang sa katotohanan, hindi sila makakaraos sa riyalidad.

"100 %. Phase 2 complete. Initiating Phase 3 of Memory Alteration, the wipeout phase."

Biglang nandilim ang aking paningin nang sambitin iyon ng makina. It felt like I lost my vision. I panicked, but Pearl held my hand. "It is okay, this is part of the memory alteration... you will temporary lose your sight in the 3rd phase."

Hinigpitan ko ang hawak ko sa kan'yang. I felt my nails digging inside her skin, but she payed no hid. Hinaplos ako ni Pearl sa aking pawisang noo, tila pinapatahan ako.

Pakiramdam ko ay may isang alaala sa akin na ninanakaw, unti-unting tinatanggal sa aking kalooban. Pakiramdam ko ay nababawasan ang aking pagkakatao. I already felt this familiar sensation... after all, this memory alteration thing has happened to me once, but it will occur twice. It is only history repeating itself.