Battlefront

41- Last Stand

Nakatanaw si Tiana sa dagat habang nakasandal sa handrail ang mga siko. Parang lutang ang pakiramdam niya. Hindi na siya nag-isip nang sumunod siya kay Lois sa daungan. Ni hindi nito alam na sumakay siya. Nagulat na lang ang babae nang makita siyang palakad-lakad sa deck.

The ship was smaller compared to Nemorah's but it was faster. A lot faster. Mukhang isa ito sa mga military ships ni Marlow. Sinadya siguro ni Xandros na 'yun ang ipagamit para mabilis na makarating si Lois sa Vergaemonth.

"Oh," may iniabot na tasa ng kape si Lois sa kanya. May sarili rin itong inumin. "Hindi alam ni Xandros na umalis ka?"

"No," maikli niyang sagot. Napakabigat sa dibdib na iwanan ang lalaki. Ni hindi siya nagpaalam.

At hindi niya alam kung magkikita pa silang muli. That felt like a big punch in her chest right there. She didn't expect that that man would creep into her heart and stay there. In such a short time, he had become a very important person to her.

"He will wait for you. Xandros is crazy about you," Lois said as she took small sips of her coffee.

Hindi sumagot si Tiana. Maybe it would be better if he didn't wait for her. It might take forever. Or she might not go back anymore. Or couldn't.

"So, what's your plan? Are you going to join Tamara LeBlanc?" Tiana decided to change the subject.

"I will pretend to join her. There's a difference," sagot nito.

"That's what I meant. And then what?"

"And then I will take my brother away."

"How?"

Nagkibit-balikat lang ito. "We will see. By the way, they think you're dead now. You better be invisible while the war is still going on. I'd be in trouble if they saw you."

Tumango si Tiana. Ano pa nga ba ang magagawa n'ya? Hindi n'ya pwedeng i- compromise ang Mission ni Lois. Naiintindihan n'ya ito. She was going to rescue her younger brother. Tiana was there for the same reason.

Pero talaga bang ililigtas niya si Deus?

"Sino ang mamamatay kapag iniligtas mo ang kakambal mo?" tanong ni Lois na para bang nabasa ang iniisip n'ya.

"I'm not sure."

"You're his twin. You shared the same womb at the same time. It's probably you," kaswal na sabi ni Lois na para bang maliit na bagay lang kapag namatay s'ya.

"Mas mabuti nga kung ako."

"But the closest person to your heart will die after you die. So, ano ang mabuti d'on?"

Hindi sumagot si Tiana.

"Sino ba ang closest person sa puso mo?" nasa mood si Lois na mang- interrogate ngayon. Surprisingly, hindi nainis si Tiana.

"Si Deus," walang gatol niyang sagot.

"But you just saved him. Is it gonna go back to him?"

"I don't know, Lois. Hindi ko pinag-aralan ang ability na 'to. I ignored it for so many years. Hindi ko alam kung pwede ko ba itong i- enhance or what."

"You should have asked help from your mother. She's very powerful, you know. Idol ko talaga si Savannah Bloodworth. I want to meet her one day."

"My mother is just a regular mother. A regular person."

"Not really. She's very famous among our kind."

"For what?"

"For standing up against ISOP."