STYGIAN | completed

38

ASTRIA

"Urgggh!"

I groaned at the dizziness I felt the moment I opened my eyes. Tila umiikot ang mga nasa paligid ko at tanging nakikita ko lamang ay ang dilim. Pinili ko munang huwag gumalaw para i-relax ng kaunti ang ulo ko at mawala ang sakit nito. Few seconds later, someone called me.

"Astria?" Aegan asked me with that worried look in his face. Umupo na rin siya mula sa pagkakahiga. "Are you okay?"

"Uhhhh.." I sighed heavily. "I think so, medyo sumakit lang ang ulo ko dahil sa impact. By the way, asan nga pala sina Tamara at Pan?"

Aegan pointed at my back and I saw them still sleeping. I roamed my eyes to the surroundings but I can't see it clearly. All I can see is black. Kinapa ko ang bulsa ko pero hindi ko nakita ang phone ko rito. Something's glowing from afar kaya nilapitan ko ito at kinuha. It was my phone. I shone its light to the surroundings pero hindi ko pa rin maaninag kung nasaan kami.

Uhhhh, where are we?

"Nasaan tayo, Aegan?" I asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, basta ang alam ko we were trapped in this cave after Pan splashed water to the weird wall. Parang may kuwarto pa sa kabilang bahagi noon and viola, andito na tayo ngayon."

I opened the flashlight on my phone and stood up. Ginamit ko itong guide para hindi ako makatama ng kung ano. I went to the further side of the room at tiningnan ang mga nakita ko.

This room is... weird.

Iba-ibang mga kagamitan ang nga naririto and they are all for something murderous like uhh... torture? May mga kung anu-anong mga gamit like weird shaped knives, blades, mga latigo, at mga espada. Meron ding mga lubid, and even 'yung mga ginagamit noong sinaunang panahon na pamugot ng ulo, what do you call that....? Ah! Garote?

Aegan is still busy waking Tamara and Pan up so he couldn't see this weird weapons. This is all weird but hey! It's all cool!

Hinawakan ko ang isa sa mga kutsilyo na naririto at pinadausdos ko ang daliri ko sa blade nito. It was like I was mesmerized by the beauty of it. I trailed my finger in its body pero bigla na lang akong nasugatan.

"Ah!" I exclaimed at kaagad kong tinakpan ang dugo na umaagos mula sa maliit na sugat mula rito. It is nothing serious, nagulat na lamang ako.

Aegan immediately ran to my direction. "What happened? Are you okay?" he asked me.

"Y-yes, I was just—"

Hindi ko nanaituloy pa ang sasabihin ko nang mapansin kong nakatulala siya. He's staring at the weapons like it was a mere art. I know that they are really beautiful and cool, but there's something wrong with the way he stares at them.

Iwinagayway ko na ang kamay ko sa harapan niya pero hindi niya iwinawaksi ang titig niya rito. And I find it really weird.

"A-aegan?" I called him but I still received no response. "Uhh... Anong nangyayari sa'yo?"

He looked at me with those wide eyes of his, then he suddenly grabbed the collar of my shirt.

"Ahhh! Aegan! Nasasaktan ako!" I shouted. Galit na galit ang ekspresiyon ng mukha niya like I did something wrong. What's happening?

Pan and Tamara immediately went to our direction to stop him pero sila naman ang pinuntirya niya. Pan landed a hard punch on his face kaya natumba siya.

"AAAAAHHHGH!" he shouted with his hands on his head. Hawak-hawak niya ito na tila ba nasasaktan siya.

"A-aegan?" I called him once again.

Gusto ko siyang lapitan pero iba ang anyo niya ngayon. Kakaibang aura ang nararamdaman ko sa kanya na para bang hindi na siya ang Aegan na best friend ko. Nakatayo lamang kaming tatlo sa harapan niya na parang tanga na walang magawa para tulungan siya.

"What should we do?" tanong sa amin ni Tamara. "Ano bang nangyayari sa kanya?"

Wala sumagot sa kanya, dahil mismong ako hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari, he keeps on shouting so loud.

"Wag! Tama na!" he shouted. "A-agandro.. pakiusap...."

Agandro?

Isn't that his grandfather?

What does he have to do with this? Anong mayroon?

"AAAAHHHHH!" Aegan shouted at nawalan na siya ng malay pagkatapos.

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A/N: 👀👀👀👀 HAHAHHAHAHAH