Children Of The Abyss

38

LILITH

After the ceremony, hindi na ako nakapagfocus sa ginagawa naming paghahanap kay Medea.

The reason are that the rings he gave us is real gold with small diamond, and legal document ang papel. Ayaw ko naman maging killjoy dahil may mga nanonood sa amin.

We had veils too! May pulang kordon imbis na puti. Red string of fate ang tawag nila doon. So much for a wedding booth. Nageffort sila para dito.

May nagsabi pang masama daw ang double wedding o sukob, ang iba naman ay kinikilig.

Flashback.

"Do you, Mikael Lowry Sanders, take Coriane Alvarez as your beloved wife?"

"I do."

Nakangiting tumingin sila sa isa't-isa. Kikiligin ako para sa kanila. Gusto ko naman bigwasan ang kasama kong tuwang-tuwa sa reaksiyon ko.

"Do you, Alistair Smith, take Liliene Merideth San Diego as your beloved wife?" he looks at me hopefully. Malamlam ang tingin niya sa akin.

"I do." he sincerely answers.

This is fake so I'll go with it. Kalokohan lang dahil bored si Hades sa palasyo niya.

"Do you, Coriane Alvarez, take Mikael Lowry Sanders as your lawful husband?" their eyes meets each other. Shining with happiness.

"I do." she happily looks at him.

"Do you, Liliene Merideth San Diego, take Alistair as your lawful husband?"

This is not real Lilith. It is a fund raising booth.

Bakit parang ayaw ko ng makita siya na kasama si Kiera pagkatapos nito? Gusto ko siyang ipagdamot bigla. Kahit nakakairita siya. Kahit... sagad sa buto ang pagkainis ko sa kanya.

"I do." it came out sincere kahit ayaw ko.

"Do you swear to protect and love each other? Through sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"

Daming tanong! Wedding booth ba talaga ito?

"I do." sabay-sabay naming sagot.

Sinuot namin ang mga sing-sing sa isa't-isa. Desmond is smiling—no—grinning from ear to ear!

"I now pronounce you husbands and wife." sinarado niya ang bible.

Pumalakpak ang nga nananood sa amin. They are anticipating the kissing part. We are still inside the school grounds. May decorum at etiquette pa di kahit papaano. And that is... No PDA!

Sa noo lang nila ginawa iyon.

Saka lang nila tinaggal ang cord at veil  pagkatapos. Pinagbayad pa din kami para sa booth. 60 pesos lang kaya nagbigay na kami.

Inabot nila ang marriage certificate sa amin. Perpekto ang pagkakagawa nila nito.

"Why did the diamond change color?" tanong ni Ree.

"It reflects your relationship." sabi ni. Hades.

"That's why it's pink!" si Ree.

"Romantic and innocent." sabi ni Milo.

Ours was... red. Love and passion.

"I can burn this certificate after, then." I tilted my head

"You can't." Hades shakes his head, "Fireproof iyan, tear it and it will be whole again. In short, that was a legal and registered copy."

What?! It can't be!

"Gawa ni Persephone ang papel na iyan. It was registered when two feelings are real and unbended."
he explains.

"Hindi na sila maghihiwalay?" parang masaya ang tono ni Desmond.

"It will be revoked, only if their feelings for each other fades away, completely. Hanggang kamatayan na talaga ang kasal." he added, "Which means dapat pareho na kayong wala ng pagmamahal sa isa't-isa. It will burn on it's own."

"Congrats, Coriane. You found your other half."

"Thank you, father."

"Tahimik ka yata Lilith." si Desmond.
"Wala ng iwanan. Nakatali na kayo parehas."

End of flashback.

Hades and his tricks! Sapilitan talaga ang paraan niya.

Ree whispered something to Milo na kinapula niya. She is smiling naughtily.

"Coriane, we won't do that!" sabi niya.

"Why?" malungkot niyang tanong.

"Not yet, okay?" paliwanag niya, "I want a formal wedding ceremony with you first." he kissed her forehead.

Inikot namin ang isang subdivision pero wala kaming napala. Masyadong strict ang security nila. Kailangan ng records para makapasok o makatira sa loob.

But she is an enchantress she can enter that!

Baka naman naghahanap kami sa malayo. She might be near us, na wag naman sana.

Napagod ako ngayong araw. We walk and ask around kung may nangyayaring kakaiba sa lugar nila. Pero wala.

"I'll search the internet." sabi ko.

May library naman ang hotel. May nakita akong PC kanina doon.

I typed in the latest supernatural cases sa search engine. Madami ang lumabas na result.

Almost everything is about ghosts and aliens. Ang iba ay fake news na gawa-gawa lang. Others were useless thumbnails na hindi connected sa content nito.

Mortals and their nonsensical ideas.

Something caught my attention.

"Welcome to the place when you can enter but cannot come out." sabi sa isang vlog.

Kilala ang vlogger na gumagawa ng content regarding travels and locale.

May ganoon bang lugar? Pwede kang pumasok pero bawal lumabas? Pwede ka pang malipat sa ibang lugar mayroon but this one is unbelievable.

Baka walang kwentang content na naman ito.

Lumabas nga ako para iwasan ang gunggong na iyon. But I end up looking at the ring on my finger. The red diamond shines on the ring.

Naalala ko na naman ang itsura niya na kanina. He looks gentle and sincere. Malalambot ang mga matang nakatingin habang nagsasalita at sinasabayan si Hades sa huling vow.

He changed the words as he repeats it. Saying his whole heart out.

'Til death do us part...

Naiinis ako kanina but my heart skipped a beat during the fake cermony. I don't want the certificate to burn either...

"Lilith."

Nagulat ako sa boses na iyon. What is he doing here? Di ba kasama niya sila Desmond sa taas?

"Let's eat dinner." aya niya sa akin.

Ayan na naman ang mga titig niyang malalim at malagkit. The brute disappears when it's just the two of us.

Is he really my husband?

Nagpakasal ako sa taong hindi ko kilala pero nababasa ang mga kinikilos ko.

Nagiilusyon na naman ako.

"Let's go. I don't want to starve my wife." My heart skips a bit. Ang sarap pakinggan—Ang sakit kaya sa tenga! Hindi bagay sa kanya.

"I'm not your wife!" pagtataray ko.