Warning: This chapter mentions suicide. This may bring discomfort for some readers, so please be advised. Prioritize one's state of mind all the time. Thank you.

NANGINIG ang dulo ng labi ni Adamas matapos marinig ang mga katagang iyon. Para siyang nabingi at hindi kayang intindihin ang sinasabi ng kausap.

"She's what?" he asked, hoping that he just misheard it.

"She's dead. She died two years ago."

Nabitawan niya ang libro. Ilang minuto siyang natahimik habang nagpaulit-ulit sa kaniyang isipan ang sinabi ni Logan.

Imposible. Hindi iyon totoo. Imposibleng wala na si Noa.

"W-why would she die?" He clenched his fist and stood up from the chair. "Stop telling me nonsense! My Noa is not dead!"

"I wish I could be joking too, but it's the truth. Miss Noa committed a s-suicide two years ago." Logan sighed.

He froze.

Nagkapira-piraso ang puso niya matapos iyong marinig. Sunod-sunod ang kaniyang pag-iling at ayaw tanggapin ng kaniyang isip ang sinabi. Hindi maari. Hindi ito ang gusto niyang marinig. Hindi ito totoo.

"Lies. Lies. You're lying to me," he uttered. Although he couldn't see any trace of facade from Logan's word, he would not believe it.

"You are lying to me! Why would she do that? She will not do that!" Buong puwersa niyang sinipa ang swivel chair papunta sa mesa.

Nagulat naman ang dalawa sa kaniyang ginawa. Ang takot na nawala kanina ay muling bumalik pero hindi niya iyon pinansin. The kick wasn't enough to satisfy his confused feeling, so he rushed to the bookshelf and buried a hard blow. Hindi pa siya nakuntento at muli itong sinuntok hangga't sa tuluyan itong magkapira-piraso.

Isang sigaw ang narinig niya pero hindi siya nakinig. Lahat ng bagay na mahahawakan niya ay sinira niya lahat. Ang basag na mga salamin ay mas lalo niya pang winasak at pinagsisipa upang mailabas niya ang sakit na nararamdaman.

Pero kahit na ganoon, mas lalo lang siyang nawawala sa sarili.

Mariin siyang napahawak sa kaniyang veil habang unti-unting nakakaramdam ng pagsakit sa ulo. "Argh . . ."

Napaluhod siya sa sahig at binagsak ang ulo. Isang malutong at mabigat na tunog ang nagawa niya, nabitak din ang sahig subalit hindi pa rin nagbago ang kaniyang pakiramdam.

"Why would she do that? Why would my Noa do that? It's impossible! Why would she do that?!" Hindi na niya mabilang kung ilang beses niyang tinanong at hinampas ang ulo sa sahig. Hindi niya kayang paniwalaan iyon.

"Adamas, what are you doing?" May mga yabag ng mga paa ang dali-daling lumapit sa kaniya.

Sinubukan siyang hawakan ni Gonietta pero winaksi niya ito.

"It's not true. My Noa is not dead. She's not dead!" He clenched his fist. 

He whispered under his breath to cast the power his author gave him.

A surge of fluid flowed down from his nerves until it reached his palms. Burning like fire, the hot sensation inside made him put his palms up--an indication that his threads were coming out.

As the black, thick threads jumped out from his fingers, he slammed his hand on the floor. And like waves, the floor vibrated, pushing his threads inside the sement.

His Thread Finder, an ability taught by his father, could seek through every being. Magagawa nitong hanapin ang kung sino mang nilalang kapag alam niya ang mukha nito. But for Noa, he hadn't seen her yet. Adamas didn't have a clue on what she looked like.

But she was his creator. And every authors were exemption to the limitations of their character's power. His familiarity and connection toward Noa were what made the threads recognize who he was pertaining to.

"Crawl and find her. Find her location," he ordered and gritted his teeth. "Find my Noa!"

He was going to see her--no. He needed to see her. He wouldn't believe them unless he would see it himself. Although their emotions were already enough to tell it was the truth, he would only accept those until he found out.

An impulse pulled inside his palm which he immediately responded by standing up. One thread finally found Noa's location.

Adamas didn't hesitate and immediately rushed towards the window. He jumped on the table and looked down the outside.

"Hoy! Anong balak mong gawin? Nasa ikapitong palapag tayo. Bumaba ka riyan!" pigil ni Gonietta sa kaniya.

He looked at her. "I am going to see my Noa."

Hindi na niya hinintay pa ang dalawa na makasagot at tumalon. The cold wind crashed his face, removing his veil. He used his thread not to lose it until he landed on the hard ground. It growled as his bare feet touched the asphalt. But he never felt any pain.

"West."

He ran towards the direction where the thread instructed him. And a wide road greeted his view. Even though it was already evening, there were still cars passing by.

"Detainia Engrip." Swift and fast, a slim, black thread let out from his palm and encircled the huge electric post on the other side of the road. He let himself be pulled up across the road.

Swinging his body up, his muscles tightened as he reached the top of the post. The view from above and the cold wind allowed him to breath for a moment.

There were huge buildings higher from where he was now, but it weren't what caught his attention. It was the negativity surrounding those buildings. He glanced on the left side where there were houses of different classes--some made out of woods and some were concretes. Just as how different they were, he saw different colors of emotions too.

But one color sufficed. It was darkness.

It didn't came from those structure, but from the people living inside.

"What the hell is this world you are living in, my Noa?"

He went down and ran towards a narrow, muddy path as his mind continued to question the world's darkness and Noa's end. He didn't stop running until the thread sparked an impulse in his palm, telling him to stop.

Napatigil siya sa harap ng isang itim na gate. Napalunok siya nang maramdaman ang presensya ng manunulat sa loob. The traces of emotions were still surrounding the area, and so, he didn't think twice and rushed inside.

Tumalon siya nang malakas upang makapasok sa gate. Kaagad siyang naglakad papunta sa pintuan ng one-storey house.

He knocked. He knocked many times, but no one answered.

Sinira niya ang doorknob at tinulak ang pinto pabukas. Papasok na sana siya pero bigla siyang napaatras. Nanginig ang kaniyang tuhod nang sumalubong sa kaniya ang isang mabigat na emosyon.

It was black, yet unlike any of those darkness, this one had took it shape like a growling cloud ready to devour him.

And this heavy emotion came from his author.

Dahan-dahan siyang naglakad sa salas. Ang madilim at tahimik na salas na napapaligiran ng mabigat na pakiramdam. Marami pang mga kagamitan na naiwan sa loob na para bang kahapon lang may nanirahan dito.

"Noa?" He called her.

But no one responded. No one was inside the house.

Napalingon siya sa kanang bahagi kung saan naroroon ang isang kuwarto. Pumasok siya roon. Isang ngiti ang sumilay sa kaniyang labi nang makita ang kuwarto ng kaniyang manunulat.

Kahit may nakapaligid pa ring kadiliman, ang parte lang na ito ang magaan. May bahid ng samut-saring emosyon ang loob. Ang saya at pananabik na palagi niyang nararamdaman sa mga mensahe ni Noa ay nakapaloob sa buong kuwarto.

Lumapit siya sa maliit na study table at binuksan ang ilaw ng lampshade. Nasilayan niya ang mga papel na nasa ibabaw at ang nakasulat doon.

'Adamas Riscarte'

The title of the supposed to be book two of the Odds of Tribes. Bakas sa mga papel ang mga mabibigat na emosyon.

He smiled.

Hindi niya iyon ginalaw at naupo sa kama na katabi lang ng mesa.

"My wordy Noa is going to finish my book." Sumandal siya sa headboard at pinagkrus ang mga braso.

My Noa isn't dead. She will be back. She might have bought something outside. Babalik din siya rito. Isusulat niya pa ang kuwento ko.

The emotions surrounding him were too alive. And vivid. And varied. He would never believe he had lost her. Masasagot pa ang mga tanong niya.

"I will wait for you here." Pinikit niya ang mga mata.

Dalawang taon na siyang naghihintay at kaya niya pang maghintay ulit. Hihintayin niya ang pagbabalik ni Noa. Hihintayin niyang may mga yabag ng mga paang papasok sa kuwartong ito.

Kaagad na napaangat ang kaniyang tingin nang makarinig ng ingay mula sa labas.

"Adamas? Adamas, nandiyan ka ba?!"

Bumagsak ang balikat niya nang mapagtantong pamilyar ang boses. It was Gonietta.

"Mr. Adamas!" And she was with Logan.

What were those two doing here? Hindi niya inakalang susundan siya ng dalawa.

He didn't answer and leaned back against the headboard. He let out two threads from his fingertips, ordering it to touch Logan and Gonietta's neck.

"I am inside."

Sunod-sunod na mga kaluskos ang narinig niya matapos ihatid ang mensaheng iyon. Ilang saglit pa nakarinig siya ng mga pagbagsak. Hula niya'y inakyat ng dalawa ang gate.

"Ba't mo 'ko tinulak? Ang sakit ng puwet ko!" matinis na sigaw ni Gonietta.

"Sorry na. Sabi mo itulak kita pataas, e."

"Dumiretso ako sa baba. Gago ka! Hinay-hinay lang kasi."

Hanggang sa makarinig siya ng mga paang papasok ng bahay, nanatili siyang tahimik. Hindi niya pinansin ang sagutan ng dalawa hanggang sa makapasok ito ng kuwarto.

"Adamas, ba't nakaupo ka lang diyan?"

"I am waiting for her."

"Ha? Pero--" Hindi tinuloy ni Gonietta ang sasabihin nang pigilan siya ni Logan.

"Mr. Adamas." Naupo si Logan sa dulo ng kama kaya napaangat ang kaniyang tingin. The black veil prevented him from seeing his entire face, but he was still able to look at those pitiful expression. "It seems that you really wanted to see her, but . . . this isn't the right place for you to meet her. S-she's not here anymore."

"Shut up." He refused to listen to him. "Leave me. You two can go."

"Pero--"

"I said leave." He cut him off. "Do not interfere and leave me."

Logan sighed. Tumayo na ito at naglakad na palabas ng kuwarto.

"Hoy, Logan! Saan--" Hindi natapos ni Gonietta ang sasabihin nang hilahin siya ni Logan palabas ng kuwarto.

Nang tuluyang makalabas ang dalawa, muli na namang nabalot ng katahimikan ang paligid.

Napakagat siya sa kaniyang labi habang pilit na inaalis sa isipan ang sinabi ni Logan. He knew what he meant. But he couldn't accept it. It wasn't the truth that he wanted to hear nor believe.

"I will wait for you, my wordy Noa."

The Noa he knew was never solemn like how these emotions surrounding him, so he couldn't understand those two humans who said the news. No way she would kill herself! His Noa would never going to do that.

Hinila niya ang unan na nasa kaniyang tabi at niyakap ito nang mahigpit.

And like he said, he waited.

Hours had passed and he still waited. Morning came and night followed fast, but he still waited. He didn't move an inch nor took a minute to sleep because he might miss her return.

Hindi na niya mabilang kung ilang araw siyang nakaupo sa kama at yakap-yakap ang unan. Ilang mga patak ng ulan at mainit na panahon ang dumaan na rin sa bubong ng bahay pero nanatili siyang naghihintay.

Babalik siya.

Even though deep down . . . he knew she would never return.