MIYA EDUARDO

"You should kill yourself," I offered her.

In the dimly lit alley of Galloway, in the middle of the winter cold of December, shadows danced eerily around a young girl who sat huddled in despair.

As I gazed at her, she appeared to be in a sorrowful state, with a tear-streaked face glistening with a mixture of sweat and tears. Her body trembled, barely visible amidst the despair. She held a tattered doll tightly in her small hand; its once vibrant colour now faded, reflecting the bleakness of her existence.

Weak are destined to die. Normal lang na mamatay sila. Nakakabagot na ang pangyayaring ito. Paulit-ulit na lang. Parang sirang plaka. Look at her, crying like stupid useless being hoping to be save. Is she expecting a miracle? Pambihira!

Bakit ba siya umiiyak? Maililigtas ba siya ng pag-iyak niya? Hindi mababago ng luha niya ang kalagayan niya. Stupid shit!

"Dying is a better option for your kind. Weak and pathetic," I bluntly commented.

Wala akong pakialam kong ano ang mararamdaman niya. Nagsasabi lang ako ng totoo. Sa itsura niya mas makakabuti pang tapusin na lang niya ang buhay niya. Hindi nararapat sa mga katulad niya ang mabuhay sa ganitong uri ng pamumuhay. Matama ko siyang pinasadhan ng tingin.

Next to her rested the unmistakable cause of her pain: her father, a motionless shell devoid of humanity, splayed out in a disturbing scene. His head, severed from his body, lay a few feet away, her eyes frozen in a final, horrified gaze. Crimson, rivulets stained the cobblestones beneath him, a macabre testament to the brutality of the scene.

Pero ang may kasalanan kung bakit siya mukhang basahan at nasa binggit ng kamatayan ay dahil sa ulol, tanga at mahina niyang ama. Nakalimutan ata ng ama niya ang kasabihan na choose your enemy wisely.

With a disinterested gaze, I turned away and chose to claim her father's head, "You mind?" I asked her while placing it carefully inside my bag. The most important rule in Narrow. NEVER DAMAGE THE HEAD.

"You don't have a place here," I added. I couldn't help but cringe inwardly as the repugnant smell reached my nose.

The smell of blood permeated the atmosphere, blending with the sorrowful cries of the young girl resonating softly in an empty alley. Underneath the December moon's hush, her tears flowed like a melancholic melody, mourning the loss of her innocence to fate's cruel grasp. Alone and abandoned, she remained, a tragic figure trapped in the twisted labyrinth of Red Boundary, ang kalagayan niya ang isa sa patunay kung gaano kasuklam-suklam ang buhay dito sa Narrow.

Here in Narrow, it is either you are a number, a tool for food or you are a name. Walang puwang ang mahihina sa Narrow. Weak are destined to be hunted. They are prey.

"You should kill yourself," I offered again, out of mercy. I throw one of my knives in front of her.

Her face, streaked with dirt and tears, bore the evidence of a recent wound. Amidst the chaos, her once neatly styled blonde hair now hung tangled and matted, its golden strands stained crimson with the tragic imprint of her father's blood.

She looks gravely pathetic. Anak ng—

Her white dress was ruined by the red blood that coming from her father's neck. She was looking at me with horror and hate was visible in her dull eyes while holding her father's head in my hand.

Kung hindi lang ako inatake ng ama niya, buhay sana ito ay hindi siya naiwang umiiyak at mag-isa. Her father attacked me in my worse night. They could pass me and find another prey, but he was arrogant.

"You are a monster," she whispered while her dark intense stare was aimed at me, ignoring my offer. Her only quick escape from this bloody hellhole.

Lihim akong napangiti sa komento niya. Aren't we all?

In the biting December wind, her hair whipped around wildly as her fierce gaze pierced through the moonlit night. Her tears never hid her anger toward me. Her gaze was intense like a fire, and she was silently but boldly burning me inside her head.

By all means, she can burn me if she can.

"Yes, I am," I replied, walking towards her. "I am a monster." I smiled and squatted in front of her. "A monster that giving you a magnanimous option," I leaned closer to her, "Dying is the best course of action in your situation, young lady. You should die peacefully and give me your head," I offered politely.

I think being fourteen years old was enough to understand what I was implying. Her father tried to kill me, so I killed him first. No grudge is necessary. Well, she can try to kill me if she can. I won't stop her.

She began to tremble, which bored me. I sighed, got up, and swung my sword to remove the bloodstains before sheathing it at my waist.

I nonchalantly combed my hair, "Ah, another boring day," I whispered beyond frustration. I saw her clench her fist until blood spilt on it.

"I... I want to live," she whispered, her voice trembling with desperation, tears streaming down her face like a relentless cascade.

And then, unable to contain her anguish any longer, she broke into inconsolable sobs, her whole being wracked with the agony of her plea.

Konsensya de puta!

"What makes you think that I will help you and not kill you?" I scoffed and placed my sword on her pearl-pale neck.

I hate this bullshit. This drama. Why can't just she choose to die? Why do these weaklings always bother strong to protect them?

I scoffed derisively, my features contorting into a menacing scowl, "You want to live?" I taunted, the words dripping with contempt as I pulled the trigger of my gun, the muzzle flashing with that intent just inches from her trembling body.

She recoiled in terror, a gut-wrenching cry escaping her lips as the bullet tore through the air, grazing her delicate pale cheek in a vicious display of violence. Horror etched itself deeply into her pallid features, her eyes wide with a stark realization of her precarious existence in the merciless grasp of my wrath.

"How are you going to do that?" I sneered, piercing her with a gaze of disdain. "You are weak and pathetic," I spat out, watching her tremble before me. "My toenail is way stronger than your entire being."

"P-please... I want to live," she whimpered, desperation evident in her voice. "I am begging you."

"This world is not merciful for someone like you," I declared coldly, showing no remorse. I am being honest. "Even you keep begging like a fool. You are asking the wrong person."

"I can fight," she stammered, attempting to muster some semblance of courage.

I arched an eyebrow incredulously, "You can fight? In that state?" Hindi ko tuloy maiwasang tuluyang matawa sa sinabi. "Are you humoring me? In the state?"

"Yes," she replied, her voice now tinged with determination, though still shaky and almost breaking.

Ah, she is good. Very good.

"Then, live, what's preventing you?" I taunted, a hint of contempt and pity lingering in my words. "You will die eventually," I added dismissively as I turned to leave.

"Teach me!" she pleaded, desperation creeping into her trembling voice.

Konsensya de puta!

"Just die," I retorted bluntly. "Don't drag me into your mess. I don't need another baggage," I rebuffed, my patience wearing thin. "You are too useless for my time."

"Please!"

"Die." My final word dripped with cold indifference, signalling the end of the conversation.

As I turned to leave, a sudden urge halted my steps. I glanced up at the starless sky, feeling the soft caress of snowflakes on my skin. Galloway, a bustling metropolis known for its lawless reputation within the boundaries of Red Boundary, emanated a sinister allure.

Puting-puti ang niyebeng nahuhulog mula sa langit at para itong puting alpombra na inilatag sa lupa dahilan kaya halatang-halata ang pulang matsa nito.

Almost peaceful.

But tonight, an ominous aura hung heavy in the air. The normally bustling alleys of Galloway now lay eerily silent, punctuated only by the lingering echoes of recent assassination attempts. This unnatural hush, akin to a lurking predator, ignited a sense of urgency and thrill within me, sending electric currents of suspicion coursing through my veins.

No guns, no screams, nothing. Just the sound of the wind covered by the mild snow of December.

Ah! What a cold almost peaceful night. I feel like dying. I want to die. When will you return? When will you see me? Please come. I badly want to rest.

"Let me die," I whispered in the wind, "Vani."

"Aren't you going to help her?" Harrow suddenly appeared next to me out of nowhere. May bitbit itong tatlong ulo. Basi sa texture ng ulong hawak niya, they are parasyte. "It's freezing outside."

"My plate is full," I muttered, "and I am tired..."

That brat's on borrowed time, mark my words. She thought she could slip past my radar unnoticed, but she's got another thing coming. She picked the wrong fight. The moment I laid eyes on her shaky hands, her game was up.

"Let her die," I added without looking back and completely ignoring her.

"You can use her," Harrow suggested with a foul smile on his face.

"Bastard," I refused.

"Let me kill her then," he offered flatly.

"Nah," I replied. "The Terminator will kill her. After they failed their mission, I doubted if they would let her live," I flatly commented.

"She is a spy," Harrow insisted.

"And?"

"Nothing," Harrow finally surrendered and let her go. "Just kidding," Harrow smiled, and before I could blink, he threw his kunai toward her, and it perfectly landed between her eyes. "Ngayon wala ng makikinabang sa kanya."

"You are utterly cruel," hindi ko maiwasang komento.

"That is my mercy, Miya," hindi pa rin nawawala ang ngiting sabi ko sa kanya. "Cruelty will be leaving her in the hands of her capturer. At least I gave her a quick escape."

Totoo na naman ang sinabi niya. Dying is the best escape if your are tired of living. Hindi para sa lahat ang Narrow. Pagkatapos mapasakamay ng misteryosong Doc ang kapangyarihan sa Narrow ay nagmistula itong impyerno sa lupa.

Maliit lang na parte ng Narrow ang Red Boundary at Galloway. Kung susumahing mabuti, ang Doc ang maituturing na may-ari sa buong Narrow. She is the power of this region. She is the Demon Lord of this goddamn region. No one knows what her goal is or what she wants. All we know is that she is a ruthless, vile, and cold ruler with a twisted moral compass who led the region to its ruin and is about to devour the whole country.

"Maybe I should kill myself too." Wala sa sariling naibulong ko.