Chapter 29: Forget

The night grew deeper, the dim moonlight filtering through the canopy, appearing and disappearing with the shifting clouds. With a quiver strapped to my back and wooden arrows clanking within, I sprinted through the heart of the forest. My heavy boots pounded against the tall grasses and mud, while the cold wind brushed against my cheeks, sending shivers down my spine. I could hear the rhythm of my heartbeat, the way I gulped, and the trickling sweat down my temple.

It was as if everything around me had become vivid again as if I just tasted Tobias's blood. Maybe because of the adrenaline rush, nervousness, or even the anticipation of knowing the truth.

If the shadow was not Atlas, it could be one of his minions, aside from that I had successfully got Eyah's attention.

Nagpatuloy pa ako sa pagtakbo habang wala akong tigil sa paglinga sa paligid. I knew that there was a shadow at kapwa namin iyon napansin ni Claret. Kaya nang may napansin akong tumatakbo sa bandang kanan ko ay hindi ko na pinakawalan iyon.

I allowed my eyes to turn crimson. I bared my fangs and allowed my nails to transform as sharp as blades. Habang patuloy kami sa pagtakbo, ang tanging naririnig ko na lang ay ang mabibilis naming yabag at ang bawat pagtama ng nagtataasang damo, o kayang mababang mga sanga na tumatama sa aming katawan.

It was a shadow at least, but when I pulled an arrow and released it with a green light, the arrow grazed his arms— giving me the whole vision of her. The woman they called Mitchelle Thundillior.

She hissed when she finally realized that I could catch her. Muli pa sana akong magpapakawala ng pana sa kanya nang mapansin ko na higit na akong nakalalapit, dahilan kung bakit marahas kong dinambahan ang kanyang katawan.

As we rolled down, we tried to tackle and injure each other as we threw fist by fist. The mixture of mud, wet leaves, and blood was all over my body as I tried to struggle against her. Until I finally saw another huge trunk of a tree, we desperately pushed each other as we continued to roll down, but I managed to grasp onto a huge root deeply rooted in the ground, stopping us. With the force from my hand tightly holding the root, I gave her a strong kick, witnessing a sickening thud of her body against the tree. I looked up as the tree shook, leaves falling and the birds resting on it flew away.

With my aching body all over, I forced myself to get up, still strapped with my bow and arrow, and a bag filled with weapons. I pulled another arrow and pointed it directly at her as she struggled to rise on all fours, hair covering up her face, but eyes glinting red as she looked at me, hiding behind that black raven hair.

"I know that you're weak now and I can kill you."

And then she sinisterly grinned and laughed in front of me, tilting her head up with that hideous voice.

"S-Stop!"

Nangangatal na ang dalawang kamay ko at handa ko nang tamaan ang leeg ni Mitchelle nang makaramdam ako nang malamig sa leeg ko. I didn't need to further look for it to confirm that it was sharp nails that could kill me.

Higit na nangatal ang buong sistema ko nang mas humilig sa akin ang may-ari niyon at bumulong sa akin. "It's been a while, Kezalli, my little girl."

"Freya . . ."

Nang mas lalong lumakas ang pagtawa ni Mitchelle, hindi ko na nagawang umilag pa nang may punyal na sumaksak sa tiyan ko. Mitchelle Thundullior's hideous face smiled in front of me, with the black veins near her eyes, the foul smell of her mouth, her black teeth, dry skin— as if everything about her felt so filthy.

My eyes stung as she further pushed her hand with a dagger inside my stomach. My vision blurs. "Sa tingin mo ba ay magagawa mo akong saktan, Tao?"

Freya pulled my hair to tilt my head so I could see her. "You're so brave, but always this foolish."

Nakabuka na ako ng bibig nang mas idiin ni Mitchelle ang punyal sa katawan ko dahilan kung bakit nagsuka na ako ng sarili kong dugo. "If you're thinking that you're better than us, you're a fool. Not even Claret can kill us, even those princes, tapos ikaw lang?"

Humalakhak na si Freya at ganoon din si Mitchelle Thundillior. Tumulo na ang luha ko.

No. I know that I can win against Mitchelle. Abot kamay ko na siya . . .

"Ano kaya ang mangyayari kay Tobias sa sandaling ipadala natin sa kanya ang ulo ng babaeng pinakamamahal niya? Don't you think masisiraan din siya ng ulo?" Tanong ni Eyah.

Tawa lang nag tawa si Mitchelle Thundillior. Sinubukan kong manlaban sa kanila ngunit sa tuwing gumagalaw ako ay mas isinasaksak sa akin ni Mitchelle ang punyal at sinasabunutan ako ni Freya.

I was about to call Tobias and apologize to him for being this reckless and disappointed him when I heard the familiar noise and the sudden movement of the ground.

Buong akala ko ay isa na sa mga kasamahan ko ang tutulong sa akin, ngunit nang lumingon ako ay napangiti na lang ako. Dahil hindi inaasahan nina Mitchelle at Freya ang kanilang pagdating, hindi nila nagawang protektahan ang kanilang mga sarili dahil pagsugod ng mga baboy ramo. Both of them fell off the ground as the horde of boars attacked them. Naramdaman ko na lang na gumagalaw ang katawan ko nang isakay ako ng napakaraming baboy ramo sa kanilang mga katawan at itakbo nila ako mula sa dalawang baliw na babae.

Napahagulgol na ako ng iyak habang tinatakpan ko ng isang braso ko ang aking mga mata, at nakayakap naman ang isa sa aking tiyan.

"I am dying . . ."

Iyon na lang ang nasabi ko habang patuloy akong itinatakbo ng mga baboy ramo, ngunit natigil din ako sa pag-iyak nang maalala ko na hindi lang armas ang naroon sa bag ko.

I had healing water!

Ibinigay iyon sa akin ni Tobias sa bote at gagamitin ko lang daw iyong kapag kinakailangan. Kaya sa nanghihina kong katawan ay agad kong inabot iyong bote, kahit hirap na hirap ako ay pilit akong uminom niyon bago ko nilagyan ng patak ang saksak sa akin ni Mitchelle.

The horde of boars continued to run with my body above them as I felt how my body slowly recovered. Ilang beses pa akong inubo bago ako unti-unting bumabangon, at nang nakaluhod na ako habang nasa ibabaw pa rin ako ng napakaraming baboy ramo, agad ko nang nakita sina Eyah at Mitchelle na nakasunod sa akin.

One of them was like a running ghost while the other one was floating. Nakakatakot talaga silang tingnan dalawa.

Huminga na ako nang malalim at mas hinarap sa kanila. I knew that I was lucky that I had healing water inside my bag, but this time, I didn't think I'd be lucky again.

I took the metal o-rings from my bag. "This is going to be a take two. Inform my fiancé that I am still alive— or second life na ba ito?"

Sabay-sabay umungol sa akin ang mga baboy ramo nang tumalon na ako mula sa kanilang likuran. Natigil na rin ang dalawnag bruha sa harapan ko. My one of my knees was on the ground when I landed, arms outstretched with the metal o-rings on my hand, and a bow and arrow ready behind my back.

Eyah made an attack— it was a ball of light. Sa halip na umilag ako at sinadya ko iyong tumama sa hawak kong metal, the reflection of it bounced, hitting the spot I targeted—Mitchelle. Tumama iyon sa mukha niya dahilan kung bakit lumipad ang katawan niya sa puno. Eyah grinned, Mitchelle cursed, I bent my knees more, spread my arms and took a deep breath.

"Steady . . ." bulong ko sa sarili ko.

Ngayon ay bigla nang nawala si Mitchelle at nagtungo siya sa likuran ko. Kung akala nila ay magagawa nilang muli ang takutin ako dahil may umaatake sa akin sa likuran ay nagkakamali sila.

The reflection of my metal blade could see her, that's why when she attacked as she jumped on me, I spun, made a side jump, and widened my arms like a spinning pinwheel, giving her two different cuts from my blades. She was hit on her stomach and arms.

Dahil sa pagkakatalon niyang iyon ay napagulong siyang muli sa tabi ni Eyah, habang akong nakaharap nang muli sa kanila.

Huminga akong muli nang malalim at higit na naging alerto.

Ang nakabibinging matinis na ingay ni Mitchelle ay tila higit na nakahihilo sa akin. Maging si Eyah ay tila nabingi na rin sa kanya at itinulak siya. "Go, let's play with her more before we kill her."

Unlike the first time I saw Mitchelle, who looked a little bit of a vampire, right now she looked like a beast— a hideous monster.

Wala na muli sa harapan ko si Mitchelle at ngayon ay kasalukuyan na nila akong pinalilubutan. Gala ang mga mata ko mula sa unahan at maging sa repleksyon ng metal na hawak ko.

Until Eyah made her continuous attack with the ball of light, and Mitchelle with her claws and sharp teeth. My arm movements were all calculated as I bounced the ball of light back at Eyah and gave a series of slashes on Mitchelle's flesh. It felt as if were in synchronized dance with my metal o-ring as my instrument accompanied by my green light. The clanking of the nails and teeth against the metal, the swooshing sound of the ball of light as I hit it back at Eyah, and as I swirled and turned to protect myself.

When Mitchelle was holding one of my metal o-rings, desperately sacrificing the deep cut on her palms, Eyah took the opportunity to throw another attack, but Mitchelle's grip on my blade served as my foundation. I leaped off, flipping my body upside down in mid-air and as I soared, I swiftly drew three arrows from my quiver, the remaining ones falling to the ground below. I released the arrows aiming directly at Eyah's face.

Eyah fell off the ground with a screaking voice of pain with three arrows piercing her face, I landed safely directly behind Mitchelle with my metal O-rings positioned on the sides of her neck.

My chest was heaving, my knees were trembling, and my eyes were burning.

Hindi na ako nag-aksaya ng oras at tulad nang lagi kong ginagawa, hindi ko na pinatagal pa ang pangyayari. Marahas kong kinabig ang dalawang patalim patungo sa akin dahilan kung bakit dumanak ang dugo ni Mitchelle Thundillior sa aking mga kamay.

Eyah was screaming in pain while Mitchelle Thundillior was convulsing with blood bubbling in her mouth. Hindi ko na sila tinitigan pa at dahan-dahan akong naglakad sa mga pana kong nahulog sa lupa.

Nang sandaling ilagay ko na ang mga iyon sa likuran ko at muli kong sinulyapan ang dalawang babaeng nag-aagaw buhay at anumang oras ay maaari nang mamatay ay unti-unti na akong naupo sa gitna nila.

I was slightly crouched, my arms resting on my thighs. "You trained me to be a killer. Sa tingin mo ba ay hindi ko iyon gagawin sa 'yo? I don't know your reason for making my life miserable, but I'll do my best to be happy, Eyah. Bagay na isinumpa mong hindi mangyayari sa akin."

Tatayo na sana ako nang bigla akong natigilan, kusa na akong napasalampak sa lupa at nanlalaki ang mga mata ko sa batang nakatayo sa harapan ko. He looked so pale, thin and dressed in a hospital gown.

"Y-you left me, Kezalli . . . and what is this? Y-you're a killer."

Ilang beses akong napailing. "No . . . I was saving myself. They were trying to kill the innocent—"

Mas lalong umiyak si Dave sa harapan ko at halos gumunaw ang mundo ko na ang batang itinuring kong kapatid ay nakatitig sa akin na punong-puno ng sakit, galit, takot at pandidiri. "Y-you've been trying to be righteous but look at your hand, Kezalli!"

Unti-unti kong inangat ang dalawang palad ko na napupuno ng dugo, kusa na akong lumuha, napasigaw at gumapang na akong umaatras. Mabagal na bumangon sina Eyah at Mitchelle at dahan-dahan silang gumapang patungo sa akin.

Until Eyah crawled quickly. I was desperately shouting and kicking as she touched me, she grabbed my face, grinned at me sinisterly, and opened her mouth. "Your mind will kill you, Kezalli, the way they allowed Veda to succumb inside her own mind. And you can't be saved . . . you'll die hopeless. Walang Le'Vamuievos ang may karapatang maging masaya."

Mas lumakas ang sigaw ko sa harapan niya at pilit ko siyang itinutulak. Ngunit mahigpit pa rin ang hawak niya sa pisngi ko habang tumatawa sa harapan ko, hanggang sa desperada ko nang dinukot muli ang baka sa bag ko.

Kasabay nang walang tigil kong pagsigaw sa harapan niya ay ang dalawang beses kong pagsaksak sa kanyang tiyan.

"N-no . . . K-Kezalli . . . why? Love . . ."

And when I blinked, I saw Tobias cupping my face. Nangangatal ang mga kamay kong punong-puno ng dugo niya na siyang sinaksak ko. "N- no . . ."

Nakaluhod na si Tobias habang hawak ang saksak niya, nagmamadali akong bumangon at dumistansya sa kanya, narinig kong muli ang pagtawa ni Eyah at mariin kong tinakpan ang tainga ko.

"N-no . . . I want to forget this. I don't want to remember this. I want to forget everything. I want to forget everything!" sigaw ko.

Iyon na lang ang tanging nasambit ko bago tuluyang nanlabo ang aking mga mata at pilit na tumayo si Tobias para abutin ako.