-chapter sixty-

FINN

Dumilim ang buong paligid, the black smoke covering the mirrors.

I stood up, the shadows covering and supporting my wounded leg. Dahil sa mga sariling anino ko naman ang nakapalibot sa'min, I can still see the clown. Its' large built and bloated stomach. Its' red eyes and wide smile. Even the mallet it's holding. Nakikita ko lahat dahil iisa lang ako at ang mahika ko.

Mataas akong tumalon at malakas na sinipa ang itsura nito. The clown gave a high, surprised cry before its head smashed on the mirrors breaking them again. Then, I appeared behind it, holding both its neck and raising my knee - breaking the neck while kneeing.

Ngunit siguro ngang flexible ang clown na 'to dahil mabilis na bumalik sa ayos ang ulo niya. However, his stable head was shifting a little.

"You've angered me, little child!"

The clown's smile turned into a frown. Mas lalong umapoy sa galit ang mata nito, at dala-dala ang mallet ay bigla na lang itong umatake sa kung saan-saan. I made a couple steps back, so I could escape its wrath.

The mirrors in both sides were crushed by the mallet - the fragments flying over the hallway, every piece holding a reflection of me under the shadows. It rained between us like a collection of all our parts that held a story.

Or was the mirror a reflection of a heart that is slowly being ripped apart?

When the dark smoke ran out, the clown could see me clearly. Nasa akin na nakapokus ang atake niya. I made myself busy with dodging all its attacks and sneers, occasionally throwing my own dagger that only seems to rip a small part of its red and yellow cloth.

The clown loudly giggled as it brought the mallet down, making me step back. Tumalon ako sa taas ng mallet niya, ang parte na walang masyadong spikes, at itinapon ang dalawang exploding kunai sa kaniyang kamay.

The sounds of explosions made nothing to quiet my grieving heart. All I could hear was a giggling laugh alongside it.

The clown loudly growled his surprised fury, stepping away and dropping his mallet. I looked at the handle that fell just beside my feet and at the clown in front of me.

Wala naman sigurong mangyayaring masama kung kukunin ko 'to.

"You naught child! I'll make sure your Daddy and Mommy won't see you anymore!"

I'm so glad I don't have any fear of clowns. Ang makita itong tumatakbo papunta sa'kin with a creepy smile and face ay posibleng nakakakaba para sa iba, pero inihanda ko lamang ang sarili sa atake niya.

The mallet was huge. It was almost the same height as me, with a considerably larger weight. Normally, I wouldn't be able to hold this, pero dahil isa itong game at mataas ang attributes namin, the mallet was difficult to hold but it wasn't impossible.

Napakagat ako ng labi nang muli itong mahulog nang subukan kong itaas. Mahigpit ko itong hinawakan at inilagay sa braso ang lahat ng pwersa, then when the clown was almost at my attack zone, I pulled the mallet up, spinning around and swinging it to the monster's face.

The force and strength was enough to make its face snap to the other direction - cheeks squishing under the force and eyes bugging out. Tumama ang clown sa katabing salamin, breaking it and then flying further away.

A huge hole formed in the broken mirror, showing different hallways at the other side. Nanlaki ang mata ko nang makita iyon. This city really is like a maze, kung saan ang mga salamin ang nagsisilbing walls at kailangan mong... mahanap rin ang exit.

There was a red aura appearing in the clown's body when it slowly stood up, fists clenched and teeth bared. Ayoko namang pumunta sa gawi niya dahil sa baka masugatan ulit ako sa mga matatalim na piraso. My body has already suffered enough wounds and I don't think it's smart to damage it even further.

Kagaya ng city na 'to, hindi ko alam kung anong mangyayari sa'kin sa susunod. Hindi ako pwedeng maging reckless lang.

And so, I waited until the clown bolted towards me.

Kaagad kong pinalipad ang apat na kunai na hawak - the blade piercing through its arms and thighs, drawing blood. Puno ng galit ang mga mata nito nang tuluyang makalapit, but before he could use his claws, inihampas ko na sa mukha niya ang spiked mallet.

Sumirit ang dugo sa mga parte na tinamaan ng spikes. It rained down on the mallet, even painting spots of my face and clothes in red. Humakbang paatras ang kaniyang paa bago tuluyang natumba sa sahig na duguan.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Congratulations, Rogue! You have killed a Clown! You can now move to the next city once you find the marked mirror.

▪︎▪︎▪︎

Kumunot ang noo ko. So all we need to do was kill a clown?

Pero... talaga namang mahirap patayin ang mga 'to. Kung hindi lang dahil sa nakuha ko ang weapon niya, I would be having a hard time too. My throwdagger barely made any damage, only offering small cuts and rips. Not to mention that the glass environment was a disadvantage for players. If the clown smashes it, we're then showered in sharp mirror shards.

I sighed, letting go of the mallet and standing straight. A marked mirror. Kailangan kong hanapin 'yon at pumunta na sa susunod na city o 'di kaya ay hahanapin si June.

I turned to my left, only to freeze. Speak of the devil and they shall appear.

From the mirror I'm facing, I could see June passing by.

Mabilis akong umikot at hinabol siya. I looked to the side where she walked and continued running, following her reflections in the mirror.

I was already frowning when I arrived at a corner without June anywhere, then her figure once again appeared in the mirror. Nang subukan ko siyang hawakan ay sa isang salamin dumapo ang kamay ko. The cold glass felt like a slap to reality - the mirrors were distorting my real vision, making me confused with the different image reflections.

Kailangan kong sundan ang physical body niya.

I ran after her again, head snapping in every side, both eyes open to perceive a reflection from reality. Hindi ko alam kung saan na ako. I've passed shattered mirrors and clean ones. I've seen myself run around in every direction, looking like a foolish little girl, and June's reflection.

Until I ended in a closed space.

There were mirrors all around me, from the ground up to the ceiling. And while I came here running after someone, I found myself alone.

Then a shadowy figure shifted.

Kumunot ang noo ko. "June. That you?"

There was no answer.

"Out..."

Still, no one responded. Ngunit alam kong hindi ako nag-iisa dahil may nararamdaman akong presensiya sa paligid.

"Stop hiding!"

Tumitig ako sa limang repleksiyon nang ilang segundo, bago tuluyang nagpakita ang pigura. June slowly stepped out from behind, meeting my eyes through the mirror and smirking. My breathing hitched and an unexplainable anger coursed through me, kaya napaharap ako sa kaniya, handa nang umatake.

Ngunit walang tao sa harap ko.

Naestatwa ako sa kinatatayuan nang makitang wala na si June do'n.

Something shifted in the mirrors, making me look at it. Kinilabutan ako nang makitang nandoon pa rin siya... kahit na wala siya sa loob ng kwarto.

I frowned, inspecting the whole place. Could it be that she was in the other side of this room? Kung gano'n, hindi ito mga salamin at kayang makita kung anong nasa kabila.

She played me. Kaya pala kanina ko pa siya hindi nakikita.

Summoning five exploding kunais, I threw them to the set of mirror around me. Malakas itong sumabog nang matamaan, the shattered glasses flying all around the room, cutting my skin and face and clothes.

Nilipad ng hangin ang buhok ko, na ngayon pala'y nakabunghay na dahil sa laban ko kanina. There was no June on the other side, and only the dark hallway stretching in front of me.

But it wasn't the mirror that took my attention. It was the person at the end of the corridor.

No...

Kagaya noong huli ko siyang nakita ay itinali niya sa low ponytail ang buhok. He was controlling a heap of needles, flames covering them and circling him. Kalaban niya ang isang napakalaking clown at sugatan na ang kanang braso niya, but he was still using it expertly. Kung titingnan ay parang maganda ang laban niya.

Dont...

But I know that Caspian was exerting more than he can handle. He was fighting a clown I could barely keep up with. It was clear that his movements were stiff and slow, at may dugo nang pumipinta sa puti niyang t-shirt... sa may dibdib niya kung saan siya may malaking sugat.

I felt my heart drop.

"Should I tie your hair up?"

Gumalaw na lang bigla ang katawan ko. I found myself running in the dark hallway, where my steps seemed as a switch for the mirrors to shatter - I unknowingly fell into a trap.

Hindi ko ito pinansin at binilisan lamang ang pagtakbo, watching as the clown brought its mallet down, almost smashing Caspian if he failed to dodge by a second. He was dragging his feet but he was still fighting.

Not him.

"Tara. I'll treat you. It's your tenth win."

Caspian summoned a large number of needles, letting them rain down on the large clown and burning its bloated clothes. It dealt damage but it wasn't enough.

It was never enough. And the corridor seems endless and the shattering of something was haunting - although I wasn't sure if it was just the mirrors or my heart.

"What do you want to eat?"
"Gusto ko takoyaki."

Tumama ang likod niya sa basag nang salamin kaya tumusok sa balat niya ang matatalim na piraso. I could see and feel the excruciating pain just by the furrow of his brows and the silent gasp.  His chest was bleeding, the wound must be opening up.

I cursed the endless corridor and the clown at the other side.

"Stay close to me so you won't get lost."

Never him.

"Oo nga? Pft. You sound really arrogant there."

Not Caspian.

I watched in horror as the clown held him by the neck, but Caspian was still fighting. Three large needles pierced the clown's back, flames burning it whole while Caspian remained unaffected by his magic. He was dropped on the ground, facing my direction. Nakatukod ang isa niyang kamay sa sahig habang umuubo siya ng dugo.

The shards of mirror went past through my skin, but the cut it physically offered was nothing to the terrifying worry in my heart.

"You're not meant to shoulder the world's problem."

"Caspian!"

I shouted, reaching out my hand towards him nang parang nakakalapit na ako. His head shot up, eyes wide and glazing as it stared at me.

The mirrors around him exploded.

"Thank you, Caspian."

He was bleeding all over and the shattered mirrors that rained were not helping. Though, his eyes seemed to be fix on me as mine did on him.

Do you remember when time was simpler back at the forest where we first met?

How I just lost magic energy and accidentally stepped on your shadow, taking all of your attention?

It was supposed to be two hands entertwining, not mine reaching out with yours too bleed to accept.

It was a forest filled with green trees and comfort silence, not a dark corridor with shattered mirrors and bleeding skins.

Please, never touch the guiding white light in my dark and lonely world.

His mouth opened to say, "Finn."

Never the person who taught me a lot of things.

Never the person who became my pillar.

Caspian looked so heartbroken when he smiled. He mouthed something again - a sentence with three syllables.

I tried to reach out but it wasn't enough.

When my eyes rested on a piece of flying glass, I saw Marcella standing on the side.

Watching.

-chapter end-