THIRD PERSON'S POV

Aiden was driving his car with a pot of red spider lilies on his side. It is the favorite flower of the CEO, Junichiro Seikatsu. Aiden chuckled as he remembered how peculiar the late president is. "Red spider lilies symbolize death, I love it, flowers are meant to wither, after all."

He breathes deeply and sped up his car. "The weather is pretty nice today," he whispered to himself as he looked on the dark gray clouds that will later shower heavy rainfall. For the past three years that he's been working under Junichiro, he learned to adjust on the CEO's bizarre interests. Just like how he got fascinated by things that a normal person shouldn't.

He stopped his car in front of a mountain. He left his car parked on the side of the road as he started walking inside the forest. There is a lot of trees on the forest, it's autumn that time. The brown and orange leaves coalesce, and the cold wind gives a weird feeling on every person that will go through the forest. The sound of the thunder in the clouds and the noise that the fallen leaves shrieks give an eerie aura as he went deeper inside the forest.

After a few minutes of walking, Aiden finally arrived on the temple hidden on the forest. Junichiro built this temple and told only Aiden about it. It's been a month since it was built but because of sudden change of weather, the woods are slowly getting old. He opened the temple's gate then the fresh scent of withering flowers entered his system.

He walked towards the carpeted aisle that leads him to the center of the temple. There he saw a purple jar, covered with dust. He stepped forward as he reached out for it.

Pinagpag niya ang alikabok na tumatakip sa pangalang nakasulat sa ibabang parte ng jar.

Junichiro Seikatsu
20XX – 20XX

Inilapag niya ang paso na naglalaman ng paboritong bulaklak ng lalaki. Kinuha niya rin ang maliit na pamunas para tanggalin ang mga alikabok sa jar na naglalaman ng abo ni Junichiro. Isang linggo na rin ang nakakaraan simula nang pumanaw ito. Si Aiden ang nag-asikaso ng lahat, siya lang din ang nakakaalam kung saan nakatago ang abo ng presidente. Alam niya na ayaw ni Junichiro ng kahit anong kaartehan at okasyon kaya nagtagal naming ng isang araw ang burol nito at tanging mga pinagkakatiwalaan lang nila ang dumalo. No cameras, media or reporters are allowed. Until now, they are still clueless about the CEO's death.

Hanggang ngayon ay sariwa pa rin ang pangyayari kay Aiden. Ang pagkawala ni Junichiro Seikatsu ay itinago sa lahat. Tanging si Aiden at iilang pinagkakatiwalaan lang ang nakakaalam tungkol sa kaniyang pagkawala.

He knows that it will create a huge fuss if the death of 'the youngest CEO' will be exposed. Many people will surely celebrate his death, especially those companies who are against their sudden popularity success. They were crazy envious of the CEO's success as well as his rare intelligence. Still, Aiden was totally clueless about the reason of Junichiro's death. The detectives declared that it was a suicide. No other evidence was found to prove that it is murder. Even in Junichiro's body, no foreign substance or fingerprints were found.

But deep inside, Aiden was sure that Junichiro has his reason. He is certain that the late president was smart enough or the smartest rather, to think how pathetic to just die for nothing. However, what shocks Aiden the most is when he knew that Junichiro transfer all his rights, property and even the company to Aiden's name.

自殺の天才

Tila nasa isang malalim na karagatan ang pakiramdam ni Ichiro. Para siyang nalulunod sa walang hanggang kadiliman. Sa pagmulat ng mga mata niya, nakita niya'y walang iba kundi kadiliman na waring unti-unting nilalamon ang katawan niya. Sinubukan niyang abutin ang kaibabawan ng katubigan kung saan siya unti-unting lumulubog.

An odd feeling entered his system the same time a faint light glowed in an endless darkness. The faint light glowed brighter as if it was slowly reaching for his body. As the light went near on Ichiro, a warm feeling envelops him. The light made him feel his body as well as regain his consciousness. The light turned into strings and coiled his body gently. Those strings pulled him up as he reaches the surface and saw the entirety of the light, then it blinded his eyes and left him unconscious.

自殺の天才

Ichiro immediately opened his eyes as soon as he went back to his senses. He was catching his breath as he gasped for air to fill his lungs. It took him a few moments before he recovered and calmed his system down. Ichiro's body felt heavy, as if he went to a sleep for a century. He can't even lift neither his arms nor legs, the only thing he could do is to open his eyes and look around.

The vast blue sky welcomed his sight, the white clouds who were constantly moving along with winds. The sound of leaves and the chirping of birds gave life to the scenery.

"I died, didn't I?" he whispered to himself.

"I am certain that I died. The feeling of losing breath under water, I felt it. Submersion in liquid causes suffocation, it is impossible that I will still be alive after that," he thought to himself.

Similar questions keep on bugging his mind. Ichiro knew that he died that day. He is aware that he committed suicide on a bridge, fall into the water then drown. But why is he breathing right now? Why can he see the clouds and hear his surroundings. Was he hallucinating?

"It is impossible that I am in heaven. There's not neither heaven nor hell. Science doesn't find and evidence to prove that they exist so I should get over with that thought," Ichiro convinced himself, as he tried taking control on his body.

Binalot ng pangamba si Ichiro nang hindi niya maramdaman ang kaniyang mga braso at binti. Ilang minuto ang itinagal ni Ichiro sa gano'ng posisyon at ilang beses niyang sinubukan na igalaw ang mga braso niya. Hindi nagtagal ay nagtagumpay siya at ginamit niya ito bilang suporta para makaupo. Gayunpaman, nanatiling nakapahinga ang mga binti niya. Kahit na nagagalaw niya na ang mga ito, alam niya na wala siyang sapat na lakas para maglakad o kahit tumayo man lang.

Nang makaupo siya ay doon niya lang napagtanto na wala siyang kahit anong suot na damit. Kahit panloob ay wala rin siya. Hindi naman niya ito alintana, iba't-ibang katawan na ang nakita niya sa pag-aaral niya ng anatomy sa larangan ng agham. Kaya para sa kaniya, ang pakiramdam ng walang saplot ay hindi gaanong kabaha-bahala. Ngunit hindi niya pa rin maiwasang isipin ang maaaring isipin ng mga makakakita sa kaniya.

Ang ipinagtataka lang niya ay bakit ang mga suot niyang damit. Sigurado siya na noong mga oras na tumalon siya saa tubig ay suot pa niya ang mga kagamitan. Imposible ring matanggal ito ng tubig dahil mahigpit ang pagkakasuot ng mga damit sa kaniya.

"It's either I took off my clothes unconsciously, or someone did it. But, who the heck will do that on me?" anito sa kaniyang isipan.

Inilibot niya ang tingin mula sa kaniyang kinauupuan. Matatayog at iba't-ibang klase ng puno ang bumungad sa kaniya. Luminga-linga si Ichiro sa paligid at kaniyang nasaksihan ang isang maliit na sapa sa 'di kalayuan. Nang makita niya iyon ay agad siyang nakaramdam ng matinding uhaw.

Maraming tanong ang naglalaro sa kaniyang isipin ngunit minabuti niya itong isantabi dahil na rin sa gutom at uhaw na nagpapahina sa kaniyang katawan.

Sa isa pang pagkakataon, sinubukan niyang galawin ang kaniyang mga binti. Dahan-dahan niya itong tiniklop para sa kaniyang pagtayo. Tila isang hayop na walang buto ang pakiramdam ni Ichiro. Wala siyang lakas para tumayo at maglakad pero wala siyang mapagpipilian. Nanatili siyang nakasalampak sa sahig habang pinipilit na pagalawin ang nanlalambot niyang mga binti. Nanunuyo na ang kaniyang lalamunan kaya't ginawa niya ang lahat para makapunta sa sapa.

Unti-unti niyang ginapang ang daanan papunta sa sapa. Hindi sapat ang lakas niya para igalaw ang kaniyang mga binti kaya tanging braso lamang niya ang ginamit niya para puntahan ang sapa. Bawat galaw niya ay lalo siyang nanghihina, sa pagpatak ng pawis mula sa kaniyang katawan ay tila inuubos nito ang natitira niyang enerhiya.

"I must be out of carbohydrates," he thought to himself.

After all the struggles he went through, he finally arrived on the pond. He acquired some bruises on his knees as well because of the rough surface that he crawled on He looked at the pond to see the clean and crystal-clear water. It was safe to drink, he assured. Ichiro was about to scoop his hands on the water, but he stopped when he saw his reflection on it.

His eye widened, then gasped as a strange image welcomed his sight.