LIFE

"Why are you crying, Kuya?" tanong ko. Hindi ako mapakali. He squeezed my hand as he caressed the back of my hand.

I knelt down to look at him better. "Kuya?" Please, tell me those are tears of joy.

"Do you know why I took care of you?" tanong niya. "Why I, among all ten, took the role of taking care of you?"

"Huh? Syempre kahit naman noon, bilang si Rory, inaalagaan mo na ak-" umiling naman siya kaya hindi ko na natuloy ang sasabihin ko.

He smiled sadly, "I'm glad I still witnessed you talk to your friends."

I scoffed. "Pa'no mo mawiwiwtness, eh bulag ka nga?" Asar ko.

Mas lalo naman siyang ngumiti, "I can feel your happiness, Exiquel. I can feel it overflowing around you. It was the best decision to unseal them."

"Syempre! Sino ba namang hindi sasaya na sa wakas, tapos na! Isang step nalang at magagawa na ang dimension. Turuan mo na ako, Kuya. Para matapos na."

He shook his head and whispered, "I don't want this to end yet."

"Anong ibig mong sabihin, Kuya?" tanong ko.

"Seraphin had put all his powers creating the ten of us back then, and the mortal realm. Kagaya ng sinabi sa'yo noon, Seraphin had no powers to create another realm or dimension, or else, he'll be omniscient. Someone that exists everywhere, anywhere, and however," kuwento niya.

Napataas-kilay naman ako, "Okay... so? Bakit mo kinukwento sa'kin? 'Di ba nga tayo na ang gagawa ng dimension? Tsaka alam ko na 'yan, ano ba."

He sighed loudly, "He also didn't have the power to create you again."

Natigilan naman ako dahil d'on. If it wasn't Seraphin that created me, then...

"Ako ang gumawa at bumuo sa'yo ulit, Exiquel Four. 'Yan din ang rason kung bakit ako ang nag-alaga sa'yo. Because I have to look out for you, and make sure you are well."

Napasinghap naman ako.

"Zero knows about this- your secret identity." Bigla ko namang naalala ang sinabi sa'kin ni Zero noon... "Even Nine knows your secret identity, Four."

So this was it?

"What about it, Kuya? Ano naman kung ikaw ang gumawa sa'kin?" tanong ko.

"Just like Seraphin... my body can't handle it. The moment I created you, I became blind," sabi niya. Napasinghap naman ako dahil d'on. I felt gulit creep into my heart.

"The more you live, the less I do, Exiquel." Napapikit naman ako dahil d'on. Tinungo ko ang ulo ko, at hindi mapaniwalaan ang mga sinasabi niya. "The more power you have, the less I have. We have a paradoxical relationship, Exiquel."

"Then what do I have to do? Tatapusin ko na ang dimension, and you'll be fine, right?" tanong ko. Hinaplos niya naman ang buhok ko, at naramdaman kong cino-comfort niya ako when I should be the one comforting him.

He doesn't deserve this. He's gone through pain because of me.

"I'm sorry, Four," he said as his voice croaked. Nanlaki naman ang mata ko nang hilahin niya ako palapit sa kaniya. His face buried in my shoulders, and I can feel his tears cascade.

"K-kuya?"

"I'm sorry... that I am not strong and powerful enough," dagdag pa niya. "I'm sorry." Paulit-ulit siyang nagsorry. I pat his back.

"Ako dapat ang nagso-sorry. You're going through this because of me. You don't deserve this, Kuya," sabi niya. "Huwag kang mag-alala. After I complete the dimension, you can live, right? We will both live."

Umiling naman siya habang naiiyak sa balikat ko. I rested my head on his shoulder too, and tears silently fell.

"No... Four. Don't complete it yet," sabi niya. "I still want you to live."

"I will-"

"No," mariing sabi niya. Natigilan naman ako dahil d'on, akala ko kapag ginawa ko ang dimensyon, parehas kaming makakasurvive.

Humiwalay na siya sa yakap at hinawakan ang dalawa kong balikat. He bit his lip and wiped his tears away.

"Once you complete the dimension, you will vanish... Four," aniya. Napaawang naman ang bibig ko.

"I am not powerful enough to keep the both of us living, and your lifetime only lasts until you complete the dimension. I'm sorry. Please... forgive me."

I didn't react for a while. I found it hard to process, but then I slowly realized and understood what he said.

"N-no, it's okay, Kuya... this life time is enough," sagot ko gamit ang namamaos na boses. I tried to make my voice happier for him.

"Kaya ko na rin pina-unseal ang mga kaibigan mo, so you could see them one last time," he said. "And attain your true happiness."

Sunod-sunod na pumatak ang mga luha ko. So my promise to go back will be broken? Ngumiti nalang ako kay Kuya.

"Thank you, Kuya Nine. I still thank you for creating me. You did your best to keep me alive."

He pulled me into a tight hug and I just smiled as he did. Napangiti ako kahit na nanlalabo na ang paningin ko dahil ng namumuong luha sa mata ko.

18 years... I guess it was enough. I may vanish, but I know my friends, Kuya Nine, and Zero will keep me alive in their hearts. I will still be alive in the Orphic Dimension.

"Turuan mo na ako, Kuya. I need to finish this now," sabi ko sa kaniya. Naramdaman ko namang bumigat lalo ang paghinga niya.

"Stop saying sorry, Kuya. I am already thankful for having a brother like you in my life, and making me meet new friends. I am thankful. This is more than enough," sabi ko agad bago pa siya makapagsalita ulit.

Tumayo na ako, at pinunasan ang luha ko. "What do I need to do?" tanong ko.

"Just extract your magic power into this," he paused a bit and snapped his hand. My eyes widened when the roof opened and revealed a huge planet above us. Napasinghap ako dahil hindi ko akalain na sa ibabaw pala namin ay may malaking planeta.

"That's the magic source of the planet, not the real planet. Our dimension is located near the Earth too, but invisible in the eyes of men," malungkot niyang sabi.

Napatango naman ako. Nakakalungkot lang palang isipin na hindi ko na masisilayan ang mundong bibigyan ko ng buhay.

My life in exchange for a dimension. Not too bad at all.

"Okay, Kuya. Pwedeng tumalikod ka?" tanong ko. "I don't want you to see me vanish. I might change my mind. Kilala mo naman ako, I can be selfish at times."

Napalunok naman siya at tumango. Tinalikod niya ang wheelchair mula sa'kin, at doon lang ako nagkalakas-loob na humagulgol ng iyak. Tinakpan ko ang bibig ko para pigilan ang pagsinok, at ang tunog ng iyak ko.

I don't want to see him regret. I want him to live freely without any guilts in his heart.

I looked up and adored the planet-like magic source above me. Napangiti ang mga mata ko, at hindi nagtagal ay pinikit ko 'yon. Dinama ko ang sarili kong kapangyarihan.

Four. Aurora Calytrix, the one who will give life to the dimension, I heard Seraphin say inside my mind.

The one who will make it all possible.

I heaved a deep breath as I felt myself afloat in the air. My tears flowed upwards, and all my magic power was being extracted and absorbed.

I raised my hand and opened my eyes. The color of the planet-like magic source became golden, and it now looked like the orb I always had. I smiled as I watch my hand slowly fade into mists of golden magic power.

And I just continued watching it until I see nothing, but light- life.

"I love you, Kuya," sambit ko bago pa mawala ang lahat.

And my tears was the last thing that I had. Gone was my body, power, and soul, but the tears of happiness shall remain living. And the raindrops in the dimension will be my tears, a reminder that I still live among them.

"Four!" I heard Zero call out my name, and that was the last thing I ever heard.

The Orphic Secret
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Paalala ko lang brother-sister relationship ni Four at Nine. Huwag niyong i-ship HAHAHA

Thank you very much for reading!