Bab 23: Chapter 22. Lookalike
Adiya's POV
The dinner went well. My mom thanked the family for what they've done for me and tita Ellaine also tell my mom and dad about the duty of both the hallows and the treasure for each other. Nasa sala silang lahat at nagkukwentuhan while I am here at the balcony savoring the fresh air.
"Why did you leave? Mukhang nagkakasiyahan sila roon" halos mapatalon ako sa gulat ng biglang may nagsalita sa likuran ko. Nang lumingon ako ay nakita ko si Elgorth na nakasandal sa may hamba ng pintuan while his arms are crossed.
"I just want to breathe some fresh air" sagot ko naman sakanya saka tinalikuran siya.
"Why? Polluted ba ang hangin sa loob?" he joked. Natawa nalang ako sa biro niya. I heard him walking towards me.
"Hindi naman. Gusto ko lang lumanghap ng sariwang hangin. For me, it seems like the air in the nation is different from the outside world" sagot ko sakanya.
"Different? Bakit? Hindi ba sariwa ang hangin sa labas? Mabaho ba ito?" he joked again. I can't help but laugh at his absurd jokes.
"I can't believe that you are capable of joking. The Elgorth I knew is scary and always serious" komento ko sakanya. I can't believe that he has this kind of attitude.
"I only joke around with the people who's important to me" sagot naman niya. Hindi ko alam ngunit bigla akong naging hindi komportable at mukha atang napansin niya iyon kaya nagsalita ulit siya.
"Did that make you uncomfortable? Sorry. But that didn't mean anything. You're the treasure and you're somewhat important because of our duty" sagot naman niya. Nakahinga ako ng malalim sa sagot niya.
"So what did you meant by different?" tanong niya sakin.
"I don't know. I just felt something weird when that incident happened" sagot ko naman sakanya. That incident is actually bugging me ever since we get back here in the nation.
"What incident?" tanong niya saka siya tumingin sa akin. I am not facing him but I can see from my peripheral view that his eyes are on me.
"The incident that happened in your second house" yes. That's what's bugging me.
"What do you mean?" tumingin ako sakanya at nakita kong nakakunot ang kanyang noo. He's curious. I don't know if telling him this will help but I have to at least try so I did.
"Remember when we were to enter the portal that Storm made? I regained my consciousness back then but my head is still fuzzy so everything was a blur. Then I saw something, no, I think it's someone inside the burning house, walking right through the fire" kwento ko sakanya.
"Maybe one of the assailants. My sister said that they are from the water fortress" sagot niya sa akin.
"I know, but that's not what bothers me" sagot ko rin sakanya saka yumuko thinking and reminiscing about that day.
"Then, what is?" he asked curiously.
"I saw the face of that someone" sagot ko saka ako tumingin ng diretso sa mga mata niya. Sasagot na sana siya ng may biglang may tumawag sa pangalan ko.
"Adiya" I turn around to look at the person then I find Pyrrhos seriously staring at me.
"W-what are you doing here?" tanong ko sakanya.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" tanong niya sa akin.
"What is it? You can just tell her here" sabat naman ni Elgorth.
"Siya ang gusto kong makausap" sagot rin ni Pyrrhos. The tension between them will get higher if I didn't speak.
"It's fine Elgorth. It's just for a minute" sabi ko kay Elgorth. Napabuntong hininga nalang siya saka nagpaalam sa akin.
"Okay. I'll talk to you again later" he said the walks away. Sinundan ko lang siya ng tingin hanggang sa makalayo na siya. Tumalikod ako bago nagsalita.
"What do you want to talk about?" I asked him. Nagsimula siyang maglakad at ng makalapit siya ay tumabi sa akin.
"What did you two talk about?" tanong rin niya sa akin.
"Akala ko ba gusto mo akong makausap?" tanong ko sakanya.
"I heard your conversation with him" nabigla ako sa sinabi niya kaya napatingin ako sakanya.
"W-what do you mean?" nauutal kong tanong sakanya. I was planning to keep that a secret between me and Elgorth.
"Why are you telling him about the matters on the nation? Do you really trust him that much?" tanong niya sa akin. Nag iwas ako ng tingin sakanya.
"What's wrong about that? What is it to you if I tell him things about the nation?" tanong ko rin sakanya.
"Are you nuts Adiya? He could be a spy or he's sent to kill you" nanlisik ang tingin ko kay Pyrrhos.
"How can you say that? He and his family are the ones who saved me" sagot ko sakanya. Mas lalo akong nainis ng bigla siyang tumawa as if mocking me.
"What if it's just an act? No. It's really just an act"
"So you think you're better than him? " napatingin siya bigla sa akin dahil sa sinabi ko. I looked also straight into his eyes.
"What do you mean?" nakakunot noong tanong niya habang nakatingin sa akin.
"I saw your reaction when you saw her. Do you know her? And why do you look shocked when you saw her?" dirediretsong tanong ko sakanya.
Nag iwas muna siya ng tingin sa akin bago sumagot. "Because she looks exactly like you" sagot niya.
"So I wasn't hallucinating or what. She really looks like me" I said more to myself than to him. So that confirms it. That girl really looks like me, but that's not what matters to me the most. When Pyrrhos saw that girl I saw he looks shocked and at the same time not. It's as if he's not shocked by the face of the girl but by her presence. Who is she?
"Don't tell me you intended to keep this a secret between you and that guy" aniya. Hindi ako nagsalita. Walang dahilan para sagutin ko siya. Sandali siyang tumahimik ngunit nagsalita rin pagkaraan ng ilang sandali.
"Do you really trust him that much?" tanong nanaman niya.
"How about you?" balik tanong ko rin sakanya.
"If you're asking me if I trust him then the answer is no. I don't even have the single ounce to trust that guy" sagot niya. Iwinaksi ko ang inis na nararamdaman ko sakanya.
"No. What I mean is" sinadya kong bitinin ang sinasabi ko para tumingin sakanya ng matiim.
"Can I trust you?" dagdag ko. Napatingin siya sa akin sandali saka nag iwas at tumungo.
"Once you trust someone, it's like you already signed yourself a death sentence. Trust comes along with various kinds of price" malalim niyang sabi. Ilang minuto kaming natahimik na dalawa ng bigla nalang siyang tumalikod at nagsimulang maglakad.
"Where are you going?" tanong ko sakanya. Huminto naman siya ngunit hindi siya humarap sa akin.
"I have to go, besides baka hinahanap ka na niya" sabi niya saka pinagpatuloy ang paglalakad hanggang sa makaalis siya sa may balkonahe. Now i'm all alone.
*
The night goes well. Hindi na kami nakapag usap ni Elgorth muli dahil pagbalik ko sa sala ay paalis na sila ngunit bago pa sila tuluyang umalis ay may sinabi siya sakin.
"We can talk about that some other time. Don't tell anyone yet not until we discover the truth" yun ang huling sinabi niya sa akin. Pyrrhos' eyes are on me the whole time. Hindi ko alam kung anong ibig sabihin ng mga titig niyang iyon kaya umiiwas nalang ako minsan dahil naiilang ako. Hanggang sa kinausap ako ni Elgorth at makaalis sila ay nakatingin pa rin siya sa akin. At ngayon na narito na ako sa aking silid ay hindi ko parin maalis sa isipan ko ang mga titig niya pati narin ang mga sinabi niya nang magkausap kami.
Pyrrhos is a very mysterious guy. You won't know what's going on in that head of his just by looking at his eyes. Sabi nila the way to know someone's mind is looking right into his eyes but that doesn't count for him.
I was about to off my lights when I heard a knock on my door.
"Adiya, are you asleep already?" tanong ni Zephy sa may pintuan.
"No, i'm still awake. Come on in" sagot ko sakanya. Binuksan naman niya ang pintuan saka siya pumasok. She's holding her pillow.
"Can I sleep here tonight?" tanong niya sa akin habang papalapit.
"Oo naman" sagot ko naman sakanya. Zephyrine is not the type of girl who sleeps in someone's room unless something is bothering her.
"Come on" anyaya ko sakanya while tapping the space beside me. Nang makalapit siya sa kama ko ay pinatay ko ang ilaw bago kami mahiga.
"So what is it? Spill" sabi ko sakanya. Narinig ko siyang bahagyang tumawa.
"You really know me well" aniya.
"You're not the type of girl who'll sleep in someone's room unless your mind is in turmoil kasi hindi ka patutulugin ng konsensya mo" I joked.
"Konsensya talaga?" sabi niya saka tumawa. "So what is it?" tanong kong muli.
"Remember when we're outside? At the other house of the family?" tanong niya sa akin.
"Yeah" simpleng sagot ko.
"I sense something about Pyrrhos that day" napakunot ako sa sinabi niya.
"What do you mean?" tanong ko. What something?
"I saw someone through that fire" napalingon ako sa sinabi niya. Nang tiningnan ko siya ay nakatingin siya sa may kisame and she's thinking deeply. I planned to keep that a secret pero hindi ko inaakalang may nakakita pa pala sakanya but I'm feeling bad right now because she goes all the way here to tell me.
"Did you see her face?" tanong ko sakanya. Napakunot siya sa sinabi ko.
"I didn't say that she's a she" busted. Lumingon siya sa akin dahilan para mag iwas ako ng tingin.
"Are you hiding something from me Adiya?" nagtatakang tanong niya. Guess I have to tell her. Napabuntong hininga ako at nakita ko siyang bumalik sa pagtingin sa may kisame.
"I regained my consciousness back then and I saw her face" sabi ko dahilan ng paglingon niya.
"Why didn't you tell me?" tanong niya. Tumagilid siya ng higa. Facing me.
"Because I wasn't sure if what I was seeing back then is real or just a hallucination" sagot ko naman sakanya.
"I didn't saw her face though because I am busy watching Pyrrhos' reaction that time. He looks shocked" aniya. She's right. Pyrrhos' reaction that time is beyond shock.
"Maybe because I look like her" napaupo siya sa sinabi ko.
"What?" gulat na tanong niya.
"I wasn't sure at first but Pyrrhos confirms it earlier that I look like her" sagot ko sakanya.
"But his reaction is beyond that, there's something behind it" naguguluhan niyang sabi. So hindi lang ako ang napapaisip sa reaksyong yun ni Pyrrhos, pati rin siya. There's definitely going on in that head of his right now.
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