Immortal City

Chapter 22

Chapter 22
This Is Our Choice

I can't move.

Amidst the throbbing of my chest and my lungs screaming for air, I can't feel anything. Except for the fact that I feel weak lying on a bed.

I remember now.

Noong gabi na nakita ko si Sir Takano na pumatay, natatandaan ko na. I remember the horror of it. How I was supposedly dead by now instead of that... that Eye Hunter.

I can't imagine how it's possible to forget such a thing. But of course, defining impossible would be aimless now. For there are things that I never thought could exist, exists. Like how Miss Yajima wiped traces of my memories away. She was supposed to make me forget about Eye Hunters. About the underground that was hidden from us.

Yet why am I here?

Kung gusto nilang makalimutan ko ang lugar na 'to, bakit nandito ako ngayon?

"What happened?" I ask. Despite my effort to sound normal, my voice still comes out shaky.

"Hinimatay ka," Luna replies, trying to hide the worry on her face. "Noong pauwi na tayo, bigla ka nalang tumigil at napahawak sa ulo mo. You were muttering something, shouting things we couldn't understand. You were obviously in pain and we didn't know what to do. Tinatawag ka namin ni Zairus pero parang hindi mo kami naririnig. Takot na takot ako, Celestine. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari sa'yo. Kaya tinawagan ni Zairus si Sir Takano. Then you passed out."

Ramdam ko ang takot ni Luna habang nagpapaliwanag siya at hindi ko mapigilang mainis sa sarili ko dahil tinakot ko siya ng sobra dahil sa nangyari sa'kin. This is all my fault. Pero nanatili siyang nasa tabi ko. Hindi pinapakita ang takot sa mukha niya. Pinipigilan ang nangingilid na luha sa mga mata niya. Matapang niya akong sinamahan dito kahit na hindi niya alam ang mga nangyayari. Despite everything, she's brave.

I don't have the right to be weak.

I scan the place as much as my stiff neck can offer. Nasa loob kami ng isang puting kwarto. Not necessarily white, but everything inside is a shade of white with only a blue light in the middle of the wall, horizontally surrounding the entire room. Luna is beside my bed and Sir Takano is sitting across in front of me. That's when I notice I'm missing someone.

"Nasaan si Zairus?" tanong ko.

"Umuwi siya sa bahay niyo," sagot ni Luna. "Ayaw pa nga niyang iwan ka rito pero kailangan niyang umuwi para magdahilan sa Mama mo. Babalik din siya kaya 'wag kang mag-alala."

Hindi na ako nagsalita at napuno ng katahimikan ang kwarto. Sinubukan ko na 'wag nalang pansinin ang tingin ni Sir Takano pero hindi ko na natiis ang kanina pa niyang pagbabantay sa bawat galaw ko.

"Would you care to explain what is happening?" sabi ko at nakita ko ang pag-angat ng tingin ni Sir Takano.

Hindi siya nagsalita. But I know that he's trying to come up with something. This is the first time I see him lost for words.

"I've given you the pleasure of ignorance," I tell him. "We all have. But you can't hide everything. You owe me answers."

Biglang bumukas ang pintuan bago pa man makasagot si Sir Takano at pumasok ang isang babae kasunod ang isa pa na naka-lab coat.

"That's why I told you not to be reckless, Ryuu. Look what you got. A clueless girl seeking answers she thinks could solve everything," sabi ni Miss Yajima at nginitian ako. "How nice to see two of my students here," sarcastic niyang sabi.