It was the first time I look into someone's eyes and didn't see any images from their minds. Aedh was one of Project Malthus' masterminds pero bakit wala akong makitang kamukha niya sa Elders sa Xintara? 08 looked like Glade Webber and so did the others looked like the men from the video I saw on that island but none of them had eyes like Aedh.
"I've always wanted to meet you but I couldn't find a chance kahit na lagi mong kasama si Eris. The head of Hexagon knows what I look like but doesn't know I still exist so I had to hide," nginitian niya ako at nag-aya na pumasok.
Pumunta kami sa pantry pero iniwan kami ni Nathan at Ahmed kaya mas nakaramdam ako ng intimidation mula kay Aedh, hindi dahil sa kung paano niya ako tignan o kung gaano siya katahimik nang maiwan kaming dalawa. Parang alam ko kung ano ang iniisip niya pero hindi ko ma-point out kung ano.
"Do you still drink coffee?" Tanong niya at dumiretso sa coffeemaker. Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi n'ya. Still?
"Oo," sagot ko na lang.
"Do you love it to the point you'll go crazy when you don't drink it?" Umiling ako.
"Hindi pa ako gano'n addicted sa kape," mahina siyang tumawa at binigay sa akin ang ginawa niyang kape.
"You know, Raena once told me about her first encounter with Glade. They both ordered black coffee with no sugar," he laughed again, "like their damn souls."
"Um, who's Raena?" Gulong tanong ko. Kumunot ang noo niya sa tanong ko.
"You don't know who Raena is?" Nagbago agad ang tono niya.
"What has Eris been teaching you? Or even back at Xintara? Walang sinasabi sa'yo sila Glade?" Hindi na intimidation ang nararamdaman ko sa kanya, napalitan na ito ng pagkagulo.
"Glade's the man in the video, right? I know him pero hindi ko pa siya nakikita," agad pumasok sa isip ko si Casimir, "Kung isa siya sa First Elders, matagal na silang wala. Si Casimir lang ang tanging nakakita sa kanila and that's been 50 or 60 years ago," Lumabas ang malutong na mura sa bibig niya, isang bagay na hindi ko inaasahan mula sa mastermind ng Project Malthus.
"50 years ago? Seriously?" He laughed almost like a maniac and muttered some curses. "What's with these two fucking brothers messing up with the damned timelines?" Parehas na kaming gulong-gulo na sa kung ano man ang nangyayari.
"So you haven't seen Glade, Volos, or anyone from Project Malthus in Xintara?" Agad akong umiling. Ang alam niya ba hanggang ngayon meron pa rin ang mga taong nabanggit niya?
"Then do you know what happened to them?" Umiling ako ulit.
"If you want answers you have to ask Casimir, siya lang ang nakakilala sa kanila." Nagmura siya ulit at napahawak sa sentido niya.
"This Casimir guy... he's your other half, right?" Sumama bigla ang timpla ko sa term na ginamit niya.
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CSMR: Data Unknown
Science FictionProject Malthus #2 COMPLETE (EDITING) Who said Project Malthus was the only virtual reality made to save humanity? Waking up to a strange place, Irya Morniz finds herself meeting strange people. A lord of an unknown place took a liking to her and a...
