Philautia

Chapter 23: Deal with a demon

"The current leader of the cult is in love with Hansel that's why the Sanguinosa won't harm him intentionally unless they want to die of course." her tone changed. It sounded pissed off.

I couldn't talk at all. I kept on staring at her from head to foot. She looks the same as if time never passed her all along.

"Kung gusto niyong makaalis dito nang buhay, makinig kayong mabuti sa sasabihin ko."

All of us turned to her to listen.

"Kaunting lakad mula dito ay mararating niyo ang sikretong daungan ng bangka paalis mula sa isla na ito."

"Ito ang mapa papunta sa lugar na iyon. You have to be at that place at exactly 3:00 am. If you're late, you won't be able to get out of this place."

I turned to the watch on my wrist. 12:30 am. We still have 2 hours and 30 mins before the call time.

"We still have two and a half hours! Can't we do something about my brother?!" Honey's tone raised.

"Sinabi nang huwag kang maingay! Bakit ba ang kulit mo?!" Artemis pushed her hard on the wall.

"Artemis/Lorraine!" magkaiba naming tugon ni Claude.

Tila naman natauhan si Artemis sa nagawa niya at agad na humakbang palayo. Claude, who was worried, on the other hand, caged Honey on his arms. The young girl was in shock after what happened. And so was me and the others.

Stanley slightly pulled me into him and whispered, "I think your cousin is being weird, Aya."

I don't want to say this but he's right. Artemis was never the violent type. And I saw her face while she did that to Honey. Her face was full of rage.

She couldn't be mad just because Honey keeps on insisting to save her brother, could she?

Or was it because of the trauma she experienced after living here for a couple of years?

"Dito nanggaling yung ingay! Sigurado akong nandito sila!" isang tinig mula sa labas ng pinto ang narinig naming lahat.

"Sinabi na kasing huwag maingay! Nahanap tuloy nila tayo dahil sayong tangang babae ka!" gitil na gitil si Artemis at halos magdugo na ang daliri niya sa diin ng pagkakagat niya dito dahil sa inis.

Another first that I see from her.

The guys moved in front, covering us. Trying to shield us from our enemies that are supposed to open up the door any moment by now but then...smoke suddenly filled the entire room. And before we knew it, all of us were breathing hard already.

"Don't inhale it! It's a sleeping gas!" Stanley managed to talk despite having a hitched breath.

But it was too late. Masyado nang mabigat ang talukap ng mga mata ako. The last thing I saw was Artemis standing up like nothing happened. 

She didn't look scared or anything. If there was any feeling visible in her face then that would be the annoyance flashing through her eyes right now.

And then I couldn't take it anymore. My eyes closed down and I drifted to sleep.

I woke up with the feeling of being tied up—just to see myself lying on an elevated stone. One similar to those you can see in movies upon sacrificing something or someone. My arms and legs were chained making it hard for me to move.

And it's not just that, my clothes were changed. I was now wearing a white dress—barefooted.

Pinagpawisan ako ng malamig. Alam kong sa oras na to ay nanganganib ang buhay ko.

"Sa wakas gising na din ang munting alay natin."

Pakiramdam ko tuluyan akong naparalisa matapos marinig ang boses na yon. Nanginginig akong lumingon para makita ang taong nagmamay ari sa boses.

"Artemis..."  my voice broke.

"Asan ang mga kasama ko?"

"Ah sila ba? Huwag kang mag alala mahal kong pinsan. Makikita mo rin sila mamaya...kapag patay ka na." tumawa siya na parang isang baliw.

"Consider this as an honor. You'll be sacrificed to one of the demon princes and I will personally stab you with this knife and take your heart, dear cousin."

Mas lalo akong natakot matapos makita ang hawak niyang kutsilyo.

"Bakit? Bakit mo ginagawa to? Pumunta kami dito para iligtas ka! Kayo ni Hansel pero ano tong ginagawa mo?" I shrieked in horror.

"Anong gusto mo? Matuwa ako?" she asked in a mocking tone. "Sinakripisyo ko noon sa demonyo ang tagapagmana ng Velez para makasama si Hansel. Kaya bakit ako matutuwa kung sinusubukan niyong paghiwalayin kami ng lalaking mahal ko?"

Ano? Sinakripisyo?

"Handa pa naman sana akong huwag kayong patayin kung aalis kayo ng tahimik at lulubayan kami dito kaya lang tanga din kasi ang kapatid ng mahal ko. Kung marunong lang sana tumahimik ang babaeng yon, hindi tayo hahantong sa ganito." she scoffed.

"Nakita na nila kayo, hindi ko na kayo puwedeng iligtas dahil doon." she continued, smiling. "Nauna lang ng kaunti ang mga kasama mo. Pero mamaya lang susunod ka na din sa kanila, Aya."

"Hindi na kita maintindihan! Ano bang pinagsasabi mo? Anong nangyari sayo, Artemis?"

I was scared and confused as hell.

"Hindi mo pa rin ba maintindihan? Ang tanga mo naman, Aya." she shook her head in dismay.

"I made a deal with the demon in order to get Hansel's love. Ako ang pinuno ng Sanguinosa at hindi ko hahayaang sirain niyo ang mga pinaghirapan ko."

She's what?

Ang tanga ko. 

Ang tanga tanga ko. Akala ko matutuwa siya. Akala ko matutuwa si Artemis at mananabik kapag nagkita kami uli.

Ibang tao na siya ngayon.

Ibang iba sa mapagmahal at mapag-alagang pinsan...at matalik kong kaibigan noon.

Ngayon, naiintindihan ko na ang dahilan ng kakaibang kilos ni Hansel. Sana nakinig na lang kami sa kanya. Kung nakinig lang sana kami ay hindi mangyayari ito.

Hindi mamamatay sina Stanley at hindi ako maiiwan magisa sa kamay ng pinsan kong mukhang tinakasan na ng bait ngayon.