A Happily Ever After

Chapter Eight

Good thing ay walang pasikot sikot ang tunnel na ito at dirediretsyo lamang kami. Tahimik lang kaming dalawa, habang ang tanging yabag at paghinga namin ang pumupuno sa katahimikan.

Without moving my head, I slowly directed my gaze to Navarro, who is focused on the path in front of us. Talaga 'ngang gwapo si Allvais, ano? Lalo na hindi naman kagandahan ang ilaw dito ngayon, so the warm firelight's shadows had enhanced the strong features of his face, from the shape of his nose, to the hoist of his cheekbones and his chiseled chin.

And it's kind of disorienting to think that this is Stefan Navarro.. The guy I used to have a crush on for years.. Is here, with me, in this strange world, in this weird situation. Maybe if we are not in danger, or maybe if we are not in need to escape from something, I would have collapsed from panic. I never imagined that I would be walking in a narrow tunnel with him.

Allvais is very different from Navarro's actual face.. But it's totally perplexing to see a glimpse of his real appearance under Allvais' presence. Hindi ko maintindihan, sa mata niya ba iyon? Sa pamilyar na mga mannerisms? O sa pakiramdam ng presensiya niya na matagal ko nang nakabisado?

I developed a huge crush on him, strong enough to recognize him even in a different body.

Uminit naman ang parehas kong tenga sa naisip ko. I mentally slapped myself in the head. Umayos ka nga, Jessa! Halos nasa panganib na 'nga kayo, kung ano ano pa naiisip mo!

Yet the silence grew uncomfortable, it's like weighing down on my shoulders already as we walked. So I took a deep breath, and called out to him. "Navarro?"

"Hmm??"

"Do you have any idea what is going on?"

Another beat of silence. Kumuha siya ng malalim na hininga, which sounded sharp in this closed space. "Ayaw ko itong sabihin ulit pero.. Wala talaga akong ideya.."

"Ang alam ko nalang eh 'yung ilaw sa libro ko.. What if mundo pala ito ng libro ko? The Blood of the Dragon?"

Biglang tumigil si Navarro sa paglalakad at tinignan lang ako. His eyes are wide open and seems to struggle to find his next words. "Holy shit," sabi niya. "That's impossible."

"We're literally in the bodies of somebody else, ano pa 'bang imposible sa iyo?"

Hindi siya kumibo muna at napabuntong hininga nalang. Then he continued his pace and I followed. "'Yun lang ang explanation na meron tayo ngayon. 'Yung iba din nating groupmates, sila Castillo. We need to find them immediately." He said.

Hindi ko na tuloy ma-imagine kung paano nalang ang kondisyon ko ngayon kung hindi namin nahanap ni Navarro ang isa't isa. Hell, I wouldn't probably even think of escaping if he wasn't here. Being with him tonight flares an unexplainable energy in me, driving me to be slightly brave.

Ano na kaya ang kalagayan ng iba naming ka-grupo? Nahanap na rin 'ba nila ang isa't isa?

Tumango tango naman ako habang patuloy lang sa paglalakad. "We will find them." I nodded more to myself. Navarro nodded too. "I believe we'll find each other eventually."

BANG!

Parehas kaming napatalon sa gulat sa narinig. Para 'bang isang mabigat na bagay ang hinampas sa pader. The tunnel's walls trembled from the impact, showering us with small dust particles plummeting from the ceiling.

"Galing ba 'yon sa pader na pinag-lusutan natin kanina?" He asked.

"No way," I whispered. Hinawakan ko na ang harapan ng magarbo skirt ng gown ko. My heart began to pound in my chest, and the temperature dropped so quickly that I shivered. But I gulped and shook my head. "Hindi.. Hindi nila dapat alam 'tong lugar na 'to—"