Rewind (Erityian Tribes Novella, #2)

09 - Books

Nilihis naman niya kaagad ang topic at napunta ang usapan namin sa books na dinedecode namin. I actually thought of giving up because the pages we decoded aren't making any sense.

"That's it!" biglang sigaw ni Akemi kaya napatingin ako sa kanya.

"What's it?"

"It's like what you said. Something's missing with this book. Si Demi ang kumuha ng librong 'to sa restricted section. I bet there's a second book or a twin book na kailangang gamitin para maintindihan ang content nito."

Pagkasabi niya no'n ay napatingin ako sa libro at mukhang tama nga siya. The paragraphs not having any significance might be because of the absence of its continuation.

"You're right. Parang pinutol talaga ang paragraphs pero kahit na na-cut ay comprehensible pa rin naman kaso walang depth."

"That means nasa restricted section ang other half ng librong 'to. But I don't think I can steal again from that room."

"Why?" Pagkatanong ko no'n ay biglang nagbago ang expression niya kaya naman nagsuggest ako. "I think I can get that book."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"You should learn from the expert," I said with confidence.

"You're a bad girl, aren't you?" she said and an idea came into my mind.

"Not as bad as you," I replied and saw some changes in her facial expression. She stiffened for a second but she immediately smirked.

"Of course. I'm the worst."

***

Hindi ko namalayang nakatulog pala ako after magdecode. Paggising ko, mag-isa na naman ako sa kwarto. Those two keep on disappearing when I'm asleep. I stood up and pulled my jacket out of the closet. Time to get that book.

Dahan-dahan akong naglakad sa hallway hanggang sa makalabas ako sa dorm. Doon ako dumaan sa likod para walang makakita sa akin, at nagstay ako sa path ng mga puno para natatakpan ako. I checked the time and it's already 2 AM.

After a few minutes ay nakarating ako sa library at dumaan ako sa bintana. Nang makapasok ako ay dumiretso agad ako sa restricted section. For sure, hindi ako kasya sa space sa taas kaya naman hinanap ko kung saan nakalagay ang susi. Naglagay muna ako ng gloves at mask para wala akong maiwang ebidensya.

I searched nearby and I ended up at the librarian's quarter. Looking through her things, I saw a vault below the table and instead of a numerical code, there's a miniboard attached to it.

What is this? I asked myself, trying to figure out the mechanism of it. I tried to search for clues but to no avail. Nothing is written on the vault and I was about to give up but when I felt something on the side of it. The surface of the vault was etched with words or figures. Tinignan ko ang side na 'yon pero wala akong makita. Mukhang sense of touch lang ang gumagana rito kaya naman pinakiramdaman ko ulit.

For a couple of minutes, I've been trying to discover the etched figures or symbols and when I realized what are those, I immediately understood its mechanism.

"So that's how it works," bulong ko sa sarili ko.

Napansin ko kasing nag-iiba-iba ang symbols na nahahawakan ko kaya hindi ko mafigure-out kung ano. Saka ko naisip na baka kaya gano'n ay dahil nag-iiba rin ang password para sa vault at nakadepende 'yon sa symbols—which is, by the way, the Erityian alphabet.

Hinawakan ko ulit ang gilid at this time, naging mabilis ang pagkilos ko dahil baka magbago na naman. Kinuha ko kaagad ang pen na nakakabit sa gilid ng vault at sinulat ang word na naramdaman ko.