Shipwrecked Hearts

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Sabay kaming tumungo ni Maximo sa dining hall, agad namang naglapag ng mga pagkain ang mga kasambahay at saka tumambay sa gilid. "You're unusually quiet. Is there something wrong, Starfish?"

I looked at Maximo and smiled, "I'm just curious about what Joziah said." His words played in my head—a rare gift, that's what I have. And it's not only me. Nick can accurately tell the exact distance of things using his sight. Maximo can see clearly things from afar without using a telescope, Mermaid can sing and hypnotize, and I can smell the weather, whether it'd rain or not. Pinag-isipan ko nang mabuti ang lahat ng ito at napagtanto na lahat ng ito ay konektado sa isang sense. Maximo and Nick use eyes appealing to seeing, Mermaid uses her voice appealing to hearing, and I use smell.

By any chance, is the sixth sense an enhanced sense?

"What did Joziah say?" Maximo asked, putting me back to reality.

"Something about me having a rare gift."

"What do you say about it?" Tugon nito. He seems to be interested on what is going on my mind apparently. Pinag-isipan ko naman nang mabuti ang kan'yang sinabi.

"I don't know. I'm confused. You said something about the sixth sense, what is it?" Tanong ko.

"Well, the sixth sense is a genetic mutation caused by crossing the boundaries drawn by Science, that's what it is. This rare gift, it's more like magic, a curse, you can call it what you want."

"Do you know something about this? I mean, about the cause of this genetic mutation."

Humugot nang malalim na hininga si Maximo, tila nagdadalawang-isip kung sasagutin ba niya ang tanong ko o hindi. "Well, what I'll say to you might change your perception of the world."

"My perception has been changed long before. Don't worry, I'm open-minded. Handa ako lagi para sa kung ano man ang dapat malaman." Sagot ko, but do I really feel that? I might eat my own words later on. "I mean, the old Akira Kara is dead, she's now Kira Renaissance, remember?"

"That's just by name, technically. You can't change overnight, y'know." Maximo spilled the truth like it was for the best rather than feeding me with my lies. He wasn't a pushover. He was just being honest and considerate. "Okay, so here goes nothing..." binaba ni Maximo ang eating utensils niya at tinignan ako nang mataman, "In vitro fertilization, have you ever heard of it?"

I nodded.

"Apparently, that's how you came to be. You weren't naturally conceived, your mother is actually not your actual mother, but Science itself. Science has brought you to life. Well, it is not only you. There are others out there like me."

Hindi ako umimik. I processed the information but nothing was sinking in. What the hell is he saying?!

"Should I continue?" He asked, worried.

I nodded, trying to keep it together. "Two decades ago, there was a mad genius named Excel who created a formula. This formula contains specific content that causes an enhancement on the senses. She used fertile cells as a medium, but since the formula cannot be mixed naturally, the in vitro fertilization comes in."

Tinago ko ang aking kamay sa ilalim ng mesa at kinuyom ito.

"And since it was a top secret experiment that can lead to a new generation of humans with enhanced senses, she carefully chosen those she knows will help her and keep confidentiality. She chose infertile couples, powerful couples seeking for a perfect child, idealistic romanticists, and others. I think your parents fall for the second." Aniya. "Apparently, Mermaid is the last creation of Excel and I saved her from being auctioned. I've tried to search for her but all traces of her were gone, as if she never existed."

"How did you know all of this?" Tanong ko.

"My parents told me." Maximo blurted out. That's when I realized he never talked about his parents. I know nothing about his family background. Where are his parents? I mean, they're not around the palace. I should have had met them before if they were here. "Nagtataka ka ba kung nasaan sila?" I nodded. "They were killed by the leader of Sea Brigands."

I gasped. "I'm so sorry to hear that."

He gave a faint nod, "it's okay." He managed a smile. "So, that's all I know. Ever since I found out about you having the ability to sense the weather through smelling, I've already had my guts telling me you're like me, I wanted to tell you even before, but since there were a lot of things happening around, I never got the chance to do so."

Hinawakan ko ang kan'yang kamay, "I understand." I smiled at him as a sign of assurance. Tila mas lalo kong kinamuhian sina papa at mama.

"You said all traces of Excel were gone, right?"

He nodded.

"Well, you're wrong." Sagot ko. "We are one of the remaining traces of her, and there is something we have that connects her, our parents." Saad ko. "My parents, they're still alive." I want to confront them and tell them I know their dirty secret—how I came to be. Tila bumigat ang dibdib ko nang maisip ko sila muli at doon na kinutuban nang masama. "Wait, Maximo, do you know where Nick's parents are?"

"His parents are dead. Died in a shipwreck."

"How about Mermaid's parents?"

"I made a background check and found out that her parents are dead, too. They were murdered when she was still a baby. She doesn't know about this of course."

Doon na ako naghinala. I put all the connection down. It felt like what was actually happening didn't matter anymore. Because of this gut feeling. I suddenly suspected... that... that perhaps, the life of my parents is in danger. Too.