Dead Reckoning - A Gregorio del Pilar x Reader story

XXVI - Liberosis

He mumbles something under his breath before he ushers me inside his house. He didn't ask me for anything but offers me some tea that had been on the coffeetable as if he'd been expecting a guest to arrive and share the drink with him. After placing a served tea close to me, he speaks, eyes forlorn, "I was thinking kailan ka bibisita. Di ko lang ineexpect na it would be this soon. Perhaps, mas mahirap ng itago ang ibang bagay—katotohanan—mula sa iyo."

I remain quiet, not even having any interest of the tea but with an assurance that the disc could be made.

He looks at me, continuing, "Naalala mo yung libro na nakita mo dati? Noong tinatanong mo if pwede mo hiramin? Hindi talaga iyon sa akin. Kay Izzy iyon. Well, si Izzy yung game creator. Revolución Filipina: Ang Batang Heneral and una niyang laro. Nasundan lang ng iba pang part ng series. Na-tratransport ka sa game world, di ba? Yung mangga yung susi to leave and enter."

"So, alam mo yung tungkol doon?!" I slap my hands onto the table, him unflinched by my actions. "Alam mo rin na lately... nailalagay ako sa mga mapapanganib na sitwasyon kapag bumabalik ako. Madalas, nasa lugar kung nasaan ang mga kalaban." I stare at him and almost whisper, "Gaya noong huli. Hindi dahil nandoon si Goyo..."

"We're increasing the game's difficulty," he explains. "The game, despite being in a disc, continues being updated online so that no one could leak any walkthrough on how to solve every stage. Furthermore, hindi namin kasalanan if napagtritripan mo bumalik sa mga panahon na magkakaroon ng gera."

I sigh heavily, calming myself. "Okay. 'Wag na natin pag-usapan ito ngayon." I fetch the disc from my bag and shows it to him. "Look at this disc. Magagawan ba ito ng paraan?"

He doesn't appear amuse and looks at the disc with disdain. "Anong nangyari?"

"'Wag mo na tanungin. Just... Just tell me kung posible pa bang maiayos ito."

Gregory reaches out for the disc and inspects it as some sort of an IT. "Possible siya ma-repair. As I've said, the game is still played with the internet. However, yung ibang part ng progress na naka-store sa disc, some important parts na somehow had changed the default of the game... hindi natin iyon marerecover."

"Part of the progress?"

"Individual relationships. Yung friendship or whatsoever. Of course, they'll still recognize you as a comrade. Sila Goyo, I mean. Pero, if you've developed a relationship na mas deeper than that knowledge... then, yun yung part na nawala. Whatever memory na mayroon kayo, which is supposed to be not part of the game... Yeah, basically yung mga yun. Goyo will still remain as a General of President Aguinaldo. He'll still fight for him throughout the Philippine-American War, and soon, he'll be heading to where everything is meant to end. Lahat-lahat susunod as per the game was set," he explains as slowly as possible. "You've already been recognized by the game as an inessential character."

"I-Ibig sabihin... lahat ng progress ko, hindi na marerecover? Wala ng ibang paraan?" I am starting to feel hopeless with this case.

Gregory shakes his head. "Unless, restart the game. Tapos ulitin mo lahat-lahat."

I gulp in hard and nod slowly. "Naiintindihan ko. Thank you, Gregory."

# # #

After a few minutes, I take my leave without pushing him for more. I decide to walk back home, wondering what will my mother tell me. But I realize that I don't care about it anymore. I've been flooded with memories that happened in the game, as well as wonders about countless what ifs. The knowledge that I am starting to understand everything going on inside his heart, the easier for me to make him the hero he deserves... it pains me thinking that everything I've done to divert him away from the darkness will just be erased that easily.

What pains me the most is the fact that... Hindi ko man lang nasabi sa kanya...

# # #

Few days passed and I start having nightmares of every what if possible. On the first few nights, I dream of the game ending with Goyo's death. Nights passed that the way of him dying changes, from one sudden death to a very gruesome one. The next nights, I dream of the possibilities of how about if I've been there and the disc was never destroyed. Every dream, I always wake up in cold sweat.

One usual weekend, as I was cleaning and organizing my things, I found the necklace that had been with me since that time that I've been shot and returned to this world. The ring on it is one you'll find to resemble some college ring with its huge warm amber topaz stone. I remember seeing Goyo wearing one ring as this, along with another golden ring. I guess that this is bound to be the last memory I'll be having from him now that there is no way that I'll be able to return to the game like everything remains the same.

Only now that I do have the chance to inspect the ring closely. And when I do, I notice the light catching something from the inside of the ring. Looking much more closely, I realize that there's something engraved on it. Words that almost stop me and make me tear-up.

"Everything reminds me of you."

Yes. English. But surely, there's no reason for Goyo to just give this to me. There has to be something. And if ever he truly gives this to me, he knows that there's something written inside. Something as that.

I hurriedly leave the house and head straight to meet Gregory. He was surprised to find me stopping his car from exiting their gates. Visible shock could be seen on his face when he asks, "(Y/N)? Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

"Gregory, please! Kailangan mo ko tulungan," I tell him, exasperated. "Help me fix the disc!"

Some sort of shock crosses his expression. A few second later, he smiles warmly and tells me, "Okay. Bigyan mo ako ng tatlong araw. I'll fix it for you, (Y/N)."

* * *

A/N: Follow me on twitter @23meraki  for more updates. ;)

*A/N: Listen to songs like Radioactive, Do You Hear the People Sing?, This is War, and Viva La Vida. The Filipino in us need to hear songs like these. Remember, productivity is produced by a healthy competition. Imagine PAL without CebuPacific and AirAsia; imagine Jollibee without Mcdo; and imagine a lone candidate for presidency. Now, imagine GMA without ABS-CBN. This should not happen in the midst of a pandemic. ABS-CBN has its flaws, I know, but don't flaunt to me that "no one is above the law", and yet there's a clown senator who've compromised safety and a woman who went against the order of no mass gathering. Also, don't flaunt to me that "November Tango Charlie" said that the "franchise is a privilege". Privilege, my ass. They are also responsible for the issuance of Radio License, which is, like a driver's license, is a privilege. And yet, hands questionnaires with answers. I don't think that it is how privilege must be given. Understand that corruption is at the core. Election 2016 is a mistake.

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