His Last Chat Was Goodnight

CHAPTER 13: SHE'S DEAD

                                                                                    ~SYPH'S POV~
        Ano kaya ang nangyari kay Max at naging sugatan yung kamao niya? It's either nakipag-suntukan siya sa isang tao o sinuntok niya yung pader. Wala na ba akong pwedeng gawin dito. Wala naman akong gadget tapos wala rin akong mga libro. Ahy, teka nga... Pumunta ako sa closet kase parang may nakita akong kahon doon eh. At meron nga... Kinuha ko yung kahon na yun tapos pagbukas ko nito, puno ito ng mga libro. Yung mga libro na hindi ko pa binabasa... Inakala ko na galing kay Sky ang mga ito pero may nakita akong Harry Potter doon. Kinuha ko ito, pucha yung buong bookset pala to. Napansin ko yung papel na nakipit dito kaya binasa ko yun.

Persephone,

            Ito na yung pinangako kong bookset na bibilhin ko para sayo. Enjoy reading these,                          potterhead...

                                                                                                                               -Maximillian

Si Max ang nagbigay nito? He was right... Noon kase, sinamahan niya akong bumili ng libro tapos napansin niya na tinitignan ko yung mga Harry Potter books. Tinanong niya ako kung gusto ko yun tapos sumagot ako ng oo. Tinanong niya ulit kung bakit di ko bilhin tapos sinabi ko na mag-iipon muna ako. And he promised me na bibilhan niya ako. He kept it... he kept his promise.

Kinuha ko yung bookset tapos binasa yung unang libro. Thank you, Max. Thank you for keeping one of your promises...

                                                                                    ~JAYDEN'S POV~
          It's been a week since Persephone was kidnapped at di pa nila ma-trace kung saan nila dinala si Syph... I was so angry at myself kase di ko siya nailigtas. I always treated her as my baby sister and I even swore to protect her. Pero tignan mo ako ngayon, na-proproblemahan kung saan nila siya dinala.

         Naka-upo ako sa living room nang umupo si Clementine sa tabi ko.
"Hey." sabi niya tapos iniabot sa'kin yung kape.
"à quoi penses-tu ? (What are you thinking about?)" tanong niya sa'kin.
"It's Persephone." malungkot na sagot ko.

She breathed and sighed.

"I miss her. I miss her so much." dagdag ko. She cupped my cheeks as I faced her.

"I know, love. I miss her too." sabi niya and she pulled me in for a hug.

                                                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
       2 days passed at di pa rin nila nahanap si Persephone. Unti-unti na akong nawawalan ng pag-asa. I miss my little sister. Sa bawat araw na lumilipas, nawawalan ako ng pag-asa. Pero alam kong mahahanap rin nila si Syph. Di pwedeng di niya makita yung anak namin ni Clementine, di pwedeng wala siya sa kasal namin, at lalong di pwede na lalaki yung anak kong walang alam kung sino ang dahilan kung paano ko nakilala si Tine. 

        A week passed tapos may tumawag sa'min galing sa agency.
"Agent Lucas?" sabi ng babae sa kabilang linya.
"They want you here at USIA." dagdag niya saka pinatay yung tawag.
Dumiretso ako sa agency at pumasok sa lab kung nasaan yung mga head agent na humahawak sa kaso ni Mr. Carlos. Hindi ko na isinama si Clementine kase ayokong mai-stress siya at baka malaglag pa yung anak namin.

When I opened the laboratory doors and went inside my heart dropped. Nakababa lahat ng ulo ng mga head agent tapos may sunog na katawan sa mesa. Linapitan ko ang sunog na katawan, hoping that it wasn't Persephone.

Nang malapitan ko ito, nakita ko yung suitcase ni Persephone na halos sunog na rin. Yung baril niya tapos yung BC-41 niya. Kinuha ko yung kutsilyo na nag-melt dahil sa sunog. Napansin ko yung simbolo ng Virgo. Kay Syph ang mga bagay na ito... Tinignan ko yung sunog na katawan and it was horrendous. Most of the skin were burnt and you could see how the bones were charred too.

Tinignan ko si Head Agent Avery. Ibinigay niya sa'kin yung mga jewelry na suot ni Persephone sa misyon. Yung necklace at singsing... 
"Tell me that this isn't her." sabi ko sa kanila sabay turo sa sunog na katawan. Umiyak si H. A. Avery tapos lumapit sa'kin si H.A. Caerulus. Tinapik niya ako sa balikat habang luhang-luha na siya.
"Sabihin mo sa'kin na hindi siya to." ulit ko kay Head Agent Caerulus. Di siya umimik at binaba ang ulo niya.

"This isn't her, right?" tanong ko sa mga ibang agent na kasama namin. Binaba nila yung mga ulo nila.
"No, this isn't her... this can't be her." sabi ko na naluluha na.
"Please do a DNA test. Diba pwede naman yun?" tanong ko sa kanila.
"It's impossible to take DNA out of charred bones, Jayden." sagot nila sa'kin.
"Sunog na sunog yan." dagdag nila.
"Baka ibang tao to. Did you check if there..." di ko natapos yung sinasabi ko nang biglang sumalpot si Head Agent Amescua.
"That is her, Jayden. No people reported of someone missing." sagot niya sa'kin.
"And by the looks of that, it seems that it's left there for 8 days. The same amount of days ever since Syph went missing that night." dagdag niya.

Napaluhod ako tapos humagulgol sa pag-iyak. I shouted and screamed in pain and anger. I blamed myself for her sudden death. Di ko siya naitakas noong gabing iyon. Kung nailigtas ko siya noon, sana buhay pa siya ngayon. I kept crying as Head Agent Avery hugged me. Umiiyak kaming lahat sa pagkamatay niya.
"Uggghhhh..." I shouted as I punched the floor out of anger. Inawat ako ni Head Agent Bellerose tapos sinubukan nila akong pinatayo but I just kept falling. Persephone...

                                                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          The other head agents planned to cremate the burnt body but I said no. We ended up mummifying her body and putting it in a closed casket. Sa burial niya, umiiyak nang sobra si Clementine at di ko naman siya mapigilan because just like me, she saw Syph as her sister.
"Today, August 29, an incredible woman was born. But none of us ever thought that she'd also be buried on this day. One of her happiest days, became our saddest. Our dear Persephone Ariah Salerno, was indeed an incredible woman. She was not just smart, but also beautiful and kind. In fact, she's one of the best women I met. I saw her as one of my daughters..." Head Agent Caerulus said as he delivered his speech.

Nang matapos na siya, tinawagan niya ako para ako naman ang mag-deliver ng speech para kay Syph. I breathed deeply as I looked at the closed casket.
"Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen for coming here and witnessing Syph's burial." I started, ready to cry again.

"When I first met Persephone, I thought she was rude and bratty but the truth was opposite to what I thought. She was my best friend and I saw her as my little sister. She was my best partner and she was the one who brought me the love of my life, Clementine." sabi ko as I reached out my palm towards Clementine's direction.-"Persephone was basically the perfect little sister but you can't always refer to her as little. Because, she was brave, independent, and fearless. Persephone was indeed a warrior. There are times when she tripped over and fell down but she always found a way to stand up with clenched fists and fight again." dagdag ko. Iiyak na sana ako kaso nakita ko si Clementine na naka-ngiti sa'kin.

"This is her last fight and her last fall because she didn't manage to stand up again. I didn't even get to see her one last time. She didn't get to see my future child and she won't be there to witness me say my vows to Clementine. This should've been a happy day for her and for us but it became our saddest day ever because we lost a warrior, a beautiful and kind warrior." sabi ko tapos tumingin ulit ako sa closed casket nang di nailalayo ang mukha sa mikropono.

"I love you, little sis. I always will, little warrior." I said, ending my speech.

Linapitan ko ang casket habang lumuluha ng sobra. I kissed the tip of my fingers and touched it.
"I will miss you, little warrior." bulong ko tapos bumalik sa aking upuan. Clementine noticed that I was crying so she hugged me tight.

We buried Persephone with a medal and a golden ring symbolizing that she was a golden warrior. Umuwi akong luhang-luha at talong-talo. 

Fate defeated me again... I'm sorry, Persephone. Big brother couldn't save you this time... But you'll still be my warrior...