Clandestine (Erityian Tribes Novella, #6)

19 : Visitor

She wanted to get closer to her mother, even after her death, and tell her stories. She wanted to spend more time with her through visiting her grave.

Bigla namang kumunot ang noo niya at napatingin sa direksyon kung nasaan si Kid. I panicked when he turned his head to our direction, but I knew this would happen sooner or later.

"A-A Shinigami—"

"Don't worry," I said. "He's not an enemy."

There was a confused look on her face but she didn't ask any questions anymore. Naglakad naman siya patungo sa amin habang nakatitig pa rin si Rainie sa kanya. There were a few seconds of silence between them. I couldn't read his thoughts nor his expression but it seemed like he was recalling memories from years ago as he stared at her.

He gave him a gentle smile and a pat on her head. "Live well, kid," he said. "Even if it's hard, live for a long time."

She was silent for several seconds until she asked him a question. "Are you . . . are you my mother's friend?"

Ilang sandal rin siyang natahimik pero muli siyang ngumiti. "I am."

Rainie remained silent as she tried to process what was going on. Tumalikod naman si Kid at nagsimulang maglakad palayo. A smile escaped my lips as I recalled how he didn't want to use that term before. Nagulat naman ako nang bigla kong narinig ang boses niya sa isip ko.

'I'll be going,' he said. 'If you miss me, you know where to find me.'

I scoffed at his remark. 'Ha. Don't worry, I won't.'

He chuckled. 'Liar.'

'But take better care of yourself. You're not young anymore.'

'You, too.' He opened the Black Dimension from a distance. 'And see you soon.'

As soon as he stepped inside the Black Dimension, Rainie started asking questions but I just smiled at her and told her to keep everything that happened a secret. In exchange, I would train her in combat fighting. In the end, she agreed because she thought she was still behind when it comes to fighting techniques and she wanted to learn everything so she could protect her friends and her father.

The thought of her protecting Hideo was kind of funny because he was literally one of the strongest fighters here, but it was also cute. Sinundan ko na lang siya ng tingin habang naglalakad papunta kay Akemi.

Don't worry, I thought while looking at her grave from a distance. Your daughter is living her life well. I hope you are at peace now . . . Rielle.

***

"Wow," Naomi blurted out. "You've got a lot of weapons."

Nandito kami ngayon sa sarili kong storage room sa armory. Naomi said she wanted to get back her senses in fighting. Of course, she wouldn't give up her fan but I thought it would be better to have additional weapons.

I recommended emeici, a sharp metal rod used for stabbing, mounted on rings that could be worn on the fingers. Naomi always had the grace even when fighting so I thought this weapon would be the best option for her when it comes to short-range distance.

"Saan tayo?" tanong niya.

"Forest, of course."

It had been almost a year since the war happened. She had a part-time job as a lecturer this semester and when I asked why she didn't want to be a permanent professor, she said she still wanted time for missions.