Out of horror to Cara’s reaction, I stayed inside Parker’s room. Though alam nilang nasa loob ako dahil sa isang siraulong bata na sumisigaw kanina at ngayon ay nasa harap ko na.
“Mommy… Masarap ba? Masarap ba?”
Sinamaan ko nang tingin ang hinayupak na si Spencer. Palibhasa ay hindi s’ya sinasama ng mga iyon sa meeting nila kaya’t ako ang binubulabog ng isang ‘to.
“Tigilan mo ako, Spencer,” banta ko sa kanya. Saglit s’yang tumawa saka tumabi sa akin sa kama, “Nalulungkot ka ba na walang ka-edad na p’wedeng kalaro mo?” Tanong ko.
“Hindi,” direstong sagot n’ya, “Mas nakalulungkot na hindi ako kasali sa meeting.”
He pouted, making me cringed. I think I know where this is going. He was indirectly gesturing me to spy on that meeting so that he could actually know even a single glimpse of their discussion.
I roamed my eyes and noticed the ventilation attached to the ceiling, and a late realization just struck into my mind that this entire area was covered with white, scented smokes.
“Lycoris Albiflora…” I unknowingly turned to Spencer, who spoke, “You are brooding at the vent.” He looked at me as if he knew what I was thinking.
Bago umalis si Parker ay nabanggit n’ya sa akin na muli nilang pag-uusapan ang bagong formula ng Lycoris Albiflora. Kung ginagamit nila ang formula lang ito at dahil dito lumalayo sa kanila ang bozos, ibig sabihin tama ito pero may kulang o sala lamang dahilan upang mapatay nang tuluyan ang mga bozos na malalagyan nito internally.
“Mommy… Do you know that this place is the safest yet the most dangerous place for you to hide?”
I curiously looked at him, “Why?”
“Above us is the territory of the Apostles.”
Something is not right…
I unknowingly got out of Parker’s room and went to the entrance where the smokes were more visible. If I’m not mistaken, all these smokes are going up to Besodiah, and if this underground territory has been here ages ago, then this place has been erasing the residues and decontaminating the city above us.
“Hey…” I called Spencer, “Are all the people from Besodiah alive?”
Spencer blinked at me multiple times, and he was analyzing and interpreting my words carefully.
“How did you know that?”
I licked my bottom lip out of amusement. If my theory is correct then, I will need a dead bozo with a Lycoris Albiflora inserted into its body.
“Ginagawa niyong dalawa d’yan? Wala kayong magawa sa buhay niyo?” Parehas kaming napangiwi ni Spencer dahil sa biglaang pag-imik ni Peter.
At mas lalo akong napangwi nang lumabas na ang ibang kasama sa kanilang meeting room. Pamilyar ang mga mukha ng mga magulang nina Cara, Parker at Tyler sa akin kaya hindi na rin ako nagtakha kung sino sila.
With Mr. Gonzalo having the familiar face to me. I bravely pointed at him, making the others looked at me with surprise.
“I have a question for you.”
Mr. Gonzalo looked at me with a hint of an innocent smile, “Are you going to ask if my little Tyler is still available?”
“Yuck, no!” I heard Kelly laugh with my quick response, “How many Lycoris Albiflora do you still have left?”
“Two… why do you ask?”
“I can help you acquire tons of it…” I mumbled. They switched glances towards each other and looked at me as if they don’t know if I am telling the truth or not, “But I need a dead body.”
“Okay, times up sa katangahan, Amira.” Bigla na lamang akong hinampas ni Cara sa ulo saka hinigit palayo sa mga tao.
Atsaka ko na-realize ang sinabi ko, “I mean, I need a dead bozo’s body!”
“Bozo?” Dr. Ramirez curiously asked.
“Infected,” Cara answered, “Let me insert some peace of mind to this woman…”
She forcefully dragged me inside her room, making me struggle hard. Iniisip kong makipagayos sa kanya pero hindi ngayon na gumagana pa ang utak ko. Pinanlisikan ako ni Cara ng mga mata nang pinaltok n’ya sa akin ang isang puting sobre.
“I’m not blaming you… no one is…” She glared and left me alone with the note.
My hands and lips were trembling as I held Chi’s letter. The time somehow stops on ticking even the air hushed to sync with my rhythm, and my tears slowly gathered at the corner of my eyes as I slowly open the letter.
Dear Amira,
Hey, girl! I’m sorry if there are any smudge of blood in this paper because my hand is slowly transforming, and it was handcuffed by Tyler for their safety. I’m actually scared, Amira. I don’t want to die, but my body is no longer acting like mine. I really wanted to continue our adventure, and I wanted to be there when we discover the cure, but… Please, don’t you dare blame yourself once you killed me. Because this will be the last time I will be going to be stubborn, I want to see you before I could fully transform into something hideous and if you somehow killed me. Please, don’t blame yourself because I will be more than thankful because you’ve eased my pain. I love you, and I will miss you, Amira.
Love, Chi
I gasped for air as I cried in pain; not a single grown or noise escapes my lips. But the pang within is really throbbing as the flashback of our memories began to flash in my mind.
I hugged the letter as if it was her. I miss her. I miss her so much. She was my only home when I don’t have anyone else, she was my sweetest escape from the dark past I have, and yet, she still thinks my sake even though she knew she was going to die.
How can I not follow her request if she’s like this?
I felt someone hugging me from behind, “I’m not going to leave you… not again, okay?”
“Cara… Chi is… Chi…”
Pilit akong hinarap ni Cara sa kanya at malungkot s’yang ngumiti sa akin. Dahan-dahan niyang pinunasan ang mga luha sa aking mata at ginamit ang kamay ko upang ituro ang dibdib ko.
“Chi still lives in our hearts…” She smiled, making me forcefully close my eyes, “We just need to live our lives for her sake, okay?”
Her voice sounded like a lullaby that put me into slumber.
“Hey, Amira!” Dahan-dahan kong binuksan ang mga mata ko at nahagip nito ang malamlam na mukha ni Kelly.
Nagtatakha ko s’yang minata saka sinuri ang paligid, tila may inaabot siya sa akin at lihim iyong pinakikita.
“Do you know the existence of the diary your ancestors have been hiding through generations?”
“Yeah, why?”
“This is the formula of Lycoris Radiata written in there, but something is really bugging me…” She mumbled while pointing the words written in tiny letters, which was almost left unseen.
‘Be careful of the awakening!’
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