Chapter 5: Trapped In His Arrows
|AZAMI|
Mahina kong binuksan ang aking mga mata at nataranta dahil nasa kakahuyan pa rin pala ako, which was quite a surprise. Wasn't I lying on the ground? I was suddenly startled when someone reached out and held me!
"You're fine." sabi ni Leona, may sugat din siya sa braso, she seemed to be attempting to comfort me, so I responded with a gentle nod, only to realize there was a bandage on the side of my eye.
Ginamot niya ako? I looked at her in a little incredulity I mean, bakit niya naman ako gagamutin di ba? In this place, it's hard to believe a stranger coming to your aid. Based on my observations, people here typically prioritize their own needs and rarely extend help to others. Kahit kaibigan nila ay kinakailangan nilang patayin or else, sila 'yung mamamatay kapag hindi nila nagawa ang mga dapat nilang gawin.
That's why I never make friends here, I prefer to be alone because it's tough to trust anyone else. You cannot trust anyone here. I'm willing to help, it's just that... Hindi mo talaga minsan mapigilang mapatanong kapag dumating na 'yung oras na... Sila ang magiging opponent mo. Kakayanin ko ba? It's hard to get attached.
I sighed.
In the meantime, wala pa naman akong napatay. I won my second time in hiding. I was fortunate that I survived, again.
May nilahad si Leona bigla sa'kin.
"Nakita ko ang glasses mo. I fixed it, mabuti na lang ay hindi nabasag 'yung lenses."
"T-thanks," pagpasalamat ko nang binigyan niya pa ako ng tubig, natigilan ako muli pero ininom ko na lang din.
"Narinig kita kagabi pero, nagtago muna ako. I got scared of the loud gunshots and Miles was nowhere to be seen, I was relieved to see you here again. I'm so sorry for leaving you just like that." napayuko siya bago napakunot ang noo. "Paano ka pala nakakuha ng pana?" she asked and the image from last night flashes back to me.
Silver hoodie, A guy balancing on the wall. Who is he?
"Azami?" I got back from my senses when I heard Leona's voice.
"It was not me, someone helped me. And it doesn't matter." sabi ko at dahan-dahang tumayo. Napangiwi ako sa sakit ng katawan ko. She extended to help me again.
"Huwag na, it's fine, I can handle." I assured her and let me stood by myself. Napatingin ako sa kanya muli.
"Thanks a lot, pero pwede mo na akong pabayaan." sabi ko pa pero umiling siya.
"I wish I could do that, but I believe it would be best if I take you to the 4th floor to see the physician, it's better to let the physician handle your wound." turo niya sa sugat ko, sadyang napakunot naman ang noo ko sa narinig. Hindi pa ako nakakapasok sa 4th floor pero,
"Physician?" hindi makapaniwalang sabi ko. Napakurap siya at napakamot sa batok.
"The 4th floor is like the building's one and only large clinic, our only place for healing. Ah, you'd get what I mean once we get there," she explained but I look at her in disbelief sinking in of what she had just said.
Like, for what actually? Why did that immortal held such a place if he wanted us to kill each other without mercy, cower in fear, and even give us absolute hell in life?!
I heard Leona's sigh.
"I know what you're thinking. But I guess he wanted us to live longer for his own satisfaction, as you see without us. He is alone, and there will be no person worshiping him." natauhan ako sa mga sinabi niya.
That's right, he wanted us to worship him and be his objects, we are like these damned toys.
We decided to go inside at nakita ko agad sina Jaslynn at 'yung nahimatay kahapon na babae. That girl, Blytha. I'm surprised she could still handle herself in her condition? I remembered she was unconscious for three hecking hours yesterday, yet she still managed to help Jaslynn, naka cover din ng bandage 'yung binti niya at ganoon rin 'yung karamihan dito, all of us are hurt and wounded.
"Azami." saad ni Blytha sa tabi ni Jaslynn kaya napatigil kami sa paglalakad. I'm still wondering why they know who I am, perhaps They've all heard rumors about me? The mysterious girl who keeps to herself and doesn't seem to interact with anyone else. Despite my reputation, however, I'm not quite as antisocial as they think. In fact, my inner world is filled with thoughts and ideas that I can't seem to express with words. Maybe that's why they seem to know me so well. I'm not quite the loner they expect me to be.
"Blytha kilala mo pala siya?" mahinang tanong ni Jaslynn and
she nodded at her, napatingin siya muli sa'kin at konti lamang itong napangiti.
"Azami, salamat talaga sa pagtulong sa'min." pagpasalamat ni Jaslynn.
"We're looking for her cousin. Tatanungin lang sana namin kung nakita niyo ba si Karlynn? We've been searching everywhere for her." Blytha suddenly told me pero napailing ako.
"I was... Unconscious. I'm sorry." tanging sabi ko lang at napatango-tango lang naman sila, not making the conversation long.
"Oh. Okey, thanks." she a little bit smiled and I just nodded once again before uttering a word.
"Walang problema." I was about to go when a guy stumbled right in front of me. Of course I was again surprised. He fell to the ground and let out a loud, angry groan hitting the floor multiples of time.
"Ayaw ko na talaga!! Hindi na ako susunod sa ano mang patakaran!!!" nahinto kaming lahat nang bigla siyang napaubo at dumura ng dugo, umatras ako at di namalayang mapasiksik sa mga nagtitipon-tipong mga tao sa likuran ko.
Napatakip ako sa tenga ko nang sumigaw sila, dahil sa kabiglaang pagsabog ng lalaki kagaya noong nangyari kay Ashley! Pero 'yung sa kanya ay kakaiba, siya'y naging abo! Napatakbo na kaagad sila sa kaba. Leona immediately grabbed me at sumama kami kina Blytha, lumayo na rin kami doon.
"W-what was that?" tanong ni Jaslynn at ang lamig ng kanyang mga kamay sa balat ko, halatang nanginginig din sa takot noong kumapit siya sa'kin.
"Hindi ko rin alam," sabi ko.
"No, whenever they're saying they don't want to follow the rules anymore, that's what's going to happen, so please, never say anything like it." pagpaliwanag sa'min ni Leona. Pinaliwanag niya rin na isa sa pinaka ayaw itong salita ni Xyruz kaya kapag sinabi mo ito ay kaagad kang mawawalan ng buhay.
Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad, at nalaman namin na marami ngayon ang namatay dahil dito. Marami sila ang nagrebelde at nagwala. Lalo na ang mga baguhan kagaya ko.
~All the winners gather~
~All the winners gather~
Naalarma kami at kaagad na naglakad. We gathered at the favorite place of the immortal. The very spacious hall but he's not there. Instead, I saw a woman in the middle with daggers on her hips, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Karlynn!" gulat na sabi ni Jaslynn sa gilid. "Glad you're okey." napatingin ako sa kanila at halatang pagod na pagod si Karlynn, with her tired eyes, it widened as she gasped when she saw her own cousin's leg.
"Ang paa mo," nakakunot noong sabi nito kay Jaslynn.
"Ayos lang din ako, mas nag-alala ako sayo—"
"Hush, dear children." suway ng babae sa lahat. She smiled cheekily and looked at each and everyone while her hands are in formal position. "I just witnessed some really unfortunate explosions, and I guess you'll know what to expect of not following the rules, especially for newcomers," she conveyed in a deliberate and ominous tone.
Just by listening to her voice. It got us shuddering. She stopped to look at us at napatawa nang mahina sa napansin na masyado kaming tahimik. Kinuha niya ang kanyang dagger at linaro-laro ito habang sa dala ang kakaiba niyang ngisi.
"Very good," she whispered with a smirk.
"Ah!" everyone was startled when she abruptly threw the daggers directly straight at Trace's cap! Nasaksak 'yung cap niya tuloy sa pader! Natigilan si Trace. In the meantime, may kinuhang napakahaba na chain whip muli ang babae! She threw it on my direction but I noticed that it was not meant for me. Napatingin agad ako sa likuran at nakita na nasa paa ni Jaslynn nakatali 'yung chain.
The woman smirked and pulled her kaya nadapa siya at napunta sa gitna. She whimpered in pain as the woman unchained her legs.
"Jaslynn!" Karlynn shouted pero pinigilan siya nito ni Miles.
Kinuha niya din 'yung nasa ulo niyang designed hair stick pero nakakagulat dahil nang pinindot niya ito ay naging matalim sa dulo! She threw it over the other guy, at nasaksak naman ito sa hinahawakan niyang libro.
"The three of you... Matches the disappointment of the people who exploded a while ago to our beloved Master." hinarap niya sila. "Follow me." mariing saad pa nito pero napahinto at napatingin sa'kin, I saw her eyes twitch as she examine me.
"Lucky girl." napataas ang isa niyang kilay bago tuluyang lumakad papalayo. Sa kalooban ko naman ay hindi ko naunawaan ang ibig niyang sabihin. What was that all about?
"The rest leave." she ordered and Jaslynn was struggling to get up, tinulungan siya ng isang lalaki na makakasama nila while Trace just continued to walk not looking at her direction. As everyone began to depart, I spotted the guy in the silver hoodie once more, standing not too far away. Could it be him? Hindi ko masyadong makita ang pagmumukha niya dahil sinusuot niya 'yung hood niya. Natatakpan ang mga mata niya.
I've decided to follow him. Iba 'yung suot niya kahapon, but I think it's him! Just why did he save me? I sneaked and also did the same. Sinuot ko ang hood ko, nagtataka kung bakit papunta siya sa likuran ng building ulit, anong gagawin niya ngayong oras sa mga kakahuyan?
Silver Arrows, Bakit ka nila kinatatakutan? Bakit hindi ka rin sumasali sa laro? Why are you exempted? Could you be one of the devil who spaun us here?
Sinuri ko muli ang lugar dito sa pinakalikuran ng building and it's so much different dahil umaga. It's hard to believe there's a forest inside here, and even in the morning, it maintains a spooky vibe.
I looked at the spot of where the guy almost killed me, he's gone! The people who are assigned to take away the corpses are too fast.
Napahinto ako sa kasalukuyan at nagsalubong ang mga kilay dahil biglang nawala si Silver. Heck it! I got distracted.
I ran towards the forest to seek for him but he's nowhere to be found. Naramdaman ko na lamang ang sarili na nakaabot sa pinakadulo ng gubat. I overlooked the wall infront of me and when I touched it, it just burns the heck of my skin! Turns out the sun is intensively heating this iron wall. Napakataas din nito at mukhang wala ka talagang takas. Well what should I expect? Wala ka din naman talagang takas dito unless, you decided to die.
As I stepped away from the wall, I noticed a ring adorned with thorn-like designs. Nasa ilalim lamang ito ng malaking puno, sinuri ko ito at sinuot pero malaki sa'kin.
I stood up, and suddenly, I saw a barrage of arrows heading my way! I was too stunned kaya't hindi na ako nakagalaw sa pwesto ko. I thought I was going to die but I found myself just pinned against the large tree.
The arrows were just at the edges of my hoodie. Paano niya ito nagagawa? Napasinghap ako ng bigla ko na lang din naramdaman ang malamig na kutsilyo sa aking leeg.
"Why are you following me?" seryoso niyang saad.
The way he said it got me feel like it's more of a statement rather than a question. Hinarap niya ako habang sa nakatutok pa rin ang kutsilyo sa'king leeg. I couldn't say a single word. Nagpasiyang ibubuka ko na ang bibig ko nang biglang humangin nang napakalakas at sa hindi inaasahang mahubad 'yung hood niya. Doon ako mas natigilan nang makita ko ang kanyang buong pagmumukha.
How could a man that's so handsome just become a devil?