Chapter 10: Stuck With The Devil
|AZAMI|
Nagising ako at kaagad nakita ang puting bubong. I then observed a woman arranging her belongings, clad in a medical gown next to me. It dawned on me that I am on the fourth floor, their so called large medical facility.
Sumandal ako nang maayos dahil sa biglang naisip. The memory of Silver's wound healing is still fresh inside of my mind.
"Kamusta ang pakiramdam?" the woman asked abruptly, sounding like she was just going through the motions without any concern throughout the entire process. Siya pa rin ang babae na gumamot sa akin noon.
"I'm fine, what happened? Bakit buhay pa ako?" tanong ko at bigla siyang natawa.
"25 minutes lang ang laro ninyo. When you got unconscious, the game had fortunately stopped." napataas ang isa kong kilay. Only 25 minutes?
"Was it supposed to end at sunrise?" she snickered and then decided to look at me.
"Darling, it's not always at sunrise. The rules also changes from time to time. Everything is unpredictable here. Hindi mo alam kung kailan na naman magbabago. The game is constantly changing." napatingin ako sa pinto tiyaka napabuntong hininga.
"Who brought me here?" I asked in a relaxed tone, too lazy to even assert my vivid confusion.
"It's none of your business now dear." huminga ako nang malalim at tinanggal ang dextrose sa'kin.
"Then I believe I should go,"
"How can you walk out of here blind?" she taunted, causing me to pause. I completely remembered how my glasses were broken last night, thanks to Silver! That dang devil. It's completely understandable that she knows since I had arrived wearing glasses the last time I came here, revealing she was aware of my impaired vision.
In the end, she checked my eyes, and to my surprise, I received complimentary graded transparent contact lenses. Along with them, she provided eyedroppers and shared instructions on how to self-apply and safely remove them.
"Thanks." pagpapasalamat ko bago lumabas. I never imagined seeing clearer without my glasses, although it didn't necessarily make me more comfortable.
Naglakad ako sa hindi masyadong malaking pasilyo and the whole place really looked like a hospital. Hindi ko pa rin maalis sa isip ko kahit na ikalawang beses na akong nakapunta dito.
Nagpasiya akong pumunta kaagad sa elevator upang bumaba and after waiting for few seconds ay nag-open na rin ito. I was about to get in nang bigla akong nagulat sa taong nandoon sa loob!
Xyruz Devera.
Why on earth must it be him?!
Napakuyom ako ng kamao, arguing with myself if I should get in or what, sa huli ay pinili ko na lamang na pumasok. I have no choice anyways! Leaving would likely confuse him, and he might perceive it as rudeness, potentially leading to immediate consequences. You wouldn't dare to be rude with him!
Pinindot ko ang button sa unang palapag habang nanginginig ang mga kamay, I hope he wouldn't notice that I was shivering and I'm trying my best to calm down. Napatingin ako sa kanya sa aking side vision, ngunit tila wala siyang pakialam na narito ako, parang nakahinga ako nang maluwag.
I never would have thought that Xyruz Devera is casually roaming around the building.
"You looked tense," nanlaki ang mga mata ko dahil nakita kong tumingin siya sa'kin even just on my side vision. His oppressive presence feels like it's suffocating my lungs! I saw him smirk.
Why wouldn't I be tense? I swallowed hard. The wicked immortal, a real immortal is standing next to me!
"I know what you did last time," he paused. "You called upon the name of Heaven, didn't you? Right in front of me?" I saw his eyes turning red in split seconds, kinagat ko ang dila ko pinipigilang makaingay dahil sa iniba niya 'yung button bigla. We're going up again, heck it! Napapikit ako sa inis at kaba na nararamdaman.
"You do it one more time my dear child... And you will never get to see the light again." my grip tightened on my skirt as I let out a nervous sigh before looking at him. Unti-unting napataas ang isang kilay niya bago nagpakawala ng nakakakilabot na tawa. Nangilabot ako nang sobra.
Mga ilang segundo ang naglipas bago bumukas muli ang elevator. Lumabas siya at kaagad na napatingin sa'kin. He bowed quietly, silently bidding his wicked farewell as the elevator closed.
Agad kong pinindot ang button para bumaba. Napaupo ako at napasandal, hawak-hawak ang dibdib ko nang biglang may pumatak na dugo mula sa aking ilong. Odd, why is my nose bleeding?
I pinched the soft part above my nostrils and stayed inside the elevator for a while. When the blood finally stopped from bleeding, agad na din akong lumabas at napatakbo upang uminom nang maraming tubig sa cafeteria.
I observed that everyone had already changed into matching joggers and shirts. Napapatingin sila sa'kin, sino ba naman ang hindi? I'm still in my bloodstained uniform!
I almost dropped the glass when someone grabbed me. "Azami," Karlynn called and I glanced at her and Jaslynn. We're all wearing the same. Nakauniform rin sila tulad ko. Karlynn turned pale, indicating she might be feeling troubled.
"I—I killed a person my age." sabi nito at tumulo ang luha sa mga mata niya, she quickly cleared it away, and Jaslynn looked away, tears rolling down her cheeks as well. But despite these heavy feelings, they both stayed composed.
"I, a murderer, a killer?" Jaslynn quickly remarked with a sarcastic chuckle, appearing quite distressed. I grasped their arms.
"You two meant no harm. You did it to survive." paalala ko at biglang hinarap ako ni Karlynn.
"You're comforting us yet there are hidden thorns within you as well. Pare-pareho lang tayo ng sitwasyon ngayon, but I'm thankful that you cared, it's unexpectedly heartening." napatingin-tingin ako sa palibot.
"Nasaan 'yung iba? Okey lang ba sila?" I bit my lips and swallowed hard. Why am I beginning to worry right now? It's not usually my thing. I'm here to assist, but concern is the last thing on my list in this place.
"They're fine, nakita ko sila na kumakain kanina dito, hindi ko lang alam kung nasaan sila ngayon." sagot niya. I uncomfortably nodded.
Natagpuan ko na lamang ang sarili kong lumalakad na ngayon pupunta sa elevator pagkatapos naming kumain at naisipang magpalit ng damit. Glancing merely at the elevator made me feel uneasy.
"Are you okey?" tanong nila.
"Of course." I answered even though I know that I'm not. As we were about to step into the elevator, someone unexpectedly grabbed Karlynn, catching us off guard.
"Miles?" naguguluhang sabi niya.
"I need to talk to you about something." seryosong saad nito at hinila lang siya kaagad palayo sa'min si Jaslynn.
"Teka," Karlynn tried to stop him but he's desperate.
"It's important." walang magawa si Karlynn dahil sa lakas ni Miles.
"Where are you taking my cousin?! Sandali!" sigaw ni Jaslynn. "Come on Azami, let's follow them," I stopped her.
"She'll be fine. Miles is not a bad guy, he saved me once," sabi ko at naisip kung gaano kahalaga sa kanya ang kanyang mga kaibigan at kung paano siya mag-alala noon. Jaslynn was about to say something pero biglang may humarang sa'min.
"Miss Pink," we both said upon seeing her. However, Miss Pink maintained a serious expression while looking directly at me.
"Naughty girl. You and that stupid boy shall be punished." hinawakan niya ako at nanlaki ang mga mata ni Jaslynn. She silently mouthed, 'I thought you killed Silver, that's why you're still alive?' umiling ako.
A look of shock crossed her face as I was being dragged away from her either. I groaned internally. Can't I get a break? Ni hindi pa nga ako nakabihis may panibagong kahila-hilakbot na namang mararanasan muli!
She agressively pushed me inside a very dark room as soon as we get to our destination. I looked at her with my brows furrowed in shock.
"You'll be locked here and starve for 3 days straight." she smirked. "It's up to the future if you could survive." she whispered the last words before shutting the door at my face.
"No!" I shouted and kicked the door multiples of times, punching it hardly, kahit alam ko na wala na naman talaga akong magagawa. "What have I ever done to deserve this?!"
"So noisy," natigilan ako bigla nang marinig ang boses ni Silver.
He turned on his circular flashlight and abrubtly threw it above the ceiling, dumikit iyon sa itaas kaya may konting liwanag na kaming makikita sa palibot.
Napatingin ako sa kanya. Wala pa rin siyang suot pang-itaas. My eyes immediately went on his wound. Napaatras ako. There is no way I'll be staying with him for three days! Napatalikod ako.
"Let me out of here! I'd rather let you hurt me than being stuck with the devil!" I shouted but I gasped when I suddenly felt a warm hand on my shoulder, straggling slowly towards my neck. A strange felt like electricity lingered inside my body.
"You're that afraid of me huh flower? Do you think I might, bite you?" pananakot niya, napaharap ako sa kanya tiyaka siya napataas ng kilay nang makita ang pagmumukha ko. He smirked examining my face.
"You finally got contact lenses."
"Get away from me," mariing sabi ko at tinulak siya, he didn't even flinch a bit. How dare he hold me just like that?!
"You're lucky that I didn't kill you." I chuckled sarcastically.
"But I might as well die in here with you, am I lucky enough?" I emphasized my last word and he scoffed.
"Who would have thought that the loner was actually this fiesty? Just to clarify, I won't perish alongside with you."
Napaupo na lamang ako sa dismaya tiyaka yinakap ang tuhod ko. I am too tired to argue with a jerk like him. Nakita kong napaupo rin siya tiyaka pinikit 'yung mga mata niya habang nakasandal sa pader, holding his ripped shirt, and hugging his bare skin. Napasuri ako nang mabuti ng kanyang pagmumukha.
Dang, his face is a damn trap. I couldn't believe this is the time where I'll be seeing him sleep, I scoffed. The devil looked like an angel for once...
I closed my eyes either and wished everything would end soon. I just kept thinking about things that seemed impossible.