[Character Restoration progress: 99%]
Madaling araw na nang dumating siya sa sementeryo kung saan nilibing si Noa. And here he was, sitting beside her grave while waiting for the sun to start the real dimension's morning. It was still surreal for him to be with her in the same place, time, and dimension. But what lacked was her presence.
"My wordy Noa." He touched the spaces on the letters of her name carved in the stone. "I am still in pain."
At this moment, he couldn't say he truly accepted her death. There was still a tiny hope clinging to him, thinking he could still find something to bring her back to life. To see her alive. And to witness how she would going to finish his story.
"I'm sorry for thinking you've abandoned me." He let out a weak smile while remembering the two years he spent wondering why Noa suddenly left him. "I guess I would never going to have my sequel."
Bahagya siyang napatawa dahil sa sariling sinabi. Tumingin siya sa kalangitan nang maramdaman ang pamumuo ng kaniyang mga luha. "My Noa, I have avenged you. I have already killed the people who hurt you. I hope you will be at ease now."
Adamas shifted his gaze to the grave beside his Noa. It was his author's husband. The person he was based on and the name he had just borrowed.
Adamas Laurien.
He took out the piece of paper he has kept in between his corset. The paper contained Noa's order. Nilagay niya ito sa ibabaw ng lapeda ng lalaki.
"This was meant for you."
After he witnessed how Noa died, he realized that it wasn't a malfunction from the system nor did the system keep the message hidden from him. It was because it was not just for him. Noa wanted her husband to rescue her from his family. It was wishful thinking she could only write in papers because no matter how she wished for Adamas to come, he would not going to rise from the dead and give her hope again.
Noa had been longing for her husband from the moment he died. That was also the reason why she created him. She created a strong, powerful character like him who would stand proudly against anyone because that was how she sees her husband.
But in her words, she made him more perfect. She wrote him having a great and healthy body. She gave him a loud voice for anyone to hear. And a not-tearful eye to be brave enough to face any challenges.
In that way, she could fool herself from the pain of losing a loved one. Hindi niya kayang tanggapin na wala na ito kaya pinili niya na lang isulat ang lalaki upang doon ipagpatuloy ang buhay na naudlot.
He became Noa's coping mechanism. Adamas Vondrov Riscarte is an escape way for Noa.
"I did the revenge, but I will give the credit to you, crybaby." He patted his stone. "Kasi kahit ilang beses kong itanggi sa sarili ko, hindi ako ang hinanap niya. I am not the rescuer she wants."
Noa loved him, but the love was second-hand.
"And I am fine with that. As long as you love me, I am fine with that, my wordy Noa. As long as I was able to prolong your life, I am contented with that." Muli niyang hinawakan ang lapida nito. Kumirot ang puso niya habang iniisip na ito na ang huling araw na mananatili siya sa totoong dimensyon. Ito na ang huling araw na matatapakan niya ang mundo kung saan namuhay ang kaniyang manunulat.
"Thank you for writing me, for valuing a character like me, Noa. Thank you for creating me out of your love. It is because of you that I am alive and loving you." His tear fell from his eyes. "And I will forever love you."
"Mr. Adamas?"
Napaangat ang kaniyang tingin nang marinig ang boses ni Logan. He looked from behind, and he wasn't mistaken. Logan was walking towards him.
"Mr. Adamas! Buti nakaabot pa ako," masigla nitong sabi at umupo katabi niya.
"How did you find me?"
"Anais left me a message. Sabi niya nandito ka raw." Biglang nawala ang sigla nito sa boses. "Dito ka na raw magpapalipas ng oras hanggang sa bumalik ka na sa inyo."
"Why aren't you happy? You should be glad I'm going home now. No one will devour all your food anymore."
Mahina itong tumawa pero bakas pa rin sa mukha ang lungkot. "Yeah, but . . . the apartment will not be the same again."
Napaiwas naman siya ng tingin. Kahit na nakatakip ang black veil sa kaniyang mukha, sinigurado niya pa ring hindi nito mapapansin ang kaniyang emosyon.
This was why he didn't go back to the apartment earlier. Dahil hindi niya kayang magpaalam sa dalawa.
In the little time he spent with Logan and Gonietta, he would be lying if they didn't grow on him. Naging mahalaga na sa kaniya ang dalawang nilalang na tumanggap sa kaniya at hinayaan siyang patirahan sa maliit nitong apartment.
"Nga pala. Tingnan mo 'to, Mr. Adamas. Ito kaagad ang bumungad sa news." Kinuha nito ang phone sa bulsa at may pl-in-ay na video. Napangiti siya nang makita ang kaniyang mukha.
"The members of the Laurien are nowhere to be found anymore. No matter how hard you will try to search, you will never see their bodies. And the reason behind their disappearance is me. I am Adamas Laurien, the youngest son of the Laurien family. I died but I lived again to seek vengeance. And now that I am done, I will disappear with death again."
It was the video he made with Anais. Iniwan niya ang mga salitang iyon at pinakita ang sarili upang malaman ng mga tao ang katauhan ni Adamas Laurien. He was never hidden, but he was forgotten before people could even recognize him. And because humans were always curious, soon they would come to know the truth of what had happened to the youngest son.
They would also soon know about his relationship with Noa and how the Laurien were terrible people.
That was the main purpose of the video. The other was a mystery. He wanted them to wonder about his existence.
He also did the system a favor. Hindi na nito kailangan pang magpakahirap na takpan ang kaniyang pagtapak sa totoong dimensiyon dahil siya na mismo ang naglagay ng kapalit niya. The most believable replacement the system could make was to distort some of his features and make it exactly like Adamas Laurien.
Gonietta and Logan would also think he was Adamas Laurien.
And when his video would become more sound to the public and know more about the truth, Noa's book, Odds of Tribes, would be more famous. They would find out his name and eventually would make more assumptions which people mostly labeled as 'theories'.
'Where did Adamas Laurien go? Did he really come to life? Or did he even die on the first place? His murder fits how murderous the villain from this book and the author even named it after her husband's name. Is this planned? Are they planning vengeance all along?' He wanted those questions to circulate the real dimension for people to keep on thinking about him.
"Why did you do this?" Logan asked.
"I love fame. It may increase my rank if people will think of me. Also, if you ever miss me, you can just watch the video and look at my face," biro niya.
Napangiwi ito. "You're doing this for clout, huh?"
"I am doing this for the security of my rank as well. Someone might take my place soon, you know." He glanced at Logan. "Are you ready, human?"
"For what?"
"For your stories to be heard around the world?"
"I'm not sure pero siguro." He shrugged. "Sana nga dumating din ang oras na ako naman."
"You'll soon be." Napunta ang tingin niya sa kaniyang kamay nang magsimula na itong mawala. The ends of his clothes started to perish as well. And as he looked at Logan again, his vision seemed to be cut in many halves.
Nawawala na siya.
"Mr. Adamas?" Nabalot ng pag-aalala ang mukha ng kaniyang kasama.
"You came to bid your goodbye. Hurry and tell me what you want to say. I am not gonna be staying for long." As he spoke, the sound of his voice became like a broken machine.
"I just came because I want you to know na binabawi ko na iyong sinabi ko no'ng nakaraan." Ngumiti ito kahit taliwas ang ekspresyon ng mukha, pilit na inaalis ang kalungkutan sa kaniyang pag-alis. "I am planning to confess my feelings to Gon pero hindi pa ngayon. Saka na kapag naging okay na ang lahat. Then I will make sure to say what I feel for her."
Kaagad na sumilay ang ngiti sa kaniyang labi. Labis na tuwa ang kaniyang naramdaman matapos iyong marinig.
"That's great, human. I do want to witness it, but you saying that to me is already enough." Nilapat niya ang palad sa ulo nito. "Don't ever turn back on your feelings again nor to your dream. Tell Gon too, I wish for her to heal. I wish for the two of you to heal and be brave to face the world. There is a bright path waiting for you ahead."
"You're leaving yet you're still encouraging us." Tumawa ito. He smiled at him with the brightest smile he could give. "Thank you, Mr. Adamas. I will never forget everything you've said. Thank you for being the best encourager. Even if you are a villain, you are one of the kindest ones I have met."
Adamas nodded. He didn't remove his eyes from the human who was still smiling at him, giving him the best farewell.
He was starting to lose his vision and a strong force was now pulling his chest somewhere. Despite that, he remained his gaze on him.
He was never wrong for spending his time with them. Even if it was a coincidence, he would like to thank the system that out of the physical copies of Noa's book, he went out from the one Gonietta owned.
Because of them, he was able to live as how human does. He may be a fictional character, but because of them, he was able to understand what it meant to be real.
He became real, and now it was time for him to go back.
"I will remember you both." As he let out those words, the system appeared.
[Character Restoration progress: 100%]
[Character Restoration is now complete. Villain, Adamas Vondrov Riscarte, will be restored in Fictosa in a few seconds.]
He had achieved what he promised to Noa. And he had already made sure that Logan and Gonietta would be treated right by their parents from now on.
He was happy and he will leave with no regrets.
Except for one thing.
He wished to be remembered by them. But he knew better it was impossible. He couldn't go against the system.
"Goodbye, Mr. Adamas! I will never forget you too."
Sadly, you will.
He closed his eyes as he carried a smile on his face. "So long, human."
The end.