JESSA
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That night, I randomly woke up.
Agad na bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko sa hindi pamilyar na kapaligiran. Wala ang malambot kong higaan, wala ang mabango kong kumot, wala rin ang paborito kong unan sa bisig ko. There is only an uncomfortable and cold rocky ground, a worn out gown, and an aching arm.
But there's also a warm grip on my wrist.
I gently open my eyes to find Stefan calmly sleeping next to me. His hand is tenderly gripping my wrist, his thumb right where my pulse is.
Hindi ako gumalaw at pinakiramdaman lang ang init ng kanyang kamay. Why is he holding me like this, in a way as if he's trying to make sure of my beating pulse?
Instead of moving, I just closed my eyes again and tried to bask in the warmth of his presence. Hindi ko maiwasan ang isipin nung binanggit niya si Claire, ang nililigawan niya sa kabilang section.
I have many reasons why I want to go back to our world. Because my family is there, it is the universe that molded who I am today. I still have more books to read, I have more trips to enjoy, I have more school work to endure. Si Stefan kaya? Ano kaya ang iniisip niya para makabalik siya? Isa ba si Claire sa mga taong pinanghahawakan niya ngayon?
Nakita na kaya ni Claire si Stefan sa ganitong sitwasyon? Had she seen him this tired, this confused, this vulnerable? Had Stefan tried to hold her wrist, cling unto her pulse to reassure himself that he's not alone?
The unsettling heaviness once again spreads across my chest. Paano kapag nakabalik na talaga kami? Muli ba kaming babalik sa casual lang na magkaklase?
I let out a long tired sigh, before coming back to sleep.
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I was suddenly standing in front of the old man's bookshop, holding a book in my hand.
There was the familiar crowded karinderia and the noisy vulcanizing shop. The shop is still placed in between busy places, as if it's waiting, as if it's watching and looking for someone to notice it.
Inangat ko ang librong hawak ko. 'The Blood of the Dragon', ang sabi ng title sa gitna. Tumaas ang mga balahibo ko. Oh my God.
Hindi ko na namalayan na naglakad na pala ako papasok ng bookshoop, doon ay nakita ko muli ang pamilyar na matanda na nakatayo at halos magtago sa anino ng mga libro.
"Ikaw," sabi ko. "Anong ginawa mo sa amin? Ikaw ba ang nagdala sa amin sa ibang mundo?"
"The book chose you and your friends," ang sagot niya.
"They're not my—" I paused before going into the irrelevant matter. "How do we get out of it?"
"Know your story, Jessa." He stepped out of the shadows, the afternoon glare washed over him, which made the shadows under his big eyes to darken. "You entered in The Blood of the Dragon's realm. Understand your role in the plot. Be aware of the events that are about to take place in front of you. Know how your storyline will finish."
"What?" I asked, almost out of breath. "Paano naman iyon nakakatulong?"
"Jessa, keep pushing your story forward. Bring your story to an end.," he said. "You'll be able to return to this realm after your adventure finishes with all of you alive."
"The ending.." bulong ko sa sarili habang pilit na inalala ang sinabi ni Castillo tungkol doon.
That's when my heart raced so fast, I thought it would spring out of my chest. Nanlalaki ang mga mata ko at napatingin mula sa matanda. No way... No freaking way..
"The ending," ulit ko at halos matumba sa panghihina. "The characters died in the story because the villain won the war. 'Yun 'yung ending namin? Paano kami makakabalik sa mundo namin?"
Hindi ako sinagot ng matanda at patuloy lang akong pinagmasdan. I want to curse at him for not giving me answers, but his eyes remained gentle as ever, the way it was when I first saw him. And I just knew that he's waiting for me to process everything, he's waiting for me to find solutions.
"We must make it to the end alive. Technically, we must alter the plot in order to survive until the ending," ang sabi ko at tumingin sa matanda. "We have to change the ending, right?"
Hindi na ako sinagot ng matanda. I closed my eyes.
Suddenly, I was not in the bookshop anymore.
I was standing in the middle of a field. Lazy clouds floated around me, concealing the zigzagging mountains over the horizons. The sky remained colorless, and there came the sound of what appeared to be two massive beasts bellowing from afar.
In front of me, were five different bodies laying on the cold flat ground.
And when I looked closer, there I saw the familiar face of Allvais. Dull. Cold. Lifeless.
"No!" I screamed, loud enough to hurt my throat, shrill enough to cut through the loudness of the roaring beasts. Wala akong ideya kung sino ang mga katabi ni Allvais, pero alam ko na ito ang mga katawan ng iba ko 'pang mga kasama.
Tears bursted out of my eyes, my throat ached from the angry sobs I did, my hands were shaking, my legs were weak. There was no strength left in my body. I feel so weak, so defeated, and so in pain.
Multiple footsteps were behind me, and I turned.
Two men stood, one with a sword on his hand, while the other had his arms crossed. Both eyes looked at me from the ground, and there I sensed something evil, something dark, something strong.
I know that any moment from now, I'll be joining Allvais and the rest on the ground.
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Pagbukas ko ng aking mga mata ay tumambad agad sa akin ang mukha ni Allvais— ni Stefan.
His hand is still holding my wrist, and there's a worried look painted on his face. Tsaka ko naramdaman ang mabilis na tibok ng puso ko at ang ilang butil ng pawis na tumatakbo na mula sa noo ko hanggang leeg. Mabilis din ang paghinga ko.
"Hey, Jessa. Breathe, breathe."
Halos dumilim ang paningin ko nang sinubukan kong habulin ang paghinga ko. I grab Stefan in the shoulder, to attempt myself to find an anchor to my reality. Hindi na ito panaginip. I say in my mind. This is reality, and no one has died.
Stefan watches me with worried eyes, waiting for me to calm down. After seconds of breathing, my vision finally stablizes and all my senses came back.
"You're yelling and crying in your sleep," Stefan says.
"I.." I started. My throat feels dry, and then realized na tila ba sobrang tagal na nung huli akong naka-inom ng tubig. "I.. I had a dream.."
Hindi agad sumagot si Stefan at hinintay muna akong makakuha ulit ng malalim na hininga. "I think I had a dream too.. Something that felt so real na medyo nag-aalala din ako pagkagising ko," he says. But he looks at me again and tries to let out a charming smile. "But I'm fine now. How's your dream?"
Isang malakas na kaluskos nang halaman ang biglang narinig mula sa labas ng kweba namin. Malapit ag tunog nito, kaya kahit na maliwanag na dito sa pwesto namin ay hindi ko maiwasang kabahan muli.
"There's someone out there," ang sabi ko at dahan dahang tumayo. "There's someone."
Tumayo si Stefan at kinuha ang kung anong mahabang kulay itim mula sa ibaba. Akala ko nung una ay simple lamang itong kahoy, pero hinila niya ang hawakan sa dulo. A sword slides out of it. The long thing turns out to be.. What do they call it in fantasy novels? Scabbard?
"Dito ka muna," he says. He grips the hilt of what appears to be a heavy sword. The early sunlight envelops his entire image, and with a sword in his hand that's also gleaming beautifully and in a combat position, he surely seems like a person from a fantasy story.
And he is indeed a character in this fantasy novel, which makes it more cool.
Tuluyan na 'nga siyang nawala sa paningin ko. Syempre, hindi ko kayang manahimik dito, kaya lumakad na rin ako palabas at sinundan si Stefan.
Bumungad sa akin ang maliwanag na kagubatan pagkalabas ko ng kweba. The yellowish sunshine blankets the entire green forest, the trees stand tall and bright, and the area is quiet except for Stefan's careful movements.
From here by the end of the cave entrance, nakita ko ang taong nakatayo lamang sa tabi ng puno.
I am impressed by the man's appearance, for some reason. He was standing by the shadows of the trees. The bow on his hand is pointing towards the ground and his fingers are holding the arrow on the string. Thick black coat surrounds his body and a hood is covering his head.
Stefan tightens his grip on his sword. With a gentle tone, he asks, "what do you want? Where are you from?"
Hindi sumagot ang lalaki. Hindi rin ito gumalaw. Nakita ko lamang itong kumuha ng malalim na hininga habang lalong hinila ang arrow sa kanyang bow. Halos hindi na ako huminga dito sa pwesto ko at inabangan ang maaring gawin ng lalaki. I try to make sense of his face under the shadow of his hood, to read the stance of his body if he's preparing to attack, to see the tension surrounding his presence. But all I can see is the slight shaking of his finger pulling the arrow, and his tensed grip on his bow.
He seems.. Nervous?
"Galing ka ba sa palasyo?" Tanong ni Stefan at unti unting lumapit. "Hinahanap mo ba kami?"
Silence. I got to see the mild pursing of the man's lips before taking another deep sigh.
"Ano ba ang gusto mo?" Stefan asks in a voice that demands a response. "You want to kill us?"
Naalarma ang buong sistema ko sa sinabi ni Stefan. Kill. Kill. Oh my God. Hindi maari.
Mukhang hindi rin natuwa ang lalaki, dahil dahan dahan niyang itinaas ang bow niya. He stretches the string and aims the arrow at Stefan.
"Saglit!" I jumped out of the corner of the cave and stood between Stefan and the man. I don't know where I got the bravery to stand in between two men who have swords and bows, ready to attack each other. But I spread out my arms, signalling both to stop and pay attention. "Pag-usapan natin ito nang mabuti!"
"Sabi ko sa'yo doon ko lang sa loob ng kweba!" Stefan exclaims. "Get back in there!"
Hindi ko siya pinakinggan.
Instead, I cast a peek at the mysterious man. His arrow is now pointing at me, and I can see the little trembling in his hands. As the sun rises further out, everything around us brightens, and the shadows on the man's face lighten.
The sunlight defines the dim blemishes on his cheeks and nose. His thick eyebrows are furrowing as his lips are curving into a scowl. His eyes keep on darting from me and back to Stefan.
Binalik ko ang tingin kay Stefan at marahang sinenyasan na ibaba ang sword niya. Alam kong hindi niya nais na ibaba ang depensa niya sa hindi pamilyar na presensiya, but he carefully lowered down his sword and relaxed.
"We mean no harm," I say to the man, taking closer steps. "We're not going to hurt you, as long as you're nice to us too, yeah?"
Tinitigan niya lang muna ako habang binaba ang kanyang bow at inalis sa pagkakahila ang arrow. He takes in another deep, shaky breath, but still not taking his eyes away from me.
"Is everything okay?" I ask. "May nangyayari ba?"
"I don't know," sagot ng lalaki. "Hindi ko alam kung anong mga nangyayari sa akin."
Napalingon ako kay Stefan. Napakibit balikat lang siya.
"It's okay," I say. "Hindi ka namin sasaktan. Let's be calm, okay? Anong pangalan mo?"
Wala siyang tugon. Tumitig lang siya sa akin. He opens his mouth, then closes it again. Nakita ko muli ang mahigpit niyang hawak sa kanyang bow, I am afraid it may break soon. His shoulders stiffen up, and his chest breathes in an unsettling rhythm.
"They call me Hurawn," he answers. "That's what they call me here."
"Hurawn," I repeat. Tumango tango ako habang lumalakas ang tibok ng puso. "'Yun ang tawag nila sa iyo dito? Then how about you, how do you name yourself?"
Stefan walks and stands beside me, his sword comfortably lowered down. Naka-abang din siya sa sasabihin ng lalaki, at malakas ang kutob ko na he's expecting of something too.
"You're not from here, ano?" Stefan asks. "Hindi ka galing sa mundong ito?"
Hurawn nods, then he closes his eyes and answers. "My real name is Liam Dela Cruz."
"No shit," Stefan exclaims and drops his sword.
Napatakip ako sa bibig at biglang napahawak sa balikat ni Hurawn. "DELA CRUZ. OH MY GOD. DELA CRUZ. We know you. You're not alone, I'm—-I'm Jessa Rosales. I am Rosales. Believe me."
"Ate.. Ate Jessa? Ikaw 'yan?" He asks, eyes widening.
"Yes. And this man right over here—" I pointed at Stefan. "That's Stefan."
"Si Navarro?" Napatingin siya kay Stefan. "No way."
"Yes way!" Stefan picks up his sword from the ground.
"Anong nangyayari? Bakit nasa andito at nasa katawan ng ibang tao?" Tanong ni Dela Cruz.
"Wala pa kaming concrete answer dyan ni Stefan," I answered. "But we think we are the characters from my book, remember the one na binabasa ni Castillo?"
Tinitigan lang muna ako ni Dela Cruz bago marahang tumango. "We transported ourselves there, right? Nasa universe tayo ng libro mo."
"Exactly."
"We have to find the others," Stefan says. "Am I the only one who feels like we're running out of time?"
"It means kailangan na talaga natin mahanap ang iba," sabi ko. "Stefan, let's go and find the others. Si Castillo at 'yung magkapatid."
"Jessa's right," Stefan looks at Dela Cruz. "May alam ka ba kung san natin sila mahahanap? It looks like you came from somewhere far."
"I came from the neighbourhood by the mountain over there." He gestures at the mountains behind him. "May nadaanan akong town kanina. I believe this hour marami ng tao doon, more chance of finding them, I guess."
"Let's go," I said at tumalikod na para kuhanin ang heels ko sa loob ng kweba. Stefans follows too to get his scabbard.
"So, uhm, first name basis na pala kayo ha, Ate Jessa and Navarro. May nangyari ba sa inyo?"
Parehas kaming napalingon kay Dela Cruz, my ears and cheeks burns in embarrassment, at sabay na sabi, "WALA!"
"Oh?" Dela Cruz raises both of his hands, as if surrendering, "I mean, hindi lang ako sanay na tawagin kayo ng ganon—"
"'Kay fine," I say. "Let's call him Liam nalang din, di'ba, Stefan?"
"Yes. From this day on, we'll call you Liam."
"Okay," Liam says, obviously trying to stop himself from laughing. "Wala naman sigurong Liam sa mundong ito, ano?"
Kinuha na namin nag iilang gamit namin mula sa kweba. As the sun continues to rise and shine on the horizon, various clatter and indications of life begin to resound from somewhere far away, maybe from the town. I breathe the cool morning air. In this bizarre world, we'll find the rest of us.
And together, we'll try to make sense of this world.
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