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"Padre, Please... I can't-"
"Are you wavering, boy?! Do as I say this instant!"
Trembling hands stricken by the thin rod of punishment from his adoptive father's hands. His hot tears going down on his face as he hears the racing beat of his heart.
"Take all your country spirit! We must control those blasted provinces from rebelling against my empire!"
It was neither his decision nor will, that his knees would be scrapped with the roughness of the floor, kneeling down as he couldnt handle the pain souring through his body as his country spirit forcely taken out after his father declared; Martial Law.
"Brother! Padre, Por favor!"
His sister pleaded, Her eyes taken the image of this insightly manner of his. Her fragile body being forced out the door as the soldiers pushed her back from entering.
"Take her away! Lock her up if you have to!"
"Philia!"
"Brother!"
He tried reaching out but failed. His own will taken away from him as the grip of the higher ups tighten and hurt him. The sight of his sister being taken away had reminded him of which he lost during the first time he was unable to do anything; Everything.
"Martial law! You are to stay here until we control those barking children!"
"Padre... I-"
In just a moment's time, A sharp sting landed on his face as he had face sidewards. His hearing already degraded to ringing as his vision became blurry...
"You're giving up now? With those potential in your golden eyes?"
"Padre..."
"Come now Martial. Help your dear Father for a while..."
Spanish Empire cold hands brushed through his face, their eyes locking into each other. One frightened and one menacing.
"Father..."
"Come Martial."
*+:｡.｡ ｡.｡:+*
"It is quite difficult to assess his excellency especially when he's in this state."
"Alright, Thank You."
As the Presidential doctor headed out, Philip-who sat by the nearest sofa by the bed, expressed his concern. Just few weeks in and the country representative was nowhere near giving signs of waking up.
"He is as incompetent as he left. He should've stayed quiet and remained in whatever hole he dug from."
"Philip! Enough of your complains! This is Kuya we are talking about and you're sitting there like its his fault for being alive!"'
"What if I am?"
"Enough! The both of you!"
A loud voice entered the conversation as a thud came with it. Turning to the doorway, The three siblings' eyes dropped to the floor as their grandfather, Luzon, made his way to their eldest brother. His splendidly decorated cane going from thud per thud as he walked.
"What did the doctor say?"
"Kuya's condition is complicated as of the moment."
Luzon merely hummed and sat down near the unconscious body of Martial. His hand by his body as he breathe slowly.
"Just a few weeks in after being chosen, Now he's collapsed and none of you children bother to tell me?"
His voice echoed through the halls, startling many. It was prominent that he was angry not just to his grandchildren but also to himself... As he spent his life away from politics and into a quite lavish one, He also spent it away from the family he had left, other than his two other siblings.
"We're sorry, Grandfather."
"We were meant to tell you later."
"Later is worse than never."
"Ate Philia..."
Peeking from the door, A young boy that they all recognize within one glance peeked his head through the opening. His eyes swollen and red from crying, missing from his side was his twin sister that was unusual as the two were inseparatable.
"Bill... What are you doing here?"
Philia walked towards the boy, covering his sight of his unconscious father.
"I just came to check on Papa, since Terrie fell asleep... Is he awake now?"
The latter felt the silence ring as the young innocent child asked. They didn't knew how to respond nor how to react for Bill to understand that their father was showing no signs of waking up any time soon and been unable to be diagnosed by the Palace' doctor.
"He isn't awake? Is he?"
The silence only confirms the boy's thoughts.
"Come now, Bill. We can't let your sister be alone in long hours."
"No. I'll stay here with Papa."
Bill ran inside, His hand occupied with a book that seemed so old and ancient based on its cover. He sat beside his father on the bed, though, he knows he won't wake up even if he tried to wake him up...
"Bill..."
"Papa isn't incompetent. He isn't incompetent as you said earlier."
"You were listening?"
Luzon raised his brow, seeing that this boy refused to make eye contact and only stared at Martial's face whilst holding the book on his hand tightly.
"He didn't want to come back, but he made a deal, a vow, with the current President. Papa already is hurting, yet, he doesn't want to tell anyone because he's scared..."
"Scared? Him?"
"Papa only told us that he... No, He didn't tell us, I heard him. Papa wanted to die."
Bill took one of Martial's fingers and gripped it tightly, as his expression darkened remembering the day his father wanted to commit suicide by overdose of sleeping pills but failed to do so... They were all left speechless as the silence screamed more into them.
"Repeat that again..."
"Suicide... Why?"
Del could feel his heart beat soaring through his chest as if it wanted to get out as his breathing hastened. It felt like he was being suffocated, when he too knows the feeling of wanting to commit such an act...
"Nevertheless, Papa wants but can't do what he wants. Its a countryhuman's duty to serve and protect... The very same motto that made my father this way."
Bill slowly turned his gaze towards his very own adoptive relatives, A glare that doesn't seem to belong to a young person seen inside this boy's eyes, The hatred and sadness combining inside his deep red eyes that seemed to shine like gold for a second.
"Bill is your name, Correct?"
Luzon spoke up, bending his knees to the child despite the pain occuring in it as he held on to his cane for support.
"Yes..."
"You seem very close to your dear Papa."
"Papa took care of us, He took us in when we were abandoned in an alleyway."
"Hmm... Did he tell you anything if he was feeling something, or anything at all?"
Bill suddenly went silent, knowing what Luzon was doing... He was digging for information through him. But it was needed, He needed to help his father, otherwise... Martial would never wake up...
"No... Nothing at all."
Bill once again gripped Martial's finger, a flow of countryspirit seemed to seep out of the boy's hand and enter Martial's body.
"Hmm."
At that very second, Martial coughed. Surprising them all. His breathing fastened as if he was jump awake by a dream he had, Martial's eyes then fixtated on his son, Bill, as a smile slowly went upon his lips.
Exhausted and weak as he was, Martial went and gently pressed his hand on the boy's head.
"Good Job. You did what I told you."
"I only did what you left in this book you told me to read..."
Chuckling, Martial didn't notice the eyes that were bewildered upon what happened to him. Bill sadly smiled at his father, who seemed to have regained his composure after being unconscious for a time...
"Kuya..."
"Ah, Philia... And Lolo. I didn't know you were here?"
Luzon swollowed his saliva, composing himself first before he could speak up.
"How are you, Hijo?"
"Fine-!"
At once, Martial coughed again. As he cover his mouth while attempting to sit up, liquid of the colour red came out to his palm, alerting the latter of this...
"Kuya!"
Philia jumped, frightened of what may happen to her brother. Philip and Del stared in shock as they see their sister and grandfather panic, whilst staring at their elder brother's so called youngest child remain calm.
"I'm fine. Don't worry, This is nothing."
Wiping the blood from his mouth, A smile formed onto his lips once again as he sat up straight. Though despite having a calm demeanor and present aura, Martial was having pains everywhere inside of his body, from head to toe, Yet he acted as if nothing was happening.
"Are you sure?"
"You look more pale, Hijo. Go back to lying down."
⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝
"Bill...?"
Awakening from her nap, Terrie found herself alone in the shared bedroom of her's and her twin brother. Looking all around, The silence rang as she hug her plushie close to her chest.
The thunders rumbled and growled with each lightning they strike on the Earth. The dark hall seemingly lurking with creepiness as the rain punded on their roof roughly, creating noises for a child's darkest imagination.
"Bill?"
She called out, Her bare feet kissing the cold floorboards as she made her way to the staircase, leading to the first floor. Her trembling hands guided her by touching the familiar walls of the hall...
"Terrie? What are doing up so late?"
Looking behind her, slowly, Her eyes caught an unfamiliar silhouette. Shaken with fear, her voice didn't allow itself to be known and retracted inside her mouth.
"Ah... I..."
Her shaky voice revealed to it otherwise...
"Oh, Relax, Child. Its only me."
"Kuya PKP!"
PKP-1930 stood anxious as he watched the little girl hover down to his legs, frightened of the storm raging in.
"Oh dear. Are you looking for your twin?"
Nodding, He was just given an answer by the child, carrying her into his arms as he hushed the child's silent cries...
"Your twin is with your other siblings in your older brother's room."
Letting the littel girl down, he gave his phone to her, the flashlight turned on and pointed to the direction to which she needed to go. Terrie gave a little nod to her father's close friend and set off to her siblings' room.
Sighing, PKP touched the hand rails of the stairs and went down quietly. The thunders screamed in agony as the flickering lights of the sky go on about. As far as he's concerned, no one knew the fact that the owner of the house was not currently present.
"Its been two hours, Mar. Where the h*ll are you?"
Suddenly, the glass garden door slammed open. The winds violently coming in with the leaves spinning in the air, the pouring rain coming willingly as they dirtied the white floors.
Martial stood there, panting and soaked. His clothes barely can be called clothes as blood marks from wounds, scratched and unrepairable could be see written all over it. His crimson hair damped as water trinkled on his shoes, covering his face of his expression.
"Where the h*ll have you been, Man?!"
Coming closer, PKP was clearly scared and worried for his friend yet he froze midway.
"Martial... What is that you're holding?"
Clutching on his chest, Martial held a glowing piece in his hand. Glowing from dark to gold as it went...
"A fragment..."
"Martial, This is dangerous! Put it back where you got it from!"
"...Of me."
"What?"
Looking up, PKP's eyes widened as horror filled his face...
Sitting in a room, being interviewed by the relatives of his beloved friend, PKP couldn;t help but think down to memory lane after hearing what happened to Martial lately after returning to life and becoming coutry representative again.
"Have you no idea if Martial carried an illness or some sort?"
"If I did, i would've told you sooner, Aye?"
"How much?"
"Money won't let my mouth start, Dear Philippines. I have no use of it, and whatsover won't use it to drag a friend along the mud."
Philip clicked his tongue in a tantrum, sitting back to his chair as Del Pilar took over.
"We don't want to use force but if we have to..."
"Incredible, Truly Remarkable! This is the true faces of the government for over 3 decades? No wonder many are still on Martial's side."
PKP laughed, his hands clapping out of disgust that their true faces are right infront of him. Disgusting, utterly disgusting.
"You know, You were the one who wrote the first constitution of Asia. Why don't you read what rights we all have before you go and bribe us with that dirty money of yours?"
"PKP-"
"Now, Now, I wasn't finished! I may not know what you horrendous beings may do to me, but if you touch Martial. I doubt history would brand martial law as a grace period for this country's near downfall."
The two siblings stayed quiet, PKP had a point in his statement despite being a rebel for decades against the government.
"Humor me you two. Martial may look incompetent and weak compared to what you have witnessed last time. But, he is going through several things, no country should ever have. Not even you Philip, remember that."
Barging out of the room, PKP found himself pacing faster to get out of the suffocating air of the Presidential Palace. He didn't really liked being here, as he was also a victim living inside these very walls when they were forced to scatter and hide beneath the darkest of nights.
' Disgusting. Utterly Horrendeous. ', He thought as he scratched his left arm, as if he tried to remove somthing from it even if there was nothing on it... It was a trauma response.
Why was it? Why was it that out of everyone who could've rose up and defended themselves against that darkness, It had to be his dear Friend? It had to be Martial? He was ready, ready for criticism, hate, solitude and most probably death, if a god out there allowed him, but why Martial Law?
Why was the one person, who did everything they could to let this country live, die everyday just because they were accounted for Millions of millions of death? That was no excuse, everyones knew that. But was it really an excuse when it was needed? when it wasn't really in their hands in the first place?
' My friends... Martial, My brother. '
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"Martial! We have to get out now!"
PKP shouted, His voice barely heardable with all the commotion outside, The gates of Malacanang can barely contain such a number of people, their torches lighting up the dark palace' night as they protest and rally.
"Make a run for it, Comrade."
"What are you on about? Hindi kita iiwanan sa impyernong ito! Martial, Lalamunin ka ng partido ni Philip at ang kanyang napili, Sumama ka na sakin, may alam akong lugar kung saan ka magiging ligtas!"
[ I won't leave you in this hell! Martial, Philip's and his representative would devour you whole if you stay here, come with me, I know a place where you can be safe! ]
"No. As long as the first family is here, I am to stay and protect them."
"Martial!"
He stayed stubborn till the end. Martial did.
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"His excellency's condition is as stable as it should be. A miracle to say the least."
"Yes, Thank You doctor."
"Please excuse me."
"How are you feeling brother?"
Philia went to her older brother, worried on behalf of him as the doctor made his way out of the room. Martial merely smiled and reassured the female that it was merely fatigue that left him to collapse.
"Are you quite sure?"
"I am quite tired these past few days. It was just stress piling up, Don't worry."
Philia's expression showed no signs of being reassured as her brows curled themselves to the middle of her forehead, worry going over her mind as she sat on a chair near her brother.
"You should at least take a day off-"
"No, Philia. I can't take a day off even if its just one day."
"Brother you're sick!"
"I know..."
Sighing, Martial let out a quiet whisper;
"That's just how it is... Sick or not, I am the country's representative."
Unbeknowst to any, A cut made its way to Martial's back, cutting what seemed to be a part of his body....
[ To Be Continued... ]