XIBEL tightened the grip on the railing when the system appeared. Although he had been waiting, he didn't expect to see it now. Or rather, it had slipped into his mind. Napakurap pa siya nang ilang beses kung sakali mang namamalikmata lang siya.
Subalit nang muli itong nagsalita, doon na siya nakumbinsi.
[One character found. Now evaluating Gregory August Xibel Thelonius.]
He gulped. For some reason, his heartbreats were getting louder.
[Villain Category Ranked 10th: Gregory August Xibel Thelonius, the villain from The Reincarnated Actress is succesfully found.]
[Preparing for restoration.]
"W-what? Restoration? Now?" His pupils shook as he watched the system do its job.
He had been waiting for the system to come back. The moment he had stepped into this world, the first thing he wish was to go back. But now that it was happening, he couldn't utter that wish anymore.
[Preparation for Character Restoration is ready. The character will be transported to Fictosa any time soon.]
"How soon?" he asked.
[Response System: You may check the progress bar.]
He requested to open the progress.
[Character Restoration progress: 5%]
He sighed in relief when he saw the percentage. But he wasn't totally relieved. The system appearing meant that Fictosa had been fixed, and the progress bar had now become his hour glass. He could no longer stay as long as he wanted.
He needed to find Imris' parents as soon as possible.
Nanlalambot ang mga tuhod niyang umakyat sa hagdan. Bumalik siya sa loob ng kuwarto ni Imris at umupo sa kama nito. Sumandal siya sa headboard habang nakatitig sa system.
"What happened? Is it really so severe that we are transported in this dimension?" he asked the system.
[Response System: Yes. The entire Fictosa has been wiped out by Zero. We ended up performing a double restart due to the former that has been unsuccessful.]
"And what happened to the quest now?" If Zero had destroyed the Fictosa, the quest would be put on-hold or the system might have rewarded something else.
[Response System: Zero won the quest.]
"What's his rank now?"
[Response System: We have yet to decide.]
Hindi na siya sumagot pa. Pinagkrus niya ang mga braso habang iniisip ang posibleng mangyari sa kaniyang rank. He ranked tenth in the popularity poll. If someone would nudge inside the rank, there was a high possibility he would be replaced.
It wasn't like he cared, but he was just thinking for his author.
Dropping down the rank would also drop the author's fame. She might get disheartened and update lesser than usual, which also meant that he needed to suffer more years before The Reincarnated Actress would be labeled as complete.
"Why is my creator so slow?" He sighed.
Bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si Jasia na dala-dala ang tray na may lamang lugaw. Sinulyapan niya lang ito bago binalik ang tingin sa system.
How foolish of him to think he could spend more days with them. He wasn't real to begin with. He shouldn't have forgotten about the fact that this dimension was not his home and would never be.
"Okay ka lang ba, Xibel?"
Napaangat ang kaniyang tingin kay Jasia.
"You look troubled."
"I am fine. I will just get some air." Tumayo na siya.
Handa na siyang lumabas nang biglang tumunod ang cell phone ni Jasia. He shouldn't have cared but his pinky finger suddenly lit a lilac light. Tiningnan niya itong gumalaw at bumuo ng singsing sa kaniyang daliri.
Jasia was talking to his author.
"Hello, Isabella? Himala at napatawag ka yata?" Bakas sa boses nito ang gulat na para bang halos isa sa sampung taon lang ito mangyari.
Hindi niya marinig ang boses ng kausap nito pero kita niya naman ang ekspresyon ni Jasia.
"Hello?" Kumunot ang noo nito. "Ano? Wala ka sa bahay? Hello? Hindi ko marinig nang maayos boses mo."
Ilang saglit na nanahimik ang babae bago ulit nagsalita. "Hello, Isabella. I can't hear you. Are you still there? Hello--"
She wasn't able to finish when the phone beeped as end to the call. The ring on his finger also disappeared.
Tinitigan nito ang cell phone na puno ng pag-aalala.
"Xibel, puwede bang ikaw muna magpakain kay Imris? Tatawagan ko lang si Isabella." Nilingon siya nito.
Tumango siya bilang sagot at naglakad pabalik. Ginising niya muna si Imris bago kinuha ang bowl ng lugaw. Habang sinusubuan niya ito, pasimple niya ring sinusulyapan si Jasia na nasa gilid ng bintana. Pabalik-balik ang lakad nito habang ang cell phone ay nasa tainga.
The ring on his pinky finger didn't appear. The author had not pick up the call.
"Ano ba 'yan. Bakit out of reach?" May halong inis ang boses nito.
"Maybe she just went somewhere," he said, trying to calm her.
"Hindi naman 'yon lumalabas, e. Well, although I'm grateful kasi lumabas siya ngayon, nag-aalala lang ako kasi, ayon nga, hindi naman siya lumalabas. What if may mangyari sa kaniyang hindi maganda?" Agresibo itong tumitipa sa cell phone.
If something had happened to her, the ring on his finger would show up again and would turn red.
"Come on, Isabella. Pick up." Kahit mahina lang ang boses nito, rinig na rinig niya pa rin.
Nag-isip muna siya kung tutulong ba siya o hindi. He could locate his author if he wanted to, after all. It was one of the privilege between the character and their creator--to find each other the moment they stepped into the same dimension.
"Papa, is Mama okay?" nag-aalala na rin si Imris.
Kung gaano ka agresibo ang pagtipa nito kanina ay ganoon din kabigat ang mga yabag nito ngayon. Para itong higanteng nagdadabog sa kuwarto ni Imris.
Huminga siya nang malalim bago binalik ang bowl sa tray. Tumayo siya at nilingon si Jasia.
"Calm down, Jasia."
"How can I when she's not picking up?" Tumaas na ang boses nito pero kahit papaano ay nagawa niya itong patigilin sa pabalik-balik na lakad.
"Stay put." Naglakad siya papalapit sa babae. Napalunok siya nang halos dalawang metro na lang ang layo nila sa isa't isa.
Nagtaka rin si Jasia. "What are you doing?"
"Just don't move." Huminga siya nang malalim upang pakalmahin ang sarili dahil nagsisimula nang manginig ang kaniyang mga kamay.
This would be quick. He whispered into his mind and put one of his hands up. He tapped her forehead with his index finger and uttered the spell as fast as he could as if he was chased by a wolf.
"Come thy power and connection. Allow this woman to middle with the bond. Show her the author of my words." After he said these words, he immediately moved away. Lakad-takbo siyang bumalik kay Imris.
"Para saan--" Hindi natapos ni Jasia ang sasabihin at bahagyang napaigtad. Nagpakita na sa isipan nito ang lokasyon ng kaniyang manunulat.
"W-What is this?" she asked with a hint of amazement.
"It's my author's location. Do you know where it is?"
She nodded.
"Then go fetch her." Muli na niyang ibinalik ang atensyon sa anak. Kinuha niya ulit ang bowl upang ipagpatuloy ang pagpapakain kay Imris.
Kumaripas naman ng takbo si Jasia papunta pinto. Bago ito lumabas, nilingon muna siya nito. "Thank you, Xibel!"
JASIA stormed out of the room and immediately went to her car. Kahit na namamangha pa siya sa ginawa ni Xibel ay sinawalang-bahala niya muna iyon at inuna munang alalahanin si Isabella. Nasa isang tindahan ito ngayon, tatlong kalye ang layo mula sa bahay ni Xibel.
Pinaharurot niya ang kotse papunta sa tindahan na iyon.
Pagkarating niya, kaagad niyang nakita ang babaeng nakasuot ng itim na hoodie at pants nakaupo sa upuan sa labas ng tindahan.
Lumabas siya sa kotse. "Isabella!"
Napalingon naman ito sa kaniya. Tinaas pa nito ang bangs na may kahabaan na upang maaninag siya nang maayos. "Oh, Jas? Paano mo 'ko nahanap? May tracker ka?"
"Oo. Mayroon." Patukoy niya kay Xibel. Pumamaywang siya sa harapan nito nang makalapit. "Masaya akong lumabas ka na rin sa wakas pero bakit ka nandito? And why aren't you answering my calls?"
"Sorry, biglang nag-shutdown phone ko. Hindi ko pala na-charge." Napakamot ito sa hood. "Lumabas lang ako saglit para sana bumili ng chichirya pero after kong bumili, 'di ko na alam saan ako napunta."
"Ayan kasi, 'di ka kasi lumalabas ng bahay." Hinila niya ang kamay nito at sabay silang naglakad papunta sa kaniyang sasakyan. "Ba't 'di ka na lang nagpa-deliver?"
"Balut gusto kong kainin."
Pumasok na sila sa loob. Sa backseat ito umupo.
Pinaandar na niya ang kotse at nagsimula nang magmaneho.
"Iuuwi mo na ako? Bili muna tayo ng balut. Hindi ako nakabili kanina," humihikab nitong sabi. Nakasuot ang dalawang kamay nito sa bulsa ng hood.
"Hindi pero sige, bili tayo."
"What do you mean 'hindi'? You're not taking me home?"
"No. Sama ka muna sa akin sa bahay ng asawa ko." Napangisi siya sa naisip. Isa itong pagkakataon para magkita ang dalawa. Kapag nangyari 'yon, madali na lang para sa kaniya na kumbinsihin si Isabella na sabihin kay Xibel ang nangyari kay Celestialiana.
"Ah. I read it through an article. It looks like you fooled the public successfully."
"I know, right?" Masasabi ni Jasia na tama ang desisyong ginawa niya dahil simula no'ng inanunsyo niyang may asawa at anak na siya, natahimik na rin ang website na panay ang pagkalat ng pekeng impormasyon. Siguro dahil ay sinakyan niya ito kaya kahit pa magsulat pa ng ganoong artikulo, hindi na magiging kaintri-intriga ito sa masa.
"I was just wondering, Jas."
"What?"
"The look on your husband's face on the photo . . ." Isabella trailed off. "Is that Xibel?"
"Correct! And he is the real Gregory August Xibel Thelonius!"
"What? Are you crazy?!"
Napapreno si Jasia dahil sa lakas ng sigaw ni Isabella. Sa tainga pa niya talaga ito humiyaw kaya parang nawala sandali ang kaniyang pandinig dahil sa matiis nitong boses.
"Ang sakit mo sa tainga." Hinilot niya ang kaniyang tainga.
Umupo naman ito katabi niya at kuwinelyuhan siya. Nanlilisik ang mga mata nitong tinitigan siya. "I'm not joking around. No'ng nakaraang araw ka pang ganiyan. Nahihibang ka na ba?"
Sinamaan niya rin ito ng tingin. Inalis niya ang kamay nitong nakahawak. "If you want to know the truth, then come with me at doon mo 'ko husgahan kung nahihibang nga ba talaga ako."
Natahimik naman Isabella. Naupo ito nang maayos at isinilid pabalik ang kamay sa bulsa ng hoodie.
"So? Anong desisyon mo?"
Sinuot nitong muli ang hood na bago sumagot. "Fine. Let's see that nonsense you keep talking about."