Truth behind the murder.
Trigger warnings: Violence, Hate speech. You have been warned.
᯾✵𖣘⍟۞✫᯽᯾
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Rebel's point of view
Sabi ni Serissa na makipag-ayos ako...
I remember it clearly.
"Basta ha! Now that you're my boyfriend, dapat close ka rin dapat kina Yara, Millicent and Nat! And especially my best friend, Sat! You really need to change your attitude. I told you, be decent."
We also talked about this. I mean, paano!? Tignan mo nga tong isang to, kanina pa tense na tense at feeling naman niya na sasapakin ko na siya ng di oras.
"Hey." Tawag ko naman sa kanya.
"W–what?"Tanong ni Saturino at halos mapalunok na lang ito. He's already tense! Kumalma ka nga muna!
Tumingin ako sa paligid at mukha namang walang tao. Hindi ako yung tipo na yuyuko kahit kanino. But I guess I gotta show him that I am fucking serious to find the killer.
Yung tumarantado sa nanay ko, pagbabayrin ko sila.
Tumayo ako at inilagay ko naman yung dalawang kamay ko sa pocket ko and I gave him my serious look. Those animalistic eyes that I have. Huminga ako ng malalim at agad ako lumuhod sa harap niya.
Hindi ko alam kung paano ko siya ma-convinced, okay? I don't have any friends! Hindi ako kagaya ni Serissa na nadadaan lahat sa bunganga niya para makahikayat ng kaibigan. I am doing things my own way.
"Rebel!? Jusko! Ano ba yang pinagagawa mo! Ano ba, tayo!" Sigaw ni Saturino at niyugyog niya ako. "Bigat mo pa naman!"
"I'm only saying this once. Tulungan mo'ko makita si Mama. My ability with the spirits is not as strong as yours. At ikaw lang ang alam may kakayahan na makita sila. So please..."
"Hay nako Rebel! Kahit isang thank you lang okay na sa'kin at bawasan mo init ng ulo mo edi tutulungan kita. Tell me, who is your Mom? At saan natin siya matatagpuan? Boyfriend ka ng kaibigan ko alangang tarayan pa kita. Takot ko lang," He added at napaiwas na naman siya ng tingin.
Hey! Lumuhod-luhod na ako dito takot pa din siya! I don't get it.
Nakatingin sa malayo si Serissa at may binabasa siyang libro. Pinandilatan pa ako ng mata! I am doing my best here! Alam naman niyang wala akong kaibigan. So it's fucking hard to understand damn people.
Pero dahil kay Serissa, I will do my best to get along with her friends. Especially na best friend niya tong si Saturino.
Tumingin naman ako kay Saturino and I sighed, "So, you're going to help me?"
"Ano pa nga ba? Sige na, tumayo ka na diyan."
"Rebecca Diamond Apoian, she was killed in the District of Lucedale. Isa siya sa mga Journalist na kilala sa lugar kung saan ako lumaki. My aunt was part of an evil organization and siya ang pinain nito para mamatay siya. And I found out that bastard...Serissa's father is involved in this incident."Sabi ko
"So you want to tell this to your mom? Anong balak mong gawin ha, Rebel?" Tanong ni Saturino.
I gripped on my fist at agad sumama ang tingin ko.
Mapatunayan ko lang kung ano ang mga katarantaduhan ng Hayop na yon, hindi ko alam kung ano ang pwede kong gawin sa kanya. Masyado na siyang maraming atraso sa'kin! For killing my mom, beating Serissa a lot of times...saksi ako sa pang-aabuso ng halimaw na yon! And killing Max.
Di ko alam kung bakit ako gusto makuha ng evil organization na yon, maaring may alam siya tungkol don.
They said the God of Gloom is looking for me. Ibibigay ko sa kanya ang gusto niya. Na harapin ko siya. Once I found out the truth behind this murder. Hindi ako tatakbo, I will face them.
Tatapusin ko na ang laban na ito. They want me? Go and fetch me, idiots.
"Yeah. I'm going to tell her. Thanks to my guide nalaman ko na ang katotohanan tungkol sa sunod-sunod na pagkamatay ng mga journalist at ng mga kidnapping incident sa lugar." Sabi ko na lang.
I promised Max. And I will never let him down. Pagbabayarin ko silang lahat.
"Guide?" He asked.
"Basta,"Sabi ko na lang at umiwas ako ng tingin.
He crossed his arms at me at parang hindi makapaniwala,"Baka kung ano-ano na namang trouble yang pinapasok mo ha! Jusko!"
He and Serissa are in one sync!
Tch. Wala naman ako balak sabihin pa sa kanya kung ano plano ko. All I need to do is to talk to my mom. Marami ng matibay na ebidensya..and she has rights to know about her killer.
"Habulin na ako ng trouble, noon pa. Whatever!"Irap ko sa kanya.
"Tara na. Let's get this over with it. Pupuntahan ba natin yung dati ninyong bahay?" Tanong naman ni Saturino.
"Sana," I told him.
No matter how many times I go back to the place, it always reminds me of that day. Kung paano nawala sa'kin ang lahat. The only woman that I ever loved was taken away from me because I'm a Demigod. Sa buong buhay ko, it always reminded me that I needed to get away. At simula din ng araw na yon, doon ko nalaman ang katotohanan kung bakit ang daming interesado sa dugo ko.
I hated my blood..
His own blood that runs through my veins.
Alam ko na nagka-ganito ang buhay ko dahil anak ako ni Apolaki. It's because I'm the Demigod of Sunlight and Wars. Hindi yon maalis. Kahit pa ilang beses ko na itakwil si Apolaki bilang tatay, fate is really fucking playing with us.
"But first, pupuntahan ko muna ang halimaw na yon." I gripped my fist.
"What–"
"I'm going to visit Serissa's father. Tatawagan ko na lang kayo pag tapos na ako sa kanya. Stay her out of this." Sabi ko na lang and I fixed my tie at tsaka ako nagmadali.
"Teka lang! What am I going to say to her? Ayoko namang magsinungaling kay Serissa. Rebel, huwag ka nga padalos-dalos. You're a big problem!" Suway nito sa'kin.
"Basta! Puntahan mo muna siya." Seryoso kong sinabi.
"Ugghh!" Reklamo na lang ni Saturino, "Ang dami mo ng atraso noh at ni isang thank you wala ka man lang–"
"Thank you." Sabi ko naman.
Nagulat naman si Saturino sa mga sinabi ko and he blinked and he fixed his hair, "Pwede ka rin naman palagi maging mabait minsan, dalasan mo naman Rebel. Akala ko bastos ka lagi e."
What!?
Serissa told me to be nice to her friends at binababaan ko yung pride ko just for my girlfriend, okay!? Bahala na. Ang mahalaga sa'kin ngayon ay puntahan ko yung tarantadong yon.
Aalamin ko sa kanya kung ano ang totoo. Sa pagkakataong ito, sisiguraduhin ko na hinding-hindi siya magtatagumpay! I grabbed my phone at agad ko tinawagan si Lolo.
"Gather your men. I'm going to visit Serissa's father. Tsaka ko na I-explain ang lahat, gramps. Just send the people."
Doveport Juvenile Holding Center.
Dito ko siya pinakulong. And agad ako pumasok sa loob and I asked some police that I'm going to visit him. They lead me into a certain room. At di ako makapaniwala that prick is even staying in a cozy room.
"The guy who broke my ribs." He smirked. He got doomy and threatening around him that made him so dangerous. Tumingin siya sa paligid at ngumisi ito.
"That child, she's not with you? Sobrang galing mo talaga para itago yong batang yon. I should have put her in the grave–"
Hindi ako nakapagpigil at hinigit ko yung damit niya at sinuntok ko yung mukha niya. I thought I can come here calmer pero hindi na nagbago ang lalaking to. Maangas pa din siya! He can just say what he wants to his daughter na wala siyang pakealam kahit mawala pa ito sa buhay niya.
He coughed so hard at tinignan na lang niya ako ng seryoso, "Your punches, it gotten strong. Sa tingin mo maproprotektahan mo talaga si Serissa, ha? Katulad lang din kita, halimaw ka din."
"I don't hit kids like you are!"Sigaw ko sa kanya at gumanti ulit ako ng suntok sa kanya. I got closer to him at hinampas ko yung mukha niya sa table and my hair is starting to turn red.
"Gusto mo yata ng part two, Mr. Bahaghari, gusto mo bang ipaalala ko sa'yo...kung paano kita binugbog ng araw na yon?"
That shocked him.
"You monster! You're different like she is. Seriously, why do you even exist?"Tanong na lang niya at ngumisi ito.
I always get hurt when people see me differently. I even experienced bullying before dahil sa sobrang kinang ng buhok ko. I always hated my blonde hair. How different my eyes are. I was afraid of myself. I am so afraid of my own blood.
But after Serissa become my protector, nakita niya yung mga bagay na hindi ko kailanman nakita sa sarili ko. She wasn't scared of me. Even how many times she saw my bestial eyes, she always looked at me straight. Smiling at me, Laughing together with me and even showing how much she always tries so hard to make me feel how important I am to her.
Even though I am the sun, I have never seen light within my eyes.
Until she came.
Nakita ko yung liwanag na matagal ko ng hinahanap. No one can explain how beautiful Serissa was in my own eyes. She's the most beautiful thing that has happened in my life. Kaya lahat gagawin ko para sa kanya. I wanted to protect Serissa and I can never let her go.
"I exist to protect her." Sabi ko na lang at inapakan ko na lang yung paa niya.
"You have no idea what kind of pain she went through, bastard. How she cries all day and night remembering...how you traumatized her! Kung paano siya manginig, kung gaano kabigat sa kanya dalhin yung problema niya. I was with her, nasaksikan ko yon. I saw how horrible her anxiety was. Kasama ko siya sa tuwing magpapa-session siya sa doctor niya. Alam mo lang ba kung gaano siya katakot harapin lahat ng trauma na binigay mo!? Sobrang hirap sa kanya buoin sarili niya.. Fuck! You had no idea how hard it was for her to survive all of this!"
People living with anxiety will never be easy. How you... always been surviving, that's the only thing that came on your mind.
But please, no matter what happened never blame yourself for it. Hindi mo kasalanan na nangyari ang lahat ng ito sa'yo. Your feelings are valid so please be gentle with yourself. Remember that you are strong for always choosing to fight this. You're not alone.
Ginulo ko na lang ang buhok ko at hinigit ko yung damit niya, "Mr. Bahaghari, I also have another more question. Totoo bang lumalabas ka rito sa loob para lang makagawa ka ng kagaguhan sa labas? Like murdering journalist? Did you murder News Copy Editor Rebecca Diamond Apoian?"
He didn't even deny it at ngumisi na lang siya ng nakakaloko,"Oh, so you heard it? I was thinking about ways to get even with you! It hurt me so bad when you broke my ribs so yes, I killed your noisy mother! So what!?"
Talagang utak criminal nga talaga siya. He didn't even care about people's lives. So wala lang sa kanya kahit na pinatay niya si Mama and he killed Max? This fucker! I bit my lip at sumugod ako sa kanya and I punched his face.
"Magbilang ka na ng araw mo. Martha is already in prison. At ikaw, may kalalagyan ka din. Itong evil organization na kasama ka...babagsak rin kayo. Tell them that I am coming. Tell them that Apolaki's son is coming to end them."Sabi ko sa kanya
Bago ako umalis, agad ko hinigit yung damit niya and he smirked at me.
"Sisiguraduhin ko that this time...mabubulok ka sa kulungan. I will avenge Serissa, my mom.. and the kid you killed, Max. Ako ang magpapabagsak sa inyo."
"Masyado kang maangas!" Sigaw niya and he punched my face. Hindi naman ako nagpatalo at sinipa ko siya pabalik.
Dinura ko na lang yung dugo sa bibig ko,"Is this what you got? You're nothing."