———
Isang kaway ang pinakawalan ni Lyca kay Kyle. Pagkatapos noon ay agad siyang naglakad paalis doon at tinahak ang daang dinaanan nila kanina. Ilang oras na ring tumatakbo sa isip niya ang sinabi ng babae sa library, ang nangyari roon, ang libro at ang matinding sakit na naramdaman sa braso.
That woman in the library seemed to know alot. By the looks of it, she has all the answers to her questions. Maybe she's the certainty in the vast of her confusion.
For the second time around, huge shelves of books welcomed her. Marble tiles seemed to produce a thud everytime Lyca steps on it. Still, there weren't any Reapers around except her. Well that was she thought, until Lyca heard the familiar calm voice.
"You came."
Lyca immediately veered around to find the owner of the voice. Black velvet cloak, mysterious smile— she's the woman. Delicate and subtle, she advanced towards Lyca. She stopped just meters before her, keeping a good distance between them.
With brow slightly arched and eyes seeming to see through, the lady spoke. "Nandito ka ngayon dahil may gusto kang malaman. Now, tell me what do you want to know?"
Lyca swallowed hard. "E-everything."
"I will. " Here it goes again, the mysterious grin. "But before that."
Lyca waited for her to continue.
"Show me your scythe."
Gustuhin man 'yang ipakita ito pero hindi niya alam kung paano iyon gagawin.
"I don't know... how," she said. Honestly the scythe itself was big confusion to her, and now summoning the scythe. How could she supposedly do that? Is there any manuals? Tutorials?
"Do you trust me?"
Lyca looked at her and examined her facial features. Expressive eyes, slightly wrinkled forehead and full lipies. She looked harmless. Lyca could trust her, right?
Slowly, Lyca nodded.
The older walked towards her completely closing their distance. She held Lyca's hands after trailing the black protruding veins on her both arms. As soon as she locked her hands on Lyca. A sudden jolt of pain gushed through Lyca's hands, up to her arms where the black veins were located.
Napaatras siya at sinubukang alisin ang pagkahawak ng babae sa kaniya. But the older was firm, refusing to undo the grip.
"W-what are you doing?" She asked, stuttering because of the continuous flow of unpleasant sensation on both arms. It's painful!
Sa una, para lang itong kirot. Kagaya ng naramdaman niya noong hinawakan niya ang librong kinuha ni Kyle kanina. Ngunit sa pagdaan ng ilang minuto parang isa-isang sinusunog ang dalawang braso niya.
"S-stop! Please stop! It h-hurts!" She cried.
"You need to relax!" Bakas din ang hirap sa boses dahil sa pagpupumiglas niya. "I just need to see the scythe!"
Lyca looked at the older. Her eyes have turned red, bloody red.
"W-why? Can you just answer my questions without seeing my scythe— Oh! Please stop!"
Lyca felt her fingers dug thru her arms. Upon laying her eyes on it, the sight of disintegrating dust filled the air. It came from Lyca's arms, it was slowly burning into dust particles. It only took a couple of seconds before the familiar long black handle arose.
"I can see it!" She laughed like a mad lady. The older became more aggressive and dug her fingers deeper.
"P-please!"
It was not long before the scythe completely showed up. Long curving blade fastened at an angle to a long handle was visible. The lady was all geared up to grab the scythe but a pile of books stopped her from doing so. It hit the woman abruptly, hurl herself to the shelves of book meters away.
Kagaya ng babae ay tumalsik din si Lyca at tumama sa isang mesa. Kasamang tumilapon ang scythe niya sa hindi kalayuan.
Lyca crawled and tried to grabbed it. She stopped midway when Lyca saw a pair of black leather shoes walking towards her. She looked up out of curiousity.
Ravi kicked the scythe towards her. "You stay there."
Anong ginagawa niya rito?
Bago pa man niya maisatinig iyon ay biglang tumilapon si Ravi. Nagsitumbahan ang mga gamit doon at bumagsak ang katawan nito sa mga librong maayos na nakahanay sa shelve, na ngayon ay pawang magulong nakalatag sa sahig.
"Ravi, glad to see you again."
"Betina."
Itinungkod nito ang kamay sa pader para suportahan ang sarili. Sumasayaw sa hangin ang suot nitong loose black long sleeve shirt nang hubarin nito ang tuxedo. Pagkatapos ay maayos na inilapag ito sa kalapit na table.
"What are you doing here Ravi?" May bahid ng pagkamangha ang tono ng babae at pasimpleng pinasadahan ng tingin ang babaeng na sa likod ni Ravi. It was Lyca, trembling Lyca.
"Ikaw Betina," Ravi paused. "Ano sa tingin mo ang ginagawa mo?"
"Nothing serious— just trying my luck again." She smiled. "Minalas kasi ako noon sayo. I'll appreciate it if you mind your own business and let me claim my luck."
Unang umatake si Betina kay Ravi. Sending him dagger-like books. Ravi managed to avoid all the pointed edges of the books flying towards him. After dodging all of it, it was his time to attack.
Mabilis ang galaw ni Ravi kaya hindi namalayan ni Betina ang paglapit nito sa kaniya dahil dito tumalsik si Betina at tumilapon sa pader. Walang inaksayang oras si Ravi at lumapit siya sa babae. His hands were already on her neck strangling her to the possible brutal second death the man could offer.
"Director Ravi!" Sigaw ni Lyca para pigilan si Ravi.
Lyca grabbed Ravi's arm and tried to undo his tight grip from Betina's neck, but his strength over power hers. Her body slammed against the wall after Ravi pushed her unintentionally.
Tila natauhan si Ravi at agad na dinaluhan si Lyca.
"I told you to stay." Matalim at may diin nitong paalala sa kaniya.
Hindi siya nagsalita habang iniinda ang pisikal na sakit na nararamdaman sa katawan.
Lyca's anxious that Ravi might actually kill Betina. Though, it was quite ridiculous to kill the death but somehow it's possible to kill them again. Killing them again means seizing their existence completely.
While silently groaning in pain, her eyes were completely shut, but then when she had all the strength to open her lid, it was immediately filled with fright and atrocity. Yes, fright and atrocity not because Ravi's pair of deadly eyes bore on her but more on the pair of bloody eyes behind him, ready to spat another attack.
"Ravi!" She dropped the honorifics and called him by his first name alone out of horror.
For a warning, it came a bit too late because Ravi's now thrown out against the wall. Betina's familiar mysterious smile once again arose from her lips. It started as a smile but later on developed into a loud laugh. Lyca grappled tighter on her scythe's handle as she felt Betina approaching her in a slow pace, teasing her, scaring the hell out of her.
"P-please..." that was all she said after she tried to get up, but she was too weak to do it.
"I feel really sorry for you, I just need your scythe but you endured all of this unintentionally." She paused a second. "My bad!"
"Mabilis lang naman talaga ito, but Ravi's surprisingly nosy today. I wonder why?"
That was all Lyca heard before Ravi pinned Betina on the floor. It left her in awe, mouth agaped, and eyes widened. The familiar angled blades and the handle— scythe, made her react that way.
Ravi has a scythe.
Compared to Lyca, hers was long handled, but Ravi's scythe was quite different. Yes, it's massive but there's two of them. The two sharp blades doesn't have handle but it was both placed on his arms instead, almost looked like an extention of Ravi's hands.
"Bakit nangingialam ka ngayon Ravi? Usually you won't mind if i collect sycthes from random Reapers. Why a sudden change of heart?" It sounded mocking.
"Why?"
Mas idiniin pa ni Ravi ang scythe nito kay Betina.
"Stop blabbering. I might kill you for real." Marahas na binitawan niya si Betina at tumayo.
--
"Hindi ka ba talaga marunong makinig?" That was Ravi said, after he dragged Lyca out of the disheveled place. Leaving it with books scattered on floor, shelves disarranged, messy tables and chairs, and Betina amused.
"I told you to try your best not to get caught. Ito lang ba ang kaya mo, ang magpahuli?" His toned was hard and harsh.
"You have your scythe too," Lyca pointed out.
"P-please tell me. Ano ba ang nangyayari? Bakit ako may scythe? Bakit gusto nila akong saktan para makuha lang ito—"
Ravi stepped closer as he shot his stares, like daggers, it bore through her. Surprisingly, maybe because of what happened a while ago, it had given her the confidence to meet Ravi's eyes bravely, without the anxiety of the thought that Ravi might fire her after this. But that was difinitely the least of Lyca's concern right now.
Silence. Ironically, it was deafening.
Ravi was first to drop gaze. Shortly, it settled on Lyca's burnt arms. Both of it were pretty damaged, the mark of Betina's dug finger was fresh and vivid on her upper limbs.
"Listen." Ravi paused a beat. Lyca remained silent, waiting for him to continue. "Everyone would kill for a scythe. Don't trust anyone. Don't trust Reapers... don't trust me."
Trust no one.
Lyca should've took Ravi's dark, grim eyes seriously and absorbed what he's trying to say. But Lyca didn't. For the second time, she made a fool of herself.
Mabilis ang galaw niya at patuloy siya sa pagtakbo. When Lyca entered the deadly maze a while go, she knew she's doomed. Lyca hurriedly went to a random alley, hoping to find the exit, but the huge wall of rose thorns were all Lyca saw. Frustrated, she turned around desperate to get out immediately, but Lyca stopped.
Massive and sharp scythe was on her neck, ready to crumble her into dust. Humigpit ang hawak niya sa scythe na dala.
Everyone would kill for a scythe.
Don't trust anyone.
Don't trust Reapers.
Napapikit si Lyca. "What do you want?"
"Your scythe."
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