"Ahh grabe! Ang sakit ng kamay at braso ko! Grabe si Ma'am Michiko!" Akane complained after our class.
"She seems really okay now," bulong naman ni Riye.
Umuwi kami sa dorm para magpahinga dahil ang intense ng ginawa ni Ma'am Michiko sa amin. Nagulat pa nga kami dahil biglang sumulpot si Akane sa room at pinagalitan niya kami ni Riye dahil hindi raw namin siya ginising noong pumunta kami sa Medical Department.
Nagpumilit siyang lumabas dahil ayaw niyang mag-stay ro'n at ayos naman na raw ang pakiramdam niya. Mukhang okay na nga siya dahil ang energetic na niya.
Naalala ko naman ang nangyari kanina sa class. Ma'am Michiko made Akane try different kinds of swords: long, short, broad, heavy and huge. On the other hand, Riye had to practice with staffs of different length and width. The guys were taught different techniques that they could utilize and for me, she made me shoot three arrows at one. It was difficult because they had to hit three different targets with varying distance.
Pagkatapos naming mag-shower ay pumunta ako sa kusina. I cooked our food and Riye assisted me. She was so cute for being analytical even in cooking rice.
"Akane nee-san, okay ka na ba talaga?" tanong ni Riye habang kumakain kami.
"Oo naman. Sabi ni Dra. Yuuki, wala na raw damage ang muscles ko at nakapagpahinga na rin naman ako kagabi at kanina."
Riye touched her arm. "Whoa. I thought you were lying."
"Hey! Or course not. And what do you expect from our top doctor?"
"Si Dra. Yuuki ang top doctor dito?" tanong ko sa kanila.
"Yeah. She's been developing different medical treatments for fifteen years," sabi ni Akane.
"Wait, you mean she also fought in the Shinigami war?"
"Mmm. According to rumors, she was so eager to learn everything in the medical field aftrt the war. Many of her teachers, classmates and acquaintances died so maybe that triggered her drive to save everyone from dying."
Hmm. Tanungin ko kaya siya? May alam kaya siya sa katauhan ni Mama pati kay Akemi? Teka, kasama kaya si Mama sa war na 'yon?
"Nee-chan, why are you interested about what happened fifteen years ago?"
I gave her a subtle smile. "Ewan ko rin. But it felt like somehow, it's connected to me."
"Connected to you?"
"Mmm. When I saw her fighting against the Shinigamis last time, it was like I was looking at a different person. She was strong. She even fought against Rin."
"Rin? Sino 'yon? Wait, parang narinig ko na ang pangalan na yan," sabi ni Akane.
Riye gasped."I-Isn't she the leader of the Shinigami tribe?" I nodded.
"How did you know that?" tanong naman sa kanya ni Akane.
"Nee-san, I'm a Shinigami tracker, remember? May alam rin naman ako kahit papaano na information about that tribe."
"Ah, geez. Oo nga pala. Anyway Akemi, paano naman napasok ang nangyari fifteen years ago sa katauhan mo at ng Mama mo?"
"Ngayon ko lang na-realize ang mga napapansin ko sa kanya dati. Kapag nasa bahay kami, lagi siyang nagpapatak ng kung ano sa mga mata niya. Kapag naman aalis kami, lagi siyang nakashades. I thought I was just imagining things but I saw her eyes turned green one time. But you said the color of our eyes becomes permanent once it reaches the last stage. But how come her eyes still look normal these past several years? Pati noong nag-scout si Ma'am Reina sa school namin at kapag sumasama si Sir Hayate sa atin, their eyes turned normal."
"Those are contact lenses, nee-chan," Riye answered. "Green-eyed members of our clan also wear those. Senshins who stay in the humdrum's world usually have those lenses."
"Ibig sabihin, 'yong akala kong pinapatak ni Mama sa mga mata niya ay contact lens?"
"Yeah. Ang alam ko, parang eyedrop lang 'yon. Upon conctact with the iris, the liquid will quickly solidify and masks the color of your eyes."
Lalo akong hindi makapakali nang malaman ko 'yon. I stayed up, thinking about my questions while the two of them slept after eating and while waiting for our 5 PM class.
Ibig sabihin ay hindi nga totoo ang sinasabi ni Mama na rare disorder ng mga mata niya. She kept her former life from me. She kept our real identities from me. Why? Dahil ba gusto niyang mamuhay kami nang normal? Dahil ba masyadong mapanganib ang mundong ginagalawan ko ngayon?
Still, I have a feeling that she had something to do with what happened fifteen years ago. That was around the time I was born. She was also chased by Shinigamis and protected me from them. Why? Why do they want me?
Napahawak na lang ako sa ulo ko dahil sobrang dami kong tanong na si Mama lang ang makakasagot.
"Meow."
Natumba ako sa upuan ko sa sobrang gulat nang makita ko ang isang pusa sa harapan ko.
"Akemi!"
"Nee-chan!"
I glanced at Akane and Riye who were awakened by my scream.
"Ayos ka lang?" sabay alalay sa akin ni Akane.
"O-oo. Nagulat lang ako sa pusa—wait, Demi?"
Demi purred while looking at me. Sa pagkakatanda ko, ang sabi ni Ma'am Michiko ay sa Great Seven ang pusang 'to. Pero bakit niya ako sinusundan?
Bigla namang tumaas ang buntot niya at gumalaw ang tenga niya.
"Nee-san?"
Napatingin ako kay Riye dahil bigla niyang tinawag si Akane. When I looked at Akane, she looked like she just saw a ghost. Her body began trembling and she hugged herself.
"Akane? Ayos ka lang ba?"
"M-mom," she muttered and she ran outside the room.
"Akane!"
"Nee-chan, what's wrong with her?"
"Hindi ko rin alam. Pero sundan na lang natin siya!"
Tumakbo kami ni Riye para sundan si Akane at doon ko nakita na sinundan din pala siya ni Demi noong lumabas siya.
"There!" I yelled as I pointed the path toward the forest.
Tumakbo kami ni Riye papunta ro'n pero bigla akong kinabahan. Bakit tumatakbo si Akane at Demi papunta ro'n? At bakit niya binaggit ang Mom niya?
Nasagot agad ang katanungan ko nang huminto si Akane. I stood frozen as two Shinigamis looked at us."
"You killed my Mom!" sigaw ni Akane at agad siyang nag-summon ng sword.
"Oh. So you really have the same ability as hers. I just whispered that we killed that Akira right here and you heard that?" one of them taunted and Akane lurched at them.
"Nee-san!" tawag ni Riye at tumakbo siya papunta sa kanya.
"Akane! Riye!"
My body moved by itself and I immediately summoned my bow and arrows when the Shinigamis moved toward Akane and Riye.
I was about to shoot them with arrows but something went wrong. I thought they were going to attack Akane and Riye but they suddenly lunged at my direction. Before I could react, darkness had already engulfed me.
***