Chapter 42
Hyperlexia
I catch my breath, coughing water out of my lungs as I feel white pain all over my head. My ears feel clogged and my eyes are watery from too much coughing. I can't seem to stop the water running from my nose when I try to sit up.
I see Daimon beside me breathing hard like I do. Worry is drawn all over his face as water drips from his dark hair. His trembling lips are red, his eyes fixed and unblinking when he quickly pulls me to him. His firm arms wrap around me in a fierce hug—one hand protectively holding my head, the other on the small of my back. I feel his heart beating rapidly against my chest as he whispers softly in my ear.
"I thought I'd lose you again."
There's a certain heaviness in his voice, an aching fear and sorrow that makes me want to relieve him from his burden.
My hand lays on his bare back and I've just notice the crowd surrounding us—my friends closest to us, looking worried about my state.
Lahat sila ay nakatingin sa amin.
Hindi ko alam kung ano ang eksaktong nangyari matapos akong mahulog sa pool. Hindi ko rin nakita kung sino ang tumulak sa akin. Ang alam ko lang ay nakapalibot na ang karamihan sa kanila kung nasaan ako ngayon.
Their stares are piercing, but I'm too disoriented to even get embarrassed of my situation.
Daimon lifts me up, carrying me in his arms.
Agad na nagbigay daan ang mga estudyante at naglakad si Daimon papunta sa P.E. teacher namin.
"She needs to rest," diretsong sabi niya.
Walang gana akong tinignan ng P.E. teacher namin bago tumango. "Alright. You have my permission."
Hindi nagsayang ng oras si Daimon at agad na naglakad pabalik. Nakatingin pa rin silang lahat sa aming dalawa. Siguro ay dahil panibagong palabas na naman ito para sa kanila. I catch a glimpse of Zairus' downcast eyes when we go past him.
"Where's her robe?" Daimon curtly says to no one in particular.
I see Ione quickly handing him my white robe.
Daimon grabs it using his hand under my knees. "Cover yourself with this, love," he tells me.
I take it from his hand, my arm feeling wobbly and weak. Only now do I realize I'm shivering from the cold air hitting my exposed skin, making me hug the cotton fabric tighter.
Daimon carries me toward the exit.
Before we completely head out, I hear Lucienne say, "Bibigyan ko ng fifty points ang makakapag-tulak kay Tammy Abrera sa pool."
Then I hear a splash.
Almost drowning made me feel weak and feeble like a newborn baby. Pakiramdam ko ay nawalan ako ng lakas. May kung anong takot at bigat sa dibdib ko dahil sa nangyari na hindi ko maipaliwanag. My hand rests on Daimon's bare chest and I bury myself closer to him, finding solace from his hold as I close my eyes.
Pagmulat ko ay bumungad sa akin ang isang pamilyar na lugar.
"Daimon." Even my voice has become weak. "This isn't my dormitory."
He plants a kiss on top of my head. "You'd be safer here."
I recognize the red satin chair on the other side of the room. Pati na rin ang pulang kama na ngayon ay itim na ang punda. The first time I was here, Daimon insisted to make me quit the competition. Now I'm still in the game he persistently didn't want me to be involved in.
He walks over to his bed to lay me down.
"Daimon, mababasa ang kama mo," nag-aalalang sabi ko pero hindi niya ako pinakinggan at ihiniga pa rin sa kama niya.
"You really think I'd care more about my bed than you?" he playfully asks. "I can always replace the covers, love. I can't replace you."
He gently runs a hand over the top of my head.
"Rest here while I get you a change of clothes, okay?"
Then he kisses my forehead before he leaves the room.
I'm left here to realize how exposed I was throughout everything that has happened. Goodness, I'm just in my one-piece suit! Ngayon ko palang naramdaman ang muling pag-init ng pisngi ko. I instantly wrap the duvet around me like it would suddenly cover myself earlier as well.
Nakakahiya.
Lahat sila ay nakita akong muntikan nang malunod. Based from the situation where I gained consciousness, mukhang si Daimon ang sumagip sa akin. Does that mean... Did he kiss me in front of everyone? Oh god, I think he did. Pero mouth to mouth resuscitation naman 'yon kaya wala namang masama, hindi ba? What am I getting so embarrassed for? Para akong tanga na nagtatago sa kumot.
I suddenly remember what Lucienne said, and now I realize it was Tammy who pushed me. Hindi naman basta-basta sasabihin ni Lucienne ang narinig ko ng walang dahilan.
What Tammy did is obviously out of spite. But that won't help her at all. It will only put her in a tough spot and I don't think her fellow chosen twelve from Sta. Cecilia will appreciate what she's done. They can only rely on us now for the second clue. Dahil sa ginawa ni Tammy, mas lalo lang lalabo na paboran namin sila. I can only imagine how Sta. Cecilia would try to win us back.
Hindi rin naman nagtagal ay unti-unti nang gumagaan ang pakiramdam ko. Daimon's bed is so comfy that I had to fight the urge to sleep. There's something about it that makes me want to snuggle against it closer. It gives me a strange sense of peace, making me feel incredibly at ease.
Daimon comes back with my uniform. He's now dressed in gray shirt and black sweatpants. Even with plain clothing, he still looks ridiculously attractive.
"Were you able to rest for a while?" agad niyang tanong na may malambing na ngiti sa labi.
Mabilis akong umayos ng upo. "Yes. Thank you."
"Then that's good." Umupo siya sa tagiliran ng kama at ipinatong ang damit ko malapit sa akin. "Here are your clothes."
"Salamat ulit." I made sure to wear my robe beforehand so I wouldn't get flustered when I have to leave his bed this time. "Sorry I made your bed damp."
He chuckles. "Celestine, will you stop fussing over my bed already? I assure you this isn't the first time it got damp."
I look away, feeling my face flush at whatever it was he was insinuating. Ibinaling ko nalang ang atensyon ko sa damit na dinala niya. I check my clothes to see if I have everything I need, and now I'm sure my face is even more red in embarrassment.
He even brought me my underwear.
Well, of course he would, Celestine! It's basic necessity! Pero hindi ko pa rin mapigilang mamula at mahiya habang iniisip na siya mismo ang kumuha ng bra at panty ko sa damitan ko.
"Celestine, are you okay? Why are you—"
Mabilis akong tumayo at kumaripas ng takbo bitbit ang damit ko. "I-I'm going to t-take a shower!"
At agad kong isinara ang pintuan ng banyo niya.
I take a deep breath, willing my heartbeat to slow down. When I finally calmed my nerves, I look at the mirror and see my eyes widen in realization.
How did I know where his bathroom is?
Napatalon ako nang biglang may kumatok sa pintuan.
"Celestine, open up," Daimon says.
"A-And why w-would I do that?!"
I hear him sigh. "You dropped this, love."
I nervously open the door, granting him narrow access as he hands me my panties.
You had one job, Celestine!
"I know you'd spend a good amount of time fretting over this, but please don't," he says in a coaxing voice. "You need to shower soon. I don't want you to catch a cold."
Once again, he's right.
I would fret over this and waste my time. And if I don't shower soon like he said, I'd seriously risk catching a cold.
Daimon Clyde, I have finally accepted, really knows me well.
Gaya ng sabi niya ay hindi na ako nag-aksaya ng panahon at agad na naligo. Pero hindi ibig sabihin no'n ay hindi na ako nahihiya sa nangyari. I can still multitask! I can shower and be embarrassed at the same time. Oh god, what is wrong with me?
Looking through his stuff inside the bathroom, I notice Daimon has a broad array of soap. Gusto ko sanang tignan lahat pero baka bukas pa ako matapos kaya dumampot nalang ako ng isa.
I finish soon after and got dressed in my uniform sans the shoes.
Paglabas ko ay gray na ang punda ng kama ni Daimon.
He wasn't lying when he said he can always replace the covers. Right now he's sitting on one side of his bed, and when he sees me looking at his comforter, he grins.
"I had to change it so you'd stop giving all of your attention to this damned bed," sabi niya na may mapaglarong ngiti sa labi. "Are you feeling better?"
Tumango ako. "Where exactly am I, Daimon? Kailan tayo babalik sa Academy?"
"You're in my room, love. And we can go back now if you want."
Do I want to go back now? "So this is where you stay whenever you're not around, huh?" I guess not. "I didn't think you were the type to have a fully furnished room. You don't even strike me as someone who likes to stay at home."
He just smiles lightly, looking at me intently. "I wasn't the one who made my room like this."
I sense a change in the atmosphere and I bite my lip.
I know this feeling well. The tension, the heat, the longing—it's the same as before. The same reaction we both have for each other.
I swallow hard.
"Come here, Celestine."
There's something about his voice that attracts me to him, making me do as he says even when I feel the familiar tingle on my skin. "B-Balik na tayo?"
"Why do you sound so unsure?" He grins as he pulls me closer to him, my skin burning at his touch.
"B-Baka hinahanap na nila ako."
"They know you're with me."
"P-Pero hindi pa rin nila alam k-kung nasaan ako."
"Your friend Lucienne will think of something." He motions for me to sit on his lap, both my hands on his shoulders, and I don't know why I comply.
My legs are now sprawled on his bed as I straddle him. "W-What if they g-get into a fight? Who would protect them?"
His arms circle around my waist in an embrace. "Isn't that my job? I'm here so it means they're fine."
"W-What if our P.E. teacher look for me?"
"She won't. She gave you permission to rest."
"W-What if... what if we miss dinner?"
Daimon laughs at this one. "I'll make you something to eat, love."
I'm running out of excuses and I don't even know why I have to convince myself that I need to go back when I clearly want to be with him. "I'm worried about Luna." This time I'm being honest. "Hindi ako nakapag-paalam sa kanya kanina. I didn't even get to see her before we left. What if something happens to her? Hindi ko na mapapatawad ang sarili ko kapag may nangyari pa ulit sa kanya."
Daimon leans back and his expression changes. "You seem to care an awful lot about this Luna."
"She's my best friend," I say with pursed lips, looking down at him. "Of course, I care about her. She's really important to me."
"Oh?" He says with raised eyebrows. His eyes reflect a hint of amusement as his naughty hands grip my hips. I tense up. "Then what kind of friend am I, love?"
I nervously swallow, my breathing starting to become erratic as his hand crawls up the side of my torso. "Y-You said... you're a s-special... f-friend..."
"Uhuh." He begins to caress my waist, and I stifle a gasp when he leans closer, leaving soft kisses on the base of my neck. "You don't want more than that?"
I feel his fingers unbuttoning my shirt, tugging my ribbon down. One, two, three buttons—he stops just before my dress. "D-Daimon..."
"Why does your uniform have so many layers?" he asks, his lips tracing the underside of my jaw, his other hand finding the hem of my dress.
"Daimon, kakapalit ko lang ng damit."
"Should I stop?" He kisses the tip of my chin, traveling up to kiss my bottom lip. My hands are doing nothing to cut him off and he looks at me in question. "No?"
When I don't answer, he impatienty covers my mouth with his own. And once again I'm in his possession. I'm at the mercy of his lips, under the spell of his touch. I let him delve his tongue inside me like it's for him to take and he pulls my body closer to him. My arms circle around his neck, his hands tearing the collar of my shirt wide open.
"They're almost gone," he tells me as he pulls away, adoringly looking at my chest. "You did a good job of hiding it, love. Should I place new ones?"
"Don't even— I swear I'll hit you!"
He chuckles softly. "Alright. No sucking then."
And he proceeds to kiss my chest, his lips grazing my sensitive skin, sending shivers all over my body before he claims my mouth once again. He's kissing me with eagerness as he swiftly pushes me down his bed, him on top of me, one arm resting above my head for support. I place a hand on his solid chest, the other tangling his hair. His lips move down on my neck and I feel him breathing me in.
"You smell so good," he whispers in my ear, repeatedly kissing the same spot he marked yesterday.
"Well... I used your soap..."
I hear him smile. "Remind me to get more of it then."
He bites the side of my neck, making me yelp in protest. "Daimon, n-no! Don't leave a mark!"
"Right, right," he laughs, the warmth of his breath tickling me. "I forgot no biting either."
He places a soft kiss on the spot he just bit as if to soothe my skin. Then I feel his hand on my stomach, slowly moving up as he trails open mouthed kisses down my throat, farther down my chest, and going even lower until my clothing stops him.
He pulls away. Straightens his back.
Smiles at me.
"We don't need this," he says, removing my ribbon. "Or this." And now my blazer. "This..." He eyes my dress.
"Daimon, not the dress," I quickly say. There's only a thin fabric covering me if he strips me out of this garment.
He looks at me in soft silence, lips slightly parted. And I find the movement of his throat frustratingly attractive when he swallows.
There's a deep desire in his blue eyes when he leans down to kiss me again with more passion. His lips grow more athirst with every passing second and I find myself wanting him to consume me. His hands slip under my dress, his knee pressing between my thighs, lightly grazing me. And a soft moan escapes from my lips. "D-Daimon..."
I hear him curse. His hands are now out of sight, now under my clothes, and he's stroking my legs, traveling up to my hips when breathes, "You have no idea what you do to me, Celestine. No idea how much I love hearing you say my name."
I'm slowly losing my mind. His touch is lighting up my skin, setting my heart on fire, and I'm trying to get hold of my senses as he presses against me closer, our bodies igniting.
"Say my name again, love," he whispers, his voice laced with need. "Please."
"D-Daimon..."
He takes a sharp intake of breath. "Fuck, you make me crazy."
And he clashes his lips to mine, delving his tongue deeper inside my mouth. I'm tugging and twisting and gripping his hair as I feel him between my thighs, pushing himself closer to me.
Closer.
Closer.
Dangerously closer.
"I should stop," he breathes in between kisses, unable to do as he says. "You should stop me, Celestine."
I should.
I really should.
But I can't. I want him.
I'm having a hard time stopping myself from kissing him back, from wrapping him closer as he continues to move against me, devouring my lips—tasting and feeling and breathing only me. My pent-up emotions have been set free and now he's all I can think about. He's the only one who can do this to me, the only one who can make me want to surrender everything I have and exist only for him.
The thought of wanting to give myself to him is too powerful that it took everything I've got to push him off my body.
We're both gasping for air.
I watch the rise and fall of my own chest, trying to process what just happened as my eyes find Daimon in front of me. He's breathing fast, his face flushed. He's looking at me like he's almost lost control of himself and I bite my lip because I feel the exact same way. I see beads of sweat on his forehead as he tries to put off the leftover desire in his eyes. He licks his lips. Runs a hand through his hair. He swallows hard as he helps me sit up, sighing before he buttons my shirt and fix my hair with his fingers.
"We can't for now," he says, almost to himself. "Not yet."
•—⊶◈⊷—•
"Lance, what the heck are you doing? Bakit pakalat-kalat ang documents mo? What if the children see, huh?"
"Relax, honey. They're kids."
"You don't get to call me honey until you fix your things! Zairus is a bright kid, and you know full well how curious Celestine can be. For goodness' sake, Lance. What are you, twelve?"
Rinig ko ang pagtawa ng Papa ko. "Yes, ma'am. I'll clean it up right away."
At ngayon ay yabag ng mga paa naman na papunta sa sala ang aking naririnig.
"Cul... cala... classified..." bigkas ng batang ako, nakakunot ang noo at sinusubukang basahin ang nagkalat na papel ni Papa. "Classified in... infro? Infrom? How do I pronounce this one?"
"Celestine?"
Agad akong napalingon, nagniningning ang mga mata nang malaman kung sino ang tumawag sa akin. "Papa!"
Dali-dali akong tumakbo papunta kay Papa at nagpakalong. Mabilis naman niya akong binuhat bago pumulot ng isang papel sa sahig. "What were you doing, sweetie? Were you reading this?"
Bakas ang pagtataka sa mukha ng aking ama at masigla akong tumango. "Mmm! This one, and that one, and that one too. But some are too hard, Papa. I can't pronounce some words like pir... prima... pirmod..."
"Primordials," pagpapatuloy ni Papa, halata ang gulat sa mga mata.
"Yes! That one!" Muling kumunot ang noo ng batang ako bago ngumuso. "It's too hard to say."
Tinignan akong maigi ng aking ama at inayos ang aking buhok. "Celestine, these are encrypted texts. You're telling me you can read this?"
"En... encrypted? What's that?"
Pero hindi ako sinagot ni Papa, sa halip ay may nabubuong ngiti sa kanyang mga labi at walang pasabi akong itinaas sa ere. "My daughter is a genius! You really take after me, huh? You're good at ciphers too."
Hindi mapigilan ang pag-bungisngis ng batang ako. "I'm good?"
"Yes, sweetie. You're the best daughter in the whole world."
Tuwang-tuwa naman ang batang ako sa atensyon na ibinibigay sa akin ni Papa. At isang bagay ang pumukaw sa aking pansin nang mahagip ito ng aking paningin. "Pretty!"
Napatingin si Papa sa tinutukoy ko, nakayuko sa bulsa ng kanyang damit kung saan makikita ang isang itim at makintab na ball pen. "You like this one?"
Agad akong tumango.
"Then I'll give you one in the future."
Nagising ako sa isang pamilyar na ingay na bumabalot ngayon sa loob ng dormitory.
"Damn this competition! At least let us sleep!" rinig kong angal ni Lucienne.
Isa-isa kaming nagsibukasan ng lampshade sa nightstand at antok na nagtinginan sa isa't isa.
"Rina, anong oras na?"
"It's 12:03 in the morning, Number Six."
"So, it's another hint?" antok na tanong ni Julien, halos nakasara pa ang talukap ng kanyang mga mata.
Kita ko si Cenon na kinukusot ang sarili niyang mga mata. "Yes. This time it's plain that the siren is part of this week's challenge."
It amazes me that she can already think clearly despite waking up just now.
"E 'di hindi na naman nila tayo patutulugin?" tanong ni Ione habang nagpupunas ng laway.
Lucienne snickers. "Who are you kidding, Ione? Kayo lang ni Luna ang nakakatulog sa kabila ng ingay na 'to."
"S-Sorry naman," my best friend says.
Riley laughs in a tired, sleepy way.
Hindi na naman namin malaman kung anong gagawin dahil sa sobrang lakas na ingay na bumubulabog sa amin. Panigurado ay puyat na naman lahat ng mga estudyante sa competition. Maliban nalang siguro kay Ione at Luna. At sa iba pang mga tulog mantika.
Akala namin ay tatagal na naman ng isang oras ang ingay pero halatang lahat kami ay nabigla nang tumigil ito matapos ang dalawampung minuto.
"It's twenty minutes this time," sabi ni Cenon.
"What does that mean?" tanong ko.
"For sure it's telling us something," sagot niya. "Ngayon ay kailangan natin maghintay kung tutunog ulit mamaya ang siren."
And so we waited for another twenty minutes, because according to Cenon, that was the interval silence yesterday before the siren starts again. Pero matapos namin maghintay ay hindi naman na tumunog ulit ang nakakarinding ingay.
"Guess it got tired," Lucienne murmurs. "Finally, I can sleep."
They all go back to sleep after that, except for Cenon who's quietly sitting on her bed. I think she still wants to wait a bit more to see if the siren really stopped.
After a while, there's still no noise keeping us from sleeping. At sinubukan ko na rin ulit matulog.
I think of my dreams. My memories from when I was young.
So even back then, I was already good at decrypting texts? Hindi na ulit maalis sa ala-ala ko ang masayang mukha ni Papa nang malaman niya ang tungkol dito. He looked so happy... so proud of me.
I miss him.
Sometimes I wish I can just go back to being a child. Kung saan wala akong problema at buo pa kaming pamilya. Kung saan kasama ko pa si Papa.
I miss him so much. I really miss my father.
I miss his smiles. I miss how he cares for me. I miss how loud he eats his breakfast. I miss how he always suffer from my mother's nagging. I miss how he tucks me in my bed and kiss me goodnight. I miss how he always carries me in his arms and comfort me when I have bad dreams. I miss everything about him.
I have always been a daddy's girl. Always been his little princess.
But now... now he's gone.
Hindi ko namalayan na nakaalpas na pala ang mga luha mula sa mata ko.
Agad ko itong pinunasan at huminga ng malalim.
Ngayon ay hindi na naman ako makatulog. Ilang beses ko sinubukan pero mas lalo ko lang nararamdaman ang lungkot at ang kahilingan ko na sana buhay pa si Papa. Sana kamasa ko pa siya.
I stand up and grab my swimsuit and robe. I might as well make use of this time to practice swimming.
Bago ako umalis ng dormitory ay napansin kong tulog na rin si Cenon. So that means there won't be anymore siren for the rest of the night. Or morning rather.
60, 20, 20, 20 was the hint yesterday.
Now it's only 20.
Last week's challenge was all about letters. This time it's numbers. Ano naman ang sa susunod na linggo? Symbols? Division's Competition is fond of patterns so it's likely for it to be symbols. Or not.
Madilim pa rin sa labas at kahit na nasa loob pa ako ng building ay malamig na.
I'm suddenly regretting my decision to practice swimming when it's this cold. Mamaya manigas ako lalo sa swimming pool. I still can't handle the pool earlier, but I think I saw some smaller ones before it kaya doon ako dumiretso.
The whole place screams cold.
Mas lalong malamig dito kumpara sa main building. It's also a bit dark here, but there are dim lights and the pool itself reflects light.
When I almost drowned earlier, I think I saw images inside my head. Pero hindi ko na ulit maalala. Maybe it's the kind they say people see when they're near death? I've heard about it before. May kung ano ka raw na makikita bago ka mamatay.
And I just realize that Daimon saved me again.
Now my thoughts start to drift toward the man I just made out with for a second time. Oh god, why can't I control myself when I'm with him? I almost... I almost let him have me! Kung hindi pa niya sinabi na pigilan ko siya baka hindi ko pa nga talaga siya pinigilan.
I feel so stupid in here, blushing madly by myself. So I try to get him off my mind by going near the pool.
I'm probably breaking the rules by dipping my legs on the pool without showering first. Pero malamig pa kasi kaya medyo nag-aalinlangan akong magbasa. I don't even know if I can actually learn how to swim by myself. I highly doubt it. But I brought Rina for instructions. Pwede niya ako turuan.
I was about to get up when I hear a voice.
"Celestine?"
And I shriek in great surprise that I slip down the pool.
Just great.
I'm going to drown again and I'll probably die this time.
•—⊶◈⊷—•
hello lovelies!! please read this if u have time:
so i published the companion novella to immortal city, and basically it's the current nameless organization's origin stories.
another, i plan to post 2 (or 3 pag sinipag) Extra Chapters for this book. anong difference ng special chapter sa extra chapter?
Special Chapters are non-canon.
Extra Chapters are canon.
meaning the first is not really part of the story, and the latter actually happened somewhere in the story's timeline.
isa pa, and i'm hoping this would get some feedback huhu, i'll include a Q&A/FAQ/BTS/TRIVIA (i don't know what to call it yet) about... well... Immortal City haha. so drop your questions sa comments para alam ko kung ano isasama hehe
it can be a question about the story, the character, how it came to be, what inspired this specific scene/attribute/characteristic, or it can be about my writing process or even about me kung interested kayo sakin mwahaha
you can comment on any chapter until we reach the epilogue. kapag hindi umabot ng at least 30 questions, di ko na itutuloy kasi flop hahaha
pls include #faq in your questions hehe
thank you!
p.s. little celestine is my favorite huhu so cute
p.p.s. ang landi nila talaga hwahwa nasa red room of pain daw kasi char
—lia