CHAPTER FORTY
Nathan Cassiano POV (Nate)
Ilang araw naba ang lumipas? It was Dark here and stuffy, I don't remember how I ended up in this situation but I have to warn Allison.
"Nathan" nanghihina kong inangat ang ulo ko at tiningnan sila Gray, Neon, at Jullius
Jullius has been unconscious for almost 4 days, One time he was just being dragged somewhere and now we don't know what to do dahil hindi pa siya nagigising. "How many days has it been?" Tanong ko sa kanila.
"18 days to be exact" sagot sa akin ni Neon na siyang pinaka kalmado sa aming lahat, napatingin nalang ako kay Gray ng suntukin niya ang Glass Cage na nagsisilbing kulungan namin.
"Stop wasting your time, Grayson kung ayaw mong iwan ka namin kapag naka labas kami dito" wika ko sa kanya, we've been here for 12 days and I bet that Allison is worried about the four of us being Missing.
"We need to get out of here now, Hindi natin alam ang mga nangyayari lalo na sa Academy" wika ko sa kanila, we still have our strength dahil kahit papaano ay dinadalhan nila kami ng pagkain dito.
Akala namin ng una, just by waiting ti'll Allison realize we're missing ay makaka alis din kami agad dito, but for Satan's sake, we don't even know where the hell are we and what part of hell are we even locked in.
We also decide to just sit still dahil hindi namin kakayaning tumakas sa lagay ni Jullius, and I bet that when Allison find's out about Jullius' condition, she will go rampant and kill everyone in her sight.
That's how Allison is, if she knew her friends or someone that she treasures are being dragged around, as long as she's allowed to kill that person, she wouldn't blink a little or even bathe an eye on that person and you'll just see that persons dead body while bathing in his or her personal blood.
napangiti nalang ako dahil sa mga ala-ala ko, Of course how could I forget that side of her when every time she tried to kill someone or she already did, I was the one who would probably clean that mess and will be in a hot seat with her father's uncountable questions.
I looked at Gray na siyang may pinakamalapit na selda kay Jullius, "Gray, try waking him up" utos ko na agad naman nitong sinunod, Unlike the last few days, we finally get a response from Jullius na wala paring malay.
Even Though we're locked in a Glass Cage, there are still some holes in it, Ito ang nagsisilbing lusutan ng pagkain at dahilan para kahit papaano ay makahinga din kami at maabot ang isat-isa.
"Let him rest for now, Let me think of something that we can do to escape here" wika ko sa kanila, maya maya pa ay napatingin nalang ako sa may mahabang corridor ng marinig namin ang kalansing ng bakal na pintuan.
Just by listening on the echo's for the past week ay mapapansin na nasa isang underground place kami dahil kahit na sementado pa ang lupang inuupuan namin ay mababakas kang tubig sa sahig at ang ibang kisame naman ay tumutulo, That's why we aren't able to touch the Railings inside the Glass cage since some of them are connected in cable wires that was drenched in water.
nakatingin lang kami sa Corridor na iyon, until a familiar face showed up, we've been seeing this person in while now, who would have thought that this person was a traitor of all people, "What's with the frown?" tanong niya sa amin para sumama ang tingin ko sa kanya.
"Anong ginagawa mo dito? are you gonna drag one of us and torture him just like what you did to Jullius?" tanong ni Neon dito, He's the calmest among us four but just looking at him right now I can tell that he's willing no— ready to kill the man standing right in front of us.
"What's with the greeting? aren't you thankful you're all still alive and breathing?" mah halong sarcasmo na wika niya sa amin, "Then should I say 'Thank you' for betraying us and keeping us Alive?" taas kilay na tanong ko dito.
"Why? after all it was your master's fault and the reason why my girl died, and why the four of you is here right?" wika niya sa amin ay natawa, "Don't give the blame to other people na walang ginagawa sayo, Theodore Detecio, If your girl dies, It was your fault for not taking good care of her or its just her time to go, so don't blame anyone else" may diing wika ko sa kanya.
"You haven't seen your girl Die right in front of you, have you?" may pait na tanong niya sa akin, "You wouldn't know the pain of seeing the person you love die right in front of you, and the reason why she died was because she protects someone who's not worth it giving up her life" wika niya sa amin.
napakuyom nalang ako ng kamao sa sinabi niya, "Did Allison ever tell Zia to protect her? Did Allison killed her? No right? Desisyon ni Zia na protektahan si Allison even if it cost her life, yet eto ka at naghihiganti sa taong gusto niyang protektahan" wika ko dito.
"If you love her, respect her last will, but all of this in the first place should have not happened if you just sit still, and never betrayed us, because of all people bakit ikaw pa?" wika ko sa kanya at tiningnan siya ng diretso sa mga mata.
"You're trying to kill Allison, but Zia chooses to protect her. Doesn't that mean you're just wasting Zia's life?" Tanong ko dito dahilan para magtagis ang bagang niya.
"You approached Allison with different Intentions, She showed you kindness, she treasures not only just you but the Entire Academy to the point that she's willing to sacrifice her life for all of you, yet here you are waiting for the right time to shoot her behind her back" wika ko dito dahilan para mag iwas siya ng tingin.
"Shut up, you don't know anything" wika niya at humarap sa lalaking nasa likudan niya at inutusan niya itong umalis, pinapanood ko lang siya habang kausap iyon at maya-maya pa ay lumapit siya sa Selda ni Gray at akmang bubuksan iyon.
"Don't touch him, Theodore!" may halong pagbabanta na wika ni Neon dito, nagulat na lang kami ng bigla siyang mag taas ng kamay at pinakita ang nakasabit na susi sa kamay niya, "I love Zia, Nathan" he said.
"We both know each other since we were kids right?" tanong niya dahilan para mapalunok ako, I never thought that they can still remember me after all these years, since after Allison's Accident i started living in Spain with her.
"I have liked Zia since then, she likes you but you like Archianna, that's why you followed Allison to Spain right?" nakayukong wika niya, "I devoted myself to make Zia happy, away from her family, I never intended to betray anyone, but looking back at Zia's death I realize what I just did" he said and started to cry.
"I'm just trying to protect her, I don't want my father to touch her, that's why I did everything he told me to do, and he told me it was you guys who killed Zia" pag amin niya sa amin dahilan para matigilan kami.
"If I've known earlier and just trusted you Guys, nothing of this would have happened" he said and looked me straight in the eyes, "What you said to me was all true, that's why even for the last moment I want to set things right" he said and threw a knife to Neon.
"I'm sorry for everything" wika niya sa amin, agad naman kaming tumayo, binuksan na ni Gray ang Selda niya samantalang tinulungan naman ako pakawalan ni Neon, nagulat nalang kami ng bumulagta si Theodore sa sahig dahil a pagkakasuntok ni Grayson.
"Kulang pa ang isang suntok sa pagpapahirap mo saamin, that's why you better prepare yourself kapag nagkita ulit tayo dahil malilintikan ka saakin" wika nito dito pero inawat ko siya, "Why are you helping us, bakit ngayon lang?" tanong ko dito.
"Because now is just the only chance I have, Allison—No, Archianna called for a search and rescue, the whole Academy is now empty and being searched by different Armed Forces, You better leave now" wika niya dahilan para magtaka ako.
"Paano kami makakaalis if the search and rescue are in the academy? don't tell me—" hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko ng tumango siya, "This is the Underground facility of the Sapphire Academy containing 6 levels and this is the last level" wika niya at itinuro sa amin ang daan.
"Go now before it's to late, my father's men are probably on their way here to capture the four of you" wika niya saamin kaya nagsimula na kami maglakad habang naka alalay ako kay Jullius na pareho naming pinagtutulungan ni Grayson.
Pero kusang napatigil nalang ako sa paglalakad ng maramdamang walang naka sunod sa likod namin, agad akong napalingon doo pero wala ni si Theo, "Wait, Nasaan na si Theo?" tanong ko sa kanila dahilan para matigil din sila sa paglalakad.
"Just let him be Nathan, he said he still has something to do, let's just trust him just one more time" wika ni Neon saakin na tinanguan ko at tinulungan sila sa pag alalay kay Gray.
Pero kusang napahinto ang mga paa ko ng may narinig ako grupo ng mga taong papunta sa amin, we're already in the Hallway papunta sa susunod na Floor.
"Neon, Step back" utos ko sa kanilang dalawa at inilibot ang paningin sa paligid, I just saw a piece of Wood and Metal sa gilid, It's a good thing that this place is still under constructions dahil may mga gamit na naka kalat sa gilid.
Inalalayan nila sa may likod si Jullius, poposisyon na sana ako ng magulat ako ay dumambot din ng Bakal si Grayson, "What are you doing?" Tanong ko dito.
"I'm a shooter, But I can also fight, Need ko din yon to release some steam, and A payback for what they did to Jullius" wika niya sa akin dahilan para mapangiti ako. nag abang lang kami sa sulok kung saan hindi kami agad makikita.
at gaya nalang ng hinala namin ay kalaban nga ang mga pumasok, they look all stressed up "Hanapin nyo ang mga yon, kung ayaw niyong tayo ang malintikan kay Boos" rinig kong utos ng isang lalaki pero bago pa man sila maka hakbang ay agad na akong lumabas at hinampas sa batok ang isang lalaki.
"Hulihin nyo!" sigaw nito dahilan para sumalubong sa amin ang walong kalalakihan, napatingin nalang ako kay Grayson at tinanguan niya ako, sabay kaming sumugod pareho sa kanila, wala kami pareho gaanong lakas sa katawan dahil sa ilang araw na pagkakakulong.
tanging iwas at tamang tyempo lang ang ginagawa namin para mapatumba ang kalaban, ramdam ko na rin ang pagkahilo ko dahil sa pag iwas sa mga suntok at sipang ginagawa niya, siguro ay magpapasalamat narin ako na wala silang dalang baril dahil baka kanina pa kami humandusay dito kung sakali.
"Nathan!" napatingin akosa likod ko ng sumigaw si Neon at napansin ang lalaking hahambas sana sakin ng tubo, agad kong isinalag ang kamay ko pero nagulat nalang ako ng bigla siyang umubo ng dugo at napaupo sa harapan ko.
agad akong napatingin sa likod niya dahilan para makita si Luke na may bitbit na baril habang nakatutok iyon sa gawi ko, "We're not late, are we?" tanong niya dahilan para mapangiti ako. agad na kaming tumabi sa gilid ng magsilabasan ang mga kinatawan ng Batas sa likod niya.
"Thanks" wika ko ng alalayan niya akong tumayo, narinig ko ang ang ilang Pulis at sundalong sumigaw ng Stretcher, at maya maya pa ay iniligay nila si Jullius doon, "Where's Allison?" tanong ko sa kanya.
"She's on a mission" yun lang ang isinagot niya sakin habang inaalalayan ako pataas ng hagdan, nakatingin lang ako sa bawat hakang na ginagawa ko kya nagulat nalang ko kung saan kami lumabas.
"Nathan" napatingin ako sa paligid ng may tumawag saakin, isang lalaki ang lumapit sa akin at inilahad ang kamay niya sa harapan ko, "It's been a decade Nate, I hope you haven't forgotten me" wika niya sa akin.
tinitigan ko muna siya ng ilang minuto, at ng ma-realize ko kung sino siya ay napangiti nalang ako, "Looks like you haven't changed at all Keiran, I've been looking for you" wika ko sa kanya at tinawanan niya lang ako bago niya tulungan si Luke sa pag alalay sa akin para maiupo ako sa upuan.
napatingin ako sa daang nilabasan namin, It was the Academy's Fountain that leads to the Underground Dungeon, "Mr. Cassiano" nanlalaking mata akong napatingin ng sa kapatid ni Allison na nakatayo sa harapan ko kasama ang pinuno ng mismong Organizare na ni isang emosyon ay wala kang mababakas sa mukha.
"Saludo al pretor, jefe de Organizare" I greet the Praetor, head of the Organization. Pagbati ko at akmang tatayo pero sumenyas ito na huwag na, "Where's my daughter?" tanong nito sa akin dahilan para mapatingin ako kay Keiran dahil wala na si Luke sa tabi ko.
"She's on a mission about a drug—" hindi na natapos ni Keiran ng sasabihin niya ng biglang isang duguan ang noo ang lalaki ang lumapit sa amin, He looks exactly like Allison, "You—" hindi na natapos ng ama ni Allison ang sasabihin niya ng bigla itong mapaluhod sa sahig.
"Save her please, Save Archianna, Save my sister" wika niya habang nakaluhod sa lupa, "She's still Alive, Come on Please" pagmamakaawa nito dahilan para matigilan ako at mapatayo papalapit sa kanya.
"What are you—" hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko ng bigla siyang tumayo at humugot ng baril sa isa sa mga Pulis sa paligid at itinutok iyon kay Ace na lubos kong pinagtaka. "Arrest him for trying to kill my sister" wika ni Allendis dahilan para manigas ako sa kinatatayuan ko.
"I didn't know, It's not what you think it is, that was just an Accident—" hindi na niya natapos ang sasabihin ng biglang napaluhod si Ace sa sahog ng barilin siya ni Allendis, "you tried to kill her once and she was barely even survive, but you try to kill her again, when i found out about my sister's death, I'll hunt you down in the hell" wika nito at hindi na napigilan pa ang mga luha sa mata.
"No, I—" napatingin na lang siya saamin at sa kapatid ni Allison na si Ashton, "Kuya Ton-Ton" pabulong na wika niya, napakuyom nalang ako ng kamao, It took us 2 years to save Allison to save Allison, now I don't even know what's happening.
I only knew that Allison's life was in danger, maybe Theodore's words are true, I don't know the Pain of losing someone I love, I once almost lost Allison, but I don't think I can still bear it, if I really lost her this time.
micxyine | L.A