CHAPTER FIFTY
"Allison" napatingin ako pintuan ng pumasok duon si Shawn na malinis na ang suot na damit indi katulad kanina na halos mapunit na ang damit na suot niya. "How's Theo?" tanong ko sa kanya dahil siya ang kasama nito hanggang sa mai admit si Theo sa kabilang kwarto malapit lang sa kung saan ako naka admit.
After the Ambush that happened to us in the mall three days ago, some of us suffered different injuries and the one who suffered the most fatal one is my brother who's been in coma for the past few days.
I just suffered a gunshot in my stomach pero hindi naman siya ganoong kalalim and a few stitches was made, and now I'm just staying here to recover dahil sila nadin ang nag insist na maiwan muna ako sa Hospital dahil maaring bumukas ang tahing ginawa sa akin.
"Theo's talking to Ace now, should we go there?" tanong sa akin ni Shawn na agad ko namang inilingan, "No, hayaan nalang muna natin ang dalawang iyon mag usap, I know na madami silang bagay na kailangan pag usapan ng masinsinan" sagot ko sa kanya.
If Ace was not there that time I would probably also suffer fatal injuries and Allendis could have died due to lose of blood kung hindi lang siya dumating sa tamang oras para iligtas kami.
"Is it really alright to let him stay here? He's dangerous Allison" pagbaba-bala sa akin ni Keiran dahilan para umalma si Shawn, "If he's dangerous I wouldn't bring him here, kaya kapag may nangyari sa Empress buhay ko ang itataya ko" wika niya dito dahilan para napasapo aoo ng ulo at mapatingin kay Keiran.
Naiintindihan ko naman kung bakit iyon sinabi ni Keiran, pero hindi magandang tingnan na nagtatalo ang dalawang pamilya na parehong may katayuan sa Empire dahil lamang sa isang bagay na madali naman solusyunan.
I know Theo tried to kill me but he has his reason for doing so, and even if I was in his shoes, and if the circumstances didn't even give me choices, I would also probably end up doing what he did to everyone.
"I know some of the people here knows what Theo did, and You all also know his reasons and alam ko din na alam nyo ang nararamdaman niya para mag udyok na gawin niya iyon saatin, But Theo is my friend, and I trust him" wika ko sa kanila.
It's also my way of saying that if y they want to blame Theo if something happened I can vouch them my position dahil ako mismo ay sumang ayon sa pag stay niya dito sa hospital, I know they won't be able to say anything since I'm the Empress now, kaya kahit na unfair na gamitin ko ang position ko ay mas uunahin ko pa rin ang kaibigan ko kahit na anong mangyari.
"Allison?" napatingin kami sa ma pintuan ng may kumatok doon at sakto namang pumasok si Ace, "I need to talk to you, it's quite Important" wika niya sakin kaya napatango ako at tumingin sa mga kalalakihang nasa loob ng Kwarto ko para sana maka alis sila ng pigilan sila ni Ace
"I think they also need to hear this" wika niya sa akin na tinanguan ko naman at naramdaman ko ang paligid na biglang nabalot ng katahimikan, "I talked to Theo and he warned me about the Chancellor's plan, and They're aiming for you" wika niya sa amin.
"According to Theo, They're planning to bomb this Hopital because their planned to killed and kidnapped you the last time failed, they're planning to exterminate those people around you before taking you as their hostage" wika niya saamin dahilan para mapatingin ako kila Keiran.
"May sinabi ba si Theo kung kailan nila balak bombahin ang hospital?" tanong ko sa kanya, "He said he didn't know but it seems like their plan has been 80% complete, they just waiting for the right time to accomplish their goal" wika niya sa amin dahilan para mapatango ako.
"It also means that we don't have much time to properly prepare ourselves. For now contact Zaireem and the Other Crown Holders, let's have a meeting in an hour, everyone get out" utos ko sa kanila na agad naman nilang sinunod.
"Ace can you stay?" tanong ko sa kanya na mukhang ikinagulat niya pero sinagot pa din niya ng tango, ng maka labas na ang lahat ay tinitigan niya lang ang prutas na nasa gilid ng kama ko kaya napataas ako ng kilay at kumuha ng mansanas bago iabot sa kanya.
I know he's not hungry pero inabot ko parin sa kanya iyon, this past few day kasi ay lagi lang siyang nasa labas ng kwarto ko and when I asked Gray or the other boys to let him in ay palagi nalang siyang biglang nawawala, it was like he wants to talk about something but later will change his mind.
The atmosphere between us was tense and awkward kaya ako na mismo ang gagawa ng paraan para mawala iyon, and I hope giving him an apple would lessen the awkwardness between us, "Sit down and eat" wika ko na agad naman niyang sinunod kaya napataas ako ng kilay.
"how are you?" tanong ko sa kanya pero tinaasan niya ako ng kilay, "Wasn't I the one who's supposed to ask that question?" tanong niya sa akin dahilan para mapairap ako, now this is the Ace I know, not the one who's like a puppy waiting for its owner to call him.
"Ace, can I make a request?" tanong ko sa kanya habang busy siya sa pagbabalat ng mansanas, "yeah, just tell me what you want, as long as your not going to ask me to kill myself" wika niya dahilan para matawa ako.
"The what if, if my request is for you to kill me will you do it?" natatawa na tanong ko sa kanya pero tiningnan niya lang ako ng masama pero mayamaya naman ay nag iwas din siya ng tingin, "Was that on purpose to make me remember my stupid self?" nasasaktan na wika niya na nagpa-laho sa ngiti ko.
"No. i'm sorry" sagot ko sa kanya at nagulat ako ng binigyan niya ako ng isang pilit na ngiti, "It's Ok, I know what I did remember? and I'm willing to ask forgiveness to you Millions of time so just you can forgive and trust me again" wika niya sa akin at inabot ang mga mansanas na nahiwa na niya.
"You know naman Ace na even after what happened we can't bring back everything just like nothing happened right?" Tanong ko sa kanya na sinagot niya ng tango.
"I know, but It doesn't mean that we can't be together, I want to prove my feelings Allison" may diin na wika niya sa akin at malalim akong tiningnan sa mga mata dahilan para mapangiti ako.
"I know that you know that I also like you right? But you also know that there cant be 'Us' in this story, we have duties and responsibilities to fulfill Ace'' I blutantly said rejecting his continued confession.
"Why? Was It because of what I did? Or what happened between our families? I can give up everything for you Allison just to prove that my feelings were sincere, giving up my surname doesn't even matter I can prove it" wika niya sa akin at sumimangot kaya dumampot ako ng mansanas at sinubo sa kanya.
Nagsisimula ng mag-iba ang simoy ng hangin sa loob ng kwarto na ito at paniguradong hindi kami mauuwi sa matinong usapan kapag nag kataon, "Your surname wasn't the problem, even if you give up everything, I still can't be with you" sagot ko sa kanya.
"You asked me if it was about our family and my answer is Yes and No, No because what happened in the past has already been done and almost been forgotten, but in our family status and situation our feeling doesn't even matter" wika ko sa kanya.
"I'm a Veron and Blair, I hold the title of the Empress in the Empire of the Underground Society, you hold the Title of Commander and the Leader of Mafia Delice in the Underground, just by that we already had a lot in our plates to handle and those are the lives of not just our people but also the innocent Civilians" paliwanag ko dito dahila para mapansin ko ang pagkuyom niya ng kamao.
"Then what? Do we have to sacrifice outlives for those damn organizations and Mafia's, we're not heroes Allison, we're also humans with feelings, was it wrong to follow our hearts?" Tanong niya sa akin.
"Allison, all the people you see in the underground committed different kinds of crime, they Kill and Kill, but you're thinking of protecting them? No one is innocent when we're talking about the underground because once you enter the Underground society you no longer stay innocent. every hand in the underground reeks of Blood from different people, so Dont treat them like they're some victims, because being part of the Underground is their choice" wika niya sa akin.
"You need power to protect someone" wika ko at tumingin ng malalim sa mga mata niya, "Someone told me that, hindi lahat ng tao sa underground ginusto na makapasok doon Ace, just like you and me, Did our parents gave us choice if gusto ba natin mapabilang sa underground?" Tanong ko dahilan para hindi siya maka sagot.
"Just like us, some of them probably don't have a choice. I became the Empress because I have to and so are you, dahil may tao tayong gusto protektahan, and a simple example of that is Theo" wika ko dito.
"Theo tried to kill me to protect Zia, you tried to Kill me to protect and give justice to your people, you and him doesn't have the chance to choose kaya mas pinili niyo ang paraan kung saan mas kakailanganin nyong pumili laban sa nararamdaman nyo" paliwanag ko sa kanya.
Hindi naman lahat ng bagay sa mundo ay makukuha na lang natin dahil lang sa may ginawa tayo, minsan kailangan din natin mag sakripisyo para makuha ang isang bagay na hindi madaling abutin ng tao, at karaniwan nang isinasakripisyo duon ay ang damdamin ng isang indibidwal.
"Sometimes if you want to achieve something you have to give a sacrifice, and in this battle we choose to sacrifice our feelings" wika ko dito at ngumiti ng matamis.
"To achieve what we want we have to let go of something we hold dear to keep moving forward, and I want to keep moving forward Ace, hindi ko na kayang makita ang mga taong tumutulong sa akin na madamay pa sa gulo na ito" wika ko sa kanya.
Masyadong marami ng inosenteng tao ang namatay, mula sa mga estudyante ng Sapphire Academy, ang mga magulang ni Charlotte, mga inosenteng tao na nadamay gaya ni Zia, napapagod na akong makakita ng mga taong unti unting nawawalan ng hininga dahil sa gulong ito, at hindi ko na kakayanin kung isa sa mga taong pinahahalagahan ko ang mawawala dahil sa gulo na ito.
"Then what do you want?" Tanong niya dahilan para mapangiti ako, "Use me Ace" wika ko sa kanya pero nagulat ako ng bigla siyang sumigaw.
"Use you as what Allison? Use you as a Sacrifice? Do you hate me that much? That's why you asked me to use you as a sacrifice?" May galit na wika niya.
"No, I don't hate you, pero yon lang ang paraan para matapos na ang bagay na ito" wika ko sa kanya dahilan para tinginan niya ako ng malamig, "then What? To clear things Allison, you just asked me to hand you over those bastards as a sacrifice? It's like you asked me to kill you in another way, what if you died? What do you think?" Malamig na tanong niya sa akin.
"I wouldn't" taas noong sagot ko at nginitian siya, "I wouldn't die as long as your here Ace, I trust you with my life, and that's my request, Use me to end everything, and I promise you I wouldn't die" nakangiting wika ko at nagulat ako ng bigla niya akong yakapin.
"Why? Why does it have to be you?" Tanong niya at mas hinigpitan ang yakap saakin, "Well, It has to be, They want me so let's give them what they want, plus if anything happens I know you'll save me right?" Tanong ko dito placing the burden of my life on his shoulders.
"Yeah, I'll save you anytime, anywhere, I may be a bit late but I'll do everything to come and save you, so you have to keep breathing" wika niya na nagpa-ngiti sa akin at humigpit ng yakap sa kanya.
"Thank you and I'm Sorry" wika ko dito, Despite knowing what he feels about me ay heto ako at inilagay sa mga palad niya ang buhay ko.
I'm always been thankful and Sorry for him for everything, and how I wish after all this we could get our own peace and happy ending, sometimes in life, Love does not requires sacrifice at all time, but in this battle we choose love not to save just ourselves but our own people.
micxyine | L.A