Anathema (The Academy of the Cursed)

Chapter Forty-Eight: Madness

I'm sorry I wasn't able to update last Friday. Tinapos ko pa ang lab report at stat assignment namin huhu. Anyway here na, may happy ending pala ang chapter na 'to.

-chapter forty-eight-

"I bet my life."

"Witch, alam kong baliw ka, pero walang'ya, dapat ata pinamental na kita!" singhal ni Kahel sa likod. "Why are you betting your life?!"

"You must have a winning plan." there's worry in Keian's confident voice. "Right?"

Nagkibit-balikat lang ako kasi wala naman akong plano. I'm just risking things to entice a reaction. Pero mukhang hindi gumana dahil nanatili ang blankong mukha ni Leviathon.

I sighed. "I'm exchanging my card-"

Keian and Kahel's head snapped to my direction dahil sa sinabi ko. Napatingin sila sa card ko't napamura. Lalo na nang ibaba ko ang isang pares ng spade pair. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Why are they so stupidly obvious? Akala ko pa naman kayang itago ni Keian ang emosyon sa mukha niya.

I placed the pair of tens in the table. Kumunot ang noo ni Dominick nang makita iyon. Leviathon raised a brow.

"What the heck." Kelvin muttered. "Sa sobrang talino mo ba nawala na utak mo. Bakit mo pinagpalit ang dalawang 'yan?!"

I didn't answer because I wasn't asking for his opinion or anything.

"You're exchanging a high pair?" tanging sambit niya.

Still, I could see the gears turning in his head. He must have been thinking that I'm exchanging a high pair and will bet higher so that I can pick the weaker card.

Dominick, the dealer, exchanged the cards. Pinilit kong huwag ngumiti nang makita iyon. I raised my eyes to look at Leviathon who was also staring at me.

"What now?" hamon ko. "What's your next move? I'm going all in."

The silence went on for a minute. A loud explosion from above rattled the ground. From the corner of my eye, I could see Keian's worried expression. Gano'n din si Kahel na panay ang lunok. We mustn't delay our stay here much longer.

The game of cards sure is entertaining but we have a war to attend.

"Alright," Leviathon finally replied. "Then I bet a life too."

Nanlaki ang mata ko. Gano'n din si Kelvin. An excited beating happened in my chest, imagining myself impaling a knife towards Leviathon's dark heart. Would blood come out or will the darkest pit of hell open?

"I bet Akiru's life."

Just from that simple phrase, the fire in my heart was extinguished. Natigil ang paghinga ko at napasulyap kay Akiru. It was heartbreaking, especially when I saw his dead and numb eyes. How many times have our life been treated as nothing but a passing game? For an ability user to live and be branded as a monster and have their lives in the possession of another?

And, what? They still have the audacity to ask if our abilities were a gift or a curse. How would it be a gift when it's the reason of our banishment, of our pain and death? Maybe it really is a gift to those privileged. Not in money nor power, but those privileged to have a beautiful and loving home.