Soulstone Academy

Chapter Thirty-Six: Undercity

Madilim ang kwarto. Tanging ang apat na lampara lang na sa bawat sulok ng silid ang nagsisilbing ilaw. Sapat na iyon para makita ang baraha sa mesa at kamay.

"Four of spades."

"Spade at spade. Pair!"

"Reverse card. Joker."

Inilapag ko ang mga baraha at mariing pumikit. "Ano ba talaga ang nilalaro natin dito. At kailan pa naging reverse card ang Joker, Ruin?"

He answered by averting his eyes, pretending to find the wall more amusing than my beauty.

"Your game, your rules, Raven." War smirked. "That way, no one's a loser and a cheater. You can strike them on their most weakened state with an unreasonable but rational excuse."

"And then watch it backfire onto you?" umirap ako. "I'd rather punch them."

"You sound like you like to rampage straight into war when you adore strategies than anyone else. Hindi nga ba't may deception technique ka pang ginawa no'ng ob-obasa-obasakol? 'Yong war-war ninyo!"

"I have no idea what obasakol is, but I did have my fair show of deception. Wherein, I have also executed my strength before said deception."

"A strength that still tricked your opponents?"

Ngumiwi ako nang marinig ang boses niya habang humalakhak naman ang walang-hiyang kidlat. Her small strides could deceive anyone to believe her innocence, but I know what lies behind those red eyes of hers. She is far more than humans and soulbearers, treading between a godly presence and a stinking death. Although, noong una kaming nagkakilala, akala ko din ay bata lang siya.

"That's their fault for getting tricked though." kibit-balikat ko. "Anyway, good thing you're here, Hel. I'm so bored with these two. Pinili pang maglaro kaysa magplano."

"Girl, we've been planning for the last hour! Ano ba gusto mo? Ilista natin lahat ng possibilities, kahit iyong one percent lang ang chance of happening?!" War argued.

"Well, duh, that still leaves a probability so of course. Unless you want to go to war unprepared-" natigilan ako at napatawa. "It's so hilarious to talk about war in your face. Hindi ka ba naiilang?"

"Sa ilang beses ko ba namang narinig ang salita na 'yan, na-immune na ako."

"Why is it that when the two of you talk, it goes on for ages? I remember the first time you met and you almost ripped each other's head off."

Natigilan kaming dalawa sa sinabi ni Hel. "Wait, you mean, when we officially met here or when we first met because-"

"Oi, Hel! Nagwarning lang ako do'n, ah, wala akong ni-rip off na head."

"Well, you did look like you wanted to rip off my head-"

"I wanted to kidnap you, not kill you."

"Isn't that the same? You want to harm me." hinila ko si Ruin na pasimpleng inaalis ang sarili niya sa usapan. "Nandoon ka 'di ba? She wanted to harm or rip my head off, 'di ba?"

I summoned my most adorable face, which is not that hard considering the amount of cuteness that I possess. Hindi ko pinansin ang malakas na sipa ni War sa ilalim ng table at ang mahina niyang pagthreaten kay Ruin na tumahimik.

The boy, however, remained emotionless. He shrugged, unblinking, and said, "I wasn't there."

Tinitigan ko siya ng ilang minuto bago tuluyang binitawan. I pursed my lips at his lack of reaction. How boring. Suddenly... I miss someone's reaction to everything I do. That was way more entertaining than the stone of a human beside me.