Trigger Warning: Mention Of Suicide
Hope
The forest is burning. At habang pinapanood ko iyong lumalaki sa aking mga mata, halos mailing ako at magtaka. I didn't... even light it. So how come... it's burning.
I was so scared when we found out that Abrielle wasn't in the mansion. She's nowhere to be found. That's why, when Arkaine said that she was in the woods, I felt like I killed her.
Hindi ko man lang siya nakausap simula noong naalitan namin. I haven't checked on her. And I would never... ever recover if her body were burned into ashes because of the fire I attempted to start.
Nag-iiyakan kaming magpipinsan sa sala habang nagtatalo si Arkaine at si Ashtraia. To hear Ashtraia accusing me hurt. Because if she's really dead, it reflects the monstrous blood in me, just like in my clan.
Kung naroon nga siya, at ang pagtapon ko ng gas doon na nagsimula ng sunog, na kahit hindi naman ako ang kumalabit ng apoy, pakiramdam ko ay wala akong pinagkaiba sa likod ng taong nagtulak sa mama ni Trison na magpakamatay.
I might be a murderer as well. Because I killed my own sister. I said mean things to her. I told her to get lost.
Pinalis ko ang luha nang bumukas ang pinto ng aking kuwarto at pumasok si Arkaine. Hindi ko alam kung nasaan si Ashtraia, ngunit sigurado akong naninigarilyo siya.
Nakaupo ako sa balkonahe at tinitingnan ang madilim na langit, ganoon din ang kakahuyan. She dragged the chair beside me and occupied it as she put her hands inside the varsity jacket she was wearing.
"Nagpaalam si Abrielle sa akin," she whispered quietly.
Mabilis ang lingon ko sa kanya, naalalang siya nga pala ang nagsabi na nasa kakahuyan si Abrielle.
"She's supposed to runaway," she said, looking at me meaningfully.
My eyes widened. "R-Runaway?"
Tumango siya. "She told me that she'd wait in the woods."
Mas lalong namilog ang mga mata ko. Pumikit ako at humikbi. Maglalayas siya at naroon siya dahil sinabi kong umalis siya. Dahil nag-away kami. Dahil sa akin.
"Then what if she really got burned!" halos nabasag ang namamaos kong tinig.
Hindi ko kayang mawalan ulit ng mahal sa buhay! At hindi ko alam kung makakaya ko ba kung sakaling... naroon nga siya at hindi nakaalis.
The whole Caraga was more invested in the fire in the forest that the police reported as arson attack than in the case of Trison's mother. They were more invested in investigating the case instead of focusing on the one that needed their attention the most.
Yes, we are doing our best to find Abrielle's body, but to neglect the case of Trison's mother frustrates me so much.
Si Colonel Chavez ang isa sa nangungunang nag-iimbistiga, at pakiramdam ko, ang kaso ng ina ni Trison, napapabayaan na.
"Halatang halata naman kung anong nangyayari. Mga mayayaman pa," I can hear the whispers in the hearing we attended for the case of who's behind the arson attack in the forest.
They're pointing fingers at Drystan, Draven's brother, who was seen in the forest during the time when it was burning.
"Halata naman na gumagawa sila ng sariling ingay para ma-divert lang at mawala ang turo sa kanila, lalo na kay donya, doon sa pagkamatay ng biktimang nagbigti."
"Ngayon na nasa kanila na ang atensyon, halos wala nang nakatutok sa kasong iyon. Napabayaan na ata. Lumalabas pa namang baka hindi raw suicide."
"Eh sino pa ba ang nasa likod? Edi ang angkan nila. Gumagawa sila ngayon ng panibagong ingay. Baka nga sinunog nila ang kakahuyan, s-in-et up si Drystan, para mapagtakpan lamang ang isa nilang dumi."
