Every Tick of Serendipity ( Ruler of Fate Series #3 )

KABANATA 53

Kabanata 53

The fifty-third tick

His therapist...

My lips quivered with that thought.

How could he do that to him..? Out of all people, why him... Why... I can't see any reason for it.

"W-What..." I slowly raised my knees and encircled my arms around it when the questions in my head became louder than my own words — my confusions.

Everything is so fucked up... The world is a messy place to survive.

"Tell me..."

Or maybe not... Maybe it isn't the world that's making everything seem like a living hell, but the humanity living in it — the humans themselves. 'Cause how could he destroy someone who went to him with hopes of becoming better..? How could that man...

"W-Why, Kuya? What did Kairos and Zach do so wrong for t-them to experience that?" I asked, almost sounding like a whisper to the both of them.

Kuya Xavi kneeled in front of me and stared straight into my eyes. Naroon ang pinaghalong pag-aalala at takot hindi lang para sa'kin, sa magiging reaksyon ko, kundi rin sa alam at tinatago nilang lahat — sa mga bagay na hirap na hirap silang sabihin at ungkatin simula pa nung una.

"You want to know first what scares him the most, Nyxene?"

I gulped when his voice turned more serious and deep as he asked me that. Ngunit kahit nanginginig ang labi at mga kamay ko ay nagawa ko pa ring tumango sakanya bilang sagot.

What scares Ace the most..? Or rather... What scared Kairos and Zach the most back then...

Should I be scared by that too?

My throat ran dry because of my own question. I even felt a chill running down my spine, sending shivers and current up from my hair down to my toe, the longer they stared at me.

"Pagmamahal." Mahinang sagot ni Kuya Zy sa tabi ko na nagpakunot ng noo ko.

In an instant, everything was replaced by doubt and confusion. Lahat ng kaba na naramdaman ko ay mistulang nawala. I turned curious about what they're saying.

Kuya Xavi nodded in aggreement, "Love... He was scared of it." ulit niya na mas lalong nagpagulo sa aking isipan.

"He's scared of it because he doesn't know what love is." This time, it was Kuya Zy who said that habang umupo naman sa kabilang tabi ko si Kuya Xavi.

He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders, "In the first place, he's unsure of what love looks or feels like." dagdag niya.

"Ros grew up in a lion's den, Nyxene." He went silent for a minute before shaking his head, "It was more like a hell, I guess?" mahinang bulong niya habang ang tingin ay tila nasa kawalan na.

My eyes blinked. "W-What do you mean..?"

"Mas mahirap pa sa mahirap ang pamilya niya. Ultimong, mas mahirap pa sa daga." Dahan-dahang nabaling ang tingin ko kay Kuya Zy dahil sa kaniyang sinabi.

He showed me a small smile, even though there's pity in his eyes. "Sugalero, lasinggero, at babaero ang tatay no'n. Kaya kapag hindi nakakapag-uwi ng pera o alak si Riah pati ang mama niya para sa mga bisyo niya, siya palagi ang napagdidiskitahan ng gagong 'yon — silang dalawa."

I gulped. "Napagdidiskitahan l-like what..?"

He averted his eyes from me, "You should ask him that yourself." may halong galit na sagot niya.