𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝟎𝟏: 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐭 (𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃)

𝟕: 𝐀 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞

     Complete silence.

     The silence, it's making her ears bleed.

     Well, not literally. Sadyang nabibingi lang si Mathara sa katahimikan ng bahay gayong umalis na si Ronin. Since wala naman siyang ibang gagawin ay tatapusin na niya ang dapat na gawin ngayong araw, ang maglinis. 

     ***

     Mathias returned to his house, dropping his tired body onto the couch with a deep, exhausted sigh. Hindi parin nawawala ang nararamdaman nitong galit sa mga nangyayari. Everything was perfect until his daughter went missing.

     He massaged his temples, forcefully closing his eyes, battling a migraine. 

     "Sir, ayaw sana kitang istorbohin, pero pwede bang magtanong?" tanong ni Jaxon. Hindi na nito mapigilan magsalita. He stood by the side of the couch, his body stood straight, hands behind his back. His eyes were fixed in a straight line. May katabi din siyang isa pa, si Logan. They were Mathias' most trusted assistants.

     "Spill it," tipid na sagot ng leader, dropping his hand to the side.

     "Bakit mo hinayaan lang ang Lucas na yun? He don't deserve a chance." Finally, he had the courage to voice the question that had been itching to ask him.

     "Are you questioning my decisions? Tingin mo ba mabubuhay pa yun pag sumuway siya sa akin?" Mathias opened his eyes. Inayos na niya ang pagkakaupo, infusing the room with heaviness. 

     Napalunok si Jaxon sa sagot na natanggap. "S-Sorry, sir."

     Parang nag-echo sa utak ni Mathias ang sorry na yun ni Jaxon. It reminded him of someone in the past.

     "S-Sorry, ama," mangiyak ngiyak na sabi ni Arriety. She's lying on the ground bruised and wounded. A sharp blade is on her neck. Natalo na naman ito ni Mathara sa isang duel. It was a sword fight.

     Hinihingal pa si Mathara habang nasa parehong posisyon parin kung saan sila natapos kanina ng kanyang ate. Her eyes wandered, trying to find her sister's sword, natapon pala ito sa malayo. Tumayo na siya sa pagkakaluhod.

     Mathias walked towards Arriety, harshly pulling her hair to force her to look at him. Arriety is soft-hearted, giving him a difficulties in training her to become as emotionally detached as Mathara. 

     "Ilang beses ko bang dapat sabihin sayo na kahinaan ang paghingi ng tawad? Pinakinggan mo ba Arriety?" sigaw ni Mathias sa mukha nito. Napapikit ang anak niyang pilit tinatago ang nararamdaman. "Ngayon, tumayo ka. Make me proud," dagdag nito. His voice lowered, maintaining hints of authority and toughness. 

     Binitawan na ito ng ama.

     Mathara dropped her sword to give it to her sister. Ni hindi niya ito tinulungang tumayo. Pity never graced her face; instead, a burning passion for another duel shone in her eyes. She then took the other sword, already chipped and dented.

     Isang hampas pa ng mga espadang yun ay nabali ang kay Mathara. 

     A smirk of excitement from her took Arriety by surprise. Mathara should have felt fear, but there was none. Her sister had her humane thoughts shut, no longer the little sister she once knew. 

     "This is not you, Mathara," bulong nito habang patuloy na sinasalo ang atake ng kapatid gamit ang putol na espada na yun.

     "Then, you never knew me," saad lang nito at umatake. Nawala sa focus si Arriety kaya tinamaan siya nito. Buti nalang at putol ang espadang yun. Kung hindi ay tumagos na ito sa dibdib niya. Yet it tore her shirt, leaving a shallow opening on her skin. 

     Arriety realized at that moment that Mathara will kill her kung iuutos ng ama nila.

     Tama. Walang kwenta din sa paningin ni Mathias ang anak na si Arriety kaya gusto na niya itong mamatay.

     "Never mention that word again, Jaxon," Mathias's voice carried a threat that made Jaxon shiver to his bones.

     Napalunok na din si Logan na nasa kabilang gilid sabay siklap kay Jaxon. Napailing pa siya ng kaunti. He tried to give Jaxon signals not to utter another word, warning that speaking further could lead to both of their deathbeds. Nakita naman yun ni Jaxon sa peripheral view nya at agad itong naintindihan.

***

     Mathara, done with cleaning, admired her job. Now, that's how she liked it. Walang sagabal sa mata. 'Yong board ni Ronin na maraming naka-pin na kung ano ano ay pinasok na niya lahat sa isang carton box. 

     About to lift it, she found it too heavy. She gave up, her gaze fixed on the box, she noticed a blurry photo of a woman with a mask. 

     Kinuha niya ito. The woman looked very familiar to her, yet she couldn't place where she had seen her before. Hindi man lang makilala ni Mathara ang sarili. 

     She squinted her eyes, attempting to figure out who it was, but nothing came to her mind. Sa likuran nito ay may nakasulat, Death Devil. 

     "Death Devil," pabulong na pag-uulit niya sa binasa.

     Hindi niya maintindihan bakit parang lumakas ang kabog ng puso niya. It felt like a memory attempting to resurface, but her brain resisted the effort to retrieve it. Her ears whistled, accompanied by a sudden and sharp headache. 

     Napailing siya at hindi na pinilit ang sariling alalahanin kung ano man yun.

     Nang kumalma na ang nararamdaman ay bumalik siya sa box at tinignan ang mga newspapers na andun. Una niyang binasa ang tungkol sa isang dalagitang si April Morales.

     Natagpuang walang buhay ang huling kaanak ni Gaston Morales sa mismong kwarto nito sa pamamahay ng mag-asawang Merkader--

     --kinupkop ito ng mag-awa matapos itong maulila at narescue--

     --namatay ito dahil sa saksak sa leeg. 

     Sinasabing siya ay isa sa mga biktima ni Death Devil.

     That name also sounded familiar to her, April Morales. Nagpatuloy siya.

     Walang nakakaalam kung sino ang susunod na magiging biktima ng bigtime na suspek na ito-- tinatayang umabot na sa mahigit dalawang daang biktima na ang natalang pinatay sa parehong paraan--

     Napatingin din si Mathara sa mga litrato ng mga patay ng biktima. Each of them had been stabbed in the neck by something sharp, though it didn't resemble a knife's stab.

     'Bakit kaya ito kinokolekta ni Ronin?' tanong niya sa isip habang kunot na noong tinitigan ang litrato ni April Morales noong buhay pa at ang litrato nito noong wala na itong buhay.

     Isang pamilyar na boses ang sumagi sa isip niya.

     "Well done, my devil--"

TakahashiKazumi2024