The Semideus

Chapter 24

WOUNDED

"Sino 'yon?" tanong ko agad bago pa n'ya matakpan ang painting. "Was that... me?"

"No," he answered, his voice was almost alike to a growl. Napamura naman siya kaya't mas lalo ko siyang sinilip. Natusok siya nang mga bubog.

Amposeidon! "Huwag kang humawak sa mga bubog. Engot ka ba?" Hindi ko na muna inalala ang mukha ko sa painting.

I knelt down, but his back and elbows pushed me away. "I won't die because of this... Don't look at the painting," wika n'ya habang tinatakpan ang painting gamit ang kaniyang dumudugong kamay.

"I was going to get your hand, Zeref." You dumb idiot. Sakto namang pumasok si Irish, malamang ay narinig ang pagkabasag.

"Oh my Iris!" bulaslas niya nang makita ang nabasag na glass ng frame. "What happened here- oh! Natusok ka? Hala, so bobo!"

Tumayo si Zeref habang hawak ang kamay n'ya. "Pakiimis, Rish. I'll just clean my wound," utos n'ya at mabilis na lumabas.

Bago ko s'ya sundan palabas, tiningnan ko muna ang painting. I frowned when I saw that the face was already covered with blood. Now I couldn't confirm whether it really was my face... or I was just hallucinating.

Irish turned to me, "There's a first aid kit in the living room. Pakitulungan naman si Zeref. He's hard headed kasi. He won't clean it with alcohol or anything. Water lang. Pilitin mo, Thea."

I nodded and strode towards Zeref na ngayo'y tinatanggal na nga ang mga bubog sa palad niya.

Tumingin naman ako sa paligid at hinanap ang first aid kit sa living room. Nang makita ko 'yon, kinuha ko na agad 'yon at dumiretso sa dining room kung s'an malapit ang lababo.

Zeref slightly glanced at me. Nagkunot-noo agad siya nang makitang hawak ko ang first aid kit.

"I don't need it, Xyn."

"You do-"

"Inutusan ka ni Rish na gawin 'to?" tanong n'ya, at pinagpag ang kaniyang kamay.

Umiling ako habang pinapanood siyang magpunas ng kaniyang kamay. He raised an eyebrow at me, "She didn't, huh?"

"Hihilom na rin 'to ng kaniya. You don't need to worry."

"But I am?" sabat ko. Napaawang naman ang labi n'ya bago siya bahagyang ngumisi.

"It doesn't hurt me, Xynthea. Hihilom na rin 'to," he said as if it will convince me.

"Then tell me who the girl in painting was, if ayaw m-"

"Okay. Clean my wound, please," bigla niyang sabi. Amp! Mukhang ayaw n'ya talagang sabihin sa'kin kung sino! I was getting more curious, but I respected their privacy.

I must not pry further.

Umupo siya sa tapat na silya, kaya't umupo ako sa ka-diagonal na silya n'on. He placed his hand on the table, and opened it for me.

Napangiwi naman ako nang mapansing mayroon paring maliliit na bubog na nakatusok sa kamay niya. Jeez. Pero malaki ang sugat na isa, malamang malaking glass shard ang nakasugat dito.

Kinuha ko ang tweezers, at nilinis muna 'yon gamit ang alcohol. Ginamit ko naman 'yon para kunin ang maliliit na glass shards.

"Didn't know you're a healer," biro ni Zeref. Naramdaman ko ang titig niya sa'kin, at ang ngiti niya pagkasabi n'on.

"You don't know anything about me," sagot ko nang hindi siya tinitingnan. Nang matanggal ko na lahat ng glass shards, hinila ko ang kamay niya papunta sa lababo.

Hinayaan ko munang dumugo 'yon, at pinisil-pisil nang marahan. What I know is that the blood washes away the germs in the splinter, kaya kailangang pisilin.

"I know your face," wika n'ya. "And your name- Hey!"

Napalakas ang pisil ko sa kamay niya dahil d'on. I murmured a 'sorry' and started washing his hand. When I felt like it was enough, I pulled him to the table again.

Kinuha ko ang antibiotic ointment. I glanced at Zeref who looked like he was disgusted with the ointment.

I sighed, and started putting the ointmet against his small wounds first. After it, I got a sterile gauze and put it onto his big wound.

"You really look like a healer," he said. "This scene... seems very familiar to me. Doesn't it seem familair to you?"

Umiling agad ako, "Wala nga akong alaala. How would I find this familia-"

"Then how can you do this perfectly? Pinagaralan mo ba?"

Natigilan ako sa pagbabandage ng kaniyang sugat dahil sa sinabi niyang 'yon. It slowly crept into my thoughts. Paano ko nga ba nalaman gawin 'to?

"Maybe I just have some common sense," sagot ko, kahit na medyo nalilito na rin. Is it really... common sense?

He chuckled, "Common sense. Okay. Baka nga, pero pamilyar talaga 'to."

When I finished cleaning all his wounds, I looked up to him. Tiningnan niya ang buong mukha ko, matapos ay tumingin sa kaniyang kamay.

Hinaplos niya 'yon, at bahagyang nanliit ang mata.

"I didn't want to... make others clean my wounds because I always remember someone else."

The girl in the painting?

"That's why I told you before, I hate memories. I always remember something that always makes me feel guilty... I'm not sure, though. I feel like I always have to atone for something I did- that I never remembered," paliwanag n'ya.

"Gusto mo bang maalala?" tanong ko.

He smiled sadly, and shook his head. "I don't think I can handle that memory. I may not remember it clearly, but it already wounded my heart."

Nagkunot-noo ako. Is that even possible? Masasaktan ka nang hindi mo alam kung bakit?

"Thank you for this," he said and raised his hand. "Umuwi na tayo sa Cabin. I'll just make a quick goodbye to them."

"Oh? Hindi ka ba rito magste-stay?" tanong ko bago pa siya makapagpaalam sa iba.

His eyebrows furrowed, "Didn't I tell you before that I'll keep an eye on you?"

"I moved back to Zeus' cabin for you, Xyn. Let's go. Who knows? You might really be that girl in my painting."

The Semideus
By lostmortals
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