Dead Reckoning - A Gregorio del Pilar x Reader story

X - Kuebiko

n. a state of exhaustion inspired by acts of senseless violence.

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I didn't want to believe what my mind had been telling me.

After all, it is truly impossible. Without the power of the computer and the disc settled onto the DVD reader... Without the monitor to show me those eerie and taunting words another time, and pull me to its endless oblivion... However, why will I be here?

Smelling the scent of excessive perfume that reminds me of my grandparents. Hearing someone places a bullet in his gun, ready to fire any minute now. Feeling the circular hole of the gun's butt that is telling me that it is now pressed and aimed against my forehead.

And to even, hear the sound of his voice, that I've vowed I'll never hear ever again. Because... I've returned the video game already! I do not have ownership of it and I am really not playing it just as how I've tried to last time! Yet... And yet!

I feel like I am starting to be delusional. As if I am dreaming. That the subconscious part of my brain is already making hallucinations for me to hear him.

To hear Goyo right now. Asking me who I am. And without any doubt to be the very person right in front of me, with a gun's butt pressing on my forehead and a finger of his hooked onto the trigger, ready to pull.

I slowly open my eyes, looking up a little but not moving my head in fear that it will give him much more reason to just shoot now and then. And really... perhaps, I am dreaming. For it's not just the background all around us right now that tells me that I am no longer in the video game store but somewhere else I haven't been before. And, indeed, standing right in front of me, with a rifle hooked by his shoulder in support as he has its butt still onto my forehead, I see the familiar features of how I've remembered Gregorio del Pilar. Now, bathed with the sunlight just behind him, creating shadows. But... there's no way that I can be mistaken.

Si Goyo nga talaga! At... talagang nagbalik ako?! Paano nangyari yun?!

Goyo slowly sighs heavily and pulls the rifle away from me, hooking it then onto his shoulder with ease. "Ah... si Pendejo pala."

I look away, chuckling nervously. "I-Ikaw... Ikaw si...?"

He chuckles darkly. "Ako? Talaga bang nakalimot ka na, Pendejo? Ako si Gregorio del Pilar."

A-Ano?! Talaga bang... nagbalik ako? How?!

"Goyo? Goyo!" Another familiar voice starts to call out for his attention.

Goyo immediately turns away from me and toward the direction of the voice. With a light chuckle, he greets, "Kuya. Bakit?"

And here comes Julian del Pilar, jogging to where the two of us are. He stops upon seeing me, a little shocked and surprised, but he later on eases down and smiles warmly at me. "(Y/N), tama, hindi ba? Akala ko bigla ka na lang nawala."

I bite my lower lip at that. Perhaps, even though time stops in my world whenever I am here, the time here continues on. And I don't know how long I've been here. I try to take a shaky laugh to assure him. "Hindi lang talaga ako ganoon kapansinin siguro. Mas ginusto ko na mapabilang sa dulo ng grupo noong mga nakalipas na... araw."

The older del Pilar frowns. "Pero... ang huli naming balita sa iyo ay noong Enero pa... Halos walong buwan?"

I freeze. I even notice the younger one flinching at Julian's deduction.

Walong buwan? Ganoon ako katagal nawala? Samantalang... wala pa akong isang araw nag-stay sa panahon ko?

However, before I can even answer, Goyo replies, "Hindi mo ba naalala, kuya? Nagkasakit siya dahil sa pagkain ng napakaraming mangga. Ngayon lang gumaling. Nga pala, gusto raw siya makita ni Isidro. At marami pa tayong kailangang gawing paghahanda."

Julian's frown deepens, trying to remember that time. In the end, he nods. "Nakalimutan ko na siguro, pero..." He smiles at me again. "Masaya ako na makitang ayos ka na ngayon, (Y/N). Tungkol kay Isidro... nakita ko siya doon sa may puno ng mangga banda roon." He points at the direction from where he comes from. "Madali rin naman makita si Isidro kaagad."

Goyo turns to me. For a second, our eyes meet. Some coldness exists in his eyes, one that I don't know and can't explain. But for a moment there, he saved me from Julian's further questioning.

In the end, I nod at Julian and excuse myself from them, as I head on to the direction that Julian had pointed out earlier.

# # #

Apparently, the first time I see Isidro is him with his back at me. I just don't know how, for some reasons, he knows that it is me for him to greet right away, "Maligayang pagbabalik, (Y/N)."

I stiffen for a second, a little surprised to find out that he knows that it is me right away. In the end, he is the only one who truly knows me in this world. Perhaps it is an additional feature of his character, for always knowing where I will be whenever I am in this game. I then head straight to where he is sitting on a log, watching as other soldiers debate over something from a table just a few feet away. "Hindi maligayang pagbabalik para sa akin. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ako biglang bumalik dito. Sinauli ko na naman yung CD ng larong ito. Paano...?"

He instantly turns to me, a little surprised. "Sinabi ko di ba na mangga ang paraan para makaalis at makabalik ka sa larong ito?"

"Heh. Sinabi mo na iyon ang magbibigay daan sa akin para makaalis sa laro na ito. Hindi mo sinabi na kahit kumain ako ng mangga sa mundo ko ay bigla-bigla na lamang akong babalik ulit dito," I tell him.

"Hindi na iyon mahalaga ngayon."

Hindi mahalaga?!

"Sabi ko sa iyo, sa simula pa lamang, sa paglalaro ng larong ito, magbabago ang lahat tungkol sa buhay mo. At sabi ko rin naman sa iyo, babalik at babalik ka pa rin. Hindi mo maiiwasang hindi bumalik kahit anong mangyari," he explains as he turns his head back to watch the gathered men cowering around the table.

I sigh heavily. "Sabi sa akin kanina ni Goyo... walong buwan na raw ang nakalipas simula noong huli akong nandito. Siguro naman ay hindi ganoon karami ang nangyari, ano?"

He shrugs. "Hindi naman siguro ganoon kadami. At hindi ganoon ka-importante sa misyon mo. Ah, pwera lang sa pagpatay kay Maestrong Sebio; at si Enteng mula sa may amin na biglang kasakbit na rin namin nila Goyong. Iyon lang naman."

I blink at him. "A-Ano? T-Teka... isa-isa lamang." I shake my head, drawing closer to him. "Si Maestrong Sebio?"

Isidro looks at me for a second, looking solemn and nods. "Pinatay ng mga kalaban. May mga traydor sa pangkat. Malayo na kami sa bayan noong nabalitaan namin ang nangyari."

I only met Maestrong Sebio for a short moment, not even one conversation with him, but I can still remember him. The steadfast aura that he radiates despite his age that truly spells out the word 'authority' above his head. For him to be executed because of people he trusted with his life and later turned against him... A little bitter for my taste.

"Buti rin ay wala ka noong panahon na dumating si Enteng," he adds.

I quirk an eyebrow at him and ask, "Enteng?"

"Ah, oo nga pala." Isidro immediately stands from his seat, brushing his pants clean. "Ang sabi ko nga, mabuti na wala ka noong dumating si Enteng. O... noong bumalik si Enteng."

I then frown at him. "Sino ba si Enteng?"

He smiles at me and crosses his arms. "Siya lang naman yung nakakabatang kapatid ng pinakamalapit na kaibigan ni Goyong. Si Vicente Enriquez, ang nakakabatang kapatid ni Heneral Anacleto Enriquez."

"Hmm... Kung heneral ang kuya niya, bakit siya sumama sa pangkat ni Goyong?"

Isidro's smile immediately saddens, and at that, I already understand that I should've not ask him about it. Of course, it is evident. Just as how I've asked it. Why will he join Goyo if his older brother is already a general?

Of course, the only reason is that, General Enriquez is dead.

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A/N: Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)

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