Dead Reckoning - A Gregorio del Pilar x Reader story

XXIII - Vellichor

n. the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time—filled with thousands of old books you'll never have time to read, each of which is itself locked in its own era, bound and dated and papered over like an old room the author abandoned years ago, a hidden annex littered with thoughts left just as they were on the day they were captured.

* * *

The only reason that I've decided to return to the modern world after that encounter is a simple intention. For some reason, I want to be far away from that place. I hate the idea of having to deal with what happened next after finding Goyo be that cold and angry. It's is like, if his words could burn down anything and kill someone, he already do so. I know that I've ran too far, to think of leaving the game, but staying there is needing to deal with Goyo's presence and having the need to remember it all over again.

I sigh heavily and almost jump in surprised upon my phone ringing. I immediately answer it, not even looking at who is the caller. And somehow, I am starting to regret answering it.

"Hey, (Y/N). Saturday ngayon. 'Wag mo kalimutan na may trabaho ka ngayon," Gregory says through the line, causing me to frown in annoyance. "Ten minutes. Dapat nandito ka na." And with that, he ends the call, forcing me to do his bidding and head to his house.

Despite the CD being with me now, I can't risk what else he can do if I stop paying him for it. In the end, this is the world where I live in, and it is scarier than to face Goyo's wrath. However, whenever I am inside the game, I am starting to see parts of Goyo that I hate seeing.

When I've arrived at the mansion, I've been kept waiting for about thirty minutes, ringing the doorbell. I hope that one of his servants will answer for him, but then, remembers that if he has some servants today, why bother call me? After some more minutes, the main door finally opens and there he is, standing on his bathrobe with his hair still dripping wet and his chest a little bit exposed.

"Bakit ang tagal mo, (Y/N)? Napakabagal nga naman talaga," he remarks.

"Ako pa ang sinisi mo! Eh ikaw nga itong napakatagal bago buksan yung pintuan," I counter.

"Nag-shoshower ako kanina." He smirks. "O kaya atat ka kanina pa ay dahil gusto mo ako panoorin mag-shower, ano?"

"Pervert!" I enter inside his house, moving him away from the entrance. "Pagkatapos mo sabihin kung anong gagawin ko, pumunta ka na sa impyerno."

He laughs as he closes the door and follows after me. He sits back onto one of the couches in the living room, chuckling as he takes down every chore to be done, "Today, I want my bedroom to be cleaned. Yung mga silverware, dapat mukhang brand new. And the floor in the rooms, kailangan wiped. It's okay as long as I can see some kind of my reflection in them. And also, yung garden. Kailangan ma-trim. Nasira yung lawn mower kaya baka kailanganin bunutin isa-isa yung mga damo sa yard."

I didn't even turn to look at him and being aware where the cleaning tools are, I head straight to get the necessary things I'll be using and to his room. As expected, it is still a trash. This time, there are more books scattered than just random things. I know that he is really disorganized and messy, having to deal with cleaning his room a few days ago. But only now that I realized that one of his hobby is reading. Looking at the title of the books, some of them are languages that I am not aware of, but those that I can understand notes that they are about history of varying kinds. And one, among all, catch my attention.

The title reads, Revolución Filipina: Ang Buhay at Kamatayan ng Batang Heneral.

Revolución Filipina. The same title as that of the game. Batang Heneral. I suddenly remember Isidro welcoming me at the start of the game. He mentions the title of the game, and how it focuses about the "Batang Heneral". And... Ang Buhay at Kamatayan... Is it possible that...?