Ever After

XXXIV. An Apology

I woke up because of the sunlight caressing my cheeks. Bumangon ako mula sa pagkakahiga sa isang manipis na kama. Inalis ko rin ang kumot at tumapak sa hindi sementadong sahig.

I searched for something-- anything familiar but there is none. Maliit lang ang bahay na gawa sa kahoy ang mga dingding. Sa gilid ay may isang palayok at lutuan habang sa isa pang gilid ay may maliit na lamesa at upuan.

Bumukas ang pinto at iniluwa ang isang pamilyar na lalaki. He seems shocked when he saw me standing but he immidietly gave me a warm smile.

Agad akong naghanap ng pwedeng hawakan at naabot ko ang isang sibak na kahoy sa gilid. Nang humakbang siya palapit sa akin ay itinutok ko ito sa kanya.

Nagulat siya sa reaksyon ko but he still gave me another smile, a sad one. Bumaling siya sa maliit na lamesa at inilagay ang mga pagkaing dala niya.

"I won't hurt you, Victoria. And... I'm so glad you're now awake."

"William," sambit ko habang pinagmamasdan ang likuran niya. "Where am I? What am I doing here?"

"Pasensya ka na kung dito kita dinala. They wouldn't suspect this little dirty house," saad niya at sinenyasan akong maupo. I was hesitating that time but he again gave me a smile seems like saying that it's fine, that he would do no harm.

"What exactly happened?" I asked. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari but one thing is for sure. I'm in Everland again.

"Akala ng lahat ay patay ka na," he said as he started eating. "When Vincent pushed you in the cliff, your body is nowhere to be seen. Tatlong araw ang tinagal ng paghahanap nila sa'yo but nothing happened. That's why they concluded that you're already dead. Your corpse have been eaten by some wild marine animals. "

Napatitig ako sa kubyertos na hawak ko. Maybe, they didn't see me because I'm already in my world that time.

"Pero hindi ako sumuko. Hinanap ko pa rin ang bangkay mo kung patay ka na talaga. And luckily, after a week, nakita kitang pa-lutang lutang sa dagat. I know it's so odd and I can't explain how that happen but what matters to me is that you're alive."

He again gave me a warm smile, a sincere one. "Well, inabot nga lang ng isang buwan bago ka tuluyang magising," natatawa niyang dagdag.

Halos mabilaukan naman ako sa sinabi niya. "One month!?" Agad naman siyang tumango.

Tumayo ako at akmang aalis nang hawakan ni William ang braso ko. "Victoria, where are you going?"

Hindi ako sumagot at inalis ang kamay niya sa braso ko. Napalingon ako sa salamin. My bangs seems longer than before. It's really been a month.

"I can't tell you. You are... one of them," saad ko dahilan para mapayuko siya. I know that he doesn't really want to be involved with the dark organization and Victoria herself is the one who persuaded him.

Bumuntong hininga ako at tumalikod. I want to say something to him. An apology, maybe? But I don't have time. Especially now that it's been a freaking month.

Ngunit bago pa ako makalabas ay nagsalita ulit si William.

"I know you're mad at me, Victoria. Hindi kita pipigilan kung gusto mo nang umalis. I'm glad you're now awake. But please, be safe... I want you to be safe, Victoria."

Tumingala ako upang pigilan ang mga nagbabadyang luha ko. May pumasok na matandanf babae sa bahay ngunit hindi ko na ito pinansin. Huminga ako nang malalim at naglakad na palayo.

I didn't bother to look back at him. Besides, what he said is not really meant for me. It's for Victoria.

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