The Death of Athyeia (COMPLETED)

Kabanata XXXVI: Kidnapping

Athyeia's PoV

"Kuya?" I called.

Kinakabahan naman akong yumakap kay V.

Earlier, we were quietly spending out time passing through the woods when suddenly, I heard a thug.

At simula noon ay hindi na gumalaw pa ang karwahe.

Bigla namang nangamoy malansa. Muntik na akong maduwak nang aking maamoy ang maalisansang na aroma ng dugo.

"What's happening?" mahina kong bulong saaking sarili. Kahit si V ay nagsusumiksik saaking palda.

Kahit natatakot, iginilig ko si V ng pwesto at binuksan ang kulay pulang kurtina na nakapwesto sa harap ng karwahe.

Ganoon na lamang ang pagsinghap ko nang masaksihan ang nangyari doon.

It was the coachman, may tatlong panang nakatuhog sa leeg nito.

My heart started palpitating.

No. Hindi ako dapat matakot.

I have the story of Athyeia with me.

I tried remembering the events that happened in the story ngunit wala akong maalala.

After the death of King Nero, naging tahimik na ang kaharian.

Levi was able to capture all the rebels and hanged their heads on the palace walls.

One in particular was Yangzhe.

Ang lalaking akala nila noon ay patay na ngunit iyon pala ay namuno pa noong pagrerebelde.

My eyes widened.

Levi was the one who was shot.

At tanging siya lamang ang nakapagbigay ng utos sa storya na sarhan lahat ng pultahan upang masiguradong walang makakatakas na kalaban.

I don't know what King Nero did, but whatever it is, it changed the course of the story.

No. It wasn't him.

It was me, Alaina.

I changed the course of story.

I let King Nero lived.

And V is the product of it.

No gates were closed, no one was hanged, everyone was just jailed. Pinagpapasyahan pa lamang kung lahat ba sila ay ipapapatay o habang-buhay lamang na ipakukulong.

"Athyeia." Biglang nagbukas ang pinto ng karwahe kong sinasakyan. An unfamiliar smirking face greeted me.

"H'wag mo akong hahawakan!" I shouted at him. Tumawa naman ang lalaki na parang baliw.

Imbes na manatiling nanginginig, without thinking twice, sinipa ko siya gamit ang suot kong buta. "Put-"

"Puta ka din!" Naiinis kong halinghing at binuksan iyong isang pintuan. Mabuti nalang at mabilis ang galaw ni V.

Nauna siyang lumabas at susunod na sana ako, not until my dress was wedged in the door.

Sa lahat naman ng oras! Ngayon pa ba magiging cliché ang mga pangyayari?!

"V! Help me!!" Sigaw ko sa aso na agad tumalima. He also bit my dress to help me rip it away from the carriage.

"Lintek kang babae ka!" The man once again shouted. Sa sobrang gulat ko dito ay kinuha ko ang una kong madadampot at hinampas sa pagmumukha niya.

Iyon ay isang riding crop, iyong pinanghahampas sa kabayo.

Luckily, I was able to break away from the carriage just on time.

Pilas nanaman ang binigay na damit saakin ni Levi na ngayon ay patayon-tayon sa bibig ni V.

"Run V!" I shouted habang sabay kaming tumatakbo palayo sa karwahe.

We ran downhill instead of straight, baka mas madali pa niyang mahabol kami kung doon kami dumaan.

I just hope that there is a village nearby. Hindi naman siguro niya kami susundan pa kung nasa madaming tao di'ba?

I don't know if he is Yangzhe, but the fact that he killed someone is already a sign that it's not good to be around him.

Kahit hingal na hingal at medyo umiiyak ay kita ko padin ang tumatakbong si V, he is running as fast as he can and I should too.

"Chase her Leor!" Sigaw ng isang hindi pamilyar na boses.

Mas lalo namang tumindi ang kaba na kumakain saakin.

Paano kami makakatakas nang mabilis kung gayong tatlo sila?

Yangzhe was probably the first one, yung pangalawa ay iyong boses na hindi ko kilala, at iyong pangatlo naman ay ang tinawag ng pangalawang boses na si Leor.

Who are they??

And what do they want from me?!

Yangzhe's PoV

From where I am standing up, I can see how Leor started heaving heavily.

"Grabe talaga ang babaeng iyon!" Iyak ni Ezekiel habang hinihimas-himas iyong kaniyang baba. "Let me tell you Yang, she ain't like the others."

Nilingon ko naman siya at binigyan ng isang ngisi. "She's just like the others. Sadyang mahina ka lang." Kita ang pagusok ng mga tenga ni Zeke ng dahil saaking sinabi sa kaniya.

He was about to punch me when I jumped and stood up a tree trunk.

Slow.

Tumatawang tumalon ako palayo gamit ang isang baging na aking nahagip. If I just let Leor down there, paniguradong makakatakas ang babaeng iyon.

She's running without anything pulling her back, na tila ba wala itong pake kung masugatan man siya o hindi.

Baliw ba siya?

If a lady of our time have scars, napakaunti ng mga lalaking magiisip na kumuha ng kaniyang kamay. Much worse, she might die unmarried.

Not that I care though.

I jumped unto another tree and calculated how fast she is and how fast should I swing by using another vine.

If I jump now I might just make it.

No. I will make it.

Tumalon na ako. I watched her as I jumped, papalapit na siya nang papalapit.

I was just about to bring her up from the ground nang bigla itong madapa.

"Pfft." Hindi ko mapigilang paghalinghing habang pinapanood ang nakangudngod niyang mukha sa lupa.

Bumaba ako sa tabi nito.

Waiting for her to stand up and scream, asking for her life.

I want my preys to know that they have no chance of escaping from the eagle.

"Anong nangyari dyan?" Questioned Leor while huffing. Klaseng napagod talaga siya.

"Check on her Ezekiel." I told Zeke. Inilingan ako nito.

"I already got my fair share of badluck. Bakit hindi ikaw?" Mukhang takot na takot naman niyang sambit. "Let's see what you'll do kung ikaw naman ang matamaan ng babaeng 'yan!"

"Coward." I scowled at him. Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin.

Without restraints, I squatted and slightly tapped the back of the woman. "Get up." She must have been cowering in fear. Kung hindi? Then what is she doing staying in her postion like this? "I said get up!" Sigaw ko na.

Maikli ang pasensya ko at ayaw ko nang nagbibingibingihan.

"Woman." Seryoso na ang aking tinig at iniikot ang babae.

Me and the two other guys exchanged looks with our jaws on the floor. "Prr..." Hagok ng babae na nasa aming harapan.

Bloody hell.

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