Shattered Souls

Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Signal

My question brought a moment of silence between us. Nothing could be heard but the harsh blow of the wind, the sway of grasses and the calm stream of water on the lake.

"Why did you ask?" he questioned.

I sniffed and shook my head. Right. I don't know either. Malamang na nadala lang ako sa sinabi ni Lady Grenda at dumagdag pa na masyadong misteryoso si Brix.

"Iyon ba ang gumugulo sa isipan mo?"

Tumango ako.

Bumuntonghininga ito bago ako hinila palapit sa kanya. Sinandal niya ako sa balikat at inakbayan. Ramdam ko ang mahina niyang pagtapik sa likod na tila pinapatahan ako.

"It's a gift..." he told me.

What kind of gift then? There are so many types of gifts. It could be genetically inherited but it so, among the Cardinals, why only Brix? It could also be the other one. A gift that is something given to someone for a reason. What was the reason?

"Or maybe a curse..." he chuckled.

Napapikit ako nang umihip ang malakas na hangin. Nakakagaan sa pakiramdam ang malamig na simoy ng hangin, ang tunog ng mga kulisap, ang pag-alon ng mga damo at ang pag-agos ng tubig sa ilog.

"I've acquired this on the same day when that happened..."

Umangat ang tingin ko sa kanya.

"What happened on that day?"

Napansin kong nag-alangan ito sa pagsagot.

Umalis ako sa pagkakasandal sa kanya para humarap. Tumitig ako sa kanya kaya napansin ko talaga na nag-aalinlangan ito kung sasagutin ba ang tanong ko.

"Ow." Tila natauhan naman ako. "Iyon ba..." bumaba ang boses ko.

If he was referring to that day then, I understand why it was hard for him to open up about it.

"I-it was the hardest battle I've encountered..."

That had me interested even more. It was rare for this man to consider a fight as a hard one. That event must be impactful to the extent he perceived it as the hardest battle he had encountered.

"If you wouldn't mind, may I ask what really happened to Eskelle?"

He just gawked at me, contemplating.

Was it greediness to ask him about that? I knew it was a sensitive thing for him but the curiosity wouldn't leave me. What really happened to Eskelle and why it led to that?

"That day..." His voice was low, almost a whisper. He was forcing himself to say it for me.

Hearing the agony in his voice was breaking me.

No. I should stop here.

"It was the day when—"

"Hey. It's fine." Hinawakan ko ang kanyang balikat na ikalingon nito. Ngumiti ako. "Kung ayaw mo namang pag-usapan ito ay ayos lang. I understand, Brix."

Sumandal na lang uli ako sa kanya. Katahimikan ang sumunod na nangyari.

But in the end... he also decided to open up about it.

"That's when I've heard that Eskelle went to that clan," he told me. "It was a set up. Ang alam ni Eskelle ay makikipagkita ako sa kanya roon pero nasa isa akong mission, walang alam. He was a human for pete's sake. Vampires wouldn't hesitate to attack you if you tried to get in their territory. He... did."

Hinawakan ko ang kamay niya at hinaplos.

"W-was it because of your father?"

"I thought he accepted him..." May bahid ng pait sa boses ni Brix. "When Oscar exposed my friendship with a human to our father, he nonchalantly acknowledged him. At least that was what I thought..."