She Who Got Rejected ✔️

Chapter 9.3

[Zerfes]

A year later...

I am sitting on a wide plain, miles of lands dominated by wildlife stretched around me.

Umihip ang malakas na hangin, nadala nito ang ilang bunga ng mga damo. Flying fruits, fruits with wings.

Napaisip ako, kaya ko rin kayang umimbento ng pakpak? It would be nice to fly. A dream come true for children. An opportunity for adults. I know the answer but I refused to acknowledge its existence.

One world calls me, The Inventor Artisan, after all.

Knowing too much is already a heavy burden. Turning what you know into reality, that's a greater responsibility.

My cellphone rang. This new thing created by Technology is very helpful. Bago lang din siyang Faction pero marami na siyang kakaibang naibabahagi sa amin.

Caller: "Tangina, Zerfes! Sa wakas nakontak rin kita! May meeting na naman ang Power Assembly!"

Time to go then. Tumayo ako at nagpagpag.

"Miss na nila ako."

Caller: "I fucking doubt that, Boss."

Ang sakit talaga nito magsalita minsan.

Caller: "Sabi ni Tradition, ang boring mo raw. Sabi naman ni Economy, matakaw ka raw sa pera. The rest, I think they just tolerate you because they're afraid of you, kinda."

Parang may gusto uling masampolan.

"Bakit parang hindi ka sigurado? Gusto mo sampolan kita para sa sunod wala ka ng duda kung nakakatakot talaga ako?"

Caller: "Fuck you, Zerfes! Hindi ako lab rat!"

"Well I'm not against turning you into one."

May sinasabi pa siya sa kabilang linya nang pagtalikod ko upang makaalis na sana, muntikan na akong may makabungguan.

"Whoa, sorry." mutawi niya.

Caller: "My fearsome Boss? Nakikinig ka ba?"

"Later." utos ko sa kausap ko at kaagad kong pinutol ang linya.

Nagdaan ang ilang minutong katahimikan. Nakatitig siya sa akin habang bahagyang nakakunot ang noo. Mayamaya, napalitan ito ng banayad na expression.

Loneliness entered me.

"Sorry for interrupting," Nahihiya pero madiin na sabi niya, "Uhm, private property kasi ito. I just need to make sure...make sure that everything is okay."

Everything is not okay.

"Naliligaw ka ba?" tanong niya. My lips wobbled. I felt like a three year old boy crying because his pet bird, the only friend he had, died. "Malawak kasi ang lupain ko, natural lang naman na may maligaw. Kung naliligaw ka, I can show you the way out."

I calmed myself.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit pa ako bumalik dito ngayong alam ko na kung ano ang nangyari. Na sigurado na akong walang magbabago.

From the beginning to the end, I was there with him. When he woke up, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief, only for it to crashed down when I realized he's gone.

"I'm sorry for entering without your permission." And that's why I pretended that I didn't know him. 'Yung kilala kong siya, ay wala na. "You're that person who take care of animals, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"And according to news, you hate humans?"

Hindi siya kaagad sumagot but he still answered eventually, "Yes."

"But aren't you a human too?"

Nagdilim ang mukha niya.

Ah, that expression is so familiar it makes me long for those days when he can still remember.

"I am different." ang maiksi niyang sagot.

Seconds of silence passed again. Naging banayad na muli ang mukha niya at ngayo'y puno na ito ng kuryosidad.

"I see." sagot ko. "Then I am not welcome here. Excuse me."

A year ago, a dear friend of mine reminds me I'm a human. I will hold on to his reminder no matter what happens.

Even if that person himself is already gone.

Dapat hindi na ako bumalik rito. Ano pa ba ang inaasahan ko?

Certainty and hope surely don't get along.

"Wait." Ilang metro na ang distansya ko sa kaniya nang tinawag niya ako.

Saglit akong napahinto.

"Kanina pa kita pinapanuod." Fucking de javu. "I saw you patched the leg of an injured rabbit. You have a bird poop on your shoulder, but you didn't curse or shoot the bird. Surely, you don't look like the others who bring their large chainsaws, axes, and other machines to cut trees older than their great grandparents." Huminto siya saglit, dire-diretso niyang sinabi ito na parang nagmamadali, may pag-aalala sa boses. "Just like me, you're different."

Biglang gumaan ang pakiramdam ko.

I think he's still there. Even if he no longer remember who he was before we facilitated the treatment, the serum we now called as the first trial of lycan syrup, even if he no longer remember me, some parts of him remains the same.

A small smile carved on my face, "I guess it's because I'm weird."

Alam kong nakangiti rin siya ng bahagya nang siya'y sumagot, "Not weird, I guess the better term is...you're someone with special abilities."

Lumaki ang ngiti ko.

Oh, Wirron, sabi ko na nga ba, you're still there. Kahit nakalimot ka, kahit na nagkaroon ka ng permanent amnesia, you are still the same person.

The only thing I'm worried about is it seems he had forgotten why there's hope in humanity.

Lumingon ako pabalik sa kaniya, "Hey, care to join me?" anyaya ko.

"Where?" asked Wirron.

"To a wilder world."

"Why?"

"Let's build a world where everyone can find a home, no matter who they are, no matter how they came to be. A world that isn't afraid of adaptation, of evolution."

He smiled softly, "I'd like that."

"Then you're now the first member of my Council." anunsyo ko.

He chuckled, "Ganoon lang kadali?"

"Yes, I am powerful, you see."

"And very humble too." dagdag niya.

"That too." I taunted, grinning.

"I like you...for a human."

My grin widened because of what he said. He just reminded me again, unconsciously, that I am a human, "You're not so bad yourself."

Lumapit siya sa akin at inilahad ang isang kamay for a handshake, "I am Wirron Oleander."

Nagkamayan kami. "Zerfes Faye."