Mhorfell Academy and the Night Stealer (A Spin-Off) [Book 3]

Chapter 2: Side Characters' After Party

Chapter Two: Side Characters' After Party

[Trigger Warning: This chapter contains dialogues of characters expressing their views about death nonchalantly. In case it felt offensive, please be reminded that these characters, especially Clan of Light members, have their own perceptions based on their upbringing and background.]

'PAANO na nga ba 'ko?' Ito pa rin ang tanong na pilit kong pinupunan ng sagot. At alam ko sa sarili ko na hindi ako ang taong palatanong, bagkus ako ang taga-sagot. Hindi ako 'yong nagkukumahog, bagkus ako yaong madadatnan mo sa dulo— nakasubabay—naghihintay. 'Yon ako pero 'di ko maitatanggi na sana nabigyan ko ng sagot ang sarili ko bago sumilay ang umaga sa araw na 'to.

Perhaps I won't feel as pathetic for not imagining a future for myself.

Today is the day the Queen of Archery will return. Today is our actual ending, and so is the continuation of their happily ever after. Today is also the beginning of my punishment. One that I inflicted on myself not because I'm afraid the Underground won't offer me mercy but because I'm capable of walking down the road of thorns happily and bleeding without being told.

Humigpit ang kapit ko sa kurtinang tumatabing sa malaking bintana. Bagama't tirik na ang araw, hindi ko magawang hawiin ito. Ang pabayaang sumilay ang liwanag sa kuwarto ko ay hudyat na tapos na ang kuwento. At iyon ang tunay kong hindi magawa. Hindi ko magawang pagkatiwalaan ang sarili ko na hindi dadayo ang mga paa ko sa pintuan at magdugtong ng panibagong kabanata.

I can't help but bitterly scoff at the thought. Perhaps if I was raised to be more selfish, I wouldn't find myself here, lost and uncertain of what the future holds.

"Kung pumunta ka lang dito para kaawaan ako, pwes nagsasayang ka lang ng oras mo," payo ko sa nagmamay-ari ng mga mahihinang tapik ng takong mula sa likuran ko. Napapapikit kong hinanda ang sarili na bitawan ang kurtina, dinig kung paanong lumundo ang isang gilid ng kama ko sa pagsalampak ng bisitang hindi imbitado.

"Hindi ba't dapat nasa baba ka rin para magpaalam sa kaniya?" I turned to Polaris, the head of the Clan of Light.

Polaris threw me an unimpressed look as if wondering what the fuss is for. "Back at you, judge. Aren't you the one who's supposed to be there and not me? Kaano-ano ko ba 'yang babaeng 'yan? As far as I am concerned, she was simply a means to an end. I already did more than enough to help her, anyway," she shrugged apathetically.

Not that I'm expecting her to be a Mother Theresa to someone she spent three years with but she's just so indifferent sometimes. "At ngayong ayos na ang Clan of Light ay wala ka nang paggagamitan sa kaniya, tama?" naiiling kong sabi na kalauna'y naging singhal.

"Nah. Clan of Light will never be the same as before. We only helped to put an ending to what we thought would be endless." Though her tone neither faltered nor changed, there was a trace of hopelessness glazed on her words. "We will never be safe. We can never be truly free because we can never control people's fear of the unknown. We never did even before. Mas lalo na ngayon."