✔The Knight's Madness

DUODEVIGINTI

Kleo watched as the Knight healed himself.

Mangha niyang pinanood ang matamlay na liwanag na nanggagaling sa kamay ng binata. Soon, she witnessed the fractured bones and flesh repair on their own. Habang abala sa kanyang ginagawa si Everick, Kleo noticed the sweat dribbling down the side of his face, traveling down to his strong jawline and cleft chin.

'It's logical that a lot of mortal girls swoon over him,' she thought.

His dark eyes stared intently at what he was doing, his black shirt fitted him almost perfectly, revealing enough muscles to fill in the gaps in any woman's wildest imagination. Muli namang naagaw ang atensyon niya ng sword tattoo sa kanyang pulsuhan. Kani-kanina lang ay naguluhan si Kleo nang hinubad nito ang suot niyang trench coat at ipinatong sa kanyang balikat.

Nang tinanong niya pa ito kung bakit ginagawa siyang patungan, mahinang natawa ang Neverwood, pointing out that he didn't want her to catch a cold or something, kahit pa naka-sweater naman si Kleo.

'It even smells like him...'

Napabalik na lang sa kasalukuyan si Kleo nang magsalita si Everick.

"If you keep staring at me like that, I'll start thinking you have a crush on me, Sadako," he teased with a sexy smile slowly forming on his lips. Everick inched closer, his eyes set on hers. He stared at her as if she was the most interesting girl in this lifetime. "Just say the word, and I'll take you out on a date, sweetheart."

Pero imbes na kiligin, nagkibit naman ng balikat ang dalaga. "If a date with you involves crazy cat hybrids and exploding ducks, pwede naman. Pero mas masaya sana kung may zombies at mga bampira pang kasama."

What? Mas maraming paranormal creatures, mas masaya nga naman. She will never miss out on an opportunity to see the undead up close and personal!

Mahina namang natawa ang imortal at sinulyapan ang mundo sa ibaba. "Bakit ba hindi na ako nagulat sa sagot mo? Well, it looks you're really immune to my charms, after all," he sighed. "Sayang."

"May charms ka pala?"

"Aray."

Napangiti na lang si Kleo.

Mula rito, kitang-kita nila ang ilaw ng lungsod. May mangilan-ngilan na ring sasakyan sa kalsada. Ilang oras na lang at sisikat na ang araw, but Kleo doubts that anyone will mind them for sitting on the edge of this building.

She started running her fingers along the trench coat's black fabric. Kumunot ang noo niya nang mapansing may ilang tahi na ang parte nito.

"Wag mong sabihing kasing-tanda mo na 'to? Why do you still keep it, anyway?"

Ni hindi lumingon si Everick nang sagutin niya 'yon. Para bang may inaalala ito. "Sabihin na lang natin na may sentimental value sa'kin ang coat na 'yan. She gave it to me in the late 1800's or so. Nakalimutan ko na."

'She?'

Matagal na pinagmasdan ni Kleo ang ekspresyon ng kanyang kasama. Mukhang wala na itong balak pang magkwento tungkol sa taong nagbigay sa kanya ng trench coat na 'to. Kaya pala ingat na ingat dito si Everick. Nonetheless, she could only assume that it was a gift from one of his past lovers.

The idea of wearing a memorabilia from a dead person should have made her excited...but this time, it didn't.

"Minsan ba hiniling mong maging normal?" Hindi na napigilang tanungin ni Kleo.

Sa totoo lang, ilang araw na rin niyang tinatanong 'yan sa kanyang sarili. Agad naman siyang binalingan ni Everick, isang makahulugang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi.

"You mean live like a normal human and pay taxes and grow old and die?"

She nodded.

Huminga nang malalim ang Neverwood. "Minsan, oo. Nakaksawa na rin kasing panooring mamatay ang mga taong nakapaligid sa'yo. You have no idea how interesting and torturous it is to watch humans take life for granted and die carrying their regrets to their graves...only to repeat the cycle over and over, again. Nakakasawa na, lalo't alam mong hindi mo ito kayang maranasan."

Indeed, an immortal life is the worst curse of all.

"Minsan oo...pero minsan, hindi?" She asked out of curiosity.

Tumango naman si Everick.

"There are still a few advantages of being an immortal. Kung hindi sana kami sinumpa, hindi namin mararanasan ang maraming bagay... Hindi sana namin nasasaksihan kung paano magbago ang mundo... At---" tumitig sa kanya ang crow-shifter, "---kung hindi kami sinumpa, hindi sana kita makikilala sa panahong ito."

That made Kleo's heart feel...weird. Hindi niya alam kung epekto lang ba ito ng kawalan niya ng tulog o ng mga titig ng binatang ito. She pushed these strange feelings aside, masking her expression with an unreadable look.

'Baka nga kulang lang ako sa tulog.'

"Pero ang cool pa rin maging immortal. At least, you don't age like a vampire!"

"I guess so."

Ilang sandali pa, hindi na namalayan ni Kleo na umusog papalapit sa kanya si Everick. Natuod siya sa kanyang kinauupuan nang inilapit nito ang kanyang mukha, his stormy gray eyes were still gazing at hers, flickering to her dry lips every now and then.

"But it's always more fun to not be 'normal', don't you think?"

His voice sent shivers up her spine.

O baka naman kinikilabutan lang siya? Siguro nga.

Kaya bago pa man kumilos ang binata, agad na tumayo si Kleopatra at hinagis ang trench coat sa kanya. It "accidentally" landed on Everick's face, causing him to pause.

"I need to go. Kailangan ko pang operahan si Roberta. She can't live the rest of her life with no limbs, can she?"

Everick chuckled, ran a hand through his messy locks, and finally got up on his feet.

---

Peter Pan never wanted to grow up
and so he made a pact with Immortality;
a boy with a signature he now regrets,
for he can never be with his Wendy.

---Kleopatra Claveria