✔The Knight's Madness

TRIGINTA DUO

"Hindi mo bagay ang masawi sa pag-ibig, Joker."

"Dahil pogi ako?"

"Dahil lalo kang pumapanget."

On any other day, Evarius Neverwood would probably harass their youngest brother with Señor Fluffy's cuteness. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, wala siya sa mood makipaggaguhan pa sa isang 'to. Not when he just can't shake the image of Kesa's face last night.

He sighed.

'On top of that, my staff's missing! Frabjous luck.'

Another sigh.

"Mukhang nananahimik ngayon ang isa nating kapatid," Evil continued while typing something on his new laptop. Dati ayaw pa nitong gumamit ng teknolohiya ng mga tao dahil "devil-possessed" at "mas kumplikado pa kaysa sa math" daw ang mga ito---that was exactly Evil's choice of adjectives, of course. But in the end, the youngest (and grumpiest) Neverwood learned to reevaluate his decision when he discovered its practicality.

"Eh? Baka busy sa mga babae. Knowing that bastard, he's probably bedding two or three ladies every night..."

Somehow, he doubted that. Lalo't mukhang nakapokus ang atensyon ni Knight kay Kleo nitong nakaraang mga linggo.

'Wala pa ring poreber. Tsk!'

Humikab si Joker at sinubukang sulyapan ang kopya ng files ng EKT na pinasa sa kanila ni Raff pero agad ring inilayo ni Evil ang screen. The sharp look in his eyes revealed his doubts, too. "Knight isn't the type to stop pursuing something he deems worth his time, Joker. Kapag nasimulan na niya, hindi niya nakakayanang pigilan ang kanyang sarili. Remember that time when he lost control and massacred everyone within the five-mile radius?"

Joker shuddered at the memory.

Damn, hindi na niya kailangang alalahanin 'yon. If anything, aside from Evil, Everick is the last person he'd want to get on his bad side. Kung gaano siya kaepektibong manggagamot, ganoon rin siya kaepektibong mamamatay-tao.

"So, what are you suggesting, little bro?"

Evil didn't lift his eyes on the screen. He was opening file after file, searching for something that could make sense. "I think he's onto it again... Malamang may ginagawa na naman 'yon na hindi natin alam." May hindi tama sa nangyayari ngayon, at kailangan nilang alamin 'yon bago pa mahuli ang lahat.

Kung sabagay, hindi niya rin naman kayang sisihin si Everick kung bakit ito kumikilos nang mag-isa.

Because in a way, the Elite Killing Tournament is the sole purpose the three of them are wasting time in Eastwood.

'The root of our curse.'

*

"How's Kleo?"

Ni hindi ako binilangan ni Kesa nang naupo siya sa tapat ko. Wala sa sarili niyang ginalaw ang kanyang scrambled eggs gamit ang tinidor, looking like she just lost her appetite this morning. "Hindi pa rin siya kumakain... Wala raw siyang gana. She gave the food to her doll, though."

"Nasa sulok pa rin siya?"

She nodded, as if voicing the answer would only make this worse.

Pagkatapos namin kaninang alisin ang bangkay ng tiyahin niya at linisin ang lugar, Sadako silently walked back to her bedroom and locked herself in for several hours like an obedient kid who got scolded. Gustuhin ko mang bigyan ng matinong libing ang kaisa-isang kamag-anak ni Kleo, nauubusan na kami ng oras sa paglala ng sitwasyon sa labas.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero nagkalat ang participants ng kasalukuyang EKT sa mga lansangan.

It's all over the news now!