✔The Knight's Madness

QUADRAGINTA QUATTOUR

Kleopatra Claveria. 

Nakasuot siya ng black spandex suit at nakatali ang kanyang mahabang buhok. Walang emosyon niya akong tiningnan habang nakatutok pa rin sa'min ang dalawang spotlight. Noong mga sandaling 'yon, para bang kami lang dalawa ang nasa arena.

Naglaho ang musika at namayani ang nakabibigang katahimikan sa pagitan namin.

Nakatitig lang ako sa kanya.

'Malayong-malayo sa Sadakong nakilala ko,' I thought and forced a smile, not bothering to hide the pain and anger in my eyes.

"I knew I've seen those eyes before... Namana mo 'yan sa tatay mo, hindi ba, Sadako?"

With Kleo's bangs braided, I saw her exposed heterochromatic eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Hindi niya siguro inaasahang madidiskubre ko ang sikreto nila. Maya-maya pa, isang malalim na pagtawa ang kumawala sa boss. Kasunod nito, bumagsak ang metal niyang maskara sa lupa.

A similar pair of heterochromatic eyes stared at me. But unlike his daughter's, this monster's eyes were darker...

Devoid of any sympathy and emotion.

"I was surprised you didn't recognize me sooner, Everick."

Lumalim ang paghinga ko. Every part of my being wanted to lash out at him. Fuck. I want to skin him alive and feed him to the sharks, drill several holes in his skull and insert live wires in them, chop his limbs into pieces and roast them over a campfire... Anything.

Dahil ni minsan, hindi sumagi sa isip kong ang "tauhan" na nahuli ko noon sa private room #9 ay ang nilalang na ilang siglo na naming kinasusuklaman.

'I've been fucking played.'

It was all an act.

My eyes glared at Kleo as I took several crumped white envelopes out of my coat, along with the object I found inside her drawer. Ngayon nauunawaan ko na kung bakit pinigilan niya akong buksan 'yon noong inaya ko siyang lumabas.

"All fucking these years, you've been in contact with your father... At 'yan ang taser na ginamit mo sa'kin noong gabing sinundan mo ako rito, 'di ba?!" Pagak akong natawa. Tangina, hindi ko na alam kung mas nananaig sa'kin ang sakit o galit sa babaeng 'to. As much as my lovesick-self wanted to deny everything and defend her, the evidences are already mocking me. Naikuyom ko na lang ang mga kamao ako para pigilan ang panginginig ng mga ito.

"Hindi ko na tatanungin kung saan mo tinago ang baril na ginamit mo sa tatay mo. But then again, it was all part of your grand plan, right?! Ang pagmukhain akong tanga! Ano, masaya ka na, Kleo?! Mula noong nagkakilala tayo, may hidden agenda ka pala!"

She didn't answer.

I shook my head in disappointment.

It was no coincidence our paths crossed that night. Hindi ko alam kung cover up niya lang ang pagiging "paranormal enthusiast" para mapalapit sa'kin. But from the letters, the boss---her own father---instructed her to follow me, shoot him in the head, and use a taser on me to make sure I can't revive him. Alam nilang limitado lang ang abilidad ko, at ginamit nila 'yong advantage.

Of course I wouldn't suspect a dead man, even one we dug out of the cemetery.

'Kung alam ko lang, edi sana tinabunan ko pa ng mga bato ang libingan niya.'

"At noong araw na 'nawala' ang bangkay niya sa kwarto mo, it was a lie, wasn't it? Ginamit mo ba ang kapangyarihan mo para buhayin siya at pagmukhaing may pumasok sa bahay ninyo?"

Kleo smirked. "Close, but not quite. Beforehand, he already instructed his secretary to dispose any 'loose ends'."

Her father nodded with pride, "Bukod kay Kleo, wala nang ibang nakakakilala sa'kin sa personal, kahit pa ang sekretarya at mga tauhan ko rito sa EKT. Hence, I let them believe they were just retrieving the corpse of a low-ranking officer. They stored me in a chamber here at Limekiln and when nighttime came, my daughter snuck in and revived me, just as according to plan."