Read Me Beyond (Ongoing)

Prologue

"In a world full of villains and dark heroes, why did the universe decide to choose me?"

Naliligo sa pawis, that's how people describe my situation right now. Kanina pa ako naglalaro pero parang wala akong kapaguran dahil kahit grabeng pawis na ang nagsisilabasan sakin, hindi pa ako napapagod.

Siguro sanay na ako or maybe I'm just too busy thinking about something kaya hindi ako napapagod. Kung alin man doon ang totoong rason, hindi ko na alam. All I want right now is to release my stress by dribbling the ball and by shooting it repeatedly which I usually do when I am bothered or stressed and right now, I'm bothered with my thoughts.

My mind is just too preoccupied with a lot of things at hindi ko alam kung ano ang uunahin ko at isa na rin siguro yun sa rason kaya ako nandito sa basketball court ng university, naglalaro ng basketball.

I am a college school student who is currently taking up a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering here in University of San Carlos and I am an athlete, who plays basketball and badminton. I'm a champion of those sports but why do I feel like I still lack something? or maybe I really do.

"Saan ka na naman galing, aber?"

Kararating ko pa nga lang dito sa dorm room namin pero yan kaagad ang naging bungad ng kaibigan ko na si Ken. Her real name is Myrlouth Claire and we often call her Myrlouth but I call her Ken to tease her na nakasanayan ko na rin, kaya yun na ang lagi kong tawag sa kanya until now.

And before I could answer her question, she started ranting about things that made her worry a lot and I couldn't help but sigh because I know, she is just keeping an eye on me and doesn't want me to be in a bad state.

Ken is like a mother to me and to our other circle of friends because she is concerned with every single thing that we do that might cause us to leave her hanging which will never happen. And she would not stop bickering unless you answer her questions dahil sa paraan na yun lang siya mapapalagay.

And I badly want to stop her from all the rants she keeps on repeating because it will just make her exhausted and so I did, I stopped her from saying anything more.

"Ken, chill out okay? I just went to the court and played for like, 3 hours I guess?"

I answered honestly because there is no single point if I ever lie. Dahil alam kong malalaman at malalaman din naman niya, so why prolong it right? I'm not like those people who keep on keeping a secret from someone just because they feel like doing so.

I saw her sigh in relief, I guess I made her worry, huh? And to give her more relief, I went straight towards her and gave her a really tight hug because I know this is the only thing that will calm her.

Ken has a trauma and I knew all of it because we went to the same elementary school back when we were both younger versions of ourselves. And I'm always here to assure her that I will never leave her and I will always stay beside her.

But right now, something seems to be bothering me kaya nagpaalam muna ako kay Ken na may pupuntahan lang. She didn't ask where because I know, she already knows and that's one of the reasons why I love her.

Umalis ako sa dorm dahil gusto ko munang mapag-isa. I want to go somewhere, where silence can collide with me. And only one place comes into my mind, the library. Because in there, silence will surely cheer with me. At habang naglalakad ng wala sa sarili, pumasok na naman sa isipan ko ang tanong na hindi ko mabigyan ng kahit na anong sagot. And out of nowhere, I asked myself again.

'Why did the universe decide to choose me?'

A series of questions keeps on lingering in my mind. But the question that I kept on asking myself, will never be answered. If I was the same old me, I would surely lie and give an immediate answer pero iba na ngayon dahil marami na ang nagbago. Ang dali-daling itanong sa sarili ko pero ang hirap sumagot kapag ikaw na ang kinakailangang sumagot.

Out of all people, bakit nga ba ako? There are cruel people just walking around freely. I did horrible things in the past and I admit that, but why me? or maybe... maybe I really deserve this kind of treatment that the universe chose this path for me.

I don't think the universe will give someone this kind of hardship who doesn't deserve this one. So maybe, I really do deserve this one. After all, I am cruel and a villain to my own sister, a bully to a lot of people, and the darkness of my own beloved.

As I keep on walking, hindi ko alam kung ano ang meron pero kinakabahan ako. My heart keeps on beating fast and here I am, getting nervous for something that I don't know. Maybe something will happen, or something will really happen.

And when I arrived at the entrance of the library, I stopped just beside the door. Kinakabahan ako lalo sa hindi malamang dahilan and all I want right now is silence.

Huminga muna ako ng malalim before I continue walking, going straight towards my usual table. There is this table in the library in the back of those shelves where I sit every time I visit and only I, Hailey Brielle, is the only one who sits there.

Bago pa man ako makarating sa usual table ko, I froze. Because someone is sitting there, a guy. With his back facing me, I immediately recognized him. With his jet-black hair and sturdy back, I knew it was him.

At the back of my head, I could still remember the last memory we had, and the last time I saw his face. The dry smile he had and his eyes seemed so tired. I remember it all because after all, it was him and until now, it will always be him.

We went to the same senior high school back in Notre Dame, taking up the same strand, in the same section, and even sitting beside each other.

Maybe I was wrong, I'm not the only one who sits and reads on this spot. Because every time I read here, he will always be here, he will always read here, he will sometimes fall asleep here, and he... he also left me with his last memory here.

"Jazuane,"