Song of Torment

Chapter Fourteen

A trap to take as a chance

“She’s badly in pain,” Ethan said.

We stayed in the HQ’s office as we wait for the set time of the underground battle. Harp and Shawn went out to tell to the members about our plan. We only selected a few of our best fighter as there is a limit on how many fighters each gang can bring.

Cassie on the other hand is inside one of the rooms of this HQ. After our meeting earlier, she felt so exhausted so I let her sleep of a while. It’s only Ethan and I now inside the office.

I didn’t answer him and think about the things that happened.

This guy we are about to face is the main reason why our life was ruined 9 years ago. Now that I think about it, it was really easy for us to find him unlike before. Just like what Ethan said, it seems they want us to find them but why?

“But I really admire her. She is brave enough to face her nightmare again,” Ethan said that reminds me of the letter I received.

Her nightmare will come to her again so you better protect her this time.

“What if it’s a trap?” I asked Ethan.

“What?”

“You said it yourself. It was so easy to find them. But then, years ago, you can’t even find a single detail about them and as if they never exist. We just knew them before by name and by someone who wanted to take me down for the throne,” I told him. “But now...”

“Even if it’s a trap, we need to take it as a chance,” he said. “You know how hard it is to find them. Even Tap can’t find a trace of them before.”

He is right. But I’m damn worried about Cassie. She’s traumatized!

“Did you forgive her?” Ethan suddenly asked after a while that made me also asked myself.

Did I forgive her already? Well, she really didn’t mean to leave me back then.

“I don’t know,” I said to him.

“But you still love her, right?” he asked again.

I look at Ethan. He is the only one who knew how much I loved Cassie and how much pain I’ve been through for the past 9 years.

“I don’t know...” I sigh and stood up to walk towards the glass window in the office where you could see the whole city. “I don’t know if I was really mad at her in the first place or I was mad at myself for feeling that pain thinking she left me with someone else. But yes, after all these years, I’m still madly, deeply and crazy in love with her,” I told Ethan and that made him smirk.

*

“But you still love her, right?” I heard Ethan said before I could even enter the office again. My hold on the door’s doorknob tighten as I wait for Matthew’s answer.

“I don’t know...” I heard him say and that’s when my tears fell and left that place.

I took the elevator and went on the back in the room I came from. In there, I cried to myself as I remember the hate that I saw in Matthew’s eyes when we met again.

“You awake?”

I immediately wipe my tears when I heard his voice.

“Yeah,” I answered then wen’t to the bathroom inside that room to wash my face and remove any signs of my crying. “Is it time already?” I asked him but he didn’t answer.

When I step out of the bathroom I saw him lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling.

“Can’t I stop you from coming?” he asked. I sigh and sat on the bed beside him. I look at him and caught him also looking at me. “I guess not.”

“I want to come,” I clutch the sheet of the bed as I can feel the anger building inside me. “I wanted to return the pain that monster inflicted me.”

We became silent for a while. He was just looking at the ceiling and I just stare at him.

“I wanted to hear you whole story,” he suddenly asked. “What happened that day? And what happened after?”

I bite my lip and look away from him.

“Still not telling me?”

“I will. I’ll tell you after making you fall for me again,” I said and got up. I was about to get out of the room but he grab my hand.

“Wh-”

“It’s time,” Ethan interrupted. Matthew just let my hand go. He look at me first before walking out of that room and followed Ethan.

-

“Wow,” Harp exclaimed when we got the place where the underground battle is set to happen. “This place is so huge.”

It was an open space. There were already a lot of people in it when we got there. The guy called Scheduler is already there too.

“Let’s go,” Matthew said so we got out of the car, followed by some members of the Rhapsody.

“Welcome!” Scheduler said. “The Ministry of Sin had been waiting for you.”

A group of guys wearing their familiar mask came out from his back. I clutch my fist when I saw him. That demon.

Just like them, we were also wearing a mask so the other gangsters in that place wont recognize us. I’m a public figure and Matthew is also well-known to the public so we really need to keep our identity.

We were standing in middle of that open space with Scheduler in the middle of us and we are surrounded by different gangsters. I look around me and saw some of them smiling at us.

“What if those gangsters were one of them?” I asked Ethan in a low voice and make sure that he is the only one to hear.

“They’re not. I know most of them and I’m sure their not,” he said.

I don’t know how he knew about that but I’m still uncomfortable with them around us. We’re doomed if they’re really one of them.

“To win this battle, your opponent need to admit his defeat or kill him,” Scheduler said. Matthew look at me and I just nod at him. “Also, each of can only use one weapon. Gun, katana, dagger, shuriken and etc. but you can only choose one.”

We agreed to the terms and then Scheduler gave us the cue to start.

“Don’t die,” Matthew told us before attacking.

I chose a katana as my weapon. I don’t intend to kill these puppets so I just use it to make my enemies unable to fight.

I was busy fighting when I saw Matthew fighting that guy, Rum. I kicked my opponent then use my katana to cut into his legs so he won’t be able to walk then his hands so he won’t be able to fight.

Then I run towards Matthews direction but then stop when I notice something.

The Rum that I know has a serpent tattoo on his neck but this guy who claimed as Rum had none. His serpent tattoo is on his right arm, just like the one from the members of this gang.

“You’re not him,” I said that made them stop. Matthew look at me

“What?” Matthew asked. I shook my head and look at around us. That’s when I notice that the groups of gangsters a while ago were now also fight each other.

“It’s a trap,” I said and run towards Matthew. I kick that guy with Rum’s mask which took him by surprise and stab him immediately but still making sure that he will make it alive.

“We need to get out of here,” I said then we went to help the others.

“D*mn it,” I cussed when I felt a pain on my right shoulder. By instinct, I removed the shurriken stub on may shoulder and throw it on that direction which hit him right on his hand.

Another man attacked me using his daggers but I also quickly defeated him.

“No!” I heard Matthew’s voice. I turned to look at him and saw him running to me. He quickly shield me with his own body and got a gunshot on his chest and stab by a dagger on the right side of his body.

“Lute!” Ethan called him.

“Matthew!” I screamed. He fell on the ground. I put his head on my lap and use both my hands to stop his wounds from bleeding.

“We need backup,” I heard Ethan talking over the phone. Immediately, the backup members of our gang came.

“Ethan! Help Matthew please,” I cried to him.

He immediately put him on his back and we run towards our car.

“Here,” he said and gave me the car keys. “I can’t leave them yet. Those bastard need to pay for this. Take him to the HQ’s hospital.”

I took the car keys he gave me and get in the car. I took a deep breath to calm myself and look at Matthew who is slowly losing his consciousness.

“Hang on, please,” I told him and drive quickly.

“D*mn it!” I hissed when we almost bump into a car who overtake us. I wipe the tears from my eyes and focus on driving again.

Moments later, some of the nurses and doctors of the gang came to us when we reach the HQ’s hospital.

“Matthew,” I called him. As we run to the OR. “Don’t leave me, please,” I said.

I felt him tightening my hold on his hand and slowly opening his eyes.

“Cassie,” he called me and I smiled while in tears when I heard his voice.

“Please wait here, Miss Harmony,” a nurse said and tried to remove my hold to Matthew’s hand.

“I love you,” I heard him say before the door to the OR close.

-

“Hey.”

I look up and saw Ethan with Rhyme and Ryle coming towards me. They have a lot of cuts and bruises. Ryle is also helping Ethan to walk as he got a wound on his right leg.

“I’ll call the nurses and doctor,” Ryle told Ethan. Rhyme on the other hand just sat on one of the chairs outside the OR and remain silent.

“You should have get treated first,” I told Ethan.

Moments later the nurses and doctors are already attending to their wounds while Ethan was sent to a private room to get his wound treated properly.

It’s been 4 hours. I’m walking back and fort in front of the OR’s door as I can’t remain still while waiting. Another hour passed when the OR’s door opened and one of the doctors come out.

“How is he?” I asked him. Rhyme immediately get up and wait for the doctor’s answer.

“Well, he already passed the critical stage. We already got the bullet out. He is lucky to be alive. The bullet almost hit his heart. Also, that dagger almost hit his liver. For now, we will transfer him to a private room. He need to be confined here for at least a week.”

“Thank you,” I said. I can’t help to smile while cry after hearing that he’s already safe but stop when I heard Rhyme’s whimper and sob. When I look at her, she’s already sitting in the ground and covering her face with her hands.

“Rhyme,” I called her and hug her. She immediately hug me back and cried on my shoulder.

“I thought something will happen to him again,” she said as she cries. “I thought we will lose him this time.”

I’m still trying to calm her down when I heard footsteps coming to our direction. There, I saw my master with swollen eyes and her husband.

“Your parents are here,” I told Rhyme. She look up and when she saw them, she immediately run to them and cry on his father’s arms.

At that time, Crystallyn Jane Del Valle-Guevarra stand in front of me and look at me with anger in her eyes. Then I felt that pain on my cheek when she slapped me.

“I told you not to make an impulsive move,” she said angrily. Rhyme stops crying and look at us. “I clearly told you not to attack him right away if ever you find him. How many times did I tell you not to go into a battle without a solid plan?!”

“Crys,” her husband tried to stop her.

“No! Our son’s life was in danger again because of her! Because of her again,” she said as she cries.

“I’m sorry, Master.”

—