My Love, Darkness

Chapter 2

HE was still walking when he sensed a near-death. He stopped beside the pole of a traffic light. All mortals walking around him are all busy to not know what he knows. He looked to his right, and there he saw a car.

There is a woman inside of it with an offspring of Ate. He doesn't know if the monster was causing the car brakes to not work, but he doesn't give a damn about it. He only cares about the soul inside the car.

Everyone was thrilled and horrified after the car hit another car, making the woman released the maneuver and lose hold of it. Nagsigawan ang mga tao at napatakbo samantalang siya ay nanatiling nakatayo sa kaniyang puwesto.

The car accelerated wavily until it hit another vehicle, making it circling in the air and fell hard to the ground.

Titus scowled. He sensed the woman is still alive. He feels the faint life and near-death of her.

The woman is fighting.

Lumapit siya sa kotse ng babae. Nakabaliktad ito at tanggal ang mga side door, kung hindi tanggal ay wasak ang ibang parte ng kotse.

Nakita niya ang mukha ng babae. The woman is in her 20s. Kalahati ng mukha nito ay nababalutan ng dugong dumadaloy pababa sa lupa ng daanan na iyon.

The woman looks at him faintly. "Phoebe."

He has met so many mortal and so mortals that are named Phoebe. The monster jumped at the top of the car, looking at him, and he just stared back.

He's not scared. He can kill the monster if he wants, but he doesn't want his scythe to be taint by blood. Besides, he has kept his record in flat zero, not using his scythe to kill monsters and mortals.

Pinabayaan niya itong makaalis. Napaatras siya nang makaramdam ng kakaiba. Two women suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Litais," Kellan, also a grim reaper of 26th Division, said beside him.

Hindi niya ito sinagot bagkus ay pinanood ang mga Litai na hinahandogan ang babae ng panalangin. Isang minuto lang din ang lumipas bago dumating ang ambulansiya.

Titus sighed. The woman is still alive, but he can even sense her near death.

Guess I will need to follow this mortal. 

TITUS waited patiently as he saw some mortals running to the room where the woman was in bed, in a coma for almost two days.

Nanatili siyang nakatayo sa labas. Hindi siya puwedeng umalis. Siya ang naka-sense ng kamatayan ng babae. Siya ang nakaatas para kumuha ng kaluluwa nitong lumalaban sa kamatayan nito.

A woman is sobbing while looking at Ava's state. Must be her relatives.

Napailing si Titus. This is what he doesn't like about his job. Just like in this case, he needed to wait because he's the one who sensed the soul of Ava. There will be times that this incident happens. The grim reapers will need to wait for the soul even if they need to attend the burial.

"Ricardo, please! Lumaban ka!"

Napalingon siya sa isang kuwarto kung saan nanggaling ang sigaw ng isang babae.

Nakita niya ang kapwa niyang grim reaper but the reaper was not from his division. Actually, kahit saan siya lumingon ay may mga grim reaper. He's in a hospital, after all.

Titus quickly made himself invisible when he sensed a male Doctor going to the room where Ava is in. Inayos nito ang salamin bago hinarap ng seryoso ang mga kamag-anak ni Ava.

"Kayo ba ang kamag-anak ni Ava Sarmiento?"

Nagsipagtanguan ang mga mortal sa tanong na iyon ng Doctor. The Doctor sighed.

Titus knows what the Doctor is going to say. Of course, he is there to collect Ava's soul. He's already a piece of bad news if only mortals know that they exist.

"I'm sorry to say, but she's in a coma. She had a brain injury, and her record shows that her body can not function anymore, just like before she had an accident. And for now, she can only live because of the life-support," the Doctor stated lowly, empathy was on his face as Ava's family started to cry again. "Now, it's up to Ava's parents if they want to end her suffering. I'm sorry."

He sighed, getting impatient. Dalawang araw na rin siyang hindi nakakauwi sa Barracks. Dalawang araw na rin siyang walang pahinga.

One of the thing he don't like too to his job. Kailangan niyang maghintay para sa kaluluwa nito at pagkatapos ay makikita niya pa ang drama ng mga mortal.

Death is natural, anyway. He doesn't get it. Why do mortals need to waste their tears for someone who is time is up? Pinapatagal lang ng mga 'to ang trabaho niya.

It's already 12 in the midnight at hindi pa siya nakakain ng paborito niyang cordon bleu. He can survive without it, but the taste of it was already in his mouth, teasing him.

Umayos siya ng tayo at tumikhim para tanggalin ang paboritong pagkain at ang lasa nito sa kaniya isipan.

I am f*****g craving.

TITUS is leaning in the wall, both of his arms crossed while still waiting.

"Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ayaw ko siyang payagan, Nerie. Desisyon niya iyon noong una pagkatapos ay tignan mo ang nangyari ngayon," the anger and sadness was written on the old man's face.

Nasa mukha nito ang katandaan maging ang kausap na babae. Palagay ni Titus ay ito ang mga magulang ni Ava.

The woman sobs. "Victor naman. Isa akong Ina. Kung gagawin ko ang ginawa ni Ava noon, hindi ako mangingiming sundan ang anak ko ngayon at gawin ang lahat para makuha siya." Umiling ang matandang lalake. "Makinig ka, Victor. May karapatan si Ava na kunin ang anak niya. Kahit pa'y bunga lang si Phoebe ng kontrata kung mahal naman siya ni Ava, may paraan."

Nanatiling tahimik si Titus habang nakikinig sa pinag-uusapan ng dalawang matanda. One by one, now he's having information about Ava. Wala siyang pakialam pero wala siyang magagawa kundi ang makinig habang naghahantay.

Now, he thinks that Ava must be a surrogate mother who's after her daughter named Phoebe and had an accident because of it.

Napailing si Titus. There are still some missing details.

"Titus."

Napalingon siya kay Kellan na ngayon ay katabi na niyang nakaharap sa hospital bed ni Ava. Both of them are invicible.

"She's fighting that hard, huh?" Kellan said amusement was in his eyes while looking to Ava.

Hindi siya sumagot bagkus ay muling tumingin kay Ava.