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1525 Words
ARA was anxious when she arrived at the mansion, but when she entered, the emotion on her face changed, with hard and cold eyes.
First, to talk to her was Salem, sitting on the sofa while watching T.V. "It's good that you're home, we've been worried about you, you just left suddenly."
"Nagpahangin lang ako sa labas. Akyat na ako sa taas, I want to rest", Ara replied, then went straight to the stairs.
"What happened to her?" Than asked, coming from the kitchen carrying a bowl of popcorn.
Salem shrugged because she didn't know either. "I don't know, baka pagod lang. Hayaan na lang muna natin."
"Here's your popcorn, I'll just go back to the kitchen to cook Ara some food. For sure hindi pa kumakain yon" ani Than.
Salem took Than's pop-corn "Great idea, ako na magdadala sa kwarto niya kapag naluto mo na."
"Okay... Okay."
Ara was under the shower, stunned by the red water flowing onto the floor. Deeply thinking as she slowly sat on the floor and hugged herself.
She had shed many tears, and now she was numb. And even though she was numb and her tears were dripping again, she thought that she was done mourning, but she still wasn't. Every time he remembers everything, the wound becomes fresh again.
Even though the water that was flowing was so cold, she felt like she was burning, even her soul and heart were burning whenever she thought about Zhilan's death. The gradual thrust of the knife into his chest while suppressing the cry of pain. The rush of blood on his body stinging Ara's hand and face... Whenever that haunted her mind, it was as if she was being killed over and over again.
Ara rubs her body, which is covered with the mixed blood of the people she killed. She knew it wasn't her intention but it had already happened, her hands were so dirty because of sin. "Forgive me, hindi ko ginusto-" Ara murmured.
She carelessly rubbed her body while still continuing to cry. If others think she does not know how to be in pain, they are mistaken. Ara always refrains from crying and looking hurt because she doesn't want to be seen as pitying, she wants her to look strong and fearless. Because weakness is what the enemy's always used to beating someone like her, so as much as possible she does not give a hole to stab her with her weakness.
"I f-eel like I'm s-tuck h-ere to d-eath" Ara started to cry hysterically. She could no longer control herself. She was drenched in pain... and it was very difficult for her to escape the bait. "I thought I was numb, but only for a moment" Ara uttered, every minute she was crushed with guilt. It was too much pain for her to lose someone important to her again, and worse, he died at her hands.
She felt it was worse and more painful to live than to die. She feels like she lives in the hell they call.
ZANDRO had just come home from the government office and the first person he looked for was Ara.
"She's in her room", Than replied while carrying food.
"Is that for her ?" tanong ni Zandro sa kaniyang butler na si Than.
"Yep, Salem offered to bring food to Ara's room... Right, Salem?" ani Than.
"Y-yeah, of course," Salem replied while still busy watching TV.
Zandro took the food held by his butler "Ako na ang magbibigay sa kanya, magpahinga na kayo."
Salem and Than just looked at each other. "Do you notice anything strange?" Salem asked Than.
Than shrugged and just ate popcorn. "I dunno, Maybe we need to shift the boat? I'll bet for Ara."
"Wala ka talagang isang sabi, Just wait until Agatha get healed" ani Salem.
Zandro knocked on the door but no one answered. He partied the doorknob to see if it was locked. Fortunately, it is not locked.
When he went inside, he found Ara sleeping. There were gauze tapes wrapped around her thigh and abdomen. Zandro gently laid the food on the table next to Ara's bed. He was just shaken to see her messy hair. "Every time I look at you all I can see is a broken toy" he whispered "What is really your secret?- what are you hiding from me, Ara?... I want to trust you completely, so please show me who you really are."
Ara moved slowly, so he used that opportunity to wake his Sandra up. "Ara?! Wake up."
Ara woke up immediately, she fixed her clothes to hide her bandages. "What? Don't you know how to knock before entering?"
"I did. I knocked on your door but you didn't answer, so I went in. I just brought this food and it before going to sleep again", said Zandro.
"Why?... Why do you keep doing this?" Ara asked Zandro, who was now sitting on the side of her bed.
"Doing what?" Zandro innocently asked Ara.
"This!... Being kind and c-caring.-You don't have to be nice to me. As long as I'm doing my job, that's enough, so you don't have to do this." Ara said.
"That's part of who I am, Ara. You can't take that away from me."
"Why do I feel different? You are not like that with Salem or Than and even with Zyl..." Ara said emphatically.
Zandro was suddenly stunned, Is that really so? Is he really treating Ara differently? Or it was just out of his pity because every time he looked at her, he always saw sad and miserable eyes. "I was kinder and nice to you because you saved me so many times," he said honestly. It's true that it added to him being caring for Ara, but he still doesn't know if it meant anything else.
"Yun lang ba talaga?" tanong muli ni Ara sa unang Archon.
"Y-yeah," he said hesitantly.
"Then don't give me special treatment. Maybe I'll think of another meaning if you keep doing that. Focus your attention on Agatha. Wasn't she your first love? According to Salem and Than," Ara added.
"W-hat? N-no... Agatha is my childhood friend, And she is still in the stage of healing and I always keep an eye on her", Zandro answered directly.
"Why are you explaining?, napaghahalata ka-"
"Na ano?" balik na tanong ni Zandro kay Ara.
"Na may pagtingin ka sa kanya kahit kaunti lang" ani Ara.
Zandro shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know. When I first met her then, I knew she was special, but now that we have met again, I no longer feel strange."
"Wow, so you are into the romantic thing, huh?!" Panunudyo ni Ara.
"No, I'm not. My mom just said that when she first met Dad she felt a strange feeling, so she knew that Dad was the person for her" Zandro's story.
"So, our topic now is a life story, huh?!" Ara replied.
"How about you? Don't your parents have that view?" Zandro asked her.
Ara was slightly stunned before being able to speak again "N-no, I don't know. They just died, so I don't know."
"I'm s-sorry about that... I didn't mean to have that kind of conversation-"
Ara forced a smile and took the food that was lying on the table to avoid the topic. "It looks delicious, I guess Than cooked it."
"Obviously, he did", said Zandro.
Ara tasted the food and when she liked it she couldn't stop herself from eating one after another.
"Take it slowly. You may choke."
"Lumabas ka na kaya ng kwarto ko, ako na ang magdadala ng plato sa kusina" ani Ara na yamot na yamot na sa presensya ng unang Archon.
"Ako na, You need a rest. Look at yourself, you look like a mess" said Zandro.
"I told you, stop being nice" Ara exclaimed and rolled her eyes at him.
"Stop that!! It's annoying. I don't want to see your eyes rolling at me", Zandro complained.
"I'm not like you, I'm not kind. That's part of me, so you can't take it away from me" Ara smirked at Zandro.
"Okay fine, we're even."
"Whatever-" Ara said, and then continued eating.
Zandro watched Ara while eating. He had only now noticed the beauty that was hidden in her cold face.
"Stop staring at me, naiilang ako" reklamo ni Ara.
"I'm not staring at you-"
"So saan ka nakatingin? Sa pagkain?. Gusto mo ba? Pwede naman kitang bigyan-" Ara scooped up some food "Here, taste it... It's good."
Although Zandro was uncomfortable, he opened his mouth and ate the food given by Ara. "Hmm, it's really good", he complimented the food.
They stared as their eyes met. Zandro almost choked on the strange feeling of the two of them staring at each other. "Y-yeah, I-it's really good. Finish your food so I can take it to the kitchen."
"Oh my god, this is so awkward" Ara comments on how she really felt then and continued to eat.
"You are deadly too honest" Zandro replied and laughed slightly.
"That's the part that kills me ... being straightforward" Ara replied.
- Writer
