Cyra Must Become a Villain

Chapter Thirteen

“Ano ibig sabihin ng test?” sabi ni Cyra.

This is the day before Tita Rosanna’s friend visits their place. Si Jaycee ay may dala-dalang sampung damit na nabili nito sa ukay at tinatantya kay Cyra kung alin ang babagay dito.

It was such a random question na napahinto saglit ang binata sa pag-alam kung paano nito naisip iyon. Tumingala ito at naghanap ng simpleng salita na sasapat sa lebel ng kaalaman ni Cyra.

Ngunit wala. Kaya naisip na lang nitong ipaalala gamit ang isang pelikulang napanood na nila.

“Naalala mo ‘yung Bad Genius?” sabi ni Jaycee. “’Yung may papel silang sinusulatan, ganoon iyon.”

Jaycee could have just translated the word in tagalog, but he knew Cyra wouldn’t still get it. So he hoped of making her visualize it, kahit pa hindi rin nito naintindihan iyong pelikulang napanood nila.

“Iyon ang ginawa nila kay Roymar?” tanong nito.

Ah, so doon niya pala nakuha ang tanong, sa nangyari sa kanyang kapatid.

“Maraming klase ng test,” paliwanag ni Jaycee. “Sa kaso ng kapatid ko, hindi lang iyon sa pagsagot sa papel.” Napakamot ito ng ulo. “Hindi ko rin masasabi kung ano talaga ang ginawa nila. But one thing’s for sure, they tortured him, they made him use his powers past his limits.”

“Para saan?”

“Sinabi ko na sa iyo ‘di ba? Dahil balak silang gamiting armas ng gobyerno.”

“Alam ko, narinig ko na iyon. Pero bakit? Bakit kailangang gawing armas ang mga tulad namin? Saan nila kami gagamitin?”

“May isa ka pa palang hindi nalalaman,” paliwanag ni Jaycee. Inilapag nito ang mga hawak na damit ni Cyra sa tabi. “Ang Pilipinas ang unang nagkaroon ng mga superhuman. Pilipinas lang din ang may pinakamaraming bilang ng kaso nito. At naisip ng Pangulo natin na pupwede nila kayong gamitin bilang source ng kapangyarihan, na kayo ang daan para tayo naman ang makapanakop ng ibang bansa.”

“Kalaban ang Pangulo?”

“You might say that from our perspective. But from his supporters, he’s doing a heroic thing.”

Lumayo ang tingin ni Cyra. It might be too much for her little brain but somehow she’s starting to understand everything.

“Why don’t we start training?” sabi ni Jaycee.

Tinitigan lang siya ni Cyra.

“Subukan mo ring aralin kung paano kontrolin iyang kapangyarihan mo,” anito. “At nang sa oras ng pangangailangan, magamit mo iyan nang wasto.”

“Paano? E wala ka namang kapangyarihan tulad ng akin?”

“Pwede ko pa rin namang subukang turuan ka. Iga-guide lang kita kung anong dapat gawin.”

Cyra wasn’t sure if it was possible. But from the hopeful smile Jaycee gives her, the mist of doubts in her head dispersed.

Inalalay siya ni Jaycee patayo. Inangat nito ang kanang braso niya patutok sa isang nakasabit na katawan ng patay na baboy.

“Anong dapat kong gawin?” sabi niya.

“Subukan mong itanim ang lamig mo sa loob ng puso nito.”

Humakbang siya papalapit ngunit hinarangan siya ni Jaycee bago pa makalapit.

“Bakit?” tanong niya.

“Mas maganda kung matutunan mong gawin ito nang malayuan.”

“Pero hindi ganoon gumagana ang kapangyarihan ko,” sabi niya. “Kailangan kong madama ‘yung init ng target ko.”

“E bakit minsan nagagawa mong tabunan ng yelo ang pinto mo nang malayuan?”

Hindi siya nakasagot. Gusto niyang sabihing ibang bagay naman iyon, saka nakakonekta pa rin naman ang pintuan niya sa pader ka nagagawang makalakbay ng lamig niya—pero alam niya sa sariling may punto rin ito.

Sinunod niya ang inuutos sa kanya nito. Itinutok niya ang kanyang kamay pakontrol sa katawan ng baboy.

“Isipin mong buhay ito, isipin mong tao ito na may balak saktan ka,” sabi ni Jaycee.

And she did it, literally. She imagined a giant boar, standing on two legs, na may hawak-hawak na palakol papatama sa kanya. And it was from this vivid imagination of hers that triggered the fear, that awakened her power.

The coldness she planted on this dead boar’s body grew so powerful that icicles as big as door bars spiked out of its every corner. Patay na nga ang baboy, pero parang pinatay pa itong muli.

“You did it!” sabi ni Jaycee.

Fear was Cyra’s first reaction. But upon seeing Jaycee’s proud face, she was able to change it. Isang malapad na ngiti ang namuo sa kanyang labi.

She tried doing it several times. Wala silang pakialam kahit pa sa mga pagmamay-aring baboy pa ni Tita Rosanna niya piniling gawin ang training. These are ice. Matutunaw pa rin naman ang mga ito.

One after another, the spikes grew even bigger. Hinihingal man sa kanyang ginagawa’y hindi maikakailang ito ang unang pagkakataon na napagtanto niyang siya’y malakas.

And this power was like a drug that made her high that moment.

Nilingon niya si Jaycee nang may kakaibang ngiti.

With her hands still cold and numb from the frenzy she made, hinakbang niya ang ilang metro sa pagitan nila ni Jaycee at ikinabit ang kanilang mga labi. Ang lamig ng kanyang katawan at ang init ng balat ni Jaycee ay tila ba nagdulot ng mahina ngunit madamang pagsabog. But it wasn’t something to be feared. Pumikit si Jaycee upang lalong damhin ang sandali.

There’s a certain hunger possessing Cyra. Madalas si Jaycee itong may hawak ng sandali at siya itong sumusunod lamang sa paggabay nito, ngunit sa pagkakataon ngayon, tila siya na itong may kontrol. Napadpad sa laylayan ng damit ni Jaycee ang kanyang mga kamay at hinila niya ito paangat, papahubad sa binata.

Jaycee didn’t know how to react. But he can’t deny that he liked this version of Cyra. There’s still this hint of innocence in her but was now reeking of a newfound desire. Naalala niyang pinangakuan niya ito na iparanas din dito ang ginawa niya noong paglasap sa katawan nito, nakaligtaan lang niyang gawin, at ngayong nakaipon na ito ng lakas ng loob at sapat na kumpyansa, kaysarap nitong pagmasdan sa pagkukusa nitong bigyan siya ng saya.

Cyra was fully aware of what she’s doing. Of the unbuttoning of his jeans, of pulling down the zippers, of feeling his hardness. For sure her old self would shy away from this, but she knew she wasn’t the same girl she was days ago. Compared to the training she underwent, this felt like the real test of power.

Jaycee’s naked body stood in front of her in full glory. She ran her fingers at every corner, every round edge of his flesh. Her face displayed a child-like smile doing this. And she had never been this happy. She’s like staring on a newly opened treasure chest, the golden coins inside blinding her.

She did the same thing Jaycee did to her days ago. She went under and came face-to-face with it, like meeting an old friend—except it wasn’t just her hand extending a hello, this time her mouth wanted to get to know it.

Taking him in felt like rain rescuing a drought town, its waters travelled onto her body, filling her with the long prayed-for moisture. She remembered the feel of the Earth as her tongue rolled to its roughness, its nerves thick like the roots of a tree. His groan made her look up and at first she thought she saw God himself, except it was just Jaycee’s pleasure-stricken face, glowing, golden, like the first sunshine in a long winter.

She slid her hands up on his bare stomach in a worshipping gesture. Jaycee’s masculinity towered over her—his tough figure, his strength mirroring from the flesh she’s taking. Even his flame tattoos felt alive, the crackle and sizzle of it, loud and clear.

For Cyra, there’s nothing more important than making Jaycee happy. Matagal na panahon na rin kasi siyang nababahala sa kawalang ideya kung paano masusuklian ang kabaitan ng kanyang tagapangalaga. Hindi naman kasi niya kayang alagaan ito e siya nga itong mas nangangailangan ng aruga. And she knows nothing else, except from the little crumbs of information she gets from watching movies from his phone.

Kaya nang makita niya kung gaano kaaliw si Jaycee sa kanyang ginagawa, hindi niya maitago ang saya sa kanyang mukha. Sa tuwing lalakas ang pag-ungol nito, lalo pang pinag-iigihan ni Cyra ang paglulon dito.

Jaycee let out another round of groan for they have reached it. Cyra closed her eyes as she received what she perceived as the strengthening of their ties. Tumayo siya at hinalikang muli si Jaycee, upang ipadama ang pagmamahal niya para rito.

Upang iparating na gagawin niya ang lahat para rito.