How Lucifer Fell From Heaven

02 - Ruler Of Hell

"I saved you."

* * * * *

Zion doesn't know where to look anymore, his eyes roaming about the foods that were being served in front of him. Nagugutom na siya. Ngayon niya lang na-realize ng magwala na ang mga Dragon niya sa tiyan matapos maamoy ang halimuyak ng mga pagkaing karamihan ay 'di niya alam kung anong tawag, he just knew they will all fit perfectly inside his stomach. But he strained himself from doing so, nakakahiya naman kasi sa lalaking kaharap niya.

Speaking of. He lifted his eyes and peaked through his thick lashes. The tall guy's sitting there in all the perfect ways possible. Nakapangalumbaba ito sa kaliwang armrest samantalang ang kanang kamay naman ay naka patong sa ibabaw ng tuhod niyang naka cross leg pa. The guy, whoever he is, is starring at Zion for nearly 10 minutes now. Pakiramdam tuloy ni Zion ay pinag pa-planuhan na siya nitong patayin sa isip. Who knows?

'Di kaya papatayin niya talaga ako? Zion's eyes widen with what he thought, much more when he looked at the foods again. 'Di kaya papakainin siya nito ng marami bago patayin? Gano'n ang ginagawa sa mga baboy di'ba? Papatabain bago katayin. O baka naman gusto siyang lasunin ng lalaki? He needed to get away, run. Kaliligtas niya lang sa mga goons na 'yon, ito naman ang papatay sa kaniya? 'Ni hindi nga ito kilala ni Zion!

Surely, he'll remember if he has robbed him before. That face is one to remember. At mayaman din ito, kung hindi ba naman sapat na pruweba itong bahay niya na sa sobrang laki ay 'ni hindi pa nakita ni Zion ang labas magmula no'ng may sumundo sa kanya sa kwarto. He can still remember how many turns they made through those pristine white corridors makapunta lang dito. He's never seen a single window.

Lalong kinabahan si Zion ng maisip ang lugar. Paano kung na'sa malayong lugar na pala siya? Paano siya tatakas kung sakali? Saan siya pupunta? 'E paano ba naman kasi siya napad-pad sa lugar na 'to umpisa palang.

Maybe the guy did want to kill him kaya siya nandito. Sa laki niyang 'yon? Baka isang pitik lang kay Zion, tatalsik na siya.

Zion's not small, in fact, he's really tall compared to the others. His 5 foot 11 height packed with lean muscles from his all day work were no joke. Zion's not small, malaki lang talaga ang lalaki.

At kung hindi man ito ang bubugbog kay Zion, ang dami nitong tauhan para gumawa no'n.

Paano na siya tatakas?

"What are you thinking?"

Zion almost jump from his seat after hearing that voice. It was a deep baritone, with an accent to die for. Salubong ang kilay nitong nakatingin kay Zion.

"Huh?"

"You were making weird faces." Itinuro nito si Zion sa mukha. "You're pouting, frowning, then your eyes goes wide and you bit your lower lip. What were you thinking?"

It took Zion some time before finally understanding his words. Medyo gets niya naman ang lalaki, may ginagawa raw siyang kung ano sa mukha niya, but frowning? Zion doesn't know that word. He did know a bit of English from his previous school, pero 3rd year high school lang kasi ang natapos niya, pasang awa pa. It is not just the lack of money and the need to work, talagang tamad lang mag aral si Zion.

May available na namang trabaho, bakit mag aaral pa? Sayang sa oras. That's his thoughts, or rather, what people planted in his mind.

Naiinis si Zion dahil ini-English siya ng lalaki 'e nasa Pilipinas sila. Pero naisip niya rin na baka foreigner ito, with that blonde hair and blue eyes, 'di malayo.

"Hey!" Tawag niya.

"Huh?" What was he saying again? Zion forgot.

"Don't you have anything to say aside from 'huh'?"

Zion glared. Alangan namang sabihin niyang iniisip niya kung paano tatakas?

"W-wala." Yumuko nalang ulit siya para 'di na nito makita ang mukha niya. "Wala 'kong iniisip."

"Leave us." The guy said.

Zion glanced up, akala niya kasi siya na ang pinapaalis ng lalaki, pero nakita niyang nagsiyukuan 'yong ibang taong nandoon bago nagsi-alisan. Zion watched in awe how these people neatly lined up and left, nasa 30 rin siguro sila at para silang langgam na magkakasunod na lumabas.

Zion's attention was back to the guy when he faked a cough.

"You're Zion Herrera, right?"

He nodded slowly. "Pa'no mo nalaman?"

"I know lots of things." The guy started eating. "Eat, you must be starving."

Zion wondered what the guy's last words meant, he understood na sinabi nitong marami raw siyang alam at pinapakain na siya pero ano 'yong... starving? That's a bit foreign for him.

The guy paused and starred again. "Mas gusto mo ba kung magtagalog ako?"

Napayuko siya sa kahihiyan. Nahalata siguro ng lalaking 'di siya gets ni Zion, ang bagal kasing sumagot. Zion frowned, bakit naman siya mahihiya? Siya 'tong gustong kumausap kay Zion, siya ang mag-adjust. So he nodded.

"Okay, kumain ka na. May pag-uusapan tayo." Pag tatagalog muli ng lalaki. Zion wanted to laugh at the guy's accent, pero naalala niya nasa near death situation nga pala siya so he stopped himself.

Zion nodded one last time bago lantakan ang mga pagkain. He's really starving, tsaka na niya iisipin kung mamamatay siya. At least, namatay siyang busog. Zion didn't know half the foods, ang alam niya lang, masarap sila at lahat sila may lugar sa tiyan niya.

"You've got a big appetite." Tila namamanghang sabi ng kaharap. The guy can't hide the amusement swimming in his eyes though his face is stoic while looking at Zion eating like that.

Well, Zion didn't mind what he said, or he simply didn't care, or maybe he didn't understand what appetite is? Gutom kasi talaga siya at kakain siya hangga't kaya niya dahil malakas talaga siyang kumain.

Nang tumayo ang lalaki at sumenyas kay Zion na sundan siya matapos nilang kumain ay tsaka na bumalik ang kaba ni Zion. The guy must be going to kill Zion any minute now, kailangan na niyang humanap ng tatakbuhan.

But how? Sandamakmak na hallway ang linalakaran nila at pare-pareho ang itsura nila para kay Zion, feeling niya tuloy na'sa isang maze sila, maze runner ang datingan. Walang ni isang bintana, at puro pinto na kapareho ng nilabasan niyang kuwarto kanina.

He roamed his eyes while walking. Puti na puti parin from floor to ceiling, golden symetrical lines decorated the walls while small chandeliers lighted the halls. May iba't ibang paintings din ang nakasabit sa pader na halos kapareho ng mga nakikita niya sa simbahan. Religious siguro 'to. Zion thought while looking at a painting of an angel with broken wings.

They immediately stopped in front of the largest double doors Zion have seen, it towered over 20 ft. at sagad na hanggang ceiling. May dalawang mala-bouncer din sa laking mga lalaking naka costume ng armor ang nagbukas ng pinto para sa kanila, bahagya pa itong naka-bow ng magdaan sila. Sa loob naman ay namangha siya sa laki ng chandelier na gawa sa salamin, mas malaki at mas maganda 'to kumpara doon sa na'sa kwarto at sa kinainan nila kanina. May mga maliliit na angel at wings pang naka design.

The guy walked towards the throne in an elevated part of the room leaving Zion standing in the middle. The sleek black throne looks so big and comfy with all the white and gold satin and silk throw pillows and sheets. Zion's eyes focused on the sculpted thing above the back rest of the chair, it looks like an angel's wings spread wide with a black sword trusted in the middle with a golden crown seated in its handle.

When the guy sat on the throne, Zion wondered. Only kings have that thing, right? Pero wala namang Hari sa Pilipinas! How the heck? Maliban nalang kung wala na siya sa Pinas, mukha naman kasing foreigner itong lalaki. Pero paano naman siya nakarating sa ibang bansa? Zion was completely lost.

"Zion." The guy called, snapping Zion out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Ano? Bakit?"

The guy crossed his legs with his right hand on his knee and the other on the armrest, his long fingers tapping it lightly with his left brow shot up. "Anong huli mong natatandaan?"

Zion squirmed at the guy's intense stare. He shifted from foot to foot and tried thinking. Malinaw naman ang memorya niya at tandang tanda pa niya no'ng hinabol siya mula sa barangay nila hanggang gubat, naaalala rin niya ng binugbog at binaril siya, tapos...

Zion suddenly looked at the guy with a confused stare. "Ikaw. Binugbog nila ako, at babarilin na dapat ako. Bigla kang lumabas, saan ka nanggaling?"

Nagkibit balikat siya. "Ako ang huli mong natatandaan."

There's that look in the guy's eyes again, like he's s so amazed and excited. Ano bang tingin niya kay Zion? Endangered specie na exciting pag-aralan? That pissed Zion off.

"Anong nangyari?" Zion blurted.

Hindi kasi niya sure kung nag ha-hallucinate nalang ba siya no'ng nakita niyang huminto ang paligid, siguro pinasukan na ng tubig ang ulo niya no'ng nilulublob siya ng mga 'yon sa sapa, pwede ring naalog ang utak niya.

"I saved you."

Yeah right, he saved him. Very well proved since buhay pa si Zion at hindi pakalat kalat sa gubat ang katawan niya. Like that answered his questions.

"Paano?" Naguguluhang tanong niya. "At tsaka nasaan ba ako? Bakit ka may ganiyan?" He pointed the throne. "Bakit... bakit ang dami mong tauhan? Bakit may guard na naka costume sa labas?" Zion inched back, scared of something he did not know. "At ang alam ko marami akong sugat, nabugbog nga ako di'ba, nasaan na? Anong..." Zion's dark eyes starred deep into the guy's blue ones. "Ano ba talagang nangyayari?"

The guy stood and Zion backed away. But seconds after the guy was gone, like a bubble popped out.

"Calm down." Zion's breathing hitched when he heard that rough and husky voice in his ears, more so when he felt the guy's warm breath against his neck.

Zion was stone still, paano nakarating ang lalaki sa likuran niya? And most specially, what is this he's feeling? Like it happened before, like he heard that husky voice before, like he felt this way before. Anong nagyayari kay Zion?

"I heard your prayers, you begged for me, I answered your pleas." Hinimas ng lalaki ang balikat ni Zion na gaya kanina ay agad niyang ikinakalma. "You are in my realm, in my palace, in my throne room, because I am their ruler, I own every single thing in here." The guy's left palm traveled down Zion's left arm until it reached his hand, it completely enveloped Zion's hand with his. "Those guards have real armors, they aren't costumes." The guy has the softest touch, his hand's real huge and warm. "Your wounds are gone, I healed them." Pinadaan niya ang kanang kamay niya sa leeg ni Zion hanggang sa makarating 'yon sa kaliwang pisngi niya na bahagya niyang hinarap sa kaniya. "May gusto ka pang malaman?" He whispered lightly, his lips touching Zion's cheek. Zion forced his eyes closed, he can't help but feel good with the guy's touch.

"Sino ka?"

The guy nuzzles his cheek with his narrow nose while saying...

"I am Lucifer, Angel of Light, Son of God, Ruler of Hell."