Matias: The Forgotten Civilization

Chapter 6

Danerie's

Now that the lighttrackers of the cops are glowing in crimson red, they are in much more vigilant state. They are so keen in observing the crowd, at the same time they are trying to neglect the panicking crowd. Ngunit nang lumalala ang pagsisigawan at pagkakagulo ng karamihan sa mga pasahero ay napilitan ang iilan sa mga cops na alalayan ang nagulantang na mga tao—epektibo ang naisip kong taktika. Medyo nahati ko ngayon ang atensyon ng nga cops. Not totally, but this should be a good start for my plan.

"Huminahon ang lahat!" sigaw ng isang cop ngunit hindi natinag ang mga tao sa komosyon na kagagawan nila.

Ilang mga salita pa ang binitawan ng lider ng cops at sinusubukan niya talagang paamuhin ang madla. He even resorted to threatening the people that if they fail to calm themselves, the cops will resort to violence. But in the end, his persuasion failed since the panic of the crowd cannot be controlled with mere words now. They are left with no choice but to aid the hysterical crowd. Now that the majority of the cops are busy in attending the passengers, this makes Presence Fooler available for me given it won't be taxing.

The mechanics of the Level 3 Gathering, Presence Fooler, is that the more people that are looking at my direction, the more energy it will cost me. Kung ayaw mo maubos agad ang enerhiya mo, gagamitin mo lang ang Presence Fooler kapag walang masyadong tao na nakatingin sa direksiyon mo. That's why I efficiently use Panic first in order for the attention of the cops to split up. Now, I am sure that there will only be a few cops who will pay notice to at our direction.

Wasting no time, I looked down and ordered again the gathering of light in my left eye for the second time. The moment the gathering is activated, I immediately held Valerie's hands. In my Matia perspective, hindi ko nakikita si Valerie at hindi ko rin nakikita ang katawan ko. Tiyak na hangin na rin kami sa paningin ng mga cops. Slowly but surely, we bypass every policemen that we see. Maingat na sinundan ni Valerie ang bawat hakbang na ginagawa ko habang pinipigilan namin na guma ng ingay.

After a careful maneuver, the escape was successful. We are almost near the entrance of the train station. That was a tough flight. Pero hindi ko pa rin itinigil ang paggamit ng Presence Fooler. Mahirap na at may biglang mangyari na hindi inaasagan. I have a spare of energy left for this given I efficiently used my gift. I can't help but applaud myself for being able to strategize about using the combination of Panic and Presence Fooler. I give Valerie a smile as we reached the entrance of the trains station.

"I though talaga na-" I immediately covered Valerie's mouth with my hands.

Ang senaryo sa harapan ko ang pumawi sa ngiting nabuo sa aking labi. It seems like it is too early to celebrate our victory. Ang bumungad sa paningin ko ay napakadaming cops ang nakaposisyon sa entrance ng istasyon ngayon. May barrier pa na nakaharang upang pigilan ang pagpasok ng maraming tao. I think they are planning to ride the train, but these cops are stopping them. Kaya naman pala nakapagtataka na walang pasaherong sumalubong sa 'min na pasakay ng tren. Todo sigaw ngayon ang mga tao na pasakayin na sila't may pupuntahan pa ang mga ito.

"Tang-ina niyo! Ang tagal naman ng inspeksyon na 'yan. Nanganganak na asawa ko ngayon, dapat nand'on ako pagkasilang ng sanggol!" sigaw ng isa.

"Make sure niyo ha na 'di aandar 'yang tren ha. Irereklamo namin kayo sa LTO kapag naiwan us!"

"Everywhere nalang kayo nagsusulputan. Tang-inang 'yan. Dami niyong ganap sa buhay, mga 'te! May awra pa kami"

I am glad that I was able to stop Valerie from speaking and was able to hide her behind the walls at the right time. Kung nahuli lang ako ng kahit na isang segundo sa pagpigil kay Valerie, tiyak na masasalubong namin ang tingin nila. Marami pa namang mga matang nakaabang sa labasan ng istasyon ng tren, tiyak ko na mahahagip nila ang presensiya namin ni Valerie. I just deactivated Presence Fooler which means we are visible in their eyes. If they happen to see us capable of exiting while they are denied of entrance, that would make them cry because of the injustice that they have experience. And then the attention of the police will be passed down to us.

Ngayon, kailangan kong mag-isip kung ano ang magiging susunod kong hakbang. I definitely cannot use Presence Fooler without a distraction. As what I said earlier, the crowd's attention is at the entrance of the station. Kapag ginamit ko ang Presence Fooler, gaya ng sabi ko kanina, sa dinami-dami ba naman na matang nakatingin sa bungad ng istasyon, kapag lalabas kami ni Valerie, imposibleng 'di mahagip ng tingin nila ang direksyon namin. Ubos agad ang enerhiya ko kapag nagkataon. Either I will be weakened or pass out, the end game is the same—I will be a burden to Valerie and we will end up being caught.

"I trust in you, Erie," she said and hugged me.

Erie… Erie… did she just create a nickname for me? I didn't see that coming. For the longest time, I have always wanted to be called by Erie. It's a nickname I want people to call me. It may sound shallow, but the only reason for me wanting to be addressed as Erie is because I like the way how it sounds—it is pleasant to the ears. However, given I have no friends and my Dad always call me by 'son', no one has ever called me by that nickname.

Just now, Valerie did call me by that nickname. Ito ang unang beses na matawag ako sa palayaw na Erie at si Valerie pa ang gumawa n'on. This is the first time that our paths crossed, so I'm sure I have told her nothing about this information about me. Valerie mentioning that nickname is a pure coincidence or it is that because our hearts are connected with one another? Mas lalo akong nahuhulog kay Valerie. Mas lalo kong gusto siyang protektahan.

Those words from Valerie have ignited something within me. May parang kung ano mang nagising sa akin. Ideas on how we can escape from this situation are suddenly filling in my head. It took me not so long before I have come up with a concrete plan on how to get out from this situation. It will cost me a lot of my energy, but I'm sure that it will be a success. This is the least risky plan. Valerie, this is for you. Your trust will not wasted. You have chosen the right man to put your trust.

Randam na ramdam ko ang pag-iinit ng kaliwang mata ko na siyang senyales na nag-ga-gathering ako. Though it is now glowing violently, I still didn't use it. Sa mata ni Valerie tiyak na nagliliwanag na nang matindi ang kaliwang mata ko. However, this is not enough—I need to gather more and more. It took me a minute before I am satisfied with the amount of light that I have accumulated.

Matalim kong tiningnan ang taas na bahagi ng gusali ng istayon at ipinaling doon lahat ng liwanag na naipon sa aking kaliwang mata. In my Matia vision, the upper part of the train station is being engulfed by fire—the ceiling, the wall, and the windows. It didn't take long for the people outside to notice that the upper portion of the building is being consumed a disaster. In an instant, screams are starting to fill the crowd outside.

"Sunog! Sunog! Sunog! Oh my God, Sunog!"

"What the f**k is happening! Quickly call an firetruck. Give me its number! Hurry up."

"Ohlala, sunog. Post ko nga 'to sa sss. Kailangan natin ng tulong!"

Sa kabilang banda, hindi naman talaga nasusunog ang building, niloloko lang sila ng ilusyon ko. This is the another diversion tactic that I have come up with given Panic is unavailable because of the range. If I am using Panic, the only people that are affected are those who are around me. It is also limited to a certain radius. To compensate for the lack of range, I have to use the Level 1 Gathering: Creation instead. Creation allows me to play the people's mind by making them believe the existence of something—in short I can create something.

Like every gathering, Creation has downside too. Since it is a low level gathering, it is ineffective on people who have a strong mental fortitude like the cops. It also takes too long to charge depending on the the scale of the creation and the amount of people whom I want to show my creation to. That's why I didn't use it on the escape earlier. Creation is effective right now, because most of the crowd are not in their right state of mind. Everyone is angry with the policemen and are in hurry—they are unstable in short.

Going back to the situation, I am certain right now that the attention of the crowd has already shifted into the top portion of the building. Given their stares are not in the entrance anymore, it should be safe for Valerie and I to use it. This gathering won't also last long, so we better hurry. I immediately grabbed Valerie's hand and used Presence Fooler once again. We then hurriedly proceed to escape the situation.

AT THIS MOMENT, we are hiding in an abandoned alley trying to hide from the surveillance of the police cars. Sa kayrami naming nakitang mga sasakyan ng cops na nagpapatrolya, tila ay may bigating kriminal na hinuhuli ang mga cops. Ang bilis din nilang nalaman na wala na kami ni Valerie sa train station kaya naman kinalat nila ang sakit sa ulong mga patrol car na ito. Lighttrackers are the reason for this and I am sure—that device is really a headache.

For the second time, it seems like that I have underestimated Dad's words about the cops' eagerness to capture a Matia. The scenario of the cops inside the train and outside the station, adding up the patrol that the police is doing right now are enough reasons for me to conclude how severe this matter is. Now, I have to create another plan again, but I am too exhausted.

"So… are you doing okay lang ba, Erie," Valerie looks worried as she said those words.

"Yes. I just need to take a little more rest before we can move. I need to recover my strength." I pulled out a confident smile.

"Okay," she replied. "Thank you for going this much na hassle para sa 'kin.

Although I am too drained right now, I cannot really blame Valerie and I won't blame her. Wala akong paki kahit ilang ulit pa akong mapagod nang ganito basta'y para kay Valerie. Her gratitude also gives me so much happiness. Of course, anything for you my Valerie. There's nothing I cannot do if it is according to your wish. I gave her a smile before I surrendered to my exhaustion.

Two hours did pass since Valerie and I are stuck in this alley. I also have recovered enough of my strength already. Sa kasamaang palad, wala akong alam na pagdadalhan kay Valerie ngayon, kaya naman ay sinusubukan kong mag-buy time para mag-isip kung anong gagawin. Taking her home with me is definitely not a choice given how active the cops are. Without a doubt, a lot of them would be stationed at checkpoints just like Valerie's situation earlier.

I am running out of choices right now—I literally cannot think of anything that I should do. Yes, I have the money to take her into an expensive hotel, however, I cannot risk her to be exposed. Valerie's name being well known across the country, for sure someone will be able to recognize her especially in an expensive hotel. Kapag nangyari 'yon kakalat ang impormasyon na 'yon sa social media at tiyak na ilang minuto lang kalat na rin ito sa mga cops.

I can only run to one person right now… my Dad. I am having doubts if I should call for him or not. Galit at masama pa rin ang loob ko sa kanya. Idagdag pa natin na tumakas lang ako right now. However, I don't really have much of a choice right now. My is dad is very capable. He should be able to think of something out of my situation right now. I immediately excused myself from Valerie as I don't want to reveal to her that I have no plans yet.

"Valerie, I will just call someone and I need you to stay here for me. Scream for my name whenever you see cops. Can you do that?" I asked.

"Okay." And with her reply, I walked to the deeper side of the alley.

The moment my phone is turned on, my notifications are flooded with a lot of missed calls and text messages from my Dad. He sure is worried and is angry with what I have done. But I won't be accountable for my actions because there was a prior agreement that happened and he didn't honor it. If there is only one thing that I should be guilty about, that is using my powers in the public.

I can't afford to keep Valerie in this alley any longer. I'm sure she ain't comfortable with the environment here. I also can not underestimate cops' ability right. I didn't remove in the equation the probability of them leving up their search and go for desperate measures such as including alleys in their raid. Shallowing my own pride, I made the initiative to call Dad. Taking into account that he is always in his tablet, he should be able to receive my call immediately. He didn't fail me though an answered the call after only one attempt.

"Danerie, where are you? How could you dare to disobey me?! Go home at once! You are making me worry!" the tone of his voice says how mad he is right now.

"Dad, I cannot. I'm here at Erming Garcia," sinimulan ko ang aking kuwento.

"What are you doing in that place? I thought your doing your meet up in Cubao?" he responded.

"Yeah." I am left with no choice but to give out a sigh.

"That's all you have to say? A "yeah"? I have watched the news and a lot of policemen are mobilized everywhere in in Quezon right now!" He is now shouting at this moment.

I gave him no answer. I am too guilty to find the courage and tell him personally that this commotion in Quezon City right now is caused by me. The reason for this news is my very existence. The silence lasted for how many minutes—it really is deafening. Dad is an intelligent man though, therefore he should already have a hint by now with what I am trying to imply with my silence. Sabihin mo na Dad, dahil hindi ko talaga magagawang sabihin 'yan gamit ang sarili kong mga bibig.

"Don't tell me…" he paused and I literally heard him sigh before continuing on what he is saying. "You caused this ruckus?"

"I'm with Valerie," I answered back.

My reply doesn't really make sense, but I call it an indirect way of admitting the usage of my power. At the same tims, what I am trying to do achieve is giving him a hint that the usage of my power is justifiable. Alam naman na niya ang pag-ibig ko kay Valerie. He knows how deeply in love I am with Valerie more than anything else. Of course, Valerie is enough reason for me to use my gift.

"Danerie… Don't tell me that you just used your powers…"

Another dead air occured. Dad must be disappointed with me right now. Well, I couldn't care less. Mas importante si Valerie sa akin. Kung kapalit ng paggamit ko ng kapangyarihan ko ay ang mapanatili kong ligtas si Valerie, gagamitin ko ito kahit ilang beses pa 'yan. I don't care what Dad says. He can keep on nagging at me for how long he wants. And I don't care if cops will come after me. They can keep coming and I will face them again and again. But I won't be tired of saving Valerie.

"What crossed into your mind to use your powers? Are you out of your mind? And you did it for a girl?" His shouts are accompanied by anger now.

"I did what I needed to do. Don't ever say the word "for a girl" again. She is not just a girl but my girl… my woman." Full of sincerity I uttered those words.

I cannot afford to let him ridicule Valerie. He is also trying to question my

"I have a villa in Annapolis. I'll send you the location right away. You go settle there while the situation has not calm down yet."

"WHAT ARE WE ginagawa here Erie. Sa inyo ba 'to?" Valerie asked filled with surprise.

We are standing in the gate of the villa where Dad told me to go. I am also amazed with how huge the place is. It wasn't even to my knowledge that we own such house. The space of this residence cannot.be compared to our house. 'Di hamak na mas malaki at mas engrande tingnan ang bahay na 'to. Now, I am questioning Dad's choice. Why chose to live in that house when we own something bigger? If I were chose between our current house and this one, I would definitely choose this.

"Yes? Why?" I said ang grabbed the key of the gate in my pocket.

After the call with Dad, he sent the address of the villa and asked for my location. He told me to wait for the item to be handed to me as he just booked a Lalamove driver to have the key delivered to my location. He really cannot go out personally as he have things that he needs to attend to. After the key arrived I immediately told Valerie that we should go to Annapolis, luckily she knew the way thus made our venture to be easier.

"Sure ka ba?" I answered her question by opening the lock of the gate.

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Oh. So that's it. Kaano-ano mo pala ang owner ng villa na 'to?"

"He is my Dad," I answered and gestured her to enter first.

"No way?!" Her eyes widened. I just gave him a smile as an answer. "For real? Sinasabi mo ba na you are a Partreon?"