The Spirit Martial

Spirit 52

Nagising ako dahil biglang sumakit ang likoran ko. Bumangon ako at naabotan ko si Kailani na nakatitig sa akin. He looked confused and happy at the same time- hindi ko rin lubos masabi kung ano ang nararamdaman niya talaga.

“What?” I asked.

“I can’t believe you suddenly jumped out at linigtas ako, are you trying to kill yourself?” reklamo niya.

“What?! Ano bang gusto mong gawin ko? Tingnan kang mamatay?!” reklamo ko naman.

“I’m not gonna die, I can handle that!” reklamo niya ulit.

“Really? You looked like you were dying, dumbass!” reklamo ko naman.

“Ugh! Ewan ko sayo. You could’ve just grabbed me using your vines!” he shouted.

“You’re too far, okay?! And I’m faster than my vines!” reklamo ko naman.

“Whatever!” sigaw niya. “And also, what the hell happened back there? Did you what? Absorbed the electric current?!” reklamo niya.

“Hindi ko nga alam hindi ba?! HINDI KO ALAM!” sigaw ko at tumayo na ako ng tuloyan kaya tumayo na rin siya.

“Paanong hindi eh katawan mo yan!” reklamo niya.

“Oh come on Kailani! Hindi ko nga alam na tatay ko ang Spirit Martial and what? Do you expect me to know what’s inside me?! Ikaw nga itong naka-alam na nandito sa loob ko ang piraso ng kaluluwa ng ama ko eh!” reklamo ko.

His fist started flaming and I summoned two vines behind me. We were about to attack each other kaso napatigil kami kasing biglang bumukas ang pinto. It was Nieve, he was smiling-that smile again. We slowly stepped back and our magic vanished on its own.

“You too are having so much fun, huh,” he said at isa-isa niya kaming tiningnan habang nakangiti pa rin. “Do you mind if I join?” he asked and opened his palm where a sword made of ice appeared. “Natutulog lang ako ng mahimbing sa kabilang kwarto pero mukhang masaya kayo dito eh, pwede naman akong sumali, hindi ba Prince Kailani?” he asked and the sword was getting longer kaya napaupo ako sa higaan. This is the worst.

“Nieve! Come bac-” Kali called at napatigil siya ng makita si Nieve. He was about to go back to his room but he stopped when another sword appeared in front of him.

“Do you wanna join us, Prince Kali?” he asked. Nieve, stop smiling like that. I’m about to wet myself. You’re too scary.

“N-No,” Kali answered.

“Then why the hell are you shouting in the hallways? You think we’re in the castle?” he asked at kitang-ktia ko ang lalim ng lunok ni Kali. I wanted to laugh pero baka ako ang titingnan ni Nieve kaya umiwas ako ng tingin habang pinipigilan ang tawa ko.

“N-N-No, w-well, u-u-um, I-I-I was l-looking f-f-for … you?” utal-utal na sagot ni Kali kaya tinakpan ko na talaga ang bibig ko sa pagtawa.

“I am here,” Nieve replied. “So you wanna join right?” he asked at tiningnan ko ulit si Kali na namumutla.

I glanced at Kailani and he pointed at the window. Anong ibig niyang sabihin?

“Follow me,” he whispered at nabigla na lang ako nang tumakbo siya papunta sa bintana at tumalon siya kaya nasira ito. I froze at napatingin ako kay Nieve na agad napatingin sa direction ng bintana at sumunod sa akin. His smile was getting warmer-which means we’re, no, I’m in grave danger.

“N-N-N-N-Nieve, I-I-I-” di ko matapos na salita nang bigla na lang siyang naglakad papunta sa akin.

He’s damn scary. Hindi na ako nag dalawang isip tumayo at sumunod sa pagtalon. I landed on the ground and I saw Kailani at the roof sa kabilang inn. Hindi na ako lumingon at tumalon doon. We both ran away at hindi kami lumingon muli. I’m sure we’ll be dead by tomorrow dahil sa ginawa namin. Pasensya ka na Kali, pasensya ka na talaga.

We ran for like a couple of minutes at naisipan naming tumigil sa bridge kung saan kami unang nagkita. He sat down on the ground while looking up as he grasped for air while I sat down on the top of the railings kasi mas malakas ang hangin dito.

“K-Kailani …here,” I called and tapped the railings.

He slowly stood up by grabbing the railings to support his body. He forced himself to climb up at umupo siya sa harap ko.

“T-Thank goodness we’re fine. I really thought we’ll freeze there. Nakalimotan ko talaga na tulog pala si Nieve.” he said at napahinga ng malalim.

“Nieve might be the kindest but he’s also the scariest. That smile he gave us? Pag nakikita ko iyon, parang nakikita ko na rin ang langit- ewan ko ba,” sabi ko at tumawa siya.

“Totoo, he’s more like a royalty compared to me actually,” he joked and chuckled.

“Compared to us,” I corrected and we both laughed as we stared at the moon.

We stayed silent for a couple of minutes at rinamdam ang hangin at ang liwanag na binigay ng buwan. It was also like this when we first met. He was standing here and I was looking at him. The next thing we did here was the opposite, I was the one standing here while he was the one who was looking at me from the bottom but now? I glanced at him while he was closing his eyes to feel the fresh breeze. But now, it hits different. We’re no both on the top of the railings. Just how fast the night changes huh?

“Hey,” I called and he opened his eyes at napatingin siya sa akin. He is really beautiful.

“Hmm?” he replied.

“Sorry about earlier,” I apologized at ngumiti siya.

“It’s fine. Sorry rin. I was just frustrated because you did that,” he said and he looked down and he started swinging his feet. “I was frustrated that I could lose my partner,” he added and I smiled.

“I was being reckless. I just wanna save you, you saved me a couple of times,” sabi ko at tumingin rin ako sa ibaba. Ngayon ko lang na-realize, mataas pala ang bridge na ito. If someone will fall, that someone will surely die.

“Saved you a couple of times huh?” he said and he chuckled kaya agad akong napatingin sa kanya. Is it funny? Did I say something funny?

“Y-Yeah, a lot of times. From that dragon, you even went there alone to finish our treasure hunt. Also, that A Class Demon, basta maraming beses na. Ngayon lang ata kita naligtas,” I replied and he glanced at me. What’s wrong? Why is he looking at me like that? “Kailani, what’s wrong?” I asked at umiwas siya ng tingin.

“Remember when I stopped you from jumping here?” he asked.

“Chill, I don’t have plans about that, sinabi ko na sayo iyon pero ikaw …you had plans, didn’t you?” I asked. He did mention something like this pero hindi ako nagtanong so I think this is the perfect opportunity to ask him about it.

Hindi siya sumagot at tumingin sa itaas. He looked at the moon like this before too but something is a bit different now. He looked …happy.

“I did not protect you, Cygnus. Lahat ng sinabi mo, hindi ko naman iyon ginawa para protektahan ka. I did it for myself.” he said and he chuckled. “I’m kind of selfish you know,” he said at kumunot ang noo ko. I don’t understand. “I wanted to die. I really wanted to die but not in mainland. I wanted to die where no one knows me. I wanted to die peacefully. Back then when you saw me, I was actually thinking hard if I should jump or not,” he added.

“Kailani,” I whispered in a sad tone.

“I don’t want anyone to see me so I had to activate my magic where in nobody sees me unless I find someone like you pero hindi ko naman maisip na may katulad mo dito.” he jokingly said and started swinging his feet again. If he doesn’t wanna jump, sana hindi niya tinago ang sarili niya. He really wanted to die back then. Thinking about his situation? It’s really hard for him.

“Buti na lang pala nakita kita,” sabi ko. When I saw him and his reaction, it was my biggest regret pero ngayon? It’s a blessing- I’m lucky I met him. He did not only change my boring life but he saved me from the lies beneath this life.

“Yes, I think it’s good?” he said with hesitation at tumingin sa akin. “You saved me. You grabbed me away from my dark thoughts and hindi ko alam kung paano ako magpapasalamat,” he added at ngumiti siya. “Kaya ayaw kong mawala ka. You might think that I saved you but no, I’m trying to save myself, Cygnus. You’re my safety pin,” he added at napahigpit ang hawak ko sa railings. Safety pin?

“Still, liniligtas mo pa rin ako ,” sagot ko.

“Well if you think about that, it’s actually like that but my main goal isn’t really to save you. Gusto lang kitang iligtas kasi gusto ko rin na maligtas ako. You know I’d choose you over me,” he replied.

“Tapos ano? Iiwan mo ako sa ere if something bad happens to you?” I asked. Hindi siya umimik at tumingin lang sa ibaba.

“I don’t wanna see you die, Cygnus. I can’t take it.” he added and he stopped swinging his feet. “It’s like watching myself drowning,” he added.

“I won’t die that easily, Kailani so chill,” sabi ko and I tapped his shoulder at tumango siya sabay tawa ng konti.

“I know you won’t,” he replied.

A strong breeze suddenly brushed among us kaya napatingin kami sa harap. The sky was getting brighter already. It’s dawn? Did we woke up around 3AM at naabutan na kami ng 4AM dito? Kaya pala galit si Nieve.

“Sunrise huh,” he said at napatingin ako sa kanya.

His eyes widened and I can tell that he was amazed.

“Don’t tell me ngayon ka lang nakakita ng sunrise?” I asked at tumawa siya.

“Masama ba kapag sinabi kong ngayon lang talaga? I’m a night person so basically, buwan lang ang nakikita ko,” he replied. How lame.

“Do you love moon that much?!” I exclaimed. “The sun is much better, not to mention na may makukuha ka pang vitamins,” I added at tumawa siya.

“It’s not like I love the moon, it’s just I’m comfortable watching it because the moon is all I have,” he replied. “Isa pa, I always think that I’m like the moon- you know, just some random circle stuck in the darkness,”

“Kailani,” I called at tumingin siya sa akin.

The moon started to fade and the sun rays hit our faces.

“You have me,” I added and his eyes widened. The perfect timing of the sun rays as I responded was giving me chills. He thought about how the moon was with him and now that I’m telling him I’m here, the sun showed up. It’s like a coincidence but I feel like I’m introducing myself again but not as his stranger, this time I’m introducing myself as a partner. 

“Thanks for that Cygnus,” he said and he smiled. “You can stay in the light along with the sun,” he said at tumayo siya bigla and he started stretching out his arms.

Tumayo rin ako at bababa na sana siya pero pinigilan ko siya.

“Kailani,” I called. “I told you I’m not gonna abandon you kahit nasaan ka. If you want the darkness so bad that I’ll be with you. I will become the single light beside you. I will become your star, Kailani.” I added and a strong wind hit us once again.

Lumapit ako sa kanya at hinawakan ang mukha niya. I feel like kissing him.

“Even if the world is agains you, Kailani- you will always have me. I promise,” I added and I bit my lower lip. I wanna kiss him so bad.

Hindi siya nagsalita and I stepped two steps forward habang hawak pa rin ang mukha niya. You own me Kailani, I’m always yours.

I touched his lips using my thumb and he was surprised. Hindi ko na siya pinasagot and I decided to lean forward. Half of the sun was up so it was brighter. Under those sun rays, we were at the bridge with our lips being sealed on each other.

I don’t wanna lose you too, Kailani.