Fear the Reaper

Chapter 27: Neax's Goodbye to Seven

Neax

I waited for Seven to come back and visit me, but I never felt her presence ever again.

Billions of aeons passed by and I feel like I’m starting to become mad. Neither Death nor Seven tried to visit me. Did Seven find another female to love? Did her love for me go away? Is that why she stopped visiting me?

How about death? What happened to her?

I spent my whole life being in prison thinking what happened to them until I heard a familiar voice that is descending from up above.

“Greetings Neax. It’s been a while,” bati sa akin ni Death.

“Death,” sabi ko sa kanya.

“Who do you expect to come here? Seven?” tanong niya.

“She stops coming here,” sagot ko sa kanya as she started to command the live chain to free my body.

“As I expected,” sagot niya sa akin.

“What?What do you mean?” tanong ko sa kanya.

“She changed. After all the aeons I was locked up in a nether dimensional prison, she’s been hanging around with the new vampire Queen,” sagot niya sa akin. “Though I specifically told her to watch Axis Mundi while I’m sleeping,” sagot nito sa akin. “But she betrayed me. She led the enemy in my domain during my sleep. To make everything short, she’ll die,” seryosong sabi niya sa akin habang paakyat na kami sa hagdanan palabas ng kulungang iyon. “I’m not obligating you to kill her for me because I know you won’t and you can’t,” aniya.

“Wait what? You will kill her? Isn’t she your favourite creation?’” tanong ko sa kanya.

Is she serious about killing her?

“Yes,” walang gatol na sabi niya sa akin. “She thought I would never know what she had done? The reason she only has a limited knowledge about me is because I had the feeling that one day she’ll betray me. If it wasn't for Grim telling me everything, I wouldn’t know. The only flaw of her supposed innocence was that she failed to kill him and erased his memory. But even if she did erase his memory, there are things that she cannot do and that I am the only one who can. As I was the one who created everything in Axis Mundi. Every single reaper in my Domain has the same snake like the one I gave you. Seven doesn’t have any,” sabi niya.

“So you didn’t trust her from the beginning?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust her, I always believe in her but my instinct says the difference. So I didn't give her one of my snakes. I thought I'll regret it later but it turns out it gave me a chance to see the one you trusted most will be the one that will betray you in a most painful way," sagot niya sa akin.

"Is that why you never showed up after you put me here?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Yes," aniya.

Tumingin ako sa kanya. I can clearly see in her face that pain that she's probably hiding from anyone. Being betrayed is something you cannot fathom, especially if the one who betrayed you is the one you created from scratch. But still, I found myself unable to believe her. I want to see what really happened to Seven and why she didn't show herself to me ever again.

"Aren't you hungry?" tanong niya sa akin.

Noon ko lang naramdaman ang matinding gutom na matagal ko ng ininda.

"Well, do you have any tasty food that you prepared for me?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Actually, I have. And it's under us," aniyang nakangiti.

The kind smile she gives me is kind of sinister but I'm hungry anyway. I'll eat what she offers me as long as I'm satiated.

We then teleported down to the moon.

"And who's in here?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"Selene," sagot niya sa akin.

"Selene who?"

"Selene, the mother and the goddess of werewolves, the new generation beast that can shift into humans," sagot niya sa akin.

"Oh? Are there creatures like that?" tanong ko surprisingly.

Dati the werewolves I used to eat was a four legged huge furred overgrown dog.

"Yes. Even the vampires. They aren't afraid of daylight anymore nor shift into bats. They are like humans now," sagot niya.

"Cool," nakangising sagot ko. "Maybe they taste better than the first vampire, don't you think?" tanong ko sa kanya.

"I don't know. Vampires are out of my menu," sagot niya sa akin.

Napatawa ako. Of course, of course. Death is particular when it comes to her food.

"Death.."

"You can call me Nine," sabi niya.

"Nine?" tanong ko.

"Yeah. That's my new name. Not death or Jormungandr anymore. I prefer to be called Nine," sagot niya.

"Ohh that suits you then often being called death. You bring fear to whoever sees you," sagot ko sa kanya.

"It's like everyone can see me in my celestial form," sagot niya. "This body can't no longer hold me," aniya pa.

"Ha?" takang tanong ko. "What are you trying to say?"

"Everyday my power grew as I grew bigger and bigger. I need a stable body that will hold me me and my never stopping growth,” sagot niya sa akin.

“Do you plan on staying in Celestial form rather than a snake?” tanong ko sa kanya habang naglalakad kami kung saan. I don’t really know where the hell we are heading but she’s leading the way and I’m freaking hungry.

“Yes. Celestial form is more convenient than being a huge snake, don’t you think?”

“Well at least you’re not scarier in that form than being a huge freaking snake,” sagot ko sa kanya.

Maya-maya ay huminto kami sa isang pintuang bahay na yari sa mga bato.

“Is this the place?” tanong ko sa kanya.

Ngumisi siya sa akin.

“Go on. Dig in,” sagot nito sa akin.

“Cheru? Is that you?” tanong ng babaeng nakasuot ng puting bestida na abot sa sahig ang haba. May corona pa itong gawa sa halaman. And she smells so good.

Bigla tuloy akong naglaway lalo na noong narinig ko ang t***k ng kanyang puso ay ang masaganang dugong dumadaloy sa kanyang ugat.

Napatakim ako sa aking mga labi. She’s making my hunger unbearable. Napapikit ako at huminga ng malalim upang malasap ang napakabangong amoy nuito.

“What are you waiting for?” tanong sa akin ni Death, also known as Nine now.

“Who are you?” tanong ng babae sa amin.

“Uhm sorry to disappoint you sweety buy”, sagot ko sa kanya. Na bahagya pang napayuko. “You’re gonna die today,” sagot ko sa kanya ay walang anu-ano ay sinagpa ko ang kanyang lalamunan kasabay ng kanyang pagsigaw ay ang pagbulwak ng dugo sa kanyang bibig.

Ahh f*ck! This is amazing! Her blood tasted so sweet. So freakin’ sweeeettt. I gulp a large amount of her blood making her choke as I grip her hair and pull it down to gain more access to her neck. Her blood makes me feel hot as if my worth billions of aeons hunger will finally be aided today. I will consume her, all of her.

After sucking her dry, I started to rip some of her fresh flesh.

“Give me her right arm”, sabi sa akin ni Nine na noon ay nakatingin lang sa akin.

“What for,” tanong ko sa kanya. I don’t like sharing my food but since it’s death, I pull my food’s right hand ripping it from her shoulder socket and throw it at her which she catches and look at it. I saw her sinister smirk again but I didn’t mind it.

Walang anu-ano ay nakita kong ibinato niya ito sa isang particular na lugar.

“That’s waste,” sabi ko sa kanya.

“Don’t worry there are a lot of fish in the ocean. I have to send some message to her creature down there”, aniya sa akin.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nasa isip ni Nine ngunit nagkibit-balikat na lang ako. I prioritise my food more than anyone.

After eating and got my tummy fill, Nine and I went back to Axis Mundi kung saan nadatnan ko roon si Seven habang may kausap na isang reaper. Excited akong lumapit sa kanya at tinakpan ng aking magkabilang kamay ang kanyang mga mata habang ako ay sana likuran niya.

“Who's this?,” tanong niya.

“Guess who,” sagot ko sa kanya.

“N-Neax?” tanong niya na naninigurados kung ako ba talaga iyon.

Ngumiti ako at saka tinaggal ang aking kamay sa kanyang mga mata. Humarap siya sa akin at ngumiti siya. Ngiting parang kulang. Ngiting parang hindi siya masayang nakalabas na ako sa kulungan.

“You seems like you’re not happy seeing me,” sabi ko sa kanya na bahagyang natatampo.

“Death told me she’ll wake you up and yeah masaya akong bumalik ka uli, Neax,” nakangiting sagot niya.

Ngunit kulang. Kulang. She changed.

“Why didn’t you come with her?” bahagyang paring natatampo ang aking boses. She’s my girlfriend. Hindi ba dapat ay excited siya?

“I’ll leave you lovebirds here,” sabi ni Nine bago tinapik-tapik ang aking balikat. Bumaling ito kay Seven. “Show her room,” aniya at saka walang lingong-likod na umalis.

Lumapit ako kay Seven at niyakap siya ng mahigpit.

“I missed you,” bulong ko sa kanya kissing her on her cheek.

I missed her so much.

“Welcome home,” sabi niya sa akin at kumalas sa aking pagkakayakap.

“Aren’t you happy that I’m here?” tanong ko sa kanya cupping her face. Between me and her, mas matangkad ako sa kanya. In our relationship. And I’m the dominant.

I want to see her face so badly. I missed her so much.

“Nah it's not like that. Naninibago lang ako. Ang tagal mong nawala,” sagot niya sa akin. “Follow me to your room please,” aniya pa.

Wala akong imik na sumunod sa kanya. We need a private place to talk to. Maraming makakarinig kapag dito kami nag-usap. Dinala niya ako sa isang silid na nasa wing one hundred.

“Why here? Why not in our room?” tanong ko sa kanya.

“This is your room for now,” sagot niya sa akin. “I’m not used to having a roommate anymore. It’s been a long time,” aniya pa na akmang aalis na ngunit napigilan ko ang kanyang kanang braso.

“Do we have a problem? Why are you so cold now? Did you already find someone else?” tanong ko sa kanya. Hindi ko maipagkakailang nasasaktan ako sa pinapakita niya sa akin. Why is she treating me like she doesn’t care anymore?

“Nope. wala naman tayong problema. It’s just hindi na ako sanay na nandito ka. It’s been a billion years,” aniya pa bago niya tinanggal ang pagkakahawak ko sa kanyang braso. “Rest. and then we'll talk after,” sabi pa niya bago tuluyang lumabas ng silid na iyon.

Nanantili ako sa kinatatayuan ko kahit na kanina pa siyang umalis. Hindi ako naniniwala sa sinsabi ni Nine ngunit ngayong nasa harapan ko na ang lahat, daig ko pa ang nasampal. Seven changed.

There’s no time that I stopped chasing Seven. Nakikita iyon ni Nine ngunit hindi ito umiimik sa akin. All I can see is the pity in her eyes. Like she wanted to say that she already told me.

“Dude, hindi ko alam kung bulag ka ba o manhid. Can’t you see? Mukhang ayaw na sayo ni Seven,” sabi sa akin ni Azraela noong minsang sinundan namin ng palihim si Seven gaya ng utos sa amin ni Nine.

“No,” sagot ko sa kanya.

“Bulag ka ba? Tignan mo kung paano niya ang babaeng iyon,” aniya habang nakatingin kami sa bulawagan ng palasyo na kinaroroonan ni Seven. “Look how tender she stares at her. If that’s not love, I don’t know what it is,” aniya.

Overtime, natanggap ko na rin iyon. We parted ways even though it kills me inside.

Hindi ko magawang magalit kay Azraela. Totoo naman ang sinasabi niya. I can even see it. Ayaw ko lang aminin sa sarili ko na hindi na talaga sa akin si Seven. She even betrayed Nine. Para kanino? Para sa babaeng reyna ng mga bampira? f*ck she’s not even stronger than I am. But why? Ano ang special sa kanya? Is she worth it?

As I watched Nine brutally beating Seven to death, I felt like my heart had been cut into pieces. Lumapit ako sa kinaroroonan niya. Nine didn’t even use her power. It’s just a few punches and kicks. As I watch Nine leaving, hindi nakaligtas sa akin ang mga luhang umagos sa kanyang mga mata. Seven is her imperfect creation, her daughter figure.

Tumingin sa akin si Seven na nahihirapan na.

“Was it really worth it to side with the enemy and betray everyone you knew before them, Seven? Is it worth your life?” tanong ko sa kanya.

“I..I’m so-rry,” aniya ngunit tumalikod na ako at hindi ko ipinakita sa kanya ang aking pag-iyak.

I left her there to die at teleported back to Axis Mundi sakto naman na nasalo ko ang isang babaeng natumba. Like me. She has a snake tattoo.

“S-Sorry. I’m still learning how to walk,” nakangiting hinging paumanhin niya.

I don’t know but there’s something in her smile that touched my heart.