Matias: The Forgotten Civilization

Danerie's "OKAY, TELL ME what unfolds before your eyes," it was a voice that came from the speaker which is from my Dad. Right now, I am inside a room painted in white and is sitting in a swivel chair. Apparatuses are over my head as I am at the moment performing the Level 9 Gathering. My dad labelled it as illusion inside an illusion inside an illusion—a triple layered illusion in short. Nakatayo naman 'di kalayuan sa akin ang isang mama na nasa kanyang 40's. I think he is Dad's friend named Dr. Whales. I reckon they are colleagues since the old man constantly comes here once in every three months. He also is sitting in a swivel chair and has the same set of apparatuses that I have. "I am inside a house. It's plain here. Nothing impressive, really," he answered to my Dad's question. Kahit na walang laman ang white room na 'to, pinaglalaruan siya ng mata niya at nakikita ang sarili na nasa loob ng isang bahay. This is because he is under my illusion. As per his reply, he thinks that this is just a creation illusion—a low level Gathering. Contrary to his assumptions, this is not as simple as that. My ability has progressed further than that and in fact, it can do better than that. He isn't aware of it yet, but he is actually inside a doll house. After a while, a message escaped from the speaker again, "Data recorded. Now try making your way to the door and open it." Walang pag-alinlangan at kaagad naman itong sinunod ni Dr. Whales. He is walking carefully in the middle of the white room and stupidly grabbed the air that appears to be a doorknob in his mind. This is so hilarious. If it weren't for the fact that Dad instructed me to be formal, I would be laughing at Dr. Whale's actions right now. "Impressive, Dr. Partreon. I didn't expect for sub-, oh yes, your son to progress this far," he exclaimed. Kasalukuyan siyang nakatingala at tuwang-tuwa sa kanyang nasaksihan. Inside the illusion, he had successfully opened the door of the doll house and is examining carefully his hands. He should have realized by now that he is a doll. Right before his eyes is a human who is staring at him and it did the very same thing to him—their gazes met. Being a doll in the illusion, the scenario is that Dr. Whales is an elf who is looking at a giant. "Enough of praises, Dr. Whales. Cite are your observations?" "A human… I see a human in front of me. I am actually classified as a doll in this illusion and presently I am inside a doll house," full of of amazement he mumbled. "Son, do the next step." Even though the voice that comes from the speaker sounds so casual, I know my Dad very well. I can feel my Dad's happiness that radiates in his tone. And with that simple command from my father, I made the human from the illusion grab the Dr. Whales who is in his doll form. Sinakmal siya ng napakalaking kamay ng tao at hinampas sa doll house nang buong lakas. Sa ilusyon, nadurog at nagkalasug-lasug ang katawan ni Dr. Whales. With that nightmare Dr. Whales came back into his senses. The old man is gasping for an air and it took him sometime before he finally gathered his composure back and then began clapping. "Impressive… Impressive… Impressive… Very well, done." For someone who hasn't witness first-hand how a three layered illusion works, I bet he is thinking na nakawala na siya sa ilusyon ko. But the show doesn't end yet, the prowerss of the Level 9 Gathering hasn't ended yet. As Dr. Whales looks' made its way to me, he was shocked and starts to make a panicked expression. "Partreon, your son is having an episode. Call for a medical team immediately!" Uligaga siya at mabilis na nagtungo sa aking kandungan. I was right. He isn't aware that he is still immersed in my illusion. It is a three layered illusion. A person subject to this illusion will think that they have already get away from the two consecutive nightmare. Ang hindi nila alam, nasa loob pa sila ng isa pang ilusyon. Sa madaling sabi, kailangan ng isang tao na malagpasan ang tatlong magkakasunod na ilusyon para matagumpay na namakalaya sa abilidad ko. It takes a strong will and mind to conquer this level of gathering. "Son, dismiss the illusion already," instructed my father. And with that, I released Dr. Whales from his delusion. The old man is still in his panicked mode when the scene of me that is subject to danger slowly vanishes from his sight. At the same time, my true self which smiling at him is revealed. It took him a while to realize what was happening. After getting an idea of what did just took place, his face is filled with an amazed expression. "Unbelievable! Did he manage to master the 9th Level Gathering? Already?" Seryosong nakatingin sa akin si Dr. Whales at lumapit nang dahan-dahan. Punong-punong pa rin ng pagkamangha ang kanyang mukha. Too bad, he is unaware that I have already mastered this Gathering two years ago. Contrarily, my dad advised me to never divulge the information of my advancement to this man. Ngayong araw lang ako binigyan ng permiso ni Dad na i-execute and Level 9 Gathering. Dad happens to be strange sometimes. Why doesn't he want his friend to know my progress? After Dr. Whales is done with examining my existence that is right before his eyes, he looks at the glass pane behind me. Dad happened to be on the other side of the room that is separated by a piece of glass. "Dr. Partreon, congratulations on raising a monster. It's just a matter of time before he will master the Level 10 Gathering." "You praise me too much," dad gave a chuckle after his reply. Lumabas na rin ng room si Dr. Whales at dinaluhan si Dad sa kabilang room. I carefully remove the things that are stuck in my forehead. I feel weary so I excused myself from Dad and Dr. Whales, "Dad, I'm resting upstairs. I need my rest to recover my strength." "Sure, son," he replied. I left them together as they are talking about things I don't understand. I fled from the laboratory and took the elevator. Masaya kong kinuha ang aking phone at nagtungo sa f*******: page ng aking pinakamamahal na Valerie. Nag-la-live nga siya pero nakakadismaya nang makitang ilang minuto nalang magda-dalawang oras na ang live niya. Unfortunately, she is only allowed to go live for two hours a day. Maybe, this is her last game. "Last skill at you slain slain an enemy hero!" Her voice never changes. It sounds demure and sweet—napakasarap sa tainga. Maliban sa maganda niyang boses, napakasarap rin titigan ng maamo niyang mukha. I will never get tired of looking at this girl's face. "It's me, Valerie. Walang makakatakas sa akin!" 'In love', these two words are not enough to describe how genuine my affection is for Valerie. Everything she does is a scene worth taking account and everything she says is a melody to my ears—I find comfort in her. All the weariness that I feel from that session with Dad and Dr. Whales, I feel like it's starting to dissipate and leave my body. I am so immersed with Valerie that I forgot that I have been inside the elevator for a while. It took me a while to came into my senses that I didn't press the button to proceed to the top floor. I was about to bring fingers to the button when I saw the switch to the 2nd floor of the basement. Kasalukuyan akong nasa first floor ng basement. This is where I am limited to go. This is also where my Dad does his job as well. I have been asking him what lies under the last floor but he always find ways to avoid the question. Sa halip, mahigpit ang bilin niyang 'wag na 'wag akong magtangka na bumaba roon. Of course, I don't want to pry in Dad's business so I don't go down there. But there is this curiosity inside of me that wonders what lies down there. "Victory, Vabebies! Well, ano pa bang in-e-expect niyo sa isang Valerie," Valerie's voice is what saved me from being drowned into my own thoughts. I pressed the button to top floor immediately while Valerie is thanking her sponsors and management as she prepares to end her live. Too bad, I am only able to watch her for only a few minutes. To compensate for my guild, I sent her a thousand of stars. "Oh my, ErieJace111. Thank you so much sa isang libong stars. I miss you, Sir ErieJace. I was worried akala ko hindi ka na magpaparamdam today. Why are late today? Mag-eend na ako ng live!" she chuckled after saying those words. Kulang ang salitang kilig para ilarawan ang nararamdaman ko ngayon. My stomach is filled with butterflies. In a regular basis, I send Valerie a thousand stars everytime she goes live. And she would sweetly utter her gratitude to me everytime. Sa ilang beses na nagpapasalamat siya sa akin, walang beses na hindi ako kinilig at napapangiti. "Thank you again, ErieJace111 at sa lahat ng mga nag-send ng stars. This is a big help to me. And lastly, before natin i-off ang live natin. Gusto ko lang mag-thank you sa Van's Toy Shop sa invitation for a raid sa Lunes! Kaya naman mga taga-QC diyan, prepare to welcome me. Baka magpa-fan signing event din ako." She gave her flying kiss and finally turned off her live. Ilang minuto rin akong lutang bago ko ma-realize kung ano ang nangyayari. Did she just said Quezon City? My dear Valerie is actually planing to visit Quezon City? For real? I brought myself to the Google Map and searched for Van's Toy Shop. It is true, the shop is just located at Quezon City. Dalawang estasyon lang ng tren mula sa amin! When the door of the elevator opened, I ran to my room while jumping out of happiness! The day that I have been anticipating all my life has finally arrived. The happiest day of my life is about to come in 7 days! It's only a week before I get the chance to meet Valerie! I cannot wait for that moment. "SON, YOU ARE definitely doing good. Your gathering is doing better these days," said my Dad after I successfully made him succumb under the three layered illusion. This time, my Dad is the one receiving my ability. For the course of three days, he is consistent in telling me that my progress has gotten better. Ano pa bang aasahan niya sa isang inspired na Danerie Jace. Sa loob din ng tatlong araw ay hindi mapawi-pawi ang mga ngiti sa aking labi. Valerie is the only person who can make me go crazy like this. "Now, I want you to attempt the Level 10 Gathering. Can you do it for me, son." He is looking at me with his eyes filled with hope. Dad named the Level 10 Gathering as Despair. The mechanics of this gathering is that it allows me to see through someone's biggest fear at the same time I have the ability to make those fear materialize right before the person's eyes—I can make someone be haunted by what fears them the most. "Dad, can we do it in another day? I don't really feel like doing Despair. It drains the energy out of me," I refused. This specific level of gathering exhausts me very much to the point of passing out. Minsan pa nga nawawalan ako ng malay in the middle of performing the gathering. "Last time, we are almost close to completion, son. Please do better for your Dad." He pulled his chair closer to mine, held my hand, and looked at me with his eyes pleading. I can't help but let out a sigh before nodding. May kinuha naman si Dad sa pakete niyang lalagyan ng gamot at kumuha ng dalawang piraso sabay salpak sa lalamunan niya. "I'm all set. Bring it on." Without a second thought, my left eye starts gathering all the light around me. I can feel my eye heating up and glowing. At the same time, the white room is slowly being consumed by the darkness. In a couple of seconds, three-fourths of the room is already eaten by the void. Sa kasamaang palad, nararamdaman kong humihina na ang pagkalat ng kadiliman sa silid. It turns out that I am about to reach my limit—I really can't complete this level of gathering. I am speculating of revoking my ability when I thought of something clever. What if I happen to accomplish this Gathering? A chance of me going into Valerie's raid should be possible. I haven't asked for Dad's permission yet since I'm afraid that he would refuse. I'm looking for the right opportunity to ask. However, my Dad is not in his good mood these days. Then, might as well create that good mood and that should be the right time to bribe my Dad. Wala akong sinayang na oras at mas pinuwersa pa ang pag-gather ng liwanag sa kaliwang mata ko. I need to get this Gathering done. I let out a scream and pushed my concentration and gathering past its limit. For you Valerie, nothing is impossible. I will make this gathering a success for you. My effort did not fail me as I can feel the darkness starts to consume the room again. In the same manner, I can see myself turning into a woman. A woman whose face is that of a corpse. She looks so skinny and is pale. By any chance, is my Dad afraid of ghost and darkness? I wonder. Those are the things that occurred into my mind before my consciousness turned black. "WHAT HAPPENED? DID i seriously pass out for four hours?" I curiously inquired to my dad. When I woke up, I happened to be in my room already. The moment I looked up on the wall clock it is already time for dinner. Thus, I led my myself to the kitchen and fortunately saw my dad eating already. May bagong record na naman ako sa pagkawalan ko ng malay. Ang naaalala ko, dalawang oras ang pinakamatagal na nawalan ako ng malay at 'yon din 'yong sinubukan kong i-attempt ang Level 10 Gathering. "Yes, son. You did great! You successfully completed the Level 10 Gathering!" the rhythm of his voice and his facial expression tells how delighted he is right now. Mukhang tagumpay ang plano kong pagandahin ang mood ni Dad. Kasalukuyan kong nginunguya ang aking pagkain habang si Dad naman ay busy sa panonood ng balita sa kanyang tablet. Dad is really fond to the news. He never misses a day watching the news. His day would never be complete if he isn't updated with the recent happenings of the country. "Huli ang kriminal na si Dean Ruñueta matapos itong mamataan sa bagong tayong plaza ng Montreal. Ayon sa mga saksi, nag-propose pa ang kriminal sa kanyang boyfriend bago ito makilala ng mga pulis at nadakip," said the reporter. I saw Dad smile right after that certain report. He seems happy knowing that the cops has successfully subjugated a criminal. "For real, Das. No jokes… I completed the Level 10 Gathering?" I interrupted Dad from watching. I badly want to know the details. I really am surprised at its finest. So it was a successful session? All I happen to remember was that, I transformed into a half-dead woman and the room turning into a void. It seems that I successfully manifested into dad's greatest fears: ghosts and darkness. "It cost you to pass out, but who cares? It was worth it." Dad was so proud looking at me. It made me happy that he is happy. Pero bakit parang nagmukhang mas matimbang sa loob niya ang matagumay kong pag-execute sa Despair kaysa sa nawalan ako ng malay dahil sa pag-perform ng Level 10 Gathering. He also didn't ask me if I am doing good. Nonetheless, I disregard my thought as it is normal for a Dad to be proud of their son's achievements. Now that the first part of my plan which is setting a good mood for Dad, I decided to exploit the opportunity. The next portion of the plan which is asking for permission begins now. "Dad, can I go outside this coming Monday?" panimula ko. Mabilis pa sa kidlat na napawi ang saya sa mukha niya at tiningnan ako nang maiigi at sinabing, "This is not a joke?" I am never the type of person to pull out jokes though. "Definitely not!" He let out a sign before looking at me full of sincerity. "Son, you are a Matia. You know that right? You, going outside is simply asking for death. The moment you accidentally use your ability, you are a dead man. You should know that." I am very aware of my existence, of course. I am a Matia whose existence is a threat to the authorities. Uligaga ang nakakataas sa paghahanap sa akin at sa mga kalahi ko upang patayin kami. With that information, I cannot let them recognize who am I, else my life ends. "Dad, hear me out, first," I talked my way to him calmly. "Okay. What is this all about?" "You know Valerie, right." "And that is?" Tumatanda na 'ata siya at nagiging makakalimutin na. I always include Valerie in my chatters whenever we get the chance to do some quality time. How can he forget? "The streamer I fancy so hard! Come on, Dad," ani ko. "Oh, right," tugon naman niya sabay kamot ng ulo at tila may naalala. "That girl your mouth keeps on talking about. Now I remember. What about it?" "She's doing a raid in a Toy Shop here in Quezon City!" masigla kong hayag. "Oh, really. And I'm guessing you want to attend?" "Absolutely, please! I successfully did the Level 10 Gathering, right?" "Uhuh, so that was the reason for all your smiles these days," he was grinning when he looked at me. "What about it? Being able to meet the love of your life for the first time is something you should be happy about." "And how are you sure I'm going to permit you?" he exclaimed. I was about to utter my rebellion when he gestured his hand telling me to halt from speaking. "Okay, permission granted. Under the conditions that you are going to always wear your contact lens, keep me updated, and never use your powers? Are we clear?"