SCIAS OF THE UNDERWORLD

NINE

"Bakit? Ano ba 'yon?" tanong niya kay Juno. But the latter has his eyes fixed on the road at tahimik lang ito habang nagmamaneho.

Maya-maya pa ay narinig niya itong nagbuntong-hininga. "I was overreacting, I'm sorry," saad nito. Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit ganoon nalang ang naging reaksyon ng pinsan nang makitang wala nang laman ang pendant ng kwintas. Hindi niya alam kung anong mayroon sa bagay na nasa loob ng pendant na iyon.

Nakatingin pa rin siya sa pinsan niya at mukhang napansin nito ang tingin niya. "It's not a big deal, Ally. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried, though. Ang ipinagtataka ko lang ay kung bakit ganoon ka makareact kanina."

Napabuntong-hininga lang si Juno and did not say anything.

Hating-gabi na nang makarating sila sa apartment. Agad siyang bumaba at kinuha ang mga bag na dala. Napatingin siya sa urn na nasa likod ng sasakyan. Juno saw her looking at it.

"I'll take care of this. Iuuwi ko sa bahay. She has to rest in peace, after all."

"I know," saad niya at napalingon sa pinsan nang may maalala siya. "By the way, where did you get all that money to get this necklace back?"

Natigilan si Juno saka napakamot sa ulo. "Sa totoo niyan, may trabaho na ako. And aside from that, lola left some money before. She said I might use it one day. And I think she got it right."

She puffed a breath. "Pure coincidence. Are you saying our grandma could see the future now?"

Juno shrugged. "I mean, she predicted about the gods. I have every reason to believe that the reason she left me with that money was to use it to get the necklace back."

"Yeah, sure."

"Nagtataka ako kung gaano kalakas ang paniniwala mong hindi sila totoo. After all, you've seen and experienced, you're still skeptical." Kinuha nito ang dalang bag at pumasok sa loob ng building.

"What happened...maybe it was too surreal na hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. I mean...sea monsters?" Nagpakawala siya ng pagak na tawa. "It was too much to process."

"Those sea monsters killed our grandma."

"Alam ko. Just...give me time."

Juno didn't say another thing hanggang sa makarating sila sa harap ng apartment niya. She thought going back to the city would erase the traces of that terrible night. Ngunit mas lalo lang iyong nagpaalala sa kanya.

She looked around her apartment. "Sa tingin mo ba, kung hindi ako bumalik doon mangyayari iyon kay lola?"

Juno was silent but then he said, "No. It wouldn't have happened to her. Not yet, at least. Kung hindi ka umuwi, you're just prolonging the inevitable. It was bound to happen anyway."

"How close is grandma to the...gods?"

"Our ancestors were very close to the gods that they cursed our family together with Scias."

"A curse, huh." She pondered upon it. Kung siya ang inaasahan ng lola niya na magpawala ng sumpa kay Scias, it would also be her curse. Mamatay ba siya kapag nagawa niya iyon? Or perhaps being this associated with the gods was a curse enough?

"Magpahinga ka na muna," Juno suggested and tumango lang siya.

"You should stay the night."

"Kukunin ko lang mga gamit ko sa sasakyan."

Juno left the room and she was left with her own thoughts. Hindi pa rin mawala sa sistema niya ang takot na naranasan niya noong gabing iyon. Isa iyon sa mga bagay na hinding-hindi niya makakalimutan. The looks on those monsters' faces... still haunts her in her dreams.

Bigla naman niyang naalala ang panaginip niya kanina. It was so vivid that it doesn't feel like a dream. Ramdam na ramdam pa niya ang takot na naramdaman niya sa panaginip na iyon. She couldn't help thinking that perhaps her dreams were warnings of what's about to come. Dahil bago siya inatake ng mga Glenrils, nanaginip siya noon. 

Nanindig ang balahibo niya habang iniisip iyon. Juno came back bringing their grandma's urn.

"Ayos ka lang ba?" Juno asked, pitting the urn on top of the table.

Napaupo siya sa sofa at napahinga nang malalim. "I...I had dreams," panimula niya.

Napatingin si Juno sa kanya. He turned to face her, telling her that she now has his full attention and telling her to continue talking.

She sighed. "I dreamed of this dark figure coming to get me," I started. His eyes narrowed.

That night, hindi siya nakatulog nang mahimbing as her mind kept wandering back to her dream and the whispers she heard. She told Juno all about it and the latter was just silent the whole time, listening to what she was saying. 

"It's you," saad nito pagkatapos niyang magkwento. She looked at him questioningly. 

"I am not certain to what that means but I need you to be more cautious than before," saad ng pinsan niya. She couldn't help but scoff.

"Even if I get a hundredfold cautious, ano naman laban ko sa mga nilalang na iyon, Juno? Do you expect me to swing a spear at them just like how you easily did?"

Hindi na niya mapigilag mainis, dala na rin ng takot. It's not easy to live while constantly looking behind your back. Some weird-ass creatures are going after her and want her dead. As if being just cautious is enough to stop that.

Gusto niyang sisihin ang lola niya o hindi kaya ay si Juno. Kung sinanay lang sana siya nito noon kung paano lumaban gamit ang sandata ay hindi siya masyadong natatakot ngayon. But then again she realized, kasalanan niya lahat. She don't believe gods exists.

Narinig niya si Juno na napabuntong-hininga. "Isa lang ang sigurado ako, Ally," he said. "That dark figure you saw in your dreams might be Scias."

"That's very reassuring," sarkastisko niyang tugon.

But Juno wasn't fazed and just went on, "But he will not hurt you. I am certain of that. He needs you to break the curse. He needs you alive."

"As if that would ease my fear," she mumbled and slumped on the sofa. Nakatingin lang si Juno sa kanya, particularly on the necklace she was wearing na kinuha nila kanina sa sanglaan.

"There won't be monsters going after you for now. Makakatulog ka na nang mahimbing. But it's only a matter of time."

Hindi na niya pinansin si Juno at nagpunta nalang ng kusina. She doesn't want to think about it at the moment. Dumadagdag lang iyon sa mga bagay na iisipin niya. And besides, now that the monsters have stopped attacking, she couldn't help but feel assured. She knows it'll only be a matter of time but she doesn't want to think about it yet. Kung mamamatay siya, so be it. Nawawalan na siya ng pakialam sa bagay na iyon. She doesn't want to entertain her fears dahil lumalaki lang ito. And that is the last thing she would want to happen.

Kaya naman nagluto nalang siya ng makakain nila. Juno was silent the whole meal. When they were about to sleep, he announced he would be staying in her apartment for a certain period of time and she allowed it.

"Paano ang pag-aaral mo?" tanong niya rito. Nag-aaral kasi ito sa lungsod nila.

"Magtatransfer ako sa paaralan mo. I have to be next to you at all times."

"Hearing you say that makes me think that monsters will attack me anytime."

"I know they wouldn't. At least, for now. But we can't be too sure."

"Alam mo, hindi ko alam kung kinocomfort mo ako o tinatakot."

Napatingin naman si Juno sa kanya. "I was just stating possibilities. Mas mabuti nang handa tayo."

"And your job?"

"Haven't I told you before na online ang trabaho ko?"

"No, you didn't. And speaking of work, kailangan kong maghanap ng trabaho bukas," she said bago kumuha ng unan at kumot para ibigay sa pinsan niya.

"I have decided," Juno started and looked at her. "We should move out. Kailangan natin ng dalawang kwarto. I can't sleep on the couch forever."

Napakunot ang noo niya. "Ano? Anong ibig mong sabihin. You said you're just going to stay temporarily here."

Umiling ang pinsan niya. "I have decided na share nalang tayo. Nakakatipid pa tayo sa gastusin. Ayaw mo 'yon? Kokonti lang gagastusin mo kasi may kahati ka na sa bahay." Ngumisi ito sa gawi niya.

She crossed her arms. "And who told you to decide things like that on your own?"

Napakamot nalang ito sa ulo. Napabuntong-hininga nalang siya. "Fine. I'll leave it to you. Ikaw na maghanap. Iyong malapit lang sa school para less hassle. Ayoko magcommute."

Ngumisi naman ito sa gawi niya.

"Paano yung bahay ni lola sa probinsya? Ibenenta mo ba 'yon?" tanong niya at agad naman umiling-iling si Juno sa paratang niya.

"I would never! Naalala mo 'yong isang pinsan natin na nasa ibang bansa? She said she'll be settling for good here. I will tell her grandma's house is available and they can live there. I'm sure it would also be what grandma wanted."

Napaisip naman siya. Hindi niya alam kung sinong pinsan ang tinutukoy ni Juno but she didn't dig any further. Tumango nalang siya at naglakad papunta sa kanyang kwarto. Mag-aalas tres na nang madaling araw at hindi na siya makatulog. She was staring at the ceiling, thinking about the things that has happened so far.

At napagtanto niyang kaya hindi siya makatulog ay dahil sa takot at hindi dahil sa hindi siya inaantok. She's scared something might attack again or her dreams will show up again. But then when sleep came to her, the dreams didn't come.

Kaya naman kinabukasan, umalingawngaw ang mura niya sa buong apartment nang magising siya ng alas dose ng tanghaling tapat.

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