End Game

Chapter 10 - Take My Hand

CLAUDE'S parents had always believed in something as intangible as love. But not him. Ni minsan ay hindi siya naniwala sa ganoong bagay. And he had his fair share of reasons why. Hindi siya naniwalang kaya niyang makaramdam ng isang napakalakas na emosyon sa ibang nilalang, tao man o hindi.

Claude originally thought that all this time, it was just lust taking over the Vampires which they wrapped in a fancy word called "love". That's why he had never really paid much attention to it.

Until tonight.

Until he felt every single part of his body wanting to pull Isabella to him. It felt so overwhelming trying to control his self. And it was exactly as the Sire said.

Wala sanang malaking problema kung nagkataon na isa ding bampira si Isabella o miyembro ng Red Veil, mga mortal na aware sa existence ng mga tulad niya. But a human as his Keeper?

"You're a monster! Get away from me!"

Those words from some of the humans Claude had helped in the past were the next thing that crossed his mind. Paminsan-minsan ay parang sirang plakang naririnig niya pa rin ang sigaw ng mga ito sa kanyang isipan. He grimaced upon the memory.

Hell...

Sa dinami-rami naman ng mga nilalang sa mundo, bakit isang mortal pa ang naging Keeper niya? Why did it have to be Isabella? Ayaw niyang ma-involve ang dalaga sa magulong mundo niya. He had helped her before so she could get out of the darkness and not to drag her back in.

Claude went to the edge of the helipad and opened his arms to feel more of the night breeze. Pero nang hindi niya pa rin magawang kumalma, ipinikit niya ang mga mata at patalon na sana para pansamantalang i-distract ang sarili nang muli niyang malanghap ang pamilyar na mabangong dugo na iyon.

Hindi nagtagal ay narinig niya ang boses ni Isabella.

"Please stop! Kasalanan 'yan sa Diyos! 'Wag mong gawin 'yan! Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng pinagdaraanan mo pero nandito ako. Ano man 'yan, pakikinggan kita. Promise. Just don't do that. Don't die. Life is too precious for you to end it this way."

In the middle of confusion, of all the crazy and nasty things going in and out of Claude's mind, he found himself smiling. When he looked down, he saw a bunch of cars running around the busy highway. Kung hindi lang dumating at nakialam ang babaeng mortal, siguradong nakatalon na siya nang walang nakakapansin sa kanya. A simple fall would not have killed him. Ni hindi iyon sapat para magalusan man lang ang kanyang katawan.

Nevertheless, Claude still turned towards his supposed to be "savior" and saw how relief flooded through her lovely face when she thought she had succeeded in distracting and saving him. Maingat na naglakad si Isabella palapit sa kanya at huminto nang halos dalawang hakbang na lang ang pagitan nila mula sa isa't isa. And then slowly, she reached out her little hand and flashed her most beautiful smile.

"Please take my hand, Claude."

And he did. It was hard not to succumb in those bright eyes. Nang mga sandaling iyon, pakiramdam niya ay kaya niyang ibigay ang lahat ng gustuhin ni Isabella. If she said she wanted to know all about the McNiall Empire's secrets, he had this stupid feeling that he would give in and tell her everything just so he could keep seeing those warm, bright eyes, just so he could get close to her like this.

Mahigpit na hinawakan ni Isabella ang kamay ni Claude na para bang natatakot itong bigla na lang magbago ang isip niya at muli niyang gustuhin na tumalon. Pinigilan niya ang amused na pagngiti para hindi ma-offend ang dalaga habang patuloy itong lumalayo sa edge ng helipad nang hawak pa rin ang kanyang kamay.

Isabella only stopped walking when she successfully managed to bring Claude far away from the edge. And in the most compassionate voice he had ever heard, she said, "Ano man ang gumugulo sa isip mo, you can tell me about it, Claude. I know how to keep a secret. I promise that whatever you tell me tonight will remain between us."

Itinaas pa ni Isabella ang kanang kamay na para nang nanunumpa. He chuckled. He never imagined that a human could look so adorable until he met her.

"I have nothing to tell, though."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." There was no way in hell that Claude would admit how badly he wanted to suck her blood or how much he wanted to take her to the nearest suite, pin her down, and mark her as his so that no one else would have her. Hindi pa siya nasisiraan ng ulo para aminin iyon.

"ls there something I can do to help you?" Isabella asked, her eyes were still full of needless worry.

"Thank you. That's so sweet of you, Isabella. But no, you won't be able to help me at all." That is, unless you give yourself to me.

"Siguro nga, tama ka. Hindi kita matutulungan sa problema mo. But maybe I can somehow lessen your burden," sinabi ni Isabella saka marahang kinuha ang isa niya pang kamay. "Please close your eyes for a moment."

"Why?"

"Let me pray for you. This is what my parents and I used to do together. It helps to clear my mind whenever I'm going through something."

So, the Anderson couple believed in God now? And they pray, too? Wow. That was amusing.

Claude played along. Pero nang ipinikit na ni Isabella ang mga mata nito, dumilat siya at pinagmasdan ang mukha ng dalaga habang taimtim itong nananalangin.

"Father, I pray that the person in front of me right now would learn to put his trust in You because You are the firm foundation of all. I pray that he casts his cares on You because I know that You will sustain him. I thank You for being the rock that he can lean on. I pray that he turns to You in his darkest moments because You are the only one who can bring him out of it. I know You can build him up so that he would be stronger than the negative thoughts that he battles with. Thank You, Lord. Amen."

There were so many "first times" happening that night for Claude. Iyon ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na bukod sa kanyang mga magulang ay may iba pang nagdasal para sa kanya. He could feel just how earnest and genuine Isabella was.

He had spent most of his life having everything in the palm of his hands that's why he had never learned to pray or to ask for anything although the Dame would constantly nag him about it every now and then.

Ang Dame ang nag-impluwensiya sa Sire na maniwala at manalig sa mga bagay na hindi nakikita o naririnig. That's why as impossible as it may sound since the Sire was the Night King, he also... prayed. And he prayed a lot with the Dame. Naniniwala ang mga ito na ano mang lakas o kapangyarihan ang meron sila, ang lahat ng iyon ay mula sa Diyos, na kaya sila biniyayaan ng ganoong mga kakayahan ay para makatulong sa iba.

When Isabella opened her eyes after praying, she held his cheeks with her warm hands and whispered, "God is good all the time, Claude. Soon, I know you will be all right."