End Game

Chapter 6 - Worth the Wait

Seven years later…

“YOU have a meeting with the Clan at ten in the morning today, a lunch with the representatives from the Wolf Clan at twelve o’clock, and at two in the afternoon, you have-“

“That’s enough. You can tell me the rest of the details later,” putol ni Claude sa mga sasabihin pa sana ni Raven na kasalukuyang nagmamaneho. His head was beginning to throb again. Ilang metro na lang ang layo nila mula sa mansion ng mga Anderson nang sa wakas ay magawa niyang tapusing i-review at pirmahan ang mga dokumento na ibinigay ni Raven sa kanya noong nagdaang gabi. Matapos nitong i-park ang kotse ay nagmamadali na siyang bumaba.

Seeing Isabella before going to work early in the morning and after all his meetings late at night was his only break in his wearisome schedule.

“With all due respect, it has been seven years, Young Master. Pitong taon n’yo nang araw-gabing pinapagod ang sarili n’yo sa pagtatrabaho. You have also been competing with your cousins for the Night King position all for a woman without any assurance if she would ever open her eyes again. You even defied the Sire for her. The Dame is getting worried about you, Young Master. What if Lady Isabella never-“

Huminto si Claude sa paglalakad at nilingon si Raven na nakasunod sa kanya. Nang makita nito kung paano biglang naningkit ang kanyang mga mata, hindi na nito nagawa pang tapusin ang mga dapat na sasabihin. Agad na yumuko ito.

“Please forgive my insolence, Young Master. I was out of line.”

“I will never entertain ‘what ifs’, Raven. Kung gusto mo pang magtagal sa trabaho mo, ‘wag na ‘wag mo nang ipaparinig pa uli sa akin ang mga salitang ‘yan. As long as Isabella is breathing, there is hope,” ani Claude sa malamig na boses.

Hindi na nakaimik pa si Raven. Humugot siya ng marahas na hininga. Halos magkaedad lang sila ng kanyang assistant. Raven had been his right-hand man for more than twenty years now. Ilang beses na din nitong napatunayan na karapat-dapat ito sa kasalukuyang posisyon. Alam niyang gaya ng kanyang mga magulang, nag-aalala lang din si Raven para sa kanya. But there was really no need for them to be overly concerned. He was fine. And as long as Isabella was alive, he would continue to be fine.

“Raise your head, Raven, and look at me.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“You just want an assurance that Isabella is worth all these, right?” Nang salubungin ni Raven ang mga mata ni Claude, tinapik niya ito sa balikat. Pinilit niyang ngumiti. “Don’t worry, she is worth it. You know me. I choose who I spend time with. At magigising siya. Hindi ko lang alam kung kailan. Pero alam kong magigising siya. You know Isabella’s personality. She is a very talkative human. She still has so many stories she wanted me to hear, after all.” Sandaling nagliwanag ang kanyang anyo habang inaalala ang maamong mukha ng dalaga. “Isa pa, nakalimutan mo na ba? Seven years are nothing when you are an immortal.”

Reluctance was still visible in Raven’s eyes but he smiled back. Nilampasan na ni Claude ang assistant at dumeretso sa gate ng mansion. When the Anderson couple saw him, they instantly put their left hands on their right shoulders and bowed their heads as their way of showing respect.

“Greetings, Young Master.”

Tumango si Claude. Matagal niya nang kilala ang mag-asawa. Isabella’s adoptive parents were Vampires, too. They used to work for the Clan for almost a century until they retired three decades ago to live along with the humans.

“How was Isabella this morning? Any development?”

Rumehistro ang lungkot sa anyo ni Mrs. Anderson. “It was the same as yesterday, Young Master.”

Her answer was the same as yesterday, too. Alam niyang nagiging makulit na siya. Parati niyang naririnig ang ganoong sagot sa mag-asawa pero parati pa rin siyang nagtatanong. It’s just that a part of him was always hoping that the answer would be different today. The day that Isabella was supposed to die from the poison, Claude had no other choice but to turn her into a Vampire because he did not want to lose her. And since then, she had never opened her eyes again.

Ito na siguro ang karma niya. He had selfishly decided for Isabella’s life back then and did not give her the chance to refuse. That’s why since then, his life had never been the same again.

Sa mundong ginagalawan nila, ang mga bampira lang na may matataas na ranggo ang may kakayahan na gawing bampira ang isang mortal. Usually, the humans they turned would be awakened within twenty-four hours. But it turned out that Isabella had a different body constitution. Naging bampira ang dalaga, oo, pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin tapos ang transition process nito. And that was because she had not fed yet. He had been injecting her body with his own blood these past seven years but it was not that helpful.

Strange. Claude had the most powerful blood in their Clan. Kayang isalba ng isang patak ng dugo niya ang sino man, all creatures included. Vampires, Werewolves, Mages, Humans, name it. And yet, it failed to save the only woman he had ever wanted to save. A drop of his blood would have been enough to work wonders with others, but not on her. Nag-hire na din siya ng mga Mage para tulungan ang dalaga pero wala pa ring progress tungkol sa treatment na ginagawa ng mga ito.

Just like what Raven had told him, despite their best efforts, Isabella had shown no signs of waking up. He could always wait for her. Heck, he could do that and more for the rest of his eternal life. But there were still moments like today when waiting just becomes so frustrating. Nagtagis ang mga bagang ni Claude nang sumagi sa isip niya si Marcus Moran. Had he known that Marcus would do something like this, he would never have spared that scumbag from the beginning. He should have executed him along with his brother and friends when he caught them that fateful night. And maybe none of these would have happened.

Hindi niya na mabilang kung ilang beses niya nang ni-replay sa isip niya ang eksenang iyon. How he wished he did things differently. If only Marcus’ parents did not plead for him and swore to confine him in the facility until he reflected on his actions, that crazy bastard would have been dead a long time ago. He didn’t know where the heck Marcus got the courage to believe that he and his friends were non Rogues when they kept fooling and killing around. All of Marcus’ allies had been annihilated but that was not enough for him. That could never be enough for what they took from him.

Marahas na naipilig ni Claude ang ulo bago umakyat na sa ikatlong palapag ng mansion. Just like before, Martin and Paulina gave him some time to be with their daughter alone. Nang nasa tapat na siya ng pinto ng kuwarto ng dalaga, natagpuan niya ang sariling kumakatok uli sa pinto. He was hoping that this time, Isabella would open the door for him. He stood there like a fool and waited only to open it himself after a few minutes.

And there he saw his Isabella, she had gotten pale and thin now but she was still as lovely as before while lying on her bed. Naglakad siya palapit rito at naupo sa kama. Inabot niya ang palad nito at masuyong hinagkan.

“Can’t you show me a miracle today, Bella? Please wake up. I miss you so much that I think I’m about to go nuts any time soon.”