Pagkagising na pagkagising ko palang kinaumagahan, wala na si Park Chanyeol sa tabi ko. Agad akong napabangon sa kama para hanapin siya. Last night when he saw me standing in front of the mirror, he almost half-dragged me back into the room after giving the mirror a glare. Napansin ba niya yung pagbabago sa mukha ko nang makita siya? Did he feel the difference in atmosphere, too? Nang may bigla akong marinig na ingay mula sa lounge area, pinilit kong tumayo at daliang hinila yung dextrose stand sa tabi ng kama. I walked out of my room to see Chanyeol pulling a white cloth off the couch.

"A-Anong ginagawa mo?" nag-aalala kong tanong.

"I'm taking it away from you," mariin na sabi ni Chanyeol sabay talukbong ng puting tela sa salamin. "Ever since dumating itong regalo ni Amber, you've been so weird, Baekhyun." Akmang tatanggalin na sana ni Chanyeol yung salamin sa dingding nang lapitan ko siya. Because of the sudden movement, nahila yung dextrose na nakasabit sa stand at nakakabit sa kamay ko kaya agad akong napasinghap sa sakit. "Baek! What are you—" nilapitan niya ako, nakakunot noong tumitingin sakin.

"Please don't," bulong ko saka siya hinawakan sa magkabilang pisngi, my eyes begging. "Amber... She gave that to me, right? I just miss my sister, Chanyeol..." malungkot kong sabi bago siya tuluyang niyakap ng mahigpit. Anong ginagawa ko? I know the mirror is cursed. What am I doing? Bakit hindi ko pa pinipigilan si Chanyeol na ilayo sakin yung salamin?

For some reason, I feel like my mind is clouded. Even my judgement, too. Parang may boses sa isip ko na pilit akong kino-control, sinasabi yung mga bagay na ayokong sabihin, ginagawa yung mga bagay na ayokong gawin. It's surreal. And I can't explain it.

Bumuntong hininga si Chanyeol at naramdaman ko yung pagyakap niya sa bewang ko. "You were talking to it last night," mahina niyang sabi. "Anong gusto mong isipin ko?"

"I'm okay," niyakap ko siya ng mas mahigpit. "I'm fine, Park Chanyeol. Wala kang dapat ipag-alala. I swear." Dahan-dahan akong kumawala sa yakap upang tignan siya ng maigi mata. Nang magtama ang mga paningin namin, medyo nanlaki yung mga mata ni Chanyeol saka ibinaba ang tingin sa pisngi ko. Naramdaman ko yung daliri niyang pinunasan yung mga luhang hindi ko namalayang dumating na pala. Why am I crying again?

Chanyeol suddenly looks so worried I could feel my heart breaking. "You aren't okay," he whispered saka ako hinawakan ng marahan sa pisngi. "I'm sorry, Byun Baekhyun, but I promised you I will take care of you, right?"

Napakunot noo ako. "What do you—"

"You're not seeing that mirror again."

Pero bago pa ako maka-angal, isang katok sa pinto ang naging dahilan para dahan-dahang bitawan ako ni Chanyeol. Before he went to open the door, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and another apologetic smile. I gritted my teeth together and felt my breath starting to fasten. I want to feel mad. Gustong kong saktan si Chanyeol at itulak siya palayo sakin. Pero bago pa mangyari yun, Park Chanyeol threw me a glance and gave another warm, assuring smile. And for some reason, that corrupting, angry thought in my brain eventually dissipated.

What was I thinking?

Pinanood ko siyang kausapin yung nurse sa may pintuan. She looks young, but I have never seen her before. Alam kaya niya yung nangyayari sakin ngayon? Does she have any clue kung anong pinagdadaanan namin? I gave out a sigh and decided to just go back to my room. I have to trust Chanyeol and my friends. Dahil kung hindi ko sila pagkakatiwalaan, I'll end up having no one else.

Walang anu-ano'y parang may ibang boses na tumatawag sakin mula sa gawing kaliwa ko. I stand still and felt my whole body freeze. I can't move. I didn't want to move.

The mirror.

It's calling me again.

I bit my lip and tried not to look at it. Kahit pa nakatakip na ito ng tela, pakiramdam ko, nakatingin ito sa akin. Pakiramdam ko, sinusubukan niya parin akong abutin. Gusto kong isigaw ang pangalan ni Chanyeol pero hind ko magawa. May hawak na siyang envelop ngayon at nakakunot noong binabasa lahat ng nakasulat sa papel na nasa loob nun. Sinubukan kong huminga ng maayos kahit pa para akong sinasakal ng pakiramdam ko ngayon. I tried to breathe through my mouth and concentrated, not on the mirror and its force, but on Park Chanyeol. Sakanya lang. Soon, habang patagal nang patagal na hindi ko tinitignan yung salamin, para bang unti-unting nawawala yung cloudness sa utak ko. I felt like I'm slowly gaining control over myself again.

'Tulong.'

Napasinghap ako. Kilala ko yung boses na yun.

'Tulungan mo ako, Byun Baekhyun.'

I almost turned to look at the mirror pero pinigilan ko yung sarili ko. That voice. I've heard it before in one of my dreams. And just like before, it's trying to pull me in again. Kinuyom ko ang aking mga daliri at pinikit yung mga mata ko. Yung boses. It belongs to that girl from an era so long ago. Siya yung babae sa salamin. Yung pinilit na hilain ako papunta sakanya. She's in pain and she wants nothing else but to finally be free. She was begging me to take her place. It should either be me... or the queen.

"Baekhyun," tawag ni Chanyeol at agad kong binuksan yung mga mata ko. He's walking towards me cautiously habang nakatingin siya sa mga papel na hawak niya. Meron siyang nag-aalalang expression sa mukha. "The results..." he paused, totally confused now. "T-They're—"

I swallowed the heavy lump in my throat. "They're all negative?" mahina kong hula pero alam ko na ang sagot. I'm not sick. No doctor or treatment could ever cure me. Bakit ba ngayon ko lang narealize lahat ng 'to? Bakit kailangan ko pang makita yung salamin ulit para mapagtanto na right now, all I know is that I'm cursed. And this curse aims to kill me.

Parang pagod na napaupo si Park Chanyeol sa couch at marahas na binato yung mga papel sa mesa. Nasa may pintuan parin yung babaeng nurse, malungkot na nakatingin sa aming dalawa. I caught her gaze and she shyly looked down. Nang marealize niyang medyo seryoso na yung eksena sa harap niya, medyo nahihiya siyang umiwas ng tingin at tinuro yung kwarto ko. "I'll go check your meds, sir," nakangiti niyang sabi bago naglakad papasok sa kwarto.

Nang wala na yung nurse, agad naman akong lumapit kay Chanyeol at umupo sa tabi niya. He has his face buried in his palms and by the looks of it, he's trying to hard not to cry. "Hey," I whispered and reached up to brush his hair gently before taking one of his hands, pressing it against my cheek. "Ikaw na rin nagsabi diba?" Pinilit kong ngumiti. "Everything's going to be okay."

Gusto ko rin maniwala sa sinabi ko. I need to be okay.

Park Chanyeol slowly looked at me with fear in his eyes. "I don't want to lose you," he blurted out. "I can't lose you, Byun Baekhyun. It will kill me." At sa pagkakataon na yun, nakikita ko sa mga mata niya kung gaano siya natatakot sa pwedeng mangyari; kung gaano siya nag-aalala. Pero higit sa lahat, nakikita ko kung gaano niya ako minahal at minamahal parin hanggang ngayon. He never gave up on me even when I gave up on myself already. How did I even deserve this kind of love?

"You won't," I smiled and felt the tears run down my face. "You will not lose me, Park Chan. I promise."

Chanyeol stared at my face for a few more moments, studying me and somehow trying to get a hold of the strength I'm trying to give him. Hindi siya bumitaw sa aming dalawa at ganun din ang gagawin ko. He's been my safe haven all this time and right now, I need him to rely on me, too.

Just when Chanyeol's leaning down for a kiss, the young nurse from a while ago started shouting words I don't understand as she runs out of the room, making Chanyeol and I pull away from each other in surprise. Napatayo kami nang takot siyang lumabas mula sa kwarto, hawak yung mga bote ng gamot ko.

"Nurse?" Takot ko siyang tinignan. Namumuti yung mukha niya sa takot and she can't even look at us properly. Nanginginig siya at mukhang maiiyak na rin. Ano bang nangyayari?

"It's all wrong!" The nurse shrieked. Nabitawan niya yung mga medicine bottles at nabasag pa ang ilan sa sahig. "He shouldn't be taking these medicines!"

"What?" galit na singhap ni Chanyeol. "Nurse Ann, are you saying you were giving my boyfriend the wrong meds ever since—"

Pero napatigil ako sa sinabi niya. "Wait," I grabbed his arm tightly. "Nurse Ann?" pag-uulit ko sa binanggit na pangalan ni Chanyeol.

Tinignan ako ni Chanyeol ng ilang segundo lang. Galit na galit yung mga mata niya. "Yes—" he tried to say calmly. "She's your nurse ever since we came here, Baek. And by the looks of it," he stared daggers at the nurse, "She's a very incompetent one."

"No!" Napatayo ako at takot na tumingin doon sa batang nurse na mukhang hindi parin makapaniwala na iba yung gamot na iniinom ko. "Isang matandang babae si Nurse Ann, Chanyeol. S-She was the one taking care of me! Madalas siyang nandito and we even shared stories when nobody's around or when you're asleep—" hinawakan ko si Chanyeol sa magkabilang balikat para mapatingin siya sakin. "R-Remember when you were pretending that you're asleep a-and Nurse Ann asked if you're my boyfriend—"

"Yeah— Baek—" nakakunot noo siya. "It was Nurse Ann," tinuro niya yung dalagang nurse. "It was her!"

"Hindi nga!" Naiiyak kong sabi. "I swear, Park Chanyeol! Nurse Ann was an old woman! She was the one giving me these—" I gasped, my fingers flying to my lips. The medicines. The mirror. The heavy atmosphere I felt when we first came here and she knocked on the door. Hindi nga kay Amber galing yung salamin. I looked at Chanyeol with pure horror and held unto his arm tighter. "It was Queen Belle."

Immediately, Chanyeol's eyes went wide. "We have to get out of here," tinuro niya yung bedroom. "Get all the necessary things. I'll inform the guards." Dalian siyang tumakbo palabas ng hospital room pero bago pa ako makapunta sa bedroom, the main door shut with a loud bang. I gasped in surprise and instantly heard Chanyeol slamming his fist on the door from outside. "Baekhyun!" he shouts. "Byun Baekhyun!"

"No..." I trembled with fear. Gusto kong sumigaw pero sa hindi maipaliwanag na dahilan, hindi ko magawa. I just stood there and fearfully looked around.

Maya-maya pa, biglang nag iba ang ihip ng hangin sa loob ng hospital room. The air started to turn cold and angry, blowing past our hair and skin until it feels like we were in the center of a tornado. Sa sobrang lakas ng hangin, nagliparan yung mga papel na nasa mesa at mga iba pang bagay sa loob ng kwarto. I held onto the couch for support and I suddenly felt the dextrose stand fall down on me, forcefully hitting me on the forehead. I was dizzy for a second and felt blood dripping down the side of my face. Sobrang gulo na nang buong kwarto and I can barely make sense of everything. The whirlwind is blurring my view. Nang sinubukan kong tumayo ulit, naramdaman ko si Nurse Ann— yung totoong Nurse Ann— na lumapit sa akin.

"Sir! We need to go!" sigaw niya at mabilis na tinanggal yung IV line na nakakabit sa akin. Kahit pa nahihirapan, inalalayan niya ako papunta sa pinto at hindi ako binitawan. We tried the doorknob at pinihit ito ng sobrang lakas. Pero kahit anong gawin namin, hindi namin ito mabuksan. Naririnig ko pa ang sigaw ni Chanyeol sa labas, calling my name as he tried to open the door. We also heard bullet shots. But the door seems to suddenly turn into an impenetrable one.

What is happening?

Suddenly, I heard Nurse Ann gasp loudly. Tinignan ko siya at napansing hindi na siya sakin o sa pinto nakatingin. Tumigil na rin siya sa pagsubok na buksan yung pinto. I followed her gaze and realized that she's staring off at the wall— where a golden mirror is starting to emit a greenish glow.