We live in a world built on promises constructed by liars - unknown

Leon's POV

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

Tinapunan ko lang ng tinging si Vie na nakahiga sa kama at nakatingin sa akin habang nagbibihis ako.

"You better stay here with the kids. Don't worry about me. Uuwi ako mamaya dito nang buong-buo." Sagot ko sa kanya at nilapitan ko tapos ay hinalikan ko siya sa labi.

She was kissing me like she didn't want to let go of me. She was was pulling me closer to her. Parang hindi lang namin katatapos ng isang matindihang laban sa kama.

Natatawa akong humiwalay sa kanya.

"Stop doing this. Baka hindi na ako humiwalay sa iyo at hindi ko na siputin ang fight." Marahan kong hinaplos ang pisngi niya tapos ay lumayo at nagpatuloy sa pagbibihis.

"Iyon nga ang gusto ko. Ayaw kong umalis ka dito. Ayaw kong lumaban ka pa kay Johnny." Kita ko na naman ang pag-aalala sa mukha niya.

"Vie, you know I have to do this. This is for you too. After this, after I win wala ng puwedeng magpahiwalay sa atin. Not Johnny. Not even your father. I am going to tell him that you are mine." Sagot ko sa kanya.

Halatang hindi siya kumbinsido sa sagot ko at naupo lang sa kama habang nanatiling nakabalot ang kumot sa katawan.

"I know something is going to happen tonight. I can feel it." Nag-aalalang sabi niya.

Ngumiti ako at naupo sa gilid ng kama. Kinuha ko ang kamay niya at hinalikan iyon.

"Nothing is going to happen. I told you many times. I know how dirty Johnny will fight tonight at nakahanda ako doon. Alam ko na ang mga gagawin niya. And don't worry. I have people who will be with me. Hindi ako mag-iisa doon. Hindi ako pababayaan ni Mr. Laxamana."

Hindi pa rin siya mapakali. Halatang-halata pa rin na may iniisip.

"Let me go with you. Please? We can drop the kids to your mom's house. Kahit ngayong gabi lang. I want to be with you tonight." Pangungulit pa rin niya.

"No. Stay here. Do that for me. Ayaw kong ma-distract dahil nandoon ka. Baka habang nasa cage ako sa iyo lang ako nakatingin at mas magkaroon pa ng chance si Johnny na bugbugin ako." Pinilit ko na lang magpatawa sa kanya. But she didn't laugh at my joke. Didn't smile just a little bit. Muli ay hinalikan ko siya sa labi. "Nothing is going to happen. I'll be here before midnight. And if I have cuts, bruises, I want you to take care of me then we will make love the whole night. And the following night, and so on. Until the day we grow old and die."

Napatitig lang sa akin si Vie at parang ina-absorb ang sinasabi ko.

"I realized something. Those days that we are living in this house. Playing a cute family with my kids. Us, playing husband and wife. Bakit hindi na lang natin totohanin?"

Napakunot ang noo niya at ngayon ay nagtataka na sa sinasabi ko.

"What? Anong sinasabi mo?"

"I mean, we are like a family, right? Kasal na lang ang kulang sa atin para hindi na tita ang tawag sa iyo ng mga anak ko. Does Mommy Vie sound better than Tita Vie?" Pinipigil ko ang mapangiti habang nakatingin sa gulat na reaksyon ng mukha niya.

"Wait." She cleared her throat and sat properly on the bed. Dumulas pa nga ang kumot na nakatabing sa katawan niya at lumabas ang dibdib niya pero hindi na niya pansin iyon. Talagang nakatitig siya sa akin at iniintindi ang sinasabi ko. "Leon, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I don't have a ring right now but I want you to be my wife. Kung gusto mo. I mean, I know it's too fast. We started on the wrong foot, but I don't believe in long engagements. I don't believe waiting for the right time. When I first saw you, I knew you were something. We lived together and I felt you are the perfect woman for me." Titig na titig ako sa mga mata niya habang sinasabi iyon.

Dahil iyon naman ang nararamdaman ko. Kahit sabihin ng mga tao na napakabilis ng mga pangyayari at baka libog lang talaga ang nararamdaman ko kay Vie, pero alam kong hindi. I've been single all my life. Never had a serious relationship after Kelsey, but with Vie, I knew she was perfect. She was the missing piece that I was looking for so long.

Nangilid ang luha niya habang nakatingin sa akin. Hindi inaalis ang pagkakatingin sa mukha ko.

"Leon..."

"I'll marry you. Kung hindi mo pa feel kasi hindi man lang kita niligawan o hindi man lang tayo matagal na naging mag-steady, then while we are married liligawan kita. While being married, mag-boyfriend and girlfriend tayo. Okay ba 'yon?

Tuluyan nang napaiyak si Vie at yumakap sa akin.

"I'll save you from your miserable life from your father. No man will treat you the way those assholes treated you before. Not with me."

"Just come home in one piece. I'll wait for you later. And I can't wait to live with you forever." Umiiyak na sabi niya.

And I would do that. After this, I'll live peacefully with her and our kids.

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Nakakabingi ang sigawan ng mga tao. Nakahanda na ako sa holding area habang hinihintay kong tawagin ang pangalan ko. Sa likuran ko ay dama ko rin ang excitement ni Agent Orange at Agent Blue. Minamasahe pa nga ni Blue ang likod ko habang si Orange ay tsini-check ung okay pa ang pagkakalagay ng petroleum jelly sa mukha at katawan ko.

"Are you ready for this?" tanong niya. Muli niyang pinahiran ng petroleum jelly ang mukha ko.

Tumango ako. Pare-pareho kaming tumingin sa pinto nang may kumatok doon at sumilip ang isang attendant ng fight. May iniabot at nakita kong mga energy drinks iyon para sa amin. Kumuha ng isa si Blue at ibinigay sa akin. I needed to quench the thirst that I was feeling. Magmula nang dumating ako kanina ay hindi na ako huminto sa pagti-training pa para maging handa ngayong gabi. Ilang beses akong huminga ng malalim. Ito na. Ito na ang huling laban ko. Pagkatapos kong manalo dito, I am fucking done with this life, and I am going to start my forever with my soon to be wife.

Narinig kong tinawag ang pangalan ko. Lumakad na ako papunta sa cage. Ang ingay ng mga tao. Lahat ay isinisigaw ang pangalan ko. Mula sa nilalakaran ko ay nakita kong naroon sa loob ng cage si Johnny. Tulad noong weigh-in, tahimik lang siya. He looked so cool. Collected while he was looking at me approaching the cage. I didn't know why it started to creep me out. Dahil hindi ganito si Johnny.

And I felt it. Like what Vie was telling me over and over.

Something was going to happen tonight and I needed to find out what it was.

Nang makarating ako sa loob ng cage ay hindi niya ako sinugod. Nanatili lang siyang nakatingin sa akin. Tumingin ako sa paligid at mula sa maraming tao ay nakita kong naroon si Brandon, si Ulysses. Ghost was there too looking at me seriously. Nakita kong tinanguan lang niya ako. Nang muli akong tumingin kay Johnny ay nakangisi na siya sa akin.

"Are you ready to die tonight? Unlucky thirteen." Mahinang sabi niya.

"Try." Maikling sagot ko. Nakahanda ako sa kung ano man na pagsugod na gagawin niya. Pero natigilan ako.

Bakit parang may nag-iba sa pakiramdam ko? Bakit may kaunting hilo akong nararamdaman? Tingin ko ay parang dumudoble si Johnny sa harap ko. Ang ingay na naririnig ko ay nagiging ugong na lang. Marahan kong ipinilig-pilig ang ulo ko dahil baka sakaling gawa lang ito ng over workout.

"Let's kill each other. Ayoko nang magtagal pa dito." Sabi pa ni Johnny at mabilis na sumugod sa akin.

Agad kong nailagan ang suntok na ibinigay niya sa akin pero mabilis ang tuhod niya at natamaan ako sa sikmura. Napaubo ako sa sakit at napaluhod. Agad na sinamantala iyon ni Johnny. Sinunod-sunod ang sipa at pagtuhod na ginagawa sa katawan ko. Sa mukha ko. Panay lang ang salag ko sa bawat pag-atake niya. Shit. What the fuck was happening to me? Bakit nahihilo ako? Nahihirapan akong salagin ang bawat pagsugod ni Johnny.

Lumayo siya sa akin at humihingal akong tumingin sa kanya. Nakangisi siya sa akin. Sa pagkakatingin niya ay halatang confident siyang matatalo niya ako.

"Get the fuck up. Huwag kang mag-aalala. Bibigyan kita ng pagkakataon na lumaban sa akin. After all, these people wanted to see the fight that they wanted. They paid millions just to watch you beg for your life. They wanted to see blood, then we will give them blood." Pagkasabi noon ay malakas akong sinuntok sa mukha ni Johnny.

Lugmok ako sa sahig. Pakiramdam ko ay nabiyak ang panga ko sa lakas noon. Lalo lang parang umiikot ang paningin ko. I knew I was okay. I trained well the past days. Nagpa-check up pa ako kahapon para lang makita kung normal ang lahat sa akin. Kaya ano itong nararamdaman ko?

Ramdam kong umaagos ang dugo mula sa ilong ko at bibig ko. Hindi ko na nga maintindihan ang mga isinisigaw ng mga tao. Kung pangalan ko ba o pangalan ni Johnny. Nakakabingi ang sakit na nararamdaman ko. Muli ay sinubukan kong tumayo at kahit parang dumudoble ang tingin ko kay Johnny ay sinugod ko siya. Tinamaan ko ng suntok ang mukha niya at sinubukan ko siyang sipain. Tangina. Hindi man lang umabot ang sipa ko sa katawan niya?

Fuck. There was something wrong. I can't feel my legs. My hands were shaking. My body began to felt something too. Muli ay naramdaman kong sinuntok ako sa mukha ni Johnny. Bagsak ako. Naririnig ko ang pagsigaw nila Blue at Orange na lumaban ako. Bumangon at labanan si Johnny. Ang mga sigaw ng mga tao. Pero kahit gustuhin ko man ay hindi ko magawa dahil walang pakiramdam ang mga paa ko.

Sinamantala iyon ni Johnny. Sinunod-sunod niya ang pagsuntok sa akin. Panay lang ang ilag ko at sinusubukan kong salagin iyon ng mga braso ko pero tinatamaan pa rin ako. Hilong-hilo na ako hanggang sa maramdaman kong dumukwang sa akin si Johnny tapos ay bumulong sa tainga ko.

"Kung magaling ka sa cage, mas matalino naman ako." Mahinang bulong niya. "I admit, mas magaling ka sa akin. Pero mas tuso ako sa 'yo. And in this cage, in my cage, smart people win." Mahinang sabi niya tapos ay pinagsusuntok ako sa tagiliran.

Hindi ko talaga magawang lumabas. Sige lang ako ilag sa ginagawa niya. Muli ay yumuko siya at bumulong.

"I told you I'll get her back. And I am going to make her my slave. I am going to fuck her day and night. I am going to fuck her brains out until she is screaming for my name. I am going to fuck her until she becomes pregnant. And even if she is pregnant, I am still going to fuck her. She won't leave my bed. She would just stay with me like a fucking fuck toy like she was used to be."

"Fuck you," mahinang sabi ko at pinilit kong iniangat ko ang kamay ko para suntukin siya pero kataka-takang parang gulay lang na umangat iyon.

My body became so numb that even his punches didn't hurt me at all. I couldn't fight back. I was just receiving the heavy blows that his punches were giving my face.

"You're going to die tonight, Kaestner. I told you. You will be the unlucky thirteen." Tumatawa pa si Johnny at iniangat niya ang ulo ko at iniipit iyon sa mga braso niya.

He was going for the kill.

He was going to break my neck and that would be the end of everything for me.

I could hear the people's scream. I could hear the chants of his name. I could hear the words 'KILL HIM' over and over.

I felt his arms tightened around my neck. His signature move every time he was killing his opponent inside the cage. I was choking and gasping for air. I tried to grab his arm just to pull it away but I couldn't move my hands anymore.

So, it was true. That when you were about to die, your whole life flashes in front of you.

I never experience this kind of feeling before. When I was in coma, there was nothing. Maybe because that was not yet my time and I was bound to live to do something like this.

But right now it was different. Because I was sure I saw everything. From the moment I became a cage fighter, my time with Kelsey, when I became an agent and I almost died. All of it came back right at me.

I thought about my mother. My brother. My kids.

Vie.

Her sweet smile. Her beautiful face. Her kisses. I remembered everything about her.

I promised to her that I'll be coming home tonight. I promised to her that we will become a family after this. I promised to her that everything was okay and she had nothing to worry about. I promised to her that I would save her from his father and from this monster.

But I think I couldn't do that promises anymore.

All of it might be broken. Just like I was about to break her heart.

Because tonight, I knew, I'll be Johnny's unlucky thirteen.

And this would be my last fight.