The two-face knight

Timeline: Before the chosen four receive the unknown prophecy

I was in front of their hide out, I knocked down all those shit heads guarding in the main gate. Kaya malaya akong nakapasok sa loob. Nang makapasok ako nakita ko si auntie na nakatalikod at may lalaking kausap na naka maskara.

I narrowed my look to see clearly who's the man beside her, but he was too covered. Mukhang naramdaman ng tiyahin ko ang presensya ko kaya lumingon siya sa aking kinaroroonan. She even smiling widely at me, let me rip that smile of you, bitch.

"Oh, March, you're here . . ." She started walking towards me.

Bobo, clone ko ito. 

"But where's the head of the professor I told you to kill, March? Why you're not bringing it to me." Nawala ang ngiti niya habang sinasabi iyon sa'kin.

Ano ako, uto-uto?

"Oh, nakalimutan ko, auntie. In exchange of her head, is it better if I'll get yours then?" I smiled widely while asking those words to her.

I saw how she clenched her fist.

"Kinakakaban mo ba ako, March?" May riin ang bawat salitang binibigkas niya.

Before other could do their moves, I paralyze the time around them, except for me and to my aunt.

"Figure it out, auntie. The reason why I'm here was not to give you the professor head, but to get yours instead." Hindi pa rin mawala ang ngiti sa labi ko.

It was not a genuine smile, but a smile that you might creep. Because I am not MA03 nor a student of Harvena, but someone they don't dare to mess from the very beginning.

"Hah, ang lakas ng loob mong sabihin sa'kin iyan pagkatapos kitang palakihin at pakainin!" Nanggagalaiting sambit nito sa'kin.

"Oh, bitch, you're not obligated to do those things in the first place. Alam kong napipilitan ka lang, kaya mo nga ko minaltrato 'di ba? Tapos nanunumbat ka ngayon, tanga ka ba?" Natatawang tanong ko. Lakas ng amats ng bruha. "Pa mental ka nalang, total, simula't sapul, baliw ka nang tangina ka."

I saw how her face turned terrified by my multiple curses. She mustn't expecting that I'll told her those kind of words. I can be a bitch too, bitch.

"Namana mo talaga ang ugali ng ina mo . . . pareho kayong nagtatapang-tapangan kahit dehado." She gave me a grimace. "Sana ako nalang ang tumapos sa buhay ng ina mo at nagsama sila ng ama mong gago din."

"Ampalaya ka ba?" Tanong ko. "Ang bitter mo sa buhay."

"Your father deserve to die, he didn't chose me. It was his fate, it was written already." Humalakhak pa siya na parang natutuwa pa sa ginawa niya noon.

She was happy and there I was . . . suffering. How could people like her given a chance to live? Bakit hindi nalang iyong mga mabubuting tao? Bakit mga kagaya pa niyang demonyita?

"No ones deserve to die, if there's someone . . . then it must be you, auntie. Hindi ka man lang ba kinakain ng konsensya mo sa mga taong binawian mo ng buhay? Sa mga pamilyang naiwan no'ng taong pinatay mo? Do you still consider yourself as human after all those terrible things you did just to ruined someones life and make yours better? Now, does your conscience aren't eating you alive? Or perhaps . . . are you even a human in this state?" I looked at her straight to the eyes, I saw how shocked she was after my sudden outburst.

"No, March, after all, I am very happy . . ." Her eyes even sparkling.

Tangina niya talaga, ang daming buhay na'ng nawala dahil a ginawa niya.

"Happy? Masaya kang pumatay? Masaya kang may inosenteng taong nabawian ng buhay dahil sa kagagawan mo?!" Sigaw ko.

"Kasal-anan ba ang lumaban, March? Kasal-anan ba na gusto ko lang makamit ang hustisya ng mga magulang ko? Those ruling elites ordered to killed my parents, they accused my parents for a treason and it was the parents of your mom who did it. They're the one who killed my parents, I've seen it in my two eyes, how your grandfather pierce the sword on my parents heart. Pinatapon nila ako sa mundo ng mga mortal pagkatapos at hindi ko akalain na sumunod sa'kin ang lola mo. Kinupkop niya ako . . . inalagaan na parang isang anak. I've known your mother and her sister, they had this hate and love relationship. Your mother is a brat, she want to get everything she want. And you know what makes me happy as years pass by?

"People thought your mother was a crazy bitch. She can see someones past, not just by directly looking at their eyes, also in other way around. She see my past, March, she knew and told her mother. Ayaw maniwala ng nanay nito, the woman thought that your mom was just making a story. I also act of course, they're too easy to manipulate, but your mom is a badass bitch. She kept watching me, try to outsmart me, but she can't. I'm too good and she's too dumb, until I get bored of my life already. I left and comeback to Mania for years, here, I had my two greatest gift that I can used when the right time comes. I left my two gifts here, and went back to mortal world to finished your grandparents.

"After all they're the root why those shits happened to my life. After I did that, my life gets easier, your mom and her sister got separated, carrying their own child. Rexine has a trauma because her boyfriend left her, and I must say, deserve. Your mom and your father escape together, but your mom is to dumb. She made the wrong decision that she left you on your father, but it was a favor to me, March. The rest are history already and you already knew that."

I was speechless by her stories. I don't know what words to uttered. She experience cruelty, and I didn't knew that. I was only focused by my own point of view, I didn't knew that even people like her, have their own battles that they encounter.

"Ngunit, auntie . . . mali pa rin ang ginagawa mo . . . ang daming inosenteng tao ang dinamay mo dahil lang sa gusto mong gantihan ang pamilya ng ina ko. Nagantihan mo na sila 'di ba? Nakitil mo na ang buhay nila . . . Kaya itigil mo na ito." Pakikipag-usap ko.

Nagbabakasakaling madaan ko sa ganito. Ngunit tumawa lang si auntie.

"No, March. Hanggang may mga abusadong tao na kagaya ng mga magulang ng ina mo, hindi ako titigil. Hindi kami titigil. Kailanman ay hindi naging patas ang mundo," sambit niya. "March, do you believe that all people are good?"

Nangunot ang noo ko dahil sa tanong ni auntie sa'kin. I don't know exactly what's the answer of her question.

"A-anong ibig mong sabihin?" Naguguluhang tanong ko.

"All people are good, it just that there are reasons why they became a monster in other person's point of view. Because March, they don't have other choice but to be a villain. In a  story, no one wants to be a villain but there's no other option to save theirselves so they become one."

Hindi ako maka-imik sa sinabi niya, kasi may parte sa sarili ko na sinasabing tama siya, mayroong parte rin na sinasabing mali siya. Oo na, pashnea, hindi ko na alam.

Gusto ko nalang matapos ang pashneang gulo na ito.

"March, you went here unprepared, right?" Auntie gave me a smirked.

What the fuck did she mean?

"Maybe? Or maybe not." Now it was me who's looking to her with a grimace plastered on my lips.

"Didn't I told you last time that beware who'll you gonna be friend with?" Nakangising tanong ng tiyahin ko.

Confusion was written on my face. I fix my eyes on her. Not until I felt the needle prick on my neck.

Her lips twisted upon seeing me holding my neck where the needle is.

I felt numb, this feeling. . . . shit. The time suddenly continue again.

"Too dumb, March, too dumb," she muttered. "You only stop our time here within this area. Not the whole place. Why didn't you thought of that, March? Bakit hindi mo naisip na may kalaban ka pa sa labas na hindi kilala? Tignan mo, naisahan ka tuloy. Nagpahuli ka lang, gusto mo atang mauna sa ina mo."

She's grinning from ear to ear. Pag ito nasobraan sa pag ngisi, baka mapunit ang labi nito.

"Checkmate."

My whole system was shaking when I heard his cold yet dangerous voice in my ears.

I didn't able to move.

How can he do that?

How can he betray his league?

He went in front of me, he met my eyes. We're lock on each other gazes. No one was breaking. He lick the lower part of his lips before he raise one side of his lips afterwards.

He's showing me his arrogant smile.

He's indeed a cunning fox.

An evil in a sheep clothing.

Toussaint Ephraim Vanedistine, the two-face knight.

***

PRESENT

I was awaken when someone kick my stomach. Putangina ang sakit no'n ah. Siya kaya tadyakan ko? Tignan natin anong magiging hitsura ng gago.

"Akalain mo nga naman, nauna ka pang nagpahuli sakanila." Nakangising sambit ng lalaking nanadyak sa'kin.

Napapikit ako dahil sa sakit na naramdaman ko mula sa malakas na tadyak na aking natanggap.

"Too bad, she might end you here, March. Bakit ba kasi ang bobo mo para sumugod dito na mag-isa?" The man jest me by the decision I made.

Siguro masayang-masaya ang lalaking ito ngayon a kalagayan ko. He hated me to the deepest core.

Yes, I was indecisive while comming here. All thought that was on my mind that time was to finished all my aunt fucked up plans she's plotting.

But I'm not a Valiente for nothing.

I looked at the man with an amused eyes before I raised one side of my lips. He's ET08.

I walk towards him and touch his shoulder, I learn forward and whispered something on him. "She might end me here, but at least I had someone to drag. Hindi ako mag-isang mamamatay."

Humalakhak ako pagkatapos habang naiisip na kung sakaling tatapusin nila ng buhay ko kasama ko sa hukay si Saint.

Having this soul link is an advantage though.

Bumukas muli ang pintuan ng selda ko at nakita ko ang mukha ng lalaking minsan kong naging kakampi, at minsang nagligtas sa buhay ko.

"Leave her to me," he muttered, commanding the ET08 to leave.

Agad iyong sinunod ng lalaki at naiwan kaming dalawa ni Saint sa selda. Nanatili ang titig namin sa bawat isa at walang gustong lumihis nito. Kung titigan lang naman ang pag-uusapan lugi siya sa'kin.

"How are you?" He asked me as if he isn't the one who put me in his state.

Ay wow, concern ang gago.

"Buhay pa naman," agad na sagot ko.

"Won't you ask me?" He then questioned me again.

I snickered upon his question, before my eyes turned dull. "Ano ka, gold?"

His lips twisted upon my rebuttal. "You really pricked my interest, March."

"I feel so flattered, Saint," I murmured. "I wonder, I would be Aragons reaction if they knew this? The leader they looked up, just betrayed them." I look at him with pity. "Aren't the guilt eating you?"

"The sharp truth is more important than my sincerity. I'm not guilty. From the first moment I stepped foot in that school, I was a coder already. There's no need for me to feel guilty, in the first place that was my mission." Malamig niyang saad. "At sinong anak ang hindi gustong tulungan ang magulang niya? After all I am TE01, one of the coder you'd never met, MA03."

My jaw dropped upon his statement. He's my aunt son, can destiny be more cruel please? I thought of something that might change his decision, but I guess blood is indeed ticker than water.

Kung anong tinanim siya rin ang bunga.

Isa-isa lang naman oh, putangina.

Namamasa ang aking mga mata, tangina huwag kang umiyak Maria Archana. These people doesn't deserve your precious tears. I look at him before I chuckled sarcastically.

My eyes speaks pity as I fix my gaze into him before I turned my face into fierce. Agad akong lumapit sakan'ya. Hinila ko ang kwelyo nang kan'yang damit. 

There's a small gap before our lips could touch. I lick the lower part of my lips before it forms into an arrogant smile. I lean forward where his ears located. I muttered in the most seductive yet dangerous voice, that every man will shaken and he's not even an exemption.

"Don't regret your decision, Saint, siding with the enemy will endanger your life. Right now, you're dealing with the time itself. Hawak ko ang oras ng buhay mo, tandaan mo iyan." This is how her chosen one play her own game. "You didn't able to checkmate me. I'm the one who'll do it. After all, I am not just a mere player here, I'm the gamemaster, and you'll just a mere pawn in my own game."

Fear was written on his face, his shoulders were shaken, even his breathe are not normal.

"I am not a Valiente and named a virtuoso of Aragons for nothing, two-faced knight. No one wants to mess with me, because they end up timeless."

Harvena: Aire
By DeeYanny
Plagiarism is a crime

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