TATLONG linggo na ang nakakalipas at nakalabas na rin ng ospital si Raea. She’s still trying to recollect all the memories she lost pero kahit anong gawin niya ay wala siyang maalala. Nalaman niya lang kay Serene na nabunggo siya ng isang rumaragasang sasakyan kaya siya napunta sa ospital at nagkaroon ng amnesia. Sabi pa nito, it was really a miracle that she survived the said accident. The doctors almost lost their hopes when she was in the operating room because she already had a flat line, however, a minute later, she came back to life.

Raea is so thankful with Serene dahil hindi siya nito pinabayan at iniwan habang nasa ospital pa siya at kahit ngayon na nakalabas na siya roon. However, at night, she can’t help but to cry dahil una, kahit anong pilit niyang alalahanin ang mga nangyari sa kanya bago ang aksidente ay hindi niya magawa at pangalawa, ni anino ni Apollo at ng pamilya nito ay hindi niya nakita.

She tried to call them but no one is answering her calls. When Serene saw how miserable she was because of it, she finally told her that Apollo and his family went to US already. She asked why and when they will come back but Serene told her that she doesn’t know, or maybe it was a lie.

Gustong-gusto niya pigain si Serene para sabihin sa kanya ang totoo pero nagmamatigas ito. She wanted her to recover first and remember all the memories she lost because she said that it’s better that way. Ang sabi pa nito, kung pwede nga lang daw na hindi na niya maalala ang lahat ay mas mabuti pero alam naman daw nito na hindi siya matatahimik kung may nawawalang parte sa pagkatao niya.

From Serene’s statement, Raea knew that something happened to her and Apollo. And she believes that Apollo and his family went to US because of her. At sinasadya ng mga ito na huwag sagutin ang mga tawag niya. Kaya dahil doon, mas lalong bumibigat ang pakiramdam niya. She wants to remember as soon as possible. She wants to know what she did to make Apollo and his family stay away from her.

“I’m sorry, I’m late!”

Napatingin si Raea kay Serene. She looked tired yet still smiling at her.

Raea heard the familiar sound of a bell.

Hindi niya alam kung bakit pero whenever she sees Serene, a bell will always be ringing twice.

Akala niya noong una ay imagination niya lang iyon pero hindi. It always happen. And about the bracelet she discovered wearing in the hospital, it still on her wrist. No matter what she does, hindi niya iyon matanggal.

The bell ringing, the black bracelet…it is still a mystery to her and makes her freak out from time to time.

Isa pa sa mga na-discover niya recently, while looking at people, there’s always a shining string that is tied to their left ring fingers. However, what she noticed about the strings are they have four kinds of color: black, brown, red and white. Noong una akala niya ay namamalikmata lang siya pero kahit ilang beses na ipikit at imulat niya ang kanyang mga mata, she can still see it. She even asked Serene one time if she can see her brown string in her ring finger but she can’t.

Isa pa sa nalaman niya about the strings ay wala siyang gan’on sa daliri niya. It’s weird that she can see it to other people but it is weirder to know that she doesn’t have it at all.

From there, she realized that something happened to her aside from being in an accident. She can see and hear something that a normal people can’t do. She also have a mysterious bracelet that she can’t remove from her wrist kahit na anong paraan pa ang gawin niya. Luckily, hindi pa naman siya nakakakita ng multo or anything the same…however, there’s one figure she can’t forget…That man with a cross silver earring…

Noir…after their conversation that day she woke up from a long sleep in the hospital, hindi pa niya ito nakikitang muli. She knows he isn’t a creation of her imagination. He’s real. However, it’s still a clandestine to her what is his true identity.

He said he is the dark cupid, bulong ng kanyang isipan.

She hasn’t heard of it. Dark Cupid? All she knows is Eros in the Greek myth. The one who bring people to their destined ones by shooting his arrows to them. Does Eros has a counterpart? From the name itself, it’s like he’s someone with a complete different persona.

Noir…

“It’s okay, Serene. What would you like to eat?” Raea asked after Serene settled down on the chair in front of her. They are currently in a restaurant. Inaya niya itong mag-dinner dahil bored na bored na siya sa bahay.

Sa totoo lang ay gusto na niyang bumalik sa pagtatrabaho. But her doctor advised her to have a complete rest for a month for her to recover fast. Isa pa, her left hand is still in a cast so she can’t really work right now.

Raea is an animator and so is Serene. They are working for a Japanese company na merong office dito sa Pilipinas. She already talked to her boss and he understands her situation kaya naman naka-sick leave siya ngayon.

“Oh, I want a heavy meal, please. Feeling ko super drained ako ngayon dahil sa pang-ii-stress ni Shuryō! As if naman matatapos agad ng team 'yung pinagagawa niya in two days. Akala niya 'ata robot kami at 'di uso magpahinga! Goodness!” Sagot nito at inikot pa ang mga mata. “Nagtatampo na nga sa akin si Joji dahil wala na raw akong time sa kanya,” dugtong pa nito na tinutukoy ang boyfriend nitong katrabaho nila pero nasa ibang department.

Napangiti siya Raea. Oh, how she missed being busy.

“Relax,” aniya rito at siya na ang tumawag ng waiter para um-order ng mga pagkain. “Tell Joji that I’m sorry if I also took so much of your time.”

Kumumpas ang kamay ni Serene. “Don’t worry about him. He understands naman. Medyo grumpy lang din siguro 'yon ngayon dahil sa scheduled audit next month sa office.”

Tumango si Raea sa sinabing iyon ni Serene at kiming ngumiti. Nagkwentuhan sila tungkol sa mga nangyari sa kanila ngayong araw habang naghihintay ng pagkain. Mayamaya’y nagpaalam ang kaibigan na magpupunta lamang sa restroom.

Dumating ang mga pagkain. At kasabay n’on ay isang pamilyar na lamig ang naramdaman niya. She somehow shivered. Matapos n’on ay hindi niya alam kung namamalikmata lang ba siya o ano pero parang huminto lahat ng bagay sa paligid niya. Even the waiter who is serving their food and standing beside her looked like a statue. Tila nabitin sa ere ang paglapag nito ng plato sa may lamesa.

“How are you, Raea?”

That familiar deep voice. Hindi na kailangan pang hulaan ni Raea kung kanino ang boses na iyon. It’s Noir…the man she’s been thinking since earlier.

Nag-angat siya ng tingin dito. Gan’on pa rin ang suot ng lalaki. All black and the silver earring is still there.

“Can you explain to me what’s happening?” Diretsahang tanong niya.

Pakiramdam niya ay nasa isang mundo silang dalawa ngayon na sila lamang ang naroon. Natatakot siya, oo. Pero hindi na katulad noong una niya itong makita. Bakit ba naman hindi? Ang dami ng kababalaghan na nangyayari sa kanya and she’s somehow beginning to become use to it. Parang mas nananaig sa kanya ngayon ang pagkamangha at kuryosidad sa mga nagaganap sa kanya.

“You’ve been calling me since earlier. I think it’s high time for me to show up,” sagot nito sa kanya at binigyan siya nito ng mapaglarong ngiti.

Umiling-iling siya. “Hindi iyan ang gusto kong sagot na marinig, Noir. Explain to me, anong kababalaghan itong nangyayari sa akin?” She bravely asked. “I know you are not a human and all of this ‘I don’t know what to call’ is connected to you. I am living a life right now that normal people don’t. Kaya please lang. Help me understand this situation. Help me understand who you really are, what those strings I am seeing are for, the ringing bell I’ve been hearing and this irremovable black bracelet.”

Noir sat down on Serene’s chair. Matapos niyon ay sumandal ito roon at mataman siyang tiningnan.

“I already told you. I am Noir…the god who mismatches people,” he answered seriously.

“You what?” Hindi makapaniwalang bulalas ni Raea. She thinks he heard him said it before but now it is way clearer to her ears and mind now. “Ano ka? Kaaway ni Eros?”

Tumawa ng pagak ang lalaki at kapagkuwa’y umiling. “No. We’re partners.”

“Huh? Paanong nangyari 'yon? He’s bringing people to their soulmates and you? You’re doing the exact opposite. So, paano kang naging partner niya?” Naguguluhan niyang tanong.

Sa totoo lang ay naba-bother siya. If this man is telling the truth, then, he’s someone who always bring heartbreak to people. She should guard herself from him. Napailing tuloy siya. All the while, when someone is going through a heartbreak, he or she tends to blame Eros for shooting his arrow to the wrong person. Iyon naman pala, hindi ito ang may gawa kundi ang lalaking kausap niya ngayon.

But why his existence isn’t known to everybody? Raea’s been reading myths before, be it Greek, Norse or even the Philippine myth. Pero wala siyang nabasang kahit ano tungkol kay Noir.

So those myths are true all along? Bulong niya sa kanyang isip.

Ngumisi si Noir at nangalumbaba sa kanyang harapan. “You’ll understand it soon since you’ll be working with me.”

“Huh?” Gulat na reaksyon niya. “Anong pinagsasabi mo?”

“Simple. You’ll help me in mismatching people,” he answered nonchalantly. “That’s the main reason why you are seeing and hearing things that normal people don’t.”

“And why would I help you?” Kabadong tanong niya.

Bakit niya ito tutulungan? She doesn’t have a heart to bring people to the wrong persons just for them to have their hearts to be broken in the end. How cruel it could be?

“Because it’s your punishment that you need to face.”

“Punishment? Anong ginawa kong kasalanan para magkaroon ako ng punishment na ganyan?”

Raea’s mind is in haywire. All the information she’s hearing is making her head hurt.

Ngumiti muli si Noir sa kanya. “Try to remember it, Raea.”

Kinagat niya ang kanyang pang-ibabang labi. Gusto niyang sigawan ito dahil alam naman nitong wala siyang maalaala ngayon pero pinag-iisip pa rin siya nito.

“You’re rude for a god,” hindi niya napigilang sabi.

Tumawa si Noir sa sinabi niya. It was full of sound and she can sense his amusement with the words she just blurted out. Raea can’t help but to admire the way he laughed. Mas lalo itong gumwapo sa paningin niya.

Kung ito nga ay isang god, ngayon, naiintindihan niya na kung bakit ‘extraordinary’ ang kagwapuhan nito. His features can’t be compared to a human being. Napapaisip tuloy siya kung ano ang itsura ni Eros at iba pa nitong mga kalahi. Gwapo rin kaya ang mga ito katulad ni Noir?

“You have a mission to complete, Raea. You’re given a second chance to live by the divinity. And I don’t think you have so much time to procrastinate. As I’ve told you, there’s a consequence in failing your task,” ani Noir at tumayo na. Sumandal ito na tila isang modelo sa glass window sa kanyang gilid habang matamang nakatingin sa kanya.

Naguguluhan man ay sinalubong niya ang tingin ni Noir. “Tell me, ano ba ang dapat kung gawin?”

“You’ve been hearing a bell ringing whenever you see Serene, right?” Anito.

Naguguluhan man ay tumango siya bilang sagot.

“Serene is your first assignment, Raea. It’s time to mismatch her again to someone.”

“What?!” Laglag ang pangang bulalas niya.

Noir smiled widely at her and in a split second, he disappeared. Everything went back to normal. The waiter who looked like a statue earlier continued serving their food.

Pakiramdam ni Raea ay nanigas ang buong katawan niya. Ano bang nagawa niya at iyon ang kaparusahan niya? Masyado bang malaki ang kasalanan niya para iyon ang ibigay sa kanyang punishment? And of all people, bakit si Serene ang kailangan niyang i-mismatch? Isn’t Joji her destined one? Parang hindi niya 'ata masisikmurang makita ang matalik na kaibigan na dumaan sa matinding heart break ng dahil sa kanya.

Parang gusto niyang maiyak. Tila patong-patong na problema ang dumating sa kanya.