"Is this seat taken?"

He took her silence as a yes. 

Hindi na lumingon si Kleo nang tumabi sa kanya ang binata, nakatuon lang ang atensyon niya sa stage kung saan kasalukuyang nanghaharana ng audience ang isang lalaki. On her left, she can feel Raff shift uncomfortably in his seat as he glimpsed at the other man.

Maya-maya pa, bumulong na ito sa kanya. "Hey, umm... Sinong nag-invite sa kanya rito? I thought he already left the campus?"

Kleo didn't even bother turning to Raff. Nahagip ng mga mata niya si Marquessa Legazpi na nakatanaw mula sa backstage. She looked nervous, which baffled her. Bakit naman kakabahan si Kesa? Kleo already heard her play the violin and she has to admit that she's very good at it. Luckily, Kesa chose a course that she's good at. Hindi tulad ni Kleo na walang kaalam-alam sa pagdo-drawing at palaging napapagalitan dahil off-topic at morbid ang mga pinipinta niya.

'Minsan talaga ang hirap intindihin ng mga tao.'

"Kleo?"

Nang maramdaman niyang nakaabang pa rin sa isasagot niya si Raff, napabuntong-hininga na lang siya.

"Professor Everick likes music, too."

Mukha pa ring hindi kumbinsido si Raff. 'Geez. Sinong mag-aabala pang pumunta rito dahil lang mahilig siya sa music? Eh 'di sana nag-Spotify na lang siya,' he thought. Suspicion rose in his chest, but Raff chose to not think about it. Ayaw niyang masira ang gabi nila ni Kleo, kaya bumalik na lang siya sa pagkakasandal.

Relax, Raff. Relax.

'Chance ko na 'to!'

Dahil nakatingin pa rin sa stage ang dalaga, pasimple siyang nag-inat.

Wala naman sigurong masama, 'di ba?

Raff was about to slung an arm over Kleo's chair (like what guys do in those cheesy movie dates) when he felt a pair of eyes digging holes into his skull. Nang isinawalang-bahala niya ito, napapitlag na lang si Raff nang bumaon ang isang combat knife sa likod ng upuan ni Kleo, malapit sa kung saan niya dapat ipapatong ang braso niya.

'W-What the fuck?!'

He stared wide-eyed at "Professor" Everick who gave him a stern look. Kinuha nito ang combat knife at walang-emosyong ipinaliwanag, "May langaw kasi. I was just trying to kill it... Marami talagang peste ngayon. I hate pests."

Raff paled.

'Gago! Muntik nang naputol ang braso ko!'

Kinuha ulit ng Neverwood ang patalim at ibinalik ito sa loob ng kanyang trench coat. Mabuti na lang at mukhang hindi ito napansin ni Kleo...o baka naman wala talaga itong pakialam? Anyway, in that moment, Raff knew that he couldn't make any moves with Kleopatra without a bastard cutting off his limbs.

Meanwhile, Kesa walked onto the stage in her black and white dress.

The spotlight almost blinded her and she clearly caught the eyes of everyone in the auditorium. Bumalik na naman sa mga alaala niya ang mga bangungot---the blinding lights, the eyes watching her, the blood on her hands. Huminga nang malalim si Kesa.

She can't give into fear now, not with all her friends supporting her.

Not when Kleo is asking her a favor.

Maya-maya pa, nahanap niya sa karagatan ng mga tao ang kanyang bagong bestfriend. Kleopatra's bangs hid her eyes while she sat between Everick and Raffaelo. Tulad ng inaasahan niya, nakasuot na naman ito ng sweater. Kesa made a mental note to force her into a dress one if these days.

'I don't think Kleo realizes it, but her weirdness makes her a likeable person.'

Naalala na naman niya ang hinihinging "pabor" nito. A few hours ago before the concert, Kleo approached her backstage. Ang buong akala ni Kesa ay gusto lang nitong mag-good luck sa kanya, but what the campus weirdo told her left her unprepared...

In fact, she didn't know why but Kleo acted a little stranger than usual.

Or maybe it's just in her head?

Napalunok na lang si Kesa at sinimulan ang kanyang solo violin performance.

'Damn, Kleo. Anong kalokohan ba kasi 'tong gagawin ninyo?'

And as the first notes of Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune" filled the air, Kesa knew she also caught the undivided attention of another Neverwood sitting in the front row of the crowd.

*

A few weeks ago, Kleo wouldn't even imagine attending this concert. Mas gugustuhin niya pang magkulong sa kanyang kwarto at manood ng Dracula habang kumakain ng isaw kasama si Roberta (naiirita kasi sa classical music si Roberta kaya hindi niya sinama ngayon). But anyway, she was actually...happy that she accepted her friend's invitation.

Kahit na may mas malalim na dahilan pa talaga ang pagpunta niya rito.

"Ako nang bahala. Kapag napahamak ako dahil sa isang 'yon, I'll text you where I hid my last will and testament."

"Thanks, Kesa. By the way, that piece you performed," Kleo smiled. "You should really play that during my funeral!"

"Hoy! Funeral agad? 'Di ba pwedeng sa kasal mo muna?"

"Mauuna pa akong mamatay kaysa isakal."

"You mean 'ikasal'?"

"Pareho lang 'yon."

Bago pa man siya makaalis, tinawag ulit siya ni Marquessa. Seryoso na itong nakatingin sa kanya. Mukhang pinag-iisipan pa nito kung anong sasabihin. The hesitation was evident in her eyes. In the end, the violinist just settled with a simple...

"Good luck."

Kleo pushed the guilt aside.

Nang papalabas na siya sa auditorium, walang-imik niyang nilagpasan si Raff na abala sa pakikipagkwentuhan. Walang kamalay-malay sa mga mangyayari ngayong gabi. Dahil sa pagiging espiya at referee niya sa EKT, he's prone to get in a lot of trouble in case everything got out of hand. When Kleo finally made it to the exit, she caught a glimpse of the crow-shifter leaning on the wall.

The Knight's eyes softened when they met hers, even though her bangs were blocking his view.

"Sigurado ka ba rito, Sadako?"

Ngumiti nang malawak si Kleo at hinawakan ang kamay ng imortal. Halos kaladkarin na niya si Everick papalayo sa campus.

"Tara na! I can't wait to see walking zombies!"

Puno ng tensyon ang biyahe nila papunta sa Eastwood Cemetery. Unlike the first time they visited the place, wala silang dalang pala at sako. Hindi na nila kailangan 'yon. Hindi na sila nahirapang hanapin ang sinasabing museleo. Umihip ang malamig na hanging lalong nakapagpakaba kay Kleo.

They stood in front of the rusted gates of an old mausoleum. The branches of a nearby tree decorated the building like black and slender fingers grasping a giant cube-shaped rock. Kasing laki lang nito ang mga ordinaryong museleo, pero kapansin-pansing nasa mas liblib na parte ito ng sementeryo.

"Creepy," Everick frowned.

"I love it!"

He stared at her as if she just declared peace with aliens.

"Interesting... Hindi na talaga ako magtataka kung magpapaiwan ka rito mamaya."

They walked closer to the gates until they noticed a sign board hanging beside the wall. The letters on the wood were beginning to fade, but they could still make out the words:

VIVAMUS MORIENDUM EST.

Kleo's skin crawled when she realized the meaning. Dumilim ang ekspresyon ni Everick habang nakatitig sa karatula.

"Let us live, since we must die."

Kleo lowered her eyes, not wanting to think about how ironic it is for those words to escape the lips of an immortal. Ilang beses nang nabanggit noon sa kanya ni Knight ang tungkol sa pagiging "parusa" ng kanilang sumpa. Gustuhin man niyang tanungin at usisain ito, she knows that now's not the right time to do so. Set the curiosity aside. Marami pa silang kailangang gawin.

'Next time na lang ang interview.'

Nang makapasok na sila sa museleo, imbes na mga libingan, isang hagdan sa ilalim ng lupa ang bumungad sa kanila.

"Nasa baba ang mga bangkay nila."

Kumunot ang noo ni Everick sa kanyang sinabi. "Paano mo alam?"

"I just have a feeling."

Using her phone as a flashlight, Kleo and Everick descended the staircase that seemingly led to hell. Kapansin-pansing bumigat ang atmospera. Nahirapan silang huminga. Tuwing tititig si Kleo sa pader sa magkabilang gilid nila, she imagines the rocks morph into a thousand human skulls staring at them. Disfigured. Haunted. Stacked and forgotten like the catacombs in Paris. Although it didn't bother her much (kasi iniisip na lang niyang kamag-anak sila ni Wilfredo), it was still a bit unsettling.

Nang makarating na sila sa ibaba, doon na nagpakita ang samu't saring mga nitso.

Mas malaki pa pala ang lugar na 'to kaysa sa inaasahan nila.

But then again, the Elite Killing Tournament has a lot of dead killers they need to bury, so she was kinda expecting this. Kleo ran her fingers on the engraved names.

"Para silang si Sleeping Beauty na naghihintay ng halik para magising. Paano kung buhayin natin silang lahat?"

Everick's eyes narrowed.

"Sadako, alam napag-usapan na natin ito. Hindi natin alam kung ano ang limitasyon ng kapangyarihan mo. Some of these guys have been dead for a very long time, and we can't afford you passing out due to fatigue---even if you did condition yourself for this. Paano na lang kung ikamatay mo pa ang pagbuhay sa kanila?"

"Edi buhayin mo ako."

"Tsk. Pwede bang makinig ka naman sa'kin, kahit ngayon lang? We're not taking that risk!"

His voiced echoed inside the burial place.

Sa huli, wala nang nagawa si Kleo kundi sundin ang sinasabi nito. Even though she was itching to revive and invite them over for a slumber party, alam niyang masasagad niya ang kanyang abilidad. Ilang araw na niyang pinaghandaan ito.

She can't mess up.

Pero hindi ba iyon naman talaga ang punto ng pagsasakripisyo?

Sometimes sacrifice means stupidity... you take a bit of yourself and give it to others with a red ribbon on top, no matter how less of yourself you're left with.

"Kung ganoon, sinu-sino naman ang kailangan kong halikan?"

Everick produced a short list from his pocket.

"I already assessed the past killers based on their talents and strengths. Kailangan lang natin ang expertise ng apat sa kanila," he said and handed the list to her.

Nang mabasa ni Kleo ang mga pangalan ng kailangan niyang buhayin, napanganga na lang siya.

'B-Bakit kasama siya?'

---

Take your guilt and wrap it up
with threads of shattered dignity;
Walk ahead to discover how,
and why your sins are so heavy.

---Kleopatra Claveria