AFTER that morning, Imris didn't leave Jasia's side. Hanggang sa pag-uwi nito galing sa paaralan, nakabuntot pa rin ito sa babae. Pakiramdam niya nga ay naetsapuwera na kaagad siya.

"She needs to go home, Imris," saad niya nang ayaw nitong pauwiin si Jasia. Nasa kuwarto sila ngayon ng bata. Nakatayo siya sa dulo ng kama habang ang dalawa ay nakahiga.

"I don't want to. I want to stay with Mama!" Niyakap nito si Jasia. "Mama, please? I miss you. At least wait for me to sleep?"

"Okay." Nginitian naman ito ni Jasia bago hinalikan ang noo. Nilingon siya nito. "It's okay, Xibel. I can stay for a little while."

Bumuntonghininga lang siya bilang sagot. Maglalakad na sana siya palabas ngunit tinawag siya ni Imris.

"Papa, stay here, too! Here!" She patted the other side of the bed.

"No."

"Please?"

Napairap na lang siya at naglakad papunta sa kabilang bahagi. Ni hindi man lang siya makatanggi.

Umupo na siya at sumandal sa head board ng kama. May espasyo sa pagitan nila ni Imris dahil hindi niya kayang lumapit pa kay Jasia.

"Xibel," tinawag siya nito.

"Hmm?"

She whispered, "Are you fine with this distance? Do you want me to move away?"

For a second, he was surprised but he immediately covered it with a nod. "I can manage."

She smiled in response and focused her eyes on Imris. Pinanood niya kung paano nito marahang hinaplos ang mga buhok ni Imris upang makatulog. Nakayakap ang bata kaya hindi niya magawang makita ang ekspresyon nito pero sigurado siyang tuwang-tuwa ito.

A surge of warmth filled the side of his chest making him look away. He couldn't understand what it was nor could he explain the peace he felt tonight. The event happened today may have helped him feel a little bit calm.

Pinokus niya na lang ang tingin sa parihaba at puting kahon na nakatayo sa isang silid. May mahika itong bumuga ng lamig. Ito ang binili ni Jasia na binanggit ni Arator sa kaniya noong nakaraan--air conditioner.

I could make more cold wind than this, said his mind. Bahagya niyang tinaas ang isang daliri at naglabas ng itim na mga alikabok. Naglakbay ito papunta sa air conditioner, at nang matamaan, lumakas ang lamig sa buong kuwarto.

He held a smug on his face when he felt the two people moved.

I told you. I could make colder air than you, muli niyang isip na animo'y hinahamon ang air conditioner.

May bigla siyang naalala kaya tinawag niya ang babae. "Jasia."

"Bakit?"

"Do you know where the man who touched you was buried?"

Nagtaka naman ito pero sumagot pa rin. "There is a cemetery located next to this street. Nandoon siya nakalibing."

Napaisip naman si Xibel. Inalala niya ang araw na lumipad siya upang sundan si Zaratras. May nadaanan siyang sementeryo doon.

"What's his name?"

"Patrick. Patrick Roriz Herman."

"Okay. Thank you." Sinulyapan niya muna si Imris. Nang makasigurong tulog na ito, saka siya tumayo. "I'll go back to my room. Good night."

"Good night."

Pagkalabas niya, hindi siya nagtungo sa kaniyang kuwarto. Lumabas siya sa kanilang bahay. Balak niyang puntahan ngayon ang lalaking iyon.

He would never leave this day without punishing the one who committed an unforgivable crime. How dare he sleep below ground while leaving the ones he violated torn and broken? If Jasia could not kill him, he would.

Handa na siyang lumipad papunta roon pero napatigil siya nang biglang may kuminang sa kanan niyang kamay. Tiningnan niya ito. May kulay ubeng sinulid ang nakapulupot sa hinliliit niyang daliri.

It was the Thread of Connection. Lumalabas ang sinulid na ito kapag malapit lang sa paligid ang kanilang mga manunulat. Other than his author's location, this led his thought to deduce that system was still working. He was still a fictional character realized by Fictosa.

And anytime soon, the system might reappear.

Kung susundan niya ang direksyon ng sinulid paniguradong makikita niya ang manunulat pero hindi ito ang prayoridad niya sa pagkakataong ito.

Binalewala niya ito at lumipad. Kaagad siyang nakarating sa sementeryo na tinutukoy ni Jasia, ang South Cemetery.

As he stepped inside, a sudden appearance of ebony smoke covered the dark valley of corpses. It appeared as though an acknowledgement that a necromancer had arrived. It was also to his surprise that even the dead in the real dimension could be under his power.

Tumigil siya sa paglalakad nang nasa kalagitnaan na siya ng sementeryo. Tinaas niya ang kaliwang palad at dahan-dahang binuo roon ang kapangyarihang galing sa kaniyang Coriar.

"Fall into slumber and you shall rot. Die and you shall be buried under. The rotting fleshes arise as I call thee," Xibel began to cast a spell to call the spirit of Patrick Roriz Herman. A swiss of wind formed around his palms, waiting for him to say an order. "Present me the soul of this dead."

The ball of wind fled from his palms which he immediately followed. Tumigil ito sa ibabaw ng isang lapeda.

A smirk followed his lips as he read the name. He gestured his hand, commanding the wind to break apart and swim under the grave.

"Today, you shall be reborn. A human in the flesh without a heart." And as he raised his finger up, the ball of wind rushed out in speed, bringing with it the soul and corpse of Patrick Roriz Herman. The wind swirled around the soul until the corpse grew flesh and the soul stitched back within his bones.

Patrick Roriz Herman who had been dead for years was brought back to life.

The old skinny man, who almost got no strand of hair on his head looked at him with confusion. "S-sino ka?"

"I brought you back to life . . ." Tiningnan niya mula ulo hanggang paa ang nakahubad nitong katawan, "bare and raw looking."

"Talaga? Ha!" Sumilay ang ngiti nito sa labi matapos ang kaniyang sinabi. Tumawa ito nang malakas at nagtatatalon pa sa tuwa. Hindi na nito inintindi na wala itong saplot sa katawan. "Akala ko katapusan ko na. Whoa! Finally! Makakapaghigante na rin ako. Buwisit na babaeng iyon. Ako naman ang gaganti--"

Hindi nito natapos ang sasabihin nang agad niya itong sinakal. "What makes you think you can do anything you want just because I let you breath again?"

Wala itong naisagot kundi isang impit lang. Nagpupumiglas ito. Sinusuntok nito ang kaniyang braso ngunit hinigpitan niya lang ang pagkakahawak dito.

Nabalot sa galit ang kaniyang puso sa tuwing naalala ang kinuwento ni Jasia sa kaniya. "You are an abhorrent human worthy of any suffering. And you will die again tonight by my hands."

Nanginginig ang mga kamay niyang tinaas ito sa ere. Hindi maiibsan ang nangingibabaw niyang puot hangga't hindi niya makikitang titirik ang mata nito.

"H-huwag--" Nakahawak ang mga kamay nito sa kaniyang pulso. Isa-isa na ring tumutulo ang mga luha nito sa mga mata. How ironic to think that a man without a heart could still understand fear.

His pale skin was turning purple, and his starting to lose his strength. Seeing him struggling made Xibel chuckled. Binitiwan niya ito bago pa malagutan ng hininga.

Bumagsak ito sa sahig habang panay ang pag-ubo.

"How many times did the woman who killed you stab your chest?" Xibel kneeled while forming a knife on his hand. Right then, the image of how the man died ran around his memory. "Three times, right?"

"H-huwag, please. L-lumayo ka sa akin! Demonyo ka!" sigaw nito. Gumapang ito palayo sa kaniya.

The pitiful back of the man crawling away from him as if he still got a life outside this cemetery made Xibel laughed. How foolish.

"You died and yet you are still unregretful. Your soul is a rotten one. A very rotting one who never acknowledges his mistakes." He paced beside the crawling man. Tinapakan niya ang ulo nito bago tinapak sa likuran ang kutsilyo. "In behalf of your victims, allow me to cut off your part that is very sinful."

Umalingawngaw sa tahimik na sementeryo ang sigaw ni Patrick Roriz nang putulin niya ang dalawa nitong kamay. Hindi pa siya nakuntento at pati ang mga paa nito ay pinutol niya rin. And every time he buried his knife on his skin, he envisioned the women who hurt him. The moment they appeared before his eyes, he had, unconsciously, become gruesome in killing the man.

"You are the shame of mankind."

"Lubayan mo ako, demonyo ka--" Hindi nito natapos ang sasabihin nang isinubo niya sa bibig nito ang pinutol niyang kamay.

"The likes of you created me." He gritted his teeth before putting down the knife. Mariin niyang hinawakan ang magkabili nitong pisngi. "Now, suffer forever."

Napatingin ang luhaan nitong mga mata sa ibabaw niya. Isang higanteng anino na hugis ng isang oso ang nakakanganga, natatakam na lamunin ito. It was one of the guards of his realm, the Gate of Darkness.

"Patrick Roriz Herman, you deserve no peace." As he let go his face, the giant boar swallowed the man whole, taking him to where souls are punished forever.

Umupo siya sa damuhang lupa at pinagmasdan ang buwan. It was still the same at his House Spot but it looked farther like it was impossible for him to reach it.

After staying for many weeks in this dimension, a lot of things happened and there were also things he learned. What happened to Jasia were one of it.

The people in this odd place might be more gruesome than in Fort Galron. And he was yet to find that out.

NAGISING si Jasia nang madaling araw. Dahan-dahan niyang iminulat ang mga mata nang may hiningang dumampi sa kaniyang braso. It was Imris.

Napanganga siya sa gulat pero kaagad ding itinikom ang bibig dahil ayaw niyang magising ito. Nakatulog pala siya at hindi na nakauwi. Sinulyapan niya ang relo at mag-a-alas kuwatro na ng umaga.

Buong ingat niyang itinaas ng dahan-dahan ang ulo ni Imris upang alisin ang braso niya. Mahina siyang napadaing nang maramdaman ang pangangawit nito. Ilang oras din itong nakahiga sa kaniyang braso kaya halos hindi na niya ito maramdaman.

Lumabas na siya sa kuwarto upang kunin ang purse na iniwan sa upuan ng sala. Baka mapagalitan siya ni Xibel nito. Sa bahay siya nito natulog at sa kuwarto pa mismo ni Imris. Kahapon lang sila nagkaayos ng lalaki kaya hindi siya puwedeng gumawa na naman ng ikagagalit nito.

Dali-dali na siyang bumaba pero kaagad na napatigil nang mahagip ang lalaking naglalakad patungo sa kusina.

"Xibel?"

Napatigil ito at napalingon sa kaniya. Tumango ito bilang pagbati bago tumalikod at nagpatuloy.

Natigilan naman siya.

Ang akala niya'y susumbatan na siya nito ngunit bakit hindi yata siya nito inaway? As she continued walking down the stairs, she couldn't help but ask herself if he was in a good mood.

Nakuha na niya ang kaniyang purse. Magpapaalam na sana siya ngunit bigla niyang naalala ang kuwento ni Xibel. Pumasok sa kaniyang isipan ang nangyari sa lalaki at kay Celestialiana.

Nagtungo siya sa kusina. Naabutan niya itong nakaupo habang pinapanood si Arator na magluto. Nilingon siya nito nang maramdaman ang kaniyang presensya.

"Are you going home?"

"Yeah." She took one step backward in order to give space for Xibel. Baka masiyado lang siyang malapit kahit na isang lamesa ang pagitan nila. "Nga pala, Xibel. About doon sa sinabi ko sa 'yo kahapon, na binasa ko ang The Reincarnated Actress."

"What about it?"

"There is some kind of a misunderstanding between you and Celestialiana," saad niya. Alam niyang nagmamahalan ang dalawa. May nararamdaman si Xibel kay Celestialiana at ganoon din ang babae. Ang hindi alam ni Xibel ay hindi na iyon ang Celestialiana na nakilala niya.

Napalingon si Xibel sa kaniyang sinabi.

"The Celestialiana you met the day after you cursed yourself is not Celestialiana anymore. It's a different person kaya naging ganoon na lang ang reaksyon niya."

Pagkatapos niyang sabihin iyon ay hinintay niya ang sasabihin ni Xibel ngunit pinilig lang nito ang ulo na para bang hindi nauunawaan ang sinasabi niya.

"Hindi na iyon si Celestialiana, Xibel. Si Hamrae 'yon."

Xibel's expression didn't change, until a second, he sighed. "Jasia, I can't hear you."

"Huh? What do you mean? Ang lakas na nga ng boses ko. Naririnig mo rin 'di ba ako, Arator?" Nilingon niya si Arator na abalang magluto.

"Ngayon lang kita narinig, binibini."

"What?" Kumunot ang kaniyang noo dahil dito. Papaanong hindi siya naririnig ng dalawa?

"Are you trying to tell me something in the story that I don't know about?" Xibel asked.

Kaagad naman siyang tumango.

"I see. No wonder I can't hear you." He crossed her arms. "The system is prohibiting you to tell me the information I have yet to know in the novel. Not unless you are the writer. They are who held the privilege."

"System? Privilege? Parang hindi yata kita naiintindihan."

"It is complicated. We live in a different dimension than yours, Jasia. We are from Fictosa. All the lives present are made by humans in this dimension."

"Ah." She nodded slowly, still a little bit unsure. "So parang nandoon lahat ng fictional characters?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you here?"

"Fictosa is controlled by the system. A problem led us here."

"Oh, okay. You're saying nagkaroon ng problem ang system niyo kaya kayo nandito?"

"Yes. Until that problem is resolved, we will remain here."

Muli siyang napatango. "Ano naman iyong sinabi mo kaninang privilege?"

"The writer's privilege. They can tell any information about the story regardless if the character has not yet discovered it in the novel. Even if the information is too much for us to bear, we will be excused from Character Disintegration. Because they own us, the bonds between us will always be transparent. That is how powerful the privilege of a writer is."

"Oh, so puwede nila kayong i-spoil . . ." Napaisip naman siya. Kung hindi siya ang puwedeng magsabi, si Isabella na lang ang kukumbinsihin niya.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Napabalik ang kaniyang tingin sa lalaki ngunit hindi ito nakatingin sa kaniya. Sa simula pa lang, iniiwasan na talaga nitong tumingin sa mga mata ng tao. Kung hindi niya pa nabasa ang kuwento, iisipin niyang ayaw nitong makipag-usap sa kaniya.

But now she knew, Xibel couldn't handle interaction well after what had happened to him.

Sinulyapan niya ang relos. Mamayang hapon na rin ang kanilang final rehearsal sa Swan Lake at pinangako niya rin kay Imris na dadalhin niya ito mamaya.

"Ah, Xibel. Puwede ko bang dalhin mamaya si Imris sa rehearsal?" paalam niya dito.

Ilang segundong namayani ang katahimikan sa pagitan nila bago nito napagdesisyunang magsalita. "Just don't be too late to bring Imris back."

Napangiti naman siya. "I will! You can come to if you want." Jasia halted after she realized what she just said. Nahihiya siyang tumawa. "Sorry. I just got excited na pumayag ka. But if you could then . . ."

"Thank you, but I will decline. I cannot put myself out there with too many crowds. You seem to be well-known so a lot of people may watch. I don't want myself suffocated there."

Right. Xibel didn't like to be surrounded by people.

Kinuha niya ang cell phone sa bag at may tinipa. Iniwanan niya ng mensahe ang kaniyang secretary at si Monsieur Charlotte. She then looked at Xibel. "There will be no people. Just you and Imris."

"Are you sure?" His forehead creased.

"Yup!" Tumayo na siya at naghanda na para umalis. "Tell me your decision later pagbalik ko rito."

She waved her hand before leaving the house.