“I’m going to rest. So don’t you dare make any noises.”

I wryly smiled and watched the white lady walk away from me. She didn’t even look back, and instead, she went to the room in the darkest corner of the basement. As I roamed my sight around, I noticed that the bozos around are somehow bowing while their body was focused on a certain direction.

And when I slowly followed it, they were all eyeing Alejandra’s body, making me curious. I was careful and cautious as I approach her direction, not just because she’s a living danger but because of the white lady, who warned me not to make any noises.

I was awed. Alejandra Nakamura is really a beautiful lady, and she has this porcelain skin along with her dark wavy hair. Her skin glistened as if she was sustaining all the nutrients her body needed to take.

“Stop brooding at me, Amira.”

Ilang beses akong napakurap dahil sa bigla n’yang pagsasalita kasabay nito ang pagmumulat niya ng mga mata. Nagtatakha ko siyang pinagmasdan dahil sa kanyang mga mata, ito’y naghahalong kulay tsokolate at dugo. Hindi mawari kung sinong lumalamangay dahil ito naghahalo at sumasayaw sa bawat pagkurap niya.

“Tangina…”

“Do you mind helping your greatest grandmother get out of this coffin?”

Nakangiwi ko siyang tiningnan dahil hindi ko alam kung nagbibiro ba siya o sadyang inaakala niyang patatakasin ko siya, “Ayoko nga. Mangagat ka pa e.”

Isang malamig na halakhak ang kumawala sa mapupula niyang mga labi hanggang sa siya na mismo ang nagbukas nito. Nakatulala lamang ako habang pinagmamasdan siyang makawala sa kanyang babasagin na kabaong, nang tumapak siya sa sahig ay lumingon siya sa akin at pinagtaasan ako ng kilay.

“Bakit ganyan ka makatingin sa akin? Para kang nakakita ng multo.” What the fuck! She’s really a fucking ghost right now!

“You’re not supposed to walk! I mean, hindi ka dapat—”

“That’s what they thought, but I’m perfectly fine.” She shrugged. Alejandra bent her knees and started to pluck the Lycoris Albiflora near her, she was gathering them, and it was not even affecting her body. She’s a bozo. She’s supposed to be vulnerable to that flower! “You might be wondering why I’m like this. It’s been years when I started eating these flowers… my way of repenting my sins to the society.”

“Bakit—”

Alejandra suddenly turned her head and looked at me, “I’ve made a mistake, and the people around me made it worse instead of correcting it.” And without any hesitation, she handed me the flowers she picked and softly pushed me towards the entrance, which I used to get down here, “Your father will come any minute from now.”


“What are you saying? Is he working with you?” I quizzically asked. She smirked and playfully shook her head. And when we entered the room, she suddenly reversed the pin that pricked my finger and used her blood to let the secret elevator function, “Naguguluhan na ako…”

Alejandra suddenly laughed, “No one is working with someone though I’m helping secretly… After all, he is the only man who didn’t fell to the deception of the Nakamura Clan.”

Bigla na lamang umangat ang buong paligid dahilan upang mahulog ko ang ibang bulaklak na kanya naming agad na pinulot. Nang lumitaw ang pinto papunta sa mismong bahay, tumungo siya ro’n at binuksan ang pinto. Tahimik lamang akong nakasunod sa kanya habang maingat pa rin ako kung may gawin man siyang masama, nang makarating kami sa silid ko’y binigyan ko siya ng isang nagtatakhang tingin.

“Place those flowers to your bed. He’ll pick them up later…” Sambit niya habang nagsusulat sa isang sticky notes na hindi ko alam kung saan niya nakuha. Pinagmasdan ko nang maayos ang sinusulat niya saka ko napagtanto formula iyon ng Lycoris Albiflora.

“Mali ‘yan,” bulong ko saka kinuha ang papel at sinulat ang formula na nadiskubre ko. Nang magtama ang balat namin ay napansin ko ang paglanghap niya sa amoy ko na agad nagpangiwi sa akin. Bukod do’n ay may hawak siyang telepono na medyo pamilyar sa aking paningin, “Is that Alex’s phone?”

“Yes. I texted you back then, but you didn’t reply.”

“Are you nut—” hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko nang bigla niya ulit akong amuyin.

“You smell like Alleona, but somehow different,” she mumbled. Mahina niya akong tinulak palayo sa kaniya saka niya ako pinagmasdan mula ulo hanggang paa, “Hey… Can you let me bite you?”

“Putangina. Ayos ka lang ba? Naka-drugs ka ba? Sinong matinong tao na magpapakagat sa isang bozo—”

“Hindi ka mukhang matino sa paningin ko. At napakaarte naman ng tawag mo sa mga infected.” She smirked, making me scowled. I looked at her with disbelief while she confidently crossed her arms, “So… will you—”

“No. Bobo ka,” inis kong sambit saka binato sa kanya ang sticky notes at umalis do’n. Ngunit bago pa ako tuluyan na makababa sa hagdan, saglit akong nakaramdam ng nakatatakot na prisensya mula sa likuran.

Napalunok ako nang silipin ko ang anino sa aking tapat, hugis tao hanggang sa unti-unting nagbabago ang kanyang katawan dahilan upang malingon ako sa direksyon nito.

“What the hell are you…”

No matter where I look at her, Alejandra’s body seemed to be owned by two people. It was somehow divided in half; the right side of her body was gruesome, veins were crimson as blood, and almost all of them are popping out along with scars like drought, cracking on her skin. As well as half of her was hideous, her jaw was loose as if it wanted to give up. On the other hand, her other half possesses an ethereal beauty. As if an angel descended to the Earth, every inch of her body symbolizes perfection.

But the bewitching aura she owned was different, and she slowly walked towards me. And with every take she takes, I was gasping for air to breathe. It somehow stole my ability to move and speak against her.

She was the concept of purity and impurity, the yin and yang, the equinox—the god reigning the Alpheus.

Alejandra slowly lifted my chin, and her cold breath made me shiver. And when her teeth started to sunk deeper in my shoulder, a sudden pang affected my whole body, yet it was tolerable. I was flabbergasted and confused to realize that she was no longer sinking her teeth into my skin. As her eyes shimmered amusement, I was baffled.

“Do you know the idea of the anointed one?”

Dahan-dahan akong umiling habang hinahawakan ang sugat kong mula sa katangahan niya. Ngumiti siya sa akin saka niya hinaplos ang aking pisnge, ang nakasusulasok at nakatatakot na kalahating parte ng katawan niya ay mabilis naglaho at tila inagaw ng mala-anghel niyang katauhan ang buong katawan niya.

“Well… It was related to the being who will change the world under the will of a God.”

“What are you implying?” I asked.

“In this world that you no longer belong to, I am the God.”

I curiously eyed her, “Akala ko ba’y si Daddy iyon?”

“In the Apostles’ eyes, he is. But in the bozos’ eyes, I am.” A world we no longer belong to.

“Then… They don’t just fear you… they also knew how powerful you are. That’s why they are not going here in Alpheus City…”

She smiled and nodded, “Precisely,” she mumbled and curiously glanced at my shoulder, “I am their God, and you are my Messiah.”

Ilang beses na umulit sa aking isipan ang unang pag-uusap namin ni Alejandra, sa kanyang pag-baba sa eroplano ay agad akong napangiti sa kakaibang entrada niya. At mula ulo hanggang paa’y tiningnan niya ang aking ina, na ngayon ballot ng takot. Dahil siya ang nag-iisang bozo na hindi alam ang tungkol kay Alejandra, hindi niya alam na siya ang d’yos na kinatatakutan ng mga bozo dahil buong akala niya’y siya iyon.

Nahagip ng aking mga mata si Ginoong Samuel na nakatulala sa aking ama, “Are you fucking fanboying to my father?” nakangiwi kong tanong.

“I thought… I thought Samson pushed you out of the building earlier.” I heard Tito Tristan said. Samuel suddenly laughed and pointed at me.

“That crazy-ass intelligent woman asked me to provoke my brother and act like a dead person for her final wave… And also pick her up,” he replied and glanced towards Alejandra. He helped them get up and enter the helicopter.

And when I thought my mother was stunned by Alejandra’s presence, her thunderous scream echoed, and before Samuel could help me, the floor I was standing on suddenly collapse along with Alejandra and my mother.

Umalingawngaw ang sigawan nila mula sa itaas kasabay ang tunog nang pagpagaspas ng elisi, nakapikit ako at ang sakit ng buong katawan ko’y muling sumingga. Nang imulat ko ang mga mata ko’y napansin ko ang mabigat at malaking tipak na bato sa aking binti dahilan upang hindi ako makagalaw.

At sa pagtunghay ko sa aking ulo, dahan-dahan na umaangat ang araw dahilan upang bahagyang lumiwanag ang paligid. At sa ‘di kalayuan ay si Alejandra na binabantayan at pinoprotektahan ako sa isang panganib na nasa aming harapan, matalas na tinitingnan ng aking ina ang balikat ko saka niya nilingon si Alejandra.

“You’re beginning to change, Alyxandria.” I heard Alejandra spouted. My mother hissed, and her tentacles suddenly made their way to the debris covering my lower body, and because of its sudden addition in the weight, making me whimpered in pain. Not from afar, Alejandra quickly reaches for the katana I lost and cut through the tentacles, “You’re not supposed to kill my grandchild, Alyxandria. It was your fault for biting her.”

“Stop mocking her, moron!” I screamed.

“Hey, show some respect!”

Impit akong napasigaw nang bigla nalamang nadagdagan ang debris na pumapatong sa aking katawan, nakangiwi akong tiningnan ni Alejandra siya sumugod sa aking ina gamit ang katana. Maliksi ang bawat galaw ni Alejandra na tila mo’y hasang-hasang siya talaga sa paggamit nito, mula sa ere, dalawang galamay ang kaniyang nahiwa.

Hindi nagawa pang magregenerate ng mga galamay nito at hindi na rin ako nagtatakha pa, natatawa niya akong nilingon, “Napakaangas talaga ng anak mo. Talagang ginamit niya pa ang sarili niyang katawan para lang talunin ka,” sambit nito.

“Hindi ako papayag na ako lamang ang babagsak,” sambit ng nanay ko.

Nag-iisa na lamang ang natitirang galamay sa kanyang katawan dahilan upang maging kampante si Alejandra sa sitwasyon. Taas-noo siyang pinagmasdan ni Alejandra saka ito ngumisi, “You just drunk the blood that can turn the bozo into a human in a fastest way.”

Bahagya akong napaiwas ng tingin sa kanya at sumilay sa aking ina, na unti-unting nababago ang itsura. Ang natutuyot niyang mga balat ang dahan-dahan na nawawala at ang tunay niyang kutis ay umuusbong. Kinuyom niya ang kanyang kamao saka sumugod kay Alejandra na nakatingin sa akin, hindi ko nagawang balaan ito dahil sa biglaang pangyayari.

Nang mabitawan ni Alejandra ang katana’y agad iyong kinuha ng aking ina, ginamit niya ang nag-iisang galamay na natira sa kanyang katawan upang daplisan ang balat ni Alejandra, at nang muli itong gumalaw ay buong lakas nitong tinulak si Alejandra hanggang sa tumama ang likuran nito sa pader.

At bago pa man makatayo si Alejandra, binaon niya rito ang katana hanggang sa pader upang manatili lamang itong nakapako sa pader. Buong lakas na pinipilit ni Alejandra na makawala ro’n habang ang ina ko’y dahan-dahan na nagmamartsa patungo sa akin na may isang mapait na ngiti sa kanyang labi.

“Amira…” She suddenly leveled herself to mine and caressed my cheeks with tears streaming down her terrifying face, “I loved you… I loved you, but it was all in the past.” She just told me the words that a child wouldn’t like to hear, and it fucking hurts like hell.


“Do you want to be with me until the end?” She asked, making my eyes shimmered tears. How dare she ask that question? “If I can’t claim immortality… Then you and your people shouldn’t live in peace. If you die, they will all blame themselves, especially her,” she added and stole a glance to Alejandra.

Her hand slowly slip to my neck. She firmly lifted it while wringing my neck with might. As the air flowing from my body started to lack, I began to cough. It was hard to struggle from her grasp, especially because I am incapable of my current state.

All of a sudden, someone pushed her away from me, and as the eye of the heavens slowly rises, my lips trembles as my eyes were flooded with tears. Then, a smile leisurely curved into the lips of the one who helped me, a smile that was flooded with emotions and unsaid words.

The last tentacle pierced him, yet his smile was way brighter than earlier. A flash of memories started to appear in my mind as my heart felt a sudden grieve, a heartbreak that it will take an eternity to heal. And when his blood began to be vomit out from his mouth when he suddenly embraced my mother and used all the strength to push themselves out of the highest building in Alpheus city.

But before they disappeared from my sight, he once again smiled and uttered something.

“Happy Birthday, Amira.”

#