Chapter 28

hierarchy
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Tatlong araw na ang nakalipas simula nang mangyari ang pangatlong case na na-experience ko. I was still confined in the Medical Department because of my injuries.

Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa mga nangyari sa mansion ni Ma’am Ana. Sabi raw ni Dra. Yuuki, may poisonous substances na pumasok sa katawan ko upon contact with the bullets, which weren’t ordinary and I almost died because of them.

“Nee-chan, uwi lang muna kami sa dorm para maligo.”

“Ako rin. Feeling ko ang dumi ko na. Baka mamaya naaamoy na ako ng isang mokong mula sa malayo tapos aasarin na naman ako.”

Ngumiti na lang ako sa kanila at sinabi kong umuwi na muna sila sa dorm para makapagpahinga na rin sila. Tatlong araw na rin kasi nila akong binabantayan tapos pumapasok pa sila sa klase. Pati sina Hiro, Ken at Reiji dinadalaw rin ako kapag tapos na ang klase.

Pagkalabas nila ay napatingin ako sa orasan at nakita kong 5 PM na pala. Sabi ni Dra. Yuuki, pwede na raw akong lumabas bukas ng umaga. Ilang oras na lang ang hihintayin ko. Tamad na tamad na rin kasi ako dito sa kwarto na ‘to. Noong nakaraang dalawang araw kasi, bawal akong gumalaw nang gumalaw dahil baka raw kumalat pa lalo ang poisons na ‘di pa natatanggal sa blood streams at muscles ko. Kaninang umaga lang talaga natapos ang complete extraction ng poison sa katawan ko.

“Mukhang okay ka na, ah.”

Nagulat naman ako nang makita ko si Ma’am Reina sa tabi ko. Ni hindi ko man lang namalayan na pumasok siya rito sa kwarto ko. Kinabahan tuloy ako dahil akala ko ay kung sino na.

“Medyo okay na po,” sagot ko naman pero biglang naging malungkot ang expression niya.

“Sorry Akemi. I wasn’t able to protect you from him. When you both disappeared, I didn’t know what to do. I panicked. Alam kong napuruhan ko si Kyuuya pero hindi ako mapakali noon dahil kasama ka niya. So, I decided to track the other one dahil naisip kong baka balikan niya ang kasama niya. Pero pagdating ko doon sa room, saktong nawala na ang presence ng Reaper at nakita ko na lang na sugatan sina Hayate at Hiroshi.”

“Ms. Reina, wala naman kayong kasalanan. In fact, you saved me. Sorry rin po kasi kung hindi ako humawak doon sa cloak ng Reaper ay sana hindi ako napunta sa Black Dimension.”

“How did you know that place?” tanong ni Ma’am Reina kaya bigla akong kinabahan.

I shouldn’t have told her. Baka malaman niya pa ang tungkol kay Darwin. But in the end, sinabi ko na rin dahil baka may makuha silang valuable information from that.

“Ibig sabihin, nakatakas pala ng tuluyan si Kyuuya.”

“Yeah. At kung tama ang pagkakaalala ko, pinapatawag siya ng isang babae.”

“Babae?”

“That’s what Darwin told him.”

Para namang may na-realize si Ma’am Reina. “I knew it.”

“Ang ano po?”

“Naalala mo ba ang sinabi nina Ken at Hiro? Sabi nila, those Shinigamis were following Sarah Angeles.” Tumango naman ako. “And we told you that Reapers just follow orders from the higher ones. I am quite sure that the ‘she’ your classmate was talking is Sarah Angeles.” Tumingin naman siya sa mga mata ko. “And surprisingly, mukhang sinunod din ng Reaper ang utos ng classmate mo.”

Unti-unti ko namang na-realize ang gustong iparating ni Msa’am Reina kahit ayaw tanggapin ng utak ko.

“Y-you mean . . .”

“Yes. That Sarah Angeles and Darwin are on a higher level than those Reapers. That means they are stronger than them.”

Bigla akong kinilabutan sa sinabi ni Ms. Reina. Parang bigla ko na lang naramdaman ang takot. Alam kong Shinigami si Sarah Angeles pati si Darwin, pero hindi ko akalaing nasa mataas na posisyon sila.

“Sige Akemi, mauna na muna ako. Sasabihin ko muna sa kanila ang mga napag-usapan natin ngayon.”

“Sige po.”

Tumayo si Ma’am Rein at tuluyang lumabas sa kwarto ko. Bumangon naman ako dahil sabi naman ni Dra. Yuuki ay okay na akong gumalaw.

Hindi ko talaga lubos-maisip na si Darwin ay isa sa may mga pinakamataas na posisyon sa mga Shinigami. I thought it was just his nature but I realized he really had the authority when he was talking to Kyuuya. And that Sarah Angeles. I was quite sure she was the one talking to me during the murder case, but what does she want from me?

“Oh. So you’re thinking about me. How cute.”

Napatalon ako nang bigla na lang may lumitaw sa gilid ko at hindi ako nakahinga nang makit ako kung sino ‘yon.

It was Sarah Angeles.

I could still remember her face, but unlike her usual businesswoman attire, she was wearing a black dress and draped with a black cloak. Her hair which was always tied tightly in a bun was put down and her intense green eyes were looking at me.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not here to kill you. Just checking if you’re still alive,” sabi niya at saka siya tumayo mula sa pagkakaupo. Lumapit siya sa akin at napaatras ako sa takot, lalong-lalo na ngayon na alam kong mas malakas pa siya sa Reapers na na-encounter namin.

“It’s been a long time, Yuzuki.”

Pareho kaming napatigil nang marinig namin ang boses mula sa gilid. Mas lalo akong nagulat nang makita ko si Sir Hideo, Tantei High’s president, sa may couch sa gilid. How did . . . how did he get there?

“Hideo,” Sarah called and I could hear the disgust and rage in her voice.

“What are you doing here, Yuzuki?” he calmly said, as if he wasn’t bothered by her presence. Napansin ko namang nanginginig ang katawan ni Sarah. Is she afraid?

“You . . . you’re the reason why she . . .”

That was when I realized she wasn’t trembling in fear but anger.

“Do not dwell on the past anymore. I know that that isn’t the reason why you’re here,” sabi ni Sir Hideo at maging ako ay kinabahan nang lalong naging seryoso ang mukha niya.

Sarah just smiled. “Nothing. I was just checking her condition,” sabay tingin niya sa akin. “And I’m just following her order.”

Her order? Someone higher than her?

“I see. So she’s starting to move through her Reapers and Elites.”

Tumayo si Sir Hideo mula sa couch and I was mesmerized by the color of his eyes. That was the most intense color I’ve seen here.

“Tell this to Rin: I am already prepared,” he said and after that, Sarah disappeared.

Doon lang ako nakahinga at napaupo na lang ako sa kama matapos no’n.

“Are you okay?” tanong sa akin ni Sir Hideo pero masyadong maraming tumatakbo sa utak ko ngayon at pakiramdam ko ay hindi na ako magiging okay pa.

“S-sino po si Rin?” I asked back and I thought he’d get angry but he just sad beside me.

“She’s my counterpart. She’s the leader of the Shinigami tribe.”

Halos hindi na ako makahinga dahil sa nalaman ko. Rin, that name, mas lalo akong kinilabutan.

“A-ano pong itsura niya?”

“Why are you interested?”

Hindi ko rin alam. Gusto ko lang malaman. It felt like I should know her.

“It’s been fifteen years since I last saw her but she has an intense ferocious eyes, black cloak, short hair and she likes to stay in the shadow.”

So that was her. The person who was talking in my mind was Rin.

“Ma’am Michiko is looking for you.”

Napatingin ako sa may pintuan at this time, si Hiro naman ang nakita ko. Bakit ba lahat ng pumapasok sa kwarto ko ngayon ay hindi ko man lang nararamdaman ang presence?

“Then . . .” sabay tingin sa akin ni Sir Hideo kaya nag-bow na lang ako at sabay na rin silang lumabas ng kwarto ni Hiro kaya naiwan na akong mag-isa—hopefully. Sana lang ay wala nang sumulpot na kahit sino.

Medyo nakahinga na ako nang wala nang pumasok o lumitaw bigla sa kwarto ko after five minutes. Nakakapag-isip na rin ako nang mabuti. If Rin was that person . . . then what does the Shinigami tribe want from me?

Ano bang meron sa akin? 
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