My Love, Darkness

Chapter 41

TITUS instantly stopped to open the library's door when he heard Larid's voice.

"You can't push me. I don't what to control him," Larid said.

"You must. If he is your friend, you must help him," a woman said.

A friend? Napataas ng kilay si Titus. Sa ilang taong pinagsamahan nila, kahit kailan ay wala nabanggit si Larid na mayro'n itong kaibigan bukod lamang sa kanilang dalawa ni Kellan lalo na't sa nakikita niya ay halos sila lang din dalawa ni Kellan ang nakakapunta sa bahay ni Larid.

"I don't f*****g want to control him nor push him to do what he wants! This is enough," may galit na sabi ni Larid.

Napabuntong-hininga si Titus bago naisipang pumasok sa library. Nang pagkabukas niya ng pinto, agad niyang binaba ang fedora niya nang makitang anghel ang kausap ni Larid.

Maging ang anghel ay nagulat sa bigla niyang pagpasok kaya ibinuka nito ang pakpak nito.

Nagliwanag ang paligid pero hindi siya nabulag sa liwanag na gawa ng anghel na kausap ni Larid dahil sa nakaharang na fedora sa kaniyang mukha.

"Mom, stop. It's Titus," sabi ni Larid kapagkuwan ay napabuntong-hininga.

Nang mawala ang liwanag, nakataas ang kilay na tinignan ni Titus si Larid at ang Ina nitong anghel.

Nakasuot ito ng isang maputi at mahabang dress habang sa likod ay may maputing pakpak kagaya ng mga anghel. Lumilipad ang mga parte ng suot nitong dress kahit walang bintana na nakabukas para magkaroon ng hangin sa kuwarto.

"What the f**k is going on here?" malamig niyang sabi at napatingin sa nakangiting anghel sa kaniya. "I thought your Mom is dead."

Napakibit-balikat si Larid habang inosente ang mukha na tumingin sa kaniya. "Sorry, hindi ko naipa-liwanag. She's still alive though she's always on duty kaya nakakaligtaan ko na rin banggitin sa inyo ni Kellan but anyway..."

Ngumiti si Larid sa kaniya pagkatapos ay sa Ina nitong anghel. "Mom, I would like you to meet Titus Dimitriadis, the grim reaper we are talking about. And Titus, meet my Mom, Hesla."

Nanatiling malamig ang tingin ni Titus sa Ina ni Larid habang ang Ina naman ni Larid ay nakangiti sa kaniya.

Larid blows a loud breath. Natatawa ito habang nakatingin sa Ina at kaibigan niya. "This is kinda weird. Angel versus grim reaper," patawang sabi ni Larid pero tinignan lang siya ng masama ni Titus.

"Son, we can't be enemies. Your friend is also an angel, although he's an angel of death," pagpapaliwanag ng Ina ni Larid na sinagot ng pagtango ni Larid.

"First of all, I came here to ask something to Larid but to think that I'm the topic of your conversation?" Napataas ng kilay si Titus habang nakatingin sa Ina ni Larid. "Tell me. What is it that you wanted Larid to do something?"

Napabuntong-hininga si Larid samantalang ang Ina ni Larid ay biglang naging seryoso. Tumingin si Larid sa Ina niya. "Mom, are you sure about this?"

"Well, I can't endure seeing two souls being played by the Gods. And it happens that he's your friend so I just want to give him an insight about what the Gods have planned for him," seryosong sabi ni Hesla na ikinataka ni Titus.

"Me? Being played? By the Gods?" Napatingin siya kay Larid. Hindi ito makatingin sa kaniya kaya naiyukom niya ang kamao niya. "You already know this but you never told me, aren't you?"

Muling umiwas ng tingin sa kaniya si Larid kaya napahinga na lang siya ng malalim. Hindi naman niya ito masisisi. Kahit kailan talaga ay hindi ito pumanig sa iisang tao.

"So, what about it? Why the Gods are playing with me?" tanong niya kay Hesla na ikinangiti naman nito.

"I'm sad to say but I do not know why the Gods are playing with you but I guess, Eros can explain to you everything you want to know," Hesla said, still smiling.

Titus is confused. Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit siya pa ang napiling paglaruan ng mga Diyos. Maging ang tinutukoy ng anghel na si Eros na makakapagpaliwanag sa kaniya sa mga nangyari. Wala naman interesante sa kaniya bukod sa isa siyang grim reaper na ilang taong pinoprotektahan ang isang batang mortal.

Nanlaki ang mata ni Titus nang maintindihan ang nangyari. Everything is connected with Phoebe. Akala siguro ng mga Diyos ay mapapaglalaruan sila nito.

But he already decided to leave her alone. Gusto niya itong mamuhay ng normal at hindi nakasalalay sa kaniya ang buhay nito. Kahit gusto niya itong dalawin, ayaw niyang gawin.

Dahil alam niya, sa oras na puntahan niya ito, hindi na niya mapipigilan ang sarili na bisitahin ito ulit.

Tama si Kellan. Mortals are made vulnerable so they could learn. Para matutunan at mabuo nila ang kanilang sarili hanggang sa mamatay.

Muling tumingin si Titus kay Hesla. "Wala na akong pakialam pa sa kung anumang klaseng laro ang ibigay sa akin ng mga Diyos." Tumingin siya kay Larid na nanatiling tahimik at tulala.

"Larid," pagtawag niya dito na ikinalingon naman nito sa kaniya.

"What?" nagtataka nitong sabi.

"I needed to talk to you..." Napatingin siya sa Ina ni Larid. "Alone."

Bumuntong-hininga si Larid bago hinarap ang Ina nito. "Mom, me, and Titus will talk about something. Excuse us," Larid said before turning his back on her Mother and walked towards him.

Hinawakan siya nito sa likod kapagkuwan ay iginiya palabas ng library. Dinala siya nito salas kapagkuwan ay kumuha ng beer sa fridge.

"Beer?" tanong sa kaniya ni Larid.

"No, thank you," sagot niya kapagkuwan ay umupo sa couch.

Nang makaupo si Larid sa katapat niyang couch, binuksan muna nito ang beer bago siya kinausap. "So what do you want to about, mate?"

"I have these weirdest dreams again. About this woman..."

"Oh... so you're having wet dreams, huh?" may pang-aasar na sabi ni Larid na ikina-iling niya.

"No. I'm not. This vivid dream is the same dream where Lamia has trapped me, Larid. I was in a war in then the next thing I know is that I'm in a room where I'm being intimate with a woman," he said, explaining.

"Hmm..." Larid held his chin, thinking about Titus' dream. "Maybe, Lamia's spell is stuck in you."

"That's what I also think, Larid. Though, my dreams, It felt like they are real," naguguluhan niyang sabi.

"Well, maybe the dreams are connected from your past. Did you somehow felt connected to a person in your dream?"

Napaisip si Titus. Thinking of his dreams that already made him sleepless. Until he remembers a scene. The one when he was training the power of necrokinesis.

"Bud, remember when you're teaching me the last two forbidden abilities?"

Uminom si Larid ng beer kapagkuwan ay tumango-tango. "Yeah, I remembered. What about it?" ani Larid at nilapag ang beer sa lamesa.

"Because while I was training to let out necrokinesis, a vision, dream, scene? I don't know what to call it. But it happens that when I closed my eyes, I was in another place, where I saw a dead woman lying in haystacks inside a barn," pagpapaliwanag ni Titus.

"Then? Did you somehow felt something when you saw the dead woman?" tanong sa kaniya ni Larid na sinagot niya ng pagtango.

"Yeah, I felt like I wanted to kill. Also, grieving," Titus said as he remembers what did he exactly felt.

"Then it is your past, Titus," Larid said, chuckling before sipping his beer. "This is the first time I heard a grim reaper seeing a glimpse of his past."

"Ano sa tingin mo? Is it a bad thing? Would it change something?" may pag-aalala niyang tanong.

"It will depend on you, Titus. Because honestly, If I am in your shoes, I also don't know what too. You know you are too weird to be a grim reaper. When I meet you, you are so overprotective."

Natawa si Titus. Kunsabagay ay tama ito. Puwede rin naman siguro na hindi na muna niya intindihin ang mga panaginip niya hangga't hindi naman siya nito binibigyang problema sa pagiging grim reaper niya.

"Right. Like you're not weird too. Singing songs that makes my eardrums ache."

"Hell, man. It's called talent. Rock is something, man. Music changes everything. What am I supposed to do? Let myself be bored?"

Pareho silang natawa kapagkuwan ay muling sumeryoso.

"So how was it?" tanong ni Larid.

"What?"

"Leaving Phoebe alone after being protective for seven years? Did you somehow missed her?" tanong ni Larid habang nagtataas-baba ang kilay nito.

Titus chuckled as he remembers what he did for the past weeks since he left Phoebe. Now, that he thinks of it.

Sana hindi nasaktan o nagalit si Phoebe sa kaniya. It's a sacrifice for him. Sana hindi sumama ang loob nito o kung ano. Alam niyang makakalimutan din siya ni Phoebe pero kailangan niyang sumugal.

It hurts him to realize that he can't protect Phoebe forever but he needs to leave her alone. Malaki ang agwat ng mundo nilang dalawa.

Kailangan niyang bumalik sa reyalidad. Kung saan isang mortal si Phoebe at siya ay isang grim reaper. Phoebe lives to be alive while Titus lives because he has a purpose in the mortal world.

He's a reaper. An angel of death. One that serves for Thanatos to bring souls in Hades' underworld.

Napakalayo ng mundo nilang dalawa para magkaroon ng tsansang maglagi siya sa tabi ng isang batang mortal. Kahit kailan ay hindi niya ito mapo-protektahan sa kung anong sakit o pagkatuto na nakahanda kay Phoebe para siya ay maging ganap na tao.

His only job is to reap souls. Not to protect and kill mortals that are really against their law.

"I did miss her, sometimes." Titus felt something clenched inside his chest as he remembers Phoebe's cuteness. Napabuntong-hininga siya.

Miss na miss niya ang dalagang mortal. Walang oras na hindi niya ito inisip lalo na't habang nasa trabaho.

Kahit na bumalik na rin siya sa trabaho niya, pakiramdam niya ay hindi pa rin siya kumpleto. Naging parte na ng buhay niya ang dalagang mortal kung kaya't hindi niya idi-deny na nasasaktan siya sa pag-iwan kay Phoebe.

Mabuti na lang at tuwing magkakasama silang tatlo ay hindi nagtatanong si Larid at Kellan dahil magiging awkward siya pero ngayong si Larid ang kausap niya at interesado ito, ayaw niyang magsinungaling.

"I mean, I really missed her," Titus said before blowing a loud breath. "But I need to move on. Kellan has talked me out of it and I promised so..." napakibit-balikat si Titus.

"Yeah, para naman sa inyo pareho ang ginawa mo. Just like you, Titus. I already made myself so attached to someone to the point that it's my fault that she died because I'm a Nephilim," Larid said who suddenly became serious.

Titus is shocked. "What happened? How come she died? You are a nephilim."

Malalim na huminga si Larid. Tila bumabalik dito ang mga nangyari. Kagaya lang nang magkuwento si Kellan tungkol sa nakilala nitong mortal.

"I'm impatient and real megalomaniac back then, Titus. I crave power and goal to overpower anyone who gets in my way," pag-uumpisa ni Larid.

Nanatiling tahimik si Titus. He's interested to know Larid's life before he became the Larid they know.

"Back then, I will kill for power. I was killed with no mercy just to maintain the power I have until I met a woman. A woman I should have known that will change my life for good."

Natawa ng mahina si Titus. "A woman? Just the same with Kellan? A woman?"

"What do you expect? Gusto mo lalake? Gross, bud." Natawa silang dalawa bago tinuloy ni Larid ang pagkukuwento niya.

"So, yep. Just the same with Kellan. I've fallen in love with someone I shouldn't. Because I never thought that the woman was going to be my downfall." Bumuntong-hininga si Larid at natulala. "That woman became my everything, bud. I will do whatever it takes to make her safe while I was reigning my own kingdom."

"Wow, hindi ko inaakala na sobrang tanda mo na," komento ni Titus na ikinailing ni Larid.

"So yeah, to make everything short. My enemies know that she's my weakness. So they assassinated her while I was fighting to another place so I could take it over. She became an easy target because she's also not like me. Mortal lang siya. That's why I somehow understand Kellan when he was so pissed off because you've been acting too much... It's not right," Larid said that made Titus stilled.

Natulala siya habang pinoproseso ang sinabi ni Larid.