My Love, Darkness

Chapter 65

TITUS brows furrowed as he heard a coughing sound before darting his eyes to Kellan who is also looking at him.

"What?" he said nonchalantly.

Umiling si Kellan kapagkuwan ay umupo ito sa couch. Kellan lays his self to the soft couch as if it's the first time he is relaxing.

"How's Phoebe? Is everything okay?" tanong ni Kellan na agad naman ikinatahimik ni Titus.

Thinking of what is happening again, disgust came back rushing to his whole being before speaking up.

"A cult made Phoebe's friend a victim. She became pregnant after her body was used for the ritual," he said, telling what happened the whole day. "Phoebe was so affected to the point she wants to help those cult members put behind bars."

"Hmm... That will be easy. Since Phoebe's friend is a victim, they can just hire a sketch artist and defines the facial features of those cult members she remembers."

Titus sighs because of what Kellan said. "That's the thing, because of what happened. Phoebe's friend, Sasha, had a trauma. She's scared to face those who sexually used her body. Making everything difficult to Phoebe because she commited suicide just this afternoon."

Gulat ngunit nakakunot ang noo na napatingin sa kaniya si Kellan. Tila hindi ito makapaniwala sa sinabi niya.

"Suicide? Why would she do that? Phoebe is there to help her and she just blow it all up just because she's scared?" Kellan said that made him Titus rise from laying down on the couch.

"It's the trauma doing. Remember that mortals are vulnerable. It is also not her fault anyway since she's just a victim," sagot niya sa kaibigan.

Kellan chuckles that made him look at his friend. "What?"

Muling umiling si Kellan habang nakangiti sa kaniya. Walang halong pang-aasar sa mukha nito.

"Look at you, liking mortals now, huh?" tanong nito na ikinatawa niya.

Kellan is at it again, talking about mortals like they became a big deal to him.

For the past eighteen years, Phoebe is the only exception from his hate towards mortals. Hindi pa rin nagbabago ang tingin niya sa mga mortal. Sa mata niya ay makasalanan at maiitim pa rin ang budhi ng ilang mortal.

Lalo na't sa maraming beses na siyang naka-engkwentro ng iba't ibang klase ng mga mortal, lahat sila ay iisa lang. Lahat sila ay may iba't ibang rason ngunit pare-parehas lang sila makasalanan.

Those souls he have collected. Those immortals he have hunt. All of them are worthy to the gates of Hell.

"No. I still don't like them. They are still the filthiest to be worthy of my hate. Though Phoebe is the only exception. I met her as the purest mortal girl through my whole life as a grim reaper," he said, looking back at the time where he first saw Phoebe.

"Okay. I believe you. There's no arguing needed for that. I've seen enough," natatawang saad ni Kellan.

Hindi na nagsalita si Titus. He stood up and walked towards the refridgerator. Nang buksan niya ang fridge, tanging lasagna lang ang napansin niya kapagkuwan ay kinuha ito.

"Hey, hey..."

Nakakunot ang noo na napatingin si Titus sa natatarantang boses na iyon ni Larid. Wala itong suot na pang-itaas na kaniya naman ikinataka.

"What's with you, bud? I've never seen you naked like this before," natatawa niyang sabi.

Tumikhim si Larid kapagkuwan ay sumeryoso. "She's here," simpleng sabi ni Larid na agad niya naman naintindihan.

He nodded his head before grinning at Larid. "Lover boy, huh?"

Larid just tsked before taking the lasagna contained to a tupperware. "Why are you taking my lasagna?"

Napakibit ng balikat si Titus habang nang-aasar na nakangiti sa kaibigan niya. "Because I want to eat it."

"This is not even yours to eat. She gave this to me," seryosong sabi ni Larid kapagkuwan ay muling binalik sa refrigerator ang lasagna.

"Hmmm... Possessive now, aren't we?" natatawa niyang sabi.

Nagtaas ng kilay si Larid sa kaniya. "Bud, stop. She made this for me. I just want it for me."

Napanguso naman siya. "But I'm hungry and it's only the lasagna I want to eat," parang nagtatampo niyang sabi.

Gusto niyang humagalpak ng tawa nang makita ang lalong pagkunot ng noo ni Larid. Alam niyang napipikon na ito sa inaakto niya.

"Go f**k yourself, bud. I already said that it's mine," may diin na ngayon na sabi ni Larid, tila galit habang nakatingin ng masama sa kaniya.

"Now, that's a rude thing to say, honey."

Pareho silang napatingin sa hagdan kung saan dahan-dahang bumaba ang isang babaeng nkasuot lang ng malaking t-shirt.

Titus grins. If his memory serves him right, it was Larid's t-shirt the woman is wearing. Mabilis siyang umiwas sa direksyon ng babae kapagkuwan ay nang-aasar na nagtaas-baba ang kaniyang kaliwang kilay kay Larid.

"f**k off," asar na sabi sa kaniya ni Larid kapagkuwan ay lumapit ito sa babae nang makababa ito sa huling baitang ng hagdan.

"What the f**k?!" It was Kellan's voice while was only shock as he watches Larid's angelic wings widen before enveloping the woman's body and pulled closer to Larid's body as if hiding her possessively from them.

"Sh-she knows?" hindi makapaniwalang sabi ni Kellan. Pertaining about them being grim reapers and Larid being an angel.

Natawa naman ang babae habang nakatingin sa kanila. Nasa loob pa rin ito ng dalawang pakpak ni Larid na parang yakap-yakap siy nito.

"Of course I know. Because if Larid not told me the truth, I will reject him," nakangiting sagot ng babae na kaniya naman ikinangiti.

"Takot ka pala, eh," nang-aasar niyang sabi kay Larid.

Tinignan siya ng masama ni Larid. "f**k you, Titus."

"Hey, hey..." biglang sabi ng babae kay Larid. Hinawakan nito sa pisngi si Larid na bigla naman ikinapula ng mukha ng kanilang kaibigan. "Calm down, honey."

Napatingin sa isa't isa si Kellan at Titus kapagkuwan ay parehas silang malakas na humagalpak ng tawa.

"Damn, bud. This is going to be fun," mangiyak-ngiyak na sabi ni Kellan na agad naman sinang-ayunan ni Titus.

"Hell, yeah! It will," ani Titus kapagkuwan ay patuloy na tumawa.

Napatigil na lang sila ng tawa nang bigla nasa harapan na nila si Larid, tila umuusok ang ilong nito habang nanlilisik ang mga mata na nakatingin sa kanila.

Napalunok si Titus bago nagsalita. "Gotta go," he said before teleporting but even before he can teleport, Larid grip the scruff of his neck, making him stop from teleporting.

"Where do you think you are going?" seryosong sabi ni Larid na muli niyang ikinalunok.

He shouldn't have mess with a nephilim but since Larid is their friend, he knows that Larid would never hurt them.

Or that was he just thought because after being caught by Larid, he suddenly feels intimidated because of Larid's aura.

"Larid, stop," sabi ng babae ngunit hindi man lang natinag si Larid.

Nanatili siyang tahimik habang nilalabas din ang aura na mayro'n siya bilang grim reaper. Nakikita niya rin naapektuhan si Larid ng nilalabas niyang aura ngunit nasa mukha nito ang pagka-determinado para manalo ang maputi nitong aura laban sa kaniyang itim.

Hanggang sa biglang umalingawngaw ang malakas na tunog ng sampal. Nakangangang tumingin silang dalawa ni Kellan sa babae na ngayon ay hinihingal habang nanlilisik ang mata na nakatingin kay Larid.

"This is what I'm talking about! You are scaring me!" sigaw nito kapagkuwan ay nagdadabog na muling umakyat sa ikalawang palapag ng bahay ni Larid.

Tahimik na napatingin sa isa't isa si Larid, Kellan at Titus. Mga napipilan lalo na't sa nangyari na nagdulot para matakot ang bisita ni Larid.

Now, they are feeling guilty just like what a scolded child looks like. Umiling si Titus kapagkuwan ay tumikhim bago nagsalita.

"I think you should follow her. Please tell her that I'm sorry for scaring her too. I will just..." bumuntong-hininga si Titus bago tinuloy ang kaniyang sasabihin. "I will just go back to Phoebe. I still need to check on her."

Tumango si Larid bilang sagot sa sinabi niya. He nodded at Larid before wearing his fedora and turning his back on his two friends.

Nakangusong lumabas siya ng bahay nang biglang kumalam ang tiyan niya. "Damn, I'm really hungry," he murmurs before sighing.

Muli siyang nagpatuloy sa paglakad habang inaalala ang mga kainan na pinupuntahan nilang tatlo para kumain. He walked for almost an hour until he spotted a restaurant.

Mabilis siyang pumasok sa loob kapagkuwan ay umorder ng makakain. He ordered a Russian Pelmeni, Okroshka Soup and a meat course before choosing a table and made his self settled.

Habang naghahantay sa kaniyang pagkain, inilabas niya ang kaniyang cellphone. He swipe his screen before going to his favorite app which is f*******:. He only has two friends which is Kellan and Larid. He made his account private so that he still safe from being exposed.

Patuloy lamang siya sa pag-scroll, natutuwa kapag may nakikitang interesante sa kaniyang timeline o kaya ay sisimangot kapag nakakita naman ng mga bagay na hindi niya gusto.

Until his scrolling fever ends by seeing Phoebe's picture.