KABANATA 19: Unfolding the truth

Shadow's POV

Two things are sure. Una, this whole set-up is a fraud. A damn fraud. It is a lie. A perfectly executed fucking disguised. Kung para saan, hindi ko man alam, pero may hinala ako at lalo ko itong napapatunayan sa mga bagay na natutuklasan ko.

And somehow, it felt amazing and nerve-wrecking. Kakaiba yung kaba at excitement na dumadaloy sa ugat at buong katawan ko.

It's like I am unveiling every truth about myself and about the people around me.

Pangalawa. Though this is based on what I have seen on Blaze's unsual flashdrives, all of the these things are pointing to one. That I am an agent. And not just your typical and normal agent, but it seems that I am the 'top' agent of something called Enigma. Maybe an intelligence agency? I'm not really sure but damn, my instincts and these facts infront of me, screams that it is.

Sounds too impossible, pero iyon lang talaga ang naiisip ko. I am an agent, a top agent at that.

Amazing right?

"Oh nandito ka na Shadow? Hindi ka ba pumasok?" halos mailuwa ko ang puso ko sa sobrang pagkagulat sa biglaang pagsasalita ni Shine mula sa likuran ko.

And the next second I realized it, I was trembling in fear and shock. How come I didn't notice that she has already entered my room? Halos manigas ako sa kinatatayuan ko. Kumakabog ng todo ang dibdib ko pero hindi pwedeng manatili akong ganito.

Mabilis na nilingon ko siya at lalong nakaramdam ng kaba ng mapagtanto kong sobrang lapit niya pala sa akin. Ang baba niya ay siyang nakapatong sa ibabaw ng aking balikat habang may ilang pulgada ang pagitan naming dalawa.

Ganito siya kalapit pero hindi ko man lang siyang naramdaman? What is she?

Ang mga mata niya ay diretsong nakatitig sa akin, wari ay sinusuri ang buong pagkatao ko.

And something about her eyes made my heart to even beat faster. Damn. Bakit ba sobrang kinakabahan ako gayong hindi naman ako ay may itinatago?

"Why? Bakit naman ganyan ka makatingin? You were thinking something bad about me no? kaya ganyan ka kagulat na makita ako ngayon," she said as she smiled to me without moving an inch, still looking at me as if she was poking holes in my face. "Why are you looking at me as if you're seeing a ghost? Ang ganda ko namang multo kung gano'n." dagdag niya pa at saka inalis ang ulo niyang nakapatong sa aking balikat.

More than happiness na kinakausap niya ako ngayon, I feel afraid. She was never this friendly to me and we are not in the position to talk like a proper sister. We're not even close. So what the heck is going on right now?

At isa pa, nakapasok siya ng kwarto ko nang ganon-ganon lang? Walang tunog. Walang ingay. Hindi ko man lang napansin na nakapasok na pala siya sa kwarto ko at ngayon ay nasa likuran ko pa.

She moves like a ninja people often see on the television. Kahit pa na sabihin na gawa sa bato sa buong kabahayan, paanong hindi ko man lang napansin ang pagpasok niya? Ang pagbukas ng pinto at ang paglakad niya papunta sa aking likuran?

What's with these people? First with Jericho, then with Blaze and now with Shine. Ngayon sure na ako, na lahat ng hinala at iniisip ko ay tama.

Lahat ng iniisip ko tungkol sa kanila ay totoo. Dalawang taon na nila akong naloloko at nakakatawang hindi ko man lang napansin na I was being the center of joke all this time.

I was the center of their lies and manipulation.

Napabuntong hininga ako. "What are you saying, Shine?" sagot ko sa kanya habang patuloy parin na kunwaring inaayos ang gamit ko sa ibabaw ng lamesang nakaharap sa akin, habang pilit na itinatago ang gamit ni Blaze.

If my speculations are right, she would instantly recognize these things at one glance. Given that she and Blaze were on this together.

"I was just surprised because you pop out of nowhere. Ni wala man lang akong narinig na kahit ano. It was as if you were a ninja. You move insanely smooth na hindi man lang kita naramdaman." makahulugang sagot ko naman sa kanya at saka humarap na.

"Ninja? Do they even exist these days? Sa mga novel and movies na lang yan makikita, Shadow."

"Exactly." saad ko at saka bahagyang napangisi, "I was amazed that you could actually move like them. Kung sa modern day siguro, you could be a spy, you know." saad ko at saka diretsong tumingin sa kanyang mukha.

Mabagal na umangat ang gilid ng labi ni Shine at bahagyang pumaling ang kanyang ulo sa kanyang gilid. She looked at me as if she heard something that has picked her interest. Something that is so thrilling. Something that would be 'fun' for someone like her.

Matagal akong napatitig sa kanya.

Shine is still wearing her office uniform. If that was really her 'office' uniform. It was a black pencil skirt that was long enough to cover her knees, the white polo with black lining on the wrist that is not too tight, compliments her curved and sexy body and her hair was tied in a high pony tail, showing her beautiful features.

She is really beautiful. I guess this beauty of her is a perfect weapon for her real job. An agent.

Shine could totally fool anybody. Kahit siguro sino ay madadala sa ganitong ayos niya.

At one glance, one would think that Shine is a proper corporate worker. An office lady. Pero, ngayon ko lang napansin na behind that perfect "office woman image", lies a strong and intimidating aura of someone that I have no idea of existing.

"Bakit pala nandito ka na?" saad niya sabay upo sa ibabaw ng kama ko. Hindi parin nawawala ang nakakalokong ngiti niya sa labi. "It's still early for you to be here. It's either you were done with your classes which is impossible, given the class loads you have, or you decided to just cut it. So, alin ka don?"

Bingo. She did exactly what I was expecting her to do.

She skillfully dodge the topic about her having the potential to be a spy. Rather than answering my question with just a straight answer, she lashed out a question too and didn't gave me a chance to revive the past topic.

Shine... if you think you could get me lost by doing that, by surprising me, you are gravely mistaken. I admit, I was afraid at first but somehow, my whole system have already adjusted.

Rather than fear, I feel excited about this whole situation. I wanted to see the look in your face, all of you once malaman ko na ang lahat ng bagay na parang pilit ninyong itinatago sa akin.

"Tch. Tinatanong mo pa, pero may conclusion na agad ang pananalita mo. Just ask me straightly, Shine." sagot ko din sa kanya at saka lumalakad papalapit at siyang upo ko rin sa kama. "Just ask me."

"You cut class. What's the reason?" diretsong tanong niya sa akin.

Bahagya akong napangiti.

"Something happened at school and I got irrirated and annoyed kaya naisip ko na umuwi na lang, kesa maging sabaw ako buong araw sa loob ng klase." sagot ko naman sa kanya.

Matagal na nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa. Hanggang sa naglakas loob na akong basagin ang katahimikan na iyon.

"Are you satisfied? Is that what you're expecting me to say, Shine? Okay ka na ba sa sagot ko o may hinihintay kapang iba?"

Agad na ngumiti na naman siya sa akin at saka iniiling ang kanyang ulo bilang tugon sa tanong ko.

"No... Everything is perfect."

Isang bagay lang talaga ang napatunayan ko ngayong araw. Shine, Blaze, Me and maybe Jericho are all part of the same thing. Agents. Enigma.

Wala naman na akong nakikita pang ibang explanation sa mga nangayayari ngayon. Isang bagay na lang ang kailangan kong malaman.

Bakit? Bakit nila kailangang itago? Anong meron bago ako mawalan ng memorya?

Shine's POV

She still looks the same. Everything about her is the same. Her voice, her attitude, how she looks at me, how she behaves, how she answer my questions kahit na feeling niya ay wala naman na siyang choices of answers. The way she carry herself in the middle of all of this. She's still the same.

Gano'n parin siya. Even with her memory lost, siya pa din ang Shadow na nakilala at hinahangaan ko.

Mga katangian na kahit siya ay nabibighani.

Blaze never said anything pero alam ko, alam ko na may espesyal na parte ka sa buhay niya. Bagay na kahit kailan ay hindi ko mapapalitan. Or worst, I would always be in your shadow when it comes to him. To the man that I love.

I have always looked at this woman beside me the same way I did with Teron. I admire everything about her at the same time I envy all of those things.

Even his attention towards her.

Alam kong wala sa lugar at mali itong nararamdaman ko para sa isang kaibigan, pero minsan.. minsan gusto ko na lang na maging ikaw, Shadow. For him to finally see me. For him to show the affection and attention that he did towards you.

"You're still the same, Sha. Ganyan ka pa rin. Your unrivalled guts, aura and pride. Your confidence and everything about your attitude. Ganyan ka parin. The same Shadow that I met few years ago." wala sa sariling sabi ko habang dahan-dahang umaangat ang gilid ng labi ko.

"Ganyan pa rin ako? The same Shadow you met few years ago? So I was right. This is just a show."

Mabilis na napabalik ako sa wisyo ko at napatingin sa kanyang blangkong mga mata. Diretso lang siyang nakatingin sa akin na halos tumagos ang titig niya sa katawan at kaluluwa ko.

Ang labi niya ay pirming nakalinya habang ang kanyang mga kamay ay magkasalikop sa pagitan ng kanyang mga hita.

This is it. This is the Shadow that I fear the most. Yung klase ng Shadow na pirming nakatitig, walang emosyon, walang salita.

What have I done? She would never let me go at this rate.

"No Shadow, let me explain. This is not what you think it is."

"Oh yeah?" nanghahamong sagot niya sa akin. "So tell me, what do you mean by that? Was my speculations about all of these are true? Am I an agent? A top agent in Enigma?"

Patay. Nagkandaloko-loko na. What should I do?