[KHALI]
You know that every story has a plot twist, right? What happened tonight was one of them. When I walked to where the lady in Kitsune mask was standing, socializing with some men in volto masks, I was ready to approach and talk to her. Inside, the lights were dim, and I didn't think she'd know my intention. But when she turned her gaze to me, my heart almost stopped.
It's as if she was aware of my presence all along as if she anticipated my arrival.
She excused herself from the men she was talking to. She’s wearing a dress made of silk, with large sleeves that reach from the shoulders all the way down to the heels, a Kimono. She dashed inside one of the rooms on the side, where two tall guys in black suits stood guard outside. Dammit! Did she know about me?
The two men blocked my way when I was about to follow her inside the room. I knew I shouldn’t follow her here since there could be traps in this room waiting for me.&n
[KHALI] My life is like a bus trip. There were so many routes and stops, and between those stops, I met new people, those people that I thought would stay permanently in my life. They never stayed, though. Either they abandoned me, or I was forced to abandon them. Another heartbreaking, dull, pointless halt, followed by another. I often wonder when I'll arrive at my final destination. When am I going to quit looking for folks and hoping they'll stick with me? But then it dawned on me that perhaps I am the only one who can decide when I should quit. When I finally found the fulfillment I'd been searching for all these years. But how can I do that, when every time I get to decide who should I spend my final stop with, I started to get scared. I cowered and pushed them away. I drew a line between us. For a brief period, I realized that I was the one shoving them away because of the horrible trauma Carmine Crea had inflicted on me. I turned into a jerk,
[KHALI] I strode towards the building's entrance. It didn't matter whether the guard was ferociously preventing me from entering the building. I had to knock him down, or I might end up killing him eventually if I failed to rescue Jane. Every second counts and I'm not going to waste even a fraction of them. I immediately went inside the elevator and pressed the button to the basement. You might think that this was a dumb move because surely, they will be alerted that someone is coming down to the basement. Yes, it is dumb if I didn’t consider climbing up the ceiling before the elevator door parted. The sound of gunshots greeted me as the elevator door opened, but not a single bullet struck me. I was right; a posse of assassins was waiting for me. I leaped to my feet and began kicking their behinds, punching their faces, and twisting their limbs and necks. I received a couple of kicks and punches, and I came dangerously close to being shot by th
[JANE]It’s been a week since that terrible incident happened. It’s been a week since the endless longing started. Right after I was rescued and after Khali almost lost her life for saving me, she fell into coma. It’s been a week now and she’s not waking up. Every day I come to the hospital to look after her. I never lose faith and hope that she’ll wake up soon. Every night I cry in silence, blaming myself for what happened. It’s my fault that Khali’s not waking up now, it’s my fault that she almost got killed. Jey keeps on telling me that it’s not my fault, she remained strong but I know she’s broken inside. There’s no assurance that her best friend is gonna wake up again. The doctor said that Khali should have woken up but it must be the impact on her head when she fell to the ground that affected her state. She had a large bruise on the right side of her head and on her forehead, and a great
[JANE] I couldn’t utterly express how I felt the moment I opened my eyes. With the light shining from the room's ceiling, I adjusted my vision. I can feel my tears running down on the corner of my eyes, and I let them be. The bed was sufficiently comfortable to keep me from moving a muscle. I failed to notice that someone was here all along, not until I felt them caress my hand. My eyes widened as I noticed the familiar pair of doe eyes worriedly staring at me from my side. She was as taken aback as I was. She opened her mouth to speak, but when she uttered my name, it came out as a sob. She’s still wearing her hospital gown. I couldn’t help but to pour all of my emotions and sat up despite my dizziness just to hug her tightly. "Khali," I whimpered, repeating her name over and over. I couldn’t believe that she was finally awake. It didn't matter that I was witnessing her emotional state for the first time. That no longer surprised
[JANE] When I regained my consciousness, the doctor asked me to take a rest for a while. At first, I didn’t agree because that means I won’t be able to visit Khali for a few days. Jey and Khali's parents, on the other hand, were adamant, and they assured me that they would take care of Khali. Even though it was against my will, I took a three-day rest. Reese stayed with me the whole time. She cooked for me, took me for a walk in the park, and made me laugh when I was crying again. This endless nightmare is killing me. The feeling of not having Khali around is enough to make me want to die. “I miss her, Reese,” I muttered under my breath. She brushed my hair as she tried to put me to sleep. My eyes were closed, and all I could hear was her lovely gentle voice humming a melody not too familiar to me. But it sounds soothing that my eyes started to close due to drowsiness. “You’ll see her tomorrow,” she said. I couldn't help but smile as I envisi
[JANE] Staring at her lifeless body, holding her in my arms – she’s not breathing anymore. I didn't care whether I had puffy eyes, dark circles under my eyes, or unkempt hair anymore. She was gone, and all I could feel was regret. My mind is filled with what-ifs and wishful thinking that she could live again. An impossible wish to bring her life back. Will God hear me this time? It was the second time I grieved this much. My heart was broken once again. When I thought someone finally mended it, she broke me again; much even broken when my mom died. I can never be mended again. "Jane, they need to take her to the morgue," Jey managed to utter. Her demeanor mirrors mine. I can feel how broken she is. I swallowed the lump in my throat, wishing Khali would stay a little longer. I've been at the hospital for about half an hour. I didn't mind if I hadn't showered in a while. This nightmare is causing me too much suffering. “I can’t le
[JANE] The road I'm driving seems endless. I have lots of options to end my life, so I can be with Khali. I could simply drive over the speed limit and just let myself get into an accident, but it doesn’t guarantee that I will die; I could simply jump off the bridge and drown in the deep ocean, or I could slit my own throat with a sharp blade, or I could poison myself. If I die, I want to be buried next to Khali’s grave. In that way, maybe I could find her in the next life easily. It may sound absurd, but I don't care; at least, that's what I believe. When I heard the loud beeping sound of the horn in the back, it jolted me out of my reverie. I immediately recognized the car; it was Reese’s. Jey's caller ID displayed on the screen as my phone began to ring. I declined to answer her. Reese's car attempted to overtake mine, the window rolled down, and Jey was yelling words, asking me to pull over. “Jane! Please pull over!” Jey yelled from
[JANE] I can say that moving on is not that easy. There are a lot of adjustments and things I need to get used to, including waking up without Khali every day. Jey and Reese were there to help me every step of the way when I was on the point of losing my mind. They were by my side throughout the entire process. While attempting to get back on my feet, I realized a few things: change is the only constant in this world, hence the only way for me to live my life is to move forward, but not entirely. Khali may not be here, but she will always be in my heart. Khali's parents decided to cut all ties with me the moment I began to move on with my life. They insisted it was for my safety, and they couldn't let me get involved again with the Mafias and dangerous stuffs. It was as if I skipped the point where I met Khali, except that I got to meet Jey. I tried to act normal each time I woke up. I opened the blinds in my room and ended up staring