WMS7: Chapter 3

A few months later.

'Sanctuario De Atlas'

Napangisi ako nang mabasa ko ang nakaukit na mga letra sa itaas ng bakal na gate. Pangalan ko talaga? I scoffed as I saw that brazen iron gate open, creating a clangor that irritates my ear as the car window from the driver's side is slightly opened. Grandpa sent some of his men to pick me up at the airport. Ayaw ko sana but he insisted. Yes! I'm now in France. I decided to come to see him. I wanted to know right from him what my dad had told me. Curiosity as well pushed me to decide. Tita Erina tried to stop me, even Elliot but I didn't listen. Coming here will end my desire and stop prying for something that I know I could stop.

Nang tuluyang bumukas ang gate ay mas lalo akong namangha sa laki ng bahay ng lolo ko. Anyway, hindi lang siya basta bahay, it looks like a fortress built in the middle of an open. As the car goes closer to the fortress or whatever it is called as it doesn't look like just a house, I roamed my stares outside of the car. I saw men wearing the same tuxedo outfit just like the guards. I felt something weird that increased my desire to know more about my grandpa's life and work here in France. Habang papalapit ang sasakyan, unti-unti ko ring natatanaw ang karagatang nasa likurang bahagi ng 'fortress'. Ito na muna pansamantala ang itawag ko sa sanctuario ng lolo ko. Gawa kasi ito sa bato na tila moog noong panahon ng giyera na kinukutaan ng mga Hapon.

"Monsieur, we're here!"

I pulled off myself to get ready to alight from the car. A cool breeze touches my skin to welcome me but a strange feeling arises within me. The feeling fueled up the fire in my belly to latch on to my grandfather's impalpable facade. His life is quite mysterious to me.

'If his group is a cult why do these people are wearing suits?'

Sa pagkakaalam ko kasi at sa mga napapanood ko sa mga movies, the cult members are wearing black robes. Some are wearing it with masks on their faces to hide their identities.

The huge entrance opened as we gets closer at lumantad sa akin ang napaka-engrandeng pasilyo. It was a wide and huge hallway that displays a grandiose style because of the velvety, carpeted floor and the antique pieces on the sides, and huge paintings of the known various artists around the world.

Mula sa pinasukan naming pintuan ay muli kaming naglakad patungo pa sa isang pintuan. Along the way, I saw various doors which I don't know if it's a room or an entrance outside. I didn't bother to ask the people who are escorting me. It is not my intention to question everything I see here but I just came here to know the answers to the things that bother me, right from my grandfather's mouth. Para matapos na ang panggugulo ng mga to sa utak ko and I can proceed to the life I used to be; if it will lead me there. I hope so!

Pagdating sa isa pang pintuan ay napatigil ang dalawang tauhan ng lolo ko na nag-i-escort sa akin.

"Monsieur, we are not allowed to go inside right now so we will leave you here," wika ng nasa kanan ko habang nakayukod.

"Okay!" maikli kong tugon dahil wala naman akong ideya kung bakit at ayaw kong magtanong. Sumusunod lang ako sa kung ano ang sasabihin nila.

Bitbit ng nasa kaliwa ko ang nag-iisang bag kong dala at sumabay sa pagtalikod ng isa pa na iniwanan ako sa harap ng saradong pintuan.

Humugot ako ng malalim na buntonghininga at akmang hahawakan ang nakasaradong pintuan pero kusa itong bumukas ng dahan-dahan.

"Entrez!(Come in!)"

It was dark and eerie and I couldn't see where the voice came from but my feet started to move inside. I don't even see who opened the door for me.

As I step into the dark room, the dim lights lit on simultaneously with the blood splatters over me and a head rolled over toward my feet. I jolted to a halt, aghast, and horror-struck as I looked at the eyes bulging out from the socket of whoever owns that head down near my feet. I wordlessly kept my stance momentarily as I can't move with the unexpected event that waiting for me.

"Do you like the present I prepared for you, my dear grandson?" dumagundong sa loob ng silid na iyong ang boses na hindi na bago sa akin.

I slowly lifted my head to look forward to seeing him but I saw blood dripping in front of my face. I took my hand to touch it and I felt something sticky on it. I pulled my hand away just to see it full of blood. My shirt is full of blood as well as I look down at it. They aren't my blood, it is the blood of someone who owns that head right on my feet. 

I roamed my stares around as I heard footsteps coming near me. There! I saw him in my blurry vision because of the blood that continued dripping on my face. He is wearing a hooded black robe, his face is hidden by a mask and in his right hand, is a sword dripping with blood.

I scoff! Then I get a chance to check around and I noticed that we aren't alone. We are surrounded by people in black robes and faces covered with masks. Alam kong lahat sila ay nakatingin sa akin pero wala akong pakialam. I can't even fathom why it seems that I am not even afraid with them. I was shocked, to be honest. Pero sino naman ang hindi mabibigla kung sa pagpasok mo sa isang madilim na silid ay sasalubungin ka ng pugot na ulo? Ang masaklap tumalsik pa sa 'yo ang napakaraming dugo at minatsahan ang puting-puti mong suot. Siguro kung sa iba ito nangyari, kumaripas na ng takbo palabas.

"It's annoying!" tugon ko.

The people around us took steps to come to me but my grandpa raises that bloody sword to stop them. Hindi yata nila nagustuhan ang klase ng pagsagot ko sa lolo ko. Well, hindi ko sila masisisi, sa ayos ng lolo ko mukhang lider nga siya ng kulto o grupo nila bahala sila kung anong tawag nila dito. Wala akong pakialam! Ang nais ko ay maliwanagan sa kung ano ang ibig sabihin ni dad na offer daw ng lolo ko.

"Apo, that's just a gift, there are more coming and. . ." Humalakhak muna ito bago itinuloy ang pagsasalita. Tila yatang nasiyahan pa ito sa ginawa. "it's satisfying if you are the one doing it."

Naglakad ito patungo sa direksyong hindi ko alam. Bahagya kong nilingon ang mga kampon nitong nakasunod ang mga tingin sa amin. I snickered and followed my grandpa.

"How is it satisfying when you stained my shirt with these damn shit?!" singhal kong nakasunod sa kanya. Nanlalagkit pa rin ang pakiramdam ko sa mga dugong nakadikit sa aking balat.

Hindi ito tumugon at deretsong binuksan ang silid na sa hula ko ay ito ang kanyang sariling silid.

"Hey! Mind your words kiddo. Don't forget that I am your grandpa," mahinahon nitong wika habang hinuhubad ang hooded robe na suot.

"I'll get it straight, Grandpa. What do you want from me? Why is Adam told me to accept what you offer and what is it?" tiim-bagang kong wika sa kanya.

"Calm down, Atlas. Go and clean up yourself first."

Tanging tugon niya na ikinumpas ang isang kamay tungo sa direksyon ng isang pintuan. Malamang na iyon ang banyo.

"Right! You should have told me that the moment you took me here," inis kong wika at padabog na tinungo ang pintuang itinuro niya.

The place is so wierd that even the bathroom were painted black. I can't fathom why my grandpa live this way. I saw those people and they are understandably a cult but the strangest thing is that. . .

Aaahhh. . .