Chapter 03

Niccolo’s Pov

I held her wrists firmly and my eyes locked on hers, waiting for her to answer.

She didn’t look like someone who meant harm, but I’d learned long ago that appearances lied. Pero habang nakatitig ako sa kanyang mga mata ay may kakaiba akong naramdaman.

I feel like I knew those eyes.

Or at least… they felt like something I had seen before. Somewhere buried in memory, wrapped in darkness and time.

I frowned slightly, my grip tightening just enough to test her reaction. She didn’t struggle, not at first. Nakatingin lang siya sa akin at bahagyang nakaawang ang bibig. Marahang umaangat ang kanyang dibdib, animo'y nag-iisip kung ano ang dapat at tama niyang itugon sa aking katanungan.

Magsasalita na sana ako, ngunit mabilis siyang gumalaw ay agad na nakawala mula sa pagkakahawak ko.

Lihim akong napangisi dahil sa pagkamangha na aking naramdaman.

"She's fast," these words echoed inside my head like a whisper.

"You... you were the one knocking on my door.” Wika niya.

Nanigas ako sa aking kinauupuan dahil hindi ko maalala ang tungkol doon

Malalim siyang bumuntong-hininga at nakatayo pa rin sa aking harapan. “You were bleeding. Halos hindi na nga makita kung anong itsura mo dahil sa daming dugo na bumabalot sa bawat sulok ng mukha mo.” Her voice trembled, but she didn’t back away.

“You collapsed. I brought you inside. I was just treating your wounds. At naglalagay ako ng bandages sa mukha mo, pero napansin ko ang tattoo sa katawan mo kaya na-curious ako.. kaya pasensya na..." sunod-sunod niyang paliwanag.

At habang nakikinig ako sa kanya at parang ako ang kinakapos ng hininga. Dahil halos hindi na siya huminto sa pagsasalita at tuloy-tuloy lang talaga.

Then, silence filled the room.

I searched her face for deception, for fear or lies, but found none.

Slowly, I exhaled. A long, heavy breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My shoulders loosened, and whatever instinct had pushed me to restrain her finally eased.

“…Continue,” I muttered, leaning back against the sofa.

She hesitated for only a second before reaching for the first aid kit again. Her fingers brushed my skin as she cleaned another cut, careful, focused.

At habang ginagawa niya iyon at tahimik lang akong nakamasid sa kanya.

The way her brows knit in concentration. The way she bit her lip when she saw a deeper wound. The way her hands trembled slightly, even as she tried to hide it.

Lahat ng iyon ay hindi nakaligtas sa paningin ko. At sa muli ay naramdaman ko ulit ang sensasyon na naramdaman ko kanina ng maimulat ko ang aking mga mata.

Malakas ang kutob ko na kilala ko talaga siya at kailangan kong alamin ang tungkol doon.

Hindi ko na namalayan kung ilang oras na ang lumipas. Nagbaba ako ng tingin sa aking katawan at nakita ko na patapos na siya.

The last bandage was secured, her fingers lingering for a brief second before she pulled away. The room fell into a strange, fragile silence... one thick enough that even my breathing felt loud.

I straightened slightly on the sofa, rolling my shoulders as if testing my body. The pain was still there, but unlike before... it's a bit bearable.

Muli kong ibinalik ang aking tingin sa kanya. At hindi pa rin nawawala ang bagay na kanina ko pa nararamdaman.

Kaya hindi ko na napigilan ang aking sarili at sa gitna nang matinding katahimikan ay nagsalita ako.

“Have we met before?” tanong ko.

Her back stiffened, her fingers tightening around the edge of the medical kit. She didn’t look at me right away, and that alone was answer enough.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze to mine. Her eyes searched my face, as if deciding whether to tell the truth or protect herself.

“…Yes,” she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper.

My chest tightened.

“Three years ago,” she continued. “You were the one who saved me.”

Sa mga sandaling iyon ay isa-isang bumalik ang alaala ko ng gabing iyon kung saan ko siya unang nakita. I just stared at her, And was about to say something when a loud knock echoed from outside of her door.

We both stared at each other, hesitant to open the door. But suddenly she started walking towards the door.

Handa na akong pigilan siya, pero masyadong mahina ang katawan ko kaya hindi ko naabutan ang kanyang kamay. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin at nakita ko ang unti-unting pagbukas ng pinto.

"This is not good.."

TO BE CONTINUED...