Chapter 6: Breathe

Breathe

I was awakened on my bed. I feel so weak, that can't even move a bit.

"You're awake!" Lumapit sa akin si Andrea na puno ng band aid sa mukha at ibang parte ng balikat at braso. Kasunod si Cyan na ganun din at maraming pasa.

"What happened?"

"We were shocked when Braeden carried you here unconscious. He didn't said anything so I must ask you what happened after we left?" Inalala ko ang nangyari at ang huli kong naalala ay ang tumama sa aking napakalakas na sipa.

"He kicked me off," simpleng sagot ko na kinagulat nilang dalawa.

"That must be real hard to let you sleep a day."

"What?"

"Yeah isang araw kang walang malay."

"Shit, how about the training."

"We will go, dito ka na muna. You should rest."

"No, I am going." mabilis akong naghubad ng damit not minding of Cyan. Mabilis akong pumasok sa bathroom at nagsimulang maligo. I still felt pain on my body and on my face, and when I look at my wounds, I feel like it was starting to heal.

Ang sakit ay unti-unting nawala sa hindi ko maipaliwanag na dahilan.

Pagkabihis ko'y lumabas na ako and I was shocked to see braeden instead of my two room mates. Matagal na ba siya jan? Kelan pa? Did he saw everything?

He was staring at me coldly, tila walang pakialam na naabutan ko siyang nanunood sa akin.

"What are you doing? Did you watched me?"

"Even if you take off your clothes in front of everyone no one will care about it. Everyone are bold here, showing off doesn't matter." 'Yun ang naging sagot niya imbes na sagutin ako ng oo o hindi, but obviously he did.

I rolled my eyes as I tied my lace before tying my hair.

"What's the next? Buwis buhay nanaman ba?" tanong ko habang nagpupuyod ng buhok, natigilan lang ako ng bigla siyang lumapit at hawakan ang panga ko gamit ang isa niyang kamay at bahagyang tinagilid ang ulo ko.like he's examining my face.

"Feel pain?"

"Not anymore."

"Good," binitawan na niya ako at bahagya ng lumayo.

"Let's go, you're late for your second day training." Agad akong sumunod at nagtungo kami sa isang...lawa? May lawa dito?

"This is a lake, not an ordinary lake. See it for yourself." Pinakatitigan ko ang lawa lalo na sa gitna nito at nagulat akong makakita ng tila isang maliit na bunganga ng bulkan sa ilalim ng tubig ng lawa sa gitna nito.

Nakita ko ang dalawa ni Cyan at andrea na nakatitig din sa lawa tila nagmamasid at pinagiisipan kung ano ang gagawin namin dito.

"Here's what you'll do, you need to swim inside of that, and you need to go back, alive."

"Bakit? Sumasabog ba 'yung parang bulcan?"

"No, but there's something inside of that lake water, see it for yourself and do everything to go back, alive."

Sabay sabay kaming tatlong tumalon sa tubig at sumisid pailalim, at first it was just normal, everything's normal.

Not until I saw a giant serpent yet looks like a giant centipede too. It looks venomous who can swallow us alive.

It is swimming around us. I can hear that terrifying sound it made, that makes me want to swim back but I was stopped by Braeden's rule.

I look at andrea who looks surprised and afraid too. I can sense her desire to go back while Cyan's following the serpent's movement.

And when it's starting to attack us, we immediately swim away.

We have no weapons to defeat this giant monster, how will we survive this shit?! Unti-unti na akong hindi makahinga, nawawalan na ako ng hangin at gusto ko ng lumangoy pataas para lumanghap ng hangin.

Cyan started to fight the serpent, na sinundan ni Andrea kaya agad rin akong sumunod. I forced myself to let out a claw just like braeden, but nothing's came out.

Habang ang dalawa kong kasama ay nagsilabasan na ang nagtatalasang mga kuko at nagsimula ng magpula ang kanilang mga mata.

They've change into their vampire forms, as their movements started to change.

I can see there fangs, I can see how fast they can do to get rid of this serpent's attack. Dahil sa pagkatulala ay hindi ko napaghandaan ang pagpulupot ng katawan ng serpent sa akin habang nilalabanan ang dalawa kong kasamahan. I've tried to free myself, to escape but it was too big and I am too weak.

Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit hindi ako lumalakas tulad ng mga kasama ko. Kung bakit hindi ko maramdaman ang minsan kong naramdaman nung manalo ako. I felt plain, I felt like I was just really an ordinary girl. A human.

Unti-unti na akong kinakapos sa paghinga at patuloy naman na lumalaban ang mga kasama ko, causing the serpent's to bleed. Ngunit sa t'wing matatamaan ito ay mas humihigpit ang pagkakapulupot sa katawan ko. Para na nitong dinudurog ang mga buto ko, masyadong masakit at nakakamanhid.

This is not what I've expected and not so easy to get rid of.

Napansin ni Cyan na unti-unti na akong nawawalan ng hangin at hindi na lumalaban pa, napansin din ni andrea na masyado ng mahigpit ang pagkakapulupot ng katawan ng serpent sa katawan ko. Her eyes widened as she swimmed upward. Hindi ko alam kung anong balak niya but Cyan tries to get me out.

I don't know what he was trying to convey, he was shaking his head and before he continue it the serpent started to attack him. I can hear the terrifying sounds made by the serpent as it tighten it's grip on my body again.

Unti-unti na akong pumipikit ng makarinig ng tila bumagsak sa tubig, the next thing I know someone's wrap his arms around me pulling me up, until air started to filled my lungs. I feels like someone's giving me air to breath, like we are both sharing air to live.

"Breathe, Amber."

Paulit ulit iyong nangyari, paulit ulit kong naririnig ang isang boses telling me to breath, Until I feel like something brought me to life.

I coughed, as I breathed deeply trying to get more of air. My hands gripped on the grass I was on as I opened my eyes. Tatlong pares ng mga mga mata ang nakita ko ng sandaling magmulat ako ng mga mata.

The cyan colored eyes, the brown colored eyes and... The mysterious green colored eyes.

"Sa wakas! Akala ko kanina mawawala ka na, your pulse stopped! I was worried when I saw you drowning because of that serpent. I asked for Primus' help and he didn't think twice to jump off the lake to get you. Hindi namin natalo ang serpent, pero nung makita nito si Primus mabilis ka nitong binitiwan at umalis."

"P-paano ako nagising?"

"He gave you air to breathe." Tukoy ni Cyan kay Braeden, na walang emosyong nakatitig sa mga mata ko.