the last sky of the earth 52 - knight's scene: secret room

KULANG NA lang ay inuntog ni Raiden ang ulo niya sa kinahihigaan habang parang tanga na nakatingin sa kisame ng dojo nila. Katatapos lang niyang mag-training at sa mga sandaling iyon ay nakahiga siya at nagpapahinga sa gitna ng silid. Pero nag-training na siya't lahat, hindi pa rin nawawala sa isipan niya ang mga nalaman niya mula sa pagiging usisero niya noong isang linggo. At batid din niyang may nangyaring hindi maganda nang makipagkita si Yasha sa kung sino two days ago. His sister was pretty much worried about something since then.

Kaya naman ang drama ng buhay ni Raiden nang mga sandaling iyon, hayun at nagdedebate ang kanyang isipan tungkol sa isang desisyon. He had to think about the factors of his decision whatever happens. But somehow, the only thought that goes in his mind was to help Yasha with her mission--whatever it was. Pero kailangang may mahita rin siya sa gagawin niyang pagtulong sa Ate niya.

Raiden had been keeping a certain secret that their father had once told them. Somehow, he had a strong feeling that the memories blocked from his sister's mind hid a lot of secrets--one that, somehow, would be more than enough to change their lives forever. Kung sasabihin niya kay Yasha ang mga nalalaman niya, gusto niya ay ipagtapat rin sana nito ang anumang may kinalaman sa misyon nito.

"You should be sleeping in your room. Not here."

Napamulat si Raiden nang marinig ang sinabing iyon ni Yasha. Agad din siyang napaupo at nilingon ang dalaga. "Ate... Ano'ng ginagawa mo rito? Weren't you busy with your research?"

"I need a break once in a while, you know. Besides... I've been bothered about something. Maybe if I watch you practice, I'd be able to clear my mind somehow," pag-amin ni Yasha as she sat beside her brother. Hindi na niya alintana kahit pawis ito. Besides, he didn't smell that bad. Alam pa rin ng kapatid niya na alagaan ang sarili nito.

Katahimikan ang bumalot sa kanilang magkapatid matapos ang malalim na paghinga ni Yasha. Tila pareho silang napapaisip tungkol sa mga bagay-bagay. Unbeknowst to each other, they were actually thinking about the same thing - the words that their father had once told them.

"Tapos ka na bang mag-training?" mayamaya ay tanong ni Yasha.

Tumango si Raiden at napatingin sa kisame ng dojo. "Hindi ko rin naman mai-focus ang isipan ko kahit tapos na akong mag-training. Somehow, I felt like... there was something missing with what I'm doing right now."

"Ano'ng ibig mong sabihin?"

Raiden faced his sister intently. "Hindi ko makita ang totoong purpose ng ginagawa kong pagsasanay. I know that I became fascinated with sword wielding ever since I was three. Papa took it as an opportunity to train me na itinuloy naman ni Uncle nang mamatay sina Mama't Papa. Wala sa plano ko ang magpalakad ng dojo at alam nilang lahat iyon. And yet they still trained me as if my life depended on it. Pero para saan? I just have to find the real reason for me to continue going through this."

Hindi nakaimik si Yasha sa tinuran ng binatang kapatid. Kahit gusto niyang sabihin na rito ang totoong dahilan, batid niyang marami pang magiging tanong si Raiden na posibleng hindi niya magawang sagutin dahil na rin sa kulang-kulang niyang alaala. At sa kaibuturan niya, ayaw niyang biguin ito.

"Ate," untag ni Raiden nang muling harapin si Yasha. "I'm willing to tell you Papa's important words that you forgot kung sasabihin mo sa akin kung ano ba talaga ang misyong kailangan mong tapusin na dahilan para ilihim mo pa iyon sa akin."

Siyempre pa, talagang ikinagulat ni Yasha ang mga isiniwalat ni Raiden. "You were eavesdropping? Raiden--"

"Ate, hindi mo na ako kailangang protektahan all the time. Whatever is the problem that you're going through since the day you came back from Japan two years ago, sabihin mo sa akin. I'll try to help in any way I can. Kahit sabihin mo pa sa akin na delikado iyon, wala akong pakialam. You've been through so many dangers. But don't insist on trying to bear the burden alone," putol ni Raiden sa sasabihin ni Yasha.

Naging malamlam naman ang tingin ni Yasha kay Raiden. This was why she wasn't saying anything to her brother. Alam niyang hindi ito papipigil sa oras na nakapagdesisyon na ito.

"At isa pa," pagpapatuloy ng binata. "May palagay ako na alam ni Papa na malalagay sa panganib ang buhay nila ni Mama kaya niya sinabi sa atin iyon. It's just that the trauma you've suffered from the attack made you forget it. At least I had that weird feeling." Pagkatapos niyon ay bumuntong-hininga siya. "May palagay din ako na hindi aksidente ang pagkamatay nila. Is that enough as my ticket for you to tell me what exactly are you doing all this time?"

Ilang sandali ring walang imik si Yasha at nakatingin lang siya sa nakababatang kapatid. Moments later, she chuckled and gently tapped her forehead. "You're definitely my brother. You're just as obstinate as I am." She composed herself before speaking again. "Alright. It's a deal. But first, you have to tell me about our father's important words. I had a feeling na iyon ang isa sa mga missing puzzles sa lahat ng mga pinaggagagawa ko. Can you do that?"

Hindi sigurado si Raiden kung agad niyang susundin ang hiling ni Yasha. Para naman kasing lugi siya roon. But his sister somehow had a point. He was one of the people who could help her fill the gaps in her memories. Matapos maisip iyon ay napabuntong-hininga siya. "Lock the dojo."

"Huh?" Ano na namang kalokohan ang pumasok sa utak ni Raiden at inutusan pa talaga si Yasha na isarado ang dojo?

"We just need to make sure. It's one of our father's orders."

Kahit naguguluhan ay sumunod na lang si Yasha. Sinigurado talaga niya na nakakandado lahat - mula sa pintuan hanggang sa mga bintana. The windows could only be opened from the inside. Wala naman sigurong magtatangkang basagin iyon, 'no? "It's done." But her eyes narrowed at the sight of a blurry figure that passed by. Or was it just her imagination?

"Okay ka lang, Ate?" usisa ni Raiden nang mapansin na ilang sandaling natigilan si Yasha.

Tumango si Yasha nang harapin niya si Raiden. Agad niya itong nilapitan. "What's next?"

"Okay. Kaya ko ipinasarado sa iyo ang dojo ay dahil dito." Tinungo nila ang pinakamakapal na wooden post na naroon sa dojo. Gaya ng nauna nang ginawa ni Raiden a week ago, he pushed a certain spot on the post and it flopped open which caused Yasha's eyes to open wide.

And slowly, may isang malabong alaala ang pilit na lumilitaw sa isipan ni Yasha "'The strongest foundation will become your key…'" Napapikit siya habang ibinubulong ang mga salitang iyon. "All this time, nakatago sa dojo ang sagot sa mga salitang iyon?"

"Hindi pa tayo tapos, Ate. Do you remember the next sentence after that? Pero kung hindi, I won't force you." Kahit atat na atat na si Raiden, pinigilan niya ang sarili. He had to take it slowly if he truly wanted to help his sister.

Ilang sandali rin ang itinagal ng pag-iisip ni Yasha bago niya hinarap ang kapatid. "'Open the path using the white rose as your guide.' Is that correct?" she asked in anticipation despite the shock she felt because it all came easy after remembering the first sentence of a... passage.

Tama... Galing ang mga salitang sinasambit ni Yasha sa isang passage sa lumang journal. Sinabi sa kanila ng tatay nila na huwag kalilimutan kahit na ano'ng mangyari ang mga salitang iyon. Now the question was the whereabouts of that particular journal.

Napatango si Raiden at malapad na napangiti. "You remembered!"

"Just now. But don't keep your hopes up."

Ipinagpatuloy ni Raiden ang nauna nang ginagawa. "That sentence after the first one pertains to the password na kailangan natin. All we have to do is to type it down."

"That's why the passage said we'll use the white rose as a guide to open a path. But how are we supposed to do that?"

"Watch." Matapos niyon ay tumingin silang magkapatid sa keypads na naroon sa loob ng posteng iyon. It was Raiden who typed the password down.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Yasha nang ma-realized na hiragana ang ginamit nito para sa password.

'Shi-ro-i-ba-ra…' Iyon ang nabasa ng dalaga na inilagay ni Raiden na password. As he pressed Enter, the central area's floor boards of the dojo revealed a staircase leading to a basement na talagang ikinagulat niya. "The white rose did open a path... Pero bakit 'white rose'?"

But before Raiden could answer his sister's question, sinenyasan siya ni Yasha na huwag gagawa ng ingay. Nilapitan nito ang isa sa mga bintana malapit sa kisame. To their surprise, the woman almost got hit with a bullet that came from the outside that passed through the window.

"Raiden, close the passageway! We got company!" utos ni Yasha sa kapatid na agad naman nitong sinunod.

The next thing that Raiden knew, his sister took out two 9mm automatic pistols from a hidden compartment under the left corner of the dojo's floor boards and shot at the assailant that was about to break their window.