Title: Wilted Galad
Author: Mirklore
Genre: Romance
Prologue:
If you would be given a chance to turn back time, what particular moments in life will you choose to redo?
Is it the way you chose not to review for a major exam resulting to your failure?
Or is it the way you weren't able to express how much you love someone, and how fucked up you are now because that person was already gone before you even realized it?
In this wicked world where change seems to be the only thing that remains constant, I surely know the answer.
Horrible mistakes. Wrong choices. Unintentional deceptions.
Foolish decisions.
I hit it, right? Sapagkat ganoon ang dahilan ko.
Labag man sa kaibuturan ng aking kalooban ay hindi ko napigilang magbalik-tanaw sa mga karanasan ng nakaraan. Kung paanong ang isang pagkakamali ang nagpaguho ng aking mundong kay tagal kong pinrotektahan. Kung paanong ang isang walang kahusayang pagpili ang dumurog ng puso kong dalisay at walang muwang. Kung paanong ang isang kasinungalingan ang nagpabago sa aking pananaw na ni sa hinagap ay hindi ko inaasahang magaganap.
At higit sa lahat, ay kung paanong ang isang katangahan ang nagpasidlak sa akin sa kadilimang ito.
Wala akong naging laban.
I am willing to beg Kronos on bended knees just for an ounce of an ability to go back to the past and eliminate the origination of my deepest astray.
But then, reality will just slap me the fact that no matter how much I want to change such things from yesterday, it is very much unlikely to happen.
Because no matter how constant change is, may mga bagay pa rin na hindi na maaaring baguhin kailanman.
I slightly kissed the tip of my vape's mouth piece before inhaling the vapor it contains. The fruity freshness of its flavor instantly conquered the insides of my mouth.
"That's bad for your vocal chords," someone said, breaking the deafening silence of this dull night.
Ibinuga ko ang usok bago siya hinarap.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't give a damn about my voice, Noel?"
Tumingala ako at tinanaw ang mabibilang sa daliring mga bituin sa kalangitan. Ito lamang ang nakapagbibigay ng kaunting liwanag sa madilim na tanawin sa itaas.
I remember how I once was a star, a living source of metaphoric light.
A star, who now lost its ability to shine.
Or atleast that's what I chose to believe, after all that happened.
Tumawa si Noel at ginaya ang pagtukod ko ng kamay sa manipis na barandilya ng teresa. We are currently standing at the small but still spacious veranda of my penthouse. Only lights from different skyscrapers here in Melbourne partially illuminate the supposedly pitch black surrounding. I don't know, but it kinda gives off a melancholic mood. Katulad ng nadarama ko ngayon.
"I know you, Maia. Ginagamit mo 'yan sa tuwing stressed ka," sambit niya.
Bumuntonghininga ako at mas pinagdikit ang labi. Tama naman siya, vaping is one of my stress reliever. Sayang nga lang dahil nitong nakaraang taon ko lang nasubukan. Sana pala noon pa.
Nang mapansing hindi ako umimik ay muli siyang nagsalita. "Sigurado ka na ba sa desisyon mo?"
Tumango ako at pinasadahan ng daliri ang bahagyang nililipad na buhok.
