THE SECLUDED TRAILS OF DECEIT '. ruler of fate series l first book

The Secluded Trails of Deceit
written by : riyanisity

I heaved a deep sigh as soon as I reached the front door of my unit, somehow contemplative and skeptical, with my lips sealed in a tight grimace.

Umiling ako, "He should be gone now..." saglit pa akong tumayo ro'n matapos 'yong sabihin bago pihitin ang susi, itulak ang pinto, at tuluyang pumasok sa loob.

I presumed my statement was right when the gloom and murk greeted me after that, with only the sheen of the setting sun and moonlight skies lurking in from the corners of my curtain window. Binuksan ko ang mga ilaw sa sala at kusina dahil do'n, pero sa oras na tumalikod ako para dumiretso na sana sa aking kwarto ay nahagip ng mga mata ko si Draven na tulalang nakatingin sa taas, nakaupo sa sahig, at nakasandal ang likod sa nakabukas na pinto na siyang nagpagulat at muntik nang magpatalon sa'kin.

My widened eyes traveled down to his hands, which were unconsciously playing with one of the roses he used to give me ever since then, before I finally breathed a huge air to relax myself. No'ng bumagal na ang tibok ng puso ko at kumalma nang muli ang aking katawan, ay tsaka ko pa lamang siya nilapitan.

Nakatayo akong tumigil sa gilid niya, "What are you doing here?" tanong ko na siyang hindi niya naman sinagot kahit ilang segundo na ang lumipas.

Ascertaining that he's still absentminded when I tried to ask the same question once again, my eyes decided to follow where his stares were immersed, only to find out that they were heading straight to my room's ceiling, where the crafted roses that he gifted me over the years are hanging upside-down.

Nakadikit at nakakalat ang mga 'yon sa bawat kanto, palibot, at sulok ng kisame ko, kaya konti na lamang ang espasyo kung saan makikita mo ang kulay puting kisame dahil sa mga 'yon. There's even a heart-shaped design formed in the center and around the lights of my room.

After noticing the roses I simply used to hide and stack in a single huge box back then, Draven was the one who thought of that idea and placed them there himself — it was during the mid to end of our second year in a relationship, as far as I remember.

I gulped heavily as I forced myself to look away from that, now kicking him on the side of his thigh, which made him jolt in his position and wake up from daydreaming. "I said, what are you still doing here?" Tumaas ang aking kilay bago ko pagmasdan at pasadahan ang kabuuhan niya. "With your day-old clothes at that..? Para kang palaboy."

Drowsy, liquidly puffy eyes with red veins around them and black circles underneath them, a pale, dry set of lips, tousled hair, and wrinkled apparel as well. It's as if he didn't once pass by the mirror to see how messy he was at the current moment.

"Did you really spend your entire time looking like... This..?" My forehead creased, now shaking my head a bit. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

His eyes blinked at first, innocently and feebly, before he slowly stood up from slumping on the ground. "W-Will you talk to me, Miss?"

Nilagpasan ko siya no'ng mapansin ang lapit naming dalawa. "Take a bath and change your clothes. Pumili ka ng susuotin mo sa kabinet para ma-impake ko na 'yong matitira mong mga damit diyan."

"Anong gagawin m-mo sa—"

"Ipapauwi sa'yo, malamang. I have no use for those things." I looked back at him, now placing down my carried stuff on the drafting table. "After we talked for the last time, we wouldn't see each other anymore, Draven."

"B-But..."

My brow shot up. "Or you can just go home now. Tutal, parehas lang din naman ang isasagot ko sa'yo, eh. There's no point with us having a conversation, right?"