This Dream Has Finally Come To An End Now

[Seven years later...]

"Lawrence!"

Biglang natigil sa pagsipa ng bola si Lawrence sa gitna ng field at hinihingal na napalingon sa pinagmulan ng boses. At ang nakita nya ay ang ka-teammate na nasa tabi ng field at nakakaway sa kanya.

"What?!" ang hinihingal nyang sagot dito at medyo nilakasan nya ang boses para marinig sya nito.

"Hinahanap ka ni coach!" his teammate yelled back. "Ang sabi nya gusto ka daw makausap ng major sponsor natin!"

His brows met.

Bakit naman sya kakausapin ni President Lopez? Yes. President Dylan Lopez, ang CEO ng Montez Group of Companies, at ang major sponsor ng soccer team nila ay nandito ngayon sa lugar nila para kausapin sya. Just how weird is that?

He is Lawrence Mendez. The captain of one of the most famous soccer team in the world. At ngayon ay nasa field sila ngayon ng mga ka-teammate nya dahil nagti-training sila para sa nalalapit na World Cup na gaganapin sa Spain next month.

And Montez Group of Companies is the company that behind their huge success. Ito rin ang dahilan kung bakit naitatag ang team nila after nyang gumraduate ng College. It's been seven years that the company is helping them pero sa coach lang nila nakikipag-usap ang President na iyon. President Dylan Lopez is just so mysterious dahil kahit sa press ay hindi ito nagpapakita. He is a man without a face and that confused him even more kung bakit makikipag-usap ito sa kanya ngayon.

"Where is he?!" ang takang tanong nya.

"Sa locker area dude! Kasama si coach!"

Pero kahit na nagtataka ay tumakbo nalang sya sa gitna ng field patungo sa locker area.

Well, afterall ay nahihiwagaan parin sya kung bakit sa pitong taon na naitatag ang team nila ay ngayon lang sya kakausapin nito.

Hinihingal syang napatigil sa pagtakbo nang makarating sya sa kwartong iyon.

Pero ang coach nila na nakatayo sa pinto ang unang sumalubong sa kanya.

Justin Olivar.

Yan ang pangalan ng coach nila and he seems so young to be their coach. Isa pang ipinagtataka nya ay parang hindi ito tumatanda.

"She's waiting for you" he said.

His brows met.

She?

Pero tinapik lang nito ang balikat nya at saka ito naglakad paalis.

Nagtataka naman syang naglakad at binuksan ang pinto ng locker area.

He opened the door and stepped inside that room.

Pero pakiramdam nya ay bigla syang natigilan nang makita ang nakatalikod na babaing iyon na nasa tabi ng bintana. She's wearing a white dress habang nakalugay ang mahaba at itim na buhok nito.

Wait, who is this girl?

At nasaan si President Dylan Lopez?

Dahan-dahan namang napalingon sa kanya ang babaing nakatalikod dahilan para tuluyan na nyang makita ang buong mukha nito.

But when he finally saw her beautiful face, he was strucked in awe from where he is standing.

Namamalayan nalang nya na napatulala na sya sa magandang mukha ng babaing kaharap nya.

She's just so...beautiful.

He met a lot of women in the past. But he hasn't seen someone who is more beautiful that this woman who's standing right in front of him.

At hindi nya alam kung bakit habang nakatitig sya sa magandang mukha nito ay pakiramdam nya ay may kung anong emosyon ang bumalot sa dibdib nya.

He felt warmth. And that confused him.

Why is he feeling this towards this lady kahit na ngayon nya lang ito nakita sa tanang buhay nya?

At pakiramdam nya ay tuluyan na syang nanlamig nang bigla itong ngumiti sa kanya.

"Hi..." she greeted with that happy smile on her face. "I 'am Mrs. Eva Lopez. The wife of Pres. Dylan Lopez"

Saka nito inilahad ang kamay nito sa kanya.

He felt like his breathing was stuck on his throat from what he just heard.

So she is the wife.

But he can't stop himself from staring at her beautiful face.

And now he wonders of how can someone exist like this so perfectly?

Pero ilang segundo din ay lihim nalang syang napamura sa sarili.

Damn. She's the wife of your major sponsor so gawking at her like this won't help you young man.

Mabilis nalang nyang tinanggap ang kamay nito na nakalahad parin sa kanya para makawala sa kakaibang emosyon na nararamdaman nya habang tinititigan ang mukha nito.

Pero nang tuluyan ng maglapat ang mga kamay nila ay mas tumindi pa ang kakaibang emosyon na iyon na bumalot sa dibdib nya.

Warmth.

Why is he feeling this?

Bumalik lang sya sa realidad nang biglang magsalita ito.

"I'm just so happy to see you in person for the first time Mr. Mendez" she happily said. "By the way, my son is your no. 1 fan. He fancies you"

Hindi nya alam kung bakit pakiramdam nya ay bigla nalang nag-init ang sulok ng mga mata nya matapos marinig yun. Ramdam nya rin ang pagsakit ng lalamunan nya at hindi nya alam kung bakit nya nararamdaman ito.

He let go of her hand.

He let go and it was as if he let something big from his heart go too. And he's still confuse by that feeling.

"W-well..." he managed to say then looked at her directly into her eyes. "...I'm glad to hear that. It's an honor Mrs. Lopez"

And her eyes.

Bakit pakiramdam nya ay matagal na nyang nakita ang mga matang iyon pero hindi nya lang maalala kung kailan at saan?

She stared at him with those warm emotions into her eyes. Na para bang sobrang saya nito na makita sya. And that confuse him even more.

"W-well...g-gusto ko lang talaga kayong bisitahin ng team ninyo." she spoke then smiled. "And I'm glad that you're looking fine"

He smiled too.

"Thank you for having the time to visit us..." he said. "...Mrs. Lopez"

At habang sinasabi yun ay pakiramdam nya ay may kakaibang saya na bumalot sa dibdib nya. Hindi man nya maintindihan kung bakit nya nararamdaman ito ay wala na syang pakialam. He just love the feeling that this woman is giving to him.

It's seems...nostalgic. And he doesn't even know why.

Mas lalo nya lang naramdaman yun nang tumitig uli ang mga magagandang mga mata nito sa kanya.

She seems...really familiar.

"Oh, so..." she whispered. "...I need to go now. Thank you for the time Mr. Mendez. And I hope that your team will win this upcoming cup"

He can't talk anymore.

Hindi na nya alam kung ano pa ba ang sasabihin. He just felt...sad.

She looked up and look at him directly into eyes.

At pakiramdam nya ay natigilan sya sa sumunod na sinabi nito.

"I'm happy to see you again..." she whispered and what she said next widened his eyes. "...my thorn"

And before he could get the chance to speak, she turned around and walked away.

Eva's POV:

[The most painful thing about death is not the death itself...]

I looked at his face for the very last time.

Yes. This will be the last time that I could see him again like this.

Especially now that I have already decided to let go.

[But it's about realizing that the only thing that is left is the memories that you had with that person. And you know very well that there is no way you could add new memories again.]

"I'm happy to see you again..." I whispered. "...my thorn"

Hindi ko na sya pinasalita pa at tumalikod na ako at nagsimulang maglakad paalis.

Yes. This will be the last time...that I'll let myself love him. Masaya na akong makita na naging maayos na ang takbo ng buhay nya simula nung araw na iyon.

Light, I finally let go.

So now, you could finally live in peace.

Napahinga nalang ako ng malalim at doon ko namalayan na unti-unti na akong napapangiti. I walked alone on that empty hallway and all I could hear is the sound of my shoes echoing throughout that way.

The time with the Vampire's world is more advance than in the human world. Ilang linggo akong nanatili sa mundo ng mga bampira but in the human world, it was like I was only gone away for an hour.

After that bloody war ay napagpasyahan na naming tatlo nina Bea at Dylan na bumalik sa mundo ng mga tao kasama ang Exodus Knights. The barrier hasn't been closed yet noong mga oras na iyon kaya nagkaroon kami ng chansang bumalik para tapusin ang lahat ng kailangan naming tapusin. And in my case, ay yun ang article na kailangan kong ipasa at ang nalalapit na graduation ko. I passed my article to professor Mendoza that same day which was entitled...

[Vampires: Are they real? Or just a pure fiction?

By: Eva Reyes]

And after that, I graduated.

I graduated along with Bea and Dylan.

Pero bago kami bumalik sa mundo ng mga tao ay si Demon na ang naging bagong leader ng mundong naiwan nya dati. My parents haven't woken up yet until now. At ang sabi ni Lady Camellia ay normal lang iyon. It will take centuries before they could wake up again lalo na't kinuha sa kanila ang tatlong stones of death. But she assured us that when they wake up, everything is going to be fine. And so I was left with no choice but to wait for the time that my parents will wake up so I can be with them again.

We all thought that Light is already dead.

But Demon told us that only Alexander died on Light's body. But Light won on the battle with himself. Sya ang huling nakausap ko bago sya nalagutan ng hininga kaya sya rin ang nabuhay.

The three stones of death that was already implanted into his body let him live. But Light died.

He lived but his vampire self died along with his memories. Ang katawan nya lang ang nakayang sagipin ng tatlong stones of death na nasa katawan nya.

Light died. But Lawrence lived.

He is now Lawrence Mendez. A normal human who lives in the human world. At wala na syang natatandaan that he was once an Arcadian Knight and he was once the man who I loved the most.

For me, he was just like a beautiful dream which I have woken up to and there is somebody else who became my reality.

Yes. I let my feelings died for him along with all the memories that we had.

I let go.

At tinupad ko ang pangako ko sa kanya na magiging masaya ako. That I'll have a happy life ahead of me.

Dylan and I got married in the human world. He also became the CEO of the company that my grandfather left in the human world. At nagkaroon kami ng anak with the name of Light Alexus. Yes, he was named after the twin brothers who gave me the chance to have a very wonderful life like this. And I know in my heart, even if how many centuries to come, ay mananatili silang may parte sa puso ko.

I won't forget that they are the reason why I have a happy life right now.

And in the case of Lawrence, at the very least, I'm happy to see him now happy and contented with the new life that we gave him.

He suffered enough as Light.

And so he deserves to live a happy normal life as Lawrence Mendez, away from all of the painful memories that his past had given into him.

At masaya na ako sa iisipin na iyon.

The pieces of the puzzles are now finally on their rightful places.

I let go.

And yet, I was happy.

Nang makalabas ako ng stadium na iyon ay nadatnan kong nag-uusap sa tabi ng kotse sina Justin at Dylan.

Justin Olivar is a coach of a soccer team in the human world. But in our world, he is a vampire that works both for the vampires and Exodus. And he is one of my grandfather's most loyal man.

"Mommy! Mommy!" ang mabilis na pagtakbo sa akin ng anim na taong gulang na anak kong si Light Alexus. "Mommy! Coach Justin gave me a cap with Lawrence sign on it! Look!"

Then he excitedly showed me his cap na may nakasulat pang pangalan ng team nila at pirma ni Lawrence.

Nakangiti ko naman syang binuhat at hinalikan sa pisngi.

"Well, looks like my baby boy will become a soccer player in the future" ang nakangiting sabi ko.

"Yes mom!" he excitedly yelled. "I want to grow up and become like Lawrence!"

Mas lalo lang akong napangiti ng dahil sa sinabi nya.

He is Lawrence no. 1 fan afterall.

"Well then, you have to drink enough so you'll grow fast" ang nakangiting lapit sa amin ni Dylan saka nya binuhat ang anak.

Then he turned to me and kissed me tenderly on my lips.

"So, how was it?" he asked and his beautiful eyes stared at me like he is waiting for something to hear.

Nakangiti ko naman syang hinalikan pabalik.

I have this feeling na kahit ilang taon na kaming kasal ay iniisip parin nyang mas mahal ko parin si Lawrence. Well in fact, he is now my new world along with our son.

"It was fun" ang nakangiting sambit ko. "And please don't tell me that you're jealous"

Napangiti nalang sya nang dahil sa sinabi ko.

"No babe..." he whispered. "Vampires don't get jealous"

Mas lalo lang akong napangiti nang dahil sa sinabi nya but before I could get the chance to speak ay may nagsalita sa likuran nya.

"Well, kaya pala parang kanina ka pa hindi mapakali dito habang hinihintay sya" Justin spoke then smirk. "Of course, you're not jealous"

He glared at Justin but Justin just whistled.

"I'm outta here" he said then walked away. "I-regards nyo nalang ako kay Demon"

Saka sya tuluyang nakaalis kaya naiwan kaming tatlo. Tama. Balak naming umuwi ngayon sa vampire's world para bisitahin ang mga grandparents ko. I' am a Titanian so I have the power to open and close the barrier.

Samantalang natatawa nalang akong napalingon kay Dylan at natatawang tinukso sya.

"Ayeee..." ang tukso ko sa kanya. "So my mate is jealous, huh?"

Napatingin nalang sya sa itaas na para bang iniiwasan nyang mapatingin sa akin. And he is so cute whenever he is doing that. Dahil mas lalo lang nahahalata na nagseselos nga sya.

"Fine" he gave up. "I'm jealous"

Napangiti nalang ako at hinalikan sya sa labi.

"I love you" I whispered into his face. "And from now on, no one can't change that fact. I love you with all my heart and all my blood"

I sealed my forever with him with those words.

Yes. I love him. I let go of Light so I could love him with all my heart and now I finally did. I have memories with Light but those memories will just stay in the past and Dylan with my son is now my future and forever.

Nakita ko naman ang pag-guhit ng masayang ngiting iyon sa mala-anghel na gwapo nyang mukha.

"I love you" he tenderly whispered and kissed me again.

At doon na kinikilig na humagikhik si Light Alexus na bitbit parin nya.

"Mommy and daddy is so sweet" he giggled.

Pareho naman kaming nagkatinginan ni Dylan at nang magtama ang mga mata namin ay hindi namin mapigilang matawa.

Saka kami naglakad nalang patungo sa kotse na naka-park malapit sa amin.

Light Alexus is in the backseat samantalang nasa driver's seat naman si Dylan.

At sasakay narin sana ako but that familiar voice suddenly appeared.

"H-hey!"

Napalingon naman ako sa pinagmulan ng boses and what I saw is Lawrence who is now panting na para bang nanggaling sya sa mabilis na pagtakbo.

I turned to him and those same emerald eyes looked at me. Yes, those emerald eyes that will only appear into my dreams.

I smiled at him.

"Yes?" I asked.

For a moment, he just stared at my face like he wanted to say something.

But in the end, a simple smile drew up on his face and then he spoke.

"I think I have already seen you somewhere..."

Napangiti nalang ako nang dahil sa sinabi nya. But then I just smiled at him before I spoke.

"Where?" I asked.

There was a long pause.

Nanatili lang syang nakatitig sa akin na para bang mini-memorize nya ang buong mukha ko. And I can see warm emotion into his eyes while doing that.

But then he looked down and slowly, a simple smile drew up on his face bago sya nagtaas ng mukha at napatitig uli sa akin.

And what he said next stunned me.

"In my dreams..." he whispered.

I'll see you in my dreams.

Dream of us.]

Yun ang naalala kong huli nyang sinabi sa akin noon dahilan para matigilan ako.

But then slowly, ay hindi ko narin napigilang mapangiti din at mapatingin sa kanya.

"Then you must have a happy dream..." I whispered.

He smiled too and that smile is so genuine and true.

"Yes, I had." he said.

At habang nakatingin ako sa masayang ngiti nya ngayon ay doon ko mas napatunayan kung gaano na sya kasaya ngayon sa bagong buhay na mayroon sya kahit na hindi na nya ako maalala pa. For him, I was only a dream. And that same goes for me.

He is now only a beautiful dream that I have dreamt in the past.

"Well, that's good..." I answered then I smiled. "Goodbye Lawrence..."

He just stared at me with those emerald eyes.

And then a simple smile curves up on his lips.

"Goodbye..." he whispered. "...Mrs. Lopez"

This is our final farewell.

Because this will also be the last time that I'll meet him.

They said that there is always 'goodbyes' in every 'hello's. But I' am happy that we've been able to get the chance to say our final farewell without pain and heartaches.

This is our final farewell and yet we are both happy.

After all the hardships that we've been through, we've still got the chance to stand like this with a smile on our faces. And I guess that is enough.

Masaya na ako na nakikita ko syang masaya narin ngayon.

I smiled at him for the very last time and whispered into myself.

"Dream of us..." I whispered.

Pero alam kong hindi na nya maririnig pa yun. I looked at those emerald eyes for the very last time bago ako lumingon sa kotse na katabi ko.

Then I opened the car door at nakangiting sumakay sa tabi ni Dylan.

Dylan turned to me and smiled.

"So are you ready to go home..." he tenderly said. "...my beloved mate?"

I smiled back at him.

"Yes, let's go home..." I whispered back at him. "...my beloved Lucian"

And then he started the engine and off we go.

At habang papalayo kami sa lugar na iyon ay napatingin nalang ako sa mga emerald eyes na iyon na nanatiling nakatingin sa amin sa side mirror habang papalayo kami. Hanggang sa tuluyan na syang nawala sa paningin ko.

What a mind can't remember can always be remembered by the heart.

They said that it's not good to dwell in the past.

But sometimes, you have to look back into the past so that you could learn to appreciate the future more. I have a painful past. And some of my memories felt like nightmares. But even though how painful those memories are, I won't forget them because they somehow made me appreciate more of what I have and what I' am now.

I have memories of yesterday.

But as the way I looked at them right now, they will just be the memories that taught me to become stronger in the future.

And those memories will just show up in my dreams and it will just stay there, and become a beautiful dream that I'll always cherish forever.

This beautiful dream has come to an end now.

But I'll make sure that I'll make more happy memories in the next days to come with Dylan and of course with our son, Light Alexus.

The End.