XYRA

It's been a week since we went and stayed here. Ngayong gabi muli na namang kinausap ni Jeanne ang dark king. I'm always listening to their conversation. Hindi ako nagsasalita dahil hindi ko alam ang eksaktong pinag-uusapan nila. 

"I'm sure that they will go after your queen. Tiyak na susugod sila rito anumang oras. We need to prepare so we won't end up losing," she said. Kumunot ang noo ko sa mga sinasabi niya. She's saying things like she knew what might happen in the future. If they will go after me, they're stupid. They're digging their own grave. Tiyak na hindi sila mananalo sa 'min.

But I noticed something. Pakiramdam ko minamanipula ni Jeanne ang mga desisyon na ginagawa ng dark king. Maybe she has some hidden agenda. Something that is beneficial for her. Or maybe I'm just jealous because she's talking freely to my king. I could feel my jaws tighten. I looked away.

"It's fine. If they're brave enough to face us then it will save me the time and effort. I have to settle things with that guy, anyway. At first I just wanted to play and let other people taste darkness and despair. I thought that seeing humanity's destruction will not bore me. It will be fun if they suffer along with me. But I find something more interesting than that. I don't want to lose it now," he said. Napalingon ako sa kanya dahil sa sinabi niya. He was looking intently at me then smiled a bit. It's odd that my heart started to race. He's affecting me.

When I accidentally looked at Jeanne, I know that she was displeased.

"You're being soft. It might destroy you. I think, having a queen is a bad idea, after all. You shouldn't feel anything. You just have to focus on humanity's destruction," Jeanne said without smiling. I think, she's the coldest among the three of us. At hindi ko nagustuhan ang sinabi niya. She doesn't have the right to command my king.

"You said having a queen is a good idea. It's more exciting. It's your suggestion in the first place. But maybe if I met her before you, I will also choose this path. I will pursue to have her. Now, you don't have to tell me what to do," matalim na wika ng dark king. Halatang hindi niya nagustuhan ang sinabi ni Jeanne. Bahagyang umangat ang sulok ng labi ko.

"I thought that you don't have a heart. That you just want another toy because you lose Elysha. Now, I know where this argument is leading. You will end up losing again like what happened in the past. But I will do anything to change the outcome. Marami na akong naitaya sa labang ito. Marami na rin akong nasayang na oras. I can't afford to lose again," seryoso at makahulugang sabi ni Jeanne. Nabalot ng itim na usok ang katawan ni Jeanne. Unti-unti siyang naglaho. Hindi na niya hinintay ang sasabihin ng dark king.

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ko. Ano'ng sinasabi niya na matatalo ulit ang dark king katulad nang nangyari noon?

"Did you lose in the past?" takang tanong ko sa kanya.

"No. But she said that she got the chance to know the future," seryosong sagot ng dark king.

Napaisip ako sa sinabi niya. Totoo kaya? Maybe she's just lying. She's making up stories to manipulate the dark king. "Really? She's rude. Should I finish her for you?" I asked wickedly. I sat on his lap and put my hands around his nape. I started to play with his hair.

He grinned. "Don't worry about her. She'll be a big help for us. Mas mapapadali ang laban kung katulong natin siya. If she try to do something against us, that's the time to kill her," he said. Tuso rin siya kagaya ni Jeanne. He's also using others for his own good. Well, that's how we must play to survive in this life. Use the useful and kill the useless.

I grinned. I slowly traced the line of his lips. Inilapit ko ang mukha ko sa kanya. I pressed my lips against his lips and kissed him deeply.

CLAUSS

It's already dawn. Nakasakay kami sa likod ng mga dragon. We're heading to the island where Xyra is. Mabuti na lang narito si Cyrus kundi hindi ko alam kung saan hahanapin sina Xyra.

Seryoso kaming lahat. Alam kong hindi na rin makapaghintay sina Akira upang makipaglaban. Hindi nila mapapalampas ang mga nangyari sa kanila. Their tricks won't work anymore. Naghanda na rin si Cyril ng mga gamot na makakatulong sa bawat isa sa 'min. And Xander found a new trick that would possibly help all of us. We already learned from our mistakes. As much as possible we don't want to fight alone. Ang problema lang hindi namin matatalo ang king of darkness hangga't hindi bumabalik sa 'min si Xyra.

Saving her is our first priority. Madilim pa ay natanaw na namin ang isla. Kapansin-pansin ang itim na kastilyo na nakatayo sa mataas na bahagi ng isla. Maraming uwak at paniki na nagliliparan kung saan-saan. Agad nilang napansin ang pagdating namin at nagkagulo silang lahat. Ang ilan ay pumasok sa kastilyo. Tiyak na nabigyan na nila ng babala ang dark king. But it doesn't matter. We really want to fight them head on.

Mula sa isang terrace ay nakita kong lumabas si Xyra at ang dark king. Si Jeanne naman ay nakatayo sa isang sanga ng puno sa magubat na bahagi ng isla. Maging ang iba sa kanilang mga kasama ay nagsilabasan din. Halatang hindi nila inaasahan ang pagdating namin. Bumuga nang malakas na apoy si Baby Clauss sa mga nagtangkang sumugod sa 'min. Nagtangka si Jill na ikulong kami sa loob ng mga salamin pero hindi siya nagtagumpay. Napaatras sina Clark dahil sa malakas na apoy na ibinuga ni Baby Clauss. Nagpaulan naman ng mga malalaking tipak ng lupa ang dragon ni Akira sa iba. Isang malakas na hangin naman na nagmula kay Baby Xyra ang pumigil kay Jeanne nang akmang lalapit at susugod siya sa 'min. Bumaba na kami sa dalampasigan.

It was already time to move. Una naming inatake ang ilan sa mga kasama ni Jeanne. As planned, we have to knock all of them down to sleep. Kung hindi namin 'yon magagawa, wala kaming pagpipilian kundi ang labanan sila hanggang sa hindi na sila makagalaw pa. Pero hindi namin gustong masaktan sila. They're also victims. Baka may ginawa sa kanila si Jeanne.

Dahil hindi maaaring lumaban si Cyrus, he will buy time for us. He will stop and talk to Jeanne. Walang kwenta ang kapangyarihan ni Angel kung hindi niya kami mapapatulog. She's not a big deal here. 

Selene faced the fear projector, Aira. Xander, Frances and Cyril faced Krisha, the one using poison magic. Bryan and Troy faced Clark and Clent. They're producing a virtual world that can be the real thing. But they're also using an unknown power.

Nilapitan naman ni Xavier si Angel na napaurong. Natatakot siya sa maaaring gawin ni Xavier. Xavier had no choice but to punch her in the stomach and knock her down to sleep. Claudette stayed away from us. She will serve as our means of communication. She stayed with Akira's dragon. Lumipad naman sina Baby Clauss at Baby Xyra. They're dwelling with the bats and crows.

"Let's move now. Selene! Follow us when you're done," sigaw ko. Sumunod sa 'kin sina Akira at Xavier. We are heading now to the dark castle. Several bats attacked us while we're running inside the castle. But we managed to kill all of them. We ended up inside a large and dark room. Naningkit ang mga mata ko nang makita ko ang hinahanap ko. I saw the dark king and he's already waiting for us. Beside him was Xyra. Hindi sila nangangamba sa pagdating namin. They were grinning wickedly at us. Pakiramdam ko mas binigyan namin sila ng malaking pabor sa pagsugod namin dito. Pakiramdam ko kami ang dehado dahil sa pagiging kampante nila.

"Good thing that you came. Let's settle this quick. I want to have more time with my queen. I don't want someone else to occupy her mind but me," he said. I gritted my teeth. But I suddenly realized something. She's thinking about me? Umaasang tumingin ako kay Xyra. She looked at me with disgust and hatred. Hindi ito ang inaasahan kong makita. I was hoping that she'll feel something positive for me. That she will care a bit. It hurts to see her that way. Nakakapanibago. Parang ibang-iba na siya. Hindi na siya ang Xyra na nakilala ko.

Hindi ko alam kung totoo ba ang sinasabi ng dark king na iniisip ako ni Xyra. Why would she think about me if she already forgot everything about us? Maybe, her heart is still there. It's not totally controlled by the darkness. Maybe it was just clouded. 

"I'm sorry. I'm here to take back what belongs to me. I'll tell you this. She's not your queen. She's my queen," I said. Matalim na tiningnan ko ang dark king. He was also doing the same. Halatang wala siyang balak na ibalik sa 'kin si Xyra. Alam kong wala siyang balak na magpatalo.

SELENE

Aira ran towards the forest. Nagmamadaling sinundan ko siya. Napahiwalay na ako kina Bryan. I need to finish this as quick as possible so I can proceed to the castle. They need my power. But first, I must take care of this girl. Hindi ko pwedeng hayaan na makialam siya sa mga laban namin sa dark king. 

At gusto ko ring gumanti sa kanya sa ginawa niya nang makaharap ko siya sa academy. She took advantage of me. Hindi ko akalaing maloloko ako ng isang katulad niya. Jeanne chose and trained her. Baguhan lang siya sa paggamit ng kapangyarihan pero natutunan na niya ang epektibong paggamit nito. 

Pero akala ko nawala na ang bagay na kinatatakutan ko noon. Akala ko maayos na dahil kasama ko na muli ang mga magulang ko. It was all thanks to Akira. He went in the trouble of finding them when the Dark Wizards were defeated. He even told them that I will come back even though he's not sure when. He really believed what the earth god said. Kahit walang kasiguraduhan. He's funny.

Hindi ko palalampasin na ibinalik ni Aira ang masakit na pakiramdam na mawalay sa mga magulang. Sa mga taong mahahalaga para sa 'kin. She even projected the fear of losing Akira. Muntik na niya akong mapaniwala. She went overboard. Hindi na ako magpapaloko sa kanya ngayon. I will surely defeat her now.

Dahil napagod na si Aira sa pagtakbo, napagdesisyunan na niyang tumigil. She faced me. Tumigil na rin ako. I was reserving all my energy to face the dark king. I released my water snake. She concentrated and used her powers against me. She tried to project my fears and brought it to reality.

Again, I could feel my heart beat racing fast. Natigilan ako. Pakiramdam ko kumakabog nang malakas ang puso ko. It's the same feeling I felt when we fought in the academy. She's doing it again. I must not let her manipulate my mind again. Unti-unti nang nagbabago ang paligid pero nakikita ko pa rin si Aira. Pero mamaya lang tiyak na maglalaho na siya at papasok na ako sa sariling mundo na kinatatakutan ko. I don't want to see those things again. I don't want to enter the place she will make by using my fears. Natatakot akong mawala muli ang mga magulang ko. Natatakot akong mawala rin ang tanging lalaki na naniwala na maaari akong magbago. Ayoko nang makita ang walang awang pagpatay sa mga magulang ko. Ayaw ko nang makita ang pagkamatay ni Akira sa harapan ko.

I used my water snake to attack Aira. I must bring her down now before it's too late. Nagpakawala ng sunod-sunod na water bomb ang water snake sa direksiyon niya. Napaurong siya sa takot at napapikit. She was defenseless. It was a cowardly act to fight someone by taking advantage of their fears. I hate her way of fighting. Hindi ko talaga siya pinatamaan pero sumabog ang mga bagay na nasa paligid niya. Gusto ko lang siyang takutin para maramdaman niya ang mga naramdaman ko noon. Para ma-realize niya na mali ang ginagawa niya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pumayag siyang sumali sa grupo ni Jeanne. Hindi ko alam ang dahilan niya. Ang alam ko lang, mali siya.

I ran towards her. I stopped in front of her. Nanginginig ang buong katawan niya dahil sa takot. The same way I felt when I fought her. Actually she used a weapon with poison that's why she managed to defeat me. That poison drugged me to attack my own self. Muntik na akong magsuicide dahil sa naramdaman kong takot. Dahil nakita ko ang walang awang pagkamatay ng mga mahal ko sa buhay. Which is actually fake. Akala ko talaga muli akong mag-iisa. Mabuti na lang hindi siya nagtagumpay. I was saved by Akira's love again.

Dahan-dahan niyang iminulat ang mga mata. Mangiyak-ngiyak na tumingin siya sa 'kin.

"P-Please spare me," she said with her trembling voice. 

I grinned. "Sure. But first eat this," I commanded. Ipinakita ko ang maliit na candy na hawak ko.

"W-What's this?" kunot-noong tanong niya. Nagdududa pa siyang tumingin sa 'kin.

"It's poison. An easy way to die. You will sleep peacefully forever. Or do you want me to slowly kill you with my power? Choose," nananakot na sabi ko. Saglit siyang napaisip. Pikit-mata na kinuha niya ang candy kahit nanginginig at isinubo ito. She's really a coward. She's an idiot to fear pain. Pain is better than being numb. It's the best way to know that you're still alive. That you still have feelings. That you're still human.

Bumagsak siya sa lupa. I sighed. She will be asleep for two days. It's a special sleeping pills that will give her body strength even though she's not eating anything. Cyril is being considerate with our schoolmates. Cyril don't want to harm anyone with her ability. Siguro paggising niya tapos na ang lahat. Sana. Nagmamadaling tumakbo ako patungo sa castle. Sana sa pagkakataong ito, mabawi na namin si Xyra.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note:

Hello! Sorry pala dahil hindi ko kayo nabigyan ng mga mas detalyadong laban sa mga nakaraang updates. But I'm planning to re-write this from the start kapag natapos ko na. Marami akong gustong baguhin at idagdag sa laban. At may gusto rin akong simulan na bagong fantasy story. Hahahaha! Kaya gusto ko nang tapusin ito. Pero hindi na siya magical academy.  

Thanks pala sa lahat ng nagbabasa nito. Sorry kung hindi ko narereplyan ang mga comments pero natutuwa ako kapag nababasa ko un. :D Dito na lang ako magpapasalamat. Salamat sa reads, votes and comments. Lovelots!

P.S. May gusto akong i-announce pero nahihiya ako. Next time na lang kapag nandiyan na ahahahaha! <3

~Missmaple.