Glistening Lantern (Gazellian Series #7)

Epilogue

Thank you for your patience :)

Epilogue

I always adore him, my father, there are no days that I will never look up to him, except for one thing; his flawed love for my mother. . . now I have to face a simple question for many, but a life-changing one for a prince. Will I choose a map or a lantern?

I thought that this question was all about my mate bond with Anna, the love I devoted to her, and the feeling of happiness with her. Na muli'y mahaharap ang katulad ko sa isang sitwasyon na maging si ama ay hindi natakakasan. That I'd fall for both women and be torn to choose between them. . .

But I was wrong because the flawed thing about my father's love for my mother is the way he sacrificed too much for her that he'd see nothing but her.

Akala ko ay tanging si ama lang ang siyang may katangiang ganito. But as I grew up and witnessed how my elder brothers struggled for love— masasabi ko na lamang na talagang nanalaytay ang dugo ng aming ama sa aming magkakapatid.

If those goddesses that we've met done nothing but selflessness, Gazellian men could be the worst selfish individuals in our world. At hindi ko itatangging isa ako roon.

Na iniisip ko na lang itakbo si Anna mula sa lugar na ito at iwan na ang misyong ito. I know that Dastan will understand me even if I failed this journey, I know that he'd do something to help me in this situation, I know that my elder brother would still accept me in my every decision no matter what it is. Dahil alam kong alam nila ang pakiramdam ng matakot sa kaalamang mawalay sa babaeng pinakamamahal nila.

And right now, I am scared. . . scared as hell.

There's always this worst part of having a brave, beautiful, and kind-hearted mate— iyon ang kaalamang kaya nila kaming tiisin para sa higit na kapakanan nang nakararami.

We Gazellians could be those madly in love villains that would do everything for the love of our life even in the most villainous way, but our significant others are always those heroes, that would shred blood for the greater good. And I've witnessed all of it, from Claret, Naha, Leticia, Kalla, and now my mate, Anna.

Their braveness could be a gift, but sometimes a curse.

When Anna looked at me, with those eyes asking for understanding, I could feel how my life started to crumble. I couldn't even breathe well, my heart was pounding so fast, and for the very first time, I felt coldness all over my body as if my brother Zen was around.

I have experienced different kinds of fear before, but I never felt this worst feeling of fears as I stared with love of my life. Dati'y inaakala ko lang na sa tuwing pagmamasdan ko si Anna'y tanging walang katapusang saya ang siyang mararamdaman ko, pero sa pagkakataong ito'y labis na takot ang siyang pinadarama niya sa akin.

Her expression of surrender and eyes begging for her to understand were like nightmares I never thought would haunt me.

I am scared that the moment she handed that lantern to me, she'd run away and disappear in front of my eyes.

Bakit ako dinala ni ama sa ganitong sitwasyon? Gusto niya rin bang maranasan ko ang naranasan niya? That I'd betray all my friends to save my love of my life? Bakit sa sandaling nakararanas ako nang ganito ay ako lamang mag-isa?

I've been present in all of my siblings' tough situations, but why I couldn't ask for their help right now?

I don't know what to do, na ang tangi ko na lang nagawa ay ilang beses na umiling kay Anna na tila nagmamakaawa na baguhin ang kanyang desisyon.

"No. . . please. . . choose me," I begged.

Nang mas ilapit niya sa akin ang lampara ay kusa nang humakbang paatras ang isa kong paa. That was when my eyes landed to the lantern again as it started to ignite and glow in front of us.