ZODIAC GATES-Beware of the 13th Sign

1'PURE; RENEWED; RARE BLOOD

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I could sense the breath of air touching my skin as I tried to sweep the fallen leaves away from the backyard of the house where I used to live. Raya, Taya, Madame Ruth and I lived in a house away from the town. It means we’re living inside the forest.

     I stopped my chores and sighed. After that, I was already looking at the splendid castle from afar. It’s lofty that it somehow almost reached the clouds up in the sky. Well, it was what it was for me.

     Our small wooden house surrounded with huge tress at the back and each side was located above a not-so-high cliff so that maybe I could stare at our region’s castle.

   I was born a Capricorn that’s why I lived in Capricorn Region. There were actually 12 Zodiac Regions in our Zoidion:

     ♈ Aries

     ♉ Taurus

     ♊ Gemini

     ♋ Cancer

     ♌ Leo

     ♍ Virgo

     ♎ Libra

     ♏ Scorpio

     ♐ Sagittarius

     ♑ Capricorn

     ♒ Aquarius

     ♓ Pisces

     All had its own castles where leaders resided, they’re called Gate Key Bearers. They’re actually the most powerful beings who could summon the Celestial Spirits from the other dimension. And the second most powerful were those who could use powers and magic. Well, their abilities maybe far from each other but they had one thing in common: they could enter the castle.

     All my life wala akong pinangarap kundi ang makapasok sa palasyo’t makapag-aral. Pero . . . sa tingin ko’y hanggang panaginip na lang ‘yon. It’s because only those who have pure and renewed blood could enter the castle and study magic and powers.

     One could be called a Pure Blood when you have a Sign that is same as your parents. If you’re parents are both Capricorns then you must be a Capricorn as well to be a Pure Blood. Renewed Blood are those who have different Signs from their parents’. If your Capricorn parents gave birth to you as an Aries for example, then you can be considered as a Renewed Blood. Right the instance of being born, you’ll be sent to the Aries Region with a new family. Kailan ma’y ‘di mo na makakasama pa ang tunay mong mga magulang. That’s how the laws of our world work.

     I sighed again. No matter how I wished to be in that castle I’m staring at I still wouldn’t be able to enter. I do have a rare blood, a blood that this world doesn’t want to have. Being a rare-blooded means a curse to bear in a lifetime. At masakit sa aking malamang ako lang ang nag-iisang Rare Blood sa mundo. Well nobody knows there’s one who exists dahil ang alam ng lahat ay Renewed Blood ako. ‘Yan ang sinasabi ni Madame Ruth sa lahat ng tao but she knows that I do have a rare one. Taya and Raya―the twins―know. They’re hiding who I am because that was what my parents last wish―to take care of me, to not let anyone know that I am actually a daughter of an Aries and a Gemini.

     Agad kong pinahid ang tumulong luha mula sa mata ko. Rare Blood. I am an offspring of two divergent Signs which is against the law.

     “Racchina.”

     Napalingun ako sa pintuan nang may tumawag sa pangalan ko. Si Taya’t katabi niya si Raya. They’re Pure Bloods. Magkasing-edad lang kami’t sabay na lumaki, ang kaibahan nga lang ay nag-aaral sila sa Capricorn Castle.

     Agad ko namang inilapag ang walis sa lupa nang mapagtanto kong palapit na sila sa akin.

     “Aalis na kami, ‘China, huh?” Taya didn’t know what to put on her face: a smile or a sad expression.

     “H’wag kang mas’yadong magpakahirap dito,” Raya said, opted not to paint a glint of happiness on her face.

     “H’m,” I concurred, trying to sound not envious.

     They heaved an in-obvious sigh at nagtungo na sa palasyo’t naiwan akong mag-isang nakatayo kasama ang katahimikan. Ilang segundo pa’y nawala na sila sa paningin ko’t ‘di ko na lang namalayang may isang butil ng luha na naman ang dumaloy sa pisngi ko. Madali ko iyong pinahid at dinampot na ang walis at ipnagpatuloy ang ginagawa.

     “Hey, Racchina. Don’t be a cry-baby. A Capricorn shouldn’t be acting like that,” I scolded myself, lifting an eyebrow, trying to be oblivious of the pain. . . . But still, I couldn’t stop thinking about my parents.

     My sassy look and actions―just to comfort myself―faded slowly into a mournful one. They’re already gone . . . they’re dead. They were killed by the law. Dahil kailanman ay ipinagbabawal ang pagmamahalan ng dalawang taong may magkaibang Signs. Isa ‘yong kahihiyan, isang kahihiyang kamatayan lang . . . ang nararapat na kaparusahan.

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