CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
NAPUNO ng palahaw at pagtangis ang buong paligid. Pero agad ding nanahimik ang lahat. Narinig ko ang papalapit na yabag. Nagsalubong ang kilay ko nang makita ang pamilyar na sapatos sa tinititigan kong yelo. I slowly raised my eyes to see who own those pair of shoes. I was greeted by the prince's immaculate beauty. His eyes were still blank as he look down on me.
"You have the chance to reveal who are your associates. Tell us all of your members and we shall let you go unscathed," walang buhay niyang sabi. Napakuyom ang mga kamao ko. Iniisip niya bang ipagkakanulo ko ang mga kasamahan ko kapalit ng buhay ko?
"I won't tell you anything," I replied in a determined way. His left brow raised in amusement.
"Fine. But we'll save you for last," he said before turning his back to me. I blinked the tears off my eyes and just watch what they will do next. He gestured for his soldier and the latter bowed in response.
Nabalot ako ng pagkabahala nang sapilitin nilang patayuin ang katabi ko. Siya 'yong nagsabi kaninang wala siyang kaalam-alam kung bakit siya nandito. They forced her to kneel in front of the prince. Blaze took out his dagger and activated it into his ice sword.
"Huwag po! Pakiusap! Wala akong kinalaman sa pagkamatay ng hari!" Pagmamakaawa no'ng katulong. That broke my heart. How can he be so cruel that he would kill an innocent life without even knowing the truth. That maid wasn't a member of the group.
Itinaas ni Blaze ang kaniyang espada at handa nang paslangin ang kaawa-awang babae. But before he could even make a mistake, I stopped him.
"She's not a member of the group! Don't kill her!" I shouted from the top of my lungs. Pumipintig ang mga ugat ko sa leeg dahil sa ginawa ko. Tumigil ang prinsipe at lumingon sa akin. He slowly put his sword down.
"I thought you won't tell us anything? What changed your mind?" He coldly asked. Sunod-sunod nang tumulo ang mga luha ko na kanina ko pa pinipigil.
"I thought you're a just person but you disappoint me, Blaze," I tried to mock him pero umismid lang siya. "I won't let you kill an innocent life—"
Hindi niya hinayaang matapos ko ang sasabihin ko. He turned to me and yelled at me in a furious way.
"My father was also innocent yet you and your people killed him!" He growled. He finally broke the masque he's wearing and showed us what he truly feel.
"Your father wasn't innocent, Blaze. He killed my parents. He was the reason why I never felt any happiness on my eighteen years of existence. He was the reason why my life is miserable. So if you want to punish your father's killer, I am taking all the blame. Spare their lives and just kill me instead!" My voice cracked at the end but who cares? I'm going to die anyway.
Hindi ko alam kung namamalik-mata ba ako o nagha-hallucinate na naman ako. I think I saw sadness crossed his eyes. But it was gone in a split-second. Dahan-dahan siyang naglakad palapit sa akin habang hawak-hawak ang espada niya. I stared bravely unto his eyes, not minding the gasps from the audience.
"You left me with no choice," he mumbled before raising his sword. Here it comes. My end is here. I closed my eyes and waited for him to end my sufferings at once. I counted in my head. One... Two... Three.... The count goes on... and on... and on. Hanggang sa nakaabot na ako sa ten.
