EMPIRE HIGH

Chapter 45

Wala akong ibang makita kundi ang mataas na bakod na halos punuin ng lumot at mga ligaw na damo. It looks like abandoned. Pero isang bagay ang kumuha ng atensyon ko, ang isang parte ng semento na may hugis umano dahil ng damo.

I went in front of it, at napansin ang isang bakal na parang hawakan. And that hit me. Agad kong inalis ang mga damo. I even touched some torns pero wala iyon sa isip ko lalo na nang makonpira ko na isang pinto nga ito.

There's some woods that blocked the door pero animo'y kinain na rin ito ng mga anay. Isang sipa ko lang ay agad itong nawasak katulad ng inaasahan kong paghuna nito. Walang pasintabi na pumasok ako at hindi ko na naiwasang bakasan ng pagkagulat sa mukha ko.

There's a sculpture.  Sculpture of the Empire High grounds that was about my size. Punong puno ako ng katanungan, but it made me walk faster nang makita ko ang isang daan sa tabi nito. Curiousity hits me.

At isang nakakagulat muli ang nakita ko. It is really two buildings but it was connected by a dome. Ang pisikal kong nakikita ngayon ay ibang iba sa imahinasyong naisip ko noong una kong nakita ito mula sa bintana ng silid ko sa dormitoryo.

Pumasok ako sa nagiisang pinto na hindi ko alam kung talagang bukas ba o iniwang bukas. That was my question. Before. Dahil nabago ang tanong ko nang mapalakad ako sa isang red carpet sa napakabang hallway. Kung sa labas ay tila abandonado ito, sa loob ay kabaligtaran dahil malinis ang buong paligid.

Nang makarating ako sa dulo, hindi ko maiwasang tumitig sa nakita ko.  A wall painted picture ang bumungad sa akin. And it looks like a replica of the UC's Court. Add also the fact na may mga nakaupo sa tatlong baitang ng mahabang mesa nito.

There's only one man in the middle of the top level. And in the second one, there's five. And in the middle and last of it were women. And in the third level, there's about eight people. What was this group? Who are they?

I just shrugged that question at napalingon sa kanan ko sa pagkamangha. There's a huge living room and it has a huge chandelier. And in my left side, doon ako pumunta dala ng kyuryosidad.  Dahil ang bawat pader na bahagi ay mayroong malalaking litrato at ang direksyon nito ay sa isang daan lang ito patungo kung kakanan ako sa pinakadulong parte.

Sa bawat paglakad ko ay hindi ko na maiwasang tumitig sa bawat nadadanan kong litrato. Four paintings that looks like a picture to be exact. 

The first one in my left was a woman. A woman in a black dress who have a four diamonds in her bracelet. The second one is a man. A man who's holding a wine of glass with a scar on his right hand. The third one is a man who have an A tattoo embedded in his left hand. And the last man, he have a ring. Its' diamond's color has a shade of violet and red. And for my eyes, it's familiar.

The only difference they have were their masks that they're wearing covering their upper half of the face. And the similarities? they were all wearing black. And lastly, one thing bothers me. They have captions. The woman have 'Quatro', the man with wine have 'Tres', the man with A tattoo have 'Dos' and the last man with a ring have an 'Uno' caption. It's numbers and I think, that captions are their names.

Eventhough, questions are now in my head ay lumiko pa rin sa ako kanan na daan. And what I saw totally hit me. Big time.

I saw three frames. The first frame, it's a man. His face was covered by a black mask and his eyes, it's red. While the second frame, it's the same painting of a woman wearing a red dress. But the only thing that made me stare on her was the thing on her back, it's a katana.

Punong puno na ako ng katanungan pero mas pinili ko pa ding lapitan ang huling frame. Bagay na nagpatakbo sa akin papalabas ng gusali.

That was so unexplainable.

Hades' POV

"Hades, representatives of each Guardians' families and the whole Council were already in the table."

Nang marinig ko iyon mula kay Louise, ay automatikong napahinga na lang ako ng malalim bago tumayo sa upuan ko.

"Sit down." Bungad ko nang makapasok ako sa room kung saan magaganap ang conference na pinatawag ko.

"We knew that we're only waiting for one thing. And it will came soon." I said at saglit na tinitigan sa mata ang bawat isa sa kanila.

"Prepare for her." Iyon lang ang huli kong nasambit at saka umalis sa harapan nila.

They know what I mean. Kaya dapat sumunod sila. Because the long wait for our plans will be over. 

Soon.

Fuschia's POV

"I don't understand it." Bulong ko sa hangin habang nakatitig sa kanyang puntod.

Remembering what I saw in the last frame, confused me a lot. Isang tao lang ang naroon. A forteen years old girl. 

It was me.

I even got all the clues. But it's still a mystery for me. My own family, I don't know them. Even myself. This life of mine is difficult than anyone thought. Pesteng buhay.

"Hija. Huwag kang umiyak." I stopped from my momentum and immediately glance from the direction where I heard the voice. At isang matandang lalaking naglilinis ng kabilang puntod ang nakita ko.

Hindi ko na sana siya papansinin pa. But he got my attention when he mentioned a name.

"Thanalia? She's your mother right?"

At doon na ako tumingin ng diretso sa kanya. He was just staring on the grave of my mother. And again, I suddenly felt a doubt on people around me nang sabihin niya ang isang linya sa akin.

A line that made me shattered into pieces.

"Buhay pa ang dinadalaw mo Hija."

Edited.