Curse of the Unholy Crystal

Chapter 18: Hall of Achievers

Worry about what?

Napahawak si Headmistress sa kanyang ulo habang si Auntie nama'y huminga ng malalim.

"Go in your dorms. We'll discuss your punishment later. Now!" Headmistress ordered with stern voice.

Nag-bow kaming lahat at tahimik na lumabas ng office. Bago pa sinara ni Galvi ang pinto, nagtagpo ang tingin namin ni Aunt Lucia. I was right. She was hiding something from me. I could tell from her eyes.

Nang makalayo-layo kami, tumabi sa akin si Cyclone, "Mommy mo si tita— I mean si Ma'am Hyverdale?!"

"Teka, kung gano'n pinsan mo si Gray? Bakit Taylor apelyido mo? Sino tatay mo? Mortal ba?" sunod-sunod na tanong ni Flint sabay tabi sa akin sa kabila. Bale napapagitnaan ako ng kambal.

"Hindi niyo alam?" tanong ni Claude sabay iling. Napailing ang kambal.

It looks like Aunt Lucia never told Gray that I am adopted. She is, in fact, my foster mother and has adopted me legally. But that's all I know. She never told me how I ended up with her and who my parents were or what happened to them. I don't even know where my last name 'Taylor' came from. 

I just called her 'Aunt Lucia' even though she insists on being called 'Mom' because I considered her more of a guardian. I'd only call that to my real mother who gave birth to me. Aunt Lucia may have a valid reason why she hid that I'm adopted, so I will play along for her sake. 

Pero hindi lang 'yon ang nasa isip ko, ano ang tinatago niya sa akin? Pakiramdam ko na marami siyang tinatago na sikreto tungkol sa aking pagkatao. I find it unfair. Sa lahat ng tao, dapat ako mismo ang nakakaalam kung saan ako nagmula at kung sino ako. Pero parang pinagkakait niya 'yon sa akin.

That's my goal why I came to Animus anyway. To unravel her secrets and know who I really am.

Bumaling ang isip ko sa binanggit ni Headmistress kanina. Tungkol do'n sa matutunton daw ako ni Lord Sephtis kahit ikulong pa ako ni auntie. I wonder what is it all about.

"Who's Lord Sephtis?"

Napatigil sila sa paglalakad sa tanong ko. Nagkatinginan muna sila bago naisipang sagutin ang tanong ko.

"Lord Sephtis is the vilest and most powerful magic user in all Animus. He is the current King of Lystozia. A close and independent kingdom that does not live harmoniously with other kingdoms. They never interacted with them because of a rift that happened in the past. Even in Enchant Academy, there's no single Lystozian who studies here," sagot ni North.

Sumeryoso ang mukha ni Claude. "Lord Sephtis almost succeeded wiping Fantasia off the map 17 years ago. He killed King Harold, my grandfather. He also killed my parents at that time as they try to save me. Lord Sephtis is also responsible for the disappearance of Prince Edward's body and also Princess Selena and their daughter's death."

"Princess Selena's daughter became the Forgotten Princess. Well, she died very young and Fantasia tried to avoid talking about the war 17 years ago, so she got forgotten through time," dagdag ni Gray.