"What?" kunwari na wala akong alam, shit shit-
"Come on tell Me." can I trust her? she also knows something tungkol sa libro "Ok fine, looks like may trust issues ka pa ngayon. How about this, I'll tell you about us. And you tell me about yourself. Sounds fair right?"
"Fine, sabihin mo lahat ang tungkol sa'yo." Napatawa naman siya at tumango tango, how is she driving with blind eyes?
"I may be blind but like I said, my senses are good." I frowned at what she said, did she just read my mind?
May mga taong gifted with abilities tulad ni Love. Did Bree also have one too?
"Haha you're good at guessing. Tama ka, I can read minds." Nakangiting sabi niya.
"Wait really?" I questioned, tumango tango naman siya.
"Yeah, where should I start? Hmmm... My real name is Princess Brianna le Maier." Napanganga naman ako. "My family is a royalty, I'm certain na alam mo na iyon. Being a royalty isn't something to brag about. It's a burden."
"Wait- you know Lothaire?!" gulat na tanong ko sakanya. "I mean-
"Yeah I know him. But let's not talk about that, I'll lose my track." Halos hindi ako mapakali sa sinabi niya, she really knows him? How? "Long story short, I was a princess before not till nalaman nila na bulag pala ako. So they sent me away in the wasteland. My father and mother was murdered maybe because of the throne, my uncle got it anyways. I ended up living here in the wasteland, not that bad though."
"Pano ka nabuhay dito? Why are you so skilled? What abilities do you have? And how about Ivo and Ivy?" napakaraming tanong ang pumapasok sa isip ko, and how did she know about me? How did she know na hindi ako dito?
"Princess, one question at a time." She said
"Uh....so how did you live in the wasteland?" –Me
"Well, I have been training for years. I'm an assassin in the wasteland, kasama ko sina Ivo at Ivy sa trabaho ko. They're skilled too. I met them a few months ago." –Bree
"Wait do you use arme mortelle? Kasi kanina you used some pirate sword, is that suppose to be your arme mortelle?" –Me
"No, one of the reasons why I got thrown in the wasteland is that wala akong arme mortelle. If you don't have any arme mortelle then you're weak, but I think I just proved that wrong didn't I?" I looked down remembering she almost killed us kanina.
She's an assassin? And she's blind with abilities. I wonder how skilled is she? I want to learn.
So teka, wala siyang arme mortelle? That's weird, in the book walang sinabi na may taong walang arme mortelle or a place called wasteland. All I know is that it's magical, I guess this is a part of the book na hindi pa nadiskobre.
"Ang mga tao na natapon sa wasteland ay halos walang arme mortelle, they are defenseless but they are not weak. Most assassin came from the wasteland and sometimes we got hired to kill some certain people. That's how we make money... we live to kill." She shrugged and sighed.
"Kahit si Ivy in a young age, she's trained to kill." I looked at the back at nakita si Ivy na tumatawa. She's laughing while Nita was pouting, mukhang nag-bangayan ang dalawa. Ivo's just closing his eyes.
For some reason, naintindihan ko ang mga sinasabi ni Bree, being an assassin isn't easy at all
"How about your abilities?" tanong ko, she's gifted like Love.
"My abilities? Yeah, they're good at helping me. I can read minds and I can tell someone who's lying, tulad kanina. Your name, you lied about it. I can sense human energy. Pag malakas ang energy mo, you're skilled and if mahina then you're weak. That's why I told you you're special."
"Your energy is overflowing all over the place. But you're not skilled enough, you're relying to your arme mortelle more than your skills. How about use another weapon instead?" she smiled and looked at me.
"Ah- matutulungan mo ba ako?" yeah I figured I lacked skills. They are assassins and I was amazed na kahit madilim ay they manage to do their jobs. "Also you're blind. How did you manage to drive? Isa rin ba iyan sa mga abilidad mo?"
"No, of course not. I have been training for years, I can sense the vibration in the ground and can feel. Parang nakakita ako, with help of my ability that can detect energy. Mas lalong madali." Napa-awang naman ako ng labi, is she saying she's been training for years? Pero we're just the same age. How did she perfected it?
Tahimik lang kami, is it time na para tanungin niya ang tunkol sakin-
"When I got thrown dito sa wasteland, I discovered my abilities. I didn't tell anyone about it and kept it a secret. Kasi pag sinabi ko, they're going to take me back in the City. Like they did to that guy." I glanced at her nang bigla siyang nagkwento ulit. That guy? Is she pertaining to Love? "He's good at his abilities, I told him that he shouldn't show it so carelessly but he did. Para lang may balikan sa City, he said it was someone special."
Huh?
"Oh and one more thing. I also have a last ability... I can remember my past life's memories." Bulong niya...
"Anong ibig mong sabihin? That you reincarnated? Like me?" tulad kaya siya sakin? I got reincarnated into Lilith's body.
She didn't answer, in fact tahimik lang siya. I don't know kung ilang minute kaming tahimik but we stopped. Tumingin siya saakin. "Let's talk inside."
"We are hereee~" tili ni Ivy at bumaba na. Nauna na ring bumaba si Bree.
"Ivy, marami pa ang natutulog. Keep your voice low." Saway ni Ivo sa kapatid, bumaba na rin sina Nita.
Napatingin ako sa harap ko and I have never been amazed in my whole life, akala ko hidden city to?! There's a huge tree located in the center, Malaki talaga siya as in. mas Malaki pa sa puno na andon sa greenhouse garden. There are houses above too, it's like they created a city in a tree above. May mga daanan and stuff, but the lights are off.
Ang ganda talaga, isang malaking puno na may mga bahay sa itaas. It's more beautiful than Cronus City, ito ba ang wasteland na sinasabi nila?!
Ivo went sa side ko, like he's going to help me get down in this weird looking car.
"Ako na." Nita glared at Ivo kaya napaatras nalang ito, Nita helped get down. "tsk, ba't ang hilig gumawa ng first move ang mga lalaki?"
"Hey you scared him." natatawang sabi ko kay Nita, inirapan nalang ako ni Nita.
"Serves him right. ayaw ko talaga sa mga lalaki, that fucking Lothaire? Theo? They're a bunch of losers. Hindi man lang tayo tinulungan, they didn't even believe us! alam mo Master, kanina ko pa gustong sabihin to sa'yo." Nangngigil na tugon ni Nita. "But you keep spacing out."
Bree glanced at us and smiled. Why does she keep smiling? Grabe, minsan parang gusto kong matakot kay Bree. Because of her energy detection ability, madali niya lang mahanap kung saan kami. Her sense of hearing is good too.
"So this is the wasteland...city? it doesn't look like a wasteland. Ang ganda nga eh." Nakatingin si Nita sa malaking puno.
"I know rigghtt~ well wala namang pumupunta dito sa wasteland and all the people here are kind." Ivy remarked sabay taas ng kamay niya. "Not like what the people inside those walls say, isn't it? mas maganda pa ang wasteland kesa sa inaakala nila."
"Ivo, Ivy. You both should rest, tell our other guests to rest too." nakangiting sabi ni Bree sa dalawa, weird. Bakit parang mas matanda siyang pakinggan? She's like around our age yet she speak maturely.
"How about... the other girl?" tanong ni Ivo sabay tingin sakin with tired eyes. His eyes really looked like Love's, why does it remind me of him?
"She's going with me, may pag-uusapan lang kami." –Bree
"You better not hurt master." –Nita
Umiling naman si Bree sakanya. Nita just stared at her na parang nagtataka kung bakit nalaman ni Bree kung saan ang position niya, oh right. Nita didn't know...
Bree held my hands and lead me somewhere. Kahit madilim ay tanaw na tanaw ko parin ang malaking puno. Andito kami sa isang malaking bato, and boy the view is good kahit gabi.
"Beautiful isn't it? I never thought na ganito pala kaganda ang loob ng isang libro." Agad akong napalingon sakanya nang sinabi niya iyon, the book again. "I know you're confused. But you're right, I was reincarnated like you. Pero matagal na akong patay sa totoong mundo."
"You came from our world?" I asked, mukhang hindi na nakakagulat ang reincarnation para saakin since nangyari na itsakin.
"Yup~ I died loooongg timeee agoo. My friend and I were going on our way home, but we caught an accident and I guess we died? I got reincarnated in this body, a side characters body." –Bree
"I was confused nang bakit ako nabuhay ulit. Then some random people with familiar names kept appearing. Evangeline, Lothaire? You? This character's body is gifted with such great abilities. But didn't get the chance to appear in the book."
"So you know about the book?" -Me
"Of course, my friend is the one who wrote it." –Bree
THE FUCKING AUTHOR?! SERYSOSO?! KAIBIGAN NIYA ITO?!
"Wait... talaga?" I tried my best to stay calm. I really wanted to meet the author too. andito kaya siya? andito kaya ang author?! I want to meet her.
Napabuntong hininga naman ito, I have heard the author died in a car accident pero diko alam kung kelan ito nangyari. And not to mention-
"Yes. Hindi ko nga alam kung asan siya." she added. Parang ayaw niyang pag-usapan ang author ng libro... did something happen?
"Dahil sa abilidad ng katawang ito na makaalala sa past life niya. I kept experiencing the cycle over and over again, I experienced the story na paulit ulit na parang déjà vu. Yung itatapon ka ng paulit ulit dito and die at the end, I have been experiencing that a couple of times. "
"Of course I tried my best na ibahin ang kwento, ibahin ang kapalaran ko na hindi ma punta sa wasteland. I also tried to meet the other characters, but in the end. I failed kasi nga isa lang akong side character. I have done it a doznes of times, trying to change the flow of the story, pero mukhang hindi lang talaga ako pinalad."
"But this time, in this timeline. Things have changed, you the villainess of the story managed to change the flow. Lothaire's curse isn't suppose to be lifted ng maaga, he wasn't suppose to come here in the wasteland. So tinanong ko siya kung sino ang gumawa non sakanya, he said it was you who lifted his curse, Lily. That isn't suppose to happen, hindi yon ang nangyari sa kwento"
"The moment I saw you, I know you're not Lilith. Lilith's personality isn't like yours, kaya I have a hunch there's someone in her body na hindi ko kilala. I guess I'm right, you were reincarnated too. Maybe you're reincarnated para baguhin ang flow."
Agad naman akong napaisip... hmmm.
"So if I got reincarnated here and managed to change the flow ng story. There must be someone else na nag-change rin?" she looked at me weirdly. "Like Evangeline, her personality didn't match the details sa libro. "
"I have heard about that" sabi niya pero mukhang may dinagdag pa ito "Good thing he managed to plan something in advance. You almost died dahil sa plano ng babaeng yan. " Bulong ni Bree, hindi ko naman narinig kaya wala akong naintindihan.
"What?" tanong ko
"Oh nothing, hindi pa ito ang oras na malaman mo." Bree looked up. "Hindi pa tayo sure tungkol kay Evangeline, I havent seen her in this timeline. I might be able to find out kung ma detect ko ang sakanya. And oh... have you met the Queen?"
"Yeah, she kept appearing. Dahil siguro na change ko ang flow ng story?" agad akong tiningnan ni Bree. Napakagat siya ng labi at parang hindi mapakali.
"Seryoso kaba? I always thought her energy flow is weird nung unang kita ko sakanya. I always see her in my previous life. Her energy is weird, ewan ko. I got a bad feeling about her." I frowned sa sinabi ni Bree. Is the Queen involve in this too?
"Paano naman-
"We need to end this story, the author. She didn't finish the story right? We need to do something." napatigil ako sa sinabi ni Bree. "Since ikaw lang ang nakapag-change ng flow ng story. Maybe you will be able to do it."
"Ako?! Ano? Paano? I mean paano natin i-end ang story. Let Evangeline marry one of the male leads? Atsaka if I do manage to end the story. Does that mean mawawala kayo?" she smiled at me softly, and hinawakan ang pisngi ko.
"I have been experiencing life over and over again. paulit ulit nalang ang nangyayari sa kwento, it's time to end this one and for all."
I looked down at the ground, does that mean I'm killing everyone in the story? Pero paano sina Love? Paano...ako? I don't know kung ano ang nangyari ng totoong katawan ko, I also don't know why I got in this story.
Am I really be able to end it? paano?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey Masterrr gising naaaa!" napabangon ako sa higaan ng tinawagan ako ni Nita. Bree gave me a room last night, ang ganda nga mukhang eh. Tree houses are awesome.
Napaisip rin ako sa sinabi niya kahapon. She's going to train me for assassination, kami ni Nita. She said she wanted to go in the city once we're ready. Maybe months? Years?
Nagtaka rin ako kung sino ang taong tinutukoy niya, I was having second thoughts nang naisip ko si Love. I'm not entirely sure kung si Love ba talaga, he's not on our side anymore. Maybe it's a good thing that I'll end this story.
Bakit nga ba ako nainlove sa isang fictional character? Love is not true at all, pero kung tatapusin ko ang kwento... does that mean mawawala na sina Nita? Bree said she didn't care about her life anymore... all she wanted is to rest.
About the author... wala masyadong binanggit si Bree. It's like she didn't want to mention the author at all. Gusto ko sana siyang tanungin kung andito rin ba ang author, but whenever I mention the author. She'd change topics.
Hays.... Paano kaya namin tatapusin ang kwento? I mean things did change. I, the villainess ended up in a wasteland because someone wants me executed. Tsaka napaaga ata yung kamatayan ko, years from now I will die. Evangeline became a bitch, I don't get why she's desperate to get rid of me.
Choose your happy ending huh... I wonder. If I manage to choose mine.
"P-princess." Napalingon ako sa may pintuan, I saw Ivo with a tray of foods, he's in my doorway. Wala rin namang pintuan ang room na ito. Why is he calling me princess?
"Call me Lily. Atsaka pano mo nalaman na prinsesa ako?" agad naman siyang namula na parang nahihiya. We're just the same age, why is he acting like that.
"I-I'm sorry. I overheard your conversation with Bree sa may sasakyan." Lumapit siya sakin pero nakatingin naman sa malayo. Is he this awkward? Parang kagabi ang cool niya lang. "Also h-here's your food."
"No need to apologize. Thank you Ivo" Ibinigay niya ang tray na may pagkain. I accidentally touched his hands kasi nakahawak siya sa may handle"Sorry hindi ko sinasadya-"
I was surprised when he immediately ran nang natanggap ko ang tray. What... is wrong with him? sobrang dumi ba ng kamay ko?
__________________
"Papa!!! Ano ba naman yan, ang weak mo." Minsan naiilang ako sa pagtawag ni Ivy sa kuya niya.
"Can you stop calling me 'Papa'? I'm not your dad." Inis na sabi ni Ivo sa bunsong kapatid.
"Duh? You're still asking me that?" inirapan nalang ni Ivy si Ivo.
Andito kami ngayon sa ilalim ng puno. We're starting with training for our assassination. Buti nalang at mababait ang mga tao dito, I expect them to be more vigilant or dangerous since dito naman tinatapon ang mga criminal sa Cronus City diba?
I always asked Bree about Love, pero konti lang na impormasyon ang ibinibigay niya. or she'd say its not time yet whatsoever.
I'm guessing Love came here nung time na na-lift ang curse niya. He was gone for a year and I didn't go to the school for a year too. He didn't tell me kung saan rin siya pumunta, so was that it? Is Bree and Love close?
I was watching Bree smiling, she's with a bird. It was a messenger bird, who is she sending it to?
"Akala ko anak talaga ni Ivo si Ivy eh. Ang weird rin minsan ni Ivy, she like to annoy his brother." Nita said. Tumango tango naman ako sa sinabi ni Nita, weird. Love's in my mind again- "Don't you think he's cute"
Napaubo naman ako sa narinig ko. Seriously?! Nita isn't that type of person who compliments guys. ESPECIALLY MGA LALAKI. "Don't you think so too, Master?"
Lumingon siya sakin at ngumisi, like she wants me to... no. ayaw ko, hindi pa ako ready.
"Master, are you thinking of him again?" Nita questions me, teka. Obvious ba talaga? Napayuko naman ako. I don't know though... hindi ko na alam talaga. Half of me still wasn't him and the other half of me ay ayaw na sakanya.
For some reason, gusto kong marinig ang rason ni Love.
"Hey Lily, nakikinig kaba? si Ivo ang magtetrain sa'yo." Agad akong bumalik sa realidad nang biglang sinabi ni Bree ang pangaalan ko. How did she get here? "Both of you should learn how to use some random weapons instead of relying sa arme mortelle niyo."
Nita already know about us going back sa city. sa pagkakasabi ni bree, it sounds like some sort of revenge kaya sobrang willing si Nita na malaman ang pagiging isang assassin. Bree also said that we should take jobs that people gave us since it can help us gain more money.
Minsan nagui-guilty ako pagmaririnig ko ang assassination, I mean it's a fancy term of killing people. Bree's defense if that everything is just fiction. Huwag ko daw dibdibin ang nangyayari, we must kill to survive.
"Princ- I mean Lily. Your arms, it needs to be higher. Also if you dodge, please do it faster." I huffed nang sinabihan ako ni Ivo non, he's strict but good. Not gonna lie...
"Yes sorry." bulong ko, I was using sword right now. Ang weird lang kasi hindi mo mabalanse ng maayos. You need to move fast and dodge fast. Tsk...
"Nita try not to summon your arme mortelle when you're angry ok? Don't summon anything." Nita rolled her eyes when Bree said that to her, nakaupo lang sa gilid si Bree habang si Nita and Ivy ay nagsa-spar.
Nita knew about Bree's abilities, she managed to figure that out. Ivy and Ivo didn't tell us anything, baka siguro dahil they respect Bree's privacy or something. Atsaka they didn't know about the book, at all. Bree told them once in her past life, para daw tulungan siyang ma change ang flow.
In the end hindi nangyari iyon... "Hey, you ok?" Tumango tango ako sa tanong ni Ivo, damn Ivo's hard to be against with. He's like Love. "Wanna take some rest?"
I sighed and tumango because I was exhausted... uminom kami ng tubig. and sat on a bench large root nearby.
"How did you meet Brianna?" tanong ko sakanya, para naman hindi awkard. Also I want to know more about my trainer.
"I met her a few months ago." Bree told me she met Love a year ago. So hindi nagkita sina Ivo at Love? Psh. Bat ko ba iniisip si Love ngayon?
"Oh..." tangina wala akong masabi, is he not good at talking? Storytelling? "Wanna tell me more about those?"
"My parents died and we got kicked out of the city. Then Bree took us in and trained us as assassins." Yeah Bree told me about those, maybe because he didn't want talk about it? ngumiti nalang ako sakanya.
"Wanna be friends with me?" tanong ko sakanya kaya napatingin nman siya sakin. Bree told me na beside sakanya ay wala na itong ibang kaibigan. He's the same age as me pero... ganon nalang ang dinanas niya. I have a horrible experience when I was in my world too...
"Y-yes." Maikling sagot niya at yumuko, he has long hair kaya hindi ko nakita ang mukha niya nung yumuko siya.
"ME TOOOO!!! I WANNA BE YOUR FRIEND LILYYY!!! I should call you Mama~" napatawa nalang ako kay Ivy ng bigla itong sumabat at hinawakan ang kamay ko.
"No! don't call master that-"
"It annoys both Nita and Papa. So I'll call you Mama~" mas lalong nainis si Nita sa sinabi ni Ivy kaya hinawakan ang pisngi nito.
"STOOOP THAT!" sigaw ni Nita kay Ivy. Ivo just smiled at them.
___3 years later___
"Yo! Tapos na ang mission niyo?" andito kami sa main house kung saan kami nagsestay. Dito rin pumupunta ang mga clients namin pag may ipapagawa sila.
"Bruh the place and people are boring." Nita complained. Kakabalik lang namin sa isang mission from another City.
"Oo nga, find us something exciting." Kami ni Nita, ako at si Ivy ang pumunta sa City. It was indeed boring not gonna lie.
"Well it's our lucky day today." Napalingon kaming lahat kay Bree. She was holding some paper... is that from a messenger bird?
"We? Tayong lahat? Wow it's been so long since the last time we all went on a mission together." Nita
"FUCk YE-
"Ivy, stop cussing." Saway sa kapatid nito.
"Papa so mean. Saan ba yung mission natin Bree? Ba't tayong lahat pupunta?" -Ivy
"Our mission will be in Cronus City..." Bree looked at me and smiled. "Get ready."