Note: Happy 45k reads book 1, and 4.6k book 2! Na-mi-miss ko na talaga ang weekly update haha. I hope that June will be a good month to end some ongoing stories hehe. Enjoy this chapter, see you soon!
P.S. Happy 800+ to Wendyreen, too! ❤️❤️
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[ C H A P T E R 16 ]
LATISHA VALENTINE
"If you're a real god, why are you here?"
Wince looked at me with his itching displeasure on how my tone of voice sounded uncertain with the news he revealed ten minutes ago. "Don't get me wrong, in books, gods and goddesses only walked with humans for a short time until they ascended into their own realm. They don't look like humans either. Are you stuck here? What do you really look like?"
"Wala na bang ikakatahimik 'yang bunganga mo, Madame?" inis na sambit niya. Mas lalo lamang tumaas ang kilay ko dahil sa uri ng pananalita niya.
"Kasalanan ko ba na masyadong superficial ang sinabi mo?" Tinuro ko siya at pinandilatan ng mata. "You a god? Of what, of love? Why so? Why are you a Four Clover Knight bearing the symbol of love? How long have you been here? Are you immortal?"
"Magpahinga ka na lang, Madame." Akma sana niya akong hahawakan ng lumayo ako sa kanya. His facial expression began to lose its fit. "Look, I am an immortal god, yet I am with the humans because it's my mission to guide them towards eternal love. That is what cupid should do. We unite the red strings, attach the souls together, and if it breaks, we will be punished."
"Just like the goddess of time," mahinang sabi ko habang nakatingin sa kanya ng may malungkot na mga mata.
"Yes, just like her. In fact, all those gods and goddesses who receive a mission to the Almighty must do their job to uphold unity of the land."
"Kahit tinatalikuran na ng mundo ang paniniwala na 'to?" saad ko. My hands landed on my tummy. "As humans indulge in new weaponry and evolutions, the culture that binds them into union has been forgotten. Even my mother's lineage, they had been hiding in the darkness for they are afraid to get caught and burned for being a kind that human fears. This world the Empire is part of, is cruel."
"Yes, because humans are now the new ruler," sagot naman ni Wince pagkatapos ng sinabi ko. "Let's keep this a secret. My mission doesn't really circulate just to the both of you, but to others too."
Napakurap ako ng may bigla akong maaalala. "If you are mending the red string of love, can you tell me if Blessime and Cyan are bound together?"
"Oohh, curious ka rin pala sa kanila," nakangisi niyang saad. Kung hindi lang siya malayo sa akin, kanina ko pa siya nasapak. Paiba-iba ng ugali ang unggoy. "I can't disclose the red strings, Madame. If they are bound together, hooray! But if not, hooray pa rin."
"Bakit hooray pa rin?" takang tanong ko.
"Red strings are powerful and eternal. They become visible once the two lives collide and as time goes by, the string will grow stronger, deeper, and uncontrollable. In their case, they collided..."
Wince paused intentionally. Sabay kaming napako sa isang direksyon ng marinig namin ang boses ni Blessime. She was looking for me as she shouted my name. May kalayuan kami sa kubo pero kung titingin siya sa aming gawi, makikita niya agad kami.
"She pulled out, he drowned. He fought, she let go. Pareho kayong dalawa ng pinsan mo, parehong may matigas na ulo, parehong naglalaro sa kanilang taghana. Blessime knew her fate with him, and that sin will either bind them or break them."
"You told her about him?" litanya ko ng mapako muli ang aking tingin sa kanya.
"Your cousin," Wince paused again. This time, he is hesitant to say anything. He was overseeing the consequences of what his actions will face once he spilled the truth about my cousin. I'm eager to know, but I stopped him with my palm. "Thank you, Madame. As curiosity kills, it is our own choice to delve into it and die or prevent it from consuming us."
"Hindi ko gustong pangunahan ang desisyon ng pinsan ko, kahit minsan sa kakwela niya ay masarap din siyang patayin," sagot ko na lamang. Binalik ko ang tingin sa pigura ni Blessime na nakatingin na sa amin. "She is old enough to understand her own life. Mananatili lamang akong nakakatandang kapatid na susuportahan siya sa lahat ng gusto niyang gawin."
"Ang bait naman," saad niya. "Pero kailangan mo sasabihin sa Duke 'yang dinadala mo? Dapat nga mag-celebrate tayo eh, tapos kailangan na rin natin umuwi dahil masama sa buntis ang naglalakbay. Isali pa natin ang panahon, baka ano pa mangyari sa 'yo."
"I will tell him once we arrive in the Duchy. Gusto ko na rin magpahinga dahil ramdam kong——"
I couldn't finish my words when Wince immediately held both sides of my shoulder and turned me in another direction. The shock didn't register at all because after a single arrow hit the tree when Wince moved me away, a series of arrows flew like a drizzle of rain. Wince secured my safety as he avoided the arrows from hitting us. Nakita ko pa ang pagtakbo ni Blessime at ang malakas niyang mura bago tinapon ang hawak na sibat sa isang kalaban.
"Why do they keep on coming?!' asik ni Blessime ng makalapit siya. Wince uses his wide built to hide us from who is targeting me. Alam ko ako ang punterya ng pana na 'yon at kung hindi gumalaw ng mabilis si Wince, matatamaan ako. "Kaninong panig kaya ang mga bwisit na 'to?"
"Their clothes are maroon, probably from the Moore clan," Wince said as Blessime and I looked at each other for a second before we faced Wince's back.
"Excuse me, Moore Clan loves black," litanya ni Blessime. Agad na naman kaming gumalaw ng biglang may mga palaso na naman na umulan sa posisyon namin. It's a tactic we use to concentrate the enemy on one target and when they charge, we will scatter. Nagtago kami sa kanya-kanyang mga puno.
"Wala bang nakakapansin na inaatake na tayo dito?!" asik ni Blessime. Naging dahilan din 'yon para punteryahin ang puno na pinagtataguan niya. She mouthed a curse to avoid getting hit again.
I gesture at Wince and he immediately understood it. Umikot siya sa kabilang parte para puntahan kung saan man nagtatago ang kalaban. Habang kinakausap ko si Blessime sa plano. She immediately nodded and positioned herself.
"I am fucking here, dumb ass!" she screamed.
Agad umulan ng palaso sa posisyon niya at naging hudyat 'yon para tumakbo ako papunta sa kubo. Shit, ang layo pala namin sa kubo kaya walang nakakarinig! Pumasok akong humihingal at agad akong dinaluhan ni Erwan.
"Madame!" he said.
"Ah, fuck!" I groaned when I held my arm. It got grazed by one of the arrows at kamuntikan akong natumba. "Someone's attacking us! Secure the wounded, and——"
Bigla akong nahilo. Shit.
"Madame, are you okay?" nag-aalalang saad ni Erwan. Bakas sa mukha niya ang takot subalit naging dalawa na siya sa paningin ko.
Shit. Shit. Shit. No, don't. Oh, please. Tell me it's not what I think it is. Malakas ang kabog ng aking dibdibd at halos hindi ko na maramdaman ang aking sarili kung humihinga pa ba ako. I held Erwan's arms tightly as I borrow energy to speak. I'm gasping for air as I try opening my mouth.
"The... arrow..." I mumbled. "poison..."
Tuluyan na akong nawalan ng malay pagkatapos sabihin 'yon. I hope I am wrong, I can't let anything happen to my child. Please, hear my plea.
~~~***•••***~~~
I feel hot, like I'm bathing in a tub while being lit on fire. The water felt hot, burning my skin, giving me a very uncomfortable sensation. I moved to avoid the contact but it only makes things worse. Agad akong napadilat ng mata bago ako sumigaw dahil sa sakit na nadarama ko. I felt like my inside was crawling out of my shell.
"W-wife..."
Napako ang aking tingin sa kanan ng marinig ko ang boses ni Roshan. Agad niyang hinawakan ang aking kamay at dinala ito sa kanyang mga labi. I closed my eyes when the pain inflicted again and a series of screams echoed inside the room that came out from my mouth.
"Y-your g-grace, i-it h-hurts..." I mumbled when the pain lowered but it's killing me again. A whimper escaped my lips as my hand grasped his fingers tight enough that I could literally break them.
"She's burning!" It was Blessime. "We need more ice! Fucking get more ice!"
Her voice sounded angry ang concerned. I don't know where we are but I heard a lot of voices that added to my pain. I grasped the sheet when my body made contact with the pain again.
"Fuck!" I screamed. "Stop it, please. It hurts, Roshan. Make it stop, stop it. Stop. Stop the pain!"
Humigpit lamang ang hawak niya sa kamay ko kahit halos baliin ko na ang mga daliri niya. He is whispering in my ears some soothing words but it didn't help. I'm in pain, my whole body is in pain.
I let out another high pitched cry. Masakit, parang inuukit ang kalamnan ko palabas. Mainit ang katawan ko na parang nalulunod ako sa isang mainit na tubig. Ramdam ko ang pag-agos ng hindi lamang pawis kundi ng aking luha. Gusto kong matulog sa sakit subalit hindi ko magawa.
"Roshan...take it away, please...take the pain away," pagsusumamo ko bago ako sumigaw muli. This pain is killing me slowly, and I can't help myself to whimper loudly.
I heard Roshan's soft whispers in my ears, telling me it's going to be okay. He massages my head as I rested my head on his chest. Gumaan ang pakiramdam ko saglit ng maramdaman ko ang presensya niya ng ganito kalapit. May humawak bigla sa braso ko at napadaing ako sakit.
"The poison spreads from her shoulder up to her neck, we need to sedate her——"
"You can't do that!" Blessime cut off the man's speech beside me. Hindi ko kilala ang taong 'to pero basi sa sinabi niya ay agad umusbong ang takot ko.
"It needs to be suppressed early to save the Duchess. This poison will spread to her lungs and will kill her," said by the man. "We need a strong antidote that reverses the effect. While we are finding it, she needs to be sedated."
"No, you can't. It's risky!" Blessime insisted.
"Bless, why are you saying it's risky?" I heard Cyan's voice beside Blessime.
Hindi ko narinig kung nagsalita ba si Blessime o wala dahil napadaing na naman ako sa sakit. This time, I felt like something was crawling on my skin, its path was burning me. I gasped for air, anytime I might lose my consciousness again.
"I will follow his grace's order," the man said.
Hinila ko ang kamay ni Roshan at dinala ito sa aking tiyan. I let his palm uncrumpled on my belly and held the back of it. Tumataas baba ang paghinga ko at humugot ng lakas para tingnan siya ng maigi.
"W-wife...?"
"Keep...our..." I whispered. "...child safe."
The last thing I saw was his eyes widened as his lips parted from shock. May narinig pa akong sigaw at mura bago ako nawalan ng malay. I didn't mean this situation to be the scene that reveals he will become a father, but our fuck up future has been compromised.
~~~***•••***~~~
"Latisha."
I slowly opened my eyes when I heard a voice. It was a woman's voice that was as comforting as the calm waves of the ocean. Malakas ang sinag ng araw kaya agad akong napapikit muli.
"Latisha..."
She spoke again. This time, it was close. Nagpasya akong magdilat ng mga mata para hanapin ang babaeng 'yon, at agad akong may namataan na pigura ng isang babae sa kanan ko. She was standing in front of me bearing a beautiful smile. Her flared dress looked elegant and her black hair gave her white skin more shine.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Giselle, the goddess of time."
Napamaang ako. Agad akong nagbigay pugay sa kanya para pormal na paggalang subalit agad siyang napatawa ng mahina. She eradicated the distance and held my hands. She was warm, something I want to hold forever.
"I have returned," she said.
"I am sorry I delayed your return," I said.
Umiling ito. "I had fun staying in that timeline anyway. But, it looks like we have some burdens to fix and some other things to dispose of."
"Ano ang ibig mong sabihin?"
She tapped my head with her right palm and it traced itself on my cheeks and it stayed there. "The presence of the unborn child is not part of the future, nor the continuous breathing of a little girl. These two paths had led to a different outcome, which delayed what needed to be done."
"Are you going to take Annika and my unborn child?" Hindi ko sana ito sasabihin pero parang 'yon ang pinapahiwatig ng sinasabi niya. My fear immediately arouse and looked at her with anger. Subalit, agad napawi 'yon ng umiling siya.
"I am the goddess of time, I cannot decide for the outcome of human life, but rather, I can warn them by reversing their time and giving them knowledge of that outcome."
"They are innocent, spare them," I beg.
"Don't worry about them. The little breathing girl is protected by an existing deity. The unborn child——children have their mother's protection."
"Children..."
"Yes, children. Your past is condemned to repeat. Accept it and you will be pardoned," she said.
"You mean my twins are going to fight against each other?"
Umiling na naman ito. "I cannot tell."
"Why are you talking to me now? What is happening?"
She held my hands firmly and brought it upon our chest. "Someone had saved you and your children, yet a price must be paid. In the future, one of the offspring will be his, and you can never stop that."
"Who saved us?" nalilitong tanong ko.
"You will know him once you wake up," she said. "I will come to you again. Send my regards to Cupid, and tell him I will return once the assembly is finished. Return now, Latisha. Prepare yourself for what consequences this new outcome may bring."
Binitawan niya ang aking mga kamay at naglakad paatras. A smile escaped her lips as she continued vanishing into the air, but before she turned to nothing, she left a phrase. The goddess of time, once again, left with a baffling statement:
"May hustiya pero hindi para sa lahat. May mahuhuli ng dating, may mawawala, at may magpaparaya. Ang lahat ng taong nasa paligid mo ay mananatili, subalit may paparating, may magtatangka na putulin ang pulang tali, pero hindi mananaig ang sakim. Gumising ka at ipaglaban ang nararapat sa 'yo."
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