Chapter 39 Takot
Habang tumatagal ay mas lumalakas ang lindol, unti-unti nang lumulubog ang mga batong maaari pa naming talunan. At nang sandaling tumingin ako sa ibaba ay sa halip na mas tumaas ang lava ay tila natutuyo iyon.
Natutuyo?
Hindi lang ako ang napatingin sa likuran dahil lahat kami ay tila iisa lang ang iniisip.
"I don't like this. . ." kumento ni Tavion.
"Masusunog tayo ng buhay. . ." usal ni Caleb.
"I can accept a water tsunami. I can still survive, but this? Sabihin ninyong mali ang iniisip ko. Bakit umuurong iyan?" sabi ni Tavion.
"It's a tsunami, of course," sagot ni Howl na sumulyap ulit sa unahan.
"Kahit bilisan natin ang pagtalon ay maabot pa rin tayo niyan," dagdag ko.
"Should I accept it in open arms?" tanong ni Howl.
But our problem with the upcoming lava tsunami was solved when Anna and Caleb shouldered it. Inako ni Anna ang pagharap doon at ang tangi lang naming nagawa'y sumang-ayon sa desisyon niya.
I couldn't help but admire Anna, dahil sa misyong ito, higit siyang maraming nagawa sa aming lahat.
Tumalikod na kami nina Howl at Tavion para ibigay ang labang iyon kina Anna at Caleb.
I know that I shouldn't think this, but I felt like I've been doing nothing even with the help of my map, habang si Anna ay ilang beses nang isinangkalang ang sariling buhay para lang mausad ang misyong ito.
"I can't believe that we're going to survive in that method. Come on, let's leave the show for them," kumento ni Howl. Dahil bago pa man kami tuluyang makalayo sa kanila ay napansin ko pang akma nang kakagat si Caleb kay Anna.
"Hindi ba talaga nila kailangan ng tulong?" sigaw ni Tavion kay Howl nang bumalik kami sa pagtalon.
Since we all discovered that the spider above us was the controller of the place with its trick to make our path longer, with Anna and Caleb's way of distracting it, the paths were starting to have their normal length.
Nararamdaman ko nang nakakalapit kami.
"That spider and the tsunami? Are you serious, Howl?"
"No matter what happens, don't look back. Let's trust them. We should reach each portal. Iyon ang misyon nating tatlo," madiing sabi ni Howl.
Kaya kahit anumang ungol ng malaking gagamba, kidlat at ilang beses na ingay mula sa gumuguhong mga bato, hindi kami lumingong tatlo. With Howl's clear command, Tavion and I were determined to reach the portals.
Tiwala sa isa't isa, iyan ang siyang higit na magpapapanalo sa amin. At nang sandaling malapit na nga kami sa altar, napahinga na ako nang maluwag nang marinig ko na ang boses nina Anna at Caleb malapit sa likuran namin.
Hindi lang ako ang tumigil dahil maging sina Tavion at Howl ay napalingon na sa likuran sa pag-aakalang tapos na ang lahat, ngunit nagkamali kami dahil sabay-sabay naming nasaksihan kung paano huling hinarap ni Anna ang higanteng gagamba.
With all her floating talismans that turned into a sword and her igniting lamp, Anna fought the spider. No, she magically freed the cursed spider which made me admire her more.
"Do you think I can't see you? Do you think that a female Attero will not notice you? I can see you. My lamp can see you. What really happened?"
Dahil matapos niyang hiwain ang katawan ng isinumpang gagamba gamit ang espadang mula sa kanyang mga talisman at ang liwanag na nagmumula sa kanyang lampara na hinayaan niyang bumaon sa katawan nito, malakas na liwanag na pagsabog ang siyang muling sumalubong sa amin.
A kind of light that revealed another man.
Nangangatal na boses ni Howl ang sunod kong narinig. "H-Head Wizard. . . why? Who?"
"Who was the traitor . . .?" tanong ni Anna.
Kung ang lalaking nasa harapan namin ang Head Wizard, sa paanong paraan na siya ang nagpapatakbo ng buong lugar na ito? Kung siya mismo'y nasa loob ng isang sumpa?
"Anna! This place is starting to collapse!" sigaw ni Howl.
Sinundan na naming muli si Howl at hinayaan nang sina Anna at Caleb ang magdala sa walang malay na katawan ng tinawag nilang Head Wizard.
At dahil bumalik na ang kapangyarihan ni Howl ay agad kaming nakarating sa harap ng lagusan. Hindi na kami nagdalawang isip pang tawirin ang mga naghihintay na lagusan kahit na sa kaalamang maaari kami nitong paghiwa-hiwalayin.
And the moment we stepped foot on the next room, we were welcomed by a throne room.
Para kaming hinihintay sa lugar na iyon, with the red carpet and red strings attached to the throne that looked similarly to the legs of a spider. Pero ang higit na umagaw sa atensyon namin ay ang nilalang na nakaupo roon at pinagmamasdan kami.
I quickly turned into my werewolf again and Tavion ran for an attack. Maging si Anna ay agad nang lumutang upang umatake sa lalaking nakaupo sa trono, habang sina Caleb at Howl na nanatili sa kanilang kinatatayuan.
But the man remained unfazed as if he was just watching an orchestra. Pero nang sandaling malapit na kami sa kanya ay may biglang nagpakita sa harapan naming tatlo.
Hindi lang isa kundi hindi ko mabilang na nilalang— as if they were there from the very beginning and waited for the perfect moment to surprise us. Mas natigilan pa ako nang unti-unti nang nagkaroon ng kulay ang kanilang mga imahe na kanina'y tila hangin.
These are those people during our war. . .
"M-Master. . ." usal ni Howl.
"Why. . . you, guys. . ." rinig kong sabi ni Caleb.
"Y-You betrayed your own world. . ." muling usal ni Howl.
So, this is Howl's master? The Earth Dragon Wizard. Kung hindi ako nagkakamali sa naaalala ko sa pinag-usapan namin ay kaibigan siya nina Haring Thaddeus at Haring Raheem.
Natawa siya sa sinabi ni Howl sa kanya.
"Why would I betray my beloved world, Howl? Mahal ko ang Fevia Attero kaya nagawa ko ang lahat ng ito. I saved this world from chaos."
"What? By living with the Head Wizard's identity? By cursing him inside this hell-like place? By killing all those innocent Atteros?!" sigaw ni Anna.
Muling umalingawngaw ang malakas niyang pagtawa.
"Tell me what's going on, Caleb. You told me that they helped you! Tell me what's happening!" nalilitong sabi ni Anna.
Hindi na kami nagsalita pa ni Tavion at pinanuod namin sina Anna at Caleb. Kahit ako ay nagugulat sa mga nakikita ko.
Sa halip na si Caleb ang siyang sumagot sa maraming tanong ni Anna ay nagsalita na ang Earth Dragon Wizard. "There are places that no Attero or even a vampire could ever beat. And this ruin is one of it, Anna Merliz Callista."
"If Fevia Attero has this ruin, Nemetio Spiran has the cave from Parsua Sartorias," dagdag ni Caleb.
"I don't understand. . ." sabi ni Anna.
Nang sulyapan ko si Tavion ay tahimik lang siyang nagmamasid at nakikinig sa usapan nila.
"In our world full of mysteries, power, legends, histories, legacies, love, and sacrifices, the real villain is not always one of us, but also how this world originally built— or let's say the cruel nature of this world."
"I never asked you to free me. . ." nanghihinang tumayo sa tabi ko ang Head Wizard.
Nanghihina man ay hinarap niya rin ang Earth Dragon Wizard na nakaupo pa rin sa kanyang trono. "And I never asked you to take my place."
"And allow this beautiful world to become a weak target of the other worlds? Were you even aware that the goddesses from Deesedayah had the plan to overpower this world? But I managed this world to look formidable, so instead they tried to manipulate Nemitio Spiran, luckily a great king sat on the throne and fought to save their world. Do you think being a lovesick spider will save your beloved goddess? Hindi lang ikaw o ang diyosang minamahal mo ang mamamatay sa naging desisyon mo, kundi maging ang mga nilalang na nagtitiwala sa 'yo," paliwanag ng Earth Dragon Wizard.
"Does it mean that you really didn't betray them? Instead, you disguised as the Fevia Attero's Head Wizard to keep this world looking stable?" tanong ni Tavion na sumali na sa usapan.
"Why do I have to betray this world?!" iritadong sagot niya.
"Because you were in love with the goddess, and she never choose you?" sagot ko.
Natawa ang Earth Dragon Wizard sa sinabi ko. "Why would I choose to become that bitter villain of the story? Earth Dragon Wizards are always the most elegant, handsome, and prideful dragons of all. We're born as a hero, not stupid bitter villains without a love interest. Isa pa, I know how to move on."
After those words, I didn't expect that I'd see Howl genuinely happy after he joined this mission with his broken heart. Hinayaan niya ang kanyang sariling yumakap sa nilalang na siyang nagpalaki at nagturo sa kanya ng lahat.
I felt a little happiness seeing him with his master.
"I thought I am going to kill you," bulong ni Howl.
"You can never kill me, Howl," natatawang sagot ng Earth Dragon Wizard.
"Now that we're here, will the history will repeat itself? If we're not facing the villain right now, and if we're really inside to the place that no Attero or even vampires could ever beat, what will happen to us? Three worlds, right? There are three world that has this kind of place— a sacrificial place. Fevia Attero, Nemetio Spiran and Tavion's world. . ."
"And there are three powerful bone-eating portals in each world," dagdag ko.
We were in the middle of conversation when the door behind us suddenly opened itself. At iniluwa niyon ang prinsipeng alam namin na hindi kami bibiguin at magagawa kaming sundan kahit ano ang mangyari.
He was heavily breathing as he slowly pushed the door open.
"There are sacrificial maidens in each portal, right? Nemetio Spiran has my mother's body and my foolish father turned into a deer to join her. And this ruin has this mysterious goddess and her mate chose to become a spider to stay beside her. . ." sabi ni Rosh habang mabagal na naglalakad papalapit sa amin.
"So. . . the remaining portal is?" tanong ko at lumingon ako kay Tavion.
"There's no goddess or powerful maiden. . . nalilito ako," umiiling na sabi ni Tavion.
And I doubt it.
"Because when they attempted to close those portals together with these maidens, someone betrayed them, got scared, and feared losing his mate, right?" mahinang tanong ni Caleb.
"Bingo! The great King Thaddeus Leighton Gazellian betrayed his own friends for love."
Nabalot nang nakabibinging katahimikan ang buong silid. I took a glance at Caleb, nakayuko siya sa narinig na iyon mula sa Earth Dragon Wizard.
But the heaviness of the atmosphere didn't take too long, dahil nagsalita na rin si Rosh.
"Our parents started this long journey before us, at mukhang wala pa tayo sa kalahati ng kanilang inilakbay," nakapamaywang na sabi niya habang iginagala ang tingin sa aming lahat.
"And you're not bothered that your parents were betrayed—" hindi na pinatapos pa ni Rosh ang sasabihin ko.
"Betrayed by King Thaddeus? My parents aren't weak. They chose their path. I will never accept that they were fooled and got trapped in a certain situation. Kung may desisyon man si Haring Thaddeus, nasisiguro kong alam iyon ni ama. And I am quite happy that my father turned into an elegant deer than a hideous spider," Rosh took a side glance at the Head Wizard.
Muling natawa ang Earth Dragon Wizard nang marinig magsalita si Rosh.
"You really sound like your father," naiiling na sabi nito.
"I am always better than my father," mabilis na sagot ni Rosh.
"So, to make this clear, this world was once a target of Deesedayah?" tanong ko.
Tumango ang Earth Dragon Wizard. "Tulad nga ng sabi ko sa inyo tatlong mundo ang siyang ninanais ng mga taga-Deesedayah. And two of them are Nemetio Spiran and Fevia Attero. Kung hindi ko pinaniwala ang ibang mundo na nasa maayos pa ring kalagayan ang mundong ito, higit na pipiliin ng mga taga-Deesedayah na unahin ang Fevia Attero."
"Y-You saved us," mahinang sabi ni Anna.
"Who else? When your Head Wizard is too foolish out of love."
Hindi ko maiwasang hindi lumingon kay Tavion nang marinig iyon mula sa Earth Dragon Wizard. Every time that I think about that vision, and how my body floated in the air as if I was part of a sacrificial ceremony, I had this way to loosen our mind link.
What will happen to us? Gayong nakikita ko na ang parehong lugar kung saan nasaksihan ko ang sarili kong nagliliwanag at tila nauubusan ng buhay?
Natatakot ako at naaawa sa sariling hindi ko nagawang iligtas ang aking buhay at panindigan ang pangakong puputulin ang paulit-ulit na sumpa ng mga puting lobo.