『SKYLER』
Just like what Celine told us, a dark, ferocious presence was lingering in the thin air, that even the green pasture couldn’t contain it as they wither to black. I roamed my sight around and couldn’t help but be dumbfounded by my own deduction.
Xian Xander? A mundane, my ass.
He bears the eyes given by the heavens, the only being bound to guide those who seek to explore the Labyrinth.
“Follow me,” Celine said.
She guided us away from the mansion until we stopped in front of a humungous tree, along with the human-size bushes in its side. Celine looked around first before pressing a button camouflage in the tree’s trunk, making bushes slide open into a door.
“Let’s go.” Sumunod kami sa kanya sa loob, nang makita ko ang mga nagniningning na mga mata ni Light ay hindi ko maiwasan na mapangisi. Gustong-gusto niya talaga ang mga ganito.
Nang makarating kami sa loob, agad kong nakita si Xian. Kumakain siya ng cup noodles habang nakatalikod sa amin at may pinapanood sa kanyang cellphone.
“Xian,” Celine called. Nakasimangot na nilingon ni Celine si Sapphire dahil hindi man lamang siya pinansin nito.
Buntong-hininga na nagkibit-balikat si Sapphire na para bang labag sa loob niya ang gagawin niya. “Xian…”
“Yes, baby?” Xian said, still watching on his phone.
Tangina… napasapo na lamang kami sa aming mga noo, ngunit dahil may pagkaseryoso ngayon si Phoenix ay blanko siyang tumungo sa likuran ni Xian at malakas na binatukan ito.
“Oy, ang gago— shutangina! Bakit mo dinala ang mga kaibigan ko rito, Celine?!” Xian exclaimed. “Hindi nila alam ang secret ko—”
“Didn’t I told you that I am going to go get Percy Jackson?” Celine interrupted.
Dahan-dahan na namilog ang kanyang mga mata at nakatakip ang bibig na tumingin kay Phoenix, “Ikaw ba si Percy?”
“Tangina,” singhal ni Phoenix. Masamang tingin ang pinukol nito kay Xian na para bang gustong-gusto niyang saktan ito. “Mukha ba akong utak tubig?”
“Honest response ba ang gusto mo?” Tanong ni Xian. “Kasi kung oo, hindi naman. Utak hangin ka kasi.”
And before Phoenix could pulverize Xian, I immediately cleared my throat and pulled Phoenix away from him. His pale golden eyes glistened as it looked at me with curiosity.
“Why did you lie about your parents?” I asked.
“Master Garet told me,” he answered.
Light looked at him, squinting. “What do you mean?”
Tumingin si Xian kayna Sapphire at Celine, tila naghihintay na bigyan siya ng permiso upang sagutin ang tanong ni Light. Nang tumango si Celine sa kanya, diretso niya kaming minata at pinagmasdan.
“I am the current bearer of the blessed eyes…” Xian stated. He looked around and sighed. “Master Garet told me not to tell anybody who my mother is, especially that she is known as a member of the Rule-Breakers. And to hide my identity as Alyssa’s only child, I told Master Garet my idea— the fake death of my parents. And Sky… trust me, I have never meant to deceive you or any of you. I just had no choice.”
“Master Garet?” Sue repeated.
“Hindi ba’t siya ang headmaster ng Shier University, akala ko normal lang talagang tawagin na gano’n ang mga headmaster. Pero noonh nakita ko si Celine, bigla ko na lang naisip na baka magkatulad sila.”
Serena clicked her tongue. “You are so bobo, Xian. My brain is humihiwalay dahil sa pagiging stupid mo. Make isip ha, if you know naman pala ‘yong about kay Master Garet… didn’t you make isip like we are demigods like him, or even isip about my brother’s identity?”
Xian slowly gasped, pointing us with a surprised expression. Ah, hindi niya naisip ‘yon.
“Are you going to lend us your hand?” Aizen asked.
“More like my eyes, but yeah, that’s my role,” Xian answered. He drifted his attention to Celine with his eyes twinkling endlessly. “If it isn’t Phoenix, the utak hangin… Who is Percy Jackson?”
“Dalawang demigod ang kumontrol dito sa tubig pero lalaki si Percy Jackson, so him.” Pagnguso ni Celine sa direksyon ko.
Mabilis akong napangiwi nang mas lalong kumislap ang mga mata ni Xian habang nakatingin sa ‘kin, para bang sinasabi niyang ipakita ko sa kanya ang blessing ko.
“Beke nemen, bebe skey…” nakadidiring sambit n’ya.
Tumikhim si Celine. “Paki-disregard na lang muna ang existence ni Xian. Maiba ako. Nasaan si Night, Aizen? Kailangan ko siyang makausap.”
Hindi umimik si Aizen, maging kaming mga may alam ay nanatiling tahimik. Night left two years ago, making his contract be put on hold. He doesn’t want to be a burden to Aizen, especially that summoning takes a lot of weight from Aizen’s body and magic. So, he wanted to train to be more useful to him.
Isang taon lamang ang hiningi niya kay Aizen, ngunit kahit isang taon na ang nakalilipas ay hindi pa rin nakababalik si Night.
“Hindi pa rin bumabalik sa ‘kin si Night,” sambit ni Aizen. “Yet we are still tied by the contract. I can feel him, but I cannot talk to him as if there is a barrier blocking us.”
At dahil walang magagawa si Celine, pinagpaliban na lamang niya ang mga nais niyang sabihin kay Night at tinulak si Xian sa iba upang pormal na maipakilala ang mga sarili kasama ang mga blessings nila. Habang nalulunod si Xian sa kanilang palabas, palihim akong lumabas sa hideout nila dahil kung tama ang kutob ko’y narito rin si Tita Savannah.
Maingat akong tumungo sa backdoor ng mansyon, kung saan napunta ako sa kusina. At ayon kay Celine, nagtutulungan na ngayon sina Medusa at Bristol. Hindi ganoong threat sa amin si Bristol pero sana ay may maisip na ideya si Light upang matalo namin si Medusa nang hindi nagiging bato ang isa sa amin.
“Are you sure this is the right path, Mira?” I heard a woman asked.
I followed the trail of the voice with my eyes and saw three silhouettes with a familiar cloak, and they were acting as if they were trying to find something.
“Didn’t I told you, Mira, na kahit anong tampo mo kay Cloud ay tama siya? Si Shawn ang tanging makakakita ng daan patungo sa Labyrinth.” I heard Phoebe said.
The woman named Mira hissed. “I know, I know. But freaking lower your voices, Phoebe, Bree, nandito si Medusa and we need to be cautious.”
Damn. What the hell is really happening right now? From what I remembered, they came from the future, and they accidentally leaped in our time. But the question is, what are they trying to alter?
Saglit na naglaho ang kuryosidad ko nang may marinig akong sunod-sunod na yabag mula sa itaas. Tiningnan ko sila’t patuloy pa rin silang nag-uusap, hindi napapansin ang parating. Inis kong kinagat ang labi ko’t kinontrol ang tubig na nakapaligid sa ‘kin upang higitin sila palapit sa aking puwesto.
“Don’t make any noises,” I instructed, making them nod.
Sinenyasan ko silang sumunod sa akin sa loob ng isang walk-in pantry sa kusina, ilang saglit pa’t dumating si Bristol habang may hawak na dalawang plato.
“I can’t wait to kill Celine, along with Sue. I’ll be using Medusa against them…” he murmured, then left.
Bumaling ako sa tatlong kasama ko na isa-isang tinanggal ang kanilang mga suot na cloak. Tanging si Phoebe lamang ang pamilyar sa kanila tatlo.
“Thank you, Tito Sky,” the woman with snowy-white hair said. She slowly extended her hand as her pale cinnamon eyes glistened as it looked at me. “I am Miracle, by the way.
A chuckle immediately escaped my lips, as I already knew who her parents were. I ruffled her, making her blood rush towards her face. “Whatever Cloud did, please forgive him. Especially that you already know who’s right and wrong as Light’s daughter. But… having Aizelle’s genes, you must be stubborn as well.”
The other woman let out a chuckle. Her turquoise wavy hair and those plum orbs definitely scream who her parents are. I nervously laughed. Meeting them is actually weird, but meeting another witch is much weirder.
“Just call me Bree,” she said.
Poor, Aizen.
I looked at her with intent. “Bree… can you answer my curiosity?”
“What is it, Tito?”
“Do you know what’s happening to Serena right now?”
Bree apologetically looked at me as if she was telling me that she was clueless, just like me. “For all I know, Hades and Poseidon are the only ones who can help her. For she wagers to someone that her life no longer belongs to her.”
“What do you mean? Why the hell is she doing this?”
A small smile slowly curved into her lips, along with the glimpse of her somber eyes.
“Serena Brinleigh Undersea wanted to witness the four broken strings, to be tied once again.”
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