/28/ My Destiny
"Hello, Sigrid."
[Jill Morie's POV]
"I don't know what to say..." naglakad siya papunta sa kinaroroonan ko. My... Now I really understand why she was called 'the goddess of memory' she is stunning and glowing...
"What are you doing here?" kaagad niyang tanong nang makalapit sa akin. Mas lalo ko tuloy napagmasdan kung gaano ka-diyosa ang kanyang kagandahan, her hair was midnight-black, she has broad eyebrows and her eyelashes are velvety, me describing her like this made me feel so much admiration, she is just too perfect in my eyes. Naalala ko tuloy noong ikinuwento ni Paladio kung gaano karaming kalalakihan ang nabihag niya noong nabubuhay pa siya.
"Gusto lang kitang makita—at makilala." sabi ko habang titig na titig sa kanya. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko atsaka nagsalita,
"Natutuwa akong makita kita, ngunit maguguluhan ka sapagkat ang katotohanan na hindi ako ang iyong tunay na ina..."
"Alam ko."
"Alam mo?"
Tumango ako, "Long story." nginitian ko na lang siya at nagsimula kaming maglakad, "Uhm... Can I ask something?" tanong ko habang nadadaanan namin ang iba't ibang magagandang uri ng halaman, lumilipad ang mga kakaibang elemento sa paligid, this place feels like a true paradise.
"Yes?"
"Where exactly are we?" napatigil siya sa paglalakad kaya napatigil din ako.
"Ako nga ang dapat magtanong sa iyo kung paano ka nakarating dito? At kung paano mo ako napuntahan dito nang hindi nalamaman kung ano ang lugar na ito." nakakunot noo niyang saad.
Nagkibit balikat lamang ako, "Well, as you can see, I got this thing." ipinakita ko sa kanya 'yung suot kong singsing, nagningning bigla ang Chintamani, "And I just wished to it that I want to talk to you." Weird thing that I quickly got used to it.
Natigilan siya saglit at kinuha ang kamay ko, "So... This is the Chintamani." kaagad akong bumitaw sa kanya at nahalata naman niya na ayaw kong pag-usapan ang tungkol sa bagay na 'yon.
"I am sure that you are aware that we're in the Astral world." she quickly changed the topic.
"Yup." ikinawit niya ang braso sa kamay ko at sabay ulit kaming naglakad.
"And in the Astral world, there are three divisions, the first division is the zero plane."
"Zero plane?"
"That's where all the dead souls are." bahagya siyang natawa nang makita niya ang itsura kong hindi naniniwala, "The second division, there are seven planes."
"Is that where the Akasha's Game is held?"
"Yes."
"And this place?"
"This is the third division, the eighth plane, the highest plane where all the etheric beings, angels, gods, and so on resides."
"Seriously?"
"I know this is too weird for you to know, humanity knows nothing. But here you are, walking with me."
"If Rama Melchiore is a god too, then he should be here?"
"Yes. But he's playing along with his followers on the second division, and my job is to protect all the beings here so I can't leave easily."
"Kaya ba hindi ka namin nakita for the whole time na naglalaro kami sa Akasha's Game?"
"Yes."
Natahimik kami saglit nang makuha ng atensyon namin ang isang kabayo na may pakpak at lumilipad. Much to my amazement that there are really things like this...Peculiar things existing.
"Alam kong naguguluhan ka o namamangha sa mga bagay na nakikita mo rito, but I just want you to know that everything you imagined is real."
"Parang nakakatakot naman ang bagay na 'yon,"
"I know." she smiled, "Dragons, goblins, ogres, fairies, goddesses, and such alien races and the grays, they're living on the mental planes of each thought—the other side. for something to become real on the Earth plane, it must be first be plucked out of the air or imagined... then you can harness your will and the material forces to make it happen. But what comes to our imagination must exist somewhere—if it's not on the physical then it must exist beyond on some spiritual realm."
Sa haba nang sinabi niya ay wala akong ibang nagawa kundi mapanganga lang.
"Real or imagined, all that exists within the intangible and invisible world of our sub-conscious...all of our fears and dark fantasies, our hopes and bright dreams...all this still continues to run our everyday life."
"That's amazing."
"Look, I just want you to know that I am really happy that you are here," sumeryoso ang kanyang tinig ngunit bakas na bakas ang sinseridad sa kanyang mga mata, "Richard took care of you and I am grateful..."
"You know my dad?" hindi ako makapaniwala sa sinabi niya at tumango lang siya.
"Before I die, that day, I asked the nurse, Rosalia, to send a letter to him, to look for the children at Sta. Helena Orphanage, dahil hindi ko matiis... hindi ko matiis." nangingilid ang luha sa kanyang mga mata, "Kahit na nandito ako hindi ko kayo pinababayaang tingnan ni Beatrice paminsan-minsan. Hindi man ako ang tunay niyong ina pero gusto kong malaman mo...na parang kayo ay akin."
"Thank you." I'm completely stunned on what she said, at tanging maikling pasasalamat lang ang nabigay ko.
"I loved your father, that's the truth, kahit na nalaman ko noon na nagpakasal siya sa ibang babae, I loved him still." at tuluyan nang tumulo ang luha niya sa kanyang pisngi.
"Sa tingin ko ikaw pa rin naman ang minahal niya hanggang sa huli." at natigilan siya sinabi ko at nagtatanong ang tingin kung bakit ko 'yon nasabi. I just remembered something, a proof to what I said.
"It was also a mistake for me to convince your father, Isagani Miguel Morales, to marry Patrizia, because he killed himself to change the future."
"Dahil..."
"Jill." nagulat ako dahil tinawag niya 'ko sa pangalan ko, umiling-iling siya, "It doesn't matter."
"Why?"
"Because it's in the past."
Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na nasa akin ang kapangyarihan para baguhin ang lahat, to think I am the most powerful being right now... But it's wrong to think that way... I am not a god. And the way she looked at me... she already accepted it... a long time ago.
"I already died with it." ngumiti siya sa akin at pinisil ang kamay ko, "You know what's more important, right? It's the now."
Now...
"You have to go back and fulfill your destiny."
"My destiny..." to die?
"Even if it means your life." kaagad niya 'kong niyakap, "You are the child from the prophecy, you deserved to be here."
I can feel exactly what she feel, katulad nang naranasan niya noon, isang matinding pagkabigo ng puso na makita ang taong mahal niya na kapiling ang iba at mas pinili niyang tanggapin ang kapalarang nakalaan sa buhay niya.
Minsan hindi naman na natin kinakailangan pang makita ang hinaharap at baguhin ang anumang mangyayari dahil may mga bagay na nangyari dahil kailangan. Kahit na walang sapat na dahilan kung bakit, kahit na hindi natin gusto, may mga bagay na sadyang naka-tadhana at ang mga bagay na 'yon ang kinakailangan nating tanggapin.
From the beginning of my tale, I don't know what to do in my boring life, hanggang sa marami akong mga nakilala, mga kaibigan, mga minahal at mag nanakit, ngunit parte lamang sila ng mas malaking larawan na tinatawag na kapalaran at lahat ng mga bagay na nangyari noon, masaya man o mapait ay mananatiling naka-ukit hindi man sa alaala kundi dito sa aking puso.
I do not know who I am before, pero ngayon malinaw na sa akin ang lahat, kung ano at sino ako ngayon.
I am Jill Morie, even though I don't have the eyes of Culomus, I can always see the future, I am the freewill. I am what I am right now because of my past, and I know where I am going and what my destiny is.
My destiny...
My destiny is to die.
But all of us are going to... Jing is right.
So, I am not afraid of whatever may come.
I accepted the game of fate that I'm playing since the beginning.
Bumitaw kami sa isa't isa at pinahid niya ang luha na sa pisngi ko na hindi ko namamalayan na tumulo pala.
"I will go back now—but I need to save them first."
"Them?"
"My friends, my friends are trapped in this world."
[Cloud Enriquez's POV]
"CORRECT, I'm not Jill."
Sa isang kisapmata ay nawala bigla si Jill at nakita nami siya, si Rama Melchiore. Naglakad siya papalapit sa'min at parang may kung anong pwersa at biglang napaatras ang mga kasama ko dahil sa takot. Ngunit hindi ako nagpatinag.
"What do you want?" hindi ako nagpakita ng kahit na anong tanong takot sa kanya kahit na alam ko kung gaano siya kalakas lalo pa't sa mundong ito.
"The same as yours." napakunot ako, "I want Jill Morie back." nagkuyom ang palad ko nang marinig ko ang mga salitang 'yon.
"You—"
"Kung ganon wala ka namang mapapala sa'min dahil hindi namin alam kung nasaan siya." nagulat ako nang magsalita si Jing, taas noo siya at nakapamewang, hindi rin nagpapakita ng kahit na anong takot, "At anong gagawin mo sa'min? Isang malaking kalokohan kung pagtatangkaan mo ang mga buhay namin dito dahil alam naman nating lahat na hindi kami mamamatay dito."
Pumalakpak si Rama Melchiore matapos iyon sabihin ni Jing at muling humakbang papalapit, "Magaling, Jinnie—"
"Huwag kang feeling close! Don't call me Jinnie!"
"...Tama ka kung tutuusin sa sinabi mo kanina, pero hindi niyo ba naisip kung bakit hindi kayo pinatay ng mga alagad ko?"
"Alagad mong kulto." banat ulit ni Jing.
"It's because our souls supply an energy that can produce a nullification power." sagot ko sa kanya, umatras si Jing para bigyan ako ng espasyo.
"You're also correct, Cloud. Pero hindi naman talaga iyon ang dahilan kung bakit. Can anyone guess?"
Eliza stepped forward to give her answer, "He took us as a bait to lure Jill Morie here. The reasons are, he wanted to face Jill in this world because he doesn't have any physical body."
"Bingo! As expected to the genius Eliza. Yes, that's true, I know that Jill Morie won't just leave her friends somewhere to die and I am certain right now that she will come here to save your asses."
Suddenly, a ball of fire blasted him, nakita ko na si Finnix ang may kagagawan niyon. Maya-maya'y naglaho siya nang humupa ang usok at narinig namin ang kanyang tawa sa buong paligid.
"Don't be a fool! Akala niyo ba ay may magagawa kayo sa mundong ito? I am the god here!"
"Argh!" I can't move my body!
"We can't kill each other here, at wala tayong ibang gagawin dito kundi hintayin ang pinakamamahal niyong kaibigan na si—"
"Stop this non-sense, Memo."
"Jill!" and then she appeared out of nowhere.
The real Jill is here.