Emy was undeniably tired lately. She had been encountering same people in the morning and at night.
Sa umaga, it was Diana. She continuously attacks the students of Black Council. Syempre, dali dali naman siyang naglalagay ng puting maskara niya and helped those students na hindi kayang idefend ang sarili niya.
One time nga ay nainjured na siya but luckily, those students who can do martial arts helped her fight Diana's people.
And what's more, suddenly, there were White cloaked people fighting with her. She could easily guessed that it was Prince Sebastian's people. Comparing to those members of the Black Council, kahit pa may mga tao din doon si Vio, Sebastian's people are better in terms of fighting.
The thing is, it spreaded now around the Grey City about the existence of the White Queen and her people as defendant against the Black Council.
This made Diana more frustrated and restless.
Sa gabi naman ay lagi siyang pinupuntahan ni Sebastian sa kwarto niya. Even though she is locking her window from inside, he can still find a way to enter her room.
Gaya noong una, they played chess and he is teaching her more about war strategies. Hindi maitatanggi ni Emy na marami siyang natutunan mula sa binata. But she's not gonna admit that to him.
Today is not different at all.
"You have ignored again your King." He told her again for the nth time disapprovingly.
"I am experimenting. I want to know if I really have no choice at all."
"Suit yourself." Sebastian made his move and just like last time, with just a move, he had taken down her remaining pieces.
Ever since na nakalaban niya sa chess si Sebastian, hindi pa siya nanalo dito kahit isang beses. Well, she is not changing her strategies at all. She can't just simply let it go.
Although, in her mind, she already had made up a scenario about following Sebastian's advice. She knew she would win if she could only follow that. But her heart is being stubborn.
"One more?" Sebastian asked her.
Umiling siya. "I actually have a favor to ask you tonight."
Sebastian's brow raised.
"I want to visit the Black Council old headquarters tonight."
Nagulat naman ang binata ng bahagya.
"What else you could see in there? I am sure your greek fire had already burned the whole room. It will also reek because of the dead bodies. You might just end up scaribg yourself in there."
"Are you taking me now as a weak-hearted lady?"
Tinignan siya ni Sebastian.
"Are you really serious?"
"I am. I have already prepared for tonight." She took her black bag the same bag she had when Sebastian saved her and then placed it on the table. "Your acceptance is the only thing I am waiting for."
Hindi alam ni Sebastian kung paanong magrereact doon. Hindi niya maintindihan ang dalaga. There are times na inis na inis ito sa kanya. Pero may pagkakataon din naman na para bang nicconsider na siya nito bilang ally.
His lips hooked up. One thing is consistent though, tawagin man siya nitong 'your highness' but she never really treated him as one.
Napailing siya saka tumayo.
"Fine. Since you already made up your mind, then I guess we should do the tour in that old headquarters."
"I will just changed quickly. Go out first."
Ginawa naman niya ang sinabi nito saka hinintay itong makapagpalit.
Once she is done, he helped Emy went out of her window tapos ay sumunod siya. Then he closed the window behind them.
Emy watched Sebastian as he crouched in front of her. Suddenly, her face is heating up. Mabuti na lamang at gabi na.
"W-what are you doing?"
"I will carry you." Tumayo si Sebastian and faced her with a smirk. Hindi nakaligtas sa tenga niya ang pagsstutter ng dalaga. "Which do you prefer? Piggy back ride or bridal carry?"
"Stop teasing." She hissed at him.
Binabawi na ni Sebastian ang sinasabi niya kanina. He actually knows kung bakit paiba iba ng pakikiharap sa kanya ang talaga. May pagkakataon din kasi na hindi niya mapigilan na asarin ito.
She reacted so well in his teasing and he's enjoying it so much.
He is still smiling when he crouched again in front of her. "Hop on."
"Tch." Emy irritatingly looked at the man in front of her. Saka siya kumapit sa leeg nito. Sebastian her legs saka tumayo.
It is a cold night but Emy's face is heating up.
"Ready?" Sebastian asked in low voice.
"C-can you really carry me hanggang sa Grey Academy?"
Sebastian looked sideways at muntik ng magtama ang mga ilong nila. She was the first one to create space between them.
"I had carried you once from my house up to here. And judging your weight right now, it is actually still the same."
"Fine then."
Nanahimik na siya saka kumapit na lang ng maayos sa binata.
He started to climb walls and silently trodded their way towards the Grey Academy.
Sinubukang wag mag-isip ni Emy. But she can't stop thinking how close the two of them. She can easily hear his breathing and she wonders if she is being a burden already. Although, he is doing great in climbing and moving like a panther.
His perfume is also distracting her. Actually, when she smelled it in Purple Boutique, naalala niya agad na ganun rin ang pabango nung kumarga sa kanya noong injured siya. Yun lang ang naalala niya since the perfume was too strong and manly, and she had never smelled anything like that before.
Hindi niya napansin na nakarating na sila sa Grey Academy. Sebastian carried her hanggang sa tapat ng Black Council headquarters.
Ibinaba lang siya nito when they reached it.
"Thank you."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow towards her pero busy na ang dalaga sa pagkuha ng gamit mula sa kanyang bag.
She took two masks and flashlights, and gave a pair to him.
"Wear the mask. There will be an after smell of greek fire in there since nakulob siya ng ilang araw. Also, once I opened the door, stay away from its smoke."
Tumango si Sebastian saka hinarap na ni Emy ang pinto. It's been a long time since she entered this door. Magmula ng maexpel siya sa Black Council after Diana exposed her secret as the White Queen, hindi na siya pumasok dito gamit ang pintong ito.
Well, she was prepared, you know. She found her own way to enter this room noon without alerting its members. At yun din ang ginamit niya noong Initiation Day when she hid the Greek Fires in there.
Emy touched the wall and it glowed. She input her codes and it recognized her. Well, they have a saying in Black Council. They said once a member, you will always be one. At least for the room and its things inside.
"Now." She told Sebastian at parehas silang umiwas sa usok na lumabas mula dito. It was still thick at hinintay nila itong humupa.
When it was gone, they started made their way inside.
Sebastian was thankful for the mask that Emy gave her. It helped block the smell inside the room. Agad naman niyang nakita ang mga sunog na katawan at mga gamit na nakakalat sa buong kwarto. But what amazed him was the how intact the room was despite experiencing the greek fire.
"How did you know how to enter this room?"
"Let's just say someone told me how to."
"Don't tell me member din ng Black Council si Franco?"
Emy snorted."Are you kidding? That lad is too nice to get involved in this kind of organization."
"Then who could it be?"
Emy tilted her head. "Don't disturb the dead by your curiousity, Your Highness. This person died in explosion that also killed the First Prince."
Natahimik naman siya. Hindi na siya nagtanong pa but his mind is working furiously. Who could it be?
Emy continued to look around hanggang sa nakita na niya ang hinahanap niya. The table and other things in the room was pulverized by the greek fire. But not the room and this record book. They remained intact.
"What is that?"
"This?" Emy asked with a smile. "This is where you can find the names of the previous and present members of the Black Council."
"Are you serious? How could that survive?"
"The room and this one were created by Sebastian Grey."
Sebastian was stunned for a moment. Everyone knows about Sebastian Grey. He was the last descendant of Grey Family. Sila ang royal family noon bago ang pamilya nila.
But they said Sebastian Grey died long ago.
"Only the members of the Black Council know that Sebastian Grey was one of the founders of the Black Council. They were the one who started this all.
"Mainly to stop the Supreme President at that time for being a humungous headed jerk.
"For a long time, that's the only purpose of the Black Council. To counter the Supreme officers.
"But in this generation, a lot of things had happened."
Sebastian just listened to Emy. He didn't know kung paanong mas maalam pa ang dalaga tungkol sa nakaraan ng Grey Academy at Black Council kesa sa kanya. But he could tell that she is not lying. Maybe that person na namatay kasama ni Marco noon ang nagsabi din sa kanya noon.
"Your mother is brave though. How can she named you after Sebastian Grey? Mabuti at kilala sa pagiging patas ang Emperor. If he is close-minded, you could have been living poorly than your brothers."
Emy said that unthinkingly. Actually, noon pa niya naisip iyon. When Marco was telling her stories about his brothers. Naisip na niya agad na mabuti at hindi nagalit ang Emperor sa nanay ni Sebastian for naming him after the old royal descendant.
Napaiwas naman ng tingin niya si Sebastian sa dalaga. Busy rin naman ito kaya hindi nito nakita ang naging reaksyon niya. Well, somethings are meant to be hidden forever.
Emy was thinking the same thing too habang nakatingin sa record book. It is so high tech that it updates its own.
Sa listahan ng mga pangalan under Diana's regime, marami na ang deceased doon. More than half was already labeled.
She turned on the previous page and saw Marco's name also labeled the same. She once again flipped and saw her name.
Samantha Corey...
Unlike the others na namatay, walang label ang pangalan niya.
She wonders at the mechanism of this book. Does it mean it can also detect that her soul was not dead at all?
***