Finally, I haven't had an update on this story for over a month, I guess? So, sorry. . . I was just so busy with my activities/modules, but now that our class is over I will keep updating already. Hopefully! Thank you so much for patiently waiting, Netizens. Happy 90k+ reads.
CHAPTER 20
GREEN LEMON
Sa sandaling naitapak ko ang mga paa ko sa loob ng Genesis Forest ay may naramdaman na agad akong kakaiba sa paligid.
Nakakabingi at kakaibang katahimikan agad ang sumalubong sa akin. Wala akong maramdamang simoy ng hangin, at kahit tunog ng mga ibon ay wala akong marinig.
Madilim ang buong paligid pero hindi na ito bago sa akin dahil minsan na akong pumasok dito, but what I was feeling right now is quite different from what I felt before. I guess something weird is really happening here right now that I need to know.
Of course, this forest is dangerous, and I am aware of that, but if you are a Clandestine or if you have a high position in the Royal Palace, you have nothing to worry about the dangerous creatures living in here. Pero hindi ko maiwasang makaramdam ng takot, lalo na at may babala akong natanggap kanina mula kay Psalm. Pero dapat ko nga ba siyang pagkatiwalaan—ang nilalang na alam kong isang kaaway?
But I still immediately prepared myself. Wala namang masama kung paniniwalaan ko siya, ‘di ba? Maybe I just need to be extra careful because there are still some parts of me that still can't want to believe what Psalm said.
So I made a sword using black flames so that I could more easily defend myself if ever someone attacks me.
Hinawakan ko ang espada ko sa kanang kamay ko, at sa kaliwa naman ay gumawa ako ng apoy na magbibigay ng liwanag sa aking daraanan.
Nang masiguro kong okay na ang lahat at handa na ako ay agad akong huminga nang malalim bago ko ihakbang ang aking mga paa paabante. At labis na naman akong nagtaka nang wala akong marinig na kahit tunog ng tuyong mga dahon na aking natatapakan. Kaya sigurado ako na may nangyayari nga talagang hindi kanais-nais sa lugar.
Pero kung mayro'n man, nasa'n ang ibang Clandestine ngayon? Where's Celeste, Virgo and Harmony at this time? Panigurado akong naramdaman din nila ang nararamdaman ko ngayon. Kung gano'n man, maaaring nasa paligid din lang sila, at gaya ko ay naghahanap din ng mga kasagutan sa nangyayari ngayon dito sa Genesis Forest.
"Hindi na ako mag paligoy-ligoy pa. I'm here to warn you that there is a trap set for you within that forest."
What Psalm told me earlier suddenly flowed through my mind.
"W-Wait . . ." I suddenly stopped, comprehending what Psalm told me.
"There's a trap set for you within the forest," I mouthed what Psalm told me.
"That this means that—" I stopped when what Celeste whispered to me earlier when we were just still in our room pretending I was still asleep flowed also through my mind.
"We are waiting for you!"
"I don't understand!" I confusedly whispered.
I even bit my lower lip as I took a deep breath, trying to analyze everything, but I couldn't, I don't really get it why did Celeste tell me that earlier. I mean, why do I feel like what she said had a deeper meaning than what I was expecting even if it's just a simple sentence?
“Argh! What the hell!” I shook my head from left to right.
"Be observant!" Until I heard a cold voice pass by to my ear swiftly. It’s just like a breeze of wind that suddenly passes quickly.
"Who are you?" I roamed my eyes to find who it was, but I could see nothing but darkness—an endless abyss of darkness.
Ang tanging nasisinagan lang kasi ng apoy na nasa kaliwang kamay ko ay ang paligid lamang na may ilang metro malapit sa akin. Hindi umaabot ang liwanag nito sa gusto ng mga mata ko na makita.
Pero gaya nga ng paalalang narinig ko, I became more aggressive and observant around before I took another step. Pero nakadadalawang hakbang pa lamang ako ay agad akong napayuko nang may maramdaman akong bagay na mabilis na bumulusok papunta sa akin.
"Oh, sh*t!" I cursed. I was frozen in place. For sure, my expression in my eyes is a mix of shock and horror.
"What was that?" I muttered as I took a deep breath.
Hindi ko alam kung paano ko nalaman na may pabulusok sa aking bagay na hindi ko alam kung ano. Basta bigla na lang kumabog ang dibdib ko nang malakas as if it knew what was going to happen.
Narinig kong tumama ang bagay na iyon sa may malaking puno malapit sa akin, kaya agad akong lumapit do'n at tiningnan kung anong klase ng bagay ang muntik nang tumama sa akin.
"An arrow?" I mouthed as I pulled the arrow out of the tree.
Tiningnan ko ito nang maayos. Hindi ito ang unang pagkakataon na makakita ako ng ganito dahil may mga ganito rin sa mundo ng mga tao. But this is different from what I've seen there. Isa itong piraso ng purong bakal na manipis at matulis na may kakaibang bigat. It’s not the usual arrow, to be exact. Siguro dito lang sa mundong ito makikita ang ganitong klase nito. May kulay berde rin na nakadikit sa may dulo nito na parang . . .
I immediately dropped the arrow as soon as I realized what it was.
"A poison?" I asked in confusion.
So, someone is trying to hit me with an arrow with poison? Really?
I chuckled as I looked around before I closed my eyes and chanted a spell.
Carrier of air
and creator of the eleven winds,
bring the sight that I may see,
send your owl unto a tree.
Let it listen to the leaves,
and bring their message to me.
So mote it be.
I chanted, and just a minute passed, a strong wind blew in my ear to convey the message that another arrow was approaching me—fifteen arrows to be exact, and it was going in different directions. So I immediately ran away.
Hindi ko alam kung saan ako patungo dahil hindi ko kabisado ang bawat sulok ng kagubatang ito. Basta ang alam ko lang ay kailangan kong tumakbo upang maiwasan ang mga palaso na hindi ko rin alam kung saang direksyon ito tatama.
Kung bakit naman kasi sobrang dilim ng paligid? Well, what should I expect? Hating-gabi na, pero at least man lang sana ay may nilagay silang kahit mga lamp post lang sa paligid para sa amin, the Clandestine. Lalo na't sobrang delikado ang lugar na ito. Gaya ngayon, para akong hinahabol ng kamatayan, at wala akong ibang magawa kundi ang takbuhan ito kahit na alam kong walang kasiguraduhan na matatakasan ko. Pakiramdam ko tuloy ay para akong isang bulag na nakikipagsapalaran sa isang napakadilim na mundo—naghahanap sa dilim ng katiting na liwanag na alam kong kailanman ay hindi ko magagawa.
Nagpatuloy lang ako sa pagtakbo hanggang sa bigla na lang akong lumipad at bumagsak nang malakas sa lupa na puno ng tuyong mga dahon.
Dahil sa nangyari ay nawala ang apoy na nasa aking kamay at nabitawan ko ang aking espada. Kaya muling bumalot sa akin ang napakadilim na paligid. Pero hindi iyon agad ang una kong inisip dahil bigla akong nakaramdam ng kakaibang sakit sa aking likod.
Napakagat-labi ako dahil dito. "Ano ba iyon?" I uttered, fear evident in my voice so I closed my eyes firmly, trying to eliminate the pain I was feeling, and make myself calm before I stand up. Pero huli na ang lahat nang bigla kong maramdaman na may bumaong bagay sa kaliwang tagiliran ko.
Hindi agad ako nakapagsalita. Dahan-dahan kong iginapang ang aking kaliwang kamay papunta ro'n at naramdamang may tumatagas na malapot na likido, and I'm already aware what it was—a blood, kaya napangiwi ako dahil takot ako sa dugo.
Hanggang sa hawakan ko ang bagay na nakabaon—ang palaso, at walang pag-aalinlangan ko itong hinugot habang mariin na nakapikit.
Napasigaw ako nang malakas dahil sa kakaibang sakit na halos maluha na rin ako.
Nang mabunot ko ang palaso ay agad ko itong binato sa kung saan bago huminga nang napakalalim. Hanggang sa mapansin kong unti-unting lumiwanag ang buong lugar, at ang una agad na nakita ko ay ang malawak na ngisi ng isang babae—si Celeste.
Kumurap-kurap ako. She was just a few meters away from me, wearing her devilish grin.
"Hellcome back, Green!" she greeted me while still grinning, but what immediately caught my attention was the bow and arrows she was holding.
"Did you enjoy our pa-hellcome back to you?" she devilishly asked. She really pointed out the word ‘hellcome’.
Parang may kung ibang katauhan sa loob ng kaniyang katawan dahil sa kakaibang pananalita niya, at kung paano niya ako tingnan.
I chuckled. "C-Celeste?" I said while my hands were still on my side, trying to stop the pain and the blood that continued to flow on the wound.
"Are you surprised, Green? Do you want more? Or do you wanna play with me?" she asked stupendously.
Inasinta niya ang pana na hawak niya at itinapat sa direksyon ko—sa aking ulo.
Agad na umkayat ang kaba sa aking buong katawan. "W-What are you doing, Celeste?" I exclaimed before I looked around.
Dalawa lang kaming nakatayo rito. Pero bakit pakiramdam ko ay parang may iba kaming kasama na hindi nakikita ng mga mata ko. I could feel their presence. There were three, aside from Celeste, and they surrounded me.
"Fvck!" I mentally cursed and secretly searched for where my sword was. And when I found it I tried to take it through commanding it using my mind only.
Unti-unti itong gumalaw, at isang pikit lang ng aking mga mata ay nasa kanang kamay ko na ito, kaya nagawa kong sanggahin ang atake ng isang babae sa kanang bahagi ko.
"Do you really think you can hide from my eyes? I'm a Spirit Goddess!" I reminded her. It was Jasmine, the Fire Goddess.
I saw how she shook her head because of disappointment, so I suddenly smirked. Hanggang sa biglang nanghina ang aking tuhod dahilan upang mapaluhod ako.
"Seems like we don't need to fight already, Green? Kasi parang mabilis na kumakalat ang lason sa katawan mo, at anumang oras ay p'wede mo itong ikamatay!" Celeste laughed loudly, and so Jasmine is.
"Bakit mo ito ginagawa, Celeste?" I shouted in pain, but she just continued to laugh. Kaya agad akong napapikit.
Time, stand still.
I order you,
no minutes pass
until I'm through.
Doing what I need to do.
Time, stand still,
I order you.
~ginisamyxx