"I'm enthralled by your soul..."
AVERY
The atmosphere is tensed and I can see that Lianna is very proud of herself. She's really unaware that I already regain my memories? There's something wrong here. Napansin ko si Leo. He's not reaching out for his dead father. He didn't get angry at all. He looks emotionless while staring down at his father. Siguro nahihirapan pa siyang intindihin o tanggapin ang mga nangyayari? Has his mind gone blank? Lord Kelvin is the one who's overreacting about the death of his king. He's screaming and cursing us.
There's something amiss. Tiningnan ko si Zirrius at tumingin din siya sa 'kin habang patuloy na pinipigilan niya ang pag-atake ng medalyon na patungo sa 'kin. "Can I kill her?" tanong ko kay Zirrius. Lianna irritatedly look at me. I deliberately ask and let Lianna hear my question.
He looks at me with confusion. "Lianna?" tanong niya. Muli niyang ibinalik ang atensiyon sa medalyon. He trapped the medallion inside a thick wall of bricks before he turned to me. Nagwawala ang medalyon sa loob nito pero dahil makapal ang ginawa niyang pader, hindi ito agad mapatutumba at masisira.
Tumango ako. Natahimik siya at tumingin kay Lianna. He seems conflicted. Siguro dahil may pinagsamahan din naman sila ni Lianna kaya siya nahihirapan.
"What if she's Seth?" pangangatwiran ko. Gusto kong sabihin ang totoong ginawa ni Lianna sa 'kin pero natatakot akong kampihan pa siya ni Zirrius.
"Huwag kang makinig sa kanya Zirrius! She's accusing one of us of being Seth! She's being unreasonable! We fought our way to reach here! We're trying to help!" sigaw ni Lianna kay Zirrius. She's pleading and she wants Zirrius to sympathize with her every words but Zirrius created a big wall surrounding Leo, Lianna and even Lord Kelvin. They can no longer see us. They're separated from us. Lihim akong natuwa dahil sa ginawa niya.
"Is that really the reason? Do you really think she's Seth?" mahinang tanong ni Zirrius. He whispered so that they won't hear our discussion. "But I think that's impossible," sunud-sunod na iling ni Zirrius.
Tila may matulis na bagay na sumaksak sa puso ko. I can feel my heart bleed. A while ago I'm just too happy right? Akala ko pa naman kakampihan na niya ako. "Bakit mo siya ipinagtatanggol?" mahina pero mariing tanong ko.
"Hindi ko siya ipinagtatanggol. I just don't think that you guessed it right. I have known her since we were little. I'll agree if you say that she's being controlled but probably not Seth," seryosong sagot niya.
"Paano mo naman nasabi na hindi siya si Seth?" salubong ang kilay na tanong ko.
Itinuro niya ang puso niya. "My heart can tell."
I rolled my eyes. I can't be jealous now, right? Hindi ko dapat hayaang manaig ang nararamdaman kong inis at selos.
He just grinned at me and shook his head. "Kidding aside, what do you think about Leo? Do you think he's the real one? Or how about Lord Kelvin?" We're only whispering to each other. Sina Damon at Zach lang ang nakakarinig sa pinag-uusapan namin.
I don't want the issue of Lianna to rest! "Mahal mo pa rin ba siya?" inis na tanong ko kay Zirrius.
"Hindi ito ang oras para pag-usapan 'yan," mahinang wika ni Zirrius. "I really don't think she's Seth. You know that I'm too familiar with her right? Even with her body. She's probably controlled."
Mariin akong napapikit. "How can you say that to me? How can you say that to your mate?" I can't let him see the pain in my eyes.
"Why can't I tell you this? It's not a secret. You know about this when you lived inside my body right?" diretsong sabi ni Zirrius. Matalim na tingin ang ipinukol ko sa kanya.
Napailing si Zirrius. "You can't be jealous now. Wala na akong nararamdaman para sa kanya. I'm just stating facts."
"Who said I'm jealous?" giit ko. But I'm really happy when he said that he no longer feels anything for Lianna.
Muli niyang itinuro ang puso niya. "My heart can tell."
"Fuck your heart! You're really pissing me off!" inis na sabi ko. Mahina siyang tumawa pero hindi na pinatulan ang sinabi ko.
"So let's get back to the point. Who is Seth? Did you check their auras? Sigurado akong hindi siya si Lianna," sabi ni Zirrius.
"I can see black and red auras coming from Lianna and Lord Kelvin. Leo doesn't emit any auras at all," sagot ko kay Zirrius.
"Don't you think it's odd? There are two people emitting Seth's aura?" tanong ni Zirrius. "Paano kung itinatago lang pala ni Seth ang aura niya?"
"I think Zirrius has a point," pagsang-ayon naman ni Damon.
"Don't be blinded by hate, Avery. Kahit galit ka kay Lianna, huwag mong hayaan na mabulag ka ng kasinungalingan. Sa tingin ko, may posibilidad na si Leo si Seth," saad pa ni Zirrius.
"I'm not angry with her just because I'm jealous! It's just that she stabbed me in the back using the knife I lend her when we are inside the forest! And my memory was tampered after that. You're already unconscious and you're not even aware of that," giit ko. "I'm not angry for no reasons at all." I just want to defend myself because he thinks too lowly of me.
Natigilan si Zirrius sa sinabi ko. Malalim siyang napaisip bago muling nagsalita. "I'm sorry to hear that. But I really don't think she will have the courage to strike someone with a knife. She's probably controlled. Do you really want to kill her?" tanong niya habang seryosong nakatitig sa mga mata ko.
Nanghihinang umiling ako. If she's really controlled, then I don't want to kill her. I don't want to waste my time and energy on her. "Let's just find Seth. We don't have much time. Pero kapag nakialam si Lianna, hindi ko maipapangakong hindi ko siya sasaktan. If worse comes to worst, I might kill her."
Tumango si Zirrius. "Whatever happens I will support you," sabi niya. Napaawang ang labi ko. Did he really say that he will support me? Whatever happens? Hindi makapaniwalang tiningnan ko siya. Is he for real?
He just set aside my expression and shook his head with a smile. Then he went back to the main point. "About Seth... Remember the last words of King Aulius? Someone's trying to kill Leo. What if the real Leo has already been killed and the Leo we see now is an impostor?"
Natigilan ako sa sinabi niya. He's right. Maybe the real Leo was already dead? And maybe Seth used an illusion or he disguised or shifted into another form? I suddenly remembered the words of my mother before. It's really possible to hide one's aura and I have to pay attention to that. "You have a point," sabi ko. Tumingin ako kay Damon. "Maaaring tama siya hindi ba?"
"Unfortunately, King Aulius is already dead. I can no longer check his memories about his son. But if Zirrius feels that way, maybe his theory is right," sagot ni Damon.
"Then what do we do now? Should we force Leo to spit out the truth?" tanong ko sa kanila.
"I think he'll reveal himself when Shin gets here," sagot ni Zirrius. "Na kay Shin ang mapa ng buong magic circle. If you try to reverse the spell, he'll try his best to interrupt your ritual. He will move."
"Then we have to wait," sabi ko. "You have to protect me while I'm dealing with the magic circle. I still have a task for Shin. He can't stay here." Tumango sina Zirrius at Damon. We had a silent agreement of what to do while waiting.
And then suddenly, all the brick walls made by Zirrius turned to fine dust. We're not even sure who did that. Maybe Seth? Pero tila hindi naman gumalaw si Leo sa kanyang kinatatayuan. Nakawala na ang medalyon mula sa pader na ginawa ni Zirrius.
Bumaling ang paningin namin kay Lord Kelvin na tumatawag ng mga kawal upang supilin kami. Tumayo siya at agad sumigaw sa labas ng silid.
Muling ipinagpatuloy ni Zirrius ang pagpigil sa kapangyarihan ng medalyon samantalang hinarap naman nina Zach at Damon ang mga kawal na tinawag ni Lord Kelvin.
Napansin ko naman ang galit na tingin sa 'kin ni Lianna. "Oh? Bakit ka nagagalit? Dahil pinagdududahan ko kayo? It's just normal. We're under this war and it's hard to determine true friends and foes. Please pardon me," I said with sarcasm.
Naglakad patungo sa kinatatayuan ko si Lianna. Zirrius was busy with the medallion and he looked at me with worry. I just nodded at him. I can handle Lianna on my own. Tumango na lang si Zirrius at pasimpleng inobserbahan si Leo. He's not moving yet.
Lianna stared at me, face to face. "Sa tingin mo ba 'yan ang totoong dahilan kung bakit ako nagagalit sa 'yo? Wala akong pakialam kay Seth o kanino man. Nagagalit ako dahil inaagaw mo sa 'kin si Zirrius! He's mine, Avery. You're stealing him away from me," mariin at diretsong sabi ni Lianna. Sa tingin ko, narinig din ni Zirrius ang sinabi ni Lianna pero wala siyang naging reaksiyon. Maybe he's letting me handle this matter alone.
"Kailan ba siya naging sa 'yo? Hindi ba mas pinili mo si Leo noon kaysa kay Zirrius?" I asked mockingly. "Sa tingin mo ba babalikan ka pa niya sa kabila ng ginawa mo?"
Nagsalubong ang mga kilay ni Lianna. "How did you know that? Did he tell you?"
I want to tell Lianna that I'm living inside Zirrius' body that time but I don't want to share that one secret with her. She doesn't have to know.
"Oo. Sinabi niya sa 'kin. Mas pinapahalagahan niya ako kaysa sa 'yo. He told me everything and you're just nothing in his eyes now. Hindi ka na niya mahal. Poor you," pang-aasar ko kay Lianna. I actually don't want to waste time anymore. Tinalikuran ko na siya at naglakad patungo sa wasak na bahagi ng palasyo. Gusto kong malaman kung papunta na ba rito si Shin. Sana nakita niya ang mapa.
"Hindi pa tayo tapos mag-usap! Huwag mo akong talikuran!" giit ni Lianna. "At sino naman ang mahal niya? Ikaw ba? Siguradong nalulungkot lang siya noon kaya nabaling sa 'yo ang atensiyon niya!"
Hindi ko pinansin ang mga sinabi ni Lianna. Napansin ko na kumikidlat na sa iba't ibang bahagi ng Alveria. Unti-unti na ring pumapatak ang ulan. Napansin ko rin ang mga taong halos gumagapang na sa lupa dahil sa panghihina. Ang ilan sa kanila ay hindi na makahinga. Kahit ang mga halaman ay unti-unti ng nalalanta. Maging ang mga alagang hayop ng mga nakatira rito sa Alveria ay nanghihina na rin. Walang buhay na matitira kung magtatagal pa ito. Kailangan ko na talagang mapigilan ang medalyon sa paghigop ng buhay.
"Bakit hindi ka makasagot?" tanong pa rin ni Lianna.
Tumingin ako sa direksiyon nina Damon. Patuloy ang pakikipaglaban nila sa mga kawal samantalang si Zirrius naman ay abala sa medalyon. He's blocking it for me. Natigilan ako nang biglang yumanig ang sahig na kinatatayuan ko. The floor cracked open and I almost fell with the shattered floor but I managed to jump away from it. Tiningnan ko si Lianna at tinaasan ng kilay. She used magic to attack me! Iniisip ba niya na mananalo siya laban sa 'kin?
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