Chapter 38
Years ago...
NAGHAHABOL ng hininga ang sampung taong gulang na babae habang dala-dala ang mensahe ng kanyang kapatid. Their house has been compromised by unknown people and she cannot find her parents nor her siblings.
Barefooted, she runs across to the hallway searching for her family and finding herself in front of the theater room where she heard four gunshots fired. Habang papalapit sa silid ay tila naririnig niya ang sigaw ng isang babae na nakikilala niyang ang ina niya. She heard pleas and cries.
Natatakot man ay dahan-dahan siyang lumapit sa loob ng silid ngunit naisip ng niya na baka mapansin siya ng kung sino man sa loob and then she remembered the secret passage their parents built for them connecting to the different rooms in their house.
Their house is called Maze Palace to some people. It hold 20,000 hectares and known as the most secretive small town in the world. All of their servant lives in this place and can never go out same as them but that changes when her father became the headmaster of their clan.
He allowed all the people to explore the outside skirt of the Maze palace.
The main headquarters also known as the house of prime was built since the dark ages, traps and secret passages were build for us to escape easily if someone intrudes and destroy us and unfortunately, it is happening at this very minute.
I am very aware even at a young age that our family is not like the traditional family out there. We choose a master of the house; who commands at everything, the attendant; whose work is to protect the master of the house and the Diyels. They are very rare and only my twin have it and then there is me.
The primrose whose work is still unknown.
Dali-daling umalis ang bata sa harpan ng silid at umikot sa tapat ng isang malaking iskultura at maingat na inusod ito pakanan. A very dark alley welcomed her but still decided to go in to see the what was happening in the theater room. Right after she closes the door of the secret passage dim light illuminated in the alley enabling her to see the way.
She hurriedly run her way to the theater room and was surprised to see her eldest sister Cynthia Ann crying holding their youngest brother Wheesus in her arms.
"Sœur..." (sister..)
Nanlalaking mata na napalingon ito sa kanya.
"Que fais-tu ici, prima?" (What are you doing here, prima?"
"Que se passe-t-il? Où est maman et papa?" (What is going on? Where is mama and papa?"
She saw her sister shushing her and signals to come closer. Maingat siyang naglakad papunta sa pwesto ng mga kapatid. Her eyes widened when she saw her parents and her twin sister inside the theater room. Nasa walo ang nasa loob ng silid kasama na doon ang magulang at kakambal.
Maliit na parang two-way mirror na sapat para makita nilang tatlo ang nangyayaro sa loob ng silid.
"How dare you to come in to our house and cause ruckus, Vail!" Galit na wika ng kanilang ama habang yakap-yakap ang asawa.
She cannot see the guy her father referred to as Vail dahil nakatalikod ito sa gawi kung nasaan sila.
"The prophecy is true! May tinatago pa kayong kamukha ng prima! Alam niyong maghihirap ang lahat kapag pinagpatuloy niyo itong kalapastangan na ito!" Galit na bulyaw ng lalaking nakatalikod sa kanila.
"What do you expect huh! Killed my own fvcking child? I'm not like you Vail! I don't kill my own child for my beliefs!"
"A belief that let us live and be prosperous!"
"Don't be such a ludicrous! We can make things right if we make a plan! By plan and I meant no killing of own kind."
She saw her twin sister holding the hem of her father's polo shirt crying silently and it feels like her heart tightened because of what she saw. Ang pinaka ayaw niya sa lahat ay ang makitang malungkot ang kakambal.
Her twin is very modest, shy, kind and very a happy girl. Their very own ball of sunshine and to see her beloved twin sister scared makes her angry. Tatayo na dapat siya ng hinawakan siya ng kanyang kapatid sa braso.
"You know the rules, prima. You can not go out and let these scoundrels see you nor take you." Mahinanong wika nito.
"But.. but.." Binitawan muna nito ang bunsong kaptid at masuyong hinila siya upang mayakap.
Nagimbal silang tatlo ng makarinig sila ng isang pagputok. Nakita nalang niya kung pano bumagsak ang kanilang ama sa sahig habang sapo ang kaliwang braso.
"How dare Vail! Isa ka lang sampid sa lipunang ito! Your great-great grandfather would be ashamed to you! You are putting your family name in disgraced!" Anang ng kanyang ina sa malakas na boses habang akay-akay ang kanilang ama.
"Well, this outsider you called well rose again after we slaughtered your primrose." Malademonyong nginitian nito ang kakambal niya.
Kinilabutan siya ng marinig ang kanyang palayaw mula sa bibig ng lalaki. Bakit siya hinahanap ng lalaki? Akala ba nito ang kakambal niya ang tinatawag na primrose?
Everyone in the house including her twin sister calls her primrose. Their reason? Because she likes roses she was born in a blonde hair but in turned into silver-stricken on different occasions.
It doesn't even make a sense at first but since it's her family she let them call her that. It burdened her when all their servant started calling her that nickname not until this moment.
She knows that her awful nicknames weighs to other people.. like this person holding a gun.
What do they want from her? From their family? What prophecy? What belief are they talking about?
"They want me.." Mahinang bulong niya sapat na para marinig ito ng kanyang kapatid.
"Yes, I know that but I won't let them take you." Galit na pahayag ng kanyang kapatid.
"Why?"
"I just know, mum and dad wouldn't want that either. You are precious in this lifetime my dear sister, you might not understand it right now but if you fall in the hands of bad people, innocent lives will be jeopardize and we will not let that happened."
She understand her sister fully but what she cannot fathom is how her self - the cold, brooding , always angry kid will be hunted and what? Innocent people will be harmed? Wala siyang hawak na ikakapahamak ng ibang tao.
Sakit lang ng ulo sa mga magulang pwede pa yun.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Do I look like?" Naputol pa ang sasabihin niya sana ng marinig ulit magsalita ang lalaking may katandaan lang ng ilang taon sa kanyang mga magulang.
"The mistake you did was to let your people see freedom and love your family."
"It wasn't a mistake, to see them smiling is a big accomplish for myself." Her father smiled even if he is still in pain.
Umiling-iling sa kanyan ang lalaking nagngangalang Vail.
"Just give me the primrose and everyone can live. Wag na nating patagalin ito."
Narinig niyang kumasa ang mga baril ng mga taong nasa loob.
"Sir, the guards are coming we need to hurry." Narinig niyang kumislot ang kapatid na katabi niya.
"I knew it all along that bastard is a jerk but I didn't know he could be a murderer!" Naluluhang wika nito.
"Since nagmamatigas kayo anong mangyayari sa mga tao niyo kapag nawala na kayo?"
Tila namanhid ang kanyang katawan niya ng marinig ang sunod-sunod na putukan at makitang nakahandusay ang kanilang magulang at kakambal sa sahig. It feels like the remaining piece of sane left her being when her sister look at their direction in the two-way mirror with face covered in blood and tears with a smile on her face.
"Victoria...." bulong niya habang sunod-sunod na umagos ang kanyang luha. Naririnig niya ang hikbi ng mga kapatid ngunit nakatingin lang siya sa kakambal niyang nakangiti.
She saw her sister mumbled something. Hindi niya mawari kung ano iyon ngunit ng tinitigan niya ang labi nito ay unti-unti niya itong naintindihan.
"I love you..."
Napansin niyang wala ng tao sa loob ng silid ngunit ang mga labi ng kanyang pamilya. Cynthia Anne scooped their brother and held her arm and ran outside the secret room.
"We need to get out. Siguradong hahanapin nila tayo." Natatarantang wika ng nakakatandang kapatid.
Malakas na hinila niya ang kamay mula sa pagkakahawak at malamig na tiningnan ang kapatid.
"Go and find the others, see if there are still alive. Send the guards in the theater room.. please." Kahit tutol ay tumango lang ang kapatid sa kanya kaya tumalikod siya at tumakbo sa papalit sa kwarto kung nasaan ang magulang at kakambal.
"Ria.. Riaaa..." sapo niya ang sugat ng kakambal sa may tagiliran.
"T-tori... my t-twin.. I-.. sorry.. I lov-ee you..." Tango-tango lang ang binigay niya sa kakambal.
"Don't leave me Ria.. please. Magpapakabait na ako kela mum. Please hindi na ako tatakas, hindi na ako magpapasaway.. just please... don't leave me.. don't leave us... they need me. Dapat ako nalang ang nasa pwesto mo. Ako nalang. Don't leave me I beg you."
"I--It's n-not your f-f-fault." Napalingon siya sa pwesto ng kanyang ama. Nagulat siya na sapo ng kanilang bunsong kapatid ang mga sugat nito.
Sumunod pala ito sa kanila.
"Rem-remember t-that.."
"My children.. please go outside and see the world.." Tila nahihirapan na wika ng kanilang ama ngunit patuloy padin ito sa pagsasalita.
"Be happy.."
"I love you.. all my c-children" Humagulgul sa tabi Wheesus si Cynthia Ann sa sinabi ng ina.
That very moment she knew that their family will never gonna be the same again.
She knew... that the 12th of April will always be known as the fall of the De Blois
The Queen's hour...
TBC.
Ingat kayo palagi monstars! Since extended na naman ang lockdown. What are the things you guys have been doing since the start of the quarantine?
Stay safe!
-fiffy