Tahimik akong napapalingon kay Ashley habang inaayos niya ang hugis bilog na tila teleskopyo para sa stargazing namin ngayong gabi.
"Ayan, tapos na!" masigla niyang sabi at lumingon sa amin ni Ariel. Nakaschedule kasi ngayong gabi ang stargazing namin lalo na at may meteor shower mamayang madaling araw.
"Kukuhanin ko lang ang sketchpad ko sa kwarto. I will draw everything that we will be watching," saad ni Ariel at umalis sa balkonahe.
Lumapit ako sa bilog na teleskopyo. Wala itong kahit anong lenses but you can see 20 times than the human eyes can see. It's magical, indeed.
"You look like it's your first timw using a magical telescope," natatawang usal ni Ashley habang pinagmamasdan akong manghang-mangha rito.
"Wala lang, it's just... so magical," mangha kong tugon.
Maya-maya pa ay dumating na si Ariel. May dumating ring midnight snack sa amin. Nagkwentuhan lang kami hanggang sa mag-ala una na ng umaga.
"Hoy, gising! Ayan na yung meteor shower," saad ko habang niyuyugyog si Ariel na nakatulog na ngayon habang nakadukmo sa mesa. Ilang beses ko pang inulit pero umuungol lang siya at tinutunggo ang kamay ko.
I just gave up and we watched the meteor shower without her.
"Kayo na pala ni Ethan." Napalingon ako kay Ash. I know she would ask it and she's hurt.
"Ash--"
"Hindi mo man lang sinabi agad sa bestfriend mo," ngumuso siya at bahagyang tumawa. But I know deep inside, she's hurt.
"I'm happy for you, Victoria. Naalala ko pa noon, palagi mo akong pinipilit na paglapitin kayo ni Ethan. But look at the two of you now, mas close pa nga kayo kaysa sa atin," saad niya at kumapit sa braso ko tsaka sumandal sa balikat ko.
I just stared at her. She's really a good friend to Victoria. I can feel that she's happy but saddened at the same time.
I want to tell ger that it was all a pretend. That Ethan did it just to save me from Avales. Pero hindi ko alam kung bakit parang may pumipigil sa akin.
Victoria isn't in the mortal world living as me. I can feel that she's here, watching me playing her role. Maybe, she's in a form of a flower or the wind? I don't know.
All I know is that she's stopping me to tell Ash the truth. Because she's happy seeing her bestfriend hurting like she was hurting when Ashley was the one Ethan chose.
But still, Victoria's mad because it's not really her that Ethan chose. It's me.
* * *
Kinabukasan ay nagtungo kami ni Nickolas sa palasyo ng Serim kagaya ng napag-usapan namin ni Ethan.
The knights immediately welcomed me and brought us to Ethan.
"Take a seat," agad niyang bati nang makarating kami sa isang kwartong puno ng mga paintings sa pader.
Umupo kami sa isang bilog na glass table na may tatlong upuan. In the table lies a chesspiece-like thing with symbols of the twelve kingdom of the Everland.
We will try to figure out all the five kingdoms that belongs to the dark organization.
Unang inilagay ni Ethan sa pulang bilog ang simbolo ng Kasem at sunod namang nilagay ni Nickolas ang sa Avales.
"Dalawa lang ang alam natin. There are still three kingdoms according to Rina's letter," sabi ni Ethan at lumingon sa amin. Agad naman akong umiwas ng tingin nang magtama ang mga mata namin. Geez, hindi pa ako nakakamove-on sa kahapon.
"Ano sa tingin niyo ang iba pang mga kaharian na maaaring kasama dito?" tanong ni Ethan habang itinuturo ang pulang bilog kung nasaan ang Kasem at Avales.
Napaisip naman ako. Yeah, that princess!
Agad kong kinuha ang simbolo ng Zerlin at inilagay sa pulang bilog. Tiningnan lang ako ng dalawa na para bang tinatanong kung seryoso ako.
"Bakit? Ang attitude kaya ng prinsesa nila. She looks like evil." What I'm talking about is that Angeline. Err, naiinis talaga ako sa babaeng iyon.
"Sabagay, theory pa lang naman," saad naman ni Ethan. Oh? Bakit? Sa akin lang ba maldita ang babaeng 'yon?
Nagsimula na silang mag-isip. They will put one symbol but then, they'll remove it again. They are not so sure. We don't have any evidence except from Rina's letter, after all.
"We can't do it like this. Let's eliminate the safe kingdoms. 'Yung mga sigurado tayong hindi kasama," said Nickolas and we nodded.
Ethan took his kingdom's symbol, Serim. "My kingdom will never dare to join the dark organization."
Kinuha ko naman ang simbolo ng Wilhem, Ashley's kingdom. "I'm sure they aren't included."
Sunod ko namang kinuha ang simbolo ng Winzellia. Pero nag-aalangan akong ilagay ito. Nagkatinginan kaming tatlo. We might be thinking the same thing.
That there is a possibility that Winzellia's one of the dark kingdom. Especially because it has a connection to Avales. They even want me to marry its prince.
* * *
"Paki-hinto po ang sasakyan," utos ko sa nagpapatakbo ng karwahe. Nagtataka naman akong tiningnan ni Nickolas pero hindi ko siya pinansin.
Bumaba ako ng karwahe at nagtungo sa dalampasigan. Magdadapit-hapon na kaya gusto kong mapanuod ito.
Agad akong naupo sa buhanginan na hindi alintana kung madudumihan man ang suot kong asul na gown. All I wanna do is to watch the sunset.
"You really love the sunset, huh?" Napalingon ako kay Nickolas na ngayon ay nakatitig din sa papalubog na araw.
"Sunset is the most beautiful time of the day for me."
"Do you know the story behind the sunset?" Tanong ko dahilan para mapalingon siya sa akin at umiling.
"I have this poem I made out of it," saad ko at inalala ang tula kong ginawa. You know, I'm always reading it to the point that I already memorized it.
"There is a story that was never told.
A love that everyone must hold.
As the sky sleeps after dawn,
A painful goodbye must be bid by the sun.
He traveled miles and miles away,
Hoping that where the sea is, he can stay.
But it seems like he's traveling a hopeless path.
An endless road that only brought him why, how, and what.
The sea always wait for them to meet.
Every day, every hour, and everytime she breathes.
But behind their love is a curse.
A ruthless bane that anytime can burst.
They can't hold each other's hand freely
'Cause in the first place, they aren't really meant to be.
But they still pursued their forbidden love
That caused to broke the hearts they have.
The sea just accepted their faith then and just chose earth.
While the sun was left crestfallen and hurt.
All his efforts and persistence became useless.
Then, he bade his painful goodbye and rest in the dakrness.
Until now, as you came passing by the shore,
You'll see a scenery that the nature has in store.
Of how the sun cry while watching his love, the sea
Embracing the earth and resting happily."
"You really love tragic endings, do you?" Natawa naman ako sa reaksyon niya. Narealise ko rin iyon. Even in books, I always prefer tragic stories.
"Maybe, because I see it's beauty despite of melancholy."
Napalingon ako sa kanya nang talukbungan niya ako ng itim na balabal. Yung totoo, palagi niya bang bitbit 'yon?
"Umuwi na tayo. Mahamog na," saad niya at inilahad ang kamay sa harap ko. Agad ko naman iyong kinuha at tumayo.
I looked at him while we are walking towards the carriage. He is always there for me. Pero bakit?
This time, I want to ask him about it but I refused again. Natatakot ako sa hindi malamang dahilan.
He's still a mystery to me. Wala siya sa sinulat na libro ni Victoria. Wala rin siya sa mga misyon ko.
Who are you, Nickolas?