Fragments of memories kept on crashing in her mind as she fell down from the cliff. Chanel felt it was an endless fall. She remembered the feeling and that started how those tiny pieces of memories were trying to rip off her mind. Make it stop. She screamed so hard. Make it stop!
"Sister, do you want to come with me?" A sweet voice of a woman was the next thing she heard. The images were blurry. She couldn't see her face. Tumingin siya sa kamay nitong kanina pa naghihintay na kanyang hawakan.
"Who are you?" She whispered but the image suddenly blew away, as if a wind suddenly came and erased everything.
Then another woman came. But still, the face was blurry and all she could see was her sweet smile.
"Come here, my child..."
Smoke clouded the whole place. Ang magaan na pakiramdam niya ay napalitan ng kabigatan. The ambiance of the place changed. From light to heavy. From heavenly to sinister.
"Why—Just why did you do that?!"
She heard a lot of people shouting. She heard curses. She heard them crying.
"What's happening? Why—am I crying?" She wiped her tears on her cheek, still confused why she felt so heavy like she was in pain and her heart was torn into pieces. Why did she feel so sad? Why did she feel so hopeless? Why on earth did she felt like she was dead?
Voices continued whispering on her ears.
Wake up... Wake up... Wake up... It echoed.
Her dream or wherever she was started to tremble. She looked up above only to see everything was crumbling.
Wake up, a sharp voice whispered.
Chanel opened her eyes and coughed badly that her throat and lungs hurt. She looked at the night sky. The bright moon and stars welcomed her. Bumaba ang tingin niya sa isang mabigat na bagay na nakapasan sa kanyang katawan. When she saw Night, hugging her unconsciously, her worries finally subside.
She felt the pain throughout her whole body but she tried to move her hand. Hinawakan niya ang ulo ng binata at pilit na sinilip ito. His body was so cold that Chanel immediately sat up, gently laid Night down, and held both of his cheeks. She immediately checked if he was still breathing, and thank Gods, he still was. She panicked for a moment there.
"Ah shit..."
She looked around only to see that they were at the bank of a river. She stood up and pulled Night out of the water. She checked his wounds at the back only to see that they were already healed. The arrows were also nowhere to be seen. She was puzzled by what she was seeing. Why has he healed already? And now that his wounds were already okay, why was he still unconscious and his body cold?
What the hell happened?
She then checked herself and find her situation confusing too. She was quite all right.
How did we end up here? Without any scratch?
She stood there helplessly as she looked around to see if there was a space they could rest. She looked up in the sky and looked at Night again. She could only sigh.
Napahawak na lamang si Chanel sa kanyang ulo. Anong gagawin niya ngayon?
She tried to pull Night out of the river bank and moved him under the trees. Hingal na hingal siyang naupo sa gilid at hinabol ang kanyang hiniga.
Gods, he was so heavy.
Hinawakan niya uli ang pisngi ng binata, pati na rin ang kamay nito. Night was still cold as ice. She needed to get him warm somehow. She needed fire, but how could she do it? She again stood up and picked up some dry grass, leaves, barks, or anything that could start a fire easily. She then started to create a tinder nest for the fire. Now she didn't know whether she would use sticks or rocks to start it.
Napapikit ng mariin si Chanel. She picked up a hard stick and place it above the kindling since using rock would be difficult. She then used the other stick that was much softer than the other one and started rubbing it up and down. As she plowed fast, she could only curse under her breath. When she saw smoke, her eyes sparkled with hope. She blew until the smoke grew big and finally, she felt the heat and the fire was made.
Masuwerte siya at siya ang napiling magboluntaryo noon sa science class nila noong high school. To think she was cursing her teacher before for teaching them how to make a fire, she never thought that she would actually use what she learned and would be thankful to her teacher.
Naupo si Chanel at napasandal muli sa malaking puno. Ipinikit niya ang kanyang mata upang magpahinga. She felt so weak and tired, but again she opened her eyes and looked at Night. She moved him closer to the fire so he could feel the warmth. Sa huling pagkakataon ay muli niyang chineck ang kalagayan nito.
"Do demons even feel warm?" Chanel asked herself.
"Or are they naturally cold?"
She tried to remember how Night felt whenever she held his hand, but for some reason, she didn't know whether he felt warm or cold. She never bothered herself with those details, because he made it so clear that she would not cross the line.
She then sat down close to the fire she made and warmed herself. She leaned on her knees and closed her eyes.
"Ano ba talagang nangyari?" She whispered.
They both fell from a high cliff. She remembered everything from how she fell with Night and how they drifted deep in the water. Images of her drowning and Night unconsciously floating in front of her were so vivid but after that... After that, what happened?
She stayed there for minutes, trying to recall some things that she might remember, but she couldn't. Wala siyang ideya kung anong nangyari. Kung paano sila napunta rito, kung may nagligtas man sa kanila, paano nawala ang sugat sa katawan ng binata, at kung papaanong buhay pa rin siya at si Night mula sa pagkakabagsak nila?
"Do miracles happen in hell?" She whispered as the breeze touched her skin and made her shivered again. She only hugged her knees tight and rested silently.
She closed her eyes and rested for a little while. She only planned to rest for a few minutes but then again, she couldn't help herself but fall asleep. It was as if the time flew so fast, she felt like she only closed her eyes and she woke up again. For the first time, she dreamt nothing. It was blank. There was nothing.
She opened her eyes. The bright sun made her squint. But then she felt something was wrong. Naramdaman niya ang malambot na bagay na hinihigaan ng kanyang ulo. Agad siyang napatingin kay Night na tahimik na nakaupo at nakasandal sa puno habang pinagmamasdan siya nito. Putlang-putla ang mukha't labi nito.
"Are you okay?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Chanel at madaling chineck ang binata. Siya'y naupo at agad na hinawakan ang noo, pisngi, and leeg nito. Ngunit hindi umiimik ang binata. Akmang hahawakan muli ni Chanel ang pisngi ng binata nang bigla siyang pigilan ni Night at hinawakan ng mahigpit ang kanyang kamay.
"I'm good," he finally answered.
Agad na binawi ni Chanel ang kamay niya at tumango. "O-okay."
Madali siyang tumayo at pinagpagan ang sarili. Now that the sun shone brightly, she could see the place clearly. This was like the place she saw when they entered the River of Death going to Owe. They were surrounded by huge trees.
Huminga ng malalim si Chanel at tumingin kay Night.
"You sure you're okay?"
Night only closed his eyes and nodded.
"Do you need some time to rest?" Chanel asked once again.
Muling tumango ang binata. Chanel distanced herself and gave Night some time to take a long rest. Morning past, afternoon bid its goodbye, and now that evening came, Chanel stood and sat silently on her place while thinking about what happened to them, while she let Night rest under the tree. Night just slept an entire day. Walang ideya si Chanel kung anong nangyari, anong nangyayari, at ano pa ang mga mangyayari kasunod nito.
Pumwesto siya upang gumawa ulit ng apoy. Nakahanda na ang munting mga kahoy na kailangan niya nang makita niyang bigla na lamang may sumindi na apoy sa mga damo at dahon na kanyang kinolekta. Napabuntong-hininga si Chanel at tumingin kay Night. He only looked at her and didn't say anything.
Pinaghirapan ni Chanel na makagawa ng apoy no'ng isang gabi pero itong si Night, sa isang iglap at isang pitik, kayang-kayang gumawa ng apoy ng gano'n kadali.
How nice it is to have some power...
If only she had some magic or power, maybe...
Biglang pumasok sa kanyang isipan ang mga pangyayari no'ng tinangkang iligtas ni Chanel si Night mula sa pakikipaglaban kay Azariel. It was originally part of the plan. She would use a fake trident and use it. But because the fake one didn't hold such power, they need to act as if she was holding the true trident. That was to create confusion for the prince.
She clearly remembered everything. She walked towards Night while holding the trident that she snatched from Chersh. She held his hand so that he can transmit the power through her and release it through the trident she was holding. It was really dangerous, as they didn't know if Chanel could handle the strong power.
"Now, Night," she cued.
But they didn't expect the next thing that happened.
It was a light that burst out from the trident and not dark as what they were both expecting, given that Night was a demon. Chanel didn't receive any scratch nor lost unconsciousness. She just stood there, completely bewildered while looking at Night's baffled face too.
"Hindi ko na alam..." Chanel murmured.
"Chanel..." Nagulat siya nang bigla niyang narinig ang boses ni Night. Tumingin siya rito nang nagtataka ngunit nang makita niyang namumutla pa rin ito ay napalitan ng pag-alala ang nararamdaman ng dalaga. Madali siyang tumayo at naglakad papalapit sa binata. Lumuhod siya at akmang hahawakan muli si Night nang siya'y huminto.
Right, he doesn't like being touched.
"Give me your hand."
Inilahad ng binata ang kamay nito. Ipinatong niya ang kamay niya doon at muling tumingin sa binata.
"What now?" She asked.
Night clasped his hand to her hand and felt her warmth. He then closed his eyes and didn't say anything afterward.
"May mangyayari ba? Anong next? May magic?" Chanel asked innocently, still anticipating if Night would use his magic but she saw nothing.
"Are you really okay?" She asked him again.
"I'm okay. Don't worry. I just need more rest."
Tumango si Chanel. Should she ask about what happened? She wanted but she couldn't. She knew that Night needed more rest. Answering her questions would be quite tiring. He needed to explain a lot of things after all.
"Okay, get some rest."
Patayo na sana si Chanel nang bigla siyang hatakin muli paupo ng binata. Gulat na gulat siyang napatingin kay Night pati na rin sa kamay nitong kanina pang nakahawak sa kanya. Kumunot-noo siya at hinintay na magpaliwanag ang binata ngunit hindi ito muling nagsalita.
Muling nagtangkang tumayo si Chanel ngunit hinatak lamang siya ulit ng binata papaupo.
"Anong problema mo?" She was now pissed.
"Just—" Night weakly answered and sighed, "stay here."
"What exactly do you want from me?" Chanel asked, still pissed.
But then again Night didn't answer her question.
"Do you want to stop, Chanel?"
Mas lalo siyang kumunot-noo sa tanong nito.
"Stop from what?"
"From all of this," Night answered.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Nothing. Nevermind."
Now she was really angry. Marahas niyang hinatak ang kamay niya sa pagkakahawak ni Night at madaling tumayo. Naglakad siya papalayo sa binata at pumwesto malayo rito. Umupo siya at hindi na nagtangkang magsalita pa. She only stared at the fire as she tried to calm herself.
She couldn't understand why he was only asking that now. Kung kailan nasa kalagitnaan na sila at kung kailan dalawa na ang nakukuha nilang relic, ngayon pa tatanungin 'yon ng binata. Was he feeling guilty now that he pulled her in this mess?
He said it himself. Once they got the trident, there's no turning back.
Sinong niloloko ni Night ngayon? Napalunok siya at muling huminga ng malalim. She really couldn't understand him. He drew the line first and warned her that she should never cross it. He was the one who made that freaking rule but he was the one who was always crossing the line. Was that even fair?
She would never cross the line. Never.
The whole night the two didn't talk to each other and spent their time resting. Because as soon as the sun rises, they would proceed to the next ring and plan their next mission again—to steal the third relic from the prince of the third ring.