Thirteen years ago...
The only thing that could be heard is the stomping of the feet of the running horses. And the white armors of the knights simply reflect as they rode their horses into the sun. They are carrying big swords at their back and there is tension among them for they know that this smell that they smell right now is a sign of their near doom if they can't handle it fast.
"They are approaching the barrier!" Lady Lydia, the leader of Exodus screamed then turned to her generals. "Everyone! Keep on track of their smell!"
General Carlie turned to her.
"I can smell the vampire's scents all over this place!" she yelled back. "Which means na may mga bampirang nakalabas ng barrier! And there are still likely more of them trying to get out from the barrier!"
"It will be a big horror if ever one of those vampires made contact with the humans!" General Hans yelled on his horse. "Kailangan natin silang mahanap kaagad bago pa man sila makita ng mga tao!"
Exodus knights are now riding their horses deep into the forest where they can smell the vampire scent that they have smelled a moment ago.
At hindi sila nagkakamali.
As the Exodus knights, they have the ability to smell their former enemy's smell which helped them a lot in battles through generations.
But for how many years, this is the first time they smell a vampire scent again. And it got them confused kung ano ang dahilan at bumukas ang barrier. They know so well that the original Vampire Ancestor will never do that for there is an agreement between the two parties that the barrier will never be opened again.
So what is the reason now?
But like a flash, ay sabay silang napatigil ng pagpapatakbo ng mga kabayo nila when someone suddenly appeared right in front of them.
Their horses were startled kaya biglang nag-ingay ang mga ito but they managed to calm them down.
And then they all looked down to the person who's now standing right in front of them pero tuluyan na silang nanigas nang makita kung sino yun.
Black hair.
Emerald eyes.
And red piercing lines into his right cheek.
Yes. It is a boy.
At hindi sila pwedeng magkamali.
Dito nanggagaling ang vampire scent na naaamoy nila.
Nakikita din nila na sugatan ito at sirang-sira na ang itim na armor na suot nito na para bang nanggaling ito sa matinding labanan.
But what shocked them the most ay nang makitang sa braso nito ay bitbit nito ang isang batang babae na mahimbing na natutulog.
General Carlie's eyes widened when she smell that familiar vampire's scent that's coming from the girl.
She inhaled deep and with so much shock, she looked at the beautiful girl that the boy's carrying.
"This scent..." she whispered. "Hindi ako pwedeng magkamali..."
Unti-unting nagtaas ng mukha ang sugatang batang lalaki and then his red eyes looked at them. He looked so weak and there is still blood tainted on his beautiful pale face. And in that very weak voice he spoke.
"P-please..." he whispered. "P-please save her..."
And before any of them could react, they witnessed of how the boy slowly collapsed to the ground while holding the girl on his arms.
For a second, ay walang makagalaw sa kanila nang dahil sa sobrang pagkakabigla. Nakita nalang nila na nahuhulog ang batang babae mula sa natutumbang batang lalaki papunta sa isang matulis na sanga ng kahoy na kaharap nila.
Their eyes widened when they realized what is going to happened but they are all so confused and so shocked that they couldn't even move from where they are sitted.
And like a flash...
"Ooops!"
A beautiful lady suddenly appeared on sight and pulled the boy into his feet then catched the girl on her arms dahilan para ang braso nya ang masugatan ng matulis na sanga ng kahoy.
Napakurap nalang ang mga ibang kasamahan nya nang dahil sa biglang pagsulpot nya.
And with her arms still bleeding from protecting the girl, she turned to her comrades and grin.
"Hi everyone! Sorry if I'm late!" she said. "Katatapos ko lang magpa-pedicure eh! Ahehehehe!"
Lady Lydia just smirked.
"You're late again..." she said. "...General Beatrice"
Present time...
Annah's POV:
I was stunned.
I was speechless.
For a moment ay nakatitig lang ako sa magandang mukha nya at hindi parin makapaniwala sa lahat ng mga nalaman ko.
Oo.
Ang pinsan kong...
Ang pinsan kong...
"Oh geez" si Maalouf ang unang nagsalita. "Sinasabi ko na nga ba. I know that she'll react like that once she'd known you, Beatrice"
Kung ganun...
Nanlalaki ang mga mata kong napatingin kay Maalouf.
At mukhang nabasa naman nya ang emosyon sa mukha ko.
He smiled.
"Yes. Nakilala ko na si Bea noong nasa Maleya palang tayo" he said then grin. "Light introduced her to me"
Hindi ako makapaniwala sa narinig ko.
Kung ganun...
Si Light din ang nagdala sa akin sa mundo ng mga tao kung saan una silang nagkakilala ng Exodus at ni Bea?
At teka, alam narin ba ni Light ang lahat ng ito pati narin ang fact na si Lucian ay si Dylan? Pero bakit nya sinaksak si Dylan? At naalala ko din na gusto nya ring patayin si Bea sa mundo ng mga tao pero pinigilan lang sya ni Raven.
Sobrang naguguluhan na ako sa mga nangyayari.
Sobrang naguguluhan na ako sa mga nalaman ko.
Una, ang Alex na nakasama ko mula sa mundo ng mga tao hanggang sa paglalakbay ay hindi pala ang totoong Alex. Kundi si Light. At si Light din ang nagdala sa akin sa mundo ng mga tao. They have similar features with the true Alex kapag nasa normal state sya. Pero kapag nagiging bampira sya ay nagiging kulay puti ang buhok nya at nagiging asul ang mga mata nya. At yun lang ang ipinakita sa akin ng esylium na features nya.
Pangalawa, si Lucian na all this time ay tinatakbuhan ko ay ang bloodmate ko pala at sya si Dylan, ang boyfriend kong akala ko ay pinatay ni Light sa human world.
At ngayon...
Ang pinsan kong...
Nagtaas ako ng mukha at napatitig sa maganda nyang mukha. While she just gave me a simple smile.
Ang pinsan kong maarte at reklamodara ay isa pala sa mga General ng Exodus, ang anti-vampire organization na ngayon ay kakampi na ng mga bampira...
Just how confusing this all can get?
"I know it's a little bit confusing..." she said.
Hindi ako makapagsalita dahil totoo ang sinabi nya.
Parang mababaliw na ako sa pag-iisip ng mga posibleng kasagutan.
"I'am the General who was assigned by our leader to protect you in the human world" she said. "Matapos ang pangyayaring yun kung saan ibinigay ka sa amin ni Light ay napagpasyahan naming ako na ang mag-alaga sayo sa mundo ng mga tao. I left you in my grandchild para mas maitago ka ng mabuti"
Natigilan ako at nanlalaki ang mga matang napatitig sa magandang mukha nya.
But she just gave me a big grin on her face.
"Oh! By the way! I'm already 700 years old!" she said that dropped my jaw.
At sa totoo lang ay hindi na ako makapaniwala sa lahat ng mga nalaman ko.
"And your adoptive Mom is my late brother's great grandchild! Ahehehehe!" she said but then her expression turn grim. "But that brat didn't treat you so well. Pero mas mabuti na yun kesa naman sa matunton ka nila"
My brows met.
Sa lahat ng mga sinabi nila ay iisa lang ang nasisigurado ko.
That they are hiding and protecting me from someone.
But who is that?
Pero bago ko pa man ma-iprocess sa utak ko yun ay doon ako biglang nagtaas ng mukha.
"Nasaan si Light?" ang agad na tanong ko saka nilingon si Dylan. "Nasaan ang Arcadian Knights? Nandito ba sila? Nandito ba sila ha?"
I looked so desperate right now.
Knowing that Maalouf and Bea is alright has given me a great relief but I want to know where is my other comrades.
Kung nasaan na si Light?
At nasaan narin ba ang ibang Arcadian Knights?
Hinarap ko si Dylan at nagtanong pa.
"At teka, nandito ba ang totoong Alex ha?" ang tanong ko at iniisip ko palang na baka nandito ang totoong Alex ay may saya ng namumuo sa dibdib ko. "Dylan, nandito ba sya?"
Parang naiiyak ako sa sobrang saya sa iisipin palang na nandito nga ang totoong Alex.
Na after how many years ay makikita ko na sya uli.
At ngayon palang ay naiisip ko na kung ano ang una kong gagawin once na nagkita na kami uli.
I want to hug him so tight for afterall, he's like a brother to me.
I want to apologize because I hurt him so bad in the past. At kahit anong mang mangyari ay mahal ko rin sya bilang isang kapatid.
At iku-kwento ko sa kanya ang lahat ng mga naranasan ko sa mahabang paglalakbay ko at itatanong ko kung kumusta na sila ni Light.
Pero ang sayang nararamdaman ko ay unti-unting nawala dahil nanatili lang na nakayuko si Dylan at parang hindi sya makatingin sa akin.
That confused me.
Bakit...?
Bakit ganun ang emosyon na nakikita ko sa mukha nya?
Napalingon narin ako sa direksyon ni Maalouf.
"M-maalouf?" I whispered his name.
But just like Dylan ay nakayuko lang sya at nakikita ko ang sobrang sakit na nakabaha sa mukha nya na minsan ko lang makita sa Prinsipeng ito.
Nilingon ko naman si Bea.
"B-beh?" I called her.
At hindi ko alam kung bakit pakiramdam ko ay unti-unting lumulukob sa akin ang emosyon na iyon.
Pain.
I can feel pain in my chest and I don't understand why.
Bea just looked at me and just like Dylan and Maalouf, she didn't say a word but she gave me that sad expression on her face.
At nakikita ko rin ang pamumula ng mga mata nya na para bang naiiyak sya. I even saw her gulp na para bang pinipigil nalang nya ang sarili nya sa pag-iyak.
At hindi ko alam kung bakit...nararamdaman ko nalang na namumuo na ang mga luhang iyon sa mga mata ko habang nakatingin parin sa kanya.
What is this feeling?
Why am I feeling this?
Bakit all of a sudden ay pakiramdam ko ay sobrang nalulungkot at nasasaktan ako?
"B-beh..." ang tawag ko uli sa kanya habang nakatitig parin sa naluluhang mga mata nya.
Asking for answers.
Asking for Alex.
Asking for my beloved childhood bestfriend.
But she just looked at me with those sad eyes. Nakikita ko pa ang pamumuo ng mga luha sa mga mata nya but still, she wanted to act brave and tough.
I know my cousin my well. I may have never known her deepest secret of being an Exodus General pero nakasama ko na sya since highschool and that is enough for me to know her well.
And right now, wala na akong pakialam kung itinago man nya ang totoong pagkatao nya sa matagal na panahon. I just want her to answer my question but as the way I know her, right now, ay alam kong hindi ko magugustuhan ang isasagot nya by just looking at her face.
She gulped first then took something from her pocket.
Napatingin naman ako doon at nakita kong yun na ang huling esylium.
Then she looked at me and spoke.
"Light gave this to me when we were still in the human world at ang sabi nya, ibigay ko 'to sayo sa tamang panahon. Annah..." she said in that low voice at minsan ko lang syang marinig na magsalita ng ganun. "A-annah...this is what really happened on that day..."
And before I could move, she started walking in my direction and after that, everything went blank.
***************
Mag-isang nakatayo sa harapan ng malaking puno ng pulang rosas ang magandang babaing iyon.
Her silver hair is blowing through the wind while the red petals of the roses flew around her.
Then she looked up and her red eyes looked at the beautiful red roses that's been growing on top of that big tree.
Nagtaas sya ng kamay at hinaplos ang trunk ng puno na kaharap nya.
Then she smiled.
"Don't worry. Everything will finally end soon..." she whispered.
to be continued...