I was mad.
And I have the every to right to feel this.
Akala ko ay matatapos na ang lahat ng kasinungalingan sa buhay ko nang dahil sa nakauwi na ako sa Cytherea. But I was wrong. Kung kailan akala ko ay tumatakbo na ng maayos ang buhay ko ay hindi pa pala. Ilang sikreto pa ba ang kailangan kong bunyagin para tuluyan ko ng maiayos ang buhay na 'to? At sa totoo lang ay pagod na ako.
Everything about my life is a big lie. But the most painful thing about this, is the people who I trusted the most are the one who lied to me. Puro kasinungalingan nalang ba ang lahat ng sasabihin nila sa akin? Wala na ba akong karapatan na malaman ang lahat ng katotohanan?
They kept telling me that they love me but this is not the definition of love which I'm expecting to feel. I feel so betrayed. Not loved.
My parents are alive.
They are just sleeping in a wall of ice. Alam kong buhay sila because I can still feel the rushing of their bloods in the midst of that freezing ice. At ngayon ay kailangan ko ng malaman ang lahat-lahat bago pa man ako mawala sa katinuan.
This is just too much. And I can just take enough.
Matapos kong makita ang natutulog na mga magulang ko ay agad akong naglakad paalis. Nanginginig ako sa galit na naglakad patungo ng council room kung saan nag-uusap ang mga Elders. I'm just so mad that the doors of that room swung open even before I could touch it. Ganito pala ang nagagawa ng galit ko. My powers as a vampire becomes uncontrollable.
Then with rage and anger ay mabilis akong pumasok sa loob.
My powers even shattered the glass windows of that room.
Yes. I'm raging with anger and I can't control my vampire instincts right now. I' am almost snarling by the great anger I can feel into my blood. Naramdaman ko rin ang paglabas ng pangil ko at ang paghaba ng mga kuko ko. I'm just so mad that I can't even control myself. Ganito pala ang pakiramdam na magalit ka bilang isang bampira. You're just becoming uncontrollable.
But into my dismay ay isang Elder nalang ang naabutan ko sa kwartong yun.
Si Karlos.
And I can see into his face that he was startled by my presence. Lalong-lalo na't ang lahat ng bagay sa loob ng kwartong iyon ay biglang nabasag ng dahil sa galit ko.
At hindi ko na sya pinasalita pa.
"Why did you lie to me?" I asked almost growling.
I see confusion into his eyes.
"Oh dear" he whispered. "What are you---"
"MY PARENTS ARE ALIVE!" ang galit na galit na sigaw ko. "I FOUND THEM FREEZING IN A WALL OF ICE! WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME?!"
I growled.
While he was stunned by the thing that I just said by now.
At alam kong sa itsura palang nya ay alam kong may alam sya. He seems speechless.
But he quickly composed himself and smiled at me.
"You must be hallucinating---"
"HAH! HALLUCINATING?!" I yelled and I can't believe he just said that. "I KNOW WHAT I SAW! I KNOW THAT YOU'VE BEEN HIDING MY PARENTS IN A WALL OF ICE FOR YEARS!"
I just had enough.
Pagod na akong makarinig pa ng kahit anong kasinungalingan mula sa kanila. I only want nothing but the truth. Is that too much to ask for?
Tumayo sya mula sa kinauupuan nyang silya at inilagay ang dalawang kamay sa likuran bago naglakad patungo sa akin. And I can still see a defensive glint on his eyes while walking towards me.
"My lady..." he said. "Are you sure of the thing you saw?"
I gritted my teeth.
God, why he can't just believe me?
"Yes!" I hissed. "I know what I saw---"
But after I said that I just found myself flying in the air and in a blink of an eye, ay nakadikit na ako sa naroong pader. But what shocked me the most ay nang makita ang leader ng mga Elders na sinasakal ako ngayon ng mahigpit sa leeg.
Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ko lalo na't hindi ako makapaniwala na sinasakal ako ngayon ni Karlos sa pader na iyon.
"W-what are you---"
"What a nosy child..." he whispered and I can see his fangs protruding into his mouth. "...you must learn that kids like you should be punished..."
Then I saw him smirk.
At nang makita ko yun ay unti-unti ng nabuo sa isipan ko ang suspicion na yun.
Don't tell me...
Don't tell me Karlos is...
Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa bagay na na-realize ko.
"I-ikaw ang..." I whispered gasping for air from his grasp. "...i-ikaw ang nagtago sa mga magulang ko..."
He smirk at ngayon ay tuluyan ng nagbago ang aura nya.
Ang dating malumanay na aura nya ay napalitan ng masamang aura at ngayon ko naintindihan kung ano ba talaga sya.
God, he is a traitor!
"Yes..." he said while still grasping my neck. "...at kung hindi ka sana nakialam ay hindi na sana mangyayari sayo ito ngayon...I should have not believed Raven in keeping you alive and I should have killed you along with him so this secret will be mine to keep forever"
Tuluyan na akong nanigas nang dahil sa sinabi nya.
Kung ganun...magkakampi silang dalawa ni Raven?
Unti-unting nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang dahil sa bagay na naintindihan ko.
He ordered the Arcadian Knights to kill me along with Raven and his men while we were on our journey para wala ng makaalam ng sikreto nya! God!
Now I understand why do the Arcadian Knights are trying to kill me. Ngayon ko naintindihan kung bakit ipinadala nya ang mga Arcadian Knights habang nasa paglalakbay kami. And that is to kill me and Raven. Dahil natatakot sya na malaman ko at maibunyag namin sa iba ang sikreto nyang pagtago sa mga magulang ko.
How can people like this exist?
My parents must have trusted him so much. He is an elder and we trusted him with all our lives. God, hindi pa ba sapat ang mga kasamahan namin na nag-traydor sa amin at may dadagdag pa?
"W-why?" all I could manage to ask.
I'm trying hard to removed his hand off my neck pero mas malakas sya sa akin. He is an Elder afterall.
A sarcastic smile drew up on his face.
"Why?" he repeated with that smile on his face. "Because you and your parents don't deserve to rule this world..."
Pakiramdam ko ay unti-unti na akong hindi nakakahinga lalo pa na't mas lalong lumalakas ang pagkakasakal nya ng leeg ko.
God, ngayon na ba ako mamamatay?
In the back of my mind, I was crying for help. Pero alam kong kahit na patayin nya ako ngayon ay walang makakaalam nun lalo pa na't wala kaming kasamahan sa paligid.
Mas lalo nya pang nilakasan ang pagsakal sa akin and then he hissed into my face.
"The vampire's world needed a new ruler and that will be me. I will kill you now along with your parents and I will see to it that you'll die with this secret"
"G-go to h-hell..." I whispered.
He smirk.
"Oh, no dear..." he said. "I'll send you first"
And that's it.
Napapikit nalang ako nang makitang inilabas na nya ang pangil nya and about to bite my neck but...
There was a sudden crashing sound and I found myself falling off to the ground.
Oo. Nabitawan ako ni Karlos because like a flash, someone appeared inside that room and dragged him away from me. All I heard is the loud sound of his crashed into the walls across that room.
Dahan-dahan akong nagtaas ng mukha at napatingin sa direksyon nya at ng bampirang humila sa kanya paalis.
But what I saw next slowly widened my eyes with shock.
Long silver hair...
And this unfamiliar vampire aura....
Sya yung...
Sya yung babaing...
Nakita ko nalang ang unti-unting panlalaki ng mga mata ni Karlos nang makita ang mukha ng babaing sumasakal sa kanya ngayon ng mahigpit.
And I couldn't believe into my ears of what I heard him call her just now...
"M-my lady..." he whispered.
Bigla akong nanlamig nang marinig ko iyon.
My lady?
Who is she?
Sino ba talaga ang babaing ito?
"And now I know who is the insolent traitor in this house..." I heard her voice for the very first time and believe me, it made me tremble in some way. "Your greed will be your grave Karlos"
Nakita ko nalang ang pagbaha ng pinaghalong takot at kaba sa mga mata nya.
"M-my lady, l-let me e-explain---"
Pero agad na syang inihagis ng babaing may silver na buhok sa naruong pinto. He crashed to the door at nakita ko nalang ang pagsuka nya ng maraming dugo.
What's...
What's happening?
Dahan-dahan akong napatingin sa direksyon ni Karlos at nabigla ako nang makita ko ang gwapong lalaking iyon na mag-isang nakatayo sa may bungad ng pinto.
Si Lucian.
Pero mas nabigla ako nang magsalita uli ang babaing may silver na buhok.
"Kill him" the lady with the silver hair ordered Lucian.
What?
T-teka...magkakilala sila ni Lucian?
Sino ba talaga sya?
At doon ko na narinig ang pagmamakaawa ni Karlos sa kanya.
"N-no! P-please! N-no!" he beg.
But the silver haired girl just looked at him and in that cold and emotionless voice, she spoke.
"You should be grateful enough that Demon is not the one who is going to kill you" she said and ordered Lucian again. "Kill him"
At nabigla ako nang biglang yumuko sa kanya si Lucian.
"It's my honor, my lady" he answered.
At hindi na nagawang magpumiglas pa ni Karlos. In a blink of an eye, Lucian is already holding his head at napapikit nalang ako nang walang kaemo-emosyong pinaikot at hinila ni Lucian ang leeg nya hanggang sa humiwalay ito sa katawan nya.
Parang gusto kong masuka nang magpagulong-gulong ang humiwalay na ulo nito sa sahig. While Lucian just licked his bloody hand at walang kaemo-emosyong itinapon sa sahig ang walang ulo na katawan ni Karlos.
"That is for turning my good men into traitors" Lucian said in that cold voice na minsan ko lang marinig sa kanya.
Maybe he hated Karlos that much to feel not any remorse for the traitor elder. Alam kong masakit para sa kanya ang malamang ginamit ni Karlos ang mga tauhan nya. Everyone thought that Karlos ordered the Arcadian Knights to take me from Raven and his men. But its not. He ordered the Arcadian Knights to kill me along with Raven.
Samantalang hindi parin ako makagalaw mula sa kinauupuan kong sahig at pakiramdam ko ay hindi parin ako makapaniwala sa mga nangyayari ngayon.
My parents are alive.
Karlos, the leader of the elders is a traitor.
At...
Naramdaman ko nalang ang mga papalapit na yabag na iyon papalapit sa akin.
Nagtaas ako ng mukha at nakita kong naglalakad papalapit sa akin ang babaing yun na may silver na buhok. And while looking at her face right now ay doon ko naramdaman ang mabilis na pagkalabog ng dibdib ko.
What is this? Why am I feeling this?
But just the thought that even Karlos and Lucian have this great respect and fear into her ay alam kong hindi sya normal na bampira.
Gusto ko sanang umatras but then I realized that I was already leaning on the wall.
Naramdaman kong naupo sya sa harapan ko para magka-lebel kami ng mukha.
Kaya wala akong ibang nagawa kundi ang nanginginig at nanlalaki ang mga matang mapatingin sa magandang mukha nya.
Who is she?
Sino ba talaga ang babaing ito na matagal ng nagpapakita sa akin? At bakit ganito nalang ang takot at respeto sa kanya nina Karlos at Lucian? Matagal ko na syang nakikita at matagal narin akong napapaisip kung sino ba talaga sya at kung ano ang kinalaman nya sa Cytherea.
Pero pakiramdam ko ay hindi ako handa sa malalaman kong katauhan nya.
She looked at me with her beautiful red eyes. At habang nakatitig sa mga mata nya ay hindi ko maiwasang makaramdam ng takot.
Pero pakiramdam ko ay tumigil sa pag-ikot ang mundo nang bigla nyang itinaas ang kamay nya and she's about to touch my face.
Napapikit nalang ako and I silently yelp with so much fear when I felt her cold hands touched my face.
Gusto ko sanang tawagin ang pangalan ni Lucian para humingi ng tulong. But when I was about to open my mouth to call his name...
"You've grown up so well...beloved child..." she whispered.
And after she said that, ay bigla nalang nawala ang lahat ng takot na nararamdaman ko.
I suddenly felt warmth.
Comfort.
Care.
And love.
These mixed emotions suddenly swirled up into my chest and I don't even know why.
Dahan-dahan akong napabukas ng mga mata at napatingin sa magandang mukha nya.
At tuluyan na ngang nawala ang lahat ng takot sa dibdib ko nang makita kong nakangiti sya sa akin.
She's smiling at me adoringly and that left me speechless.
"W-who are you?" I whispered.
For a moment, she just stared into my face.
But then...
Ngumiti lang sya sa akin at nakangiting inilagay ang dalawang kamay sa magkabilang pisngi nya. And in that happy tone, she spoke.
"Hi! Ako nga pala si Camellia! But you can also call me Jane because that's my name in the human world. And oh! By the way! Bago ko makalimutan...." ang nakangiting sabi nya then a sweet smile drew up on her face. "...I'm your grandma!"
Oh shit. You've got to be kidding me.
********************
"Me and my mate Demon decided to take a rest at iwan sa pangangalaga ng aming nag-iisang anak ang pangangalaga sa mundong ito. But its seems like some of you didn't know what that means" Lady Camellia said while walking back and forth in front of the elders.
Samantalang nanginginig naman sa takot na nakaluhod ang lahat ng mga elders sa sahig ng malaking council room na iyon. Every now and then ay napupunta ang mga paningin nila sa direksyon kung saan nagkalat ang dugo ng namatay na leader nila, dahilan para mas kabahan sila sa presensya ng first lady ng pamamahay na ito.
She's Demon's mate afterall. And like it or not, she will cause this reaction in all the vampires that's inside this room.
Pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi parin ako makapaniwala.
Hindi lang ako makapaniwala na all this time ay nakikita at nakakasama ko na pala ang lola ko. That the silver haired girl who would I seldomly see along in our journey is the first lady of the house of Cytherea. Ang naipagpapasalamat ko nalang ngayon ay atleast, ay hindi na palaisipan sa akin kung sino ba sya. Ang tanging maitatanong ko nalang ay kung bakit ngayon lang sya nagpakita sa amin at kung nasaan si Demon, ang lolo ko.
Matapos nyang sabihin na sya ang lola ko ay bigla nalang nagdatingan ang lahat ng mga elders dahil naamoy nila ang dugo ng traydor nilang leader.
I even saw their faces got paled when they recognized Camellia.
"And I'am here to tell you that your leader, Karlos is a big traitor not only to us but also to all of our kind" she continued while walking.
And she looks so young in that white dress. Kung titignan kaming dalawa ay mukhang mas bata pa sya sa akin. It's just so absurd to have a grandma who looks younger than you. At napapaisip na ako ngayon kung ano ba ang itsura ng lolo ko.
Nakita kong nagkatinginan at nagkagulo ang mga elders nang dahil sa sinabi nya.
Nasa loob din ng kwartong iyon sina Maalouf, King Nolan, ang ibang Exodus, at ang ibang bisita namin. And I saw them got shocked by this news. I can't blame them. Maski ako ay hindi rin makapaniwala na isang traydor ang leader ng mga Elders.
"Karlos is an accomplice of Raven" she continued that shocked us even more. "Me and Demon slept for hundreds of years. At ang rason kaya hindi kami nakabalik kaagad ay dahil itinago nya kaming dalawa. But my son's mate, Eries found out about this. At nakaramdam sya na may mangyayaring masama kaya ginising nya kami. But she doesn't have enough powers to wake two vampires at the same time and she's running out of time to ask for help kaya ako lang ang nagising nya. But it took me another thirteen years to wake up from my sleep. I woke up but it was too late. Raven got the chance to take the stones of death from my son and his mate. At alam kong may kakampi sya sa mga Elders because I found out that my son and his mate is left frozen inside of a wall of ice inside this house and only an Elder has the ability to do that"
Walang makapagsalita sa amin.
Samantalang nakita kong hindi parin makapaniwala ang mga elders sa naririnig nila ngayon.
"After I woke up, ang oracle ang nilapitan ko" she continued then her eyes got serious. "But even her powers are blocked and that grown my suspicion that it is an Elder dahil isang elder lang ang makakagawa nun. Ang tanging nalaman ko lang ay ang tungkol sa pagta-traydor ni Raven at ng ibang Arcadian Knights. And that my grandchild is gone missing in the human world. After knowing that, I was able to meet Lucian in the human world. At narinig ko pa nga ang ibang detalye tungkol sa nawawala kong apo at ng mga plano nila"
Then her eyes turned to me and that made me cold.
We have the same blood but I can't stop myself from feeling like this.
"I was looking for clues that's why I secretly followed my grandchild on her journey."
Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang dahil sa sinabi nya.
Kung ganun...
Kaya ko sya laging nakikita noon ay dahil sa all this time ay kasama lang pala namin sya sa paglalakbay?
"And my assumptions are right. That Karlos greed for power hasn't died down for centuries. And so I have to put him down" she said then her red eyes turned to the elders. "Ngayon, may tumututol ba sa inyo sa pagkamatay ng leader ninyo?"
Mabilis na yumuko sa sahig ang lahat ng Elders at sabay na nagsalita.
"No one my lady" they chorused.
"Good" she said then stood up with authority in front of all of us. "From now on, ay si Lucian na ang magpapatakbo ng Cytherea. I want all the Elders to stuck their noses out of this mess"
Kahit na alam kong labag sa kalooban nila ay walang ibang nagawa ang lahat ng elders kundi ang mapayuko nalang at sabay na magsalita.
"Yes, my lady"
Pero nabigla ako at pakiramdam ko ay na-stuck ang hininga ko sa lalamunan ko nang bigla syang lumingon sa akin.
And in that clear, loud voice, she spoke.
"My beloved grandchild, Annah is not the last titanian..." she announced that froze us all. "But she is the last titanian to hold the last seven stones of death and so she must be protected by all means"
And I knew from this moment, na dito palang magsisimula ang lahat.
to be continued...