Chapter 10
The Portal
Its been a week since I enter the Mystic Academy ngunit marami ng pangyayari ang naganap. Natapos na din yung mga challenges ni Mr. Rio na sobrang hirap habang tumatagal, but I managed it.
I even struggled to catch up some of the lessons in potion class dahil huli na akong pumasok and I even failed in my first try. Mrs. Hamilton was still strict pero hindi na niya naman pinuna ang nangyaring aksidente last time.
Ni hindi na din pinuna ni Zach ang kamalian ko but most of the time his the one who did the procedure sa takot siguro na mapapalpak na naman kami. May mga pagkakataon naman na hinayaan niya ako but he always observe everything I did which is annoying pero naiintindihan ko naman siya. He doesn't want to have a bad record just because of a merely Potion Class partner.
Palagi pa di naman akung nakikisabay kay Viv but for some reason Hailey is hanging out with us sometimes kaya nga binibigyan kami ng mga kakaibang tingin ng ibang estudyante dahil doon. Sometimes too, Harith will stop by wherever he saw us just to talk then walk out. Ewan ko ba sa prinsepeng 'yon. Shawn will just nod at me to acknowledge my presence as I to him too.
Ngayon ay nasa garden ako at tumambay, we don't have a class this afternoon dahil nagmemeeting ang mga school staffs para sa darating na rankings, na may isang linggo nalang na natitira.
Viviene was stopping by at the clinic. Pinatawag kasi siya ng assigned school staff ng clinic para magbantay doon, afterall Viv was the best healer here, dahil nga may meeting pa ang mga school staffs kaya siya ang binigyan ng trabaho doon.
Hailey was nowhere to be found too kaya ako nag-iisa dito. Ni wala ngang mga estudyanteng tumambay dito. Maybe some of them ay nasa dorm lang at nagpapahinga o kaya sa library.
Naupo ako sa isa sa mga bench doon habang pinalibot ang tingin. I was still curious how a demonic creature able to enter this protected school ground which is highly impossible. Pinuntahan ko ang bush kung saan nagtatago ang wolf nong nakaraan, pero wala naman akung nakikitang kakaiba. Napatingin din ako sa malayong banda ngunit wala namang kahina-hinala doon. Its just a bunch of flowers and trees and a benches.
Aalis na sana ako doon ng naramdaman ko ang medyo paggalaw ng lupa at ang ingay sa aking likod. Agad akung naging alerto at gumawa ng sword gamit ang tubig at bumaling doon.
"Shit! Nakalimutan ko pa talaga!" A familiar voice echoed as he walked out from the freaking fountain kung saan nakabukas ito.
Napatingin ako sa pamilyar na bulto at magulong buhok habang nagsasalita ito sa kanyang sarili. The fountain immediately closed na parang walang nangyari.
"Hay, ang tanga naman." Saad nito at bumigkas ng mga kataga.
"Harith?" I asked as my forehead furrowed.
"Ay Tangina! wala po akung ginawang masama!" Nanlaki ang kanyang mata habang nakatingin sa akin. Napatingin lang din ako sa kanya as he blink his eyes to process what he saw.
"Laurine naman! Why are you scaring me like that! Shit, akala ko si Ms. Beth eh," he sighed as he gently tapped his heart to calm himself. Napailing nalang ako sa kanyang reaction.
"What are you doing?" Nagtatakang tanong ko. He cleared his throat as he grab my arms and walked towards into the deep of the garden.
"Hey! Where are you bringing me?" Saad ko.
"Basta, huwag kang maingay baka may makarinig sa atin."
Saad nito na ikinabilis ng tibok ng puso ko. Where is he taking me? Papatayin niya ba ako?
"Are you going to kill me dahil nakita ko ang sekreto mo?" I nervously asked him but he didn't answer me.
Nang malayo na kami sa aming pinanggalingan ay huminto si Harith at tumingin sa akin ng seryoso.
"Laurine, I know that this is your first time to saw that kind of-" he trailed off as his forehead furrowed, "well, that kind of thing." He nodded as if agreeing with the statement he choose.
"Its not my first time," I blurted and its too late when I realized my answer. Is it true that its not my first time dahil may ganyan naman sa palasyo, kaya nga tinanong ko sarili ko kung may secret passage din ba ito katulad ng sa fountain ng maze garden.
"W-What?" Nanlaki ang mata ni Harith habang nakatingin sa akin. He hold both of my shoulders with his hand. Napakunot naman ang aking noo.
He cleared his throat, "You mean, you already saw me? Entering that thing? So its not your first time seeing me entering there?"
So palagi na siyang dumadaan sa secret passage na iyon? Saan naman kaya siya dadalhin nun? At iyon ba ang tingin niya sa sinabi ko? Oh right, its my chance too para malaman kung para saan iyon.
"A-Ah, yeah." Saad ko na lamang sa kanya.
Nakatutok lang ito sa akin pagkatapos ay yumuko at pumikit ng mariin.
"So careless Harith," he mumbled.
"Its a secret passage right? Saan ka dadalhin nun?" Tanong ko sa kanya na ikinabaling niya sa akin.
"Look Laurine," he started as he was thinking what should he tell me about the fountain thingy.
"Don't lie Harith, its very obvious. Para saan nga 'yon?" Taas kilay'ng tanong ko sa kanya.
He bit his lips trying to hold back and attempting to ignore my question.
"Sasabihin mo sa akin o isusumbong kita kay Ms. Bethany?" I stared at him and smiled sweetly as I said.
Napakurap-kurap siya sa aking sinabi at napailing.
"Damn Laurine," saad nito na ikinangisi ko na lamang.
"Its a portal okey? Dadalhin ka non sa Eraphilia town." Saad nito at naunang maglakad sa akin pabalik sa fountain.
"Sa town ka lang ba dadalhin niyan?"
"Yes, sa town ka lang dadalhin nito. Maraming mga portals na nandito sa academy but of course I won't tell you," he said as he glared at me pero nginisihan ko lang.
"Paano ka naman makakapunta sa town with this portal?" Tanong ko sa kanya ng nakita nasa harap na namin ang fountain.
Bumuntong-hininga si Harith at tinignan ako.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone?" Tanong nito na ikinatango ko na lamang.
"You see this?" He said as he point at the swirling patterns of the fountain.
Napakunot ang noo ko doon dahil wala naman akung nakikitang kakaiba.
"What's with the pattern?" Tanong ko sa kanya.
"Observe carefully. This swirling patterns are identical if you notice. But if you observe, there's a written word hidden behind this patterns. That is the key word to open this portal." Saad nito na ikinanganga ko.
Hidden words?
Napatingin ako sa mga patterns na tinutukoy ni Harith ngunit wala pa din akung nakikitang kakaiba. Napakunot ang noo ko habang pinagmamasdan pa din ito.
Focus Laurine, focus.
I squint my eyes as I saw something weird, its like a letter S hugging the pattern. Its really not noticeable because it was blend well behind the patterns but if you really observe it, you'll notice the strange lines forming the letter.
Napakurap-kurap ako sa nakita.
"Wow, your fast, I think you already found one." Komento ni Harith ngunit hindi ko siya pinansin habang nagpatuloy pa din ako sa pag-obserba nito.
After the S is I think a letter O, I continue to observe the patterns. Totoo nga ang sinabi niya, if you won't observe carefully you won't notice the letters blending in the patterns so it will not be noticed by anyone.
Solàire Abre Eraphilia Nayòn Proporta
Nanlaki ang aking mata ng nakita ko ang lahat ng iyon.
"Solàire Abre Eraphilia Nayòn Proporta..." bigkas ko at napaatras ng gumalaw ang fountain.
Immediately the water in the fountain disappeared as the fountain submerged down and open a hole with a water in color purple inside it. It was like a blanket of mist combine with the water and electricity.
"Thats- amazing," bulong ko habang namamangha pa ring nakatingin dito.
"Now, you already knew the magic word to this portal. Don't spread it okey? Baka malaman ng school staff ito." Saad niya na ikinakunot ng aking noo.
"Hindi ito alam ng school staff?"
"Well, some of the portals they knew but this? Nah." He said while shrugging his shoulders.
"Them how did you knew it in the first place?"
Harith face me with a smirk plaster in his face.
"The perks of being an Earth prince I guess? They build the school in my territory, I must know every portal hidden in here right?" Nakangising saad nito.
Napakurap-kurap nalang ako sa kanyang sinabi. Well, I guess his right. His the Heir afterall, the descendant of the king.
"Alam din ba ito ng ibang royalties?" Tanong ko sa kanya.
"Well, nope. So don't tell them," he warned kaya napatango ako, "And oh! Even my twin, don't tell her." I blink then nodded again.
"Now, isa ka na sa mga kaibigan na malapit sa akin dahil may alam ka ng sekreto ko, it must a gave and take right? Now, tell me your secret too." Excited na tanong nito sa akin na ikinataas ng aking kilay.
"And why would I?"
"Because we're friends now?" He said like he doesn't even sure what his talking about.
"Friends? Are you sure with that?" I teased him. He frowned with what I said and creased his forehead.
"Why? Hindi ba tayo magkaibigan sa lagay na to? Alam mo na ang sekreto ko! I told you!" Nakangusong saad nito na ikinangisi ko na lamang.
"Well, let me remind you my prince, I knew your secret not because you are willingly told me about it because we're friends," I said as I glance at the portal.
I stared at it for a second then back at the earth prince.
"But because you are carelessly using the portal without even noticing others presence," saad ko habang napailing na lamang. Naalala ko tuloy yung blindfold attack na hindi niya rin naramdaman ang presensya ni Zach. Kung hindi ito nagsalita, hindi niya din malalaman.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Saad nito na nakasimangot. Napatawa nalang ako sa kanyang asal.
"Ano ba kasing gagawin mo ngayon alam mo na ang portal?" Tanong nito.
"Hmm, I don't know for now. But, can I visit your town? Its my first time to visit the kingdom when I went here. Ni hindi nga lang ako nakapasyal sa towm, I have plenty of time."
Napaisip ito ng ilang sandali bago humuntong hininga.
"Fine, let's go," saad nito na ikinangiti ko na lamang.