She made a mistake.
She wasted her only shot at a peaceful existence.
Amara locked her gaze on the person in front of her. She couldn't believe she was the main reason for Raha Sitan's escape from the earthen jar. But, according to the premise of the novel, Amara was supposed to have perished instantly the minute she met him.
Not only that but why is he so fucking attractive?
Since Raha Sitan is over 300 years old, he should resemble Apo Bagani Hiraya and appear ancient and grumpy.
Raha Sitan wasn't just any man, though; he was the most dazzling Amara had ever seen. His long, sleek black hair, sultry crimson lips, and scarlet eyes fascinated her. She can't help but think that he is more attractive than Lakam Hiraya, the male lead.
Amara scolded herself when she realized she was starting to simp on the villain. Hold your horses, you fool! He is a villain. He will certainly kill you if you stare longer than necessary.
Her next obstacle was to escape without drawing Raha Sitan's attention. Her father and the Hiraya Patriarch stood guard while she observed the surroundings. They know better than to make any hasty decisions since the man in front of them is known as Apo Mumbaki. With simply a flick of his fingers, he could exterminate them.
On the other hand, Bagani Hiraya is wary. Even though it has been over three hundred years, he should not underestimate his long-time foe. He also needs to find a means to get Amara away from him. If Raha Sitan fulfills his three-hundred-year-old curse, it will not only bring humiliation to the Hiraya Tribe, but it will also cause consternation among the Kapatiran. After all, Raha Sitan, the Apo Mumbaki, was a traitor to the Kapatiran.
Raha Sitan smiled warmly at them after a period of quiet and a gazing contest. He opened his mouth to speak, and what came out was a calm, chilling voice: "I see, the Hiraya Tribe was gracious enough to greet me." He examined them one by one, his smile remaining. "Do you belong to the next generation of Katalonans?"
The Apo Mumbaki received no response. Manong Luban, on the other hand, was the only one who spoke up. "Greetings, Apo Raha Sitan; I've come to greet you."
Raha Sitan smiled softly as he turned towards Manong Luban. "You little youngster, you haven't changed." He examined the two middle-aged men at first, then exclaimed, "Oh!" when he recognized Bagani Hiraya.
In case Raha Sitan attacked without warning, Lakandula brandished his bolo at him. "Hold on, Apo Mumbaki!"
"You look older...ang uglier, Bagani Hiraya," Raha Sitan mocked, ignoring Lakandula. "How long has it been?" Raha Sitan asked, while Bagani Hiraya merely stared at him.
"It has been three hundred years, Apo," Manong replied on Bagani's behalf.
Raha Sitan's laughter echoed throughout the place. "Three hundred years! How embarrassing for our hero, Bagani Hiraya. He couldn't keep me for long. You, Kabutihan users, lost the bet. I knew you couldn't imprison me for five hundred years," he stated arrogantly.
Bagani Hiraya remarked, "I can lock you up for the second time, Apo Mumbaki."
Sitan Raha pretended to be surprised. He gasped before laughing again. This time his laugh was contemptuous, it gave Amara the feeling that the world was about to end.
"You won't be able to incarcerate me a second time because you only have that weak servant by your side, and I believe all the old geezers and hags that imprisoned me previously are long gone, and this new generation Katalonans won't be of any use to you either."
Raha Sitan, in Bagani Hiraya's opinion, was correct. He cannot imprison him for the second time if he is alone. A large amount of mahika is required to perform the same imprisonment ritual.
At least twenty high-ranking Babaylans or Asogs would be needed, and that means he needs to notify the Kapatiran and send reinforcements. He'll also need the help of Malaya Humaling, the immortal Punong Babaylan. She is, however, currently too far away. The Hiraya Tribe might already be in chaos by the time she arrives.
"Apo Raha Sitan, I have obtained your wife; should we leave the Hiraya Tribe now?" Manong said abruptly.
Raha Sitan, who was haughtily staring at Bagani Hiraya, suddenly froze. "My... my wife?" he questioned slowly as he turned his head to Manong, his chilly voice doubtful.
Manong made a motion with his hand in a specific direction. When Raha Sitan followed, his gaze was drawn to Amara, who was still kneeling. Her hand was dripping with her blood, and the pain was turning her pale.
Amara's eyes were wide in terror as she was compelled to stare directly into Raha Sitan's eyes by an unseen influence. She was well aware that she had made a serious miscalculation. She's starting to believe that Apo Bagani Hiraya was correct all along; she should have just married that pompous Agos Bughaw. She may be miserable, but in this world, divorce seems to be a possibility.
When Raha Sitan saw her, his eyes widened. "So she is my dear wife?" he shouted as he turned to Manong.
"I am not your wife, you jerk!" Amara wanted to scream.
But she bit her lower lip, afraid he'd kill her in an instant.
"Yes, Apo," Manong replied, "she is the sole direct Hiraya woman in the Hiraya family, thus she is your wife."
For some unknown reason, Raha Sitan glanced cautiously at Amara.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier, Manong? When marrying someone, first impressions are a must!" Raha Sitan scolded Manong, "You even injured her and did not heal her immediately. You even left her alone there, on that cold floor. What if her knees hurt too much? Manong, have you gone evil while I was gone?"
At his remarks, everyone became silent. Bagani Hiraya, who had been on high alert just moments before, couldn't help but roll his eyes at what he had heard. This person remained the same throughout the years: he was shameless.
"My apologies, Apo, I was busy attempting to release you before. I didn't have time to heal her," Manong said, still catatonic.
"Manong, you are truly ridiculous. How can you be so ungentle? And you dare to call yourself a member of the Sitan Tribe? Awful!" Raha Sitan said as he clicked his tongue in displeasure and walked over to Amara.
Bagani Hiraya suddenly attacked him when he was one step away from Amara. A golden magic circle materialized and attacked Raha Sitan, producing a great explosion. "Apo Mumbaki, do not even touch my granddaughter!"
As they observed their Apo's strength, everyone there held their breath, but Lakam regained his composure and glanced at Damian and Datu. "Get Amara right away!"
The twins nodded and walked towards Amara, but they were abruptly stopped when Manong Luban ambushed them. He swung the Kampilan he was wielding in their direction. The twins, on the other hand, sensed him and jumped three steps away from him to avoid the attack.
Datu and Damian exchanged glances before turning to face the kid. The youngster appeared to be around Gaki's age, but he stood maturely as if he possessed the mentality of a fully grown adult. He wore the same black robe as the Apo Mumbaki and a crimson bandana on his forehead.
"You young boys are not permitted to approach anywhere near Apo Raha Sitan's wife," the little kid said solemnly.
The twins' expressions darkened as if they had just heard something heinous. "What did you just say?"
"The Hiraya woman's fate is to become Apo Raha Sitan's wife," the little boy remarked, narrowing his eyes at the twins.
The twins were taken aback.
"Our sister will not marry the Apo Mumbaki!" Datu attacked Manong, but he effortlessly deflected it.
They traded blows for a few moments until he smirked knowingly. "The Hiraya swordsmanship has always fascinated me, but..." He abruptly stooped down and kicked Datu's legs, knocking him down. Datu attempted to rise, but Manong was about to stab him while mumbling, "... it still has a lot of defects."
Datu feared he was going to die when Manong's Kampilan came to a halt a few inches from his chest. A powerful crimson mist appears to be manipulating the long sword. This caused his eyes to dilate. His expression was also a little perplexed.
Raha Sitan, who had remained unscathed despite Bagani's powerful attack, threatened Manong before he could protest. "Manong, spare the younger generation of Katalonans; they are Maharlika's future."
The little boy drew his sword back and bowed gently. "As you wish, Apo Raha Sitan."
"What?! Manong Luban? Is it you, old geezer?" shouted Datu, who was still lying on the floor. "But you are one of the teachers. Does this mean you are a traitor? And how come you look like a kid?"
Manong scowled and rolled his eyes. "You are on the verge of death, but you have the arrogance to talk such nonsense; I expect nothing less from the Hiraya family's vexing personality."
Damian, on the other hand, approached Amara without attracting anyone's attention. But just as he reached for his sister's hand, Raha Sitan appeared in front of him. Damian's eyes flashed with fright as he carelessly attacked, but he was unsuccessful.
Raha Sitan snatched his wrist and drew him in closer.
"Even if you were clumsy, your footwork and stance were still flawless," he smiled, "but the problem was with the way you swing and stab with your bolo. If you can shift your elbow to the left whenever you swing and stab, and stretch out your arms a little bit more, you'll have good results."
Damian looked perplexed as the Apo Mumbaki gave him swordsmanship tips. However, he was shoved aside just as he was about to ask. Damian's back was smacked against a wall, and he passed out when he fell.