The triplets remained vigilant, sensing their surroundings while others at the celebration indulged in laughter and chatter. A few onlookers glanced at the triplets, admiring their extraordinary beauty.
Princess Tricia, however, glared at the triplets with intense jealousy. She grabbed Prince Dyskie's arm tightly.
"What is it, Tricia? I've told you, I love someone else! Why can't you just leave me alone?" Prince Dyskie snapped, irritation evident in his voice.
But Princess Tricia wasn't listening. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Shocked, Prince Dyskie pushed her away, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. She looked up at him, her eyes blazing with fury.
"I WILL MAKE SURE YOU'RE MINE! NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, YOU'LL BE MINE! ONLY MINE!" she screamed before storming off.
Everyone was stunned by her outburst. Princess Tricia, who was usually known for her demure behavior, had acted completely out of character.
Prince Dyskie returned inside, still reeling from the scene. Suddenly, a panicked cry rang out, jolting everyone from their shock.
"Aahhh! We're under attack!"
"Protect the kings and queens!"
The triplets ripped off their gowns, revealing sleek battle suits underneath. Chaos erupted as everyone sprang into action to defend against the onslaught of the Darknians.
The triplets remained on high alert. When they spotted arrows flying toward King Dezeus, they leaped into action, shielding him with their bodies and taking the arrows themselves. King Dezeus looked on in shock, his heart pounding with both fear and admiration.
Moments later, three dark orbs struck the triplets square in the chest. They doubled over in pain, blood spilling from their lips.
King Dezeus felt tears streaming down his face, overcome by the sight of the triplets suffering.
11:00 PM.
The night from the vision was unfolding before their eyes. The three moons appeared in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the Ice Kingdom. Time seemed to stop, and a wave of fear and anxiety washed over everyone. Cries of terror filled the air as the kingdom was bathed in a sickly light, reflecting off pools of blood and the bodies strewn across the ground.
An immense explosion suddenly shattered the tense silence, rocking the palace to its core.
*****
**Her Point of View**
"Hey! Wake up! You're having a nightmare!"
Huh? What's that noise? Why is it so loud?
Smack!
"Ouch!" I jolted awake, feeling a stinging pain on my left cheek. "My handsome face…" I grumbled, rubbing my cheek and glaring at the person responsible.
"Oh, it's Dad! Hehehe."
"Why did you slap me, Dad?" I asked, pouting.
"Oh, you're complaining? I slapped you because you were screaming and having nightmares! Was I wrong?" he retorted.
I hugged Dad, laughing. "Sorry, Dad, but your handsomeness might have taken a hit."
He started to respond, but I cut him off. "But a baldie! Haha!" I teased before dashing out of the house toward the bathroom.
I took a deep breath and looked at the cracked mirror. It was too early in the morning for this, but I couldn't help but laugh. I stared at my reflection, trying to piece together the strange dream. "What did I dream about? It felt so real… But are those magical things real? Weird. Why did I dream about that?"
I shook my head. "It's just a dream," I told myself and shrugged, splashing water on my face. I felt a bit better, and the morning air helped wake me up.
"Good morning, world! Hahaa! Can't wait to kiss my babes." I left the broken bathroom.
Dad's voice bellowed behind me. "ZERA!! WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG? LET'S EAT! GO BUY SOME SARDINES FROM MRS. MILA'S SHOP!"
"Yes, Dad!" I shouted back, running to Mrs. Mila's store. On the way, I bumped into some neighbors.
"Good morning, Zera."
"Still sleepy, huh?"
"Where are you headed, Zera?"
"How's the Bulls gang's challenge?"
"You look a mess! Hahaa."
"Hi, Zera! You still have dirt on your face, hahaa."
"Annoying guys! I'll kick you!" I shouted back playfully, and they scattered, laughing.
I continued running, greeted by everyone I passed. Then, I saw an elderly lady struggling with her heavy load.
"Oh, Mrs. Sora, where's your son? Why are you carrying that?" I asked, rushing to help her.
"Oh, dear, he's playing basketball! These are so heavy," she complained.
Annoyed, I headed to the basketball court and spotted the boys playing. I picked up a stone and hurled it at Sordino's head.
"Ow! Who did that?!"
"Hey, Sono, why aren't you helping your mom?" I demanded as I approached him, nearly getting hit by a stray ball.
"It wasn't me, Zera! Why did you throw that?" he stammered, stepping back.
I glared at his friends, who quickly backed away. Grabbing Sordino by the ear, I scolded him. "You're playing while your mom struggles? Go help her!"
"Yes, yes," he whimpered and scurried off.
Oh no! The sardines! Dad's going to grill me if I'm late!
I sprinted to Mrs. Mila's store, banging on the door. "MRS. MILA! LEND ME SOME SARDINES!"
I shouted and knocked repeatedly.
Bam. Bam.
"MRS. MILA!! LEND ME SOME SARDINES!" I called again. Finally, she opened the door.
"Holy moly, kid! Don't shout like that. Here's your sardines!"
"Thanks, Mrs. Mila! You're a lifesaver," I said, winking and running off.
"Zera!" I turned at the call.
"Delose! Did you sleep well?" I asked, recognizing my buddy.
"I'm fine. Borrowing from Mrs. Mila again?"
"Yeah, had no choice. Gotta go before Dad grills me again," I said, dashing away.
Let me tell you more about myself. I'm Zera Lordes, living in this small barangay. We're poor, and our place is full of huts, messy, and full of troublemakers. I'm a lesbian, and I somehow attract girls.
I have an inborn tattoo on my wrist:
'Yellow shie.'
Just ignore it. I'm already 21 years old, and I only finished elementary school because of extreme poverty, but you know what? I'm intelligent, a genius, smart—that's true! No kidding. Even though I only finished elementary school, I have a college-level intellect.
Why? Because I love reading books, especially the ones I find on the streets. That's why there are piles of books at home. My dad is always angry because it's so messy.
I've read them all. As for myself, well… I'm dark-skinned! Hehehe. There's nothing I can do; I'm always out in the sun and getting into fights. But my skin is smooth, and even though I'm dark-skinned, you know… Big boobies, baby! I also have black hair down to my shoulders.
Anyway, it's a good thing that it's just me and my dad in life. My dad used to be a secret agent, so of course, I'm good at fighting.
I'm a great troublemaker, remember?!
"Zera! What are you doing?! Counting dogs in the street!"
Wow, Dad's voice is like a megaphone. And here I am.
"NO, DAD! I'M JUST LOOKING FOR CHICKS IN THE STREET. I'LL GIVE THESE SARDINES TO THEM!" I shouted back.
Ouch! It hurts! Dad suddenly grabbed me and dragged me into the house.
"You took so long, Zera! Where are the sardines?!" Dad shouted.
I put the sardines on the table and grinned at Dad.
"Here you go, Dad! I brought sardines."
"Tsk. You're driving me crazy, kid."
"Dad? Isn't your head already crazy? And besides, I'm 21 years old already! I'm not a kid anymore," I said.
He put his hand on his forehead.
"Okay, okay, okay, whatever. Let's just eat."
We started eating, and when we finished, I quickly cleaned up the table and washed the dishes.
"I'm going now…"
I kissed Dad on the cheek.
"Dad, take care. I'll clean the house, do the laundry, and cook," I said.
"Of course, because I'll be working, and you'll be left at home. So try to cause less trouble, Zera, okay?!" Dad said and kissed me on the forehead.
Dad left, and I stayed home alone. Dad is a security guard at a small bank.
After doing what I needed to do, I took a bath in our broken bathroom, the pillar of which is about to fall, but Dad just put a curtain on it.
Our bathroom is outside, you know.
First, I looked around to see if anyone was spying on me... better safe than sorry. I only use two buckets of water for bathing, hehehe. Once I confirmed that no one was watching, I quickly bathed and changed clothes.
I locked the house.
"ZERA, BADONG IS CAUSING TROUBLE AGAIN!" one of my buddies shouted, his voice laced with urgency.
"What?! Seriously? Where is he?!" I snapped, already feeling my blood start to boil.
He took off running, and I was right behind him. We tore through the crowded alleyways until we skidded to a stop in front of Mrs. Mila's store. My heart sank and then ignited with rage when I saw Mrs. Mila sprawled on the ground, Badong towering over her, his hand raised.
"HEY, BADONG!" I shouted, fists clenched.
Badong's head whipped around, and his face turned pale. "Oh no! Zera's here!"
"You're dead, Badong!" I charged forward, fury driving my every step.
Before he could react, I landed a solid punch square on his jaw. He went down like a sack of bricks. I rushed over to Mrs. Mila and helped her up, but I wasn't done with him yet.
Badong, ever the coward, tried to swing at me from behind. I caught his fist easily, twisting his arm behind his back. "Nice try," I muttered, and with a swift move, I threw him to the ground. He groaned, clutching his side.
"You don't mess with me, got it?" I spat, planting a firm kick in his gut for good measure.
I turned back to Mrs. Mila, who was brushing herself off. "Are you okay, Mrs. Mila?" I asked, softening my tone.
She sighed, giving me a tired smile. "You're always fighting, Zera. Your dad will be furious. But thank you."
I grinned. "Don't tell him, okay? He doesn't need to know. He'd probably blow a fuse, and we both don't want that."
Mrs. Mila chuckled, shaking her head. "Just one punch, and Badong's out cold. You're something else, Zera."
"Yeah, yeah," I waved it off, but I couldn't help the small burst of pride swelling in my chest.
"Wow, Zera! You warmed up fast," one of my buddies said, his eyes wide with admiration.
I shot them a mock glare and slapped the back of their heads lightly. "You lazy idiots! You should've handled Badong before I got here!"
As the laughter and chatter died down, a familiar voice cut through, dripping with condescension. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Still the same reckless Zera."
I turned and narrowed my eyes. Airylle Vedison. Of course, she'd show up now, looking all smug. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, her dark hair catching the afternoon light.
"What's it to you, Airylle?" I replied, my voice laced with irritation.
Airylle lived in the apartment nearby. She was beautiful, sure—tall, toned, with eyes that seemed to see right through you—but that didn't stop her from being my number one enemy. She had a knack for knowing exactly how to piss me off.
"Did you wander over here because you ran out of food at home?" I asked, my voice heavy with sarcasm.
She rolled her eyes. "If I say yes, will you buy me some?" she shot back, a sly smile playing on her lips.
I scoffed. "How about this? I don't have any money. You gonna lend me some?"
She smirked. "Oh, poor Zera. Want me to give you money?"
I snorted. "Nah, keep your filthy money. It probably stinks from where you pulled it out of."
Her grin widened. "Oh, so you've been looking at my butt, huh? Didn't know I had such a devoted fan."
"Please," I rolled my eyes, "you and Badong's dog could be siblings. You both have that same stench. Feel sorry for you."
"Zera, stop it, please! Don't fight!" my buddies pleaded, sensing things heating up.
Airylle shrugged, clearly bored. "Whatever. I've got better things to do."
As she turned to leave, I couldn't help but feel a mix of frustration and something else. This was our usual dance—verbal jabs, insults, and tension. But maybe there was something more beneath it all. Not that I'd ever admit it.
"Wow! I thought you two were really gonna kill each other this time," one of my friends said, exhaling in relief.
I laughed. "Nah, we're just like that. Keeps life interesting, don't you think?"