Lara

"Paarawan mo muna ang kambal, Ruthven! Huwag mo muna akong i-stress dahil busy ako sa mga papel!" Jusko! Nakakaloka 'tong asawa ko! He's always seducing me in the middle of work while our twins are already crying their lungs out! Kanina pa umiiyak ang mga bata pero hindi man lang tinatapunan ng pansin ng magaling nilang Ama na kanina pang nakangising nakatingin sa akin!

"Babe! I want to have another baby, please?" Pagpapa-cute nitong saad pero mas lalo lang akong nairita sa kaniya! Dahil sa inis ko, hindi ko napigilang hindi mapatayo sa upuan at masama siyang tinignan. Natigilan siya do'n pero bago pa siya makapagsalita, bumukas na ang pinto at pumasok doon si Inang Roselia. Nakangiti ito habang pumapasok.

"Anak, tapos na raw ang panibagong mga gusali na pinatayo mo. Nandoon na rin ang mga kumpletong materyales para sa mga estudyante." Napalitan ang inis ko ng tuwa at saya dahil sa sinabi ni Inang Roselia. Lumapit ako rito at hinalikan siya sa pisngi. Hasyt, mabuti na lang talaga dumating si Inang Roselia.

"Mabuti naman Ina, ito kasing si Ruthven ay napakatamad! Ayaw pumunta sa M.V. at ikaw pa talaga ang pinaasikaso." I said, she just shook her head and smiled sweetly.

"Ayos lang 'yon, anak. Nandoon pa nga si Papa niyo at tinitignan kung maayos nga ba talaga ang pagkakagawa. Pero maaasahan talaga si Sol sa mga ganoong klaseng trabaho kaya walang naging problema.." I nodded and answered her with a smile.

Sol has great skills when it comes to planning on how to build such strong but nature-friendly kind of buildings. Mapagkakatiwalaan talaga ang mga duwende kapag sa ganitong trabaho dahil hindi ka nila bibiguin. Masaya nga ako dahil sa napakagaling nilang magtrabaho... malinis at pulido.

"Mom, Sol is great and he wasn't the leader of engineering, architecture and construction if he's just nothing." I nodded, agreeing to Ruthven's words.

"Kaya nga eh, seryoso nga niyang tinitignan ang mga materyales at tapos, ang mga gusali. Magkasama sila ngayon ng Papa niyo." Ngiti niyang sambit.

"Ay teka mga anak, kailangan ko na nga munang puntahan si Medusa. May tatrabahuin nga pala kami. Ruthven? Huwag mong pagurin asawa mo, ah? Nako!" She added. Before I could say anything else, she immediately went near me and kissed my cheeks. I smiled at her sweetly before I witnessed how she went outside with her cool walk. Mukhang bata si Inang Roselia, sabay rin sa mga bagay-bagay kaya vibes kami no'n!

Pero paanong hindi ako papagurin ng isang 'to?!

"Babe." Hindi ko hinarap si Ruthven, agad akong umupo sa upuan at tinignan ang mga papeles.

Akala niya madaling mabuntis? Akala ba ng lalaking 'to na madali lang ang umire ng umire ng bata? Ginagawa niya akong baboy!

"Babe, please! I'll do all the work, and you'll just stay still so you won't feel tiredness." Nanlaki ang mga mata ko dahil sa kabastusan ni Ruthven, agad ko siyang tinignan sa mga mata at ang gago ay walang pakialam sa reaksiyon ko! Hayop sa sex ang lalaking 'to!

"Ruthven, isa pa ah? Isa pa! Kapag ako napuno, sa labas ka matutulog!" Malakas na sigaw ko sa kaniya na siyang ikinaatras niya ng kaunti! Hindi naririnig ang boses ko mula sa ibaba dahil soundproof ang opisina kong 'to sa kwarto, well gano'n rin sa whole room kaya walang makakarinig sa mga sigawan sa loob. Kaya ganiyan 'yan! Napakaano ng bibig!

"Babe, naman!" Paawa effect niyang sabi pero mas lalo ko lang siyang tinignan ng masama.

"Kapag umiyak ulit ang mga bata, lagot ka sa'kin!" Diing turan ko sa kaniya at tinuro pa siya. Napakamot na lang siya sa kaniyang batok at unti-unting lumabas ng opisina na bagsak ang mga balikat. Huminga ako ng malalim at napahawak sa sentido.

Apat ata ang anak na inaalagaan ko ah!

Ilang minuto ang lumipas at palipat-lipat ang mga mata ko sa mga papeles. Tinitignan ko ang mga profiles ng mga estudyante na papasok ngayong magiging pasukan. I know it's Kyogra's work kaya binigyan ko rin siya ng mga papeles pero gusto ko kasing may ginagawa kaya ito! I am checking their backgrounds, powers and also their pictures. Villador has advance materials and technologies, I saw one of them using camera that's why I let my people to create a lot of it. Dahil sa mga bagay-bagay na galing sa Villador, nagiging advance na rin ang lupaing ito. Aside from the country, it is also because of its people.

"Laros." Halos tumalon ako sa kinauupuan ko dahil sa may lalaking boses ang parang bumulong sa tenga ko. I suddenly felt goosebumps in my whole body when I heard my name, my original name.

No one knew about my original name, aside from Ruthven and Medusa! But this unseen voice, it's familiar! It's strange!

"Laros." He called again. Matapang akong tumayo at inobserbahan ang buong paligid.

May nakapasok ba na kalaban? May iba pa bang tao sa loob ng kwartong 'to? It is not from Ruthven's voice, I know his voice!

"Sino ka?" Malakas na tanong ko, pero isang minuto na ang dumaan pero hindi ako sinagot.

"Sino ka? Magsalita ka!" Malakas ko na ngayong sigaw, hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari pero hindi maganda ang kutob ko.

"Laros."

"I'm Lara!" I shouted again when he called my original name, again. His voice, his voice is very familiar to me but I don't know where did I hear his voice!

Bigla akong napaatras nang biglang dumilim ang paligid, ang ilaw ay biglang namatay hanggang sa wala na akong makita sa loob ng opisina. Walang bintana sa loob ng opisina ko kaya hindi ko alam kung naging gabi na ba o ano! Pero bago pa lang lumabas si Ruthven para paarawan ang mga bata kaya alam kong tirik na tirik pa ang araw ngayon!

Habang tumatagal, mas lalong dumidilim! Para na akong nakapikit!

I closed my eyes and breathe deeply to relax and calm myself, to avoid being scared and panic but when I opened my eyes... the familiar darkness surprised me.

Ang madilim na lugar na 'to, ang madilim na pakiramdam na 'to ay pamilyar sa'kin. I've been here before! And I know that there's something that will happen and I don't want to know it!

"Laros." His voice appeared again, it's like he is getting nearer and nearer.

"Laros."

"Stop calling m-my name! Stop!" I screamed and because of that, an image appeared not so far from my distance. His wholeness is glowing and I can see that the image is slowly walking towards me. I narrowed my eyes to see if he is familiar, to see if he is the one that I am thinking of for the past few weeks.

I can see that it is a physique of a man, his body is glowing of green light while slowly walking towards me.

Paunti ng paunti, mas nakaklaro ko ang kabuuan ng katawan niya. He's slim, his body is not well-built but the power that surrounds him is strong. The energy within him is overflowing so I know he is not ordinary. His powerful walk screams authority and superiority... while his hands are on his back like a strict being. I am starting to feel nervous.

... hanggang na nasa malapit na malapit ko na siya, at hanggang sa nasa harapan ko na siya.

"Laros." He called me again but this time, I know that the unseen voice minutes ago is from him. It is his voice, no... it's my voice!

What I am seeing now is myself, he is smiling sweetly at me while his strong aura is elucidating! His familiar green eyes, green short hair and physique gave goosebump to me! I am seeing myself! I am in front of myself! I am seeing myself smiling at me!

If am not mistaken, he's the one that I am thinking of. He's the one that can answer my questions!

"L-Lethius." I called his name, he nodded while his smile is still there.

Nakakapanindig balahibo ang lahat habang nakatingin ako sa sarili kong katawan at mukha. Doppelganger pa nga kung sa mundo ng mga ordinaryong tao!

"A-Are you now here to take your body back?" Agad kong tanong, hindi siya sumagot sapagkat nakangiti lang siya sa akin. Mas lalo na akong kinabahan dahil sa sitwasiyon na'to, hindi ko alam kung ano ba dapat ang mararamdaman ko na ngayo'y nasa harapan ko na ang tunay na may-ari ng katawan na ginagamit ko ngayon.

"Ano sa tingin mo, Laros?" He keeps calling my original name and I don't know why! The sense of familiarity is there whenever he calls me by my original name but there's something in me that I want to be called Lara, not Laros!

"I-I don't know, you're finally here! G-Gaya ng sabi no'ng babaeng nagpakita sa akin sa Villador." Mahinang bulong ko pero alam kong naririnig niya ako. Para kaming nasa loob ng isang kwarto na kahit anong bulong mo ay maririnig at maririnig pa rin dahil nga sa echo nito.

The glowing green light from his body is the light that we are using in the middle of the darkness. If he's not here, I am alone in the middle of the void.

"Nakilala mo na nga pala siya... my sister." It is not a shocking moment to me anymore because I already predicted it in my mind. Because that woman won't save Lethius' life if he is just a friend. Lethius is more than that, and I'm right.

"Oo, sa Villador." Sagot ko kaagad. Tumango siya habang ang ngiti ay naroroon pa rin sa mga labi niya.

"Hindi ko na kailangan pang ikuwento ulit ang mga nakuwento na sa'yo ng kapatid kong si Oviossa. She already story told you about what happened to me." Oviossa, 'yon ang pangalan ng kapatid niya?

"Y-Yeah, she saved you because I know that you are important to her." He nodded.

"She is the Goddess of Reincarnation, Laros. But she chose to violate the rules of the Elysium, leave her responsibilities and went down to chase his love. And because she is also important to me, I went down to chase her too." Hindi ako nagsalita, nakinig lang ako sa sinabi niya. Napansin niya naman na wala akong balak magsalita kaya tumango ito.

"But when I found her traces from that cave, suddenly a God chased me too and killed me with his arrow... an arrow that can easily kill Gods and Goddesses." He added.

"Nakilala mo ba ang Diyos na pumatay sa'yo?" Alala kong tanong, ngumiti lang siya sa akin.

"Only one God who knows how to use a bow and arrow." He replied immediately that made me stopped. I didn't meet all of the Gods and Goddesses so hindi ko alam kung sino. Hindi gumagamit ng pana si Xerdon as he was the God of Thunder, hindi rin gumagamit si Evergreen as she was the Goddess of Spirit.

"But I am not here to tell you that, Laros. I am here to warn you that I am coming back for my body. I have to get my body back, Laros. I have to find the God who killed me, I have to find him to avenge the sacrifices of my sister." Ang kaba na nararamdaman ko ngayon ay hindi ko na kayang sukatin. My body is now shaking, my knees are now trembling and I don't know if my lips are still on its natural color!

He is now here, warning me about this body. That he'll soon coming back to get his body.

But I do understand him, this is his body and I don't have any right to own this because in the first place, this wasn't mine... and he has an important mission, it's understandable.

"But don't worry Laros, before Oviossa offered her soul and yours to me, she already found your original body and kept it." Nagpantig ang tenga ko dahil sa narinig galing sa kaniya. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko dahil sa napagtanto kaya agad akong mas lumapit sa kaniya. I was about to hold his hands but my hands just went through!

"You can't touch me Laros because I am one of the souls of this body. We are inside of our consciousness, you, me and my sister." Napaatras ako ng kaunti.

Oviossa is the Goddess of Reincarnation, and she is sister of Lethius. At sigurado akong isa rin siyang Diyos!

"S-She told me that I am not really from the human world, Lethius. What does she meant by that?" I curiously asked, I was dying to know why did she say that to me! I am confused as fuck!

He smiled again.

"Because you are not really from there, Laros. You are originally from... Maria." What?

Na-speechless ako dahil sa sinabi niya! Hindi ko alam pero gulat na gulat ako! Hindi ako makapaniwala! Hindi ako makapagsalita dahil doon! Teka! Anong ibig niyang sabihin na hindi talaga ako galing sa mundo ng mga ordinaryong tao? At dito talaga ako nanggaling? Nalilito ako! Fuck!

"I-I don't understand!" Hindi ko maiwasang sigaw sa kaniya.

"Naiintindihan ko ang nararamdaman mo ngayon, you are confused and curious at the same time. But Laros, I don't have enough time to talk with you. Nauubos na ang oras ko para makipag-usap sa'yo." Agad akong nataranta dahil sa sinabi niya kaya agad akong lumuhod. Tinignan ko siya sa mga mata, nagmamakaawang sabihin sa akin ang lahat!

Ganito rin ang sinabi ng kapatid niya, that she doesn't have enough time.

"Lethius! Tell me everything! Tell me where I really came from! Tell me who I really am! Tell me!" I shouted!

I can't afford to lose this opportunity again! Hindi ko alam kung kailan ulit kami mag-uusap! Hindi ko alam kung kailan ulit kami magkikita sa kamalayan ko! I don't know where to find him if ever he'll get his body back, again!

"Laros, just relax... magkikita pa tayo. Sasabihin ko naman sa'yo kung kailan ko babawiin ang katawan ko pero ito lang ang masasabi ko..." Agad akong naghanda sa sasabihin niya, hindi ko puwedeng palagpasin ang pagkakataon na'to! Hindi ko puwedeng hayaan na masayang ang oras ng pagkikita namin ngayon!

"Bago ko bawiin ang katawan ko, hahanapin muna natin kung nasaan ang tunay mong katawan." I was stunned, and suddenly felt delight when he said that.

"Oviossa found your corpse in the world of ordinary beings, she brought your body here and preserve your body in one of the coldest country of Maria." Napatayo ako sa sinabi niya at tinignan siya sa mga mata ng maigi.

"Are you really telling the truth? Hindi ka ba nagsisinungaling, Lethius? Sabihin mo sa'kin! Ayokong umasa!" I screamed, I suddenly felt relaxed and contented when he shook his head as his answer.

"I don't lie, Laros. And I am your ally." Pagkasabi niya no'n ay bigla ko na lang napansin na parang naglalaho na ang katawan niya. Agad akong nataranta dahil sa nakikita ko kaya nagbabakasakali akong mahawakan siya pero tumatagos lang ang mga kamay ko!

"Wait! I still have lot of questions, Lethius!"

"Magkikita pa tayo, Laros." Turan niya, pansin ko ang pagkalalaking boses niya. I know it's also my voice but the way he used his voice, it's manly. Unlike me, I'm using this voice in a femininity way.

"Wait! How about the twins? Anak mo ba sila? Galing ba sila sa katawan mo? Ikaw ba ang tunay nilang Ina o Ama? Ikaw ba ang nagluwal sa kanila? Lethius! Katawan mo 'to!" I shouted, ngumiti lang siya sa akin pero bago pa siya mawala ay napaluhod na lang ako sa gitna ng kadiliman nang marinig ang sagot niya.

"Hindi ako bearer, Laros... ikaw. Your soul gave birth to them, not my body. It was through your soul, not through my physical form."

After minutes of kneeling, I found myself crying so loud while the surrounding is gradually returning. The darkness is slowly fading, the void and the emptiness of that place is gone. I am now inside of my office, kneeling in front of my door and crying so much because of what happened.

There are lot of questions remained in my mind but I am still happy because I know that Eulalia and Eulyseer are my children, not from this physical form but from my soul. Ang kaginhawaan na nararamdaman ko ngayon ay walang katumbas matapos malaman ang kaunting katotohanan.

Oviossa took my body from the human world and brought it here in Maria... in one of the coldest country to preserve my body. Lethius will help me to find the body so it's a relief that he is willing to give a hand. Eulalia and Eulyseer are my biological children, maybe not from blood but they are from my soul.

Questions remained in my mind are that, who Lethius is? What kind of God he is? And how about the family I've known from the human world? Who are they? Are they also from here? And who I really am? Who am I?

Sino ako? Saan ako galing? At anong klaseng nilalang ako sa mundong 'to?

"This body, owned by a God." Bulong ko na lang at maayos umupo sa sahig.

I don't know how to feel, I don't know how act and I don't know where to put myself. I sighed deeply.

"I-I have to find my body!" Tumayo ako kaagad sa pagkakaupo ko at lumabas ng pinto. Lumapit ako sa bintana kung saan nakikita ko ang labas ng palasiyo. Kitang-kita ko ang mga puno kung saan nagsasayawan dahil sa malakas na hangin ngayon, tirik na tirik ang araw pero hindi nakakapaso ang liwanag nito habang ang mga ibon ay malayang lumilipad sa kalangitan.

"I have to find answers, the truth and my body." I whispered.

At least I know to myself that I have a big chance to live with my family forever if I already found my real body! Mabubuhay na ako na hindi nag-aalala kung kailan kukunin ang katawan na'to! Mabubuhay na ako ng matiwasay kasama ang pamilya ko kapag natagpuan ko na ang totoo kong katawan at magiging ganap na akong Reyna kung lahat sa akin ay totoo!

"Babe?" Lumingon ako sa likuran ko at nakitang papalapit sa akin si Ruthven. Ngumiti ako ng matamis sa kaniya nang makitang tulog na ang mga bata na nasa mga braso nito. Lumapit ako sa kaniya at binigyan siya ng sandaling halik sa labi.

And another question that, how Lethius' face is same with mine?

"They fell asleep." Tumango lang ako sa sinabi niya at sabay maingat na kinuha sa kaniya ang mga bata.

"You can now rest my King." Sabi ko at lumapit sa crib ng mga bata. Hinay-hinay ko silang inilapag habang hilik na hilik silang natutulog dalawa.

I am now happy, knowing that these babies are mine. And I love their father, and I will do everything to make them all ecstatic!

"Babe! How about you..." He seductively point at me and then pinpoint the bed.

"... lying on the bed and rest, then I'll make love with you while you do nothing? How about that?" Napairap ako sa sinabi niya pero ngumiti lang din ako kalaunan.

Wait for me, Ruthven. I'll do everything to get my body back and live with you without being problematic. You can do what you want in my own and real body. Sabi ko sa isipan ko.

"Soon my King, soon."