Chapter 83: Two

I'm trembling so bad and I feel like all my blood drained from my body.

I witnessed how Rosalina slowly crushed Madame's heart in front of Selton with no remorse.

I immediately looked away. It's all too much. It's too painful to watch. I feel sick and I feel so devastated at the same time. But this is much more painful for Selton.

I ran towards him, halos madapa. Niyakap ko siya ng napakahigpit. I know this won't do much but I just want to be there for him. This must be so painful for him na parang pinapatay siya.

He can't manage to hug me back. He just got his mother back and this is what happens? They just spent a little amount of time together and it hurts me.

He's crying. I closed my eyes. I can't bear it. I can't bear hearing his sobs. I can feel him trembling so bad. My hands are shaking while hugging him.

I'm so fucking angry. I stood up and used my power against Rosalina even though it won't do a thing to her. She dodged everything I threw.

"It's over for her," She said while laughing like crazy.

I can see how full of anger, hatred, and resentment her eyes are. I was wrong about her. Umasa akong kaya niya pang magbago. Kaya niya pang itama ang lahat ng pagkakamali niya. Just like what Madame did...

She eyed me with satisfaction in her eyes, but the anger, hatred, and resentment are still there. "You thought you could do the same to me, right? You're holding on to that one thing you call hope... but I'm sorry to disappoint you, child. I'm nothing like my sister. She's too weak and fragile. I'm stronger than her and I've struggled a lot. I know what I'm doing from the very start."

I know it's bad to provoke her but I couldn't stop myself anymore. She killed Selton's mother, her own sister. I can't let this slide. "Yes, you're nothing like her. You said you're stronger than her? You're wrong about that. Ikaw ang mahina sa inyong dalawa. You chose to destroy your own life. You spent it on a goddamn plan to destroy your own sister's life and yours, instead of living peacefully."

"You fucking bitch, you are not in my position—"

"Come on, you know for a fact that when you ruined your sister's life, you also ruined yours in the process. You know that more than anyone else!"

I think I hit a nerve. And this is not good. I'm provoking her but she knows that I'm right about this. Pinili niyang sirain ang buhay niya. She wanted revenge so bad that she didn't think of living peacefully anymore.

"You're wrong about that. She ruined my life! She's the reason why this happened to me!"

"No, it's not her fault at all. Stop blaming her when you're the one who did this to yourself! Hindi kasalanan ni Madame na nagustuhan siya ng mga tao! Ikaw ang may problema rito. You're envious and jealous of her. Isipin mo ang mga nangyari sayo dahil sa mga plano mo. Did you even have the chance to live in peace? No, right? Because you're too busy thinking of a way to ruin her life! You didn't want her to be happy because you aren't!" I shouted at her.

"H-How... of all people, you're the one to lecture me about this? My own parents, even my sister, didn't do the same thing. But how do you, of all people, get to shout at me like this? You weren't there when my life started to crumble. You don't know everything that happened until I told you just now. But how can you fucking lecture me?!"

"You deserve to hear this. And you know that everything I said is correct."

She blinked a few times, tila 'di makapaniwala sa mga narinig mula sa'kin. On my peripheral vision, I saw Selton running towards Madame, sobbing. It breaks my heart.

"I've watched all your encounters with my sister and to be honest, I was shocked by your bravery. I like your guts. You never backed down. You're a tough one. You have the rarest power and I hate to say this but you deserve to have it." She immediately recovered. There was a grin plastered on her face this time. "You know what? I'm kind of jealous of you now. You're so special, aren't you? You have the rarest power and you're loved by two men. The president himself loves you and Selton does too."

I was caught off guard by her words. Honestly, I wasn't expecting it.

She then laughed at me sarcastically. "And if I wasn't here to stop you, you would've been a hero to everyone... And I know for a fact that you saved some students here and unfortunately, you can't save everyone. If I wasn't in the picture, you would've saved people again as if that's what you're good at."

I recalled a memory. I saved a newbie from the hands of Madame. And Lexi... I couldn't save her and her unborn child.

"You can't save everyone... oh, and you're also trying to figure out why Cassandra was killed."

"What do you know about Mrs. Suldivar's death?!" Agaran kong tanong sa kanya. Anong nalalaman niya?!

She chuckled at my expression. "Apparently, Leonsio got rid of her. She caught him analyzing blood samples in the laboratory. Of course, he killed her. There shouldn't be a witness to all his dirty works that can sabotage the plans."

I feel like I could break down at any moment. I recalled Mrs. Suldivar's cold and lifeless body and I can't stand it. I feel so fucking devastated.

Bigla kong naalala ang pag-uusap nina Madame at Prof Leonsio noon sa library. That was the time when I knew about their connivance.

"She saw me analyzing some blood samples," Ani Prof na ikinagulat ko.

"What?!"

"Do you really think I would kill someone for some petty reason? You know I'm better than that. I had to kill her before she told somebody."

"Make sure no one knows what you did, Sylvester. And make sure no one knows what we're doing right now. If somebody knows about this except you and me, kill that piece of shit. Kahit sino pa 'yan."

It was Mrs. Suldivar. She was the one who caught Prof Leonsio and he also caught her. Hindi man lang siya nagdalawang-isip sa gagawin niya at awtomatikong pinatay ito. Mrs. Suldivar didn't deserve this at all...

"Tell me, what does it feel to be a hero?" May mapanukso siyang ngiti sa labi.

"I'm not trying to be a hero. I just want to help my fellow students and the teachers to get out of this hell. Life's not good here at alam mo 'yan. May kanya-kanya kaming buhay sa labas ng paaralang 'to and because of your wrong doings, we couldn't continue our lives!"

She looked at me with boredom this time. "I know what you'll say next. You'll say that I'm such a selfish and manipulative bitch. Call me everything you want, I don't care."

If this is how it should be, then so be it. I risked my life once, I can do it again. I'll give her what she wants but she should also give me what I want.

"Tapusin mo na 'to. End this right now and let everyone go." Sabi ko, habang may mga luha na namang kumakawala sa aking mga mata.

"Of course, you're willing to risk your life for everyone." She said and she rolled her eyes.

"Pinatay mo na ang kapatid mo, sinira mo na ang buhay ni Selton, isa na lang ang kailangan mo hindi ba? Ang kapangyarihan. Gusto mo ng kapangyarihan, sige kunin mo na sa'kin! All I ask of you is to let everyone go."

She gave me an amused smile. "You're proposing a deal?"

I nodded at her. I tried to look tough but my tears kept on falling. "Let everyone go and I'll give you my power even if it costs my life."

She eyed me as if she's trying to kill me with her eyes. "You know I can kill everyone with a snap of my fingers, right? I won't gain anything from your stupid deal. I can kill you here and now, and I can also kill everyone. So what's in it for me?"

"You just want the power. Ako lang ang kailangan mo! Hindi mo na kailangang patayin yung iba!"

She looked at me as if she's thinking. "I can actually do that, but these people might be a bigger problem later on. They've witnessed a lot here and it'll be such a big risk if I let them go. So, no deal."

"You're a witch! You... you should compel them so they can forget everything they've experienced here!"

"If only I can do that... Speaking of, I hate the fact that I can't get inside a person's mind!" She acted as if she's stressed.

I feel like I've really lost hope. Tila wala na akong magawa. I tried to strike a deal with her but she immediately turned it down. I don't know what to do anymore.

I'm praying for a miracle to happen.

"Huwag na tayong magpaligoy-ligoy pa. Let's get this over with." Lumapit siya sa'kin sabay higit sa braso ko. "Where's the book?"

I blinked a few times. Nasaan na nga pala 'yon? I forgot about it after everything that happened. "I don't know,"

She dugged her nails on my arm and I winced in pain. She looks really pissed now. "I said, where is the goddamn book?!"

"I said I don't know! I didn't have time to think of it anymore!"

She pushed me to the ground. I used my elbows to protect my whole body from falling completely to the ground. I saw the hint of blood on my elbows. It hurts.

Without the book, she wouldn't be able to get the power from me. There's a ritual and the book is needed to complete this.

"I burned it,"

Nagulat kaming dalawa ni Rosalina nang magsalita si Selton. Napatingin kami sa kanya. He already stood up.

"You can't possibly do that. The book itself has power. Don't you lie to me! You can't destroy it!"

Selton gritted his teeth and he clenched his fists. "You killed my parents. You killed my family. You deserve to rot in hell!"

"You know what, I was planning to spare your life. But maybe I shouldn't." Rosalina looks mad.

"Kill me. I don't care anymore. There's no reason I should exist in this world."

Rosalina gritted her teeth before closing her eyes. She whispered words that I didn't understand. I think she's trying to locate the book.

She opened her eyes after a few moments, looking furious.

Looks like even witches have their own limitations. She's furious because she can't track the book. And just like she said earlier, she can't get inside a person's mind. It's a relief that she can't read minds because if she can, she'll know that Dark has the power too.

Nagulat ako ng iniangat niya mula sa lupa si Selton. She's suffocating him!

"No! Don't do this!" I shouted at her.

Selton keeps on panting for air. If she'll continue doing this, Selton will die! I can't let this happen!

"K-Kill me. I-It'll be easier that w-way. I-I want to be with m-my parents." Ani Selton, hindi makahinga.

Agad naman siyang binitawan ni Rosalina. She shouted from the top of her lungs. She's frustrated.

Kaagad kong pinuntahan si Selton. Ubo siya ng ubo. "H-Hey, are you a-alright?"

"I-I'm fine, Demerine. I-I don't want you to die. I've lost my parents and I don't want to lose you either."

My tears continued to fall. "I-It looks like I don't have a choice anymore. I can't beat her. S-She's more powerful than me."

"Yeah, she's right, Selton. She can't beat me. I'm too powerful. You should just give up. And I know that you're barely holding on, Miss Dawnt. I know you're on the verge of giving up and you really should." Rosalina butted in. "You can't destroy me all by yourself. It takes the two of you who have the rarest power to kill a witch. Isa ka lang."

My eyes widened at what she said. My eyes flickered with hope.

Bigla kong naalala ang sinabi ni Madame sa'kin. "But one of those witches fell in love with a man. And she gave that man the rarest power. Right after that man got the power to himself, he killed the witch."

That means that the man who killed the witch has the rarest power as a whole! And later on, it was split... The man might have transferred half of the power to somebody else! Oh God, I think I finally figured it out piece by piece.

I looked at Dark. He's still unconscious.

Dark, I need you to wake up. You need to wake up immediately. Now is the perfect time to use your power. I won't hold you back anymore.... You and I should end this cruelty once and for all.

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