Chanel finally opened her eyes from a long slumber. She stared blankly at the ceiling. Ilang beses pang kumurap. What the hell happened to her? Sobrang bigat ng kanyang pakiramdam. Para bang dinaganan siya ng limpak-limpak na bato. Sobrang sakit din ng kanyang kasu-kasuhan. She slowly sat down and again stared blankly. Wala pa siya sa wisyo, Wala pa siya sa ulirat.

She was tracing back what happened. Bakit nasa kuwarto na siya? Paano siya natulog? Bakit siya natulog? Anong nangyari pagkatapos niyang tumkabo papalayo kay Night?

Madali siyang umalis ng kama at nagtungo sa banyo. Siya'y nag-ayos at nagbihis. Sumunod siyang lumabas ng kuwarto at nagtungo sa sala upang tingnan kung ano ang kasalukuyang kalagayan ng mga kasama niya rito. Nakita niya si Manda na nag-aayos ng makakain sa dining room.

"Manda, nakita mo ba sina Chersh at Night?"

Ngumiti sa kanya ang dalaga, "Lumabas saglit si Chersh habang si Master Night naman ay nagpapahinga sa kanyang kuwarto."

"Ahh..." Tumango-tango na lamang si Chanel. Lumabas siya at nagtungo sa bakuran. Tumingala siya sa kalangitan at sinalubong ang init ng araw. Pumikit siya upang madama ito at ang simoy na rin ng hangin. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin niya maalala ang nangyari kagabi. Sumasakit na ang ulo niya sa kakaisip ngunit hindi pa rin magawa ng kanyang utak na maalala ang mga huling pangyayari kagabi.

I guess we're back to normal, she thought.

"Breakfast's ready." Lumingon siya kay Night na biglang nagsalita sa kanyang likuran. The man seemed like he just woke up. Medyo magulo pa ang buhok nito at hindi rin maayos ang pagkakabutones ng suot-suot nitong puting shirt.

Sino o ano kayang breakfast ang tinutukoy ni Night? Ang pagkain ba na ihinahanda ni Manda o siya? Napa-iling na lamang si Chanel sa itsura ng binata.

"Do you know what happened yesterday?" tanong niya.

"There were so many things that happened yesterday."

"How did you find me?" tanong muli ni Chanel.

Night stared at her for a second before he answered, "You passed out under the tree."

"I passed out?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Chanel. But how?

"Pero bakit? Paano?"

Lumapit sa kanya ang binata at tumayo sa kanyang harapan. Night stared at her and even touched the tip of her hair.

"So many questions, angel. You're the only one who knows the answer to your question."

He tucked her red hair behind her right ear and took a good look at the woman standing in front him.

"Light suits you best," komento nito saka ito naglakad palayo sa dalaga. Naiwang nakakunot-noo si Chanel sa sinabi ng binata.

Chanel brushed it off at sumunod kay Night papasok sa dining area. Umupo si Chanel sa gilid at nagsimulang kumain kasabay si Night. Wala pa ring bakas ni Chersh ngayong umaga kaya't napapaisip na rin ang dalaga kung saan nagtungo ang bulinggit na 'yon.

They silently ate and finished their meal. Chanel was about to stand up when Night spoke.

"Tomorrow is the party. Are you ready?"

Huminto si Chanel sa pagtayo at muling umupo.

Right. The plan and the party.

She almost forgot about it. As far as she remembered, the plan was to steal the relic of the prince in this ring. There would be a party tomorrow and they would use that time to steal it. Most probably, the prince would be distracted and busy entertaining the guests, a perfect time to do the heist. When they managed to get the relic or the symbol, they had to go under the castle and use the sewers as their escape route. Easy to explain but Chanel knew how hard it was to execute.

"No. I mean, who's ready for this? Are you?"

"Yes, I am always ready," sagot ni Night. Chanel smiled a little. Of course, he was.

"I have a question."

Night took a sip of water and looked at Chanel. "Spill."

"Do you have any idea what the relic looks like?" tanong nito.

"Good question." Night smirked and stood up. "Come with me," wika nito at naglakad palabas ng dining room, paakyat sa pangalawang palapag. Sumunod naman si Chanel sa binata. Pumasok si Night sa library at nagtungo sa pang walong hilera ng mga bookshelf. May kinuha itong libro at muling nagtungo sa gitna kung saan nandoon ang isang malaking lamesa. Ibinaba ng binata ang libro at binuklat ito. Huminto sa paglipat ng pahina si Night nang makita niya ang kanyang hinahanap.

Lumapit si Chanel sa binata at tiningnan ang pahina. There was an illustration of a crown. Chanel frowned. Was this the relic that he was talking about?

"A crown?"

Tumango si Night. "Ossium Corona," sagot nito.

"The crown of bones," dugtong ng binata.

"There was once a king who ruled the City of Death. When he kills his enemies, he made sure that he would return with their bodies. He would remove their skin and meat. He would let the blood flow down to the floor until the body would be dried off it. After that, he would get their bones, crack, and carve the names of his victims on it. When he was done, he made a crown using their bones."

Chanel just stared at Night with disgust on her face. She could imagine all of it and she couldn't believe that such a thing truly exists.

"These relics are the symbol of each ring in Hellas. They hold a deadly and dangerous power. That's why only the princes are the ones who are guarding it," paliwanag ni Night.

Chanel stayed quiet ngunit iisa lamang ang nasa utak niya. Anong binabalak ni Night sa mga relics na 'to kung ito'y makuha niya? If these were supposed to be guarded by the princes, then these were all important. What would Night do with that massive power?

"And yet you still believe that I can steal those relics?"

"Yes," sagot ni Night.

"Why?"

"I just believe in you, Chanel," Night answered her seriously. "Besides I will help you. You won't be alone. I told you. You have me."

Night closed the book. Kinuha niya ito at muling ibinalik sa bookshelf kung saan ito nakalagay. Chanel still stood there as she watched Night walked to the bookshelf and scanned more books. She just couldn't understand him. Lumapit siya sa binata at tumingin din sa mga librong tinitingnan ni Night. Mayroon itong hinahanap na libro.

"Why do you need me to do all of these when you just can get it yourself?"

"I won't save you if I don't need you," sagot ng binata.

"I don't get why you couldn't do it by yourself."

Night stopped scanning the books and took a book on the top shelf.

"If I could do it by myself, you wouldn't be here by now."

Tumingala si Chanel upang tingnan si Night. Night then looked down to Chanel. He didn't cut his gaze off her until he got the book. Ipinatong niya sa ulo ng dalaga ang libro at muling nagsalita, "Read this. This might help you."

Kinuha ni Chanel ang libro at kunot-noong tumingin kay Night. "Help me what?"

"Read and you'll know," sagot nito saka ito naglakad papaalis at iniwan ang dalaga sa silid-aklatan. Chanel looked at him unbelievably and looked at the book again. It was just plain black. No title. No cover. Nang sinumulan niyan buklatin ang libro, Chanel was hooked by the very first word she read on the first page.

Myths

She then never left the library until she was finished reading it.

***

Chanel was in deep thought. Kanina pa siya nakaupo rito sa sala habang yakap-yakap ang isang unan. Nakatulala lamang ito. Nag-iisip tungkol sa kanyang mga nabasa sa librong ibinigay ni Night kanina. Ni hindi na nito napansin ang pagdating ng dress na binili nila no'ng isang araw. Hindi na rin siya makausap ni Manda tungkol dito. Hanggang sa makauwi si Night, nakatulala pa rin si Chanel sa kawalan.

Chanel didn't care. All she cared about was those texts and passages she had read.

Lumapit si Night sa kanya at umupo sa harapan nito.

"Looks like you read all day," wika nito. Tumango naman si Chanel. Tumingin siya kay Night. She had so many questions and she was not sure if Night would answer all of it.

"Those stories... were they all true?" tanong ni Chanel.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's true," sagot ng dalaga.

"What's the most interesting part for you?" tanong naman ni Night.

"The bow," sagot ni Chanel. Napatigil saglit si Night sa sagot ng dalaga. Hindi niya ine-expect na ito ang isasagot nito. There were hundreds of stories in that book but Chanel picked that story.

Interesting, Night thought.

"Why?" Night asked.

"I don't really know. If the Goddess of Hunt lost her bow, what is she using right now?" tanong ni Chanel kaya't natawa ng mahina si Night.

"Are you really asking me that question?"

"Sounds pretty dumb, I know. Pero mapapaisip ka rin 'di ba? According to the book, Gods have their own magical and powerful weapons. They depend on their weapon most of the time. So, if one God lost a part of their power, what would happen to them?"

"They would still live," sagot ni Night.

"But they are weak. They have to protect themselves. So, they will let the others do the tasks for them," dugtong pa nito.

The book was composed of different stories about Gods and Demons. It was all compiled in one book. Chanel found it amazing. And if those were really true, it was really fascinating to know that there were Gods too.

And if they were, she wanted to ask why she had to go through all of these. That was if she could even ask them. She doubted she could.

"Nakuha ko na!" Isang malakas na sigaw ni Chersh kaya't sabay na tumingin ang dalawa sa bagong dating na bulinggit. Ngiting-ngiti ito habang hawak-hawak ang mapa ng buong City of Death na ibinigay ni Night sa kanya.

"Nakuha ko na kung saan tayo dadaan! At hindi lang 'yon! Sinecure ko na rin ang mga dadanan natin! At nakapasok din ako sa loob ng palasyo! Grabe ang galling ko! I'm so amazing!"

Excited na lumapit si Chersh sa dalawa at inilapag ang mapa sa lamesa. Binuklat niya ito at itinuro ang may mga X na marka.

"Dito ang mga dead end na daan. At ito," wika nito saka nito itinuro ang may mga bilog na marka.

"Dito tayo dadaan. Ang plano, makinig kayong mabuti. Kapag matagumpay nating nakuha ang relic, mayroong tagong daanan sa likod ng kusina ng palasyo patungo sa sewer. Maraming pasikot-sikot kaya't tiyak maliligaw tayo. Pero, dahil magaling ako, nag-iwan ako ng mga marka roon para hindi tayo maligaw. At ito," paliwanag nito saka ito tinuro ang dadaanan nila papalabas.

"Ito ang parte ng City Labyrinth na wala masyadong nagbabantay. Dito tayo lalabas mula sa sewer. At mula dito, puwede na tayong tumakas. May follow up plan ba kayo sa pagtakas dahil paniguradong isang batalyon ng Black Army ang hahabol sa 'tin pagkatapos nito," patuloy ni Chersh.

"Meron," sagot ni Night.

"Devil Woods," dugtong nito.

Napanganga si Chersh sa narinig. "Seryoso ka ba?"

"Doon tayo tatakas? Pupunta tayo ulit sa gubat na 'yon?" tanong ni Chanel.

"If we go inside that forest, the Black Army won't pursue us."

"Syempre!" sagot ni Chersh. "Sinong magtatangkang pumasok sa gubat na 'yon?"

Night looked at Chanel, pertaining to what happened the other day, and smirked. "Us," sagot niya kay Chersh.

"Tama ba 'tong pinasok ko?" wika ni Chersh sa kanyang sarili.

"That's the only place where they can't reach us."

"At iyan din ang lugar na hindi tayo makakaalis ng buhay."

"But she did," sagot ni Night at tumingin kay Chanel. Agad na tumingin si Chersh nang hindi makapaniwala kay Chanel.

"Anong nangyari? Anong na-miss ko no'ng mga panahong nasa sewer ako?!"

Chanel sighed at napa-iling na lamang kay Night. "It's a long story, Chersh. Saka na ako magku-kuwento. For now, let's focus on the plan."

Chanel pointed to the castle. "Meron na tayong daan papasok sa kastilyo. May daan na tayo papalabas. May plano na rin tayo kung paano tayo makakatakas sa mga sundalo. What we need right now is a plan on how we will get the relic from the prince and if everything goes wrong, what's our plan b?"

The three looked at each other and discussed the whole night. They made sure that there would be no holes with the plan and they had to execute it properly. They also had to act fast as soon as they had an opportunity if they want this mission to be successful.

Because the three knew that one simple mistake could lead them to their doom.