Phantoms
Jerastus 6, 2196

I was quite foolish to accept the grapefruit, but it was the only reason. Sigurado naman akong walang lason ang prutas na 'to, sapagkat nakita kong kinagatan niya ang iba kanina. At kung siya nga ang nagdala sa'kin dito sa Summer,  hindi niya ako papatayin. He could have let me be executed in Fall. Kung sakali namang isa 'tong ubas para ma-kontrol ako, I'm sure I can find a way to break it— hopefully, without killing him.

"Then, after I eat this, makakapagtanong na ako?" sambit ko kay Ezjei.

The curls of his aquamarine hair bounced as he nodded. Yumuko ako para ipagtama ang aming mga mata at saka ko napagtantong kulay tsokolate pala talaga ang kaniyang mga mata. While distracting him with my gaze, I wounded my finger a little and pressed the grape on it. I felt the grape's juice because of my 'vampire' abilities. To my shock, it was a familiar essence— similar to the Mirror of Fall.

Naningkit din ng aking mga mata nang maalalang panaginip lang ito. Bakit niya ako bibigyan nito kung hindi naman siya makakaapekto sa realidad? Unless... his powers have something to do with alternating reality through dreams. Posibleng kung ano'ng nangyayari sa katawan ko rito'y makaapekto sa totoong ako. And I do think he's powerful enough to do that.

I almost forgot... he could read my mind right now.

Dinala ko ang ubas sa bibig ko't kinain na 'yon. Nagtaas-kilay ako sa kaniya't napaisip, now what?

"Matalino ka, ngunit kulang ka sa lakas ng loob. You have the power to kill, but no courage. You seem like someone who'd do that, but your heart's too soft. You have so much potential bottled up in your magic. Ang ubas na kinonsumo mo'y ubas na magpapatibay ng koneksyon mo sa Valdemior's Phantom," paliwanag niya, gayong wala akong naintindihan sa huli niyang sinabi.

"Paano naman nangyaring naging konektado ako sa Valdemior's... Phantom?" Tanong ko habang mabagal na binanggit ang huling kataga dahil 'di ako sigurado.

Muli na naman siyang kumagat sa isang ubas, at sa isang iglap ay nawala na naman ang mga nasa paligid. Nadala ako sa Eanta, the frozen tribe of the North. Napakuyom ang aking kamao kung papaanong pati ito'y alam niya.

"How did yo—"

I suddenly stopped speaking when I coughed blood. Nanlaki ang mata ko nang makitang naging kakulay 'yon ng ubas na binigay niya sa'kin. Sa paanan ko'y lumaki ang anino na sa tingin ko'y kung ano'ng tinatawag nilang 'phantom.'

"That's a gift from Valdemior. Phantom's help us to control our powers and manipulate them well. With phantom by your side, you wouldn't have to worry about overdoing such things. You wouldn't have to worry about the continuous manifestation of ancient ice in your veins. For now, you'll feel side effects," ani Ezjei habang pinapawi ang dugo sa'king kamay. He smiled so cheerfully that it creeped me out... what do they plan on using me for? To kill? To murder or assassinate people?

"No, sister... we just wish to rebel and unite Fall and Summer," he replied to my thought, almost pleadingly. "Valdemior has chosen you because of your power of ancient ice... and we let you survive the borderlines."

"How?" I snapped. "How did he know my power? How did I survive the borderlines?"

"You were sneaked out by other Phantoms in the ships we use. Hindi lang namin sigurado kung paanong bigla kang napadpad sa karagatan malapit sa House Calafiore," sagot niya.

Hindi ko naman mapigilan ang sunod kong tanong. Surprisingly, this situation had me talking a lot. Kung sabagay, sino ba naman ang 'di mapapatanong dito?

So, I asked, "Do you have any idea who could have brought me to Calafiore? It's impossible for me to get out your ship without someone's assistance from inside."

He evaded the question and proceeded on explaining. Napigilan ko naman ang hininga ko upang 'di makasinghal.

"And the weapons our men use are weapons made by your ice, Georgia. Hindi mo ba naaalala ang panahong nagsimula kang gumawa ng mga sandata? You lived as a blacksmith because Valdemior ordered lots from you. You wouldn't have survived without him—"

"Ngayon, may utang na loob pa ako sa grupo niyo? I was just doing what I can, my job. You can't force me to join something I'm not even aware of," sumbat ko sa kaniya bago pa siya natapos magsalita. Sa huli, hindi ko rin pala nakayang kontrolin ang emosyon ko. This is just so absrud... like they're leaving me no choice!

"But we share the same goals— to survive in these cruel lands," mahinahon niyang banggit sa'kin. "Our organization would offer you assistance for your individual goal too. We could have given you a new name, but the Calafiore saw you first. Naunahan kami't 'di na nating magagawang bigyan ka pa ng bagong kaanyuan."

Bigla kong naalala si Haden Zorell. Is he part of the Phantoms too? Kaagad namang nasagot ang tanong ko nang magsalita muli si Ezjei.

"The Zorells are under our organization too. Even the real Heidi Laquisha Calafiore is one." Is?

"She's alive?" I asked. The silence and the straight look in his eyes confirmed my speculations. "She's in Fall... right?" Dagdag ko.

Ngumisi siya't malapad na naman akong ningitian. Halos bumingisngis si Ezjei habang muli na namang ngumunguya ng ubas. "Her role as a Phantom is to spy on the royal family. However, since she was exiled— or just ceased to exist here in Summer, she was given a new role, and that is to gather more Soulless to our power."

Hm, it's possible that she might have been the one to push me in House Calafiore. It seems as if she's escaping from something? Might it be her role as a Crown Princess? Pero bakit naman ako ang kailangang magdusa para sa... katangahan niya? If she wanted to do something, hindi niya na ako dapat dinamay. It seems like she ruined the plans of the Phantoms... although these are just speculations.

He gulped loudly and carressed his stomach before speaking again. "Ah! As expected from Sister! You really are smart." Hmph, he read my mind again.

"Valdemior might give you an antidote too, if you join us," he stated, smiled, and lend his clean left hand to me.

What would my role be? Isip ko't 'di na tinanong pa 'yon nang malakas.

"Make Lucifuge the King and subject him to you. This way, we can unite Summer and Fall. If all goes well, you wouldn't need your façade. You could live as Georgia Kaye Alas," he answered.

Naningkit ang mata ko roon. That seemed like a good role, but it seemed to lack something.

"But living as Georgia Kaye Alas does not mean I am free from this world and situation, right? After everything, I should still be tied to Lucifuge?"

He nodded in a slow manner with the corner of his lips rising a bit. "You're our pawn towards victory. Once we win this battle, everyone would recognize you as Queen— including the Soulless."

Hindi ko alam kung ba't ako napahalakhak sa sinabi niya. Maybe it has somethig to do with the absurdity? It's as if being recognized as a Queen satisfies me.

"I'll let the plan be for now. But once I talk with Valdemior, I'll clear everything out. I have no need for the throne," sagot ko habang pinapanood na magyelo ang paligid ko.

"But what if the throne was made for you, Georgia? You don't even know your purpose yet."

I chuckled a little before stabbing myself, with a dagger I formed through my magic just now, to awake from this dream. "Then I shall destroy it. Mind you, my purpose and role is one I create– not one that is given."

Discovering Summerland
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Thank you for reading!