The Doppelganger
Jerastus 16, 2196
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GEORGIA
Georgia Kaye Alas

"Mi amore?" The moment I hear him call me that in my mind, I was flustered— unsure how he managed to notice that it was me. And somehow, it was a confirmation that he is Lucifuge.

The one in the school of sorcery wasn't him.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips but my eyes soon darted on the woman beside him. I wasn't so sure at first but the longer I look at her, the more familiar she gets.

The moment our eyes met, I immediately recognized her. Those foxy eyes, upturned lips, high cheekbone, and sultry aura. Wavy black hair and a gaze that gleamed like fire. No doubt, Heidi Laquisha Calafiore.

It's not a surprise she's here. Hindi na rin kataka-takang magkakilala sila— kung magkakilala lang nga— ni Haden Zorell. After all, they are both under the Phantom's organization.

But what's bothering me is... how did Lucifuge react? What brought them together?

Nakasibangot si Heidi habang nakatingin sa'kin. Hindi ko na ganoong nabigyang pansin ang usapan nila dahil masyadong malikot at marami ang naiisip ko. I don't think I'm giving off a pleasant expression to her either.

"Kabit ka ni Haden, ano?" She blurted out. I couldn't stop myself from scoffing at her or even scrunch my nose.

But before I could even reply, Lucifuge said, "She's my fiancé, Heidi."

One of my eyebrows shot up upon his remarks. He shouldn't be saying that in front of his real fiancè, you know?

"Huh? I am your fiancé, right? We even introduced each other—" Mabilis namang naputol ang sasabihin ni Heidi nang tumaas ang boses ni Haden.

"Ano'ng fiancé? Saan naman nagpakilala?"

Ugh, these boys.

No, actually, it's the three of them.

"I am Georgia Kaye Alas from here, from Fall. I came to the land of Summer, and I was adopted to the house of Calafiore— because you are here, Lady Heidi. Everyone and I even thought you were dead," banggit ko na upang tumahimik nalang sila. Hindi naman ako nagsisinungaling. Akala ko talaga noon ay patay na siya... nito ko lang nalamang hindi.

The silence stretched as she stared at me with such disbelief. So... she doesn't know about it? I thought the Phantoms would tell her about that.

Pero bigla na rin siyang humagalpak ng tawa. Pumapalakpak pa at may paghampas pa sa braso ni Lucifuge. Hindi ko na alam kung natatawa ba siya sa'min, o baka naman sa sarili niya... dahil para siyang... tanga.

Si Lucifuge naman ang napatawa ngayon. Oh, did I say it aloud? He nodded at me and chuckled more, so I apologetically shrugged.

"So you're me from Summer. Ah, I can't believe my family really replaced me for the sake of our honor. Well, I don't mind!" She said in between her laughter. "But you look like Lucifuge's daughter. The fiancé thing doesn't work on me."

Lucifuge's daughter? Umiling naman ako't bahagyang napatawa. "This isn't my real appearance. I am a convict here in Fall, sinned— thrown to the seas. Hindi ako pwedeng makita rito gamit ang orihinal kong hitsura, but then, hindi ko rin alam kung paano nangyari na nag-iba nga hitsura ko."

"Maybe you thought of him too much," Heidi casually suggested with a shrug.

Gusto ko sanang kontrahin iyon pero napapikit nalang ako't muli na namang nagbuntonghininga.

"Now that it's clear who I am... don't we have to talk about our situation?" Tanong ko kahit na hindi ko rin alam kung papaano ko ipaparating kay Lucifuge ang nangyayari.

He must be confused on why I am with Haden Zorell, but he should not know that I am part of the Phantoms. I should act like it.

"Why are you with him, Georgia?" Tanong ni Lucifuge agad. Hindi ko alam kung paano 'yon sasagutin, kaya't napatingin ako kay Haden. Bahagyang nakakunot ang kanyang noo, marahil ay nag-iisip din ng sagot, ng palusot.

"Just because," he answered. "Look, okay, I purposely framed her because I know she'll survive in Summer. Scratch that, it's not I— I was just following orders, and 'til now, I'm just following orders. Don't worry, we mean no harm to both of you, Crown Prince."

That sounded fishy. Maniniwala kaya siya?

"So... you're under the special forces of summerland that Heidi's been talking about?" Dagdag na tanong ni Fuge. Heidi must be pertaining about the Phantoms.

Saglit na nagtaka si Haden pero kaagad n'yang nabawi 'yon sa pagtango.

"You're telling me, Georgia has been part of their plans since before? Why? Why would you put her in danger? How would I believe you?"

Nagulat ako nang halos malamon kami ng aura ni Lucifuge. Halos mapaatras ako nang magtama ang tuhod namin nang umabante ang katawan niya, ngunit mabilis niyang hinawakan ang kamay kong nakapatong sa'king hita. Pinanlakhan ko siya ng mga mata, ngunit nanatili ang masama n'yang tingin kay Haden Zorell.

Even Heidi raised an eyebrow because of it.

Napalunok naman si Haden at nagbuntonghininga. "You know her power... ancient ice. That's why it has to be her."

Mas lalong pinisil ni Lucifuge ang kamay ko at napapikit nang mariin.

"You won't tell us your plans, right?" He mentioned, still with his eyes shut.

"Lucifuge...," tawag ko sa kanya. Napatingin naman siya sa'kin at napatango.

"Okay, go on. As long as you don't harm her and protect her," he mentioned, without breaking his eyes off me.

Hindi ko na alam kung ano'ng tumatakbo sa utak niya. Alam kong marami pa siyang tanong, higit pa sa dami ng tanong ko, pero nanatili siyang tahimik. He still didn't remove his hand above mine after a few minutes.

Then, finally, Heidi spoke and explained to us how they met. Hindi niya rin alam kung ano'ng pakay naman dito, because she insists that she doesn't care. She just helped Lucifuge out of her good will, and nothing more.

Hindi ko tuloy alam kung dapat ko bang sabihin kung ano'ng pakay namin... kasi hindi ba't kilala niya si Aeryn?

But if she's part of the Phantoms, wala ba talaga siyang alam?

Bigla ko namang naalalang may isa pa akong bagay na 'di natatanong. "Haden, who was the man there? The one who looked like Lucifuge?"

Sabay na napatingin sa'kin si Lucifuge at Heidi dahil sa natanong ko. But what bothered me more was how Heidi reacted. Kung kanina ay nagugulat siya, iba na ang ngayon— para bang may hindi sila dapat sabihin pero dahil natanong ko, 'di nila alam ang gagawin.

Nagkatinginan pa sila ni Haden na para bang tinatantya kung ano'ng tamang ipaalam. Unlike us, they might not have telephatic abilities.

"It would be easier to catch them," I thought and smirked inwardly.

"It seemed like you know him, Haden. No'ng natigilan ako nang makita siya at inakalang si Lucifuge, you immediately told me it wasn't him," dagdag ko pa.

Kitang-kita ko naman ang inis sa mukha ni Heidi. Napahilamos naman si Haden sa sarili niyang mukha, ngunit mas lalo lang silang nabahala nang dumagdag pa si Lucifuge.

"I have a doppelganger here? Is that why you keep on insisting I have to cover my face, Heidi?" He asked.

"Oh, Gods," pagmumura ni Heidi. "Okay, that man is someone powerful here. Hindi lahat kilala siya, pero kilala siya ng mga nakakataas. He is an enemy— not just Summer's enemy but also Fall's enemy."

"How come?" Sabat ni Lucifuge. "And why... did he attack you?" Aniya na ngayon nama'y nakatingin kay Haden.

"Kakasabi lang? Kalaban nga siya," diin ni Haden. "Who knows the reason why, but he despises our organization the most. Maybe our goal is not aligned to what he wants, or just some grudge. I don't know, no one knows. But he's powerful. He resides in the abandoned castle of Fall."

Abandoned castle? Narinig ko na 'yan at isang malaking misteryo para sa mga taga-rito. Bagaman may kastilyo, hindi pa rin doon nakakapag-reside ang Fallen Governance, those who are supposedly governing the lands. It was noted by some tribes that the abandoned castle was the true Kingdom of Fall, and that inside were answers to mysteries.

Maraming nagtatangka na pumunta roon dahil sa mga nakatago raw na yaman, pero lahat ay nabibigo— nawawala nalang.

And it must be because of that man. The one who looked like Lucifuge.

"It's possible that he's the longest living here in Summerland... because people from various ages and eras have seen him. It's written in their journals, their notes, anecdotes here in Fall. We've been researching who he might be, but only one is for sure," Haden explained.

"He... he is a psychopath. Everything written about him are experiences or witnesses on how he captures women with red eyes. T-that might be also the reason why he was after us, Georgia."

Nang mabasa ko pa ang utak niya, mas nagtaka ako. "Hindi ko naman pwedeng sabihing siya ang unang hari ng Summer... Hindi sila maniniwala."

But it was too late. I knew that moment, and I'm sure Lucifuge knew about it too.

Unti-unting bumitaw ang kamay niya sa'kin at napapikit na naman nang mariin. Because after all... how can he have lived that long?

Discovering Summerland
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

And then~ the plot thickens.

Thank you for reading!