Ikatlong Persona

Pupungas-pumungas na napabangon ang reyna mula sa hilaga dahil sa isang masamang panaginip. Queen Frinn just dreamt about her death. Flare's words kept on repeating in her head and it's haunting her every time she sleeps. One of her children will kill her under the red moon at midnight. Hindi siya makatulog at halos mabaliw-baliw siya kakaisip kung magkakatotoo ba iyon o hindi. 

"Frinn! Frinn!" Her king shouted. Mabilis itong lumapit sa kaniya't inalo ito sa kaniyang bisig. It became her routine every time she wakes up from sleeping. She'll end up screaming at the top of her lungs having nightmares that keep on taunting her. 

"There, there... you'll be okay." The king hugged her as he softly caressed her hair calming her down. Tumataas baba ang balikat nito't patuloy sa pag-agos ang masaganang luha sa kaniyang pisngi habang pilit itong pinapatahan ng hari.

"One of our children will kill me, Farus! Under the red moon at midnight!" Nanginginig ang buong katawan nito kaya naman hinawakan ng hari ang magkabilang balikat nito't bahagya itong niyugyog nang marahan. 

"Listen to me, it will never happen. They will never betray you. They love you so mu-" 

"She put a curse on me! On you and our whole family!" Namumula na ang mga mata nito't bawat salita'y pasigaw na niyang sinasabi na animo'y naaaning na ito.

"I assure you that it will never happen. I will protect you no matter what happens," he assured her. She shook her head like she doesn't believe him at all. 

"Trust me, my queen. I shall never leave your side even if I die." She was not convinced. Remembering her nightmare made her question the king. 

She saw it. She woke up hearing a soft lullaby. She saw the bloody full moon on her opened window, and someone stabbed her in the chest. It pierced through her heart and the pain was so unbearable. It was excruciating and even if it was just a bad dream, it felt so real. 

"Calm down, plea-" 

"How can I calm down! I died! You will commit suicide, Farus! Ano mangyayari sa Fire Tribe? What will be the future of our monarchy? This cannot happen! This-" 

Hindi maatim ng hari ang inaakto ng kaniyang reyna kaya naman ay niyakap niya lang ito nang mahigpit habang hinahagod ang likod nito. He was scared of the fact that his queen will die, and he admits it's not impossible that he'll kill himself if he failed on preventing that from happening. 

"I don't want to die, Farus! Paano na lang ang mga anak natin! The throne! The people!" Halos humagulhol na ito kakaiyak. 

Farus can't help but think about it either. Before they were against Camaro Elvinov, now his daughter will fuel the burning fire as well. If they don't end up dead burnt or turn into ashes, he doesn't know what they'd become. 

All he knows is that he should not let it happen. If they need to do what they did decades ago to defeat him, he will do it again to defeat the both of them. Two lives in exchange for thousands, it'll be worth it for sure. 

"I will never let them lay a hand on you or any of our family. " He will protect them as a king and as a father of the continent and family. He is willing to do any measure to ensure their safety and well-being. 

"All we need to do is kill h-her, right? The curse w-will undo?" She sounded so weak and helpless, and that's the last thing the king would want to see. 

"So I-I don't have to die? You won't kill yourself? We-" Kinumpas ng hari ang kamay niya, dahilan upang mawalan ng malay ang reyna. Dahan-dahan niya itong inihiga sabay kumot dito. He kissed her forehead and left her room quietly. 

Napakurap na lang ito nang maramdaman ang pagpatak ng luha sa kaliwang pisngi niya. It pained him seeing her like that. It pained him seeing her having sleepless nights ever since that day. 

Kinuyom niya ang kamao niya't malalaking hakbang na pumasok sa silid niya. He then looks around and opened the secret underground passageway inside his room. The secret door was covered with cobwebs, full of bags of dust and smoke when it finally opened. Ito ay palatandaan na sobrang tagal na nito bago ito huling binuksan. 

He snapped his fingers and the torch lights suddenly lit up, providing him the light inside the hidden tunnel.Kung saan ito patungo at ano ang naroon ay tanging siya lamang ang nakakaalam. No one knows about it, not even his wife or any member of his family. 

What lies there will be his weapon to defeat him and her.

Pagkatapos ng ilang minutong paglakad papasok sa makitid na daan ay narating niya ang pinakadulo no'n. He tilted his head when he saw a beautiful woman sleeping beautifully inside a magic capsule. She's wearing a red royal dress, and her red striped hair was resting on her shoulders perfectly. 

He stared at her face. She has this small face, thick brows, wavy lashes, and lips shaped like a cupid's bow. No one can compare the beauty she possessed. 

He laughed weakly when he felt something stirred inside him when he saw her face again after a decade. This time tears escaped from his eyes. After all these years, he refused to see her just to prove that he no longer has it. That he no longer felt anything with a woman bearing that face. 

But he was wrong. 

Just seeing her for seconds his heart skipped a beat, it contacted in pain. It's funny when a glimpse of her made him yearn for her more than anything else. He tried to replace her, he really did. But when he thought he really did, again he was wrong.

It turns out feelings that return are feelings that never left. 

"Heart, you never failed to betray me." Napahilamos ito ng mukha habang nakatukod ang dalawang kamay sa kapsula kung saan nakahiga ang isang dilag na tila ba natutulog lamang sa sobrang kalmado at pagkaamo ng mukha nito. 

He thought the lingering feeling wasn't there anymore. Akala niya lang pala 'yon. He loved his wife, he did. Even though he only has respect for her at first because she was the mother of her children, in the long run, he taught himself to love her. 

He loves her! But why does his heart beats faster seeing this woman in front of him? 

He wiped his tears from his eyes. Wala itong nagawa kun'di ang sumandal sa isang sulok habang sapo-sapo ang mukha. A realization hit him. A realization he refused to believe. He only loved his wife because she was there.

 He loved her because it's only convenient. 

Kahit ilang taon man ang nakalipas, kahit ilang babae man ang dumating sa buhay niya ay isang babae lang ang bukod tanging nagpatibok ng puso niya. Iyon ay ang babaeng ilang dekada na niyang tinatago rito sa lugar na ito. 

Sa katunayan nga'y pakiramdam niya'y kung papapiliin siya sa pagitan ng babaeng ito saka sa babaeng ina ng mga anak niya'y hindi siya magdadalawang isip. He would choose this woman with no hesitation. 

"Patawarin mo ko, hindi ko sinasadyang madamay ka. Patawad..." He was begging as if she could hear him. 

It's his guilt, it was something that burdens him for years. The main reason why he was so bent down to kill that man was that he wanted the woman, he was supposed to be marrying her. Because of him, his long-time desire to marry his first love was gone. 

His love for her in the past will be the reason for the present's chaotic events. Now he had an empire to save, his people, his family, and his wife. He stood up and cleared his throat as he watched her sleeping face once again. 

He will not repeat the same mistake twice. 

Sa pagkakataong ito, hindi na niya uunahin pa ang pagmamahal na nararamdaman niya. That's why he's gonna use her against him. Alam niyang ito ang kahinaan niya sa lahat ng bagay na nawala sa kaniya. 

He will use her to kill him. 

As much as he wanted to stay there and just stare at her, he forced himself to turn his back and leave the underground tunnel for good. When he gathered the most powerful witches and warlocks in the Empire he lists down all their names and kept track of their sons and daughters all throughout generations. 

All of them are dead now, except for one. The last descendant of the most powerful witch that leads the ritual for the curse a decade ago. The Caari bloodline of witches who reserved her body and last remaining soul. She will live once one from their bloodline performed the secret art of resurrection. 

"Icca Nichole Caari..."  

Sa kabilang banda, nagluluksa rin ang hari at reyna ng Gravil Continent. They just found out their son was already dead. Ang inaakala nilang anak nila'y ibang tao pala't hindi man lang nila napansin ito. Maybe they're too occupied with their duties as a king and queen that they never even knew it was another person. 

"Luther, wala akong pakialam kung hindi siya ang totoong anak ko!" Hindi na mabilang ng hari kung ilang beses na sila nagtalo ng kaniyang reyna ukol sa problemang 'yon. 

His queen doesn't care whether he's their blood related son or not.  She sheltered him for years and she treated him as her real son. She just needs to talk him out of it. Nararamdaman niyang mabuti ang kalooban ng batang 'yon at mapapakiusapan ito. 

She's even willing to aplogize in behalf of her husband. She's aware of the weigh of her husband's sin. He killed his real parents and his tribesmen. It was unforgiveful indeed but as a queen and as a mother, she's willing to do anything to be forgiven. 

All she ever wished for is that he'll be back on her arms, even if it's just pretend. 

"Vernice, don't you get it? He used you, he used us to spy on the royal monarchies! He doesn't have any filial love towards you or any of us!" Hindi alam ng hari kung ilang beses ba niya dapat itong itatak sa kokote ng mahal niyang reyna. 

"Don't you get it as well? All you need to do is apologize! You know what you did, Luther! Admit your mistakes and apologize for your sin!" Payak nitong wika habang nangingilid ang luha sa mga mata. 

"Don't think highly of yourself just because you're a king!" she retorted. Nagulat ang hari sa sinabi nito. Ito ang unang pagkakataon na tinaasan siya nito ng boses at sinumbatan pa.

"He is conniving with the man who will cause destruction in our land, Vernice! Everything he showed us was just for the sake of their grand plan!" Umiling ang reyna. Ayaw niyang maniwala rito. 

He may have grudges towards them but somehow she can feel everything he showed her was pure and sincere. He was such a wonderful and good child. He never failed her expectations, not even once. 

"And what is the cause of destruction, Luther? The cause of destruction is because of you, the kings decision!" She scoffed and narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Tama si Winter, dapat hindi na lang ako nanahimik at naging sunod-sunuran kahit alam kong mali ang ginagawa niyo!"  Luther was speechless. His queen never meddled with any of his decisions before. She would always support her with all her heart. Not until today...

"Hindi niyo ba naisip 'yon? What if you apologized? What if all that man ever wanted is for you guys to admit your mistakes and apologize sincerely? Things could've been different!" Maybe, things could've been different indeed. 

"I cannot!" he responded. 

"Yan ang madalas niyong sabihin! Well guess what? Women are different! A man only does what he can, and a woman does what men cannot!" That's why she wantde to apologize on behalf of everyone. 

"Apologizing is like admitting defeat, and we do-" She laughed sarcastically. 

"I am your Queen. My decisions should be considered not just when it comes to the goodness of our family but our tribe!" She said full of confidence and bravery.

"Just because I'm a woman I need to shut the hell up and leave everything to men. Being a man doesn't make you superior, and just because you're the king doens't mean I don't have the rights to talk back to you either!" She held her chin up and took the crown off her head. 

"If you restrain me from doing anything, this..." She paused for a while and look at her crown with a weak smile on her lips. 

"Then this crown is not mine. Maghanap ka ng reynang kayang mag bingi-bingihan at bulag-bulagan sa mga ginagawa mo." She then tossed her crown in the air and left the king stoned and shock upon her words. 

He realized women will always try their best to understand and remain silent, but when they finally opened their mouth to speak, it means they had enough of your bullshits. 

And if you think nothing's wrong with the royal family of the Air Continent, well you better think again. King Aries was fighting with his son, Aerus. The prince couldn't believe what his father did to the woman she cherished aside from his mother. He couldn't believe his father was capable of doing it. 

He respected him so much, but he don't know what to think anymore. 

"How could you do that?!" Aerus motioned his hand and released a massive air sphere that the king easily blocked using his left hand. 

"How can you do that to the woman I love?" Nanlilisik ang mga mata nito. And they didn't hear it wrong.

"Don't be prepostorous! You don't love her!" Napailing si Aerus habang may ngisi pa rin sa labi. 

"I don't love her? Who are you to say that?" He said with a menacing smile on his face as if he knew something. 

Aerus then raised both of his hands, air blaids imerged in the air. Pahagis niyang ginalaw ang kamay niya patungo sa direksyon ng ama niyang hari. The air blades attacked the king and he used both of his hands this time. Hindi niya maitatangging malakas ang anak niya lalo na't pinangungunahan ito ng galit. 

"Aunt Faxara was her mother! Faxara was your best friend!" After releasing a huge amount of soul energy ay naglabas naman ito ng dambuhalang ipo-ipo. It's whirling violenty like his emotions. 

"How can you not think of her and her child's safety!" Natigilan ang hari.

"And who are you to question my love when you loved your bestfriend but you never told her about it!" Kumurap-kurap ang mga mata ng hari't para siyang nabuhusan ng malamig na tubig sa sinabi ng anak. 

"How..." 

"I've read your journal," agad nitong sagot.

"You look over my things?" Kung mayroon mang ayaw ang hari iyon ay ang may nangingialam ng mga gamit niya nang hindi nagpapaalam. 

"You went in the Kings Library without my consent?!" Biglang tumaas ang boses nito. Napangisi na lamang ang binata. That's what he wants. He wants to anger him para lumaban din siya rito't hindi puro pagsangga lang sa bawat atake niya ang gagawin. 

"You loved your bestfried pero ano ang ginawa mo?" He continued taunting him. He then smirks and  said, "You agreed to use her as a bait even though you know it would endanger her and the baby in her womb!" King Aries clenched his left fist as he closed his eyes trying to calm down.

"They promised they won't hurt her..." His voice may seem calm but the truth is he was trembling remembering the past he was trying to burry. 

"But they did and she died! And you took part of it! You killed her!" The king kept on telling himself it was just an accident. He lived his life making himself believe that he was not involved with it. 

"Aunt Faxara was like Flare, is she not? A woman who can easily swept you off your feet. A lot of men adored her and would fall on her feet just to have her attention." Aerus concluded. 

"That's why you don't want me to end up with her..." he added. 

"Her existence made you remember what you did. But what I could not forgive is you agreeing to kill her!" Naglabas ng espada ang binata. His eyes were glaring at his father. 

"After reading your journal I started to question everything about you," he paused for a while and gave the king his coldest stare. 

"Tell me, do you even love my mother with all your heart?" And that question hit the king's nerve.  Sa pagmulat ng mata nito'y naglabas din ito ng espada. 

Both of their swords are releasing white energies and it's fuming like their anger. Parehong nakatingin ang mga ito sa isa't-isa't nagtatagisan ng tingin. And when Aerus took a step forward to attack, sumunod na rin ang hari rito. 

Just as their swords were about to collide against each other, a sudden release of a strong energy suddenly sent both of their swords flying outside the hall. Tumarak ang espada ng mga ito sa hardin kung kaya't sabay silang napatingin sa direksyon na pinaggalingan ng enerhiyang iyon. 

"M-mother..."

"M-my queen..." 

Both of them chorused. The Queen was looking at them as if they were someone so dumb and reckless. She heard everything, and she'd be a hypocrite if she won't admit she was heard. Hindi niya alam na may gusto pala ang hari sa babaeng 'yon. All she knew is that they were bestfriend. 

"A king shouldn't be so reckless, and the first prince should not be dumb. You call yourself royalties?" Mahinahon nitong wika. 

They blinked an eye. Hindi alam ng hung ano ang nararapat niyang gawin. He's pretty sure the queen heard everything. However, looking at how calm her facial expression is he felt guilty even more. 

"Kung sa tingin niyo'y mas mahalaga ang pag-aaway niyong dalawa kaysa sa problemang kinakaharap natin ay sige ituloy niyo 'yan kahit magpatayan pa kayong dalawa." Napaayos ng tayo ang mga ito't agad na nagbuntong-hininga. 

They lost control...

The queen then turned her back and walk gracely as she can, hinding the pain and the tearas flowing down her eyes. It was in the past, she's not supposed to care now that she's married with him and have kids. But Aries never mentioned that he once have feelings for his bestfriend. Ngayon ay iniisip niyang talaga bang minahal siya nito, o minahal lang dahil siya ang nariyan.

Meanwhile, Queen Winter was holding his son's left hand. Ilang araw na niya itong binabantayan subalit hindi pa rin ito nagigising. Kahit gano'n ay hindi pa rin siya nawawalan ng pag-asa at patuloy pa rin ang pananalangin niyang sana'y magising na ito upang mapanatag ang loob niya. 

She felt thirsty. Sa pagtayo nito'y bigla itong naparamdam ng hilo kaya nama'y mariin itong napapikit. Sinubukan niyang magmulat subalit sa pagtama ng liwanag sa kaniyang mga mata ay bigla na lang nagdilim ang paningin niya't hindi na niya natandaan pa ang susunod na nangyari. 

Right then, Frost's fingers suddenly moved. Dahan-dahan itong nagmulat ng mata. When he opened his eyes, his hair turned fully white and he lost his baby blue eyes. Five of his seven spritual points was severly damaged. He managed to live but he's nothing but a normal human now. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but he was too weak to even utter a word. He closed his eyes and vivid pictures of what happened days ago suddenly flashed in his mind. Heremembered everything that happened causing him to panick. 

"F-Fl..." He swallowed a lump on his throat. He can feel he no longer have the capability of using his element, and it's making him even more frustrated than struggling to speak. 

I'm useless. I can't protect her now.

"F-fl...F-fla...re..." Mariin niyang pinikit ang kaniyang mga mata. As soon as he opened his eyes, he wanted to see her. He wanted to ask how she's doing, if she's hurt anywhere, if she hates him even more after the learning the truth about her existence. 

They can't be together, that's what he's sure of, but at least he can protect her back then. Now the whole Empire will be against her and he can no longer do anything. He trained so hard and became the strongest of the second generation royalties to protect her when this time happens, but now all efforts were in vain. 

She loves him and he loves her, but it wasn't that simple. 

Itutuloy...