I slowly opened my eyes when I felt someone shook me to wake up. Kinurap-kurap ko muna ang aking mata dahil blurry pa ang paningin ko. As my sight finally cleared, tumambad sa akin ang mga nagkakalat na mga vampires, werewolves, at witches sa paligid. I almost lost my breath when I realized what happened to me earlier.

"Kai, you fine?" Napalingon ako sa aking tabi nang marinig ko ang boses ni Ry.

There I saw him. His hands were tied with rope around the tree. Ganoon din ako. His hair was disheveled. His shirt was messy. And I noticed a sweat upon his forehead. I looked at him in worry. But he just smiled at me bitterly. Tears instantaneously fell upon my eyes.

"Gods, you don't know how I wanted to hug you right now," he regretfully said. "Are you fine?" tanong niya ulit sa akin. I nodded as a response. "Stop crying, I'm here and we still have to escape so we could help your pack."

Dahil sa huli niyang sinabi, napatingin ako sa paligid. Napagtanto kong nandito pala kami sa teritoryo ng Crescent Pack. Anger took over my system when I saw my pack gathered in one place. Nasa loob sila ng salt circle. The adults are trying to break free, but to no avail.

The werewolf kids were crying. I could see the fear in their eyes. Napatingin ako sa kaliwa ko nang marinig ko ang angil ng isang lobo. I could also hear the sound of chain. I restrain myself when I realized who that was.

"Lola!" I shouted.

Dahil sa sigaw ko, naglingunan naman ang mga vampires, werewolves at witches sa kinaroroonan ko. Ang kakapal ng mukha nila para idamay ang pamilya ko! Mas lalong umusbong ang galit ko nang makita ko sina Akihiro at Kiara sa hindi kalayuan.

Nandito rin ang Holial Pack. Naglakihan naman ang aking mga mata nang biglang may nagsidatingang group of witches. Dala-dala nila ang pamilya ni Hecate. Walang malay naman ang Papa niya. The enemies tied their hands with ropes and shoved them against the tree.

"Lola Elisa," pagtawag ko sa Lola ni Hecate.

Nang marinig niya ako ay nginitian niya ako nang mapait. Habang ako naman ay napayuko dahil andami ng nadamay dahil sa akin. If I surrender early, perhaps, it's the other way around. If I bargain with Durano witches, perhaps, they could spare the people I love.

"Kai, do not blame yourself for this." Napaangat ako ng tingin nang marinig ko ang sinabi ni Tita Grace. She looked at me with sad on her eyes when she saw my tears. "We are your family. Do not even think you are the reason why we're in this situation. Durano witches are vile, manipulative, and selfish. Ang ganitong gawain ay hindi na ito bago para sa kanilang pamilya," she added.

Lola Elisa was about to respond when we saw Meira Durano appear and spoke in front of us.

"You're absolutely right, dear Grace," she teasingly said.

"Meira," may diing banggit ni Tita Grace sa pangalan nito. Napatingin naman si Tita sa likuran ni Meira. "Cedric." I could trace the disappointment of Tita Grace's voice.

An interested smile plastered upon Meira's lips. "Aw, a reunion!" she exclaimed and manipulated a confetti using her magic. "A werewolf who ended your family's pitiful leadership," an insulting laugh escaped from her lips.

Hindi nagpatinag si Tita Grace sa mga banat nito. She just scoffed in disappointment. Tinapunan niya si Meira nang walang ka-emosyong tingin. Pero sa kabila ng mga pinapakita niya, naamoy ko ang galit nina Tita Grace at Lola Elisa.

"You are as vainglorious and selfish as before, Meira," Tita Grace commented.

Meira's mouth fell half-open. Inilagay pa niya ang kaniyang kaliwang palad sa dibdib niya. She didn't seem insulted by Tita Grace's words. Sa halip ay tila natutuwa pa siya.

"Why, thank you, Valenzuela!" she exclaimed.

Tita Grace scoffed in disbelief. Kaagad na namayani ang katahimikan sa pagitan naming lahat pagkatapos ang usapang 'yon. Dahil dito nabaling ang atensyon ni Meira sa akin. When she saw me, her face quickly lighten up. She was delighted to see me in flesh.

"Well, looks who's here!" Tila nanabik niyang sigaw para kunin ang atensyon ng lahat. Naglakad siya sa akin at hinawakan ako sa magkabilang pisngi ko. I saw Ry restrained. "Shut up!" galit na sabi nito kay Ry.

My eyes grew wider when I saw Ry literally lost his mouth. "Do not worry, that's only temporary," she said when she noticed me looking at him worriedly.

Binitawan niya naman ako't tinalikuran ako. "It is me who you want, right? Pakawalan mo sila ngayon din!" galit na galit kong sigaw sa kaniya. Dahilan para mapahinto siya sa paglalakad.

Isang malademonyong ngiti sa labi ang sumalubong sa akin nang lingunin niya ako.

"Indeed, Kai," she frugally answered. "Your offer is quiet tempting, but," huminto siya sa pagsalita't tinignan ako ng natatawang tingin, "they're hindrance to my plan. Therefore, I'm sorry, I'll decline your offer." Sumunod naman ang malademonyong tawa nito.

She snap her finger, and a matter of second, a chair appeared. Umupo siya sa harapan namin at nginitian kami isa-isa. She crossed her legs and locked her eyes on me.

"Now, I'll give you a chance to ask me the questions you wanted me to answer," she said. Her devilish grin upon her lips remained. Walang gustong magsalita. She just disappointingly heaved a sigh. "No? Let me tell you a story then," she added.

I rolled my eyes. Nandiyan na naman tayo sa storytelling.

"Did you know a witch named Hergest?" she asked. I heard Lola Elisa and Tita Grace gasped. I quickly concluded, kilala nila ang witch na binanggit ni Meira. "Once upon a time, in the year 950, there was a tribe witches in Luna Roja. Dito mismo sa lugar na 'to ang teritoryo nila."

Naglakihan naman ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya. "In that tribe, it consists of seven influential families: Fodor, Herrera, Malgum, Akalina, Seabra, Callan, and Camus. Among the seven, Fodor was the most powerful witches. Therefore, they were chosen to lead the tribe," she continued.

"Napagkasunduan ng dalawang pamilyang Fodor at Herrera na ipakasal ang kanilang dalawang anak na panganay," natutuwa niyang kuwento. "Ito ay dahil upang patibayin ang kanilang tribo. Kahit na kasunduan lamang ng pamilya nina Tarie at Debiel na ikasal sila ay nahulog pa rin sila sa isa't isa. And that love bore fruit. Ipinanganak ni Tarie ang kanilang anak ni Debiel. Everyone in the tribe anticipated. Their child was born in the year 952. At pinangalanan nila itong si Hergest."

Narinig ko naman ang sunod-sunod niyang pagbuntonghininga. Tila ba'y tinatamad ng ipagpapatuloy ang kuwento niya.

"Long story short, lumaki si Hergest na kinukutya sa mga katribo niya. Therefore, she thought herself magic to defend herself," she continued.

Napahinto siya sa pagsasalita nang marinig niyang napa-scoff sina Lola Elisa at Tita Grace. Iniling-iling pa nila ang kanilang ulo na tila dismayado.

"We witches knew what really happened to Hergest, Meira. She wasn't bullied. Because of her greed, she performed a forbidden spell that against the balance of nature!" Sigaw ni Tita Grace sa pagmumukha ni Meira. "Dahil dito nagawa niyang pumatay ng katribo niya't ina-absorb ang mga kapangyarihan nila upang angkinin ito!"

Magsasalita na sana si Meira nang marinig naming magsalita si Ry. "Hergest," mahina niyang banggit. Natuwa kaagad ako nang makita kong bumalik na ang bibig niya.

Pero ang tuwang 'yon biglang napawi nang makita kong tila may bumabagabag sa kaniya. "She's the woman that my father told us. She's the woman who put curse on our family," hindi makapaniwalang sabi niya. "I thought it was a myth."

Sa pagkakataong 'to, ako na naman ang nagulat sa mga nalaman.

"She even loved your father, Del Grosso," Meira said.

Tinapunan siya ni Ry ng nandidiring tingin. "Love, ba kamo?" he said in disbelief. "If that's her definition of love, screw her!" Galit na galit na sigaw ni Ry.

Kaagad na nagsitakasan ang lakas ko nang biglang umitim lahat ng mata ni Meira. Sa isang iglap, sumulpot si Meira sa harapan ni Ry. At walang pag-alinlangang sinakal siya.

"He hurt me, boy!" Nanginig kaagad ako sa takot nang marinig ko ang nag-ibang boses ni Meira. "Huwag mo akong simulan sa totoong ibig sabihin ng pag-ibig!" Umalingawngaw ang boses niya sa tahimik na gabi.

Napansin ko rin ang takot sa mukha nina Lola Elisa at Tita Grace. Tila ba'y kaagad na nakilala nila kung sino ang nasa loob ni Meira. Sa halip na matakot si Ry, I heard him scoffed in disgust.

"My f-father didn't even have an affair with you. He even barely knows you," nahihirapang sagot ni Ry.

Dahil sa sinabi ni Ry mas lalong umasim ang mukha ni Meira. She even griped his neck tighter. That made Ry's eyes almost close. Para akong nabunutan ng tinik nang makita kong binitawan siya nito.

"You should fear me, boy! For I am the one who created vampires and werewolves," she said in a deep voice. Ibinaling niya ang kaniyang tingin sa akin. "Soon enough, this vessel shall be mine! And for that to happen, I need your life, Caelestis Gehenna."

Naglakad siya papalapit sa akin. Hinahaplos-haplos ang aking pisngi.

"You are the last two remaining tools for Meira to complete the spell." Tumatawa niyang sabi. "You are the descendant of my mother's, a Fodor. And your sire line came from a Del Grosso. That makes you a perfect sacrifice!" Mas lalong lumakas ang tawa niyang tumalikod sa akin.

"Too bad your parents didn't have that," pahabol niyang sabi.

I snarled in anger. Pero tinugunan lang niya ako nang isang malakas na tawa. Nang makailang hakbang, siya'y tumigil. Muli siyang humarap sa amin. Napansin ko kaagad na bumalik na sa dating kulay ang mata ni Meira. Sumilay naman ang mapang-insulto niyang ngiti sa labi.

"You―" hindi matapos-tapos ni Tita Grace ang mga kataga niya.

Dahil hanggang ngayon ay nakadikit pa rin sa amin ang takot at gulat.

"Yes?" Tumatawang wika ni Meira. Inilagay pa niya ang kaniyang palad sa tenga. "Let me paraphrase that, dear Grace. My ancestors first discovered Fodor's forbidden grimoire in the year 1521. Ever since that year, we, Durano, became Hergest's vessel."

I balled my palm and gritted my teeth.

"Surprise!" Muli na naman siyang tumawa nang malademonyo bago kami tuluyang talikuran.