Chapter 48: Real Story

I was right from the very beginning that the spider is the heart of this place. But to discover that the biggest guardian of this place is the head wizard trapped in a body of a spider?

Buong akala ko ay siya ang may kagagawan ng lahat nang ito. That he controlled this entire place while waiting for us on his throne, na siya ang masayang nakikipaglaro sa amin at sinusukat kung hanggang saan ang kakayanan namin.

But it turned out that he's trapped as well. Kung ang inaakala namin na ang diyosa lamang ang siyang itinatago sa lugar na ito, mukhang nagkakamali kami.

I freed the Head Wizard.

Kung ganoon, sino ang kasalukuyang naupo sa puwesto ng Fevia Attero? Who's this impostor who's been trying to manipulate this whole world?

"Anna! This place is starting to collapse!" sigaw ni Howl.

Natigil ako sa pagkakatulala sa katawan ng Head Wizard dahil sa malakas na sigaw ni Howl sa likuran ko. Nang muli akong sumulyap sa Head Wizard, halos hindi ako makapaniwala na makikita ko siya sa ganoong sitwasyon.

I always looked up on him since I was young. But to see him in this situation?

I didn't waste more time, with my Earth dragon's wings, I flew to the body of the Head Wizard and carried his body.

"Howl!" sigaw ko.

"Alright!"

Hindi na kailangan pa naming mag-usap pa ni Howl dahil alam na niya ang kanyang gagawin. He faced those portals, and with his returned mana, he immediately casts a spell to remove the illusion in front of us as he ran fast towards it. Tavion and Iris ran together with him as well, at ang tanging natigilan lang sa sitwasyon ay si Caleb na alam kong nakatayo pa rin at nakatitig sa akin.

Totoo bang wala siyang nalalaman sa nangyayari? Is it true that he went in this place by accident? Or is it another way to prove that the wicked King Thaddeus raised his son well by teaching him how to masterfully manipulate everyone's mind and heart with his masked of foolishness?

Alam kong pilit hinuhuli ni Caleb ang mga mata ko pero hindi ko iyon gustong salubungin sa mga oras na ito.

Habang hawak ko na ang katawan ng Head Wizard sa ere, tumatakbo na sa unahan sina Howl, Tavion, at Iris. With Howl's power the portals turned into one, and with the swift movement, we all crossed to the illuminated portal. Tulad ng mga lagusang nalampasan ko noon, matinding init at hapdi sa balat ang siyang unang naramdaman ko, nakakasisilaw na liwanag at maging pagbigat ng paghinga.

The portals can kill weaklings, that why's the Attero's government never advise to beginner wizards to use a portal. Pero dahil lahat naman kami ay may kakayahan na hindi na nahahanay sa mga baguhan nang sandaling malampasan namin ang lagusan ay agad rin nawala ang epekto nito sa aming katawan.

It's just sudden pain but tolerable.

At nang sandaling iwan na nga kami ng matinding liwanag, init at hapdi sa aming mga mata, muli kaming sinalubong ng panibagong lugar.

A throne room.

And we're at the edge of a long red carpet with golden lining on its both sides. At the other end of the red carpet is an-eight stair between two inclined foundations with golden inscriptions towards the golden throne. It is positioned at the top of two stoned bars stacked together with acceding sizes. At the top of the golden throne were connected five crimson huge strings on its edge while the other edges are hanging upside, creating another spider-like form.

But the man on the throne made both of my hands ignited together with my gray eyes and dragon scales on my temple.

Iris turned into her werewolf form, while Tavion's starting to run towards the enemy. Tanging sina Caleb at Howl lang iyong hindi nakagalaw sa kanilang kinatatayuan.

Sabay-sabay kaming sumugod sa lalaking ngayon ay nakangiti sa amin at talagang hinihintay ang aming pagdating.

The late Earth Wizard is alive and he took the form of the Head Wizard when he proudly shifted his original form in front of us. Ngunit nang sabay-sabay nang makakarating ang iba't ibang klase ng atake naming tatlo, bigla na lang may unti-unting umultaw na imahe sa aming harapan.

One. . . two. . . a dozen?

The invisible figures in front of us started to have colors and form, Tavion jumped back, tumigil rin si Iris sa pag-atake at nanatili ako sa himpapawid.

"M-Master. . ." usal ni Howl.

"Why. . . you, guys. . ." rinig kong sabi ni Caleb.

Napalingon ako sa kanilang dalawa dahil sa kanilang reaksyon na dapat ay katulad rin namin na handa nang umatake.

Nang ibalik ko ang atensyon ko sa aking harapan, unti-unting bumalik sa alaala ko iyong mga sinabi sa akin ni Caleb. He was asking about those Atteros with unusual clothing, they can shapeshift and the guardians of the portal. They're here in front of us and they're helping the Earth Wizard.

"Y-You betrayed your own world. . ." muling usal ni Howl.

The Earth Wizard laughed in front of us. Naupo siya sa trono niya at pinagkrus niya ang kanyang mga hita.

"Why would I betray my beloved world, Howl? Mahal ko ang Fevia Attero kaya nagawa ko ang lahat ng ito. I saved this world from chaos."

"What? By living with the Head Wizard's identity? By cursing him inside this hell like place? By killing all those innocent Atteros?!" sigaw ko.

Muling umalingawngaw ang malakas na pagtawa ng Earth Dragon Wizard sa harapan naming lahat.

I know that there's a betrayal. Inaasahan ko nang si Thaddeus ang siyang sasalubong sa aming lahat, dahil tanging siya lang ang nakabalik sa kanyang mundo at hindi man lang nalapatan ng kahit anong klase ng sumpa. But to see the Earth Dragon Wizard on this throne?

"Tell me what's going on!" sigaw ko muli.

Marahas kong itinuro ang mga naharang na nilalang sa harapan ng Earth Dragon Wizard.

"You told me that they helped you! Tell me what's happening, Caleb!" ngunit ang tanging nagawa lang ni Caleb ay humakbang paatras at umiling sa akin.

"Caleb, there's no way that you're going to deny that you're not aware of all of this! Ikaw ang nagsabi sa akin na kakampi ninyo ang mga ito! What's with your father and this wizard?!" marahas akong lumingon kay Howl na natutulala na rin.

Habang sina Iris at Tavion ay hindi na makagalaw sa mga nangyayari.

Our first mission was to find the portal to leave this world, to create a new life for me, to find peace and end this mercilessly sacrificing of lives in this life-eating ruin, but what's this?

Ano itong nadidiskubre ko?

Nang maramdaman kong nagsisimula nang gumalaw ang Head Wizard ay agad akong nagtungo sa kanyang nanghihinang katawan. Nawala na ang respeto ko sa kanya at marahas kong hinawakan ang kuwelyo niya.

I forced him to look at me.

"Tell me what's going on! Why the hell the most powerful wizard in this world turned into a fucking spider!"

Pero ang tangi niya lang ginawa ay tumitig sa aking mga mata. He looked so tired and too surrendered to answer me. Ngunit sa kabila nang panghihina niya ay pilit siyang lumingon sa trono sa unahan.

I thought he was trying to look at the Earth Dragon Wizard, but he's actually looking on top of the throne, between the connected crimson strings. Hinabol ko ang tingin niya sa lugar na iyon, hanggang sa unti-unting nanghina ang mga kamay kong nakahawak sa kanya.

Napasinghap na lang ako kasabay nang unti-unting pamumuo ng luha sa sulok ng aking mga mata.

"There are places that no Attero or even a vampire could ever beat. And this ruin is one of it, Anna Merliz Callista," paliwanag ng Earth Dragon Wizard.

"If Fevia Attero has this ruin, Nemetio Spiran has the cave from Parsua Sartorias," dagdag ni Caleb.

"I don't understand. . ." naiiling na sabi ko.

"In our world full of mysteries, power, legends, histories, legacies, love, and sacrifices, the real villain is not always one of us, but also how this world originally built— or let's say the cruel nature of this world."

"I never asked you to free me. . ." nanghihinang tumayo sa tabi ko ang Head Wizard.

Nanghihina man ay hinarap niya rin ang Earth Dragon Wizard na nakaupo pa rin sa kanyang trono. "And I never asked you to take my place."

"And allow this beautiful world to become a weak target of the other worlds? Were you even aware that the goddesses from Deeseyadah had a plan to overpower this world? But I managed this world to look formidable, so instead they tried to manipulate Nemitio Spiran, luckily a great king sat on the throne and fought to save their world," sagot ng Earth Dragon Wizard.

Bahagya kong naintindihan ang pinag-uusapan nila. Nasabi na sa akin ni Caleb na nagkaroon ng isang napalaking giyera sa kanilang mundo laban sa mga diyosa ng Deeseyadah. Kung ganoon ay hindi lang pala Nemetio Spiran ang nais nilang paikutin sa kanilang mga kamay, kundi pati na rin ang mundong ito.

"Do you think being a lovesick spider will save your beloved goddess? Hindi lang ikaw o ang diyosang minamahal mo ang mamamatay sa naging desisyon mo, kundi maging ang mga nilalang na nagtitiwala sa 'yo," paliwanag ng Earth Dragon Wizard.

"Does it mean that you really didn't betray them? Instead, you disguised as the Fevia Attero's Head Wizard to keep this world looked stable?" tanong ni Tavion.

"Why do I have to betray this world?!" malakas na sigaw ng Earth Wizard.

"Because you were in love with the goddess, and she never choose you?" tanong ni Iris.

Tumawa nang pagak ang Earth Dragon Wizard. "Why would I choose to become that bitter villain of the story? Earth Dragon Wizards are always the elegant, handsome, and prideful dragon of all. We're born as a hero, not a stupid bitter villain without a love interest. Isa pa, I know how to move on."

Nakaawang na ang mga labi ni Howl pero sa huli ay tumakbo na rin siya sa unahan. Hindi na siya hinarang pa ng mga nilalang na nasa unahan ng Earth Dragon Wizard at hinayaan nilang marating ni Howl ang kanyang maestro.

For the very first time, I saw Howl looked so small. Hinayaan niya ang kanyang sariling yumakap sa nilalang na siyang nagpalaki at nagturo sa kanya ng lahat. I could even see how his shoulders were shaking. He's crying.

"I thought I am going to kill you," bulong ni Howl.

"You can never kill me, Howl," natatawang sagot ng Earth Dragon Wizard.

Hindi ganito ang inaasahan kong sasalubong sa amin, alam kong may hindi pa sila sinasabi sa amin.

This isn't the end yet.

"Now that we're here, will the history will repeat itself? If we're not facing the villain right now, and if we're really inside to the place that no Attero or even vampires could ever beat, what will happen to us?" tanong ko.

I am starting to realized that it's not just the goddess, the Head Wizard, or even the Earth Dragon Wizard who chose to live in other's identity who are trapped in this place or in this situation— dahil nang sandaling pinili naming lahat na pumasok sa lugar na ito, malaki ang posibilidad na makulong din kami sa isang sitwasyon at wala na kaming pagpipilian pa.

"Three worlds, right?" tanong ko.

Ngayon ay nasa akin na ang atensyon nilang lahat.

"There are three world that has this kind of place— a sacrificial place," panimula ko. "Fevia Attero, Nemetio Spiran and Tavion's world. . ."

"And there are three powerful bone eating portals in each world," dagdag ni Iris.

Magsasalita pa sana ako nang biglang nabuksan ang malaking pintuan sa likuran namin. Lahat kami ay napalingon doon.

And there, Prince Alistair Le'Vamuievos breathing heavily as both of his hands slowly pushed the door open. Una'y nakayuko siya ngunit nang sandaling nag-angat siya ng tingin sa aming lahat ay diretso siyang tumitig kay Caleb.

"There are sacrificial maiden in each portals, right? Nemetio Spiran has my mother's body and my foolish father turned into a deer to join her. And this ruin has this mysterious goddess and her mate chose to become a spider to stay beside her. . ." sabi ni Rosh habang mabagal na naglalakad papalapit sa amin.

"So. . . the remaining portal is?" ani ni Iris na napalingon kay Tavion.

"There's no goddess or powerful maiden. . . nalilito ako," umiiling na sabi ni Tavion.

"Because when they attempted to close those portals together with these maidens, someone betrayed them, got scared and feared to lose his mate, right?" mahinang tanong ni Caleb.

"Bingo!" malakas na sabi ng Earth Dragon Wizard.

Unti-unti akong lumingon pabalik kay Caleb. Mabibigat na ang paghinga ko habang pinagmamasdan kung paano siya hindi makaharap sa aming lahat.

Muling nagsalita ang Earth Dragon Wizard.

"The great King Thaddeus Leighton Gazellian betrayed his own friends for love."