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Skylar Eloise

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THE SUDDEN whiplash of movement made me feel faint, and by the time we had arrived to where the two men had taken me, agad akong napatumba.

I staggered relentlessly on the cold, marbled floor as we reappeared, arriving at the destination as quickly as a snap of a finger. "Gaano mo ba sinaktan 'to?" Tanong ni Rome sa kaniyang kapatid as I struggled to breathe, placing a hand on my chest. "She's so weak she can't handle teleporting."

"Just enough for her to know her place." Royce said in a monotonous tone, glancing around the large hall where we stood, its cream-marbled floor decorated with lavish rugs. Velvet draperies covered the tall, wide, glass windows; and large chandeliers embezzled the hall's ceiling.

I took it all in, shrinking at the extravagance of the place. "I thought you were joking," I gasped, still finding it hard to breathe as I glance around the place they call Castillo de Luna.

The home of the rich.

"Do I look like I'm a funny person?" Royce asked in annoyance before facing his brother who seemed amused.

"Rome, ikaw na ang mag-inform kay Asteria—"

"Inform me what, exactly?" A voice thundered, echoing throughout the space as a slender woman with dark, midnight blue hair that fell down on her shoulders like waves, appeared from one of the corridors. "I can hear you talking all the way from the tower."

I blinked at her as she stepped forward; her arms were crossed as she gave Royce a deviant look. Gaano ba kalapit yung tower at narinig niya yung pag-dating namin?

Her menacing aura soon disappeared though when she caught sight of me, weak on the floor. "A commoner?!" The woman gasped in surprise.

"Tch," Royce scoffed. "More like a drift."

"A DRIFT?!" Asteria shouted even louder. "What the hell have you been doing, Royce?!"

"She's a thief, Asteria. Nanakawin niya sana 'tong relo na binigay mo but I caught her." He stated, glancing towards me. "Muntik ko na nga siyang patayin."

The slender woman blinked at me. "Then why did you bring her here? Ipapakulong mo?"

"No," Royce muttered. "She will be joining the Luna team for this year's Ethearia Crown Match."

"WHAT?!" Asteria hollered hysterically. "Royce, she's a drift! Wala siyang kaalam-alam patungkol sa digmaan. She'll die!" I bowed my head down as she yelled, hiding my face in shame behind my long, wispy hair.

So this is how low they think of drifts, huh?

"Exactly the point." Royce said, crossing his arms. "This is her punishment."

Asteria looked at me dumbfoundedly, pilit na iniintindi ang lahat. Napansin kong may suot rin siyang silver moon badge sa sleeve ng kaniyang pastel blue tulle dress; looking exactly like Rome's enamel pin. 

"You can't just make an inexperienced drift part of the Luna team, Royce." She scolded him.

"I'm the chief mentor for the Luna Mages' battle in the Ethearia Crown Match. Ako ang masusunod with regards to the betterment of my team." He said rather icily in reply, earning the woman's silence.

"Ikaw muna ang bahala sa kaniya. She will be introduced later at dinner for everyone. I'll be at my quarters if you need me." Royce instructed her before he left, his footsteps echoing as he walked away.

"Good luck," Rome told me before he disappeared in a blink, leaving me with the woman they call Asteria.

Napabuntong-hininga ito as she palmed her face wearily. She then looked at me and gave me a half-hearted smile. "Don't worry dear, I'll make sure those idiots won't wear you out during your trainings." I couldn't discern whether she was smiling genuinely, o dahil kaawa-awa ako.

Agad niya akong nilapitan at saka tinulungang tumayo, my knees still a little shaky from everything that has happened in the past few hours.

"You'll be under the care of Delphine for your stay here at the Castillo." She says, making me confused.

"Delphine?"

"Yes," she smiles and then whistles out a short tune. Suddenly, a little creature flew towards us; its fragile wings twinkled like the stars. It wore a silver, lacy dress that glimmered whenever she moved.

"Shit!" I yelp in surprise. Muntik nanaman akong matumba kung hindi lang nakahawak yung Asteria sa akin.

"This is Delphine, a faerie. She will be your caretaker. Pag may kailangan ka, just whistle out the tune as I did, at agad ka niyang pupuntahan." Asteria explained. The small faerie waved a little hello and I stared at it in horror.

"Ihahatid ko na kayo sa magiging kwarto mo." Sabi nito at agad kaming nag-lakad sa isang corridor that was lit by the glow of Victorian candlesticks.

---

"You know, commoners don't always visit the Castillo." Delphine said, her voice sounding like the soft ringing of bells as she scrubbed away the grime and dirt on my left leg.

Nasa loob kami ng isang malaking kwarto ngayon that had neoclassic architectural design. The walls had gold carvings and arches, and the ceiling looked like a vintage painting of archangels. The room smelled like fresh lavender and scented oil — the opposite of what Lola Rosalina's neighborhood offered.

The little faerie had placed me in a bathtub that also seemed to be made of marble, washing my body with a stone-like scrub. Masakit sa balat ang bato at unti-unti nang namumula ang balat ko dahil rito. It felt like the sting of a jellyfish.

"I'm a drift, not a commoner." I mutter as a response, before yelping once more in pain. "Also, I can wash myself, thank you very much."

"Pero hindi lubusang matatanggal ang dumi if you wash by yourself!" She chimed, this time scrubbing my arm. Little specks of dirt flew, making me sigh.

"You don't smell like a drift though," Sabi pa nito, moving on to wash my hard with a cream that had the fragrance of lilies.

"Oh yeah, what do drifts smell like?" I ask sarcastically as she rubbed my hair thoroughly with the pigment, making sure to exfoliate the strands. 

"Like wet socks," She giggled and I rolled my eyes. Gaano ba ka-naive ang mga faeries? 

"All of you here are eccentric," I huffed. "Like that blue-haired woman; pa'no niya narinig yung pagdating namin if she says she came all the way up from a tower?" 

Muling natawa ang munting diwata na binabanlawan na yung buhok ko. "You mean Chancellor Asteria? She's the right-hand and royal secretary of the royal family. Kaya niyang marinig ang kahit anong bagay up to 5 kilometers due to her enhanced hearing ability."

"What?" I ask in disbelief. Though of course it had to be an ability. "Eh 'yung Royce at Rome?" 

"The Sargon brothers are the mentors of the Luna trainees who will be battling in the Ethearia Crown Match. Royce Sargon is the chief mentor of the team." She replies and I wrinkle my nose habang lumipad ito papunta sa isang matangkad na wardrobe and fished out a towel for me. 

Hindi ko maimagine ang lalaking 'yon bilang isang trainor. 

"Thank you," I told her as soon as Delphine gave me the towel, standing up to wrap the piece of cloth around me.

"It's time for you to pick a dress!" She squeals, twirling around in excitement. The pixie then widely opens the wardrobe for me to see and I gulp at the dresses that hung in its rack.

"No thanks, I want my old jacket and jeans back please." I groan. 

"Oh," she says, dismissing the thought with a wave of her hand. "Chancellor Asteria already disposed of it."

"WHA—" Agad na natabunan ang sigaw ko when Delphine threw a soft, frilly, lilac tulle dress towards me. 

"Darling you're in the Castillo now, you have to look presentable!" Sabi nito at saka lumipad palapit sa akin, helping me wear the dress. A sick feeling engulfed me. Hindi ko ginusto 'to. I don't want to be part of the fucking rich.

"See??" She squeals yet again, turning me around to face a lengthy mirror. For a small faerie, Delphine was pretty strong.

"No," I whisper in horror as the creature dried and combed my still wet, dark brown curls into place. I looked like a doll, like a stranger to my own self.

"Where's my necklace?" I demanded, suddenly remembering the only piece of jewelry that I have relating to my past self.

"H-Here!" The faerie squeaked, flitting her wings rapidly as she grabbed my necklace from a nearby stand. Agad niya itong sinuot sa akin, and I felt relieved to see the familiar moon pendant hanging on my neck.

"And for the final touch," she says before placing a small pin on the sleeve of my dress — exactly the same crest that Chancellor Asteria and Rome Sargon wore. I felt my throat run dry.

"You know, your necklace looks exactly like the official insignia of the Luna Mages."

"Official insignia?" I ask, my words coming out raspy.

The faerie nodded; hindi nito napansin ang mukha kong biglang namutla. What was the connection of my necklace to the insignia of the Luna Mages?

"Oo nga pala," The little faerie said. "I haven't asked you your name."

"What do they call you?"

The question echoed in my mind. Lola Rosalina calls me anak. Kuya Tadong and the other drifts would call me El or Eloise. But the inscription at the back of my necklace's moon pendant says I am not just an Eloise, as what other drifts would like to believe. 

Skylar Eloise. The name engraved at the back of my necklace is suddenly calling out to me.

I clutched the pendant of my necklace that seemed to be glowing habang tinititigan ko ang repleksyon ko sa salamin. Delphine was waiting for my answer.

"Skylar," I finally say, not mentioning my second name.