Chapter 18: Past

"Change your form," panimula ni Tavion.

Mas naramdaman ko ang likuran niya sa akin nang higit na magpakita ang bilang ng mga Attero sa paligid namin na kapwa mga nagliliwanag ang mga kamay.

Tumigil na ang paglapit ng malamig na usok sa amin, ngunit hindi iyon naging dahilan upang mawala ang kaba sa dibdib ko. Isama pa ang mabagal na paggalaw ng mga ulap sa kalangitan na anumang oras na ay higit nang magtatakip sa liwanag ng buwan.

The tension overwhelmed as the enemies started to approach. Tavion and I did the most appropriate thing in that situation, to make ourselves look tough and powerful as if we were not trapped and cornered foreigners from different worlds.

Even with his back against me, I could picture Tavion with his red blazing eyes, fangs and sharp nails that would intimidate even those creatures with magical hands. They might look magical, but Tavion and I looked too dangerous for a prey.

Kahit ako'y hindi pinanatili na maging isang babaeng nahuli sa gitna ng kagubatan ang ipinakikita sa kanila. With my unusual golden eyes, and an ability to make a light through my heart with the use of the map, the hesitation from our enemies' eyes started to get clearer.

"And what? Do you think I'd look weaker in this form?"

"Of course not."

I smirked.

Gumala ang tingin ko sa paligid at napansin ko na tila iisa lang ang mukha ng mga Attero na nakapalibot sa amin.

"Are they siblings or-"

"Illusion, Iris. We only got one opponent," bulong sa akin ni Tavion.

"Let's have a bet, Iris. The one who got the real one will have one wish."

"Really?"

Bago pa man tuluyang gumalaw si Tavion mula sa pagkakasandal sa likuran ko ay mabilis ko na siyang inunahan. If someone would ask me about the similarities between vampires and werewolves, it's always the extent of their senses. Halos hindi na nalalayo ang abilidad namin lalo na kung hindi pangkaraniwang ang bampirang ikukumpara sa isang lobo.

I am confident that I could quickly identify the real magician among his clones, but the question is, how quick?

I only knew Tavion as a Gazellian and a prince from the other world, but I never knew how he honed his skills and abilities. And what would be the extent of his survival skills?

As I dodged every attack of the magician from different directions, and as I got nearer to his position, I just realized that this journey is not just all about how would I find Caleb, play Howl's plan, and follow my heart the moment my eyes met Tavion, but also how I grow not just as a woman with a map, but a warrior, a fighter- a white werewolf with a purpose.

This journey is not all about answering the tangled love, finding mysteries, and discovering anything in this unexpected world, but seeking the most important, realizing my real worth and value.

Simula nang malaman kong ako ang babaeng itinakdang maghawak ng mapa na hinahangad ng karamihan, nagsimula nang umikot doon ang mundo ko. I suddenly forgot the woman before the map arrived, and I allowed the map to define me, rather than I, Iris Evangeline Daverionne that should define the map.

I shouldn't live within the universe of the map, rather I should let the map live within me. I should lead the map because every creature is a map itself.

We create our own journey, we made our own path, and choose where to stop.

This adventure is not just all about searching or saving Caleb from somewhere, but instead, it's all about finding my true self.

At ngayon na nakilala ko na si Tavion, napagtanto ko na unti-unti ko nang nakikilala ang sarili ko. Higit nasasaksihan ang sariling humahakbang sa lugar na alam kong tanging ang sarili ko ang nagdidikta.

How could this unknown vampire from a different world make me realize the things I'd never thought of before?

Habang patuloy ang paglapit ko sa harapan ng kalaban, agad ko nang napapansin ang kaba sa kanyang mga mata, ang pangangatal ng kanyang dalawang kamay habang pilit niya akong pinatatamaan at ang mga mata niyang hindi mawari kung saang patungo.

Tavion's already out of sight. Isa lang ang ibig sabihin niyon, hindi iisa ang nakikita naming kalaban. He got the wrong one.

When the enemy was already about an inch away from me, and when I was all out to give him a one-strike attack, my rotating kick failed to hit him as his whole body failed to stay in its position and started drifting like someone had stabbed him from the back.

The moment my feet reached the ground, with my eyes wide opened, the magician suddenly coughed his own blood with his open eyes, and before he finally dropped on the muddy, now filled with my footprints with the series of attacks and dodges we had, I saw Tavion, standing confidently with his eyes on me.

"I got him first," his eyes still red as the magician's blood on his right hand.

"Y-you killed him."

"Oh? Should I not? He will kill us if-" napamasahe ako ng aking noo.

"Alright."

"Is this the first time? It's not your first time, right? I've seen you inside that war. You've killed not just a few. . ."

"That's necessary."

"Is this not necessary?"

I waved my hand in dismissal. "Clean yourself. We need to find the ruin."

"And stick to the plan? Are we going to follow Howl's plan and just you know. . . guard the ruins and such?"

Agad akong umiling. "We will enter the ruin."

Tumango si Tavion. "Got it."

Sinulyapan ko ang katawan ng salamangkero at mariin akong napapikit. I was just planning to incapacitate him, but killing him?

Napailing muli ako kay Tavion. "This is a declaration of war, Tavion. You're a prince, you should know this."

"We hide the body," he casually said.

"Where? Are you going to dig here and bury him? Come on!"

"I'll find a river and throw him there."

"Huh?"

"Let me do something about this body. I'll come back. The smoke's gone already, right?"

Nang kapwa kami lumingon sa posisyon ng usok ay wala na iyon. So, the magician that Tavion killed was the manipulator of that smoke? Sumulyap ako sa katawan ng salamangkero at hindi ako makumbinsi na tanging siya lang ang may kagagawan niyon.

"I'll wait for you here."

He winked at me as he casually placed the dead body on his shoulder like it was some sort of a sack of wheat.

Bumuntonghininga na lamang ako at sinunod ko na lang ng tanaw ang papalayong si Tavion. Pinili kong umakyat sa isa sa mga puno at maupo roon, sumandal ako at ipinikit ang mga mata habang inaalala ang simula ng lahat ng ito.

I've been criticizing Adam and Lucas for eating all their worlds. And here I am, doing the same path as them, connected with royalties, a Gazellian, and now, a heart is taken.

I gently tapped my head on the trunk of the tree as I laid my back there, with one of my hands resting on one of my folded legs. I started counting silently as I waited for Tavion to come back.

And with the moment, my thoughts suddenly swirled and went into that past again, when I met King Thaddeus and King Raheem near that river, with the unknown stranger.

"What relics?" King Raheem asked.

"I don't have one for her. She already has the relics with her," sagot sa kanya ni Haring Thaddeus.

Ngayo'y mas nakikita ko ang pangyayaring iyon sa katawan kong nanunuod at tila parte lamang ng mga puno, tubig na umaagos, hangin at mga diwatang nang gabing iyon na hindi man lang ako binigyan ng atensyon, kundi pagmasdan ang kakisigan ng dalawang hari.

"Iris... your hatred might hinder you to claim your real happiness. I am sorry for the past white werewolves, at katulad mo'y habangbuhay ko silang reresputuhin at hahangaan. But you are your own white wolf. You have your own fate. Today, maybe you want to build the tallest walls to separate us, but I'll be the happiest, even Ressa and Elin, when the time has come that you want to build the tallest walls around us, with vampires and werewolves together."

Paulit-ulit na tumakbo sa isipan ko ang mga salitang binitiwan ni Haring Thaddeus ng gabing iyon.

Sa mga nangyayari ngayon, ito na nga ba ang inaasahan niya? Am I taking the right path? Am I about to create the tallest walls for both vampires and werewolves?

Hinayaan ko ang sarili kong nakatindig doon habang pinagmamasdan ang nangyari sa nakaraan. How King Thaddeus gently spoke with me, King Raheem watched us with his endless remarks, and how until now, I felt the uncertainty from his words.

Maybe because it was his nature? The puzzles? Mysterious? The riddles? But why would he tangle himself to me if he knew from the very beginning that I'd choose this path? The path is not with his son, Caleb.

"You can reject a Gazellian twice, thrice. . . but you can't even count how we can desperately want to claim the one we love. Gazellian's love is the finest no matter how conflicted we are. . ."

Nakita ko kung paano umiling ang batang sarili ko sa harap ni Haring Thaddeus habang nakatitig sa kanya.

"Your boy will have a very hard time, Thaddeus," kumento ni Haring Raheem.

"Shut up, Le'Vamuievos," sagot sa kanya ni Haring Thaddeus.

Kumuyom na ang mga kamao ko habang hinihintay ang pangyayaring hindi ko na nasasaksihan nang nakaraan. I could still remember how I desperately ran away from them filled with my different emotions.

As a young child, it never crossed my mind that powerful vampire kings would approach me and try to put into words that they knew wouldn't be taken so easily.

Naiintindihan ko ang sarili ko ng gabing iyon, ang takot ko at pagmamadaling makalayo sa kanya, ngunit ngayon na marami na akong nasaksihang higit na nakakatakot sa mundo, pinili kong huwag sundan ang sarili kong tumatakbo pabalik sa aming kampo kundi manatili roon sa tabing ilog upang panuorin sina Haring Thaddeus na kasalukuyang inaatake ng malalakas na suntok ang isang kadarating na bampira.

I knew how calm and collected King Thaddeus in everyone's impression. Hindi ako kailanman nakarinig ng balita na nauna ang galit sa kanyang mga salita o kaya'y desisyon. But the moment that mysterious vampire arrived, all those images started to shatter like I'd just introduced to someone else.

"I'm sorry. . ."

"Thaddeus!"

Si Haring Raheem ay pilit nang inawat si Haring Thaddeus na hindi na nais humiwalay sa nakahigang bampira na ngayong ilang beses umubo ng dugo.

"Calm the fuck down, Thaddeus!" sigaw muli ni Haring Raheem na marahas nang hinihila ang balikat ni Haring Thaddeus.

"How dare you! How dare you! Y-you asshole! For leaving our family alone! For leaving this empire alone! For leaving me alone!"

"I'm sorry, brother. . ."

"Do not ever call me brother, Tiffon!" muling sigaw ni Haring Thaddeus.

Napahakbang ako nang ilang beses nang marinig ang ngalang tinawag ni Haring Thaddeus, at unti-unting bumalik ang tingin ko sa lalaking nanatiling nakasalampak sa lupa, hindi na inabalang punasan ang dugo sa kanyang mga labi.

With his familiar features, he's indeed Tavion's father.

"You left me alone in this damn world!" muling sigaw ni Haring Thaddeus.

Muling bumalik ang titig ko sa kanya. Hindi ko kailanman inisip na maririnig iyon mula sa kanya.

King Thaddeus is the epitome of calmness, power, confidence, and good insight. Na kahit alam naming lahat kung gaano kabigat ang kanyang responsibilidad ay handang-handa itong yakapin ang lahat nang taas-noo.

He's born to be a king, but right now, he looked like a lost boy who was abandoned.

"I'm sorry, little brother. . ."

"It's too late for me, Tiffon. But your woman. . . to your son. . ." napahilamos na lang sa kanyang sarili si Haring Thaddeus.

"Why do we have to share the same mistake?"

"Fuck," napamura si Haring Raheem. Binitawan na niya si Haring Thaddeus na kusa nang napaupo sa lupa.

Kasalukuyan nang nakapamaywang si Haring Raheem sa gitna ng dalawa at halinhinan ang tingin niya sa magkapatid.

"Why do you have to fall in love before you meet your mates? That's really complicated. Let's say, foolish? Assholes. Idiots. Dumbass? Anything else, dear friends?"

"My son's mate-" King Thaddeus cut him off.

"Don't touch her, Tiffon. The moment you abandoned your son? He's already mine. If you can't have him. I'll claim him. My children will claim him. He's a Gazellian."

"Iris..."

Unti-unting nagbukas ang mga mata ko at magaang haplos ng kanyang daliri ang siyang lumandas sa aking pisngi. Hindi ko na nagawang pigilan ang pagpatak ng luha ko habang nakatitig ngayon kay Tavion na nakangiti sa akin.

"I'm back."

I bit my lower lip and threw myself on him. "You're late! You're fucking late!"