Chapter 46: Hide

"Tell me, do I deserve all of this? Just because I was chosen. Why me? Why did the blue fire choose me?" I asked.

I looked around them and no one could even answer. "Who is the blue fire? Bakit ako ang pinili niya?"

Humarap na ako kay Claret. "Have you encountered those women? Hinabol ka rin ba nila sa mundo ng mga tao? How did you survive? Who saved you? How are you so well right now?"

Sunod-sunod ang katanungan ko kay Claret. Hinintay ko na sumagot siya sa akin, ngunit nanatili lang siyang nakatitig. Lumaglag ang mga balikat ko. "Did you experience the same or it was just me?"

Lumingon ako kina Tobias at Rosh.

"Kezalli . . ." mahinang tawag sa akin ni Claret.

Muli niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko at agad ko iyong tinabig. Ilang beses akong umiling sa kanya habang tumatayo na mula sa aking upuan.

When I looked at Tobias, he tried to open his mouth and say something, but he stopped himself. Buong akala ko ay pipigilan niya pa ako ngunit nang sandaling tumakbo na ako mula sa silid na iyon ay hindi ko na narinig ang boses niya.

I was running with tears on my cheeks when I passed by Pryor and Marah. Wala na akong pakialam sa mga tagasunod na nababangga ko ng mga oras na iyon, ang tanging nais ko lang gawin ay tumakbo mula sa lugar na iyon.

Until I left the castle, I was welcomed by the familiar formation of the castle with water flowing around us as if we were atop a waterfall. Hindi ako nag-aksaya ng panahon at mas binilisan ko pa ang pagtakbo hanggang sa makarating maliit na bangka.

The old man looked confused when he first saw me, but I quickly jumped inside his wooden boat, and I wiped my tears with my right arm. "Sa ibaba po."

"Saan, hija?"

"Basta hindi po rito . . ."

Hindi na nagtanong pa ang matanda at sinimulan nang gumalaw ng maliit na bangka. When Tobias and I rode this small boat for the first time, I felt the excitement as it surged through the water slides, but now even with the wind splashing and the water raining around me, I couldn't feel anything. I was just blankly staring as the boat continued to move.

We passed by the weaponry, and the streets for the tourists, until I suddenly came back to my senses when I saw that garden.

"Dito na lang po."

Nag-aalangan pa ang matanda kung susunod siya sa akin pero sa huli ay itinigil niya na rin ang bangka. Nang sandaling bumaba ako natigilan ako habang kinakapa ang sarili ko.

I didn't have money to pay the old man, but then I realized I was wearing a fortune. I was about to remove one of my accessories when the old man gently touched my hand and shook his head.

"Huwag na, hija."

"H-hindi po. Dapat po akong magbayad."

Tipid siyang ngumiti sa akin at umiling muli. "Uuna na ako."

Habol ang tingin ko sa matanda bago niya ako tuluyang iwan sa lugar na ito. Did he recognize me as someone from the castle?

Napailing na lang ako nang yumuko ako sa sarili ko. Of course, he would recognize me the way those servants dressed me the way Tobias usually dressed himself.

When I first saw this place, I always thought it was simply a garden filled with different flowers. Despite the colors of the flowers, the whole place could be seen with shades of green and blue—still with the water flowing and the crawling vines around.

As I stepped closer, I realized that this was a shrine. It was not just flowers, seemingly crawling plants, and water flowing at the sides of the cobblestone paths, but columns and marble statues. The walls were intricately sculpted, and when I looked up, the upper walls had paintings.

My brows creased as I stared at it, no longer recognizing it with the dirt, vines crawling on it, and the years it had been here. When I reached the gazebo, now filled with moss and flowers, I sat on its three-layered stair.

I took a small flower near me and played it.

I might have enjoyed the beauty of this world if I was not someone who needed to be fixed, but with my situation right now, I knew that I couldn't help anyone from them now that I couldn't even help myself.

I sighed. Itinuon ko ang dalawang siko ko sa mas mataas na baitang ng hagdan, itinuwid ang mga hita ko habang nakatingala ako dahilan kung bakit napagmasdan ko ang nakatindig na estatwa ng isang babae.

"Tell me how can I escape? Tell me how to end this pain between us? Hindi na ako nakabubuti sa kanya. Hindi na kami nakabubuti sa isa't isa."

Nanatili lang akong nakatitig sa estatwa ng babae at hindi man lang iyon gumalaw at nagsalita. Natawa na lang ako sa sarili ko.

Huminga akong muli nang malalim, ipinikit ang mga mata ko at hinayaan ang sariling pakinggan ang agos ng tubig sa lugar na iyon. Hindi ko na nabilang ang oras na nanatili akong nakapikit at nang sandaling magmulat ako ng mga mata, ay sinalubong ako nang napakaraming nagliliparang mga paru-paro.

Tumuwid na ako ng pagkakaupo at inangat ko ang maliit na bulaklak na hawak ko. Noong una ay sa bulaklak ko lang dumadapo ang mga paru-paro, ngunit hindi rin nagtagal ay dumapo na sila sa tungki ng ilong ko, braso at sa iba't ibang parte ng katawan ko.

I smiled, laughed, and then I cried.

Tumayo na ako mula sa hagdanan, bumaba na ako, naglakad saglit, bago muling naupo, niyakap ang mga binti at unti-unting piniraso ang puting bulaklak at hinayaan iyon humalo sa tubig.

How I hope that my tears with the petals of the flower with the flowing water would somehow do a trick. I laughed again.

Tatayo na sana ako at hindi na panunuorin ang sarili kong repleksyon sa tubig, nang bigla na lang may umusbong mula sa tubig.

The familiar pixies who witnessed our kiss under the bridge.

"It was the Queen's tears!" sabay-sabay na sigaw nilang lahat.

Mas maraming maliit na diwata pa ang umahon sa tubig at nagsimula na silang lumipad sa paligid ko.

"The King made her cry!"

"Is it another woman?"

All of them gasped, looking scandalous. "He cheated!"

"The Queen will not cry if he didn't cheat!"

"Is it the princess from Sartorias?"

"I thought he was in love with the queen?"

"Is that why he threatened us?"

Napuno ang lugar na iyon ng usapan tungkol kay Tobias at ang dahilan kung bakit ako lumuluha. Galit na galit na silang lahat habang pilit nila akong pinakakalma. Ang ilan pa nga sa kanila ay humahalik at yumayakap sa akin sa kabila nang maliliit nilang katawan.

Hanggang sa higit na akong matawa sa kanila. "He did not cheat."

Natigil sa pag-uusap tungkol kay Tobias ang mga diwata at tumitig sila sa akin na tila hindi sila makapaniwala sa sinabi ko. Hanggang sa may umiyak na sa kanila at nagsunod-sunod na.

"Pinagtatakpan niya si kamahalan . . ."

"We need to see him right now! He must be with his other woman!"

I laughed. "No."

Ngunit hindi nagpapigil ang mga maliliit na diwata. Sabay-sabay silang naghawak ng kamay at gumawa sila ng bilog, umikot sila nang umikot sa ere habang magkakahawak hanggang sa unti-unti silang lumubog sa tubig.

I watched them closely as they dived into the water until the water glowed and showed Tobias, Rosh, and Zen, still inside the room.

"Claret will look after her." Sabi ni Zen.

"Walang mangyayaring masama sa kanya," dagdag ni Rosh.

Tobias was on his seat, his elbows on the table, while both of his hands on his forehead. "I don't know what to do anymore. I can't keep forcing her. I can't keep trying to fight with her. She will hate me forever."

"If what Claret said was right, wala tayong magagawa. No spells would help her," dagdag ni Zen.

Napahilamos sa kanyang sarili si Tobias, bago siya tumayo at bigla na lang sumigaw habang nakatitig sa pinto. "Anyone outside! Bring the mirror!"

Agad naalerto sina Zen at Rosh nang marinig iyon kay Tobias. Kapwa napahawak ang dalawa sa balikat nito.

"What are you thinking?" Tanong ni Rosh.

"Maybe I'll try to cross the mirror, maybe if I'll try it I can join Kezalli in the human world."

Zen and Rosh gasped.

"Tobias, no one in the history from the vampires of the prophecy ever crossed the mirror!"

"W-what's going on?"

Nalilito na ang mga diwata nang umahon sila sa tubig. Hindi lang ako ngayon ang nakadungaw kundi ang lahat ng diwata sa hardin na iyon.

Hindi rin nagtagal ay may mga tagasunod na pumasok sa silid dala ang malaking salamin. Nang ibaba nila iyon, agad humarang sina Rosh and Zen sa salamin. Kapwa pa sila natigilan nang may kaunting lamat iyon.

"Is that a fucking claw mark?" tanong ni Zen.

But Tobias shoved them away in front of the mirror with his power, and as he took more steps closer, now with his extended hands, and eyes glowing in red.

Rosh and Zen gasped in unison when Tobias's hand went through, even the fairies behind me. My eyes widened in surprise, even with my fear information, I had been informed that no vampires from the prophecy could ever cross the mirror.

Higit itinulak ni Tobias ang kamay niya sa salamin, ngunit hindi rin nagtagal ay marahas siyang hinila nina Rosh at Zen. And there, his hand dropped on his side, it was burned.

"Fuck, healers!" sigaw ni Rosh.

Marahas nabuksan ang pinto at iniluwa niyon sina Marah at Pryor, ngunit higit na mabilis si Zen at hinarangan ang magkapatid.

Tobias was already slumped on the floor, his other hand on his forehead, the mirror was in front of him, Rosh was kneeling beside him, his hand was burned, and healers were passing through the walls.

"What should I do . . . I have to give her what she wants. She'll hate me . . . she'll hate me." Paulit-ulit na sabi ni Tobias.

Nang nagsimula nang yumugyog ang balikat ni Tobias, nanghihina nang humiwalay sa kanya si Rosh, napaupo na siya at napatitig sa kanyang kapatid. Zen was standing behind the door, with Marah and Pryor harshly knocking on it.

There were healers who tried to approach Tobias, but Rosh weakly waved his hand. "Not yet."

"I hate it when I can't do anything for her. She suffered so much for the sins that did not do. She was right, my Kezalli was innocent, she was chosen, and this world chose her . . . Claret, and the other women to suffer a problem that they were not aware of. I wanted to give her everything, but everything I do for her makes her so scared, gusto niya lang tumakbo sa akin, takot siya, wala na siyang pinaniniwalaan. God, those witches tortured my love so much . . ."

Huminga nang malalim si Rosh, tumingala siya sa kisame at hinayaan niya sa ganoong sitwasyon si Tobias. "Tell me what to do."

"Tell us what to do," dagdag ni Zen.

"If this will make her happy, I'll accept it. I'll accept the rejection. I'll ask Claret if she can cut our mate bond. I am willing to let her go."

Umawang ang bibig nina Zen at Rosh sa narinig mula kay Tobias.

"It will damn kill you!" Sigaw ni Rosh.

Unti-unti nang tumayo si Tobias at hinarap niya ang sarili niya sa salamin. "Do not remove this mirror in this room. Find Kezalli and lead her to this mirror."

"No. Stay here. Claret will find Kezalli. Hide this mirror," mariing sabi ni Rosh.

Lumingon si Tobias sa mga babaylan na nakapaligid sa kanila. Kapwa ang mga iyon nag-alangan kung sino kina Rosh at Tobias ang kanilang susundin.

"I am the king of this kingdom! Find your Queen and bring her to me!" mas malakas na sigaw ni Tobias.

"Fuck! No!"

Kapwa hindi nakagalaw ang mga babaylan nang balutin sila ng lubid na gawa sa halaman at yelo mula kina Zen at Rosh, ngunit marahas nabuksan ang silid na iyon nang pumasok sina Marah at Pryor.

"I'll bring her," Pryor said.

Nakatulala na ako sa kasalukuyang nangyayari sa palasyo ng Parsua Deltora, ngunit higit akong nagulat nang mag-ingay ang mga diwata at lumipad ang mga ito sa himpapawid.

"The king did not cheat! He loves the queen so much! It was against his will to let her go! The royal couple needs the fairies of love!"

The leader of the pixies flew higher so that every one of us looked at her. Namaywang siya habang pinalilibutan siya ng mga kapwa niya diwata.

"We will hide the queen! Prince Pryor is the enemy!"