I don't remember applying for this school. Heck, I didn't even know Phoenix Academy.

Kaya naman hindi ko matago sa mukha ko ang pagtataka. Nanatili namang malawak ang ngiti ng lalaking sumalubong sa'kin, ngunit kalauna'y napansin niya rin ang aking ekspresyon dahil sa sunod niyang wika.

"Your parents had you enroll here in the Academy. One of our phoenixes also guided you throughout your childhood. This time you turned nineteen, it was right that you join us."

Hindi naman no'n nagawang tanggalin ang kunot sa noo ko. Wala namang nabanggit sa'kin si Ma at Da, ni hindi rin ako nakapagpaalam papunta rito. I could have been informed beforehand.

But then, stories always go like that. It's about the unexpected.

I just nodded in response. Mukha namang wala na akong magagawa. Nilibot ko ang paningin ko. The students weren't exactly watching me. Ang iba ay hindi pinapahalata, o napatingin lang.

It seems like it's a normal occurrence here when someone arrives with the Phoenix.

Nang ibinalik ko naman ang tingin sa lalaki, sinenyasan niya akong sundan siya. I did, and we walked toward the wide castle. Mayroong lawang nakapaligid sa kastilyo kaya't dumaan muna kami sa kahoy na tulay.

Napasilip ako sa lawa at nagningning ang mga mata ko nagliliwanag na mga isda. The water's supposedly blue, but it became rainbow-like because of the creatures.

It's like witnessing all magic I have ever imagined.

Bukas sadya ang malaking pasukan ng kastilyo, and I gazed in awe the moment I entered the academy castle.

The marbled floor is polished and clean, and the walls are made of diamonds and crystals.

The chandeliers are not lit by light bulbs, but by blue fire that reflects through the walls making the place look brighter or blue-ish. I can even see some of my reflections in the walls.

May iba't ibang estatwa sa sentro: sirena, wolf, vampire, mga may hawak na wand, angels, isang tao na may pumalibot na parang tubig, and some Greek mythology Gods that are very popular these days.

I read those Gods in a story I have in our home, The Semideus by Lostmortals, so I'm familiar with those. Seeing that their statues are here is an indication that they are real.

Sa gitna naman ng mga estatwa, ay mayroong ding estatwa ng babaeng nakasakay sa malaking ibon, at may hawak din siyang sibat. Naikutan ang estatwa ng vines kaya't masasabing kong hindi ito nalilinis.

I looked closely, at namangha rin ako sa kulay ng kaniyang mata— ginto na parang may effect na umaapoy.

"Her name is Phoenicia, our hero and creator. The bird she's riding is a phoenix which is her sacred animal. Her eye color reflects the world's state. Oh, and mind you, she is no statue. She just—" he sighed loudly. Napataas-kilay naman ako. This isn't a statue? "—froze herself, and until now, she isn't coming out yet."

Napatingin naman ulit ako sa estatwa, este sa kaniya. My hand almost reached out to her statue, but I flinched backward when I remember that she is still alive.

"Why did she do this to herself?" tanong ko.

"You will know soon," he answered and he cocked his head sidewards, to where we are headed next. He also smiled and turned his back on me. Patuloy naman itong naglakad, pero tumingin ako huling beses kay Phoenicia. Something about her feels nostalgic.

I'm not sure how, but she reminds me of my dreams— or perhaps, she just reminds me of Phoenixes.

I looked forward to catch up with the guy. Bahagya ako napatakbo, ngunit natigilan ako nang may lumitaw na isang hagdan sa harap niya. Sigurado akong wala 'yon doon kanina!

Humakbang siya ng isa pa, at isa pang hagdan ang lumitaw. The stair earlier disappeared into golden mists, so I remained frozen there.

"Just step upward, then the staircase will appear. Feel the magic. Believe and you'll know," he stated, chuckling a bit at my state.

I breathed heavily and tried to imagine the image of stairs in front of me. With one blink of an eye, faint golden mists appeared, shaped like a stairstep.

Woah, the power of imagination. Hindi naman na ako natakot na umakyat, at may maliit na ngiting pumorma sa labi ko.

Sunod-sunod na ang pag-apak ko paakyat hanggang sa makarating kami sa ikalawang palapag.

Lumingon sa'kin ng bahagya ang lalaki, ngunit hindi tumingin. It's like he only glanced over my shoulder. Agad naman akong tumakbo palapit sa kaniya habang namamangha sa kagandahan ng pangalawang palapag.

Ang paligid nito'y parang nasa outer space. Hindi lang ito basta pader ngunit haraya na para ka talagang nasa outer space.

Umiikot ang mga planeta rito, at may mga bituin din na hindi mawawalan kahit saang parte ka tumingin. Malilinlangan ka pang may bituin na sa harap mo.

"Pamilyar ka na pala sa mundo ng imahinasyon. Madali mong nakikita ang mahikang gumagana lang sa tulong ng malawak at malikot na pag-iisip," he implied. "Magic is birth of imagination. If we'd think, in a system, imagination is the one that connects all magic."

Patuloy niya akong ningitian at dumiretso roon sa parte kung saan may araw. Hindi literal na araw na Sun, kun'di sa ilusyon ng planetang 'yon. Nagulat pa ako nang bigla itong mawala na para bang nilamon ng araw. Akala ko ay disenyo lang ang mga 'yon, ngunit lagusan din pala.

Lumapit ako roon, at sinubukan kong hawakan ang araw, at hindi na ako nagulat nang pumasok sa loob ang kamay ko. So, it seems like that I just have to pass through this.

I didn't hesitate to pass through the illusion of the Sun, and the moment I came inside, my eyes widened again in amusement.

In the center, I saw a table with the label of Headmaster. Then, there was a man sitting on the swivel chair, but I couldn't catch a glimpse of his face as he was facing back.

Normal lang ang paligid nito. Para itong lumang library, pero may office sa gitna. Ang mga bookshelves ay nakaform ng semi-circle, at matataas din ang mga ito. There are ladders, so you can reach the books which are in the higher part.

Naramdaman naman nito ang presensya namin at pinaikot ang swivel chair niya paharap. Nagsalita naman ang lalaki sa aking tabihan. "Headmaster Gaiael, she has arrived."

Humarap naman si Headmaster Gaiael sa'min, at kaagad na tumingin nang diretso sa'king mata. The corner of his lips lifted a bit, as if he was happy to see me. It was even evident in his bright tone. "Thank you Master Sven, you may go."

Hinintay ko namang lumabas naman si Master Sven, at naiwan kaming dalawa ni Headmaster Gaiael. I observed him quietly. Tama lang ang kalaguan ng buhok niya. Nasa mid-fifty's na siguro siya, ngunit matikas pa rin kung titingnan.

"Do you know what your parents are?" Bungad niyang tanong nito sa'kin. Halos mapasinghap ako sa gulat, ngunit kalaunan ay umiling ako. Malamang kasi'y ang tinatanong niya ay kung anong klaseng nilalang sila— at 'yan ang 'di ko sigurado.

"Your name tells me that you are the daughter of discord. When, in fact, you are the daughter of our great heroes namely Elisse and Risven," aniya at napatingin ako sa pagbanggit nito sa pangalan ng aking Ma at Da.

My eyes squinted at him. By the sound of it, he knows them very well.

"Your mother and father, named you after the Greek goddess of chaos, strife and discord, right?"

Tumango naman ako. "Eris Alderhaide." My name.

"Of course, of course. I am aware, my child. I have long known who you are," sagot niya na nakapagtaas ng aking kilay. He tapped his fingers on his desk, and rubbed his fingers in the other hand. Then, a flower from that hand suddenly popped up. Inabot niya 'yon sa'kin, pero umiling ako't napaatras lalo sa kaniya.

"So you know the power within you," he assumed and chuckled. Nagkunot-noo ako dahil sa sinabi niya. Why? Alam niya ba?

"Do you not know? Your father is an angel, one of the best known angels in heaven. And your mother, she is also the best known in the realm she's living at," paliwanag niya, ngunit nanatili lang na nakakunot ang noo ko.

"Realm?" Hindi ko napigilang tanong. "What realm?"

The moment he answered me, my eyes almost popped out. This is really not making any sense for me right now.

"Hell," he answered. Nanginig ako bigla, ngunit hindi pa pala siya tapos magsalita.

"And from you, death is born. You were born with a soul, but powers of a demon. You are half demon, half angel. And I know, you were so happy when the Phoenix didn't fall from the skies and it's feathers didn't fall off. But it's just because a phoenix cannot die, it is blessed by Phoenicia."

Naikuyom ko naman nang bahagya ang aking kamao dahil hindi siya nagkakamali. Alam niya 'yon, ngunit bakit ngayon ko lang siya nakilala? Bakit ngayon lang ako nadala sa akademyang ito?

"Huwag kang magalala, Eris. Kakampi mo kami, and the reason why your mother and father enrolled you here in the school is to help you control your powers," dagdag niya, at iniabot ulit sa'kin ang bulaklak. It was blooming with radiance and life, that made fear crept within me.

Who would not dare touch it? Of course... I wouldn't. Yet, something urged me to hold the flower. "Go on, hold it Eris. Don't be afraid," he encouraged more.

Huminga naman ako nang malalim, at dahan-dahang kinuha ang bulaklak sa kaniya. Baka ngayon, iba na. Baka ngayon, manaig ang imahinasyon ko.

When my fingers touched it, I felt power. I hoped as I felt it surging into my fingers and eyes, then toward the golden flower.

However, the power of death emerged. A power far from what I imagined and hoped for, and soon, the flower withered.

Phoenix Academy
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Votes and comments are highly appreciated. Thank you for reading!