Eris Sinclair Alderhaide's Point of View

"Leo's special too, right?" sabi ko sa kanila habang pabalik na kami.

Si Levi ang sinilip ko para sa sagot niya, at nagulat ako nang diretso siyang nakatingin sa'kin. He nodded at me and sighed. "It seems like it," he answered. "There's something we also haven't told you, Sinclair."

Halos madala naman ako nang marahas na lumingon si Red sa kanya. Nakita kong pinanlakhan niya ng mata si Leviticus, at mukha namang naintindihan ni Levi ang ibig sabihin no'n. He shook his head at Red and went nearer us.

"There's no point in delaying it, Delvar. Hindi 'yong binibigla natin siya... at 'di natin masasabi kung ano'ng mangyayari sa mga sumusunod," Levi firmly argued. "She also knows that there's a blood fest coming. I told her earlier."

Nag-aalala namang tumingin sa'kin si Red, at doon ko naintindihan kung ano'ng maaari nilang ipaalam sa'kin. It involves me. Hindi naman ako sumagot sa kanila, dahil hindi ko pa rin alam kung ano talaga 'yon. Well, it may be dangerous.

Malakas na napabuntong-hininga si Red. "Fine," singhal niya.

"Sinclair, you might be the one to defeat Phoenicia. And that's why we came looking for you," diretsong saad ni Levi sa'kin. Oh. "The prophecy revealed to us that another full-Phoenix would be able to defeat her. And the conditions for it were met by you..."

Hindi na ako nagulat doon. Something inside me has expected it, like I have known it deep in my memories.

"... and Leonidas," dagdag niya.

Doon, naningkit ang mga mata ko. "Ano'ng ibig niyong sabihin?" Tanong ko.

Red shook his head and went down the horse. "You and Leo might be the key to defeat Phoenicia and end the long war. But you two, especially Leo... lack all the training and knowledge. No, you still don't have the Phoenician fire, the will to protect the realms. Hindi sa hindi naman kayo pinagkakatiwalaan. Of course, I trust you, Sinclair... but Leo—"

"Leo may not be born like us, Sinclair," si Leviticus ang nagtuloy no'n. Bigla kong naalala ang pinag-uusapan namin kanina. "It's just who we are, Lucifer."

"Who knows if he's born as someone else... and not as the full-Phoenix? That's what we're fearing, Sinclair," paliwanag ni Levi. "We cannot ignore the play that the stars have put us on."

Somehow... I understood. Free will isn't free at all. Maaaring piliin ni Leo na hindi lumaban kasama namin dahil hindi niya alam ang takbo ng mundo namin, hindi siya katulad namin na may malakas na will na protektahan ang mundong ginawa namin. If anything, he's human. He might be a mirror of mankind.

"But if he chooses to fight with us?" Tanong ko.

"There's no guarantee of what he'd do in the future," Levi answered, and it reminded me of Lucifer... what if this was the case of Phoenicia in our first lives? They, we, believed in her, only to have her backs turned at us. But Leo won't do that. He was born understanding of the people around him.

Nanatili na kaming tahimik sa daan pabalik. Leviticus disguised as a knight just so he could enter with us and talk matters. Kailangan na rin daw nilang makabalita sa Phoenix Academy.

The telephone in the castle rang, lumapit ako roon para sagutin pero nauna na si Leviticus. Papagalitan ko sana siya nang maalala kong he's the original heir here naman pala. So I shrugged and sat on the royal couches.

The telephone in my room rang. Lumapit ako roon para sagutin sana, ngunit naunahan ako ni Levi. Susuwayin ko sana siya nang biglang maalalang siya ang orihinal na nakatira dito. Napakibit-balikat nalang ako't umupo. And also, maybe that's from the Academy.

"Sino 'yan?" Tanong ni Red, at lumaki naman ang tainga ko para sa magiging sagot ni Levi.

"It's Master Gaiael. Nakabalik na ng Phoenix Academy si Lucifuge, at mayroong dalawang masamang balita," wika ni Levi na nakapagpakaba sa'kin. Lucifuge? I don't think I have that many memories with him. "Kailangan na natin bumalik, Rain" pagpapatuloy niya.

Tumango si Rain, pero pinigilan ko sila. "Sama ako," I said, and I almost cringed in the way I told that, like a kid.

Kita kong aangal na sana si Levi, ngunit biglang nagsalita si Red. "Hayaan mo na siya, Lucifer. Walang po-protekta sa kanya dito. Hindi natin alam kung anong maaaring gawin ni Phoenicia, so let's make her close to us as much as possible."

Nag-igting ang bagang ni Leviticus, which reminded me of Leon whenever he's disappointed at me. "Fine, pero sa oras na may mangyaring masama sa kaniya doon. Ikaw ang papatayin ko, Red."

Red chuckled and patted Levi's shoulder. "At kapag may nangyari naman sa kaniya rito, ikaw naman ang papatayin ko."

Mga baliw.

"Paano nga pala si Leo?" Sabay silang tumingin sa'kin.

"Nakalimutan natin siya. Nasaan na nga pala ang kupal na 'yon? Baka nalunod na sa talon," ani Levi. Napatingin ako sa orasan, and it's past 10 pm, and he knows he can't stay out this long at night. There must be something wrong.

Isa na namang tawag ang nakarating sa'min, and Levi picked the telephone up again. Nagtaka naman ako nang biglang magkunot ang kaniyang noo habang nakikinig sa kabilang linya. He did not say anything and dropped the telephone.

"We'll depart now. Naroon si Leo," 'di makapaniwalang bigkas sa'min ni Levi. At kahit ako man, 'di ko naintindihan.

"Ano? Paanong nandoon si Leonidas, e nasa Phoenix Falls lang iyon kanina?" takang tanong naman ni Red, at parehas naman ako ng naisip. Imposible.

"He came from the Phoenix Well. Isa lang ang ibig sabihin noon, his identity as the full-phoenix is exposed. And anytime now, ay maaaring dumating si Phoenicia doon at patayin si Leo. For now, Lucifuge will be the one to protect him, and of course, Master Gaiael," dire-diretsong sabi ni Lucifer.

Red didn't waste any time and made a fire circle around us. "This magic circle will be connected with Sinclair's power and imagination that connects the mortal world and Phoenix Academy," aniya ngunit wala akong ideya kung ano'ng kinalaman ko roon.

When the flames had enveloped the three of us, I almost jumped when they both held my hands. Magkabilang kamay ko ang hawak nila, at nang mapagtanto nilang dalawa 'yon, sabay silang napatawa at napatingin sa isa't isa bago sa'kin.

"What are we, a trio?" I muttered.

Umiling naman si Levi. "More like a triangle, a love triangle?"

"Hoy, 'wag mo akong sinisiraan dito, Levi. Sino'ng may sabing nilalabanan kita? Trio tayo, trio."

"E'di huwag mong hilahin palayo si Sinclair sa'kin kung gan'on," puna ni Levi nang mapansing mas malayo ako sa kanya. Mukha namang nagulat si Red, 'di niya ata namalayang mas nilalapit niya ako sa tabi niya. Napatawa nalang ako sa kanilang dalawa at mabilis na napailing.

Was Leviticus like this when he was Lucifer? Sa tingin ko, hindi.

"Just like before, we are by each other's side," I heard the wind whisper. I realized it was Red's voice, so I turned to him. Nakatingin s'ya sa'kin at malapad na nakangiti.

"I am truly happy with you, for you, and I sincerely wish for your safety. If protecting the world is what you are bound to do, then maybe protecting is you is mine," aniya sa'king isipan. Perhaps I hear his thoughts because we're inside his magic circle that would teleport us to the academy. It's his space.

"I will not let you disappear again. I promise that to you, Sinclair."

Alam kong sa kaniya iyon nanggaling. Ever since before, his feelings for me was pure, even when I didn't give anything in return. That, I remember all. "I guess you remember our memories from before, but even if not... please hear this one and never forget this."

"I unconditionally love you, Sinclair. I sincerely do, no matter how many lifetimes pass, no matter who you become. Mahal kita, kahit na..." Hindi niya tinuloy ang kasunod na kataga, at nagpatuloy na susunod, hindi pa man ako nakakatugon.

"Please, remember me. Until our next lives, I'll still love you and find you. That's a promise," huli niyang sabi at binitawan ang kamay ko. Ni hindi ko namalayang nasa Academy na kami't nakalayo na rin si Lucifer. His back turned at me pulled the trigger for my tears.

Napapikit ako nang maalalang iyan din ang sinabi niya sa'kin noong unang buhay naming dalawa. And he kept it. He kept his promise. He found Eris... He also found me this time. "I'm sorry," sabi ko sa kaniya kahit na hindi ko siguradong naririnig niya 'yon.

"Tara na, Sin," tawag niya sa'kin at ngumiti na tila ba walang nangyari. Mabilis kong pinunasan ang luha ko't tumakbo papunta sa kanila. But deep in my heart, I prayed that there won't be next times. We wouldn't lose this time.

Phoenix Academy
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Thank you for reading!