No way. He can't be my fylgja! Red is insane. Why the heck will I allow my past self to be tied to someone like him?!

Nagpalabas siya ng apoy, at nanginginig kong hinawakan ang espada ko. Hindi niya pa ito binabato sa'kin but malapit na. . . malapit niya na akong patayin!

Ugh, this is torture. He told me that he will train me. No'ng una ay natuwa pa ako, pero ngayon? Ha! Papatayin ata ako ng sarili kong fylgja!

"Palabasin mo ang kapangyarihan mo!" Georgia encouraged me. I didn't know how the three eventually got together as a group. Laging nariyan si Georgia para suportahan ako. . . Better yet, kunsintihin si Red!

Ibinato ni Rain sa'kin ang bola ng apoy, kaya heto ako, running to save my life! Mas lalo pang dumami ang mga fireballs, samahan mo pa ng thunderbolts! This man must be crazy. Ginigigil ako n'yan ha!

Finally, hinarap ko siya. Tumigil ako sa pagtakbo at pinatay ang apoy sa pamamagitan ng pagwasiwas ng espada ko. I swished my sword in a circular way dahil sa sobrang daming fireball.

Tumalon ako nang makitang may tatama saking apoy mula sa baba. "Are you crazy?!" Sigaw ko at nagpatuloy sa paghawi sa mga fireballs. Finally, tinigil niya na ito.

"I'm still not contented, Eris," wika niya at umiling-iling. "Enemies can kill without touching you. At ikaw, kaya mo lang pumatay kapag hahawak ka." He tsk-ed saka lumapit sa'kin.

"I can feel your energy, Eris. There's more. Release it," wika niya at ibinalibag ang espada ko. Aba! Espada ko yon!

"You're quite good with weapons but we shouldn't focus on that." Kumuha siya ng isang rose mula sa bushes. By that, alam ko na ang plano niya. Kinabahan ako sa gagawin niya He will provoke my powers. I'm sure.

"'Wag mo 'tong gawin, Red," pagbabanta ko sa kanya. Binalewala niya lang ako, mas lalo pa siyang lumapit sa'kin. "I'm sorry but you need to do this," he muttered. The petal of the beautiful rose, touched my skin. Ngunit nalanta lang ang petal. Magtataka pa ba ako?

"You are deadly, Eris. Embrace it. Accept it. Control it," wika niya. Nag-igting ang panga ko. Is he really my fylgja? Accept death?

Katanggap-tanggap ba iyon? Pinikit ko ang mata ko. I felt the soft petals run down from my skin. Pero ramdam ko ring nagiging lanta ito.

"Red." May banta sa'king boses. Gusto kong tumigil na siya sa kaniyang ginagawa. Alam kong nararamdaman niya kung ga'no ako katakot ngayon!

"Ilabas mo, Eris," iyan lang ang sinabi niya sa'kin. Nanatiling nakapaikit ang mata ko, hindi ko gugustuhing makitang mamatay ang kahit na ano with my hands.

Hindi ko alam kung anong sumanib sa katawan ko, all I know is that I want him to stop. Pagod na ako, puno na ako. I have a trauma for killing.

Tumaas ang aking kamay, I felt energy and power within me, katulad noong nasa sapientiae room ako. At nang maramdaman kong lalabas na kapangyarihan ko, iminulat ko ang mata ko, some dark magic was released from my hand, malakas ito at nakatapat kay Red ang kamay ko. Malakas siyang tumalipon sa likod at narinig ko ang malakas na impact ng pagbagsak niya.

The bushes around us withered, hindi ko man nahawakan. The ground cracked, almost shattering into pieces.

"Delvar!" Natatarantang sigaw ni Georgia. Mabilis siyang nakarating sa puwesto ni Red, at hinilom siya. Napa-awang ang bibig ko, tiningnan ko ang aking kamay. May itim na aura na pumalibot sa kamay ko, it's my energy. My lethal power.

Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko, kaya't tumakbo nalang ako papalayo doon, hindi alam ang pupuntahan. I'm far too dangerous for this world. To exist because I am death itself. Hindi ako umiyak, pero natakot ako sa sarili kong kakayahan.

If it wasn't my fylgja, panigurado'y patay na ang nakalaban ko. And I don't want to kill someone again. Tumakbo lang ako nang tumakbo. Sigurado naman akong mahahanap ako ni Red, he can feel me at sa tingin ko'y ramdam niyang I need some time alone.

I ran until I realized na nasa tapat ako ng waterfall, I soaked my feet on the water. Yumuko ako para maibabad rin ang kamay ko, I want to remove this energy out from my hand.

Accept it. Control it. Rain's voice rang in my ears. Paulit-ulit kong naalala ang mga katagang iyon. Should I really accept my power? But it is my fear.

Tumayo na ako mula sa pagkakaupo ko. Nanatiling basa ang paa ko ngunit pinunas ko ang kamay ko sa cloak upang matuyo. Huminga ako nang malalim.

From afar, I can see a glowing flower. I reached out my hands for it, not touching it but I still called my energy. Malayo ako mula sa bulaklak, but I'm reaching out my energy to it. Hanggang sa unti-unting nanlagas ang mga petals. Nawala ang kintab at kulay nito. It's dead.

Now, hindi lang hawak ko ang nakakamatay, kundi pati ang aking enerhiya. I learned that I can use my power kahit na nasa malayo ang bagay na iyon, which makes me deadlier.

I need to control this. Ngunit hindi maaaring makapatay ako just to learn controlling this power. Baka mamatay lahat kung ipagpapatuloy ko itong ginagawa ko.

Nakarinig naman ako ng apak ng mga kabayo mula sa malayo. I put my hood on at luminga-linga sa paligid, nagtungo ako sa pinakamalapit na puno at doon nagtago.

Mas lalo pang lumapit ang mga ingay, and I recognized one man in metal armor. Leviticus Malcolm.

I noticed na ang isa rin sa kanila si Zeus. Nakasakay din siya sa mga kabayo't nakikipagtawanan sa mga estudyante niya. Only Levi wasn't laughing.

"God Zeus! Ano namang masasabi mo sa rumored death goddess ng academy?" Tanong ng isa sa kanila. Nalipat ang tingin ko doon sa nagtanong, I'm sure he's pertaining to me!

"Ahh, the daughter of Elisse and Risven," sagot ni Zeus at tumango-tango. "She's dangerous. Her powers of death can be more than that. She's a demon-angel, after all."

"Balita ring reincarnation si Eris, hindi ba? That makes her more dangerous. Kapag nabuhay ang noong pagkatao niya'y maari siyang maging kalaban, kung kalaban man siya noon. Let's just hope that she's good back then," pagpapatuloy niya.

Hindi ko 'yon naisip. Nangingilabot ako sa mga sinabi ni Zeus, I'm scared for myself. This means that I need to know who I am from the past, but how?

Natigil naman ang kanilang usapan nang bumaba si Levi sa kaniyang kabayo. Nakatingin siya doon sa bulaklak na napatay ko, and just like me, he reached out for the dead flower.

But the flower glowed again at nabalik sa buhay ang flower. Ngumiti siya habang nakatingin sa flower at pumalakpak naman si Zeus. "Kung mayroon tayong death goddess, we also have the life god!" Nagtawanan sila habang si Levi'y nanatiling walang emosyon.

He can create life! He's my complete opposite! He rode back to his horse at mariin na pumikit.

"Keep it up Levi, kapag mas naging malawak ang kapangyarihan mo maari kayong maglaban ni Eris. Life verus Death," sambit ulit ni Zeus. "Sino kayang maanalo?"

Hindi humupa ang tawanan nila at nanatiling walang imik si Levi, tila walang pakialam sa mga pinagsasabi nila. He was stern while riding his horse. And I just watched them until they're gone from my sight.

But Levi stayed where he was, in front of the blooming flower. He galloped his horse to become closer to it, and finally, bumaba siya't pinitas ang bulaklak. The flower remained glowing, and his eyes sparkled like the waterfall behind him.

There's something about him that makes me so much nostalgic. Hindi na ako nakatiis, lumabas ako sa'king pinagtataguan at tinanggal ang hood ko. I caught his gaze at me.

I looked at the flower he's holding. I reached out kagaya ng kanina, at lumapit naman ang bulaklak sa akin, losing from his hold.

Mapapapunta na sana ito sa akin, ngunit may puwersa mula kay Levi na nakapagpahina ng enerhiya kong kunin ang bulaklak. Still, I gave my energy and fought for the flower. . . or perhaps, I want to trigger something.

The flower between us turned to phantom black color, but it still glowed with golden mists around it. Hanggang sa bumitaw na ako, I lowered my hand and he lowered his too.

Napakunot noo naman ako, hindi parin bumagsak ang bulaklak. It remained levitating between us, lingered by mists around it. It had an aura of death and life. I can feel it.

Tumingin ako sa kaniya, his expression was nonchalant but he walked closer to me.

"Eris Alderhaide," bigkas niya.

"Leviticus Malcolm," sagot ko naman.

We were both not surprised knowing each other's name. Of course, naririnig na namin ang pangalan ng isa't isa sa eskwela. Yet, there's something. He's an epitome of nostalgia for me.

At sa isang iglap, nagbago ang lahat. Something within overpowered me. Levi's attire turned to pure white, dazzling.

While mine, turned black and dull. The surroundings remained the same, yet the feeling wasn't. The flower, turned to a phoenix.

Umikot ang phoenix, at biglang lumipad paitaas. I watched it fly with burning wings. But I felt anger, happiness, confusion.

"Why did you that?" wika ni Levi. His eyes were genuine and concerned. Kahit na tila may pagkairita sa tono.

I laughed, hindi ko alam kung bakit. May ibang kumukontrol sa akin, at nagsalita. "Light has darkness within. Hindi mabubuhay ang ilaw kung walang kadiliman, it is just."

"But, light can overpower darkness. And—"

"Darkness will always be there. No matter overpowered. Accept it, kailangan din ng creation mo mamatay," I cut him with that sentence. I smirked at him, and admired the Phoenix

What is this? Why am I being like this? I am being controlled by someone!

"It is called Phoenix, Sinclair. I'm sorry, but it was supposed to be my art. My work. You can't just meddle with this." His voice was disappointed but it remained serene. But my heart throbbed noong tinawag niya akong Sinclair.

"Kung ayaw mong nakikialam ako sa'yo. Lubayan mo rin ako, Lucifer!" Sigaw ko kaya't nagkunot noo si Levi, his white shirt turned back to silver metal armor. And mine turned back to my uniform.

Everything went back to normal. The flower also appeared again, ngunit hindi nawala sa utak ko ang tila memorya na nangyari kanina. Then I realized, it must be a memory of my life before. It must be the past that's haunting me.

It must be the dead past coming back to life.

I was Sinclair. He was Lucifer.

We were, and still are, opposites.

Phoenix Academy
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

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