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Chapter 50: Gift

My hands were shaking as I stared at them. The hot fluid was streaming down my cheeks as my lips trembled. It was blurry and I couldn't see well.

Until my tears fell to my palms.

At first, I could hear Kreios, Rosh, and Pryor's voices while they were calling my name, it was muffled until I couldn't hear anything but that searing sound as if it would tear my ears.

"N-no..."

Wala sa sarili kong inangat ang dalawa kong kamay at tinakpan ko ang dalawang tainga ko, pero kahit gawin ko iyon ay wala pa rin tigil ang matinis na ingay na naririnig ko.

Hindi lang luha ang siyang naramdaman ko. I felt that thick metallic liquid from my nose gliding down my mouth.

Everything seemed so fast. I thought they were saved. I thought they were given the second life they deserved. Danna and Father gave them the way— they helped them summon the Holy Land, yet the water that gave them another life became the same reason why they were helplessly murdered.

My visions were endless, now in grayscales inside a mirror with crawling cracks as if about to explode. It was just Atlas and Livius in a castle, Veda's body on the tub, the black blood on the neck, the cries of pain, and then Livius' images in different women with his long nails, fangs, and full blacked eyes. The hurried steps of women desperate for their lives to be spared— the way they begged with their bodies filled with blood, their cries, and how Livius took their hearts.

Then I saw Livius again when we were young. When he held my hands as we ran together in the market dressed like the commoners. The way he was smiling gently and calling my name sweetly.

"N-No..."

Until I clutched one of the hands to my chest, the other was on the ground as my mouth parted as though that would help me to breathe. I felt my nails clawing on the ground.

"N-No..." paulit-ulit na sabi ko.

Habang patuloy sa pag-agos ang mga luha ko ay tuluyan ko nang ikinuyom ang kamay ko at walang tigil ko iyong inihampas sa lupa. Hindi alintana ang hapdi niyon.

Pakiramdam ko'y sasabog ako sa mga nalalaman ko. Atlas was indeed a hideous enemy who knew how to play with hearts. He knew how to attack anyone's weakness. It was as if he knew every one of us who would move against him, and he'd do anything to take bigger steps ahead of us.

I left the castle with Kreios motivated to at least weaken him, but after I discovered everything that I thought would go on our way...

Bigla na lang ako napasigaw sa tindi ng galit. Ano pang klase ng galit ang kaya niyang ipadama sa akin?

He didn't just take Kalla's heart and almost killed my brother and ruined everything about our complete family. He had been killing innocent lives! Playing their hearts!

Atlas knew that one of King Thaddeus' children could summon the Holy Land— and he knew I'd hunt him with these hands.

Yumuko na ako at itinuon ko na ang aking noo sa lupa habang patuloy akong umiiyak.

This was too much. Hindi lang laban sa pamilya namin, sa kapatid ko, kay Kalla, sa mga inosenteng babae na inakala nila'y tuluyan nang makararanas ng kalayaan, at maging kay Livius.

I'd kill anyone who took the hearts of those women to free their souls, but he used Livius' hands... my childhood friend.

It was me... it was me who gave Livius his freedom. It was I who pushed him away from the palace to choose his own path.

Bago pa man ako nakalabas sa Sartorias ay maaga nang nakagawa ng hakbang laban sa akin si Atlas. And he was just waiting for me to dance in his orchestrated performance and witnessed how I would make myself suffer in this journey.

Bigla kong inalala ang unang beses kong makita si Livius. He openly revealed to us that he was Atlas' minions— he had already accepted his fate with my hands.

"H-Harper... darling, calm down..."

Buong akala ko'y sinasaktan ko pa rin ang sarili ko nang unti-unti na akong magmulat. Ilang beses tinatapik ni Kreios ang pisngi ko habang mariin nakayakap ang kanyang braso sa akin.

I was in Kreios' lap. Kapwa nakadungaw ang magkapatid na Le'Vamuievos sa akin. Rosh sighed in relief, and surprisingly Pryor had that concerned look in his face.

"W-what happened? What did you see there? I shouldn't have let you—" hindi ko na pinatuloy pa ang sasabihin ni Kreios.

Mas isiniksik ko ang sarili ko sa kanya habang mariing nakahawak ang isang kamay ko sa dibdib niya. "Those women... they were saved."

Pansin ko na kapwa napahinga nang maluwag sina Kreios at Rosh sa sinabi ko habang si Pryor ay muling ibinalik iyong ekspresyon niya na tila wala siyang pakialam.

I bit my lower lip before I continued. "The Holy Water brought them to the places where they could start anew. Some became a wife... a mother, a teacher, a flower vendor..." I had that faint smile as I narrated the beautiful scenes I'd seen under the water.

"They experienced the life they deserved."

Hinawakan ni Kreios ang kamay kong nasa dibdib niya bago ako nag-angat ng tingin kina Rosh at Pryor.

Now I realize that this mission— this journey was meant to be involved by each individual because it wasn't just a coincidence. There was a reason why Livius was here, why I encountered Luna and her group, Harper, the angel, and the red-haired woman and their mates, and now Rosh and Pryor.

I came here to find the Holy Land— the water that might help Finn's deteriorating body inside Zen's ice and in my search for it, we met Livius— who was just waiting for someone to reach the Holy Land for him to be killed.

He had been waiting for me... and Harper, the red-haired mermaid, and their mates played the role of sending me to this place because just like Harper and the red-haired they wanted those women to be freed. And now with Rosh and Pryor... the Le'Vamuievos who had the same blood as the woman who started it all.

"You should be happy, Harper. They reached it..."

Humikbi ako sa sinabi ni Kreios. "But their life was stolen again." Muli kong itinuon ang noo ko sa dibdib ni Kreios.

"When they thought their lives were spared... when they thought they had the happy ending, someone took their hearts because the heart of a maiden who bathed in the holy water would shed no blood... but the holy water itself."

Natulala silang tatlo sa akin. Unti-unti akong humiwalay kay Kreios at halos gumapang ako papalapit sa dulong lupa kung saan tanaw ko ang tubig na ngayon ay unti-unti nang naiiga.

"We have to take a portion of this water before this shallow gets drained."

Agad tumayo si Kreios at handa nang pupunta roon nang magkasunod na humakbang ang magkapatid na Le'Vamueivos.

"Let me take it," mariing sabi ni Kreios.

"And where do you plan to place it?" Rosh flicked his fingers, and a huge floating flower bud appeared in his hand.

"Ako na lang," sabi naman ni Pryor.

Rosh and Kreios looked at him, both were surprised when they saw Pryor holding a water container— it was a white bottle imprinted with golden vines and flowers.

"Saan mo iyan kinuha?" nagtatakang tanong ni Rosh.

"I took it from your horse."

Binuksan ni Pryor iyong tubigan niya at itinapon niya iyong laman sa harapan namin.

"What's that?" tanong ni Kreios.

Lumapit si Rosh at pinagmasdan ang puting laman galing doon sa tubigan ni Pryor. "Is that a salt? Why do you have salt with you?" nakangiwing sabi ni Rosh.

Nag-iwas ng tingin si Pryor at hindi na sumagot sa kapatid niya habang patuloy niyang itinatapon iyong asin.

Umiling si Kreios at tamad niyang ikinumpas iyong isang kamay niya sa harapan niya. As if he realized something.

"That will not work, Pryor. Claret is also a witch. Hindi naman siya tinatablan ng asin. From what century of vampires are you?"

Tumalim ang mga mata ni Pryor kay Kreios. "I will not use this to that woman! I have an internal wound! This is medicine! This is not a fucking salt!"

Yumuko si Rosh, itinusok iyong daliri niya doon sa bunton ng asin sa lupa at tinikman. "Asin nga."

Pinagkrus na ni Rosh ang kanyang mga braso habang nakangiwi sa kapatid niya. Si Kreios naman ay nakangisi.

We were in a serious situation, but these idiots were taking too much of our time!

"Is it true?"

"Huh?" mas iritableng sabi ni Pryor.

"Were you buried under the ground?"

Akala ko ay patuloy na iinit ang ulo ko dahil sa kanilang tatlo pero kapwa kami natawa ni Kreios sa katanungang iyon ni Rosh. Dahil si Luna mismo at ang grupo niya ang siyang nagkuwento niyon sa amin.

"Huh? Fucking rumors!"

Dahil hindi na nais ni Kreios sundan pa iyong usapan namin ay mabilis niyang hinubad iyong pang-itaas niyang kasuotan. It was indeed easier for him to undress unlike Rosh who had layers in his clothing. Isang hubad lang noong itim na pang-itaas ni Pryor at matapos niya iyong basta itapon ay tumalon na siya sa tubig.

Kapwa sumilip sa kanya sina Kreios at Rosh.

"You know... I can confirm it. He was buried alive. The witch told us," bulong ni Kreios kay Rosh.

Kung kanina ay hindi tumawa si Rosh, sa pagkakataong iyon ay tumawa siya. It was not his usual exaggerated laughter— it was genuine. It was rare to hear him laugh like that. Like an older brother who caught his little brother's embarrassing secret.

Pansin ko na kahit si Kreios ay nagulat rin nang narinig iyon kay Rosh dahil saglit siyang napatitig sa prinsipe.

Rosh's shoulders were still shaking, his arms crossed as he shook his head. "He's really an idiot."

"I did not expect that you could have that kind of laughter sometimes, Le'Vamueivos."

Tumigil si Rosh sa pagtawa. "Like what?"

"A laughter that far from insane."

"Oh... maybe I was just happy despite everything, or maybe I was just trying to be happy after the storm and before facing another storm?" he faked his laughter this time.

Huminga nang malalim si Kreios. "What happened in Deltora? Were you aware that—"

"That you did not attend Tobias and Kezalli's wedding?"

I blinked. "They got married?"

Lumingon sa akin si Rosh. He had that warm smile. "Yes, and someone might have done something to make you, and this king attend the wedding." He rolled his eyes.

Nasisigurado ko na hindi na rin lingid sa kanyang kaalaman kung sino iyon. Napahinga ako nang maluwag. Isa lang ang ibig sabihin niyon, nasa Mudelior na si Casper at tumutulong siya kina Juniper at Tres.

It was not just Casper's gentle smile that flashed inside my mind. I saw Tobias as well, with his clasped hands behind his back, his long hair, and his warm friendly smile.

He got married.

"I am so happy to hear that, Rosh."

"Thank you. They had a son."

Agad napalingon si Kreios kay Rosh. "That fast?"

"Remember, Kezalli was inside the mirror. She was already pregnant when she entered it."

"A prince..." bulong ko bago ako natawa.

Mukhang natandaan ni Tobias ang sinabi ko sa kanya nang magising siya sa kanyang matagal na pagkakatulog.

"The little prince must be so adorable."

"He is!" malawak ang ngiting sabi ni Rosh. "He has pointed ears, little wings, skin like Kezalli, and green eyes like Tobias," Rosh said proudly.

Magsasalita pa sana ako nang kapwa maagaw ang atensyon namin sa braso ni Pryor na sumampa na sa lupa. Mabibigat ang paghinga niya.

"I don't understand. Something is wrong." Lumingon siya sa tubig habang nakasampa na ang dalawa niyang braso. "Sa tuwing sumasalok ako sa lagayan ko ay naglalaho ang tubig sa loob."

"What?"

Agad nang lumapit si Rosh at gamit iyong bulaklak na inilabas niya ay agad niyang ibinaba iyon. Saglit niya lang iyon inilubog sa tubig at nang sandaling lumutang ito at bumalik kay Rosh ay natigilan din siya.

"My flower can't hold it too..."

Kapwa na kami tumanaw sa tubig na unti-unti nang bumababa at anumang oras ay maiiga na. Hindi ko na alam kung magagawa ko pa itong tawagin muli.

It was like the souls of those women accompanied me for the last time. I shouldn't let their efforts be in vain.

"Let me have it, Pryor. Maybe the water will recognize me." Tumayo na ako at inabot ko ang tubigan na hawak ni Pryor.

Handa na sana akong tumalon nang hawakan ni Kreios ang balikat ko.

"Harper..."

"We shouldn't waste more—"

This time he held one of his palms, and I saw moving sands in the middle of it as if it was creating something— something familiar to my eyes.

My eyes watered again.

Unti-unti kong sinalubong ang mga mata niya. "Y-you told me that Father never gave you a jar..."

He smiled faintly. "King Thaddeus never gave me a jar... but he gave me sands... peculiar color of sands like a common gift to a little child," he whispered.

Kapwa kami nakayuko ni Kreios sa palad niya habang umiikot ang may kulay na buhangin at patuloy na humuhulma ng banga.

"Hold it, love."

Nangangatal ang kamay kong humawak sa pagitan ng mga lumulutang na buhangin.

"If you can summon the Holy Water. It's my honor to have the ability to take it for you, My Queen."