Note: try to listen to the music attached above para ma-feel niyo yung chapter.

***

Akala ko talaga mag-e-enjoy ako sa festival. Ilang buwan ko rin hinintay ang pagkakataong ito. Pero tingnan mo nga naman maglaro itong si tadhana, ako pa talaga ang napag-tripan!

Kung jowa na lang binigay sa'kin, edi sana natuwa pa ko diba? Pero bakit isa na naman po sa mga wonder ang binigay niyo?

Tuwing umiiwas ako mas lalo akong napapalapit sakanila. Jusq ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

Alam ko namang cute at maganda ako pero bakit imbes na mga gwapo ang maghabol sa'kin, ba't puro wonders? Huhu.

Dapat talaga hindi ko na lang pinuntahan si K noon eh. Kaya sa mga curious dyan nako itigil niyo na baka pagsisihan niyo. (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

Nasa lugar ako ngayon kung saan napakaraming pinto. Sa sobrang dami parang tinatamad na akong buksan ang mga ito. Hays.

I messed my hair ang stomped my feet out of frustration. Argh!

But then I stopped as I recall what he said earlier. Kaden.

His real name is Kaden. Ang gwapo ng pangalan! ♡⁠(⁠>⁠ ⁠ਊ⁠ ⁠<⁠)⁠♡

Sinampal ko ang sarili dahil sa aking huling sinabi. Anong gwapo sa kumag na 'yon! ತ⁠_⁠ತ

I touched my chest as I felt my heart beat racing rapidly. Bakit ba ganito tuwing naiisip ko ang multong 'yon? May sakit ba 'ko sa puso?

I can't like him right? Sinong magkakagusto sa multong 'yon. No way.

Pero wait kung Kaden ang totoong name ni K, does it mean he's connected in this school?

Tsaka bakit nga ba hindi ko pa alam ang nakaraan niya? The moment I encountered him I should've encounter his past and dimension too. Ayaw niya bang ipaalam sa akin?

Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kirot nang maisip ko iyon. I mean we've been friends and faced the wonders together. Ang dami na rin naming napagdaanan, may tiwala naman kami sa isa't-isa. Wait, ako lang ata ang nag-iisip non. Ako lang ata ang may tiwala sakanya.

My chest instantly felt a sharp agony. Why does pondering that cause my heart to pound?

I want to know more about him.

I shook my head. Hindi ko muna dapat 'yon iniisip. Kailangan ko munang makaalis dito.

"One of the doors will lead you to one of the places in Kaden High," a voice emerged from nowhere. I assumed he was Four. The holder of Fourth Wonder.

"But beware of opening the doors, you might open a door in a different dimension. You might not be able to go back." the voice then vanished.

Talaga naman oh! Kung sa pagpili ng ganito ang usapan malamang mamalasin na ako. Jusq.

I breathe deeply before proceeding. Bahala na si batman mamatay din naman.

A pink door is the first one that attracted my eye. It looks harmless kaya agad ko itong pinuntahan.

I'm already hesitating to open it but walang mangyayari if I'll get stuck here. I heard a strange, unsettling sound inside of it as I was about to open it. Kahit nakasara pa ang pinto ay maririnig mo na ito mula sa loob.

Awtomatiko akong lumayo sa pintuang 'yon.

Nagpatuloy ako sa ibang pinto, this time it was color green. The color of the forest. It also seems unharmful. I'm hoping that this one will take me to the forest behind Kaden High.

Hinawakan ko ang door knob at akmang bubuksan nang makarinig na naman ako ng tunog. Katulad ng nauna ay galing ito sa loob.

I creased my forehead as I noticed something strange. Bumitaw ako sa pagkakahawak, to my surprise, I don't hear any noise anymore. At nang binalik ko ito ay bumalik muli ang tunog.

Wow. Is this one of my abilities too?

I can't help but be curious. Why do I possess this kind of ability? I'm aware that I'm typical. Am I?

When I purified the heart of Eri's dimension, I used my ability for the first time. The second is that I can use a talisman, and as a result, I can now tell something by touching it and hearing something from it.

Now I realized why the Fourth Wonder ask me that. Just who I am?

Do I have a hidden identity I'm not aware of? Do I have memories that I lost?

I suddenly feel anxious yet doubtful about myself. I'm aware of who I am, but I'm also unaware.

I have to know who really I am. Why do I see ghosts, why did I wield a talisman, why can I cleanse the heart of wonder, why do I have this kind of ability, and why I am attracting the wonders?

To know all of the answers to my questions, I will go get back home and directly ask my parents.

I must first locate the door leading to Kaden High, though.

I turn the knob once again while attentively observing the noise coming from behind the door. It was eerily unsettling. Perhaps there was a real connection to Kaden High's forest.

I didn't hesitate to open the door, but the moment I set my eyes inside it-AHHH!! I screamed in horror.

Merong puno na tila nakaabang agad sa 'kin. The tree looks very creepy for it has teeth of a monster, eyes like a blood moon, and a black body like coal.

A/n: for reference, that is what the tree looks like. (credits to the owner of the photo)

What the fvck is that thing?!

I quickly close the door but the tree blocked it using its branch. Jusq naman lord! Sabi na eh malas ako sa ganito! (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

Kahit anong pilit kong itulak ang pinto ay hindi pa rin ito sumasara dahil sa lakas ng pwersa ang gamit ng puno.

Nagmamadali kong kinuha ang talisman na nakatago sa aking bulsa. I already wrote 'cleanse' on it so I don't need to cram myself in writing. I've become prepared after our encounter in Azi's wonder.

I stuck the talisman at the door as soon as I pulled it out of the back of my pocket. The branch disappeared as the door shut.

I inhaled deeply due to relief. Jusq!

Nang mabawi ko na ang sarili mula sa pagkahingal dahan-dahan akong tumayo. Kinuha ko sa aking bulsa ang talisman na dala ko.

I almost cursed myself as I only saw two talismans left. Ano ba namang kamalasan 'to oh!

I just have two talismans left, so I'll have to be careful from now on.

Muli kong pinasadahan ng tingin ang paligid. I shouldn't just pick the door that will catch my attention. Instead, I should pick based on what I hear inside.

As I scan the place a white door caught my attention. Hindi lang basta nito nakuha ang atensyon ko. There's something on it that is quite intriguing. It also looks like the same door on Kaden's wonder.

Katulad ng ginawa ko sa mga naunang pinto, hinawakan ko rin ang door knob at pinakinggan ang nasa loob.

At first, I didn't hear anything. But as I focus myself I can hear a faint sound of a flipping page.

Is someone reading a book?

Hearing a person's voice has made me more curious. I opened the knob and got my talisman ready in case of necessity.

My first sight was a library. I was reluctant to enter because of what I recall the Fourth Wonder saying. But as soon as I spotted a familiar table, I moved toward it.

The door closed with a loud bang and gave me a mini heart attack. I knew it! This is a bad idea!

But there's no point in turning back.

Pumunta ako sa bagay kung saan nito nakuha ang atensyon ko. I touch the table in the same way I did at Kaden's library, and a photograph of two children is propped up on the side. It matches the image I discovered in Kaden's table's drawer.

Napatingin ako sa aking likod nang marinig ang tunog ng paglipat ng pahina ng isang libro. Mabagal at walang ingay ko itong pinuntahan.

I was shocked to see a boy dressed in the same clothes as the students at Kaden High.Hindi ko maaninag ang mukha nito kaya naman mas lalo akong lumapit.

Nanlaki ang aking mata nang makilala ito. It was K!

A/n: for reference again, that was what K looks like. (credits to the owner of the pho)

He looks very peaceful and kind. Malayo sa kung ano siya ngayon.

He has soft features and a very light aura. It's almost like I can see an angel before me. When he is actually a perverted ghost in reality. (⁠─⁠.⁠─⁠|⁠|⁠）

He suddenly stopped reading. Kinabahan naman ako dahil baka napansin niya ako.

Nilapag nito ang hawak na libro sa gilid at tumayo na diretsong nakatingin sa akin. Gago, nakikita niya talaga ako?!

Napaatras ako nang magsimula siyang maglakad papunta sa akin. Tuloy-tuloy lang ang paglapit niya hanggang sa may nabangga akong libro sa aking likod na naging dahilan upang mawalan ako ng balanse at tuluyan madapa.

Grabe talagang kamalasan 'to oh!

I groaned in pain as I hold my elbow. Ang sakit!

Akala ko ay titigil sa aking harap si K pero hindi. Dire-diretso itong nagtungo sa dulo ng library. The light could no longer shine through to the ends of it.

It appears as though he is moving along a path that leads nowhere and is empty.

Agad akong tumayo kahit hindi pa ako nakakabawi. "S-Saglit!" pagpigil ko.

Hindi ako nag-dalawang isip na sundan siya ngunit nang akmang hihilain ko ang kamay nito ay tumagos lang ako.

I'm scared of that for some reason. On it, something is present. I sense it. Through that void of darkness, something is hiding.

I suddenly sensed a powerful wicked aura that forced me to take a step back.

"I told you not to touch the students," K suddenly said.

"How can I not?" A deep scary voice replied.

I shook with dread as I heard it. My forehead is already beginning to perspire. I became rigid and couldn't even move my fingers. I cannot comprehend its voice. It's not what I believe it to be. Is it not?

"Their souls are sweet. Especially as they trembled in fear. Their screams are music to my ears, their hopeless words are delicious as their soul,"

A foggy figure with red eyes emerged from the black void. "So tell me, how can I ignore that?

It's a demon, isn't it?

Why does Kaden talking to it?

Biglang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko nang magtama ang mata namin. Tangina nakikita niya ba ako? Alam niya bang nandito ako?!

This is bad I need to get out of here. But I can't move my legs. Masyado akong takot para gumalaw. Ba't pa kasi ako pumasok dito?!

"We have a contract," K replied with an enraged voice.

Bumalik ang tingin ng itim na nilalang sakanya. "Ah~ Yes." Hinawakan nito sa ulo at balikat si K at unti-unting pinaharap kung nasaan ako. Mas lalong bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko.

"Seems like we have a visitor here,"Laughing devilishly, it stated.

K gave me a blank look. No, I can't read him. His eyes are as hollow as the shadows that surround him.

"I know you'd be here, Saintess."

***

charmyxx