Thank you so much for 5k reads po! I was supposed to publish this last night pero nagloko connection namin (๑´╹‸╹'๑)

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It's been six days since that lightning incident in the courtyard.

Wala na ding nangyaring kakaiba sa academy pagkatapos no'n. That Sunday afternoon, dumating pa ang parents ni Tamara para tumulong sa imbestigasyon. They were checking the barriers around Ukiyo, especially ang nandito sa SSA. Natagpuang mayroon ngang parte ng barrier na nasira at nilagyan lang muna ng illusion para hindi agad mapansin.

I have heard rumors that the rebelling faction in Alondra is behind the attacks. The accused group holds a lot of dark magic, with one mastering the art of illusion. Pero hanggang ngayon, walang guro na nagkonpirma ng teoryang ito. May mga nagkomento ring imposible daw dahil matagal nang wala sa mapa ang lugar.

Pamilyar ang pangalan at parang narinig ko na noon. Tinanong ko siya sa mga kaibigan ko dahil tinamad din akong maghanap sa libro. They explained that it was a city located in the southern part of Allysteria. It disappeared twenty years ago and no one knows why. Basta't naging gubat na lang ang dating syudad.

Dahil wala na akong makuha na iba pang impormasyon, hindi ko na lang din pinakialaman pa. I hate to be dragged in things like this.

That same Sunday night, the Awanggan was filled. Dumating ang lahat ng estudyante dahil nandoon si Paham. His presence was a great reminder to the anxious students that they are protected and well despite the unannounced attacks.

"What the fuck, Raven? Hindi ka pa rin ba nagpapalit ng damit? Hindi ko alam kung bobo ka talaga at hindi mo maintindihan na bawal ang ganiyang kulay dito."

Tinapos ko muna ang pagnguya ng pagkain at hinayaan siyang maghintay sa harap ko na parang aso. Naiirita na siya nang bagalan ko ang pagkain. Halos si Beatrix na lang ang ngumuya at lumunok para masagot ang tanong niya.

"Well," malumanay kong pinunasan ang gilid ng bibig. "Hindi ko din alam kung bobo ka talaga at hindi mo pa rin gets na ito ang gusto kong kulay. Oh, by the way, you don't need to panic. I am exempted from that rule."

She scoffed. "Sino naman nagexempt sa'yo? Your Elite friends? Yes, they have authority. Pero implementing rules lang at hindi mga ganyan kalaking bagay."

I hated how I couldn't answer that.

Shit. Why didn't I think of that before? Oo nga pala at ang pinakapowerful na tao dito ay si Paham. Kaniyang salita ang batas at walang sapat na kapangyarihan ang Elites to manipulate the rules.

I can't argue with Beatrix on this especially since I don't know how their whole system works. Baka may masabi pa akong mali at gamitin niyang pangontra 'yon sa'kin sa buong buhay ko.

I mean... this girl exposes her dislike every day but continues to stand or sit next to me. Hindi ko alam kung hater or fan ko siya.

"I don't remember issuing an exemption so... sino ang nagsabi sa'yo niyan, Raven?"

Thankfully, sina Dawn ay dito naman umupo dahil hindi nila alam ang bawat kulay ng table. I rolled my eyes when they occupied their seats next to me kanina nga, kasi pinagtitinginan sila ng mga tao. If ever na ipapabalik sila sa tamang upuan, I know that they'll just present their "I am an Elite" card.

"Helios."

Hindi ko alam kung bakit nagulat lahat ng nakarinig. Beatrix dropped her spoon, her jaw dropping as if I just announced that Hiraya is alive. Kahit si Dustine na katabi niya ay pinaniningkitan ako ng mata. Azriel was nodding, keeping his thoughts to himself, while Tamara almost looked teary.

"Bigatin!" sabi niya pa kaya nagtaka ako.

Only Eva seemed positively surprised at that table. At siya lang din ang may pinakaayaw ko na reaksiyon. Her teasing looks told me that there is something really important na hindi ko alam.

"Ah, I see." kahit sa boses ni Dawn ay nahimigan ko ang tukso. "Yes, I guess... it's a done deal."

"Done deal?" kumunot ang noo ko. "Is it because of his rank in this Academy?"

"It can be a factor. But there's also a critical reason why, like Paham, Helios' words are considered rules in this place."

I'm still lost pero wala nang balak si Dawn na sagutin ulit ako. Even if I could get answers from pissing Beatrix off, hindi ko naman magawa dahil wala ngayon dito ang utak niya.

"So cute, Raven!" sinamaan ko ng tingin ang natatawang si Tamara. "I'll give you a hint. He represents the golden sun."

Okay, tapos?

"Hindi ba pwedeng sabihin niyo na lang? I'm not really in the mood to solve riddles. Wait- no, I'm always not in the mood to solve riddles."

Misteryosong ngumiti lang si Tamara at bumalik sa pagkain niya. I briefly regretted why I let Griffin stay with her during yesterday's fight. Ito tuloy at nakakalaban na siya sa akin.

"Magandang gabi sa inyong lahat."

Sa pagsalita ni Paham ay nahinto lahat ng ingay.

"Nandito tayo ngayon, hindi lang para makakain ng sabay-sabay, ngunit para na rin ipagdiwang ang kauna-unahang tournament na nangyari sa Selected. Ipinakita ng Obstacle War sa atin ang tapang, lakas, at talino ng mga bagong estudyante natin. At mula sa limampung estudyante, limang tao ang nagwagi. Isang grupo na kahit sa kahuli-hulihan ng laro ay nanatiling kompleto."

Oh, burn. I shot the two girls in front of me a smirk. Hindi sila nakatingin noong una sa'kin pero sinipa ko talaga sila sa ilalim ng mesa para ngisihan.

"Kagaya ng pangako ko ay bibigyan ko ang mananalong grupo ng mga espesyal na... gamit." bigla siyang tumawa kahit wala namang nakakatawa. "Ito'y mga armas na alam kong makakatulong sa tatlong taon na itatagal ninyo sa aking tahanan. Sa ngayon, tinatawag ko sina Tempest, Alonzo, Alderidge, Solis, at Faxon na pumunta sa harap para kunin ang aking regalo. Sana ay magustuhan niyo ito."

Heavens! Paham, hindi ba pwedeng ibigay mo na lang sa'kin ng sikreto 'yan? Sa harap talaga ng lahat? Napakasaya naman nito sa bahagi ng pagkatao ko na gustong makita ang inis sa mukha ng lahat.

Oh, heavens... now I'm even copying Paham's deep words.

Naunang tumayo si Griffin na nasa may unahan pala't nakikipagchismisan sa iba naming kaklase. His bright smile slightly faded nang makitang siya lang ang tumayo. So I followed suit, winking at the girls who lost because of me. Umirap lang si Beatrix habang hindi ako pinansin ni Dustine. It's too funny because they're wearing arm casts.

Halos lahat sa mga Selected ay may mga cast o 'di kaya'y nakasaklay. Some students were beaten very loudly at may iba pa ngang kaninang umaga lang nagising.

In our team, only Griffin and Matteo were severely wounded. Sa two versus one na fight nina Tam kay Gio ay inako ni Griff lahat ng tama. Matteo was up against the strongest Selected so it's reasonable why he's very wounded. Sumunod sina Azriel at Tamara na sugatan din pero hindi naman gano'n ka concerning.

Every student in the Awanggan probably had mixed feelings about seeing us there. Lalo na't I was wearing a black dress and heels because Sunday meant you can wear anything you like. And I so badly wanted to hold a funeral for their losses. Though as much as some of them disapproved of our presence, some people were impressed.

Paham gave Matteo some... fighting gloves? I couldn't hear what it was for dahil hininaan ni Paham ang boses niya, pero mukhang ayos naman sa lalaki. Nasiyahan pa nga. Griffin was given a long dagger with curved edges. Sanay na sanay na ang kamay niyang humawak ng gano'ng kutsilyo because he smoothly played with it after.

Nakuha naman ni Azriel ang isang pilak na kadena. His soul item, the ring, instantly absorbed the chains. Tamara received a bow and arrow with magical carvings that served as protection. Dahil magkatabi kami ay narinig kong para lang kay Tamara ang weapon na 'yon. No one can touch the bow and arrows aside from the owner.

Ang mga regalong ibinigay ni Paham ay para lang talaga sa amin. He took into consideration what we like, what we master, or what weapon we used in the past.

However, hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit metal claws ang ibinigay niya sa'kin.

It wasn't the kind that you have to strap in your palm because it's ten pieces of finger knives. The intricate black design surprised me because I didn't expect Paham to give me a weapon of this color. The knife end had some curved edges and it was retractable, kaya pwede siyang maging normal-looking fashion finger cuff and a murderous claws the next.

"Dahil hinaharap mo ang lahat ng problema gamit ang iyong kamao, ito ang alam naisipan kong babagay sa'yo. Ngayon, Raven, hindi ka na masasaktan sa pagsuntok dahil tutulungan ka nitong mga kutsilyong nagmula sa kaniyang espada."

I was busy admiring the weapon that I reacted a little too late at Paham's words. "Kaniyang espada?"

"Ang espada na bumuhay at pumatay sa kanilang angkan. Ito'y sinira at binasag upang tuluyang mawala ang kanilang kasaysayan sa ating mundo ngunit nagawa kong makuha ang ibang piraso. Alam kong dadating ang panahon na... maibibigay ko sa'yo ito."

The time will come when he can eventually give me this? Does that mean that when he gathered all the broken pieces of the sword, he already has plans to give it to me? Pero paano naman at hindi ko siya kilala sa panahong 'yon?

I slowly frowned. "Paham... Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

Why does it feel like the people I've met here know something I don't? They keep on warning and talking to me as if they knew me much more than I do. Nagtataka ako lagi pero pilit ko lang na tinatago ito. Hindi ko binibigyan ng pansin ang kung ano mang nangyayari na nagpapatanong sa'kin sa takot na baka masira nito lahat ng nalalaman ko.

Curiosity has always killed the cat and I don't have nine lives to risk it.

I love danger... only when it comes to me, not when I have to seek it. Getting into trouble with other people is fine, I know how to irritate and get rid of humans. Getting into trouble in places I'm familiar with is alright, I know how to escape and survive. Pero ang sumubok sa isang laban na wala akong alam, at kung saan maraming alam ang kalaban, malaki ang chance na matalo ako.

"Dadating ang panahon na malalaman mo din ang lahat."

That was all he said before he faced the rest of the students, leaving me confused and lost.

"Ang pagkapanalo ng grupong ito sa kauna-unahang opisyal na laro ng kanilang House ay makaka-apekto sa kanilang ranggo. Gano'n din sa lahat ng estudyanteng naging parte ng laro na iyon. Maaring magbago ang inyong mga ranggo kinabukasan, depende sa hatol ng inyong guro."

"Dean Paham!" one student raised his hand. "So hindi po ibig sabihin na natalo kami ay bababa na agad?"

"Kung natalo kayo, there's a higher chance you'll get low points. It depends on your performance and at the criteria I've set beforehand," tugon ni Andreas mula sa upuan niya sa mesa ng mga teachers. "Only the five people here will have the perfect marks. Si Damon ay mataas din ang points dahil nanatili siya hanggang sa huli."

Hindi man sumagot ang mga estudyante ay halata ang inis sa mga mukha nila. Especially for the two girls that I deceived. Hanggang ngayon ay nakacast pa rin si Beatrix kaya siguro grabe na ang galit niya sa'kin. Well, she was so desperate at defeating me that I broke her arms.

Hindi kami nagtagal sa harap nila at umupo na para magpatuloy sa pagkain. Some students expressed their disappointments and displeasures, while mayroon namang positive lang ang reactions. Babawiin na lang daw nila sa susunod. 'Yon ang mga nagustuhan kong marinig because really... you cannot always win in life. There are times when you have to fall, where you have to lose, to get strong and get up.

So whenever I lose, I don't whine... I plan. Inaaral ko ang ginagawa ng mga kalaban para magamit sa kanila pagkatapos. How would I win between the strongest team if I didn't? Of course, I knew how they fought. I knew their strengths and weaknesses.

I knew which side Dustine particularly favors and what martial arts did Beatrix master. I knew Giovanni would be close to unbeatable, but if he was surprised with a head injury beforehand, he couldn't exactly defend against Tamara who can hit all his critical points. I knew a little act would confuse Damon and his trust in his teammates would cause them to fall, dahil hindi niya seseryosohin ang laban kay Matteo. I knew Azriel was the perfect match against a titan like Dayang... after all, the giant has already expressed his awe for Azriel's skills.

We planned all of that because we lost... a couple of times.

"Sigurado akong may dayaan na nangyari. Raven is close to those three men in Dustine's group."

"Oo nga 'no, iyon din ang narinig ko kay Naomi. At alam mo namang bestfriend ni Dustine 'yon!"

Huminto ako nang marinig ang bulungan ng dalawang lalaki sa mesa namin. I crossed my arms, eyeing them sideways.

"Baka naman bitter lang 'yon kaya pinagkalat ang tsismis na 'yan? Nakalaban ko si Raven at talagang malakas." sambit ng ikatatlo.

Hm. I like you.

"Malakas nga. Pero imposible namang manalo siya sa limang 'yon. Ibang level na kaya ang lakas nila."

I mean, it wasn't a five versus one. Hindi naman ako nanalo sa kanilang lima sa pakikipaglaban ng pisikal.

"Well, basta ako naniniwala na may dayaang nangyari. Lalo na't magpinsan daw si Giovanni at Raven. Siyempre..." the first man shrugged. "Saka kahit na anong lakas ni Raven, 'di niya kaya sila 'no. Babae lang naman siya."

Now, that's crossing the line.

My eye twitched and I turned to them with a sour-looking face. Nanatili pa ring nakatalikod sa'kin ang unggoy na may problema sa mga babaeng mas malakas sa kaniya. The students around him has already felt my presence, and even the third boy who I liked widened his eyes upon seeing me. Nagpapanic niyang kinalabit ang katabi na halos mamutla din nang makita ako sa likod nila.

Oh, come on, you're worse than your stereotypes of girls only capable of creating and spreading rumors. Ang tapang sa bulongan, tapos ngayong kaharap na, matatakot?

"Shit, Stuart! Gago, nandito si Raven!" marahas na babala ni second boy sa katabi.

He stiffened. Ang reaksiyong 'yon ay isa nang konpirmasyon na kinabahan siya sa narinig. Bago pa tuluyang makaharap si Stuart ay tumama na ang palad ko sa pisngi niya. The loud slap echoed along the halls of the Awanggan, making everyone stop to stare at us.

"Raven?!"

"Tempest! Ano ang nangyayari?!"

"Gago, bakit may sampalan?"

"Lalaki sinampal. Boyfriend ba ni Raven? Ex?"

"Mas gwapo naman ako diyan."

Someone, Zara, grabbed my arm to lead me away but I didn't budge. Tinitigan ko lang ang lalaki na hindi ginagalaw ang ulo mula sa pagkakasampal ko sa kaniya. Sa lakas nito'y napatagilid ang ulo niya, ang mga pisngi ay namumula.

"Damn, man." I clicked my tongue, chuckling lowly. "Babae lang ako? Hindi..."

I grabbed his chin, making him stare at my eyes back. His faux braveness never hid the fear swimming in his eyes. Hindi ko pinansin ang pagpapatigil ng ibang guro at estudyante at hinigpitan ang pagkakahawak sa kaniyang panga.

"Babae ako."

I emphasized each word, making sure that it would reach every listening ear.

"Malakas lang sampal mo dahil hindi ko inasahan, Raven." he spat.

"Kung gusto mo patas, e'di magkita tayo sa ring. Or whatever martial arts you prefer. I mean, as the higher rank of us two, I should understand the limit of your strengths."

Stuart gritted his teeth, positively offended by my words. Buti naman. Sinabi ko talaga 'yon para mang-offend.

"Ano? Do you want to fight? When and where?"

"Ano na naman ba 'yan, Raven? Are you making a scene again?"

Because Beatrix wants to use her mouth so badly, I turned to her. "What now? If I tell you that you lost because you're just a woman, wouldn't you feel angry too?"

"May mas magandang approach kaysa sa manampal ka lang! May point naman sila ah, baka nga nandaya kayo." bigla niyang itinuro si Tamara. "Hindi ako naniniwalang nakaya niyang talunin si Giovanni. Hindi sa babae siya, pero talagang mahina siyang tao."

The 'oohs' echoed from all the watching students. That made Beatrix smirk, thinking her comeback made such an overwhelming impact.

"Pero natalo kita noong last," walang-muwang na sambit ni Tamara.

"That was just a lucky win. I was distracted."

I nodded. "Okay."

Stuart and Beatrix frowned at me.

"If you disagree with the result, then let's see what'll happen at this week's game. It's a sport I really, really hate... so maybe you can win points na." ngumisi ako. "Hindi ko lang alam kung kaya niyo si Tam."

Archery. That was our week's game.

Specifically, it's archery while riding horses.

At mangyayari iyon ngayon.

We trained archery in the first week na. Just the basic arrow shooting. Kaya ngayong linggo, we focused on the horses. Noong Monday ipinakilala sa'min ang magiging partners namin for our stay here and I took the horse that everyone stayed away from...

Lumapit ako kay Lilith, the dark brown horse with a white stripe down her nose. She was one of the slightly large females. The only difference was her really bad temper. Marami ang umayaw sa kaniya dahil hindi siya sumusunod. Mas suplada pa siya sa akin kaya naman nagustuhan ko siya agad.

Due to her temper and dislike for people, they left her alone. In the crowd of well-trained horses, she was an outcast. Kaya siguro napalapit na din ako sa kaniya.

The first three days were hell though.

Ilang beses niya akong sinipa. I was also subjected to smug smirks and satisfied glares when she wouldn't move no matter how I order her. Minsan kapag sinasabi kong bilisan, babagalan niya. Then vice versa.

Noong nagsimula kami sa mounter archery in the forest, we got the lowest mark. Hindi na nga ako magaling sa ganitong style of fighting, madalas pa akong pinaglalaruan ng kabayong nakuha ko. Pero kahit na ako ang may pinakamababang grado, nanalo naman ako sa isang bagay.

"What are you looking so proudly at?" tanong ko kay Lilith pagkatapos no'n. I can't read horses' expressions but I'm pretty sure she's giving me a smug look. "If you think I'd whine and ask for a better horse, I don't care. Ikaw pinili ko dahil gusto kita at kung ano man ang mangyayari pagkatapos nito, well, that's just grades anyway."

That activity changed something between us. The next day, Andreas was impressed because Lilith connected well with me. Sineryoso niya ang activity namin at siya pa ang nagalit dahil ako ang hindi makatama sa mga nakahang na target boards.

"You ready, Lilith? Totohanan na 'to. At least makapasa man lang tayo."

She huffed.

"Hindi ka ba naniniwala sa kakayahan ko? Tingnan mo, matatamaan ko lahat ng target boards mamaya." mayabang kong saad habang inaayos ang damit.

I had my shirt tucked inside my fitted pants, paired with boots that almost reached my knees. For protection, I was also wearing an arm and chest guard, then a glove ring. Katabi ko si Tamara na inaayos din ang kabayo niyang si Silva, isang puting kabayo na pwedeng maikumpara sa anghel. Silva neighed in agreement with my statement while my horse rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore my arrogance.

"Ang sama mo." tugon ko.

"She witnessed your performance all week, Raven. Alam niyang hindi mo kaya."

I slowly narrowed my eyes at Azriel's betrayal. "How dare you, AA. Hindi kita pinalaking ganyan."

"I am older than you."

Tamara's light chuckled stopped my prepared remark. "Nando'n na daw si Sir Andreas."

Ngumuso ako sa napakasmooth niyang pagsampa sa kabayo. Silva was a gift from her parents which made her more comfortable. And watching the pure ease in Tamara, after seeing her nerves in the last game, made me smile. This was her battlefield. The forest was her home.

Kaya hindi na ako nagulat na pagkatapos ng sampung minuto mula sa pagsimula ng laro ay tapos na siya.

But here I am, trying to find the boards I didn't hit earlier. This time, the game revolved on completing all the target boards around the forest kasi. Higher marks go to those who finished the quickest.

"Lilith, saan na ba 'yon kanina? Parang medyo mataas ang kahoy na 'yon, e. Tapos maraming sanga."

She snorted.

"Let me remind you na kasalanan mo 'yon," reklamo ko. "I told you to slow down but you didn't just because you saw another horse. Seriously? Nandito tayo para magshoot ng arrows, hindi magchase ng kapwang kabayo!"

She only responded with a dismissive neigh, suddenly jumping so my face was slapped with a ton of leaves.

I sighed at my troublesome horse. Pinili ko na lang na iikot ang tingin sa paligid para hanapin ang target board. But one movement made me stop Lilith.

I narrowed my eyes at the shadowy figure. It was standing far from us, into the deep of the forest. I caught a glimpse of it earlier but when I turned to look, it stopped.

Nanindig ang balahibo ko sa ideyang nakatitig lang ito sa akin.

Lilith started to become anxious, stepping a little backward and her head raised, eyes wide as it stared at the figure too. Sinubukan niyang umalis pero pinigilan ko.

"Wait, Lilith..." I licked my lips, taking a deep breath before jumping down. Nagtataka akong binalingan ng kabayo. "Stay there."

This shadow... this figure... it looks similar to the ones I've seen in the library and at the halls whenever I'm alone.

Hindi ko din alam kung bakit natagpuan ko na lang ang sarili na naglalakad palapit doon. I guess sobrang napuno na ako ng tanong na mismong katawan ko na ang gumalaw. Maybe I didn't really have much control of my self than I thought.

Maybe I need answers to these curiosities.

Malapit na ako sa pigura nang biglang may humila sa'kin. Something shattered inside of me. I blinked, surprised my chest was already heaving.

"Where the fuck did you think you're going?"

Habol ko pa rin ang hininga nang marinig ang malalim na boses ni Damon. It thundered in my ears. His grip tightened as the shadow moved, leaving us.

Doon ko lang din nakita ang malalim na bangin sa harap. Kung hindi ako hinila pabalik ni Damon, I would have fallen to my death.

"Fuck! You should be more cautious about your surroundings, Raven! You can't just put yourself in danger like that! Especially in this school!"

Sobrang bigat ng mga dinadala kong emosyon, mula sa kasalukuyang problema ko sa pamilya, sa mga nakakainis na estudyante, sa kung ano mang tinatago nila sa'kin, sa mga pesteng anino na panay ang habol sa'kin at dahil malapit na akong mamatay kanina, kaya hindi ko na napigilan ang bibig.

"Bakit, Damon? Ano ba ang mayroon sa eskwelahang ito?" tanong ko pagkaharap sa kaniya.

His tight grip lessened and even though the frown was still present on his face, I could sense the slight surprise in my question.

"Kagaya ng malapit na mangyari sa'yo kanina. This school is filled with dangers no matter how it was described as safe before."

I cocked a brow. "We don't know each other enough for you to be so concerned about me. We barely spoke. So it's either you are a kind student, which is unbelievable, or you are hiding a secret from me."