THE BIRTH OF THE WITHERED DRAGON

"YES," Aster replied in a low voice making the Desert Fae smiled in fascination.

Meanwhile, Lisianthus was keeping his annoyance in check. He might strangle the neck of Hon any minute now if by chance he chose to surrender from his carelessness. Ano ba ang ninanais nito at mga ganito ang tanungan kay Aster?

Did he want them to get angry? Kasi kung iyon nga, nagtagumpay siya. He was clearly pissed. Hindi lang sa mga personalan nitong tanong kundi na sa katotohanang may nakakaalam sa mga bagay na dapat ang Royal Dragon at limang lineages lang dapat ang nakakaalam.

"All right. Next."

Hon was ready to flip the coin, but he chose to interfere. Pabagsak niyang nilapag ang kamay sa lamesa at bahagyang tinulak si Aster patagilid upang palitan ito.

"No more for him. Ako na," saad niya. Sinulyapan niya si Aster na namumutla ang mukha habang nakayuko pa rin.

"Wait, Chief. Hindi mo ba narinig ang sinabi ko kanina? You're not allowed to—"

"I'll interfere if I want to." He cut him off.

Pinaningkitan naman siya nito. "I don't like how you use your tongue."

"I don't like you either." Pinantayan niya ang mga tingin nito. "Besides, do you think he can still answer?" dagdag niya pa patukoy kay Aster na nanigas na sa kaniyang tabi, ang mga kamay nito ay nanginginig na.

Hindi niya mapigilang mag-alala. Kahit ilang libong taon na ang lumipas, apektadong-apektado pa rin talaga ang kaibigan niya.

Damn that Desert Fae. It was all his fault for making Aster remember. He was very careful on not mentioning about the past, but the insensitive A-gene just spit the question as if it was no big deal at all.

"Well, you have a point." Hon shrugged like nothing happened. "Okay, shall we focus on you now, Chief?"

"I'm waiting."

Ngumiti ito sa kaniya at mapanuya siyang tiningnan. He flipped the coin and just like earlier he slapped it on the table, covering the result fast with his hand. Nang inalis niya ito, sumalubong sa kaniya ang simbolo ng isang pigura na hindi niya kilala.

"Head." Hon clasped his hand while smirking at him.

Lalong kumulo ang dugo ni Lis sa mga galawan nito na para bang kung sinong importanteng tao. Ang mga tingin nitong parang minamaliit siya at ang hugis ng ngiti na may balak na hindi maganda ang higit na nagpapakiliti sa inis niya.

"Do you miss your mom?"

"Yes."

"How about your father?"

"Yes."

"How about your rival?"

He gritted his teeth. "Yes."

The damn fae had started his game again. He was trying to hit on his nerves and to his favor, it was working. Lalo na nang ngumisi ito dahilan para lalo siyang mabalot ng galit.

Muli nitong hinagis ang Meo at kagaya kanina, head pa rin ang lumabas.

"Do you think it's your fault why your rival died?"

Nerves from his head started to pop out as the fae continued to mess with him. Hindi dapat siya magpadala subalit ang kaniyang emosyon patungkol sa kakamatay lang niyang kaibigan ay presko pa sa kaniyang puso. Hanggang ngayon paulit-ulit niya pa rin iyong pinagsisisihan. Nandoon pa rin ang bigat sa kaniyang damdamin na kahit kailan ay hindi na maaalis pa, at ito'y dadalhin niya hanggang kamatayan.

Napayuko siya. "Yes."

"You're incompetent and weak. You're nothing without your Dragon Stone, correct?"

"Watch your mouth!" sigaw ni Violet sa likuran. "Kahit 'di ko maintindihan pinagsasabi mo, wala kang karapatang sabihin 'yan sa kaniya!"

Somehow, he felt relieved hearing her voice. It was enough for him to take himself back in reality.

But he was still drowning.

"It's fine, Violet." He turned to look at her and forced a smile. Muli niyang binalik ang tingin kay Hon. "Yes. You're right."

It was the truth. Hon was right. He was a total nothing when he doesn't have his Dragon Stone. All his control relied on that stone. Even if he worked hard enough to make his body tough, the strong and uncontrollable energy inside him everytime he casted a spell, could easily break his toughness without the stone.

"And you still think that you deserve to become chief. You're still not giving up on that, are you?" Hon was smirking, trying to hit the spot that would touch his messed-up emotion.

Mariin siyang napahawak sa kaniyang pantalon. Nanginig ang kaniyang kamay sa lakas ng pagkakahawak niya sa tela. Pumikit siya at malalim na bumuntonghininga. "Y-yes."

He still wanted to be chief. His dreams were still hanging on. He had come so far. He couldn't afford to stop here. These were things that his positive emotions told him, but he was more pained than before. Kapag iisipin niya pa lang ang pagkawala ni Cross, kinakain na kaagad siya ng konsensya.

'Am I deserving to be chief?'

The 'yes' answer was stronger than the other which made him more terrible. Para bang binabalewala niya lang ang pagkamatay ng kaibigan niya.

But that wasn't true. He cared. At least, that was he believed in.

"Tail."

"Hurry up." Tumaas ang boses niya, nangangahulugang naiinis na siya. Gusto na niyang matapos 'to, umalis at mapag-isa.

Huminga siya nang malalim upang pigilan ang emosyon niyang pilit na kumakawala. Natatakot siya na baka mawala siya sa kaniyang sarili. Natatakot siya na baka ang itanong nito ang bagay na ayaw niyang pag-usapan. Ayaw niyang magpatalo. Ayaw niyang mawala. Ayaw niyang makain ng emosyong ikinubli niya sa loob ng ilang libong taon.

"Lis, why are you so twisted?" Pinilig nito ang ulo at binantayan ang bawat niyang reaksyon.

They had been saying this for a while. Hindi na siya magugulat pa kung tatanungin siya ng ganitong kalawak na tanong ngunit sa pagkakataong ito, may parte sa kaniya ang natamaan.

He knew what he was pertaining.

"I am not twisted." His voice was still intact, but his lips trembled.

He spouted those words but who he really was said otherwise. And the ball saw that. The Lie-detecting ball lit out, emitting a white light and encircled him, taking some time of his life, making him freeze on his seat.

It wasn't about he lost a small amount of his life span, but it was the ball that slapped him on the fact that he lied.

Napakagat siya sa kaniyang dila dahilan para dumugo ito. Kinagat niya pa ito nang paulit-ulit subalit 'di niya maramdaman ang sakit.

He couldn't focus anymore. His thoughts were overpowering him. The anxiety he kept by keeping a bright face was now overtaking him.

'No. Please. I'm not like this.'

"I see that you lied." Hon chuckled. "Poor you. Why do you even try to hide it? Why do you act like you care for the Flora, giving them their perfect bloom, but the truth is, you yearn for their death. You want them to wither fast, right, Chief?"

"You're asking a yes or no question." Hindi na niya kaya pang salubungin ang mga tingin nito.

"Oh sorry, my bad," he said teasingly before continuing. "Let me rephrase it. Why are you trying to be good when you're blessed with a curse?"

"I'm not cursed nor what I have is a curse! I'm not a terrible person!" sigaw niya ngunit napatigil sa mga huli niyang nasabi. His voice echoed around the room as his heartbeat started to escalate.

Lumalalim ang kaniyang paghinga at sinasapawan nito ang kaniyang boses. Pilit niyang kinakalma ang sarili ngunit hindi na niya magawa pang kontrolin ang panginginig niya. Hindi niya maipaliwanag kung galit ba siya sa sarili o sa kausap niya subalit gusto niyang magwala, bitiwan lahat ng emosyong ibinaon niya, ipakita sa mundo kung anong klaseng halimaw ang ikinubli niya na kahit siya mismo ay ayaw na makita.

"Stop this. What are you trying to achieve?" he uttered with a hint of surrender. "Please, stop."

But Hon didn't listen, instead he smiled. A malicious smile filled with a hunger of satisfaction, as if he wanted to mess with him more. "Show me who you are."

Hon's word felt like a command that he was willing to follow.

The rage that had been boiling inside of him crashed like a strong wave, messing his mind. Ang kaninang emosyon na pilit na nabubuhay sa loob-loob niya ay tuluyan na ngang bumunga at kinontrol ang kaniyang buong sistema. He couldn't think straight. Wala na rin siyang maramdaman. Hindi na niya magawang marinig pa ang mga boses ng kasama niya.

Yumanig ang buong paligid dulot ng kaniyang enerhiya. Nagkaroon ng buong awtoridad ang kaniyang katawan upang kunin at sipsipin ang lahat ng buhay sa paligid niya. Sa mga Flora na nakapaligid sa kaniya at sa iba pang bagay na may buhay.

Wala siyang tinira kahit isa. Kahit na posibleng mawasak ang katawan niya ay 'di niya magawang tumigil.

Unti-unting nagbago ang kaniyang anyo habang nagpaulit-ulit sa isipan niya ang isang kataga.

'I'm not a terrible person. I'm not terrible. I'm not terrible. I'm not terrible.'

His size grew large enough for him to wreck the roof of the house. The soft and pale skin of Lisianthus was covered with tough dead scales. Like the dark clouds, the color of his dragon embodies the lifeless. His four wings covered with holes, as if it was shot with cannons, shouted the epitome of indifference. One horn on his forehead, shaped like a dead tree, appeared as his signature identity.

Growling, the fangs and the image he had kept hidden had now been exposed. A total opposite of what he looked like, but a total representation of what he truly was.

The dragon of the lifeless. The guardian of the withered nature, Witheria.

Ang kaniyang bisyon ay napalitan ng kadiliman at sinakop na ang kaniyang isipan sa mga tanong at alaalang ibinaon niya sa limot.

"Papa, am I curse?"

"Of course not. What you have is a blessing. You are the descendant of our first chief, after all."

"But I'm withering them, Papa." Ang maliit na batang si Lis ay napuno ng pangamba habang ang hawak-hawak niyang bulaklak ay unti-unting binawian ng buhay.

"Every plant is doomed to wither, Lis. And your dragon is there to give them peace."

"I don't understand."

The questions he had when he was a child flowed like waterfall, rushing in, and flooding his heart in an instant. Hindi niya maintindihan bakit siya pa ang binigyan ng ganitong kapangyarihan. Mahal niya ang mga halaman. Totoo ang nararamdaman niyang pagmamahal sa kanila. Nais niyang makita itong perpekto. Nais niyang makita silang maganda.

He loved the Flora, but he loved them more when they withered, and he couldn't even deny it.

The purpose of his dragon was to sip life from them, and Lis never hated it. He accepted the fact that he loved them both in their perfect and withered state.

"All the life comes from me. You don't have to feel guilty when you take them back, son." The Withered Dragon, his companion and who he had once told him this.

He felt relieved as he remembered those words. But one question left him with no answer.

'Does it make me terrible? I'm not terrible, am I?'

This was who he was. What could he do when he was bound to carry this purpose until the end? The Flora never even hated him. And he knew deeply that the Flora wasn't the problem.

It was the people. He was afraid to tell them about the truth of his dragon for the judgement was waiting for him. He didn't want to be labeled as a heartless S-gene.

He had the image of a flower. He was praised by how beautiful and unique he looked, but deep inside, he was a twisted monster who takes life in the mask of giving them their perfect bloom.

What would his people say if they found out how he loved to destroy the plants and all the living things he cared for? He didn't want to be pictured out as a monster. Two-faced. A hypocrite.

"You're overthinking again."

He smiled at the sound of his dragon, Witheria. Kahit na nilalamon na siya ng kadiliman, kahit papaano gumaan ang pakiramdam niya dahil may kasama siya.

"If my people find out who I am, will they still accept me? Will you runaway from me too?"

"Silly. I am you, my child. You and Ghequiteo are really similar." Witheria chuckled. "You should trust your people as how they trust you. You don't have to worry. We are doing this one more time, Lis. And I shall guide you until our purpose will be served."

"What do you mean?"

"Wake up now. We might kill someone if you continue to let me out. Now is not the time, Lis."

"Lis!" Napaigtad siya nang may pumasok na isang boses. May tumatawag sa kanya.

Napamulat siya nang may maramdaman siyang parang tela na pumulupot sa kaniyang braso at para bang may sinisipsip ito mula sa kaniya. Hindi niya mawari ngunit dahan-dahang nawala ang kaniyang nararamdamang pagkalito. Ang emosyong naging dahilan ng kaniyang pagkamiserable ay nawawala na. Para bang kinuha ito sa kaniya at kahit kailan ay hindi na ibabalik pa.

"Hibi!"

"Violet?" Mabilis niyang nakilala ang boses. Agad siyang napabalik sa kaniyang sarili nang mapagtanto niya ang posibleng sapitin ni Violet. "Stay away!"

His dragon, when released, sipped every bit of life around. May it be from the plants, people, or any living being that had the ability to have life. Kaya niyang kontrolin ito subalit wala sa kaniya ang Dragon Stone.

"Stay away from me!"

Kahit 'di niya naintindihan kung anong ginawa ng telang pumalibot sa kaniyang braso, nagpapasalamat siya rito dahil kumalma na siya. Kaagad niyang inalis ang bisa ng Transformation Spell upang ibalik si Witheria sa loob-loob niya.

Mabilis siyang nanghina nang sunod-sunod ang epekto ng spell sa kaniyang katawan. Para bang may sumabog sa kalamnan niya at winawasak ang bawat bahagi ng kaniyang katawan. Lalo na ang kaniyang puso.

A Transformation Spell is an extreme spell, after all. His body would suffer the aftereffect again. At doble ang sakit na nararamdaman niya kaysa no'ng una. Bago pa nga lang nakabawi ang kaniyang katawan, sinisira na niya naman.

'Oh, dear spells! Please, let me survive.'

When his dragon dispersed like bubbles, he saw Violet, crying while looking at him. Nakita niya ang itim na telang hawak-hawak sa kamay nito dahilan para sumilay ang maliit na ngiti sa kaniyang labi.

It was from her.

"Thank you."

Bago pa siya nawalan ng malay, naramdaman niya ang pagyakap ng babae sa kaniya.