DECISION

NATIVIA'S scream enveloped the whole place. Her heart almost stopped when Tripenthine struck himself with the trident. It was a nightmare to see her beloved killing himself because of her.

It was never in her plan to fight Tripenthine. Kasali sa pangarap niya ang lalaki subalit hindi ito nakinig sa kanIya. Hindi nito kayang talikuran ang Mythria kaya naman wala siyang ibang nagawa kundi ang kalabanin ito.

She thought she was ready for this. Sa kagustuhan niyang pamunuan ang buong Mythria, kinalimutan na niya ang pagmamahal sa lalaki. Akala niya'y kaya niya itong talikuran. Akala niya'y kaya niyang iwan ang lalaki. Akala niya'y kaya niya itong patayin.

Pero nagkamali siya.

Tumigil ang kanIyang sistema nang makita kung paano nito itarak ang trident sa dibdib.

Mabilis siyang lumapit sa direksyon ng lalaki nang mabitIwan na nito ang trident at mawalan ng malay. Tinanggal niya ang natarak na trident dahilan para maglabasan ang dugo sa dibdib nito. Nanginginig niyang inabot ang mukha nito at sinubukang gisingin.

"Ine? Ine! Wake up!" Niyugyog niya ang lalaki pero hindi na nito minulat pa ang mga mata.

Sunod-sunod ang pagpatak ng kanIyang mga luha nang masaksikan kung paano dahan-dahang naging likido ang buong katawan nito.

"No. . . no . . ." Napailing siya. Sa lahat ng mga nagawa niya, ngayon lang niya napagtanto kung gaano kaimportante sa kaniya si Tripenthine.

"Hindi ko kaya na wala ka." She held his hand, but it transfigured, turning into a liquid.

Unti-unti nang nawawala ang lalaki at pakiramdam niya'y masisiraan siya ng bait. Sa sobrang lakas ng kabog sa kaniyang dibdib hindi na niya magawa pang marinig ang paligid.

"I'm sorry. Don't leave me." She coped his lifeless face already and slowly turning into the likeness of a water. Humagulgol si Nativia hanggang sa wala nang natira sa kaniya. Wala na si Tripenthine.

Memories of her and Tripenthine flashed her mind while she pulled her hair in frustration. She couldn't believe that the man who had stayed by her side all the time left her. And it was all her fault.

She should've listened to him. Kung hindi sana siya nabulag sa kapangyarihan, kung hindi sana niya nagawang traydorin ang Mythria at kung hindi siya nainggit sa awtoridad na taglay ni Reora, hindi sana ito nangyari.

Hindi sana nawala si Tripenthine sa kaniya.

What was she supposed to do now? Ipagpatuloy ang laban? But what would she do after? Anong silbi ng makukuha niyang awtoridad kung wala na ang lalaking kasangga niya sa lahat?

Nakaupo siya sa lupa habang patuloy pa rin sa pag-iyak. Hindi na kailanman mabubuo pa ang puso niya. She lost the man who gave her everything.

Ayaw na niyang lumaban pa.

Regrets and mourning crushed her spirit as she continued to bawl. The excruciating pain would no longer be healed unless she would see Tripenthine again. She wanted him. She wanted to be with him again. She needed him.

She couldn't live without him.

"Ine . . ." she pleaded. The face of her beloved flashed before her eyes.

'What is my value if I don't have you anymore?'

Wala na siyang silbi pa. Kung wala na si Tripenthine, mas mabuting mawala na rin siya. Maybe in that way, she might see her Ine again. And she might be able to apologize and tell him how much she still loved him.

She was ready to cast a self-destruction spell, but an arms from behind suddenly pulled her into a hug.

"I thought you wanted power? Why are you crying like a little kid now, my queen?"

Natigilan siya.

The voice whom she always loved to hear echoed in her ear.

She turned to look at the man, and she wasn't mistaken. It was Tripenthine. No wounds from his chest, not disappearing and completely okay.

"H-how . . ." she mumbled while looking at him with a puzzled face. Was she hallucinating?

Napatigil siya sa pag-iisip nang maramdaman ang init ng palad nito sa kaniyang pisngi.

Tripenthine smiled. "It was fake. That wasn't the real trident. Your eyes speak to me not to let you go, so I just played with you a little. Were you scared?"

Mabilis niyang hinila ang hanggang balikat at maitim nitong buhok dahil sa inis. "Scared? You almost killed me! How dare you play a prank on me!" Sinuntok-suntok niya nang paulit-ulit ang dibdib nito habang hindi pa rin tumatahan.

Muntikan na siyang mawala sa sarili tapos tatanungin lang siya kung natakot ba siya? Baliw ba ito?

Hindi niya tinigilang hampasin ang dibdib nito hanggang sa makuntento siya. Hinayaan naman siya ni Tripenthine. Hindi niya magawang tumahan pero nakahinga na siya nang maluwag. Ang sakit at pagsisisi na namuo sa kaniyang puso ay tuluyan nang nawala.

Just a while ago, she was completely torn, but seeing him once again, she was saved by her grief. She still had him.

"How dare you . . ." paulit-ulit niyang sabi hanggang sa mapagod siya. Hinawakan niya ang bandang kuwelyo ng damit nito at mariing tiningnan ang matingkad nitong mukha. "Don't smile at me!"

Naiinis siya sa ngiti nito. Naiinis siya dahil nababaliw ang kaniyang puso sa tuwing makikita ang maaliwalas nitong mukha.

"I'm going to shut that lips down and kill you!" banta niya pero lalo lang itong ngumisi.

"You can't." Hinapit nito ang kaniyang baywang palapit dahilan para mapalunok siya. Sa sobrang lapit nila sa isa't isa, naramdaman na niya ang hininga nito.

"Don't act like we're okay now! We are still not on the same side! I'm not—"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence when he claimed her lips.

---

SEPHTIS was hugging the unconscious Aryl as he looked at his master flew away, heading towards Doctor Lucatha.

Binuhat niya si Aryl at nilagay ang katawan sa isang mahabang lamesa na gawa sa kahoy. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang pag-agos ng dugo nito sa malaking sugat sa dibdib ng babae.

"Kuya, magiging okay lang ba si Ate?"

Napalingon siya sa nakababatang kapatid ni Aryl na nasa kaniyang likuran, sinisilip ang situwasyon ng kapatid. Bakas sa mukha nito ang takot.

"She will be okay." She patted her head before turning to look at Aryl.

Hinaplos niya ang mukha nitong unti-unting nagiging maputla. Hinigpitan niya ang pagkakahawak sa kamay ng babae habang kumakapit sa pangakong binitiwan ng kaniyang master. Their conversation earlier played inside his head as his heart couldn't stop from throbbing fast.

"Allow me to kill her."

"What? Why?" Nilagay niya sa kaniyang likuran ang babae.

"Please, we don't have much time."

He couldn't understand Lis at all, but whatever that is, he would not allow Lis to hurt her. "I'm sorry, master. I'm not going to follow you this time."

Huminga naman nang malalim si Lis. Pagod na pagod ang mukha nito. "Listen. Doctor Lucatha can't be defeated by anyone because of his anti-spell. And that anti-spell he has came from Witheria."

"What?" he uttered, almost not releasing any sound.

"Kahit na matalo pa natin lahat ng Z-gene, if Doctor Lucatha will not be stopped, matatalo tayong lahat. He may look invincible with his anti-spell, but I can take it out. I can sip that energy from his handcuff."

"But if you do that, will take our lives as well!" Sephtis knew the true power of Witheria. "And master, that is the greatest spell. Your body can't—"

"That is why I need Aryl to die. I am going to take my Dragon Stone back by killing her."

Napaatras siya at napahawak sa kamay ng babaeng nasa likuran niya habang hindi inaalis ang tingin kay Lis.

"All of you will not die if I take full control of my energy. Trust me. Si Doctor Lucatha lang ang pakay ko, siya lang ang tatapusin ko. But for me to do that, I need my Dragon Stone back."

Hindi alam ni Sephtis ang isasagot. Ayaw niyang mawala sa kaniya si Aryl. Ito ang babaeng kauna-unahang minahal niya at pinangako niya sa sariling aalagaan niya ito at hinding-hindi sasaktan. Subalit ang kaharap naman niya ay ang kaibigang nakasama niya mula pa pagkabata.

He was torn whether to choose her or his master.

"She will not die forever. Two minutes is all I ask of you." Napunta ang tingin nito kay Aryl. "No'ng naalala ko ang nakaraan, I remember Papa telling me about the second option. If I were to kill Aryl, I can still bring her back to life if I can return her my Dragon Stone immediately." Tinaas nito ang kamay. "Dalawang minuto. Maibabalik ko siya sa loob ng dalawang minuto, Sephtis."

"And if you fail?"

"She will not live again."

Napalunok siya. He couldn't afford to risk her life. Hindi puwede. Hindi siya papayag.

Sasagot na sana siya pero nagsalita si Aryl. Naglakad ito sa harapan at ito ang kumausap kay Lis. "Okay. You can take back your Dragon Stone."

Mabilis na namilog ang kaniyang mga mata at hinila ang braso nito. "What are you saying? You can't—"

"It's fine." Aryl smiled at him and pressed his other hand holding hers. "Lis kept his promise and got my sister back. The deal we have agreed is to marry him, but I don't think I can fulfill it anymore. Kaya kung ito na lang ang paraan para matalo si Lucatha at masuklian ko ang ginawa niya sa akin, handa akong mamatay kahit ilang saglit lang."

Mariin siyang napapikit. Sinubukan niyang makipagtalo pero buo na ang desisyon ni Aryl. Walang siyang nagawa kundi hayaan si Lis na kunin nito ang Dragon Stone.

Umatras si Lis habang siya ay nanatiling nakahawak sa kamay ni Aryl. His master cast an attack spell, called the Dagger.

He wanted to stop him, but his feet couldn't move of confliction. He closed his eyes as the Dagger struck the woman he loved.

Kaagad niya itong sinalo nang mawalan ito ng malay. Kasunod n'yon ang paglabas ng Dragon Stone ni Lis. A stone too bright it illuminated the color of Lis' pink hair. It hurriedly went inside his master's chest.

"I will give my Dragon Stone back again. I promise," his master said before going out and leaving them inside the guard house.

He knew his master very well. He always kept his word, and so he would hold on to that.