Updating it today as a birthday gift to @thymetanoia. Another update tomorrow then every other day ulit. Medyo more emotional ang chapter na 'to, hahahaha. (‾◡◝)

-chapter ninety-eight-

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SOLACE

"Give me your 100%. I'll be sure to break that pretty little face of yours."

I HAVE no idea if this is bad luck.

Mula highschool, I've been dragged on a series of fights and been threatened out of jealousy. The first time it happened, a few girls from my class cornered me after school for hanging out with River. They called me insulting names and tried to shame me in front of their idol. Who turned out to be my twin brother, so the girls were expelled.

River made me change schools after that - an all girls high school. Then in that new academy I was sent in, a girl confronted me for copying her hairstyle. She then proceeded to report me to the guidance council for "verbally abusing her". When I was questioned about my answers to her provocations, I recalled what truly happened.

Hinawi ko ang mahaba at matuwid na buhok paharap. Nakatingin siya sa'kin na may halong inis at galit. I frowned.

"I really, really hate your calm face! Akala mo ba nasa taas ka na ng lahat dahil diyan?! Kakapasok mo pa nga lang, you already copied my hairstyle!"

I sighed. "I told you I didn't. About half of the girls in this academy has a long and straight black hair. I don't even know you, nor have I heard of you or met you before. Why would I try to copy your hair? Idiot."

River had to change my schools once again. Sabay na kami doon and he never let me out of his sights. Acrasia and Rase became my only friends, with an Irusu who comes and goes as he pleases. There are still the heated glares and whispers, but it lessened when university happened.

Itinaas ko ang espada para icounter ang paparating na atake ni Reina. Her eyes glow in hatred, mouth curled in a snarl and her face scrunched between a frown and a sneer. I took a step back to overpower her flaring blue sword. Gold and blue clashed, light flickering and ice forming and breaking. 

Reina takes a step back, cape following her movements. Ipinuwesto niya muli sa harap ang espada at sinamaan ako ng tingin.

"You know what I hate most of all? Other than your undeserved fame and glory?" hindi ako sumagot kaya tumawa siya. "That." itinuro niya ang mukha ko. "That! I hate that so much! Ang kalmado mong mukha na parang wala kaming halaga sa'yo."

Muli siyang sumugod, heavy steps. She continued to spar her blade like a madwoman, driven only by fury. Her heavy steps, hard breaths and furious strikes makes reading her next attacks easier. Ibinalik ko ang lahat ng hinanakit niya. When she loses her balance for a second, I stepped forward and lunges my sword on her stomach.

And the queen, in her hazy state, still manages to parry my strike, forcing her blade down to mine.

"Siguro nga wala kang pake 'no?" Reina snarls. "Bakit ikaw pa? You have the beauty, the friends and that power! Hindi ba masyado namang unfair niyan? What about us who had to work so hard-!"

I duck as her sword swings above me, ice droplets freezing the floor and sharp blade cutting off the ring corner.

"I had to work for everything! I had to sacrifice a lot of things! Back there, I had to quit school for two years in order to pursue my dreams! Because we don't have the power and the money, the talent and the beauty, like you do-"

Natigilan ako. Reina slams her sword onto the floor, freezing the whole ground. Ice crept from her blade towards my feet, at tumigas ang mga yelo sa paanan ko, effectively caging me in. Lumapit si Reina sa'kin at ngumisi.

"Oh yes," she raises her hand, and ocean-colored nails crawls on my chin. "I know who you are, Solace. I know your true identity. I'm not an idiot like the rest of them who can't realize the obvious at first glance."

Nanlaki ang mata ko. Lalong lumawak ang ngisi niya. She knows me? That's even worse. What if she announces my real personality? Gugulo na ang tahimik kong buhay and I can't even imagine the amount of criticism and hate I'll probably receive.

"Oh? You don't want me to tell others?" Reina playfully guesses. Unti-unti nang nagme-melt ang yelo sa paa ko. "If you win, I'll tell everyone. But if I win and you purposely loses, I'll be sure to keep my mouth shut."

Wala na ang yelo sa paanan ko, but I stood frozen in the middle of the ring.

So, she wants me to lose purposely? Make the match in her favor so that she won't tell a soul? I... I...

"So, what's your decision? It's not so bad, right?"

I can do that.

I can not win.

"What more can you possibly ask and wish for? Hey, slayer, tell me, aren't you being too greedy? You already have those fame and glory, and you still want to tarnish my name? Just for what? Being number one?"

But, I can't not win. 

If I lose, I lose one of our chances in collecting the key. If I lose, I lose.. Hiraeth.

"I'm sure you can't understand it. Wala ka naman sigurong ibang problema kaysa sa appearance mo at baho mo dito sa game, 'di ba? You don't know the feeling of working har-"

A sharp lightning hits the arena. Nag-ingay ang sigaw at pagpa-panic ng mga players outside the blue-shielded ring. Another lightning hits, causing the building to shake. Sa loob ng ring, small bits of lightning crackled, determined and furious. 

Inangat ko ang tingin para matitigan ng mataimtim si Reina. She's clutching her sword, looking around, frightened. I took a step forward, bright frizzles forming in my boots. The sky continues to grumble, thunder and lightning compromising to make the air grow colder. 

"So your glory is more impor-"

"You misunderstand, Reina." putol ko muli sa kaniya. "I'm not doing this for appearances or glory or fame. I have no use for those. I don't need them."

Golden flames began to grow even more, lightning crackling around the blazing light. Naramdaman ko muli ang kakaibang lakas na pumapasok sa katawan ko, as faint gold radiates from my body.

"I don't know what it means to 'work hard'?" mahina akong tumawa. I fixed her a sharp stare. "Every damn title and thing I own. Every person who stays beside me. I've worked hard for them. I'll always work hard for them."

Ice creeps underneath her armor boots and surrounds the whole arena. Now the room is even colder. Itinaas niya rin ang sariling espada. Blue light glows as ice flakes forms around the blade. Snow starts to fall.

"I see. Then, why would you compromise your identity for victory?"

When the first drop of snow hits the ground, we both shifted and moved. Two blades filled with their owner's desires meets in the middle, yellow and blue clashing as snow falls and lightning crackles. We both danced to the cold melody, beats freezing with a light rhythm. I step sideways to avoid her strike and spins to deliver a blow. Reina bents backward to dodge my slash and lunges forward to pierce her sword. Isang ritmo ang nabuo namin at patuloy na kinain ng nyebe ang buong arena.

Reina's blade passes by my face. Natigilan ako nang magtama ang tingin ko sa sariling mata na nareflect sa blade. Reina's blade is so clear and shiny. The glass is clearly well taken care of at kitang-kita ang repleksiyon dito. I can perfectly imagine Reina sitting and looking at her blade all day. Reina withdraws her sword.

I pause. "Why are you so angry at me?"

Reina hums. "I told you, you have everything."

So... it's just pure jealousy?

"You know, I was always popular. People always flocked to me." panimula niya't tumingin sa arena kung saan busy ang players sa nyebeng nagkalat. "I'm not that special. I don't have any extraordinary looks, nor extraordinary talents and I'm not that intellectual. But I have my social skills to boast. Pero, alam mo kung bakit ako naging popular?"

She starts to chuckle again. Now, with a hint of sadness.

"People used me for their favors. I let them, so that I can shine brighter. You see," her sharp eyes lands to me. "You have everything. While I have to use my everything to have a single dream."

Hindi ako gumalaw sa kinatatayuan at hinayaan siyang sumugod. Ice and snow rages around us, fueled by her storm.

"But I really had to face you who had never lost a single thing in her whole damn life!"

Her blade, as clear as a frozen lake, as sharp as an ice crystal, falls down on my left shoulder. A piercing pain carries through my whole body as my left arm gets cut off. Natigilan si Reina sa kinatatayuan, eyes wide and lips parted. Ilang sandali ay umubo siya ng dugo at napatingin sa bandang dibdib kung saan nakatusok ang espada ko. 

Reina coughs up even more blood as I let lightning gold flame burst from my blade. Her chest began to glow in a yellowish color, coursing through all her veins and cells. Mabilis na bumaba ang health niya hanggang sa tuluyan itong maglaho.

"I've lost a lot of things, as well. I've been used once, as well." mahinang bulong ko sa kaniya. "But, I never attempted to lose my time dwelling on my despair and other people's fortune. If I kept on looking back, how will I ever move forward?"

Fragments of Reina's body began to vanish.

"Personally, I think you're very amazing. You lived through your name. You're a queen amongst us, especially to ordinary players. You showed them it's not the appearance nor the gaming background that matters. If you work hard, then you can reach the top."

"TANGINA, SOL." bulalas ni Feyre nang makababa ako. Hex rushes to my side to regenerate my arm. "Balak niyo ba kaming patayin?! Parang magiging Antarctica na ang buong arena!"

Ngumiwi ako nang makita ang sitwasyon. True enough, snow covered the whole ground but it is slowly vanishing. Nawawala na rin ang namuong clouds sa loob ng arena. Kumunot ang noo ko. Saan nanggaling 'yon?

Feyre's already has three to four coats up. Napaka-pale na ng labi niya at sobrang sobra ang panginginig niya. Behind her, my other members also looked the same. Only Hex, Priamos and Voldmir remained calm. Siguro dahil ginagamit ni Hex at Voldmir ang skill nila, while Priamos is protected by his extremely large armor.

"What happened there, Solace?" Voldmir asks. "It's unusual to see you lose your cool. Siya din. Your feelings are too out of control that the magic shield failed to stop your elements from forming outside."

"Mukhang importante din ang tina-talk niyo po." Minerva adds.

Umiling ako. "She said she knows me."

"Ah!" napabaling kami kay Hex na mukhang may narealize.

Agad siyang hinablot ni Feyre sa collar. "Hoy, soro, may kinalaman ka doon? Binlackmail siguro noong reyna-reynahan na 'yon si Sol 'no?"

"Hindi, pusa, kumalma ka nga." inayos ni Hex ang robe niyang ginusot ni Feyre. "Lumapit siya sa'kin once, sinabi niyang kilala ka niya sa personal. I asked who, tapos sabi niya ikaw daw si Rachel Mcquin, ang artista."

Napaawang ang labi ko. Ha? Kung gano'n hindi niya pala talaga ako kilala? Gah! At sinabi niya pang mahirap i-ignore at first glance! Ang layo ng mukha namin sa isa't isa!

"Hoy, soro. Bakit ka casual na nakikipag-usap sa ibang babae?"

"Oho~ What is this thing I smell, Feyre? Smells ano nga, Vesta?"

"Fishy."

"Pinagsasabi mong hinayupak na walang tsinelas, ha?! Excuse me, pero curious lang ako kung bakit nakikipag friendly si soro sa mga kaaway natin!"

"I wasn't. She was basically making a threat."

"Don't explain po kasi walang kayo."

"Napaka-assuming niyo talagang mga palaka! Nagtanong ako, siyempre sasagot siya!"

Tinigil ko ang paglagay ng espada sa scabbard. A small part of the blade remains uncovered. From there, I can see cerulean eyes staring intently at me. My sword's not that glassy, like hers, but my reflection is still quite clear.

A wave of golden light flashes from underneath towards my eyes. It stops and bursts like lightning. 

Huminga ako ng malalim at pumikit bago tuluyang ibinalik ang espada sa scabbard niya.

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-chapter end-

[NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW]:

"Leon and Astro are currently fighting. Whoever wins, you'll face them in the finals."

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