XYRA

I heaved a deep sigh. I opened my mouth to talk to the dark king. Inipon ko ang lahat ng lakas ng loob na mayroon ako. Pero natigilan ako dahil nag-aalalang nakatingin sa 'kin si Clauss. I smiled a bit to calm him down. Gusto kong bigyan niya ako ng oras upang makausap ko ang dark king. Clauss narrowed his eyes. Halatang naiinis siya sa ginagawa ko. Kahit tutol siya ay nanatili siyang tahimik. Mariin niyang pinaglapat ang mga labi. Hinayaan niya ako kahit labag sa kalooban niya. But he's not willing to take his eyes off me.

My heart was beating fast and loud. It's too loud that I could feel my heart will escape out of my chest anytime soon. Kinakabahan ako sa maaaring kalabasan ng pag-uusap namin.

"I'm sorry," I sincerely said. The dark king's grip tightened on my shoulder. Hindi niya inaasahan na iyon ang sasabihin ko. I really felt sorry for him.

"You don't have to say sorry because you will come with me," he said coldly. Pilit niya akong ihinarap sa kanya. Hindi ko na siya pinahirapan pa. Nagkusa na ako. Our gazes met. He's looking at me intently. I could see that he's dead serious of what he just said. At the same time, his eyes were also begging for me to stay by his side.

"Please. Let's stop this. Stop this fight. I'm sorry. I can't stay with you. I don't want to hurt you. My heart belonged to someone else, to Clauss. It will be unfair if I stayed with you. Masasaktan lang tayong lahat. It will be unfair for all of us," I said. Nasasaktan din ako para sa kanya. Kung kaya ko lang sanang ibigay ang pagmamahal na kailangan niya, gagawin ko. Pero kapag ginawa ko 'yon, ibig sabihin kailangan ko nang iwanan si Clauss. Sa tuwing iisipin ko na lalayuan ko si Clauss, alam kong hindi ko kaya.

"So, it's fair for me to be left behind?" he asked with pain. He narrowed his eyes like he was irritated. I bit my lips. Hindi ko alam ang isasagot sa kanya. Ramdam ko ang sakit mula sa tanong niya. It's breaking my heart too. I know, it's lonely to be left behind alone. Iniangat ko ang isang kamay ko. I touched his cheeks lightly. I smiled a bit and tried to comfort him. Pero alam kong hindi nito mababawasan ang sakit na nararamdaman niya.

"I'm sorry," I said. I pitied him. "I don't know why we still need to meet someone who isn't meant for us. Maybe to teach us and to make us stronger. For you to be happy, accept that I'm not meant for you and move on. Go back to where you really belong," malungkot na sabi ko. Mahigpit niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko na humahaplos sa mukha niya.

"You're wrong. How can you say that we're not meant for each other? If I still didn't try to fight for you until the end? I'll make you love me and forget him," he said furiously. He was losing all his cool. I could see that he's not thinking clearly now. All I could see in his face was the desire to have me. To own me. His eyes became blank and was totally clouded with darkness. Kinabahan ako sa nakikita ko mula sa mga mata niya. The dark energies coming from him slowly surround us.

"Xyra! Lumayo ka sa kanya!" frustrated na sigaw ni Clauss. Natauhan ako dahil sa pagsigaw ni Clauss. Agad kong hinila palayo ang kamay ko mula sa dark king. The dark king looked at me blankly. Lumipad ako palayo sa kanya pero hinabol ako ng itim na kapangyarihan niya na tila isang mabahang tali. Pumulupot ito nang mahigpit sa isang  paa ko. Hinihila ako nito papalapit sa dark king pero naputol ito dahil sa fire saucer blades na pinakawalan ni Clauss.

Lumipad patungo sa kinaroroonan ko si Clauss. Bumaba muna kami sa lupa dahil mahihirapan kaming lumaban sa ere. Walang kakayahang lumipad sina Akira. Hindi pwedeng madamay ang mga dragon sa labang ito dahil may kailangan pa silang gawin pagkatapos nito. Lumapit kaagad sina Akira sa kinaroroonan namin.

"Are you alright?" Clauss asked with concern. I nodded. We have no choice but to fight against the dark king now. Wala na itong balak makinig. 

"We need to seal him," seryosong sabi ni Clauss. "If we don't, everything will turn to worst," he said.

Kumunot ang noo ko nang marinig sa isip ko ang boses nina Frances. "Now, we have to move forward. I could see that he will not listen to Xyra anymore. Kapag hindi tayo gumawa ng paraan para pigilan ang dark king, lahat tayo mamamatay at makukuha niya si Xyra. He's planning to kill everyone on this island," nag-aalalang sabi ni Frances. I could see the massive power coming from the dark king. Walls of dark energies started to cover up the whole island. Sobrang taas ng mga dark walls na halos matakpan na ang araw.

I grabbed my dragon pendant tightly. Bumalik sa alaala ko ang pag-uusap namin ng mga gods bago ako napunta sa dark king. It was the time when we discovered that the dark king will be involved in this fight. The time when we we're practicing. Noong hindi pa nagiging permanente ang mga black marks sa katawan ko. Before the new moon.

Dahil hindi namin alam kung ano ang gagawin, kailangan naming kausapin ang mga gods. Nakatayo kaming lima sa loob ng underground basement kung saan kami nagti-training. Seryoso kaming lahat. Tumango kami sa isa't isa, hudyat na magsisimula na kami. We closed our eyes. We concentrated as deep as we could. I connected myself to the air goddess. Pagkalipas ng ilang minuto, naramdaman ko ang init na nagmumula mula sa pendant ko. I slowly opened my eyes. It was shining so bright. Mula sa kumikinang na bato, lumabas ang air goddess. Napansin kong nasa harapan na namin ang lahat ng mga gods.

"You called us," the air goddess said in a soft voice. She was looking at us with a worried face. Pero mukhang alam na nilang lahat kung bakit namin sila tinawag at kung ano na ang nangyayari sa 'min.

"What's up?" masiglang tanong ng fire god kay Clauss. His carefree attitude lessened the tension in the atmosphere. Sumimangot naman si Clauss. Napailing na lang kami sa kanilang dalawa. They're totally the opposite of each other.

"We got a big problem. We will be facing the dark king soon. Hindi namin alam kung paano siya tatalunin," seryosong saad ni Xavier. Siya na ang nagpaliwanag ng buong sitwasyon sa mga gods. Mataman kaming nakikinig sa pagpapaliwanag ni Xavier. Nalaman na rin ng mga gods ang kalagayan ko. Pero hindi na ito lingid sa kaalaman nila dahil sinusubaybayan naman nila kami.

"We can't do anything about Xyra's condition. Clauss must handle it himself. May kilala kaming maaaring makatulong sa kalagayan niya pero tiyak na hindi siya makikialam. He's a god too but he's too far away from here. He's just wandering around and we don't know his exact location. We can't find him. And for the dark king we can seal him forever," the god of nothingness said. 

"But there are consequences," seryosong sabi ng water goddess. Kumunot ang noo ko sa mga sinabi nila. 

"What's the consequences?" takang tanong ni Akira.

"Your dragon pendants will be used to seal the dark king. And our powers will be trapped inside and will hold the seal. Mawawala na ang mga kapangyarihan ninyo. Babalik na kayo sa normal. But don't worry, hindi maaapektuhan ang elemental balance dahil buhay pa rin kami sa loob ng mga dragon pendants. Hindi rin kami mamamatay kung masira man ang mga dragon pendants. Ang problema lang, masisira naman ang seal at muling babalik ang dark king," paliwanag ng god of nothingness. Natahimik kaming lahat. Hindi namin magugustuhan kung ganu'n ang mangyayari mga gods. Then they will be trapped inside the pendants forever too? 

"Wala na po bang ibang paraan?" seryosong tanong ko. Malungkot na umiling ang air goddess.

"If you all manage to stop him peacefully then that will be better. Pero kung hindi, ito lang ang tanging paraan. Wala rin naman kaming balak na madamay ang mga inosenteng tao sa kung ano'ng maaaring gawin niya," seryosong sabi ng air goddess.

"Don't worry. Your dragons will take the sealed body of the dark king to our island. That will be the plan. They will guard his sealed body while we're away," the earth god said. Nagkatinginan kaming lahat. If we do that then everything will be back to normal. Pero paano naman ang mga gods? Halata ang pag-aalinlangan sa mga mukha namin.

"There's no need to hesitate. If you do, you will lose. We will lose. It's the only way. Sometimes, we need to sacrifice what's important for us to win. If you win, everyone will benefit in the future," seryosong sabi ng fire god. He's right. Hindi kami nakapagsalita. Kung 'yon lang ang tanging paraan, wala na talaga kaming magagawa kundi gawin ang sinabi nila. Kahit naiiyak na ako dahil naiisip ko na ang mga maaaring mangyari, pinigilan ko. I have to be strong. I have to accept that we can't really make our own happy ending. We can't turn back anymore. We have to face this with courage. When everything was already set and understood, we bid each other farewells.

Nagbalik ang isip ko sa kasalukuyan. Naalala ko bigla ang mga sinabi noon ni Frances tungkol sa research niya bago ako nakuha ng dark king. Hindi man ito detalyado, konektado naman lahat. The people who can seal the dark king are the five of us. The elemental powers and the heaven power.

Bumaba ang dark king sa kinaroroonan namin. Medyo malayo siya. We started to move in our positions. Pinalibutan namin ang dark king. The dark king released four dark beasts. These beasts guarded him. Sinugod ng mga ito sina Clauss maliban sa 'kin. The dark king turned to me. Inilabas ko ang air dragon ko para malaman niya na handa akong lumaban sa kaniya. We need to corner him para magawa namin ang balak sa kanya.

"In the end, my queen will go against me," he said coldly. Halatang hindi niya nagustuhan ang paghahanda ko upang atakihin siya. With all I've got, I attacked him using my air dragon. Pero hindi ito sapat para magalusan man lang siya. He's too powerful. He was able to defeat my air dragon easily. Nagkatinginan kami ni Clauss. We fused our techniques, air fox and fire fox. The fused techniques attacked the dark beast that was on Clauss' way. Xavier was able to nullify the dark beast he's facing. He was able to bind and defeat it. Nagtulong naman sina Akira at Selene sa dalawang dark beast na umatake sa kanila.

Dahil nasa akin ang atensiyon ng dark king, Xavier was able to bind his body with his null power. He was now unable to use his power. Nagwala ang dark king dahil hindi rin niya maigalaw ang buong katawan. We started to concentrate and seal him forever. Natigilan kami nang may itim na kapangyarihan na pumigil sa mga katawan namin. Hindi ito kapangyarihan na nagmula sa dark king.

"I won't let this happen," seryosong sabi ni Jeanne. Naglalakad na siya palapit sa 'min. Naalerto kaming lahat. Bigla namang sumulpot si Cyrus sa harapan ni Jeanne para pigilan ito.

"At hindi na rin kita hahayaang makialam pa sa kanila. Let's just go back on our time. Come with me," seryosong sabi niya. The binds holding our body disappeared. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang nangyari. Basta may mabilis na liwanag na humati sa kapangyarihan ni Jeanne na pumipigil sa 'min. We were able to break free. Galit na tiningnan ni Jeanne si Cyrus. Hindi hinayaan ni Jeanne na mahawakan siya ni Cyrus. She disappeared in an instant. Hindi namin alam kung saan siya nagpunta.

"What a pain!" sabi ni Cyrus na napapakamot pa sa ulo. Humarap siya sa 'min. He signaled us to continue. He said that he will be watching over us. Baka kasi bigla na namang makialam at sumulpot si Jeanne. Mukhang siguradong-sigurado rin si Cyrus na hindi kaagad magpapaawat si Jeanne. He's sure that she'll be back to stop us again.

Muli naming ibinalik ang atensiyon sa dark king. May kakaibang nangyayari sa kanya kaya naalerto kami. He was really angry now. Mukhang hindi na kayang pigilan pa ng kapangyarihan ni Xavier ang kapangyarihan ng dark king. The dark energies were leaking on the dark kings body. Pilit na pinapatibay ni Xavier ang null power niya upang pigilan ang dark king. Napapangiwi si Xavier at halatang nahihirapan na. Pinagpapawisan na rin siya. Tiyak na unti-unti na ring nauubos ang lakas niya. Tila hinihigop lang ng dark king ang kapangyarihan niya. Mula sa dragon pendant ni Xavier, isang nakasisilaw na liwanag ang lumabas. Lumutang sa hangin ang puting bato na naroon. Isinantabi na namin ang pagtataka. We have to concentrate more and pour all our remaining energies on the dragon pendants. We have to seal him now! Bago pa magwala nang tuluyan ang dark king. This is our last option and chance!

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TO BE CONTINUED...

Malapit na talaga :)