Kasama na ni Luel ang team Aryan at Narain except for Alcaeus and Arespade na kasama ngayon si Hanie.

The pure elementals are on their way to Master Helaena for better protection against Cros Alina. Binuhat ni Alcaeus si Hanie, papunta sa office ni Master Helaena. On their way there, nakasalubong na nga nila ang Master.

"Oh my, what happened to my child," wika ni Master Helaena. Kaagad siyang dumalo kay Hanie, at napangiwi nang makita ang mga paso nito.

"Who did this?" nanginginig niyang tanong. Helaena was fuming with anger, but she wanted to stay calm in front of the students.

Alcaeus answered, "She lost control of her element, Master."

Tumingin sa paligid si Arenspade. Thankfully, wala siyang nakitang ibang estudyante. She turned to Master Helaena, "Master, we ask permission to enter your office. I will also heal her more."

Mabilis na tumango si Master Helaena, at nagtungo na sila sa loob ng opisina niya. Ihiniga naman ni Alcaeus si Hanie sa isang sofa, at ikinuha niya si Arenspade ng upuan malapit doon para mas madali ni Arenspade magamot si Hanie.

Helaena massaged the bridge of her nose, "How come she lost too much control? There must be a reason behind it, Alcaeus."

Alcaeus calmly nodded, "Sa tingin po namin ay dahil po sa misteryosong liham na naibigay sa Team Aryan and Narain. The letter must have a spell that provoked your daughter. Umayos po siya bigla nang masira namin ang letter."

"Letter? Anong klaseng letter?"

Nagkibit-balikat si Alcaeus, "A threat. A warning. Pinapadala sa Aeria ang mga pure elementals. To surrender, the letter said."

Napasinghap naman si Helaena, "Who is the sender?

"It was sealed by an Earth spell. The sender was unknown, but it had a codename wisdom. Iniisip po naming si Master Cros Alina 'yon."

Umupo si Master Helaena sa kaniyang swivel chair, at nagbukas ng isang drawer. Nilabas niya ang mga letter na sinulat ni Master Cros Alina sa kaniya.

"Check if there is a similarity with these," wika ni Master Helaena.

Nagkunot-noo naman si Alcaeus, "I'm not sure, Master. Hindi ako ang nakakita ng handwriting at mismong letter."

"Then look at the texture. Just check, Alcaeus. I don't believe it's him. He is wisdom, he won't do any harm. You must have been mistaken," Helaena said while pushing the enveloped letters to him.

Tiningnan naman 'yon isa-isa ni Alcaeus. He squinted his eyes and noticed that all letters have an engraving. Iba-ibang simbolo, pero lahat may engraving katulad ng envelope kanina.

"There is a similarity in the engravings. The one that was sent to us had a kunai grass," wika ni Alcaeus.

Helaena had her eyebrows furrowed instantly. Totoo ngang gumagamit si Cros ng nga engraving sa envelopes niya. How come? She looked at her daughter, and asked once again, "What more do you know to point that it is Cros Alina?"

Alcaeus gaped his mouth open. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin. There were no concrete proofs because it was all in Luel's mind. Hindi naman niya puwedeng sabihin na si Luel ay narito. She was expelled.

Umiling naman siya, "No more, but it has to be one of the masters. Nakapasok siya sa Aeria. The others are on their way there."

"Others?" Helaena almost exclaimed. "Pero hindi puwedeng si Cros Alina ang gumawa n'on. He was the one who thought of strengthening the barriers and security of the Academy. If he was the one who kidnapped other elementals, he wouldn't do it and let the barrier weaken."

Alcaeus raised an eyebrow, "But he might have done it in order to know how to safely kidnap them, Master."

Umiling naman si Master Helaena, "Hindi siya halos nakialam n'on. It was his idea, pero hindi siya ang gumawa. Lagi siyang nag-aalala para sa kapakanan ng mga full elementals. He knows something, but he must not be the one responsi—"

Napatigil siya nang biglang napaluhod si Alcaeus sa sahig. "Alcaeus!"

Nakahawak si Alcaeus sa kaniyang puso, at para bang hindi siya makapagsalita. He was consumed by the feeling of pain and torture, as if there was a force that was draining him out.

Arenspade shrieked. She accidentally broke her chair, and started crying a literal river. Umirit namang muli si Hanie, and Helaena was left dumbfounded.

What's happening? Totoo nga kayang si Cros Alina ang may gawa n'on. Is he putting them under a spell because they didn't go to Aeria?

Humiwalay ang sphinxs sa soul ng tatlo, at nawala rin sa kontrol. Napatayo si Helaena. She was stuck with three out of control pure elementals. The ground started to shake severely.

Nilabas ni Helaena ang kapangyarihan niya nang mapagtantong masama ang tingin sa kaniya ng mga sphinxs nila. Alcaeus' lion, growling. Arenspade's gumiho, sharping her claws. And her own daughter's wolf, ready to devour her.

༻❁༺

Meanwhile, the rest of the team landed safely on Aeria. The sphinxs returned to the souls of their owners. Habang, itinago naman ni Luel ang kaniyang pakpak.

She casted illusions of the three, which made her a little weak because of the energy that she used. Tumingin siya sa paligid, at napansing walang tao. Tama kaya ang pinuntahan namin?

"Tao po," sabi ni Zian.

Napansin naman ni Zeonn na nawala ang long tables. Nag-iba ang set-up ng Aeria, at nagkaroon ng maraming vines. It became too earthly.

Zia looked up and noticed that a barrier was created. And after a short while, Yuri appeared.

"Yuri," bati ni Zach.

Napatingin naman si Yuri sa mga ilusyon. Ngumisi siya at mabilis na dinaanan ang mga 'yon. Literally. Nanlaki naman ang mata ni Luel, at natanggal na ang mga ilusyon niya.

Ang bilis naming nahuli! She started panicking in her mind.

Yuri madly turned to her, "Why didn't you bring the elementals?"

"We do not need to," sabi ni Zach. Hinila niya si Luel sa likod niya. While Zian looked around, bakit parang may iba pang tao?

Ginamit niya ang air element niya para icheck ang paligid. Pinakiramdaman niya 'yon, there are six more persons beside us. Dahil doon, hinila niya si Zian papalapit sa kaniya. He had this protective stance. Pamilyar ang mga naramdaman niya, at mukhang malalakas din.

"You need to! Masisira ang plano ni Master Cros!" Sigaw ni Yuri.

Gotcha, Zeonn thought.

Si Master Cros Alina nga ang may pakana ng lahat ng 'to.

"Why would we let him kidnap the pure elementals? At bakit mo siya tinutulong, Yuri?" Tanong ni Zacharias.

Yuri shut his eyes, "You clearly do not understand the situation. Hindi naman sila kini-kidnap. We are saving them."

Saving? What's the saving in there?

May dalawa pang lumabas, at hindi na sila nagulat nang makita si Cros Alina. He was still wearing his Yukata, at ang pink niyang mata ay naging darker.

He was serious. Diretso ang tingin niya kay Luel, like he's disappointed.

Napatingin naman si Zach sa isa pang kasama ni Master Cros, it was General Alistair Berseker. Nanlaki ang mata niya, magkasabwat sila? Bakit?

Out of all, dapat si General Alistair ang pinakatutol kay Master Cros! He will use the elementals for the portal until they run out of power and die. Hindi nila maintindihan kung papaano naging magkasapi si Cros at Alistair.

"Why didn't you bring them here, Luel?" kalmadong wika ni Cros Alina. Huminga siya nang malalim at sinilip ang kaniyang orasan.

"Where are they?" Muli niyang tanong.

"Why would we tell you? You will use them for the portal, and they might die because of that portal!" galit na wika ni Oreon. "And you dared blackmail us using Hanie? She almost die because of her own element."

Nagkunot-noo si General Alistair, "At sino namang may sabing gagamitin namin sila para sa portal?"

Cros Alina cleared his throat, "I was not the one that caused that to Hanie. It will eventually happen to her if you do not surrender her to us."

Muli niyang tiningnan ang relo niya, "I bet it's already happening to her."

Nagtaka naman si Luel. Anong ibig nilang sabihin?

Cros exhaled sharply, "Hindi ako ang may gawa ng portal. I kidnapped them to save them from the portal."

What? Napatigil si Luel nang pumalakpak si Master Cros. Lumabas naman ang tatlong nawawalang elementals.

Elara. Krystal. Avarice.

"Ano ang ibig niyong sabihin?" tanong ni Zach na nakatingin na rin sa pure elementals. Nagtaka rin siya dahil akala niya nagamit na sila para sa portal.

Krystal spoke, "We are hiding from the portal, Zacharias. Master Cros is here to help us. And we didn't tell you this exactly because... hindi pa rin namin kilala kung sino ang kalaban. He could be anywhere."

Kung gayon, sino ba talaga ang may pakana ng portal?

Aerilon Academy
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Thank you for reading!