『AICELYN』

This overwhelming feeling of joy, the endless cheers, and laughter still felt so unreal that everything would once again turn into a nightmare in just a blink of an eye. I’ve been wandering for years, yearning for their presence, but… all of these are real. I am no longer dreaming because they are really here, right in front of me.

“Ice…” Sue whispered, suffocating me with her tight embrace.

Aizelle lightly tapped Sue’s hand, glaring at her while pointing my wound from Satan’s attack from earlier. “We all missed Ice pero h’wag mo namang higpitan ang yakap kasi sasapakin kita kapag nagbukas ulit ang sugat ni Ice.”

“Tsk. H’wag mo ilabas sa akin ang inis mo kay Light,” bulong ni Sue na hindi narinig ni Aizelle.

Habang pinapanood sila, pansin na pansin ko ang lihim na pagtingin nina Phoenix at Light kay Aizelle, minsan pa’y tumatalas ang tingin ni Light kay Phoenix. Ang hindi ko lang maintindihan, bakit pati si Phoenix ay nakasubaybay ngayon kay Aizelle?

Dahan-dahan akong binitawan ni Sue. Sariwa pa ang sugat ko mula sa atake ni Satan, hindi ko na rin inabala pang i-summon ni Aizen si Blue dahil masyado siyang nahirapan ng tuluyan nang bumalik sa kanya si Night. I’m still lost about lot of things, but the three years gap isn’t something that will be answered immediately.

“Look… we went in this place without even knowing the fucking exit?!” Riley exclaimed. Yep, I’m still wondering why he is here, alive and shouting. “Sky, napakabobo mo!”

“Porke’t ako ‘yong katabi mo, pangalan ko na agad ang babanggitin mo?!”

“O, sino bang president ng Primus Section?!”

“Si Light president namin! Tanga!”

“It has a scientific reason, actually.” Aizen interrupted, “What I mean—How Light became our class president and not Sky.”

“Yeah… the scientific reason,” Phoenix grinned.

“Sa sobrang talino ni Phoenix, naisip niyang i-nominate si Light. Siya pa mismo ang nagkampanya sa klase, na kapag si Light daw ang naging president namin wala kaming gagawin kasi palaging tulog unlike kay Sky na masyadong competitive,” paliwanag ni Aizen. Mahina silang tumawa’t nag-thumbs up pa si Riley kay Phoenix para lang lalong inisin si Sky.

At gano’n kabilis napalitan ang usapan nila, from planning how to find our way back to the Divine Continent to a scientific reason why Light became the class president of Primus Section.

It was really relieving that Riley is alive. He told me earlier that Gaea’s attack didn’t hurt him, but instead, it imprisoned him in the Labyrinth, making him meet Dionysus. On the other hand, my eyes were still clueless about the two girls looking at me in the corner.

But I am sure that one of them is familiar, especially that… I’ve been dreaming of her for years.

Sabrina.

Marahan kong pinikit ang mga mata ko’t pinakiramdaman ang paligid. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na kaya ko na ulit gamitin ang blessing ko, tatlong taon din akong nagtiis na hindi iyon nagagamit.

Nang imulat ko ang mga mata ko, mabilis na nagtama ang mga mata namin ni Celine. Marami akong tanong na alam ko siya mismo ang makakasagot. Pero ngayon… kailangan kong malaman kung bakit ‘Cursed Child’ ang bansag sa akin ng mga Kins.

At kung bakit nakadikit sa pangalan ko ang Great Prophecy.

“Great Prophecy…” I know that they are still clueless about the real prophecy. But how am I going to tell them the real one, especially that Phoenix might not believe it because the source was a Kin?

“You’re the only one who can hurt Satan. So, just focus on him, Phoenix.” I heard Light say. A glint of realization suddenly struck my mind, and without any hesitation, I went in Phoenix’s direction and grabbed his hand, making the others look at me with surprise.

“Let’s talk,” I firmly said.

“Uh, Ice… don’t you know the deal with that phrase?” Aizen unknowingly asked. “Do you want Phoenix to die without even battling Satan?!”

“Pinagsasabi mo?”

“The Phoenix will be eaten by the volcanoes!”

I rolled my eyes at him and pulled Phoenix out of their sight. It has been three years, the last chance of foretelling the prophecy is up in his hands right now.

“Phoenix.”

“Ice, naman. H’wag kang masyadong malapit!”

“Bakit?” Pinanliitan niya ako ng mga mata at lihim na tinuro ang gilid namin. Nando’n ang mga tinakasan namin kanina, pinapanood kami na akala mo’y film showing ang ganap.

“Don’t mind them.” I frustratingly bit my lower lip and bluntly looked at him. “You can tell the prophecy, right?”

“I can. What’s with you?” Phoenix asked. He suddenly held my face, trying his best to understand what was going on with me. “Ice, anong problema?”

“Use your last chance now.”

“Why would I waste— Tell me what’s going.” His eyes changed. All of a sudden, his eyes felt like a sunken pit, too dull, too dark, and too deep to even explore. “Tell me now.”

“I talked to a Kin—”

“Was it Satan? Is that the reason why you are beaten up to death?!”

Wala sa sarili akong napaatras. Ngayon ko lang siya ulit nakitang ganito ka-seryoso, ang unang beses ay noong may nasabi si Artemis tungkol sa dugo niya, sa pagiging anak ni Apollo. Pero ngayon, mas ramdam ko ang inis at galit niya.

“Calm down. Hindi si Satan ‘yon—It was Belphegor.”

Phoenix let out a sarcastic laugh, “And what’s the difference? They are both Kins; they are both deviants.”

“Makinig ka muna sa ‘kin. Okay?”

“Tell me, what’s the deal?”

“The Gods and Goddesses lied to us.”

Phoenix’s eyes furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Alam kong hindi ka maniniwala hindi dahil sa ‘kin kung hindi dahil mula kay Belphegor ang mga nalaman ko…” pabulong kong sambit. Wala sa sarili akong napayakap sa kanya, at marahn kong pinikit ang mga mata ko habang marahan niyang hinahaplos ang buhok ko. “Nagsinungaling sila sa atin. Binago nila ang prophecy ng iba. Hindi rin totoo ang Great Prophecy.”

“Ice…” He whispered. “Ayokong isipin mong hindi ako naniniwala sa’yo pero nagkatotoo na ang iba.”

“But the other half of it was altered. Belphegor told me that!”

“You’ve trusted him, huh?” He laughed. I heard him heave a sigh and slowly let go of me. “And now, you want to use me to know if you’re right about trusting him.”

I stayed my mouth closed, locking my eyes to his amber orbs. Phoenix heaved a sigh and looked around before holding my hand. It was tight as if he was torn between trusting my words and shutting his doors to my favor.

“Phoenix… please?”

“Fine.”

“Before that… anong mayroon sa inyo ni Aizelle?” Nagtatakha kong tanong sa kanya, saglit niya akong pinagtaasan ng kilay saka mahinang natawa. “I am observing all of you and you’re observing her.”

“Kung iniisip mo na may namamagitan sa amin ni Aizelle. Mali ka ro’n. It’s just I am being cautious of her possible actions dahil parehas kaming maapektuhan.”

Ilang beses akong napakurap sa kanya, mas lalo namang humigpit ang hawak niya sa ‘kin. Isang ideya lamang ang pumasok sa isip matapos marinig sinabi niya. That phrase… reminded of my father as well as Tito Garet and Freya. I stole a glimpse in Aizelle’s direction who’s talking to Sue and Serena.

“Light and Sue don’t know it, do they?” I asked, whispering.

“They don’t.”

“You’re harsh.”

“Not us. Blame Apollo and Eros, instead.”

Hinigit ako balik ni Phoenix sa puwesto kung nasaan ang iba, saglit pang bumaba ang tingin nina Sky sa kamay ni Phoenix na nakahawak sa akin, ngunit walang nagsalita dahil sa seryosong mukha ni Phoenix.

Tama ang desisyon ko na siya ang unang lapitan. Dahil kahit alam ko na may galit siya kay Satan, hindi man halata sa ugali niya pero siya ang tanging makakaintindi sa sitwasyon ko.

After all, he was the Sun, the one who saved the Moon.

Dahan-dahan na gumala ang mga mata ni Phoenix sa paligid hanggang sa tumigil iyon kay Aizen. Tumikhim muna siya’t nakasimangot na bumaling dito. “Ayos ka na, ‘di ba?” Tanong ni Phoenix kay Aizen.

“Ang angas magtanong nito ah. Sapakan na lang, Phoenix—”

“See, you’re doing fine. Summon Night right now.”

“Pre, nag-eenglish pala si Phoenix.” Dinig kong bulong ni Riley kay Sky.

“Bago rin sa ‘kin.”

And when Phoenix glared at them, they immediately sealed their lips and avoided his eyes. “I’m serious.”

“No, you’re not serious. You are Phoenix,” Aizen said. Nang ako naman ang tumingin nang masama sa kanya, mabilis siyang umayos, at ilang segundo lamang ay nasa harapan na namin si Night. Wala na ang mga sugat sa katawan niya’t mukha pa siyang bagong ligo. Sana all.

“Yay! Reunion—”

“Shut up, Night,” Phoenix said, glaring. “Dalawang taon kang kasama ni Ice. Ikaw rin ang kasama niya nang magpakita sa inyo si Belphegor.”

“Ba’t nag-eenglish ‘to?!” Pasigaw na tanong ni Night. Big deal ba talaga ang pag-eenglish ni Phoenix?

“Night, seryoso raw ang topic.” Puna ni Aizen sa kanya’t may pagtapik pa sa balikat nito. “H’wag kang siraulo ha. Ako ang master mo, damay-damay tayo rito.”

“Geez.”

Phoenix cleared his throat. “I will use my brother’s blessing, and this will be the last time I will be able to use it.”

All of us remained still as Phoenix slowly made his way into the empty couch. Silence abruptly devoured the entire room as the breeze of air became harsh and cold, prisoning as in imaginative wasteland of white. No one dared to move, remaining our orbs locked in Phoenix’s direction.

Phoenix’s were closed while he was sitting lifelessly on the couch. Out of nowhere, a green magic circle appeared above his head, emitting a peculiar blinding light with smokes coming out of it. The green smokes slowly covered him, ravishing him within our sight until his eyes absorbed it.

His amber eyes disappeared, changing into entirely blinding green eyes.

“The second of all time, the one who signed the contract of living and the dead must die.”

Anong…

Mabilis akong napatingin kay Night, parehas kaming nanlalaki ang mga mata sa narinig naming Prophecy. Ang propesiyang nabanggit ni Phoenix ay ang pangyayaring magaganap pa lang.

In the Depth of Tartarus, the demise of the gods awaits.

It can’t be…

Parehas naming ginala ni Night ang paningin namin hanggang sa parehas kaming tumigil sa p’westo ni Serena. Nagtatakha siyang nakatingin sa amin ngunit halata ang pagiging kabado niya.

“Before coming here… you told us that you went to the Underworld. The upcoming should be ‘In the Depth of Tartarus, the demise of the gods awaits,’ but it was not the one foretold by the Spirit of Delphi inside of Phoenix.” I heard Night said.

Iwas tinging bumaling sa amin si Serena. “Those who went to the Underworld with me promised to keep our mouth sealed. But… an oath wasn’t even made, so I’ll tell you.”

“Saglit lang. Hindi ko maintindihan… bakit ibang prophecy ang binanggit ni Phoenix? Wala naman ‘yon sa Great Prophecy.” Pagtatakha ni Light.

“The Gods lied to us. They’ve altered the prophecy they gave,” Night answered.

“Listen…” Serena interrupted. “Poseidon and Hades were devoured by deadly shadows. They didn’t struggle and try to fight it while we were helping them… but before my father entirely disappeared, he said that it was their only escape.”

“Escape from what?” Aizelle asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Second of all time…” Sue mumbled.

Nang ginala ng bawat isa ang kanilang mga paningin, nanatili akong nakatingin sa sahig. Kung ang basehan nito ay ang ranking—Si Light iyon, ngunit walang bubuhayin si Light. Hindi naman siya desperado kung siya man ‘yon lalo na’t iisipin niya muna ang posibilidad na maaaring mangyari sa hinaharap.

Samantalang, kung sa pagitan naman nina Sky at Night. Si Night ang maaaring tinutukoy nito. Ngunit katulad ni Light, imposible rin ang bagay na iyon. Walang nais na buhayin si Night, malayo rin sa ugali niya ang ganoong kaisipan.

One who’s desperate… One who’s willing to do anything… one who’ll break any rule for someone.

I slowly looked and locked my eyes to the only name registering inside of my mind.

Celine Salvante Lean.

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