Price of the Truth
Jerastus 6, 2196

"We've arrived."

The moment my eyes wandered around Merhey, I felt something weird. It's like I'm back to the land of Fall— but somehow different too. The darkness wasn't something caused by the lack of light; instead, it seemed like countless phantoms and shadows were lurking around. A sense of death coming by you anytime was what made this place similar to Fall. I can't help but be wary and anxious.

"Hindi ko talaga gusto ang atmosphere rito," saad ni Aeryn at bahagya akong napahinga nang maluwag nang malamang hindi lang ako ang nakaramdam ng kakaibang awra. Wala sa sarili ko pang naitaas ang kanang kamay ko upang mas pakiramdaman ang paligid, at napasinghap nalang ako nang marinig na may mga panang naghahabulan patungo sa'min.

My hands swung, and I instinctively built ice particles in the air to stop the arrows mid-air. I'm not quite sure if freezing the arrows would cause it to stop, but it might drop or go slower. At least, the others would be able to evade the attacks. My eyes widened when an arrow stopped just an inch from me. It was frozen, and when I glanced at others, I saw them evading the other arrows that were missed by my power.

No one was hurt. I'm relieved.

Napatawa naman si Lucifuge nang sarkastiko, ngunit pansin kong pinigilan niyang maglabas ng kapangyarihan. Instead, he summoned something... a soul or a spirit? Hindi ko sigurado. Mukha 'yong translucent na lobo. The wolf, or whatever creature it is, jumped into the air and leaped as if it's stepping on something though there were none.

Lucifuge, then, jumped on a big branch of a tree where he stood firm. His midnight-black hair fluttered as the shine of the silver moon embraced his shadows, enchantingly showcasing his chiseled body. Tila ba naramdaman niya ang titig ko sa kaniya kaya't mula sa pagmamasid niya'y naka-kunot noo siyang napasilip sa'kin. O baka naman assuming lang ako't may gusto lang siyang iparating sa'kin?

It turns out to be the latter. His eyes were squinting at the opposite side, then he looks back to me. Hindi ko makuha ang gusto niyang iparating, ngunit tumingin nalang din ako sa direksyon ng tinitingnan niya. Dahil sa abilidad kong makakita sa dilim, napansin kong may mga taong nakatayo rin sa mga puno.

Napalunok ako't 'di alam ang gagawin. At this times, I think it would be better to trust Lucifuge... pero ano pa ba ang gusto niyang iparating kanina?

Oh... Suddenly, I realized that they were aiming their weapons only at me. Since Adrius is the family of truth, could it be that they immediately recognized me as a Soulless? Hindi ko sigurado kung tama ba itong ginagawa ko, but I took steps forward.

Indeed, their aims followed every step of mine. Tinaas ko ang aking mga kamay bilang hudyat na wala akong balak na masama. Naririnig ko na ang malalakas na bigkas ng isipan ng mga kasama ko. "Ano'ng ginagawa niya?" Jax's thought resonated in my ears. Gan'on din naman ang iniisip ng iba, nalilito at 'di maintindihan ang mga aksyon ko. Gladly, Lucifuge has calmed them down. Hindi ko naman nakita kung pa'no... narinig ko lang ang isang kaisipan ni Aeryn. "I should trust Lucifuge."

The more steps I took forward, the more tumult noises came to my mind. It was coming from the people of Merhey. However, one mind was silent— almost too quiet that I thought he wasn't there. Kaya naman, halos napatalon ako nang magsalita siya sa'king utak.

"Looking for my thoughts, Vampire?" Hindi lang ang biglaan niyang pakikipag-usap ang nakapagpatigil sa'kin, pati na rin ang kaniyang inihayag. Pa'no niya nalaman ang katagang iyon? Ang vampire? That was what I was called in the scene that the book showed me.

"Huwag kang mag-alala. Hindi ko naman nalalaman ang laman ng utak mo. It's just that I happen to know a lot of things unknown in this world. Would you like to come with me?" The man asked.

Sa wakas ay lumabas siya mula sa anino ng mga puno. Dahil sa dilim ng kapaligiran, naging kapansin-pansin ang kaniyang aquamarine na buhok at mga mata. Bahagya itong may mga kulot, kaya't kung sa unang tingin... aakalain ng ibang siya'y batang babae. He had pinkish cheeks and lips— almost too beautiful to compare to other ladies. Maliit siya't hindi ko sigurado kung ka-edad ba namin siya.

He beckoned me to come closer, then, he made some gestures that made everyone drop their weapons. With worry, my eyes gazed back to my companions. Mukhang hindi rin nila alam ang nangyayari, ngunit hinahayaan nila ako. Isa pa, nakita ko ang gaan ng loob sa mukha ni Jax. Naalala ko bigla ang sinabi niyang... may koneksyon siya rito sa House Adrius. Maaari kayang ang lalaking sinusundan ko ang kakilala niya?

Yeah, it would seem to be the case. I caught the boy and him exchanging glances with each other. Somehow, this made my worries vanish. If Jax trusts him, maybe I could too.

He guided me towards the exit of the forest, where a vast copula-roofed building stood. May mga baging na umakyat sa mga haligi sa apat na sulok. Hindi naman nagmukhang pinabayaan kaya may mga baging; sa halip, mukha itong disenyo sa puting mala-kastilyong gusali. Hula ko'y ito ang house of Adrius.

"May I know your name?" Lakas loob kong tanong. Napatikom naman ang bibig ko nang ilang segundo ang lumipas, 'di niya ako sinagot at nagpatuloy sa pagpasok sa loob ng gusali. Nagbukas ang malaking pintong gawa sa kahoy na may simbolo ng leon. Kasabay no'n ay tila ba may narinig akong dagundong. Hindi rin naman nalagpasan ng mga mata ko ang pangalang Adrius na naka-ukit sa pinto.

Lubos akong nagtaka nang mapansing parang green house ang loob ng gusali. Pagtingin ko sa bubong, 'saka ko lang napansin na mayr'on palang lagusan o butas para sa sinag ng araw. Sa mga pader, nagmistualng aklatan ang mga maliit na mga plorerang nakahanay sa mga salansanan. Mayr'on ding mga sumalubong na trabahador at lahat sila'y tinungo lang ang ulo sa pagdaan ng lalaking kasama ko. No doubt, I'm with an Adrius.

Sa gitna ng gusali ay mayr'ong isang blangkong painting canvas. The boy summoned a paintbrush, and suddenly drew abstract things in the canvas. Hindi niya kailangan ng iba pang mga pangkulay para ibahin ang kulay ng pinta sa paintbrush niya. Patuloy lang na kumukumpas ang kaniyang sa iba't ibang direksyon hanggang sa may muli na namang dumagundong.

Hudyat ng tunog na 'yon ay pagbukas ng isa na namang  lagusan. Umangat ang pabilog na marble mosaic tile at pumatong sa kaliwang parte. Sinilip ko kung ano'ng mayr'on sa lagusan, at nahuli ng mga mata ang isang paikot na hagdan. Habang humahakbang siya pababa, muli ko na namang narinig ang boses niya sa'king utak. "Try not to get startled on your way down."

Tumango ako datapwat 'di niya nakikita 'yon. The moment my feet landed on the first step, my throat was knotted by surprise. Bigla nalang nawala ang staircase, at nahulog ako sa baba. Sinubukan kong bahagyang tingnan ang paligid at napansing nawala ang lalaki. Naramdaman ko namang hindi na ako nahuhulog, ngunit nakalutang pa rin ang aking mga paa. The moment I fully opened my eyes, I realized that I was in a void.

Sa halip na kumawala na ang higpit ng aking dibdib, mas lalo akong 'di nakahinga dahil sa katahimikan at kadiliman. Hindi ko alam kung ga'no katagal na akong nakatingin at nakatayo rito, at pilit humahanap ng presensya... hanggang sa may naramdaman ako sa harap ko. An emerging presence out of nowhere.

"That's one thing you're mistaken of," ani ng lalaking kasama ko kanina na ang presensyang biglang lumabas ngayon. Nagulat nalang ako nang mabasa niya ang sinisigaw ng utak ko, kaya't pilit kong isinara 'yon para sa kaniya.  "My presence doesn't come from nowhere, for firstly, you are the one in my presence."

One of my eyebrows shot up because of it. Hindi ko na kailangang magsalita para iparating ang aking pagkalito. Alam ko namang dinala niya ako rito sa kung ano mang lugar na ito nang may rason, at hindi na ako para magtanong pa. If he needs something from me, then he must be the one to tell it.

He chuckled. Can he still read my mind? Bakit tila tinatawanan niya ang mga naiisip ko? Nakumprima ko naman 'yon sa mga susunod niyang kataga. "You cannot hide anything from an Adrius, the family of truth. Nasa loob ka ngayon ng isang panaginip, at kaya ka nakatulog ay dahil sa paglanghap mo sa amoy ng mga bulaklak at spell na ginawa ko sa canvas. This is a space I created in your dream, that's why I said that you're in my presence."

"Kung gan'on, ba't ako narito at ba't ka narito?" Malakas kong tanong dahil balewala na naman kung pipigilan ko ang mga tanong at palaisipan ko. "Maaari mo naman akong kausapin nang hindi pumupunta sa panaginip na 'to."

He answered, "Well, I can't speak if I'm in reality. I'm mute and I only use art to express what I truly want to convey."

"You can allow me to read your mind—" I was immediately cut off by his following sentence. "There are some things that I must not tell you, Georgia. Like for how I knew that you're from the Fall or things that only the Adrius family must know."

He smiled sweetly while taking bites from the grapes on his hand. "I'm a seer, and I know you're here to confirm if the Warlock Valdemior of Fall is the same person as the Warlock here in Summer."

"So... will you tell us or not?" I asked. "Well, every truth has a price. I'm assuming you're here to discuss the details with me, right?"

He nodded, and numerous lines of different colors painted the darkness away. His eyes were suddenly dripping with paint colors that I couldn't understand the true colors of his eyes. Umabot ang mga kulay na 'yon sa paanan ko hanggang sa madala na naman ako sa panibagong lugar.

I stood frozen, as if turned to ice, when I saw I was back at Fall... at my smithy. Nakita ko ang sarili kong nakatambay sa alcoves. This was the day I was framed for execution.

"Perhaps, do you also know the truth behind this?" Walang alinlangan kong pagtanong sa lalaki. He looked back at me and his sly smile scared me the most.

He chuckled like a child and gave me one grapefruit. "In fact, I was the one who plotted everything. Before I tell you everything, allow me to introduce myself." Hindi ko na alam kung ano'ng klaseng ekspresyon ang pininta ng aking mukha. Disgust, fear, confusion, or disbelief?

"I am Ezjei Adrius. Despite my young looks, I'm about your age, and I am someone part of the Valdemior's phantoms— people who defy the Fallen Governance and the Kingdom of Celeste."

Mas inilahad niya ang ubas sa'kin, na tila ba'y sinasabing iyon ang sasagot sa lahat ng aking katanungan. Pero... paano ko ba mapapagkatiwalaan ang isang taong umamin na siya ang nagpahamak sa'kin at nagdala rito sa Summer?

"The price of your truth is for you to consume this grape without any questions."

Discovering Summerland
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

Characters added:
Ezjei Adrius by SeilaLuna

Thank you for reading!