“AH!” Kaagad na napatakbo si Yophiel dahil sa dambuhalang dragon na nasa kaniyang harapan. Pumunta siya sa sulok ng kuweba upang makalayo sa nagsasalitang nilalang.

“Blank.”

“Ah!” Muli siyang napasigaw dahil sa pagtawag nito sa kaniyang pangalan. “Ano ka? Ba’t ka nagsasalita?!”

“It is I, Inferio.”

Napatigil siya sa pagsigaw. Inangat niya ang tingin. Nakapikit ang mga mata ng dragon na puno ng peklat dahilan para maalala ang lalaking nakausap niya dati sa loob ng kuweba.

“B-bakit isa ka nang d-dragon?”

“I was punished after I opened a chest a long time ago when I was on an adventure. I turned into the Infernal Dragon, the guardian of time and dimension.” Pinulupot ni Inferio ang buntot nito sa kaniyang katawan at hinila siya papalapit.

Napalunok naman siya. Malambot ang mga balahibo nito at gusto niyang hawakan pero natatakot pa rin siya sa itsura ng nilalang. Masiyadong malaki, pakiramdam niya’y lalamunin agad siya kapag may nagawa siyang mali.

“But it’s not my history that we are going to talk about right now. Blank, you are here to spend a wish and I, as your curse, will grant it.”

“Anong wish? Sandali nga!” Napakamot siya sa kaniyang ulo. “Sinabi mo dati na ikaw ang nagdala sa akin dito, bakit mo ginawa ‘yon? Bakit mo ‘ko ginawang si Yophiel?”

“Your death is the perfect timing when I granted Yophiel’s wish.”

“My what? D-death? Anong ibig mong sabihin?” nalilito niyang tanong.

Humiga muna si Inferio bago sumagot. “Blank Herana, your body died after getting poisoned. Pagkatapos mong magdiwang kasama ng iyong mga kasamahan sa trabaho, isa sa mga kaibigan mo ang naglason sa inumin mo.”

“Ha?!” Hindi siya makapaniwala. “Patay na pala ako?!” The image of that day flashed before her mind. Inalala niya kung sino ang nagbigay sa kaniya ng inumin. Napamura siya nang mapagtantong si Plumer ‘yon.

“Tsk. Kaya pala walang tigil akong binigyan ng alak,” bulong niya at napailing.

“At that same time, Yophiel and the author of the story fought.” Bumaba ang boses ni Inferio na para bang nalungkot ito.

“You mean, the original owner of this body?”

Tumango si Inferio. “They fought after Yophiel found out that she was just a tool in a story. She was mad, knowing that she isn’t real. And that her life had been antagonized.”

“Where is the author?”

The pen name of the author was weatherwitch. She had met her a few times because the book was published under their publishing company, but she never got a conversation with her because she didn’t like what she wrote.

“The author is the one you fought earlier.”

“Ha?!” Muli na naman siyang napasigaw. Magsasalita na sana siya pero hindi niya natuloy nang isa-isang pumasok sa kaniyang isipan ang mga napagtanto.

Come to think of it, Lady Gisela became so mad after she said the story was ugly. Nangangahulugan lang 'yon na ang mismong sumulat ang nasabihan niyang pangit ang akda dahil hindi ito magagalit nang sobra kung isa lang itong normal na mambabasa.

“So ang nilalang na gumagamit ng katawan ni Lady Gisela ay si weatherwitch?”

“That is correct.”

“Paano siya napunta rito? Kagaya rin ba ng nangyari sa ‘kin? What is precisely the wish of the original Yophiel?”

“It has been five years since the book was published. And every book that will have its physical copy will also have its cyclic fictional reality. The authors of every book have a free pass to indulge their world through the perspective of the main character. That is the reason why the author is inhabiting the female lead’s body.”

“Five years? Pero ilang taon nang namamalagi ang author sa katawan ni Lady Gisela,” sabi niya habang naaalala ang journal na sinulat ni Lady Gisela.

“Iba ang oras sa libro at reyalidad, Blank.”

Hindi naman siya sumagot at nakinig kay Inferio.

“The author can stay in this world and can also go back to reality in their own will. Everything was going smoothly in this world not until Yophiel came to realize that she is a fictional character. She tried to change the story because she doesn’t like what she had become, which made the author angry. The author tried to manipulate her to follow the original plot, but those who gain awareness that their world is a mere entertainment in reality will not anymore be affected by the author’s manipulation.” Inferio sighed. “And so, they fought. They fought in this place that you are standing right now. Yophiel cast a magic spell to share her fate with the author, but the author went back to reality before she got to perish and before the spell could fully take her away.”

“D-did Yophiel lose?”

“Yophiel lost her soul in exchange for her wish. I granted her wish to make her character be aware at all times despite the story going back to the beginning again. That is why you are here, Blank.” Pinakawalan siya ng buntot nito. “After her soul left, her character became empty. It needed another soul to inhabit and continue as Yophiel Aurelia Demancrius. In that same time, you died, so I took your soul to fill the role of Yophiel.”

“Why did she want to be aware?”

“She yearns for a change. She couldn’t bear to see herself and her father die at every end of the story and start over again.”

Napakurap siya. She just realized how cruel the life of the characters was. The fictional reality was a cycle of continuous and repeated scenes. When the story reached its ending, it would repeat again from the beginning. And those who have died would live again, without knowing they would experience death once again.

“But why would she exchange her soul? Kung gusto niya pa lang baguhin kuwento, bakit niya hinayaang mawala ang sarili?”

“That is the price for a wish.”

Kumunot ang kaniyang noo. “Bakit mo hinayaan ang kaluluwa nito ang maging kapalit? Hindi ba fictional character ka rin? Kung may kakayahan ka pa lang magbigay ng hiling, bakit hindi mo na lang mismo binago ang kuwento?”

“I am not a fictional character. I exist in every dimension and in every timeline. I exist through the author’s writing that they have left unexplained,” Inferio answered. “The cursed mark of Yophiel wasn’t explained in the novel, therefore, I have fill it in. Although this is my space, once the author finds this place again, it is likely that you will face her again here, Blank. After all, everything that has touched this fictional reality is hers.”

“Wait lang.” Tinaas niya ang isang kamay. “Ang ibig mo bang sabihin nandoon ka rin sa ibang fictional reality? Tapos nagbibigay ka rin ng wish?” Kunot-noo niyang tanong dahil hindi siya sigurado kung tama ba ang pagkakaintindi niya.

“Yes. That is the role I have been given by the one who punished me. One wish for one soul. And you, Blank, my new daughter, will need to ask me something in exchange for your soul.”

Napayakap siya sa kaniyang sarili. “Bakit ko naman ipagpapalit ang kaluluwa ko sa isang hiling? Ayoko.”

“You will not have a choice, anyway. Your soul will perish soon regardless of not wishing anything.” Nilapit nito ang mukha sa kaniya. “Your soul can’t stay here because you’re not from here. That is also the reason why you’re getting weaker. When the story reaches the ending, your soul will leave this place even if you will not want it to.”

Napabagsak ang balikat niya matapos ‘yong marinig. Umiling siya. “Nagsisinungaling ka lang, e. Dinala mo ‘ko rito, ‘di ba? Tapos aalis na naman ako?”

“You’re only temporary. Once your soul leaves, the body will be empty again, and another soul will inhabit it to continually fulfill the wish of Yophiel. And that will continue forever as the story cycles.”

Natahimik naman siya. Napakuyom ang kaniyang mga kamao dahil lahat pala ng ginawa niyang pag-iwas dati ay mawawalan lang ng silbi. Mangyayari lang ulit ang nangyari sa nobela.

She couldn’t just accept that. Hindi siya papayag na basta-basta na lang mawawala at hayaan ang sarili niya, ang ama, at si Eziyah na mamatay sa huli. Hindi niya ‘yon hahayaan.

“Inferio.” Inangat niya ang tingin. “What if I wish to change the ending?”

“You can’t. And I can’t do that as well. We are not allowed to change the fate of the characters. What was written for them will be followed. The changes you have made will stay in the fictional reality and will not affect what the readers are reading. As you perish, the changes you have made here will go away as well.”

Napaupo siya sa lupa dahil pakiramdam niya’y nawalan na siya ng pag-asa. “Then wala rin pa lang silbi ang ginawang sakripisyo ni Yophiel.”

Ninais nitong baguhin ang wakas pero kahit kailan hindi nila ‘yon magagawa dahil mauulit lang ang nangyari kung ano ang nakasulat sa nobela. Kahit na maging aware pa ang mga karakter, wala silang mababago.

Kahit man lang sana bago siya mawala, maiba man lang niya ang nakatadhana sa kanila pero paano naman niya gagawin ‘yon kung hindi niya puwedeng baguhin ang daloy ng kuwento?

“Wala ba talagang ibang paraan para mabago ang wakas?”

“There is. When you can make all of the characters aware of what they are, then the ending can change.”

Nabuhayan siya sa sinabi nito pero kaagad ding nawala matapos ang sunod nitong sinabi.

“But when I say all, it means every characters in the story, including the most irrelevant ones. Telling them isn’t enough because they need to believe it. They need to believe that they are fictional. And it will take a large amount of time which you don’t have, Blank. Hindi ka na makatatagal pa rito.”

“Anong mangyayari sa ‘kin kapag mawawala na ako rito?”

“You will be Blank Herana again. And you will not remember anything that has happened here.”

“Pero sabi mo patay na ako? Bakit ako magiging—” Napatakip siya sa kaniyang bibig nang may mapagtanto. “W-will I be reincarnated?”

“Yes.”

Napanganga siya. “T-then if I will be reincarnated as myself again, mararanasan ko rin ba lahat ng naranasan ko dati sa reyalidad ko?”

“Yes. Everything, except for getting poisoned and being brought here, you will be Blank Herana who will work in a publishing company. Your timeline will repeat without remembering anything about this fictional reality.”

“Kung babalik ang lahat sa dati, ibig bang sabihin babalik din ang oras kung kailan magiging physical book ang libro?”

“That is correct. Yophiel’s wish is not a waste. It will leave chances and options to those who will inhabit her body. It is up to you how you are going to fulfill the change that she wanted. What wish you will ask will affect your timeline as you go back. And all of the timelines will be affected as well.”

Napaisip naman siya. Hindi niya pa rin mababago ang kahihinatnan ng mga karakter. Kapag nakabalik na siya at mangyari ulit ang buhay niya bilang Blank Herana, mauulit lang din ang pag-publish ng libro. Ano ang puwede niyang hilingin na walang magbabago sa karakter pero magagawa niyang mailigtas sila sa kanilang wakas? Ayaw rin niyang may sumunod pa sa kaniya na papasok sa katawan ni Yophiel at maulit lang din ang lahat sa dati.

She wanted to prevent the cycle from happening. But how?

“You are a reader, aren’t you, Blank?” Napatingin siya kay Inferio na nagsalita.

Nagtaka siya sa biglaan nitong tanong pero tumango naman siya.

“Why do you read?”

“Huh? Kasi gusto ko lang?” Napaisip naman siya kung bakit nga ba siya nagbabasa. “Natutuwa kasi akong mabasa ang iba’t ibang istorya ng mga karakter. Gusto kong malaman ang istorya ng buhay nila—” Bigla siyang natigilan.

Isang ideya ang pumasok sa isipan niya matapos niyang sabihin ang mga katagang ‘yon. Kaagad siyang napatayo at tinignan si Inferio.

“Inferio!”

“Have you made up your mind?” mabilis nitong sagot, inaabangan ang kaniyang sasabihin.

She clenched her fist before nodding. “I think I know what I should ask you.”

“And your wish is?”